The Gates of Gabriel

by Marie-France Leger

  A dark cork tree stood shaded in the distance; small mushrooms lined the path they walked along. Beau had never seen so many mushrooms of a peculiar size before, and with his lack of coins, plucking a few for a free stew wouldn’t hurt…

  “Unless you wish for death, I wouldn’t dare touch those.” The woman giggled, facing ahead.

  “Oh? And why not?”

  She stopped and turned around, lifting the corner of her lips to a smile. “A death cap mushroom rarely shows mercy.”

  Death cap… That was enough for Beau to shelve his intrigue and move away from the fungi.

  He watched the mysterious woman, trudging forward slowly. What a vision… Beau thought. Educated and alluring. The lady walked with grace, her head held high. Beau was astonished. I have never seen anyone more beautiful.

  “Well?” she turned back to him. “Are you not going to walk me home?”

  Beau grinned excitedly, following after her like a stray puppy. They talked and laughed the whole way. Even though the night was gloomy, Beau radiated with happiness.

  They stopped at a small stone building beside a brewery, plastered with ivy vines. “This is me.” The lady said.

  Beau’s smile fell into a pout. He only talked to her for under half an hour, but he felt like he’d known her for eternity. “The night is still young.” Beau added, blushing.

  The lady scrunched her face and chuckled. “I have an early morning, but I had a very nice time with you…”

  “Beau.”

  She smiled, folding her umbrella. Her brown eyes twinkled even in the night. “Beau.”

  Beau felt giddy inside. Butterflies danced and twirled in his stomach and he couldn’t hold back his growing infatuation. “May I see you again? I must.”

  The lady turned around, placing a hand on her hip. “You really want to?”

  Beau nodded several times. “I will wait all night in the rain just to hear you say yes, my lady.”

  She tilted her head back and laughed, placing her hand over her mouth. “Yes, yes.”

  “I’ll be here at seven tomorrow night. Wear something pretty.” Beau turned to walk away, but quickly ran back up the stairs before she shut the door. “I didn’t catch your name.”

  The lady leaned her head against the doorframe and shook her head with a smile. “Rosanna Hiver.”

  ◆◆◆

  Venice, Italy, 1925

  Bean and Rosanna spent a year together travelling all of Europe. Halfway through their endeavours, Rosanna dropped a bomb on Beau that was difficult to process.

  “You’re a… a demon.” Beau stuttered. He couldn’t believe the woman he fell for sprouted from an evil seed on Lucifer’s behest.

  Rosanna placed her hands on Beau’s cheeks. “I was a roam. I was Beau, before I met you.”

  Beau drew away quickly with disgust. “How could you never tell me this? Why now, Rosy? When I’ve fallen for you?”

  Tears welled in her eyes. “I was ashamed. When you told me you were an angel I thought, how could I ever tell the purest of hearts that I am the opposite. How could I have done that to you?”

  “You’ve just done that to me, Rosy!” Beau yelled. His chest huffed up and down as he stared into her eyes. “Was this all planned, then? The crow I heard that night, that was you was it not?”

  Before Beau met Rosanna, Lucifer granted her the ability to turn into a crow and circle above the taverns of bustling crowds. These demons were called roams. He tasked her to seduce married mortals, in which she’d spend the night and steal their rings as a token of infidelity. Lucifer then waited for those humans to die and fall to hell, where he’d hand them back their ring to wear for all eternity. Guilt is a new form of punishment, Lucifer would say.

  Rosanna began to sob. “You were never an option of prey, my love… you stole my heart.”

  Beau’s eyes grew wide. He hadn’t realized Rosanna reciprocated the feelings that he had felt… the love.

  He walked up to her and cupped her face, wiping the tears away from her cheeks. “You love me?” he asked.

  She gently nodded, placing her hand against his. “More than I ever thought I was capable of.”

  He lowered his lips to hers, kissing slowly then passionately. He pushed her up against the small bungalow wall they had been staying at. She let out a soft moan as he made his way down her neck, exploring various parts of her skin. He showered her with adoration, using only his fingers.

  Moonlight poured through the window as they made love, reflecting the colour of Beau’s white scars fading one shade darker…

  ◆◆◆

  “You’d look absolutely dashing in that one, Beau.” Rosanna pointed to a mannequin dressed in a grey-maroon ensemble.

  They walked the streets of Italy at noon, hunting for outfits to wear for the Summer’s Eve masquerade ball.

  Beau squeezed her hand with a smile, flipping down his hat to passerby. “If you like it, I like it.”

  Rosanna spotted an old antique jewellers with a sign reading:

  Free Customizations

  She pepped up and pushed him towards the men’s tailors they had passed earlier. “You go and get your suit. I’ll meet you there.”

  Beau smiled and kissed her forehead. “What has gotten you so chipper?”

  She smirked and pushed him again. “Go on, go on!”

  Beau obeyed and turned around to look at her every chance he got until he reached the tailors. The suit he had his eyes on held a hefty price tag which worried Beau. He wanted to look good for her and it was evident that she fancied that specific ensemble.

  “Are there any discounts, good sir?” Beau asked the shop owner.

  “Sure.” He smiled, smoking a cigar. “One lira off.”

  Beau winced at his sarcasm, checking the price tag again. He paced around for a few minutes but always returned to the first mannequin.

  The shop manager walked towards him with a hand over his protruding stomach. “Lad, I would try the shop down the road. It’s called the dumpster, great assortment of fine rags.” He spat.

  A dark urge came over Beau that he never felt before. He tugged the man by the collar and lifted him up. The veins in his arms bulged as he stared into the man’s eyes, using his grace to compel him.

  The shop owner walked over to the mannequin and ripped off the tag of the suit. In a trance, he handed over the ensemble to Beau. “Free, sir.”

  Without realizing what he’d done, Beau panicked and stumbled backwards, taking the suit in hand and running out the door.

  Rosanna was just approaching the shop when Beau bumped into her. “Oh, I’m so sorry my love.”

  Her eyes twinkled. “You got the suit!”

  Beau nervously fixed his shirt, clearing his throat. “Oh, yes – yes, I did. For you.” He eyed the shop owner who still looked to be in a state of reverie, staring into nothing. “Let’s get you a dress, shall we?”

  “Well, all right.” Rosanna smiled, hooking her arm around Beau’s.

  As they walked off, Beau took one last glance at the tailors and scratched at the discomfort in his back. What pains me…

  ◆◆◆

  Rosanna and Beau walked hand in hand into a mansion fit for royalty. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceilings while the diamond imperial staircases twinkled in the light. The Summer’s Eve masquerade ball was always hosted by various different princes and lords who passed through Venice.

  Everywhere they turned, a beautiful man or woman was dressed in exquisite attire sewn by elite seamstresses. Rosanna wore a silk silver gown paired with a black feathered mask. Her hair was curled into an updo and Beau was taken by her beauty once again.

  “You’re the most beautiful woman in the room.” Beau smiled, leading her to a waltz.

  She smirked. “Because every woman in here is disguised.”

  Beau pulled her closer. He wore a burgundy vest with matching suspenders, covered by a grey suit. His dark hair was combed backwards neatly.

  “Even without a m
ask, no woman will ever compare to you.”

  They danced and danced all night, relishing in the love they found with each other. Beau thought to have finally found happiness. While he fell from Heaven for the mission of Sophie Brixton, she was decades away from being born. Along his journey, he found his soulmate. I care not that she is a demon, she has my heart. She loves me back. She is my home.

  Ten minutes before midnight, Rosanna pulled Beau away from the horde of people. She grinned and kissed him gently. “I have a present for you.”

  Beau smiled, leaning in. “Rosy…”

  She fumbled with her glittered clutch, pulling out two rings, one silver and one gold. Rosanna slid the silver one onto his finger and squealed. “It fits!” she exclaimed.

  “What is this for, Rosy?” Beau questioned, chuckling at her excitement.

  Rosanna placed the silver ring in his hand and wrapped his fingers closed. “Meet me at the east-wing balcony at midnight.” And ran off.

  Beau’s smile lines sank deeply into his cheeks. He took out the ring from his palm and examined it closely. It was a crude metal with a cursive engravement on the inside: R. R… for Rosanna.

  He shook his head and looked down, slipping the ring onto his fourth finger. This is it. A promise ring, to solidify our love. He was eager to see what she had in store for him at midnight, so he made his way to the balcony early.

  Beau pushed through crowds of people, mapping his way to the east-wing. The mansion was immense, a maze of beauty. There were plenty of open drawing rooms, several refreshment carts, and a stretch of people for as far as the eye could see. After climbing two staircases, he found the double door exit to the balcony.

  The air was still, crisp and cool. Stars sparkled in the night sky, waving at Beau with ivory light. The midnight bell chimed, echoing through the estate. Beau searched the perimeter of the balcony, expecting Rosanna to be there. Though, there was not a soul in sight. He glanced around curiously, wondering if he had gone the right way. Hm, my mistake.

  As he was leaving, a shiny fabric twinkled in his peripheral vision. As he came closer, an unpleasant, apprehensive feeling engulfed his senses. But what Beau discovered was far from what he expected.

  What Beau found left his heart shattered in pieces.

  A piece of silver cloth from Rosanna’s dress sat perfectly on the ledge of the balcony, caught on a rusted nail. Written in black ink, it said:

  Dearest Beau,

  A roam roams and settles not. Demons know no love but pain. As men I’ve seen have feared me not, an angel grieves the loss in vain. I know no love, for you no less, a trick is what I see. As easy as the sun will set, you are no love to me.

  Rosanna

  Beau trembled, sinking to his knees in agony. The distant tick of a clock was all he allowed himself to hear, while time slowed down around him. Soon after he read the words, the chatter of crowds below grew distant, fading into the wind. His ears rang loudly, imagining the sweet sound of her voice as she crumbled his heart. He re-read the words over and over again, pleading to the skies above to leave Earth behind. He tore the cloth in half and threw it over the balcony, enraged at the vulnerability he’d shown Rosanna. Uncontrollable tears streamed down his face as he slid the ring off his finger and buried it into the depths of his pocket. A burning wrath deluged his senses, taking full control of his core. His back burned like fire as he sank to his knees.

  If only you had stayed, so I could write you a letter of my own. If only you had remained, so I could kiss your treacherous lips one last time. If only you were not a demon, maybe you would have loved me righteously. If only you hadn’t broken my heart… I would believe that love exists. I vow to the angels and thrones that once my mission is fulfilled, I will return home. I will flee as far away from our memories as my grace can take me. I swear to you Rosanna… No piece of this world, the next, or the afterlife will ever break me again.

  Chapter 34

  Pinestone, Present Night

  “Tommy’s on his way.” I said to Beau, biting anxiously at my fingernail.

  After gathering a few of my things in a backpack, Beau brought us to one of his ‘escape cabins’ a half hour out from Kleaton’s Gate. I chose not to talk about the moment we’d shared in my kitchen, when Beau kissed me. The moment came and went, and no words were exchanged after it happened. Did I want to talk about it? Absolutely. Did he? Doubt it. So instead, I buried my trifling thoughts and posed another question.

  “What exactly is an escape cabin?” I’d asked him before we left.

  “A place I go when I want to be alone.” He had responded.

  My features shrunk in bewilderment. “But… aren’t you always alone?”

  “Huh, you’re right. Weird how I can’t get enough of myself, isn’t it?” He jested.

  After our conversation, we got to work on ensuring the security of everyone involved. I told him I wasn’t going anywhere until I knew all of my friends and family were safe, and I meant that. Beau used his grace to compel my dad into staying at a hotel for a few days while I was gone, and sealed the door shut with holy fire. As much as it pained me to see my dad helpless and unaware, I couldn’t risk his safety. If Marina went after Braum and his father, I didn’t want to find out who’d be next. Not only that, Siles was still out there just waiting to pounce.

  “Is Mags still asleep?” I asked, pacing around the living room.

  The cabin was all brick and mahogany wood. A fireplace sat in the corner, accompanied by a vintage green sofa and a coffee table. A small kitchen was positioned towards the back, beside the sole bedroom.

  The bed squeaked loudly from behind the bedroom door, followed by a shrill scream.

  “Don’t think so,” Beau responded.

  “Stay here, I got this.”

  He put his hands up and chuckled. “I’m glad, because I don’t.”

  I made my way to the bedroom and turned the doorknob, locking it behind me.

  Mags was on the bed with her knees up. She rocked back and forth, fixing her tousled hair.

  “Maya, what – where am I? Is Beau here? Am I still drugged?” she freaked, flailing her arms in the air. “Let me out, this is crazy!”

  Oh, how I missed sleeping Mags.

  I took in a deep breath. “You were never drugged Mags.” But you tried to poison me, funny. Remember that? Okay Maya, don’t start.

  She sunk to the edge of the bed, sobbing. “It can’t be real… angels, demons. You, you’re some kind of – some kind of…”

  She trailed off, burying her face in her hands. It was hard to watch my best friend so disoriented, so confused. But if anyone knew what she was going through, it was me. Beau was an angel, he’d always been an angel. My whole life I’ve been, well, Maya Brixton. An ordinary girl who lived in small town Kleaton’s Gate… until I met Beau. Now, I’m something sacred, something divine. And worst of all, I have to believe that. It just doesn’t seem real.

  I leaned back on the wall, looking down. “It’s hard for me too, Mags.”

  She kept silent, rubbing her snotty nose.

  “Whether you believe me or not, something bigger than both of us is happening and I need you safe.”

  A knock on the door startled me. Beau spoke from the other side. “Tommy’s here.”

  I swallowed hard and approached Mags, grabbing hold of her hand. “Do you trust me?”

  A long exhale. “As long as you don’t put another magical feather in my face.” Mags chuckled through congested tears.

  There she is.

  “I won’t, if you promise that you won’t try and poison me again.” I knew she had no idea what I was talking about, and it made me giggle.

  She paled. “I… What?”

  Ha-ha, oh Mags. She almost killed me and had no idea. This will be quite the story to tell over a few glasses of wine.

  “I’ll explain later.” I smiled and let her go. “Stay put for a minute, I’ll be back.”

  Tommy stood in the doorway dressed in all blac
k, his hair untidy and greased with sweat, shaking incessantly. He had a blank face, mumbling a cast of words to himself.

  All of the calmness I’d felt talking to Mags was long gone. My heart beat an octave higher, rattling in my chest. I approached him tentatively, eyeing his erratic movements. “Tommy?”

  “Ky’s dead. Ky is dead… Ky’s dead.” He repeated, over and over.

  A sharp pain lodged itself in my chest.

  No. No… No.

  I didn’t want to believe it, I couldn’t believe it. Ky… Ky Gerber. I’ve – I’ve known him for years. We made memories together, we went camping, we shared the same love for cream puffs and blueberry waffles , we – we… He can’t be. He can’t be gone. He’s not gone.

  I froze, swallowing down the barbed wire coiling in my esophagus. My heartbeat was turbulent, I couldn’t hold a breath.

  Beau rushed to pull him inside, locking the front door of the cabin.

  “What… did you say?” I asked in an overwhelming state of shock, hoping it was a joke. But every part of me told me it wasn’t. Every part of me knew.

  “I – I was almost here, I was driving… Ky’s mom called me and said she found him dead in his room. Suicide… suicide.” He shook his head, trembling. “Suicide! A fucking suicide!” He sobbed, slamming the floor underneath him. “What happened to my fucking life!”

  Beau’s eyes found mine, dark and dim. He looked to me with worry, empathy. But I looked through him, envisioning Ky. Whoever did this, Siles, Marina, I swear to –

  A creek interrupted my thoughts. Mags walked out of the bedroom slowly, creeping up behind me.

  I couldn’t say the words.

  “What’s going on? Tommy?” she questioned, moving towards him. “What about Ky?”

  Tommy buried his face in his hands. “He’s fucking dead! Mike’s dead, Ky is dead, fuck for all I know Braum’s dead too!”

  A piercing whine escaped Mags’ throat as she fell against the wall, running her fingers through her hair. She crawled over to Tommy and hugged him, sobbing into his arms.