Free The Lost Years (The Guardians Book 4) by Wendy Owens

it was as if a hush had fallen over the room. The woman’s skin had a golden hue to it, as if she were from some place exotic. Her piercing eyes were like dark pools of gray, her eyebrows arched with exaggeration, bringing even more attention to her eyes.
    The bridge of her nose was perfection, the slope leading down to a dainty point that was a sufficient shape and size for the girl’s face. Her lips were plump and as she smiled at them, the edges curled in a way that did not rob her smile from any of its fullness. Her raven hair hung straight around her strong jawline, except for the few strands she had tucked behind her ear.
    “Hello. I’m Seraphine. But everyone calls me Sera.”
    Sophie thought how Seraphine seemed more appropriate for her beauty than plain old Sera. She was not surprised Uri was so obviously smitten with the girl.
    “I’m so glad to see you guys are all right,” Uri said, shifting his attention at last to his friends.
    “You too man, I heard you took quite a beating,” Haim replied.
    “You know nothing can kill me. I’m too stubborn to die,” Uri replied, but his voice trailed off and his stare shifted to one of sadness as he thought of his friend, Raimie. Death was too real of a topic in that moment.
    “Michael, Haim, would you mind if I spoke to you for a moment?” Sera asked, gesturing that they move to a more private and secure location.
    “No, of course not,” Michael answered, following the girl’s lead.
    Sophie furrowed her brow as she watched them, wondering why she had been excluded from the side bar.
    “Sophie, we need to talk,” Uri began.
    Shifting her attention, she moved in quickly, taking a seat at her friend’s side. “I guess everyone around here has to talk. Sorry, that sounded petty, of course, what is it?”
    Uri took hold of her hand, wincing from the pain slightly as he did so. “We need to talk about the other night.”
    “Huh?” Sophie asked in reply. She had completely forgotten about what he might be referring to. She had been so focused on the evacuation, as well as her returning memories, that everything else had slipped her mind.
    “I think you know what I’m talking about,” Uri continued.
    “No, really,” Sophie confirmed. “I’m lost.”
    Uri rolled his eyes in disbelief before whispering, “The kiss.”
    Sophie looked down at the bed in an effort not to laugh. “Oh, yes, of course. Uri—”
    Before she could discount what had happened as a mistake, he interrupted her. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to hurt you, you’re my friend. I mean— I can’t believe I’m even saying this. I never believed in love at first sight. That was for, well—I don’t know who, but not for me. But now, she’s all I can think about. It’s crazy; I want this more than life.”
    Sophie stared at her friend, confused. “What are you talking about?”
    “Sera, I think I might love her.”
    “What?” Sophie cried. This was not jealousy she felt, but instead disbelief. She remembered all the feelings she had for Uri as a friend. He was her best friend, and as such, she knew him and love never seemed to mix well. He would move from one infatuation to the next and never spoke of love. She didn’t know if she should worry about him getting hurt or him hurting this girl she didn’t know. Either way, she was certain someone would be walking away wounded. “Do you even know anything about her?”
    “I know enough,” Uri defended his feelings.
    “Like what? Where does she come from?”
    “Sophie, it wouldn’t matter if she were here or not. I am never going to have the same feelings you have for me,” Uri replied.
    “Huh?” Sophie gasped. “Are you insane?”
    “Oh, come on, don’t play dumb.”
    As the words left her lips, she thought about that night on the bluffs, the kiss … “Gabe!”
    “That’s right, don’t you think we’ve done enough damage?”
    Sophie remembered Gabe’s expression when he saw their kiss. She sighed, disappointed