CHAMPIONS (The Lost Chronicles of Eden, #1) [Published]

07: WHEN YOUR LIFE CRUMBLES AROUND YOU KEEP CALM AND REMEMBER

They had been waiting for hours.

They were at the foot of a mountain somewhere in a province south of the city. Mt. Banahaw loomed over them, daunting as the mist wrapped the mountain in its embrace.

The two Guardians were pensive as they waited for their third partner and their charge. Solenn kicked the ground with the toe of her boot and checked her watch. "Wonder what's keeping them so long."

"Demons, probably."

Solenn clucked her tongue at her partner. "That's not a good joke. He's more prone to attacks now and-"

"You sound awful concerned for the Human," Solomon teased. Solenn was about to snap at her partner when they heard a rustle not far from where they were.

A few seconds later, Selina emerged from the thick bushes, followed by a pale-stricken Gabriel.

"Took you long enough," Solenn said as she stood up straight. She spared a glance at Gabriel and nodded a greeting to Selina. "Let's go." Without another word, she started off for the woods, taking point.

Selina motioned for Gabriel to follow her. Solomon quietly picked up the tail.

Gabriel couldn't believe what was happening.

They'd just walk into the heart of the mountain, just like that? No word, no explanation, not even a single, "How've you been, Gabriel? Oh yeah, how do you feel about being kidnapped on your birthday? Weather's nice, isn't it?"

Zero. None. Nil. Nada. Zilch.

As if kidnapping young men was an ordinary occurrence in the lives of these three strange people.

Are they even people? What in heaven's name are they?

Just a few hours ago, the girl he thought he'd fallen in love with had killed three demons in front of her. After that, she held him at gunpoint and demanded that he ride a black sedan he didn't know she owned. He hadn't even fastened his seatbelt yet when she careened out of her parking space and into the busy streets.

She drove like a maniac. She beat the red light more than three times, had almost run over an old man crossing the street, and had outrun a traffic enforcer that had tried to flag her down. They were out into the South Luzon Expressway in no time.

Selina was even more of a daredevil in the expressway. She drove way past the speed limit and paid no heed to the patrol cars that ran after her. She only stopped at the tollgates, and even then she'd drive away quickly before the expressway officers could catch up with her.

Gabriel had almost fallen in love with a criminal. Or a demon killer of some sort, he thought as he remembered how easily she shot those demons. He shuddered as he remembered the monstrosity that convulsed violently before they died and turned into ashes.

Selina never once spoke during the long drive to the south. Gabriel tried to ask what was going on, but the surly girl had snapped at him to shut up.

So shut up, he did.

But now that they were probably walking him to his doom, shut up, he wouldn't.

"I'm sorry to disturb your menacing silence," Gabriel started, "but who and what the heck are you? and more importantly, where the heck are you taking me?"