I nodded and opened the compartment while he ordered, finding a black wallet. Though just before closing it, something caught my eye. Two beaming white feathers were tucked behind an instruction manual, glistening like snow. I couldn’t help but stare at them, sparkling with opulence. A soft chime began to ring in my ears and everything became hazy, encompassing me in a soft blur of pearly hues. The chime intensified, transforming into a distant word. Only it wasn’t just a word, it was my name; something was calling out for me. Maya… Maya…
Like a puppet on a string, I couldn’t help my movements. I reached out to grab the feathers when he touched my arm, instantly sucking me back into reality.
“Find it?” he asked, sharply.
I nodded my head and gazed into his unnerving grey eyes. I quickly handed him his wallet, taking one last look at the feathers before closing the glove box. I swallowed hard as he handed me a coffee, and pulled out of the parking lot.
My hands were shaking, staring at the glove box. I wanted so badly to open it, to reach for those feathers and consume myself in whatever energy that’d coursed through my veins.
“Drink up.” Beau interrupted my thoughts, clenching his jaw. “It’ll get cold.”
I cleared my throat and diverted my senses to the warmth of the cup, pushing away the fleeting feeling that those feathers had given me.
I curled my fingers around the coffee, narrowing my eyes. “I only drink –”
“Half n’ half.”
I darted my gaze to Beau who didn’t seem shocked. I couldn’t even make out a sentence. How the hell did he know that?
I tried to think of logical explanations to debunk all of these uncanny coincidences, but there were none anymore. He wasn’t being honest with me – that much, I knew.
“So what’s your address?” he asked, casually sipping on his coffee.
I pressed my lips together, placing my drink in the cup holder. “Pull over.”
“What?”
“Pull over, Beau. Now.” I demanded.
He swerved the car to the side of the country road and parked on the gravel. The rain continued to pour onto his windshield as we sat in complete silence.
The air remained still around us, with only the low hum of the heater providing ruffled noises. I knew if I thought too hard about what to say, I wouldn’t end up saying anything. There was no doubt that he had an inscrutable effect on me. Though what that effect entailed was inconsequential, especially when it came to my mom.
I fiddled with my fingers before clearing my throat. “You promised me answers. I want to know the truth.”
He turned to me and sighed, “You’re right, but I didn’t say when.”
A vein in my neck twitched. Was he for real? I fumed. “Beau I’m going to –”
“Relax,” he laughed, taking another sip of his drink. “I’m messing with you.”
My tense shoulders eased back. “How do you know my mom?”
He shut the car off and turned to face me, glancing once, then down at his lap. “I knew your mom, a long time ago. She was a delight.”
My mom died nine years ago, but Beau didn’t seem to look much older than I did. How was that possible?
“How old are you?” I asked, praying he wasn’t over thirty-five.
A calm laugh. “Twenty-two.”
Phew. “Then how –”
He paused for a moment and took in a breath, fiddling with the golden cross around his neck. For the first time since I’d met him, he seemed genuinely lost for words.
“Let’s just say when I was a boy, I got caught stealing. Your mom helped me out, gave me a new outlook on things. Never took a damn thing again.”
My cheeks reddened. I bit the bottom of my lip, holding back the tears that tried to escape my eyes. This always happened when I thought of her; why did I think that this time would be any different? What answer was I expecting? My mom had always been an inspiration to everyone she met. She was my hero when I was a kid, always made me feel safe and protected and loved. She believed in second chances, hell, even third chances.
So… that’s the story, then. She helped Beau out of a rough patch, guided him, and he changed… He never forgot her.
“She was an amazing person, Maya. And I’m really, truly sorry for your loss.” His hand left his lap and hovered closer to mine, finally settling atop the gear shift.
A wave of tension filled the air and for a second I thought he was going to grab hold of my hand. Snap out of it.
A warm surge rose through my entire body at the thought and I instantly turned away. “I think we should go.”
I blandly told him my address and he started the car, driving in the direction of my house.
We didn’t say a word to each other the entire ride back. I didn’t know what to say, and I didn’t have it in me to ask any more questions. I knew there were more untold truths, like how he happened to be in the cemetery at the same time as me, or who he was visiting at the jail. I wanted to know more about his past with my mom, about him, but I couldn’t process it all, not just yet. Maybe it was better left unsaid, at least for now.
Beau stopped in front of my driveway and unlocked the doors. The rain mellowed out and I was almost completely dry from earlier.
“Home sweet home,” he smiled.
“Thanks for the ride.” I said, forcing myself to step out of the car.
I didn’t have it in me to ask any more heavy questions about my mom, mainly because I wasn’t comfortable enough around Beau to show such a side of vulnerability. Though I couldn’t help but pose the question that rattled my brain.
I turned on my heel before shutting the door completely. “How did you know I liked my coffee half n’ half?”
A sly chuckle. “It was written on your Starbucks cup when we first met.”
“You’re quite observant.”
“You have no idea.” He flashed a small smile, starting the ignition.
I pressed my lips together, shaking off the tension, uneasiness and butterflies. I wanted so badly to stay, without saying a word, just taking in the moment I had with Beau. What is it about you?
I finally convinced my legs to move and walked around the car, stepping back onto my lawn. “Until we meet again, I guess.”
I watched him watch me. He observed me intently, something obviously on his mind, but I couldn’t figure out what. He always had a similar stare when he looked at me. I tried to analyze him, but everything went blank when I looked into his eyes.
“Looking forward to it.” He flashed a smile.
Then Beau drove away.
Chapter 6
Kleaton’s Gate, June 15th
Beau had been watching Maya from afar ever since she was born. He liked to think he knew her better than she knew herself, or understood her for that matter. From the time that Maya had been in diapers, spat peas into her parents’ face and walk her first steps – Beau had witnessed it all.
He had boundaries of course, like when she’d gotten older and started to date her first boyfriend, Tommy. Beau never liked Tommy. Spineless rat, he used to say. Though, he underestimated how beautiful she would grow up to be.
Maya had wavy dark brown hair and hazel eyes. She was petite, around 5’4 with a smaller frame. She had an allure everywhere she went, yet was completely unaware of her effect. Beau watched her read on the porch outside of her house for years, wondering what type of literature intrigued her. Maybe she had read about angels, like him. Either way, she radiated a purity so strong, Beau couldn’t even resist.
And that was the problem.
Beau hated how he didn’t hate her. He felt as if he had lived three lifetimes being on Earth, protecting someone he’d never even spoke to. After over a century of turmoil, chaos, destruction and heartbreak… Beau just wanted to go home, and Maya was the only ticket out.
He thought about approaching her and fulfilling the mission that Gabriel gave him. He contemplated it on numerous occasions but couldn’t bring himself to doing s
o. He didn’t know what he would say. How could he? Telling a mortal that she was the Puritas and her mother was the chosen martyr of God? It would’ve sounded ridiculous. So he gave up. His impatience got the best of him and he left town for a little while. He didn’t go very far, but far enough that he wouldn’t have to think about Maya Brixton.
Then one day, Beau was sitting in an old diner an hour away from Kleaton’s Gate when the TV caught his attention. There had been a break-in at the antique shop in the Kleaton district.
At first Beau laughed. “Humans never learn,” he said.
It was only when the image of the intruder came up that Beau gasped. A man dressed in white linen with curly brown hair and grey eyes was arrested and brought to the KG police.
He dropped his coffee and stared at the still image of the man on the television. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” he snickered.
Beau grabbed his jacket and left a ten on the table, walking out of the diner to the sound of the TV broadcaster.
“The intruder has not yet been identified. No personal belongings were found on him but officials say he put up quite the fight –”
He sat on his Harley and looked up at the cloudless blue sky, fastening his glove strap. “Oh, baby Blight,” he chuckled. “Baby fuckin’ Blight.”
◆◆◆
It was just as much of a shock to Beau as it was to Maya when they ran into each other at Starbucks. He hadn’t planned it, nor was he looking for her. He wanted to see Blight, one of the younger angels in Heaven, but not before he fed his caffeine addiction. Beau didn’t have the slightest clue as to how Blight got to Earth, but he was determined to find out.
“Sorry, I’m sorry I wasn’t looking,” Maya had said.
She clumsily dropped her coins when she ran into Beau. This amused and flattered him at the same time, especially since this was their first real encounter. He didn’t know how she would react, but he was pleased with the outcome. Her evident nervousness stroked Beau’s ego, slightly, to be modest. He was no secret to women; they practically gnawed at his shadow.
But Maya was different. Even though he’d never spoken a word to her, he felt like he’d known her forever, watching her all those years.
He didn’t want to leave her side, knowing that fate had steered the wheel on this encounter. Deep down, he knew that it was time to tell her what she was, but Beau was also aware of Blight’s grace, and how his presence on Earth was most certainly not a coincidence.
After Beau left the coffee shop, he scouted the perimeter of the police building, looking for a way in without having to talk to any cops. He didn’t enjoy the company of authority, in any way shape or form.
When he realized there were no back entrances, he settled for the common route and entered the building. That’s when he saw her again: Maya.
Fuck, he cursed under his breath. He didn’t want her to think he was following her, although Beau rarely cared about what other people thought. He casually leaned behind the entrance wall, hoping she wouldn’t notice him. Beau knew he had to break the news to her at some point, but with another angel from Heaven on Earth, Beau postponed the urgency to a later date.
To his advantage, a blonde female cop walked by him and smirked.
“Hey there,” Beau smiled.
He grabbed her wrist and pulled her gently to his side, staring into her eyes. He used his grace to see her thoughts. Everything she had seen, he saw, including Blight being locked up in the Bar6 holding cell. He released her and compelled her to give a request for his visit next, to see the intruder on TV. And she did what she was told.
When Beau slid into a corner chair, he noticed Tommy Weem, Maya’s pitiful ex. It looked like Tommy hadn’t talked to Maya yet, since Braum McPhee decided to go rampage before he had the chance. But Beau could sense the obvious attraction Tommy had for Maya. He watched Tommy stare and gawk like a helpless mouse.
Jesus, if I were Maya I would’ve dumped you too, he whispered under his breath.
Beau hadn’t realized that his gaze was on Maya, so when she approached him, it didn’t come as a shock. She questioned his presence, which excited Beau. She was snappy and quick on her feet too, not like many of the women he had been with.
“Do I amuse you?” she had asked him.
A knot tied in his stomach. He wanted to tell her, more than anything. He wanted to comfort her about her mother and explain why it had to happen. He just couldn’t. Instead, he looked at her; no makeup, brown hair tousled in a bun and old jeans. She did look funny, but not in a bad way. She didn’t care about her appearance, but she didn’t need to. She was beautiful. Snap out of it, Beau. Focus.
He pushed those thoughts aside and responded. “In a way.”
He felt Tommy’s slimy gaze on them the entire time, which irritated Beau. Beau made a little comment which flustered her. He enjoyed that. Then just in time, he got called to the back bars.
“I’ll see you around,” Beau said to Maya. And he meant it.
There were five holding cells before Blight, filled with scoundrel drug dealers and overnight DUI’s. He felt Blight’s grace steps before he turned to the cell, and when he did, Beau laughed.
“You got ten minutes.” The male cop said, shutting the cell door behind him.
Blight was still wearing his white linen and his curly hair was in a disheveled mess over his head. His hands were cuffed to the table as were his bare feet.
“Man, do you ever look homeless.” Beau snorted, pulling a metal chair directly in front of Blight. “The young baby Blight. To what do I owe the pleasure?”
Blight reached at Beau with anger, slamming hard on the table. “If you had only done what you were told, we wouldn’t be in this situation, Beau!”
Beau glibly rubbed the spit off his face as Blight calmed down. He stretched his arms and leaned back on his chair.
“I wouldn’t call this a mess, brother. I call it freedom.” He laughed but Blight didn’t. “Why’d you break into that shop anyway?”
“Early birthday present for the Puritas.” He snickered. “I had to get your attention somehow.”
“What present?” Beau demanded, confused. Blight said nothing.
Beau grew impatient and rolled his eyes. “Blight cut the bullshit. Why are you really here?”
Blight leered in disdain. “Isn’t it obvious? Gabriel gave up on you. You failed us, all of us! You had one job Beau, one job. Make it known to the Puritas who she is, but no.” Blight calmed down and shook his head. “You’ve been feeding all your carnal desires with booze and women.” He spat.
Beau flinched, knowing exactly what woman Blight had been referring to. He pushed the memory back into his subconscious and cleared his throat.
He knew that he hadn’t fulfilled his mission, but he was convinced that Gabriel would’ve never given up on him. Although a part of him wondered, maybe he had. Maybe God was going to banish him to hell like He did Lucifer. Maybe he would become a part of the fallen… and maybe he deserved it.
“Gabriel sent me as the Viatorem, the traveller to clean up your mess.”
Ever since Beau had been on Earth, the talk of Maya being the Puritas was all he could hear. He never quite understood what was so important about her blood, and why God had chosen Sophie to be the martyr sacrifice.
He crossed his arms. “Hard to finish something when you don’t know why you’re doing it in the first place.” Beau scoffed. “Why Maya?”
And despite everything, he had to believe in what Gabriel told him. He had to believe that there was a reason for all of this, but he never understood why.
“Gabriel didn’t tell you?” Blight questioned. His face lit up and he laughed.
Beau was silent, his patience running on a thin line.
“Most of Lucifer’s fallen are mortal beings that died and went to hell. But they were mortal once, they had a choice. They chose to do evil, to follow him. Because of this, God can’t interfere even if they ask for pardon. But the Puritas, she has the power t
o lift the fallen.”
Beau furrowed his brows in confusion. Maya was a mortal, and to complete such a task would require an immeasurable amount of divine grace – if that. He couldn’t believe there was a way to combat the eternal punishment of hellfire.
“That’s impossible.” Beau shook his head. “How is that possible?”
Blight eased. “When Maya was born, God took Sophie as a vessel. Although brief, He sprinkled a portion of His grace onto Maya. He wanted to offer a plea of redemption, even though He, Himself cannot grant it.” Blight trailed off, his eyes darting around the stone-boxed walls that encased the two. “Maya is the sole mortal who can enter Heaven, purgatory and hell. But the only way to do that, is if she willingly drinks from the Holy Grail. She is the key, but she must believe it. Though, I don’t believe a thought so grand just appears in ones’ head. So, that’s where you come in.”
The Holy Grail, the chalice carved by Thrones and archangels alike. Could it be true? Could Maya unlock a new portion of power unknown by the Heavens and beyond?
“But…” Beau stammered. “Why Maya?”
Blight reclined in his chair, eager to escape the restraints he’d been put in. “Take it up with Gabriel,” he sneered. “He chose you. An odd gamble of resolution, though who am I to question an archangel?”
Beau recoiled at the apparent annoyance radiating off of Blight. All he wanted were answers, and if Blight was sent down as the Viatorem from above, wasn’t it his job to give provide those answers graciously?
Nonetheless, Beau learned enough of the truth and what he was fighting for. Maya had an unbounding power inside of her, coursing through her veins. Though, there would be no way of her knowing that unless Beau told her. Now, he had a clear understanding of fate, and all the paths he had taken that lead him to her. His conquest was to help Maya find herself.
Beau couldn’t push away his mission any longer – he needed to act fast. He knew how slim the gates of Heaven were, especially living on Earth this long. He watched humans tear each other apart, each and every day. He watched humans fall.
The Gates of Gabriel Page 4
