The Gates of Gabriel

by Marie-France Leger

  “So what do we do now?” I asked, leaning against my countertop.

  Beau trudged towards me, taking the can out of my grip. He placed both his hands on my cheeks and lifted my chin. His grey eyes intensified the longer he stared, leaving little to no space between us.

  When Beau and I first met, I could sense the hesitation of his touch. He never got too close, and if he had, he made sure to retreat almost instantly. But now, there was no hesitation at all. With confidence, he handled me like I was his. He wanted to be near me.

  Surges of heat rose to my face, causing me to blush.

  “Do you trust me?” he asked, circling my skin with his thumb.

  I nodded, goosebumps covered my arms.

  “Do you really believe all of this? You know, that you’re the Puritas?”

  My thoughts bounced in my brain. Did I? I bit the inside of my cheeks and ripped my eyes away from his. “I have no other choice but to believe. I saw my mother die… for this, for me.” Tears welled up in my eyes. Don’t cry. You’ve cried enough.

  Beau backed up, dropping his hands to his side. He clenched his jaw and glanced at Mags, knocked out on the couch. “Looks like you and I are going on a road trip.”

  I scrunched my eyebrows in confusion. “Where?”

  He pulled out Gabriel’s feather from his pocket and squeezed tightly. “Port Hope.”

  Chapter 31

  Kleaton’s Gate, Present Night

  Siles followed Mags to Maya’s home and crouched underneath the outdoor windowsill, completely out of sight. The blinds were drawn but he made out a small crack in the corner, where he spotted Mags sleeping on the couch.

  At first, Siles regretted releasing her from his control. I’m doing her a favour, how dare she! His initial instinct was to kill her coldly for running away, like he was trained to do in hell. But he saw the fear in her eyes, the fear that he caused. There was no denying the truth any longer; somewhere along the way, he had begun to care for Mags.

  When she sped down the road, Siles contemplated using his power to stop her car… But he didn’t. What’s the point? He thought. Just kill Maya. Get this menial task over with and forget about Earth.

  When he reached Maya’s, Siles felt Beau’s strong, palpable grace penetrating through the brick premises. Cursed angel. He paced around the house, searching for open entries. Through the blanket of darkness, Siles made out a faint yellow light radiating from one of the bedroom windows. The illumination allowed him to see that the latch was unlocked, making it easy for entry. Perfect, I’ll wait until Maya’s alone.

  That’s when he took his place underneath the windowsill and saw Mags through the sliver of glass, lying peacefully with her eyes closed on the couch. He stared at her, pressing his lips together. All of the memories they had made came flooding back, stamping his brain with guilt. Lucifer’s taunting voice boomed in his head, banging against his skull with threat. But for the first time, Siles ignored it. He was about to kill her best friend, the one person Mags trusted with her life… the person who made her feel alive, and she wouldn’t even know. I’m sorry, Maggie.

  Another figure approached, flickering in the corner of Siles’ peripheral vision. Her brown hair was bunched into a bun, her petite frame wabbling into view. She looked tired, holding a cup and a bowl of towels. She too, stared at Mags, standing over her for a few moments.

  Siles recounted the sole encounter he had with Maya, the night at the casino. At first glance, he thought she was quite beautiful. In Lucifer’s orbionyx, Siles couldn’t really tell by the blurry display. But up close, Maya held a hard shield – strong, assertive and tough. So… This is the Puritas. At first, Siles wanted to draw her in, play on her vices like any demon would. He had the opportunity to show forth his abilities, everything he’d been training for since he fell… Though oddly enough, a part of him accepted that he couldn’t. A part of him knew he didn’t deserve to.

  Maya sat down and crossed her legs in front of sleeping Mags. She placed a small folded towel on her forehead and brushed away strands of her hair with gentle fingers. Siles closed his eyes, thinking back to all the moments he did exactly that with Mags… Memories that only existed under his control.

  Burning embers began to sizzle from Siles’ hands, a snake of fire trailing up his arm. I… I can’t. He watched Maya lean her head on Mags’ arm, closing her eyes. I won’t.

  Lucifer trained his fallen to be strong, to avoid vulnerability, that love was an incurable venom and hatred was the true salvation of humanity. Though the more Siles thought of Lucifer’s words, the more distant they became. Maybe Lucifer had it all wrong… Siles thought, staring at the unbreakable bond between two humans who found peace in each other… who found love. Water burned his eyes, as he forced himself up off the ground. Hatred is an incurable venom. Love is the true salvation of humanity.

  And he walked away.

  ◆◆◆

  Hell

  “What the fuck have you done!” Marina screamed, clawing Siles with anger.

  Lucifer dragged Marina and Siles back to hell after watching him walk away from the Puritas, a failed mission. After revealing to Marina that Siles released Mags from his control, the darkness inside of her amplified.

  Lucifer’s black suit sparkled with hell dust, twinkling with the remnants of condemned souls. “It’s a shame, Siles. Pity.” Lucifer pouted, sardonically. “You intentionally defied my orders.”

  “Worthy of eternal punishment, you snake! Traitor!” Marina spat, emphasizing her final word. “Coward!”

  Siles killed the fire that burned in his core, standing with a straight face. Coward, coward… The words from his commanding officer repeated in his brain. Coward… Hanz’s dying breath. Coward! Marina’s disdain.

  He knew that he’d disobeyed the mission that Lucifer assigned him, but he fought with his fire and fear to remain strong. He saw what condemning lives did to Marina, preying on the innocent... playing God. Siles believed to the worst of people, eternal punishment was imperative. But to the rest, the ones who had a life yet to live, taking that away was dishonorable, evil. He trained in Lucifer’s army, working his way to the top. But what good was that to waste on dishonest drudgery?

  “You’re a demon. You are no angel.” Marina scowled. “Burn, you pathetic bastard!” She stomped past Siles, shoving him with her shoulder.

  Lucifer turned on his heel, raising a giddy arm. “Now, where are you going, my sweet?”

  Marina’s red hair flamed through the bloody hue lights of hell. She clenched her jaw, burning her eyes into Siles’ before walking into the red portal of Earth. “To finish the job.”

  And she was gone.

  Lucifer’s sinister laugh echoed through the cave walls, encompassing Siles with disconcerting fear. His courage diminished, fleeing away to the shadows of the darkness.

  “Siles, Siles, Siles.” Lucifer clicked his tongue, stepping off his throne. “What do we do, what do we do?”

  In calm motions, Lucifer stretched his fingers, using his power to chain Siles’ arms in burning cuffs that exploded with hellfire.

  “Ah!” he wailed in agony, sinking to the ground.

  Lucifer stomped up to him, lifting him firmly by the neck. With his free hand, he tore off Siles’ shirt and disintegrated it to ash. His grey eyes flashed into blobs of red, burning into Siles as black veins slowly emerged from beneath his skin.

  Lucifer threw him to the ground and kicked him to his stomach, calling for the guards to hold his limp body erect.

  “Let me paint you a picture,” Lucifer spoke fast, gelling back his hair rampantly. “I prefer them to be animated, don’t you, pet?”

  A vein in Lucifer’s forehead twitched as he extended a hand out behind him, keeping his stare on Siles. A black mist sprouted from the granite floor, twirling into three silhouettes. Through glossy vision, Siles made out the familiar profiles of his past: the brute structure of his commanding officer, the dark stare of Hanz, and Karl… his innocent green eyes tu
rned black, dripping with tar.

  “No! No!” Siles screamed, locked in the grasp of Lucifer’s demons. Their bodies were painted with bullet holes, oozing with bloody pus. They strode towards him, pulling out sharp blades from the ashy mist.

  Hanz was the first to strike, driving his blade through Siles’ stomach.

  “Argh!” Siles wailed, digging his nails into his palm. Hanz wore a twisted smile, smirking as he carved a letter into his skin.

  Next to approach was the commanding officer, wasting no time to stab Siles violently in the side. Siles cried in pain as the he, too, carved letters into his flesh.

  Hanz and the commanding officer busted into dust, leaving only Siles and Karl, facing each other in the throne room.

  “P… Please.” Siles begged, his limbs giving out to excruciating torment. “You know me…”

  Karl’s dark expression held no signs of empathy as he dragged out a burning dagger, and drove it straight through his heart. He twisted the knife, carving the final letter onto Siles’ chest.

  Karl stepped back and eyed Siles. His red eyes were vacant and hallow, observing the withering demon, painted by gore and sweat. “I only hear the screams of a sheep.”

  And he vanished.

  Lucifer clapped, jumping up and down. “What a show! What a – guards, don’t you agree?” He snapped his fingers and a square mirror appeared in the center of the throne room. There were no words to explain the fatigue that Siles felt, the suffering and the torment. He wanted to die… but he was already dead.

  With what little energy Siles had left, he slowly lifted his head to look at his reflection in the mirror. Blood dribbled down his arm, starting from where Siles had buried his nails in his palm. Gore leaked from several different holes on his body, pooling around his feet. And in the center of his chest, black and blue lettering was carved downwards, sealed by Lucifer’s eternal fire.

  C O W A R D

  Tears waterfalled down Siles’ cheeks, painting his face with guilt and anguish. He felt no courage, no resilience, only weakness. I’m nothing, I’m nothing… I’m a coward.

  “What a lovely marking, isn’t it?” Lucifer snapped his fingers once more and the mirror shattered. “Now, what do we say in hell?”

  Siles was unresponsive.

  Lucifer’s eyes bulged as he curled his fingers around Siles’ neck, squeezing with fury. “What…” Lucifer began through chattering teeth. “Do… We… Say…”

  Siles could barely open his eyes. Lucifer’s voice was a harsh whisper in the distant corner of his mind, but the pain increased. Lucifer’s burning fingertips scorched Siles’ throat, forcing the words to come out.

  “Love is…” Siles choked, his lips crusted with blood. “Love is an incurable… an incurable venom and hatred… salvation.”

  Lucifer released him, brushing off his veiny hands. “Take him to the cages.” He grimaced, commanding the guards.

  Coward… Siles wept in agonizing pain. As the guards pulled him by the arms, his limp feet dragged against the cold grounds of hell. Coward… He faded in and out of consciousness, seeing sharp flashes of red. A trail of blood followed Siles, his chest swelling with charred contamination.

  “Coward…” Siles whispered. “Cowa…”

  Silence.

  Chapter 32

  Kleaton’s Gate, Present Night

  Get up… Maya…

  My tired eyes adjusted to the dim light of the living room. I scratched at my scalp, peering down at the giant red circle on my arm from the pressure of my head. Shit, I fell asleep! My phone read: 3:18am.

  Mags was still passed out from earlier and Beau sat on the loveseat across from the couch. He smiled when he noticed me stir.

  “I didn’t know you talked in your sleep.” He chuckled, fiddling with his fingers.

  My cheeks flushed with embarrassment. “No I don’t!” I denied, hiding my blush. “What did I say?”

  He got up from his slump and plopped his elbows on his knees. “Somethin’ like… God, Beau, why don’t you just shut up and kiss me?”

  I scoffed with annoyance, throwing a cushion at him. “Why didn’t you wake me up?”

  “I didn’t want you grumpy,” he shrugged, playfully.

  I rubbed my eyes and looked at Mags. Her mouth was wide open and drool dripped down her chin. Well, at least she’s not yelling anymore.

  I motioned for Beau to come to the kitchen so we wouldn’t wake her.

  “When do you want to leave?” I asked, finishing off my red bull from earlier. Ew, it’s warm.

  He scratched the nape of his neck and tilted his head to the side. “Want the truth?”

  “Nothing but.” I replied, choking back the remaining contents of my drink.

  Beau crossed his arms, looking to the stove clock. “Now.”

  I coughed instantly, checking the time again. “Now? Right now? Beau it’s the middle of the night. You just – we just sprung the fact that you’re, you know and I’m, well…” I trailed off.

  “Yeah, I know, Maya. But Siles and Marina are going to come after you, and I can’t…” he paused, taking in a heavy breath. “I won’t let that happen.”

  Fatigue strangled my senses, though drifted off to a gruesome image of Siles standing over me, my beating heart in his hands. I shuddered at the thought, wondering if it was Siles in my nightmares all this time. No, it can’t be. Those were just stupid dreams.

  Nonetheless, the thought of being killed by a demon didn’t seem all that pleasant. But what would I even say to my dad? Hey dad, so I’m actually the key to stopping a holy war and I’m running off with a boy who is also an angel but I’ll be fine. And mom, well mom was actually – Wait.

  “Did my dad know what my mom was?” I questioned, furrowing my brows. “That she was a sacrifice, so that I could –”

  “No.” A simple response.

  I pressed my lips together and scratched at my elbow, glancing at the time once again. “And when we get to Port Hope, what then? What happens when I drink from the chalice?”

  God, that really sunk in. Just saying that out loud made it very real. I knew that I’d been avoiding referring to myself as something greater than I was, because I just didn’t feel like anything other than ordinary. I sometimes waited for something to happen that would pull me back out of this dream and suck me back into reality… But this was reality.

  I had seen all of it, I believed Beau… but what would happen to me? Would I grow wings? What am I drinking? What exactly do I need to do…

  “I wish I could tell you, Maya, but I don’t even know.” Beau said, reading my thoughts. “What I do know, is staying in Kleaton’s Gate is going to do more harm than good. Those demons are out there and…” Beau swallowed, faltering.

  He grew fidgety, unable to look me in the eyes. His hesitation to speak was unnervingly off-putting. A blade of tension sliced our space in two, the air heavy and cold. His fingers curled around the corner of my countertop as he stared downwards.

  “Beau?” I asked, approaching him slowly. “I know they’re demons but you have the grace of an archangel… That – that’s stronger… Right?”

  Beau clenched his jaw. “The night I visited you, when we weren’t speaking,” he began, “I crossed paths with Marina.”

  My eyes grew wide. “You… You what? And you didn’t think to tell me?”

  “I didn’t want to scare you.” His expression was inscrutable, vacant. “I’m strong,” he shook his head, “But so is she.”

  I didn’t speak. I didn’t know what to say. Beau was quiet, careful. He stood proud and tall in every situation, but not this one. He looked almost… afraid.

  After a few moments of silence he finally looked up at me, his grey eyes hallow and dark. He remained silent, taking slow steps towards me. I swallowed hard as he cupped my face, his unreadable stare bleeding into mine. All of his apparent indiscretion slowly dissolved, the vacant darkness of his eyes fading into a familiar grey. He leaned down, brushing his soft lips agains
t mine gently, then pulled back before I could return his kiss.

  “I don’t want them near you,” he whispered.

  Chapter 33

  London, England, 1924

  Beau walked the streets of England alone. Rain pattered gently against his black umbrella while a misty fog swept the streets. A crow circled the buildings above, the wind carrying its caws.

  The bar chatter echoed through the night as intoxicated folk made their way home.

  Beau wore a grey peacoat and black boots. His dark hair was slicked back messily underneath his hat. He enjoyed walking in the night, when the noise dwindled and his surroundings were empty.

  Earth was nothing like he expected. He had seen the wars, the sins and the people like no other. At first, Beau had a hard time adjusting. How are mortals so vile? He used to say. But the beauty of Earth was unmatched. The scenery, the personalities, the women…

  Beau turned around quickly, sensing a presence.

  A lady dressed in red held a blue umbrella. Beau was astonished by her beauty. She was tall and lean with flowing black hair. Her long dress was covered by a red shawl paired with matching cherry lipstick.

  “Two people can walk in the same direction, can they not?” she smiled. Her pearly white teeth illuminated the darkness. She had the most crisp English accent.

  Beau snapped out of his trance and shook his head. “Of course, m’lady.” Beau extended a hand out in front of him.

  Her heels clicked against the cobblestone walkway as she passed Beau with a smirk.

  “What is a fine woman like you doing out so late at night?” Beau asked, matching her pace.

  “I could ask the same about you.” She joked, slyly.

  Beau beamed from ear. “Deary, I can assure you I am no woman.”

  “I would have never guessed.” She responded. A dimple indented her cheek.