Witch’s Promise (Shadowguards #3.5)

17. Gabe

Chapter 17

Gabe

T he coffee in his mug had long since gone cold, forgotten in the frantic rush to piece together any lead they could find. Gabe's stomach churned with a nauseating mixture of caffeine, worry, and the ever-present weight of responsibility that seemed to press down on him with each passing hour.

"Anything?" he asked, hating the desperate edge in his voice.

Lucas looked up, dark circles under his eyes betraying his own exhaustion. "Nothing concrete yet. But we're not giving up, Gabe. We'll find her."

Gabe nodded, trying to draw strength from Lucas's determination. But the gnawing doubt in his gut refused to be silenced. What if they were too late? What if Jessy was already- No. He couldn't let himself go down that road. Not now.

"How's your dad doing?" Marcus asked, his fingers still tracing intricate patterns in the air as he maintained a locator spell.

Gabe sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Still out. Finn says it's normal, that the magical coma is helping him heal. But fuck, I just wish he'd wake up, you know? I could really use his advice right about now."

The words felt selfish even as they left his mouth. His father was fighting for his life, and here Gabe was, wishing he'd wake up just to tell him what to do. Some leader he was turning out to be.

As if sensing the spiral of self-doubt, Lucas spoke up. "Hey, speaking of advice how are you feeling about the whole coven leader thing? That's a pretty big deal, man."

Gabe blinked, momentarily thrown by the change in topic. With everything that had happened, he'd almost forgotten about his father's announcement at the party. The weight of an entire coven's expectations settled onto his already overburdened shoulders, threatening to crush him completely.

"I honestly don't know," Gabe admitted, the words tasting bitter on his tongue. "And besides, I can't leave the Shadowguards behind. You guys are my family too."

Lucas's expression softened, understanding and something else - was that disappointment? - flickering in his eyes. "So what are you going to do?"

Gabe shrugged, aiming for a nonchalance he didn't feel. "I'll work it out like I always do. One crisis at a time."

The words hung in the air, hollow and unconvincing even to his own ears. But before Lucas could press further, the sound of a door opening drew their attention.

Finn emerged from Gino's room, supporting Gabe's brother with Giana's help. Gino looked pale and drawn, but there was a stubborn set to his jaw that Gabe recognized all too well. It was the same expression Gino had worn as a kid, insisting he was fine to play even with a broken arm.

Gabe was on his feet in an instant, moving to help ease Gino into one of the kitchen chairs. "What the hell, Gi? Shouldn't you still be in bed?"

Giana rolled her eyes, though the worry in them belied her exasperated tone. "Try telling him that. He's been insisting on getting up for the past hour. Wouldn't take no for an answer."

Gino managed a weak grin, though it didn't reach his eyes. "Can't let you have all the fun, big bro. Someone's got to keep you in line."

The attempted joke fell flat, the weight of everything that had happened pressing down on them all. Gabe saw the moment reality reasserted itself, watched as Gino's forced smile crumbled.

"Where's Jessy?" Gino asked, his voice small and scared in a way Gabe hadn't heard since they were kids. "Is she okay? Did we get her back?"

The hope in Gino's eyes was like a knife to Gabe's heart. He swallowed hard, hating himself for what he had to say next. "Gino, I... Jessy's gone. Whoever attacked us, they took her."

The words hung in the air like a physical presence, sucking all the oxygen from the room. Gabe watched as the information sank in, as Gino's face crumpled with a mixture of grief and self-loathing.

"No," Gino whispered, shaking his head as if he could deny the truth through sheer force of will. "No, that can't... I was supposed to protect her. I promised. I-"

"Hey, hey," Gabe cut him off, kneeling beside the chair to look his brother in the eye. "This isn't your fault, Gino. You hear me? You did everything you could."

But Gino wasn't listening. His eyes had taken on a glazed, far-away look that Gabe recognized all too well. It was the same expression he saw in the mirror on his worst days, when the weight of responsibility and the fear of failure threatened to drown him completely.

"I failed her," Gino muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. "I failed the coven. I should have been stronger, faster, better-"

"Stop it," Giana snapped, her voice sharp enough to cut through Gino's spiral of self-recrimination. "You didn't fail anyone, Gino. We were attacked by forces way beyond what any of us were prepared for. You can't blame yourself for that."

Gabe nodded, grateful for his sister's blunt practicality. "Giana's right. What happened wasn't your fault. It wasn't any of our faults. But we're going to make it right. We're going to find Jessy and bring her home safe."

"You promise?" Gino asked, a flicker of hope returning to his eyes.

Gabe nodded, squeezing his brother's shoulder. "I promise. We're not giving up, Gi. Not now, not ever."

The sudden knock at the door cut through the tense atmosphere like a thunderclap. Gabe's head snapped up, every nerve on high alert. Who the hell could that be at this hour?

"I'll get it," he said, already moving towards the entrance. His mind raced with possibilities, each more dire than the last. Another attack? Someone with news about Jessy? Or just some poor, unsuspecting neighbor about to get dragged into this supernatural shitstorm?

As Gabe approached the door, he noticed something odd. The wards weren't reacting. No alarm bells, no prickle of magical warning. Whatever was on the other side, the wards didn't perceive it as a threat.

Curiosity warred with caution as Gabe reached for the handle. He took a deep breath, centering himself, ready for anything. Or so he thought.

Nothing could have prepared him for the sight that greeted him when he swung the door open.

Sean stood there, looking like he'd gone ten rounds with a meat grinder and lost. His clothes were singed and torn, face streaked with soot and blood. But it was the figure cradled in his arms that made Gabe's heart stop.

Jessy. Battered, unconscious, but undeniably alive.

"Holy shit," Gabe breathed, his mind struggling to process what he was seeing. "Sean, what the fuck happened? How did you-"

But Sean's knees chose that moment to buckle, nearly sending both him and Jessy tumbling to the ground. Gabe lunged forward, supporting Sean's weight as best he could.

"Lucas! Marcus!” Gabe shouted over his shoulder. "I need help out here, now!"

His teammates appeared in an instant, their eyes widening as they took in the scene. Without a word, they sprang into action. Marcus gently lifted Jessy from Sean's arms, while Lucas helped Gabe support Sean's weight.

"Get Jessy to the couch," Gabe instructed, his leader instincts kicking in despite the shock. "Finn! We need you in the living room, stat!"

As they maneuvered Sean and Jessy into the house, Gabe's mind whirled with questions. How had Sean found her? What the hell had happened to leave them both in such a state?

But those questions would have to wait. Right now, they had two injured people who needed immediate attention.

Finn was already hovering over Jessy by the time Gabe and Lucas got Sean to the living room. The healer's hands glowed with white magic as he assessed her condition, his brow furrowed in concentration.

"She's stable," Finn reported, not looking up from his work. "Beaten up pretty bad, magical exhaustion, but nothing life-threatening. I can handle this."

Gabe nodded, relief washing over him in a dizzying wave. Jessy was alive. She was here, she was safe. They hadn't failed her after all.

But the relief was short-lived as Gabe turned his attention to Sean. The other man looked on the verge of collapse, his eyes glazed with pain and exhaustion.

"Hey," Gabe said softly, ducking his head to meet Sean's unfocused gaze. "You with me, Sean? Can you hear me?"

Sean blinked slowly, seeming to come back to himself a bit. "Gabe? I... fuck, everything hurts."

"I bet," Gabe said, trying for a lightness he didn't feel. "You look like you went a few rounds with a dragon and lost. What happened out there?"

Sean opened his mouth as if to answer, then winced, his face going a shade paler. “It's complicated. I'll tell you everything, I swear. Just... need to rest for a minute."

Gabe nodded, tamping down on the burning curiosity and lingering worry. "Okay. Okay, yeah, we can do that. Let's get you somewhere more comfortable, alright?"

Without waiting for an answer, Gabe slipped an arm around Sean's waist, supporting most of his weight. "I've got him," he told Lucas. "Can you guys handle things down here?"

Lucas nodded, though Gabe didn't miss the flash of concern - and was that a hint of jealousy? - in his teammate's eyes. "We've got it covered. Take care of him."

The trip up the stairs was slow and painful, Sean's labored breathing echoing in the narrow space. By the time they reached Gabe's childhood bedroom, they were both sweating and out of breath.

"Almost there," Gabe murmured, as much to himself as to Sean. "Just a few more steps."

He eased Sean onto the bed, wincing in sympathy at the other man's barely suppressed groan of pain. As Sean sank into the mattress, his eyes already fluttering closed, Gabe felt a surge of... something. Protectiveness? Affection? Or just the lingering remnants of feelings he'd thought long buried?

"Rest now," Gabe said softly, pulling a blanket over Sean's battered form. "We'll talk when you wake up. I promise."

Sean mumbled something unintelligible, already halfway to unconsciousness. Within moments, his breathing had evened out into the deep rhythm of exhausted sleep.

Gabe stood there for a long moment, just watching Sean's chest rise and fall. It felt surreal, having him here in this room.

They had Jessy back, against all odds. Sean had brought her home, had put himself in danger to save her. Whatever had happened between them in the past, whatever complicated feelings still lingered... none of that mattered right now.

What mattered was that they were both safe. That, for the moment at least, everyone Gabe cared about was under one roof, battered but alive.

As Gabe turned to leave, to rejoin his team and face whatever new challenges awaited, he allowed himself one last glance at Sean's sleeping form.

"Thank you," he whispered, the words barely audible. "For bringing her back. For coming back yourself."

Gabe jerked awake at the sound of rustling sheets, his body tensing for a fight before his brain caught up. He blinked, disoriented, as he took in his surroundings. Right. His old bedroom. Sean.

Sean was awake, shifting gingerly in the bed as if testing the limits of his injuries. Finn had worked his magic earlier, healing the worst of the burns and cuts, but the exhaustion lingering in Sean's eyes spoke of wounds that went deeper than mere flesh.

"Hey," Gabe said softly, his voice rough from lack of sleep. "How are you feeling?"

Sean turned towards him, a ghost of his old cocky grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Like I went ten rounds with a pissed-off dragon and lost. But hey, I'm alive, so that's something, right?"

The familiar banter hit Gabe like a sucker punch to the gut, dredging up memories he'd thought long buried. How many times had they done this dance? Sean, battered and bruised from some reckless adventure, and Gabe there to patch him up, to scold and worry and secretly marvel at Sean's seemingly indestructible spirit.

For a moment, Gabe was transported back in time. He could almost smell the antiseptic and hear Sean's half-hearted protests as Gabe tended to his wounds. Could almost feel the warmth of Sean's skin under his fingers, see that smile - the one that had always been reserved just for him.

The same smile Sean was giving him now.

Gabe's heart clenched painfully. It would be so easy to fall back into old patterns, to let the familiar rhythm of their relationship sweep him away. But he couldn't. Not yet. Not until he knew more about what had happened, about why Sean had come crashing back into his life after all these years.

Clearing his throat, Gabe forced himself back to the present. "Finn did what he could for the burns. Said you were lucky - could have been a lot worse."

Sean nodded, his expression turning serious. "Yeah, I owe your healer friend a beer or ten. Don't think I would've made it here without his magical patch job."

The casual mention of how close Sean had come to not making it sent a chill down Gabe's spine. He pushed the feeling aside, focusing on the more immediate concerns.

"Think you're up for telling me what happened?" Gabe asked, trying to keep his tone neutral. "How you found Jessy, who took her... all of it?"

Sean sighed, his gaze drifting to the window. "Yeah, I guess it's time for that conversation, huh?" He turned back to Gabe, a hint of vulnerability in his eyes that made Gabe's chest ache. "Think we could do this outside? Under the stars, like old times?"

The request shouldn't have affected Gabe as much as it did. It was just stars, just a balcony. But Sean remembered. He remembered how they used to sneak out onto the roof, talking for hours as the constellations wheeled overhead. How the vastness of the night sky had always made their problems seem smaller, more manageable.

"Sure," Gabe said, hoping his voice didn't betray the storm of emotions roiling inside him. "Let's get you up, alright?"

He moved to help Sean, hyper-aware of every point of contact between them. Sean's arm around his shoulders, the warmth of his body pressed against Gabe's side - it was achingly familiar and utterly foreign all at once.

They made their way to the balcony slowly, Sean's breathing labored from even this small exertion. Gabe eased him into one of the chairs, trying not to hover too obviously as Sean settled himself with a barely suppressed wince.

The night air was cool against Gabe's skin, carrying the scent of blooming jasmine from his mother's garden below. Above them, the stars glittered like scattered diamonds, indifferent to the drama unfolding beneath their eternal gaze.

For a long moment, neither of them spoke. Gabe waited, giving Sean the time he needed to gather his thoughts. He'd always been good at that - at knowing when to push and when to be patient. It was one of the things that had made them such a good team, once upon a time.

Sean's voice, when it finally came, was rough with emotion. "I never meant to leave you, Gabe. It was never my intention to hurt you."

The words hit Gabe like a physical blow, dredging up memories he'd spent years trying to bury. He watched as tears welled up in Sean's eyes, spilling over to trace silvery tracks down his cheeks. The sight made Gabe's chest ache with a mixture of sympathy and long-suppressed pain.

"After my mother died," Sean continued, his gaze fixed on some distant point beyond the balcony railing, "Dad fed me all these lies about witches. And when I found out that you were one... my prejudices got the better of me. You know the rest."

Gabe nodded, unable to speak past the lump in his throat. He did know. The memory of that final, explosive argument was seared into his brain - Sean's face contorted with disgust and fear, his own desperate pleas falling on deaf ears.

But Sean wasn't finished. "Even before that, though, I kept telling myself that witches couldn't be all bad if you were one of them. I was... I was about to tell you that I didn't care about any of it. That I wanted to be with you, magic and all."

Gabe's heart skipped a beat. "What? But then why-"

"My dad," Sean cut him off, his voice hard with old anger. "He told me he'd kill your entire coven if I didn't leave you."

The revelation hit Gabe like a ton of bricks. All these years, he'd thought Sean had left because he couldn't handle Gabe's magic, because his prejudice had won out over their love. But this... this changed everything.

"Jesus, Sean," Gabe breathed, his mind reeling. "Why didn't you tell me? We could have faced it together, we could have-"

"Protected your family?" Sean finished for him, a sad smile tugging at his lips. "You would have tried, Gabe. That's who you are. But my father... you have no idea what he's capable of. I couldn't risk it. I couldn't risk you."

As if to emphasize his point, Sean reached for something under his shirt. Gabe's breath caught in his throat as Sean pulled out a familiar silver pendant - the one Gabe had given him on their first anniversary.

"You kept it," Gabe whispered, unable to hide the wonder in his voice.

Sean nodded, his fingers tracing the intricate designs etched into the metal. "Every time I got into trouble, I'd ask myself, 'What would Gabe do?' You'll never believe how many times it got me out of a tight spot."

The admission made Gabe's heart swell with a complicated mixture of pride, affection, and lingering hurt. Without thinking, he reached for his own memento - the ring Sean had given him, still hanging on a chain around his neck.

"I promised I'd never take it off," Gabe said softly, holding up the ring for Sean to see. "And I never did. You were it for me, Sean. But what you did... it hurt. I was a mess for a long time."

Sean's face crumpled, fresh tears spilling down his cheeks. "I'm so sorry, Gabe. God, I'm so fucking sorry. For everything. I know it doesn't change what happened, but I need you to know that leaving you was the hardest thing I've ever done. And I've regretted it every day since."

The raw honesty in Sean's voice made Gabe's own eyes sting with unshed tears. He wanted to believe him, wanted so badly to trust that this time would be different. But the scars of their past ran deep, and Gabe had responsibilities now that went far beyond his own heart.

"I hear you," Gabe said carefully, "and I appreciate you telling me all this. But Sean, you have to understand. Things are complicated now. I've got a job in Manhattan, the coven... I can't just-"

"I know," Sean cut him off gently. "I'm not asking you to drop everything and run away with me or anything. I just... I want a chance, Gabe. A chance to prove that I've changed, that I can be someone worthy of your trust again. Can we... can we start over?"

"I don't know if we can ever truly start over," Gabe said slowly, choosing his words with care. "There's too much history between us. Too much hurt. But maybe... maybe we can start from where we are now. Build something new."

Hope flared in Sean's eyes, bright and fragile. "Yeah?"

Gabe nodded, surprising himself with the certainty in his voice. "Yeah. Because the truth is, Sean I never stopped loving you either. You were my rock, my anchor. And I guess, in some ways, you still are."

The admission felt like jumping off a cliff, exhilarating and terrifying in equal measure. But as Sean's face lit up with a joy Gabe hadn't seen in years, he knew he'd made the right choice.

"I swear, Gabe," Sean said fervently, reaching out to grasp Gabe's hand. "I won't let you down this time. Whatever it takes, however long it takes, I'll prove to you that you can trust me again."

Gabe squeezed Sean's hand, allowing himself to really feel the contact for the first time since Sean had returned. "I believe you," he said softly. "And I want you to know... now that I've found you again, I'm not letting you out of my sight. We face whatever comes next together, okay?"

Sean nodded, his eyes shining with unshed tears. "Together. I like the sound of that."

For a moment, they just sat there, hands clasped, the weight of everything said and unsaid hanging between them. Then, as if by mutual agreement, they leaned towards each other. The hug was awkward at first, both of them mindful of Sean's injuries. But as they settled into the embrace, it felt like coming home.

Gabe buried his face in the crook of Sean's neck, inhaling the familiar scent of leather and spice that he'd never quite been able to forget. He felt Sean's tears soaking into his shirt, felt his own eyes burning as years of pent-up emotion finally found release.

They stayed like that for a long time, holding each other as the stars wheeled overhead. When they finally pulled apart, Gabe felt lighter somehow, as if a burden he'd been carrying for years had finally been lifted.

But as he looked at Sean's face, saw the serious set to his jaw, Gabe knew their conversation wasn't over yet.

"There's more, isn't there?" Gabe asked, resigned but not surprised. "More to the story that you haven't told me."

Sean nodded, his expression grim. "Yeah. And it's not just you who needs to hear it. We should gather everyone - your family, your team. What I have to say affects all of you."

The ominous tone in Sean's voice sent a chill down Gabe's spine. Whatever this was, it was big. Potentially dangerous. Part of Gabe wanted to shield his loved ones from whatever new threat Sean was about to reveal. But he knew that wasn't an option. Not anymore.

"Okay," Gabe said, steeling himself for whatever came next. "Let's do this. Together."