The Gates of Gabriel

by Marie-France Leger

“Where is it?” Beau demanded. “The Grail, where is it?”

  Blight’s prideful simper covered his face. “Are you willing to serve? As a true angel of –”

  “Where is the damn cup, Blight!” Beau slammed his hands on the table.

  In the distance, footsteps approached and keys rattled.

  “Port Hope,” Blight whispered.

  Beau narrowed his eyes, wrinkling his forehead. “Where I fell?”

  The footsteps grew louder. Beau turned around and cursed under his breath. “Where in –”

  But when Beau turned back to Blight, he had vanished, leaving only empty handcuffs behind.

  Chapter 7

  Kleaton’s Gate, Present Day

  “Happy birthday to you!” I woke up to the sound of my dad’s wretched singing. When my eyes cleared, I saw him standing at the door, holding a small purple gift box and some roses. Oh no.

  I buried my face in my pillow and chuckled softly, covering my blushed cheeks. “You know I hate gifts.”

  My dad’s face fell into a child-like pout, which made me laugh harder. I swatted his arm and took the gift box in my hands. “Thanks though, Dad.”

  It wasn’t that I was opposed to getting them, rather I just never understood how to accept them properly. The concept of birthdays was always weird to me. Like, my parents were the ones who brought me into this world, shouldn’t I be giving them a gift? To thank them for my life? It didn’t help that my mom’s death anniversary was the night before my birthday as well…

  Don’t think about it Maya… She would want you to be happy on your day.

  My dad stood in front of me, watching with a big smile. “It’s not much, but I have a big breakfast downstairs with your name on it.”

  I unravelled the pink ribbon and opened the box to find a small silver ring with a red gem in the middle. I never wore any jewelry besides my mom’s cross, but the ring was absolutely beautiful. The ruby red stone shone from every angle and the silver itself wasn’t tarnished in the slightest. On the inner part of the ring was an engravement that looked to be written in another language.

  I slid it onto my middle finger and extended my hand. “It fits perfectly,” I beamed. “Since when did you get such good taste?”

  He laughed then kissed my forehead, giving me a tight hug. “I got it from that old antique shop down by the bay. The owner said it was some sort of protection ring. Said if the ruby glowed red,” he tapped the gem in the middle of the ring. “That there was danger nearby.”

  He exhaled softly and swatted my arm, moving towards the door. “Now that you’re getting older you know, moving away for school, I thought it may come in handy… even if it’s just a hoax.”

  I furrowed my brows and brushed my thumb over the gem. “So, this isn’t a hidden camera disguised as a ring?” I joked.

  His eyes grew wide. “They make those?”

  I giggled, shooing him out of my room. “I’ll be down in a little bit, just got to get changed.”

  The ding-dong sound of the doorbell startled both of us. “Expecting anyone?” my dad asked.

  Considering my lack of friends, I only assumed who it could be. “Probably Mags.”

  “I’ll go let her in.”

  I walked over to my closet and pulled out a pair of grey sweats and a white tank top, rounding my hair up in a bun. The picture of my mom, dad and I sat on my dresser, reflecting the sun. I picked it up and held it close to my chest.

  “I wish you were here…” I whispered, shutting my eyes. But I know that you are.

  I finished up in the bathroom and walked downstairs to find Mags shovelling a plate of eggs and bacon into her mouth.

  “Ah!” she shrieked, wiping the grease off of her lip. “Happy birthday Maya bear!” She kissed my cheek and wrapped her arms around me.

  The kitchen table held an array of my favourite breakfast foods: strawberries in sugar, banana pancakes, bacon, eggs and sausages. Impressive. Either he ordered all of this or spent seven hours in the kitchen.

  “Wow dad,” I smiled, picking up a strawberry. “You’ve really outdone yourself.”

  “Truly, Talon, this is all…” Mags stuffed a floppy pancake into her mouth. “Positively scrumptious.”

  “Breathe,” I inhaled, mockingly. “The pancake isn’t going to run from you.”

  “You know I have a sweet tooth!”

  “Glad you’re enjoying the food Mags,” my dad laughed. “At least someone is.” He threw me a side eye, pouting.

  I huffed, leaning over the bowl of strawberries and snagged two slices of bacon, chomping obnoxiously. “Mmm….” I exaggerated. “Phenomenal.”

  My dad fastened his tie with pride and slurped his coffee. “I’ve got to run to the office for a few hours, but I’ll be back for supper. What are you girls up to tonight?”

  Mags jumped up and grabbed her duffel bag, pulling out the cobalt dress I bought and silver heels. Oops. I completely forgot that I had left them in her car.

  “Maya and I are going to the new club that opened up at the casino.” She said, cheerfully.

  My eyes immediately darted to my dad. He was decently lenient. He let me do whatever I wanted as long as I called him and told him where I’d be, but it was my first time going to a club and I had no idea what to expect.

  “Arc Royale?” my dad asked innocently, fixing his briefcase. No anger, no fights. Phew.

  “Yes sir, that’s the one.” Mags pinched my cheek as I ate my meal. “Going to celebrate this girl’s nineteenth in style.”

  I swatted her away, taking a big bite of eggs. “Want to come, Dad? I hear they make a mean shrimp cocktail.”

  “Tempting,” he chuckled and kissed my head. “I’ll see you before you go tonight. Happy birthday again, baby.” And he was out the door.

  I looked over to Mags who had the biggest smile on her face, tapping her white acrylic nails against the table. “Time to hit up the liquor store,” she smirked.

  ◆◆◆

  It was a quarter to nine and my dad had ordered a mass amount of Chinese food for supper. Mags ended up eating only one eggroll because she didn’t want to look ‘bloated’ in her dress, yet ate four slices of dessert. That logic was beyond me.

  In a pleasant turn of events, my dad actually hadn’t butchered my mom’s buttercream cake recipe after all.

  “It’s actually quite delicious, Talon,” Mags licked icing off her finger. “I may come down for seconds.”

  My dad burst out laughing. “You mean fifths?”

  Mags waved a playful hand at him, a sheepish grin crossing her face. After washing the dishes, I dragged Mags up the stairs, pulling her into my room to get ready.

  Mags threw herself into beautification, singing along to old Metro Station. We took turns doing each other’s hair; Mags wore her blonde locks straight down, and I curled mine into a pony. She brushed some pink shimmer on her eyelids and finished with a nude gloss. I reached for my neutral eyeshadow palette but Mags shoved a stippling brush in my face. Before I could protest, she was already going to work on my eyes.

  She clicked her tongue. “Uh, throw away the boringness just for tonight, Maya. We’re going for sexy, seductive, sultry and smoky!”

  I wanted to roll my eyes, but she had them pinned shut with her finger. She leaned in closer to my face, her lips brushing the curl of my nose. I smelt the tangy mixture of vodka and buttercream cake from her breath.

  After moments of exaggerated whining, she pulled back and held a mirror to my face.

  “Amazing, right? You look amazing.”

  For the first time in forever, I was actually shocked with my appearance. I always bagged Mags for spending all of her free time watching makeup tutorials, but she had skills. A shimmering gunmetal shadow fell over my lid, darkening in the outer corner. A vibrant blue color rested underneath my waterline, just in the center, bringing out the hazel in my eyes. She accented my eyes with a black lining, smoking it out upwards.

  I held back my words, knowing that if
I praised her, she would claim her position as my permanent makeup artist – and that, I didn’t want. Instead, I settled with a simple thank you. That was enough.

  She pinched my cheeks and gathered her dress, slipping on the red silk mini. “I’m single now, Maya. I have to glow!” She stood in front of my mirror, sucking in as hard as she could. “I look good, right?”

  I laughed, taking another sip of the wine we had bought earlier. “You’re sucking in air at this point, Mags.”

  She threw an elastic at me and huffed. “But am I fuckable?”

  “Always.” I winked.

  “So…” she started. “Have you been talking to that new guy? What was his name again? Blake? Bard?”

  “Bard?” I was taken aback. What the hell kind of name…

  “Oh shut it, you know I’m not good with names.”

  I took a sip of wine, trying to hide my blushed features. “Beau.” His name tasted like sweet sin on my tongue. Don’t think about him, Maya. It’s your night. “But no.”

  “Ah,” she said, distracted by her own reflection in the mirror. “Well, did you even give him your number?”

  My cheeks heated. “No, Mags. I was too busy interrogating him.” My thoughts wandered off, replaying our conversation that plagued my mind all night.

  She grew quiet. “Insane how he knew your mom.”

  I gnawed at my bottom lip, fiddling with my fingers. Absolutely insane.

  “But that car ride… Must have been an intimate car ride?” She winked, taking the wine out of my hands and sipping loudly.

  “Mags,” I grunted. “No.” But I couldn’t contain my warmed cheeks, no matter how hard I tried.

  She spun on her heel, crossing her arms. “See, Maya, this is your problem. You can’t flirt for the life of you!”

  I – Excuse me? “But why would I –”

  “Ah, ha! He could be an undercover cop, or a spy? Maybe an… assassin? God, how hot would that be?”

  I killed the tensity and shook my head, giggling. “You’re an idiot.”

  She turned back around and gawked some more at her appearance. “Oh well, his loss. You’re going to find someone tonight, I can feel it! Maybe you’ll even lose it tonight, eh Maya bear? Imagine that! A nineteenth birthday bang-bash. Ugh, a dream.”

  I almost choked on my drink. Mags hadn’t been a virgin for some time now. She lost it to Braum when they first started dating. I, on the other hand, was. I’d done a few things obviously, I had Tommy. But I never felt comfortable enough to do, well, that. Mags never really teased me about it though; just always called me the ‘purest little soul’ she’d ever met.

  Before I could say anything, she took a huge gulp of her vodka-cran and twirled like a ballerina. “What the hell Maya? Get out of your sweats and get dressed! We have to call an Uber soon.”

  I took in a breath and chose not to reply to her comment, pushing away all recent memories of my cemetery excursion with Beau. “Okay, okay,” I said, taking one last sip of rosé.

  I slipped on the cobalt bodycon and silver heels, shying away at my appearance in the mirror. I didn’t look like myself at all. In fact, I practically embodied Mags. The dress hugged my figure, accentuating the right places. It scooped low enough to show cleavage, but still left room for imagination.

  Mags came up behind me and rested her head in the crook of my neck. “You look so hot.” A ding sounded from her phone. “Uber’s here! Let’s fucking party!”

  I took one last look at myself before grabbing Mags’ hand and shutting my bedroom door.

  The entire ride there we sang along to early pop hits and took pictures, sneaking the occasional drink in the backseat from Mags’ flask.

  When the Uber finally pulled up to Arc Royale, I was completely starstruck. Three grotesque fountains lit up the entrance of the palace-sized casino. The building towered over the enormous parking lot like a glass kingdom, magically ornate. Flocks of people dressed in glitter and suits scattered the perimeter, bustling raucously.

  “Thanks again!” Mags waved off the driver and linked arms with mine. “Now this is what I call a birthday celebration,” she said in awe.

  Sapphire velvet rope separated us from the inside of the matte black casino doors. Crowds of people passed us, carrying the scent of tequila in the air.

  “So many lights,” I gasped in disbelief.

  Maybe I was being dramatic, but I had never been anywhere this extravagant in my entire life. I vaguely remember going to the circus when I was really young, but this was incomparable. I’d driven by Arc Royale a few times, but only during daylight. At night really exhibited the sheer opulence of this place.

  The two large hedges on either side of the fountain welcomed us, glowing in pastel rainbow colors. When I looked up, I saw that the hedges were connected by one huge crystal arc, sparkling like stars. Well, that explains the name.

  “Come on!” Mags said, approaching the two bouncers dressed in all black.

  “I.D ladies.” The one with dark hair said.

  “For you, anything.” Mags laughed, clearly tipsy. She held out her ID and walked through the velvet rope, clicking her heels.

  I couldn’t help but chuckle and presented my own ID. The man looked me up and down with striking blue eyes. “Hm,” then passed it back to me. “Happy birthday,” he smiled. “Enjoy your night.”

  For whatever reason, a wave of confidence hit me like a truck. I returned his gaze with a flirtatious stare, winking at him as I walked through the rope. I could feel his eyes trail me as I passed by, but I didn’t look back.

  The warm surge of alcohol seeped through my veins, intercepting all sense of rationality. I never would have done anything like that sober; Mags was always the flirt between the two of us. But I didn’t care. Tonight’s my night, my birthday. When I was dating Tommy, he never made me feel pretty or important. But you know what, tonight… tonight, I did. So of course, I had to take advantage of it.

  This was my night. The one night I could indulge in pure bliss, drink without a sense of guilt. My night to dance until the sun rises, ignore all of the misfortunes of my past and forget all of the chaos and coincidences of… Beau Gabriel.

  “What the hell was that, tiger?” Mags giggled, lacing our fingers together.

  I beamed with a face full of fire. “Let’s have some fun,” I said, walking up the golden steps. Tonight is my night.

  Chapter 8

  Arc Royale, Present Night

  Various different sounds rang through my ears from every single direction. Slot machines and blackjack tables surrounded us, along with crowds of people throwing down what looked to be their entire life savings. My dad taught me how to play poker, but I wouldn’t dare dream of sitting at one of those high roller tables. If I were to gamble, it would be roulette. Place a bet on black or red and if it lands on your color, you win.

  “Want to grab a drink before we go to the club?” I asked Mags.

  She nodded and led me to one of the three bars lining the casino walls.

  “What can I get for the two beautiful ladies?” the bartender smiled, rinsing out a glass. His light brown hair was gelled back, cascading down just above his shoulders. He had a pleasant face, approachable and affable. Probably why he got the job.

  “Fuck, is everyone who works here hot?” she flirted, evidently intoxicated.

  The bartender laughed, probably out of politeness. I couldn’t imagine working for hours on end getting hit on by drunks every two minutes.

  I pinched Mags and smiled. “Two tequila shots please.”

  “Make it four!” she yelled, giving me a genial shove.

  He looked to me with patient eyes, waiting for my approval. I shrugged. Ah, what the hell. “Make it four.”

  “As you wish.” He lined up our shot glasses and filled the clear liquor to each brim. I plugged my nose and took two big gulps, finishing off both shots. I am definitely going to regret this in about thirty minutes.

  And I was right.

  We
hung out around the bar for a little while longer talking to the bartender. He was actually such a good sport for a sober man entertaining two drunk girls and of course, Mags made sure to get his number. I didn’t expect any less.

  As soon as I got up, the dizziness hit me like a tidal wave. We hadn’t even gotten to the club yet and I was already ruined.

  “Shit, I can’t even stand.” I slurred to Mags, grabbing hold of her arm. Screw these heels!

  “Oh come on, the party has just begun! Woo!” She yelled, gripping hold of my arm.

  All the lights blurred to a phantasmagoria of flashing colors. We stumbled around the room, trying to find the club. We definitely looked like idiots, but to be fair we’d never been there. Every corner looked the same. Hundreds of slot machines and people, just on and on and on.

  “It has to be here some –” Mags bumped into someone, and fell to the floor.

  “Damnit, I’m so sorry!” I heard a man say.

  We both reached to help Mags up, and once she was stable, I looked to the mysterious stranger.

  Whoa. Holy hell.

  My inebriated brain couldn’t process the man standing before me. He was absolutely stunning, almost like an expensive painting. Light brown scruff lined his chiseled jawline, trimmed perfectly. He looked to be about 6’3, 6’4, wearing a black button down rolled up at the elbows. A tattoo of two coiling snakes travelled around his forearm partnered by another hand tattoo with random black symbols. His ashy blonde hair was slicked back messily, though his grass-green eyes were alarmingly vacant, impossible to read.

  “I’m sorry about that, beautiful. I wasn’t looking.” He held Mags steady, throwing me a few glances.

  I stirred, pushing down conflicting emotions. I didn’t exactly know how to feel, or why I questioned feeling anything at all. His presence hulked over me, raising goosebumps to my skin. It didn’t feel like that sweet, uneasy calmness I’d felt when I met Beau… it was just plain uneasy.

  I looked down, fidgeting with my fingers when I noticed the ruby in my ring radiate a faint red glow. Huh. Probably just the hue of one of these lights.