by Amity Hope
“He died because of me,” Ava realized, mortified.
“He was saved because of you,” Grier corrected. “Without that selfless act, his soul would have been damned. Now he has been saved and Azael is locked away, as he was meant to be.”
Ava knew Grier’s words were meant to be comforting. Maybe someday they would be the balm she craved. Now, they were like acid on her battered soul.
“So, was it all a lie? That Azael believed I was destined for greatness? That my life in this world would make a difference? That I was important?”
“I believe the way you will choose to live your life will still be of great importance. But what happened with Gabriel was the importance that Azael spoke of. You were the key. You were the test. Azael meant for Gabriel to love you. He chose you because you are pure and good. He placed you with the St. Clair’s because he thought it would only enhance your innate goodness. And then he meant for Gabriel to kill you. Thus extinguishing any sliveringin thoug of goodness in him as it freed his infinite capacity for evil. Like Azael did, I have seen the future Ava, the future that would’ve befallen this world if Gabriel had chosen that path. Gabriel was capable of more evil than you could comprehend. He simply had not come into it in its entirety yet. Your death by his hand was to be the key that unlocked the floodgate.”
“He could never have been that person,” Ava said stubbornly in his defense.
“He had already done things, evil, wicked things that you may not have been able to forgive him for. But still, it was not enough for his father. Azael knew from the time Gabriel was very young that he was different. That he harbored a shred of humanity that was worrisome to him.
“By choosing this path for Gabriel, Azael thought he could break him. He thought he could prove to Gabriel that he owned him, had complete and total control over him. That he could have nothing. That any shred of hope, any glimmer of love that he ever felt could be quashed by his father at any moment. Azael was trying to teach Gabriel a lesson.”
Grier sighed. “Azael’s vanity, his pride ran so deep he never believed for a moment that his son would make any other choice than that of following his direction. And by doing so, effectively dashing out that shred of light in Gabe, he would become completely dark. Completely evil as Azael believed was his destiny.”
Ava was silent for a moment. She didn’t want to believe what Grier was telling her but she thought of the tainted liquid in the flask that Rafe had consumed. She knew Gabe had drunk from it as well.
“He tried to warn me,” she quietly admitted.
“I believe if given the chance, he would have told you. Eventually. But time was of the utmost importance and he could not cloud your judgment with the truth. He feared it would jeopardize your future if he fully revealed his past.” Grier sounded oddly as though she were defending someone she not long ago had so vehemently loathed.
“So he was evil? As evil as you insisted he was? Is that what you’re trying to tell me?” Ava’s voice quivered. Her head and her heart fought against the words. The Gabe she had known was good. He was.
“He was evil. But he chose to change. He was given the chance to redeem himself. He embraced that chance. He was redeemed. He was forgiven.”
“Can you bring him back?” Ava demanded. “Gabe said there are no limits to what you can do.”
Grier did not answer.
“You can, can’t you?!” Ava cried.
“I cannot,” Grier said with a shake of her head.
“You can but you won’t,” Ava accus, Grier sed with a great deal of bitterness.
“I cannot,” Grier repeated. “I do not have permission to go where he is.”
“Is he in Heaven?” Ava asked.
Grier turned her head, staring now out of the window instead of concentrating that disconcerting gaze on Ava. “He is not.”
“If he’s not in Hell and not in Heaven…” Ava tried to squelch the hope in her voice but failed. “Is he here?”
Grier answered with a curt shake of her head.
“Is he dead? I mean, really dead?”
Grier gave her a curious look. “You must know that no one truly dies. Their soul goes on. He was offered forgiveness but he could not forgive himself. Not only for what he almost did to you but for his past transgressions. With honor sometimes comes insufferable remorse. He chose repentance.”
“I’m sorry. I don’t understand. What does that mean?”
Grier’s words were laced in sadness. “He chose The Great Abyss.”
***
There was an envelope on her bed when she returned home. She pulled the note card out.
Ava-
Gabe wanted you to have this.
Remember to rely on your faith.
It makes the impossible, possible.
It makes miracles a reality.
Grier
She could feel the weight of something in the envelope. It jiggled and slid heavily around. She tilted the envelope over her open palm and her grandparent’s cross landed in her hand. She was still clutching it to her chest when there was a knock on the door.
“We’re coming in,” Molly announced as she slowly pushed the door open. She and Julia both slipped inside and then closed it again. She slid a smile onto her face and made an announcement. “Your rescue party has arrived.”
“What?” Ava asked. “My what?”
“We brought brownies and Butter Brickle ice-cream,” Molly said as she held up a paper bag. “We’re here to rescue you from drowning in your sorrows.”
“What is that?” Julia asked as she stepped closer to Ava. She took Ava’s hand in hers and gently pried her fingers open. “I thought you lost that!”
“I did. Gabe found it for me,” Ava explained in a shaky voice.
“Where was it?” Molly wondered, giving her an odd look.
“I have no idea,” Ava admitted.
“I thought Gabe was gone?” Julia asked. Her voice was soft and cautious.
“He is gone,” she said with a weary sigh.
He chose The Abyss…
***
As Ava removed the infinity pendant long enough to slide her cross onto the same thick, silver chain, the cloudy liquid in the chalice shimmered, blurring his image of her. He added another splash of his own blood to try to rectify the fading vision. The picture intensified briefly but as she slid the cross back around her neck, clasping the chain back into place, the scene wavered again.
Then it disappeared completely, cutting off his vision of her despite the copious amount of his own blood that he shed to try to mystically bring it forth. It did not matter. He had seen everything he needed to see. That winged creature had told Ava what he needed to know. Gabriel was locked away. Locked away in a place that was virtually inescapable for a full-blood. It would be completely inescapable for someone as pathetic as Gabriel. Although, since he had chosen The Great Abyss, he doubted he would try to escape. This realization only proved, yet again, just how useless and weak Gabriel had always been.
A chill of annoyance rippled through his blood. Gabriel was fortunate. If he had not been so safely locked away, he would be paying dearly for his betrayal.
He let out a low, grating laugh. Perhaps the fate bestowed upon Gabriel was punishment enough. Let him suffer the misery of The Great Abyss…
Pure Redemption is out now.