Secrets and Sins

Chapter 12

~Ava~

Ava was dying, blood pouring from the wounds littering her body.

Lying on soft warm grass, she gazed up at the clear blue sky. It all looked just like her own world but with something just a touch alien about it.

Ava felt at peace, she had defeated Adriel and she had told Bea how much she loved her. If she died now, that would be okay. Closing her eyes, Ava thought of Bea.

Ava felt rather than heard someone approaching her.
"Ava."

A strange warm energy enveloped her, nulling all of her pain. It began lifting her off the grass into an upright position. Reya stood in front of her, her pure white armor almost blinding in the bright light of the day.

"My poor child." Her voice spoke directly into Ava's head, her tone warm and comforting.

"I can heal you and make sure you never feel pain again. You will be the strongest being in your world." 

Ava felt the divinium being pushed out of her body, falling to the ground at her feet.

"You will do my work on earth, you will become my right hand, my sword."

Ava fought to speak, the weird feeling of the divinium leaving her body making it hard to concentrate her thoughts, "Um thanks very much for the offer, but I respectfully decline."

"You don't want it?" Reya replied, dangerously.

"No thanks, I'm tired of fighting for other people's agendas."

Reya tilted her head, watching Ava in the way a cat would watch a mouse. The long pause began to make Ava feel uncomfortable.

“You would deny me, deny your destiny?” Chilling anger behind the words.

“There is war coming, unlike anything your world has ever seen. One that you will be dragged into it no matter what. I can ensure our victory. Join with me. Let my halo take control. It will give you power never seen before.”

Ava had always been perceptive. Being paralyzed for so much of her young life, she had learnt to watch and read people. And right now, Reya was giving her some seriously unsettling vibes. Ava was sure at that moment that she couldn’t trust her.

She chose her next words carefully.

“Not that I don’t appreciate you healing me and such, but if I have to fight, I'll fight for myself and for my friends. I’ll take my chances without the extra power.”

A furious expression flickered across Reya's face, quickly smoothing back to blankness.

"You will regret this. But I respect your decision." Reya replied coldly.
Ava had a feeling that there was an unspoken 'for now' at the end of that sentence. That this wasn't over. She felt the warmth around her begin to cool, she was lowered back to the ground on her knees before the deity.

“Because I'm benevolent, I will give you a warning. The war will be preceded by three omens. Fire, water and earth.” Reya turned to leave.

"Wait!” Ava called, feeling the pain beginning to return. “How do I get back?"

Reya didn't turn towards her but spoke into Ava's mind once again, "Think of something to anchor you to your world, concentrate all of your mind, body and soul on that. It will pull you back."

With that the goddess disappeared.

The pain swiftly began to grow in Ava's body, she latched on to the one reason she had to keep living and to get home, Beatrice. Pressure started to build in Ava's head, like diving deeply underwater, it wasn't a pleasant feeling. There was a deafening rushing noise in her ears followed by a loud whoosh.

Ava phased through the ground, dropping down and down through the darkness before everything changed to light, blue sky above her again. Home.

“And basically you know the rest.” Ava finished her story.

She felt like a weight had been lifted off her chest finally admitting what had happened to her. Both women in the room looked horrified at what Reya had wanted from her. The Halo bearer was relieved, she had been so afraid of what her found family would think of her for denying the goddess, if that's what she was.

Ava was also terrified at what might happen if she was forced to use the halo again. Which is why she had hidden it so carefully. Ava had meticulously crafted the walls around the relic trying to cut it off from the rest of her body, her emotion, pretty much pretending it didn't exist.

“Is that what happened at the shopping center? Reya acted through you?” Bea was watching her thoughtfully.

“What do you mean ‘Reya acted through me’?” Ava asked, confused, she thought she had just passed out after the halo had destroyed the wraiths.

Both women gave her an alarmed look.

“You don’t…you don’t remember?”

~Beatrice~

Ava’s face grew more and more dismayed as Beatrice explained what had happened after the halo went off in the mall. She couldn’t blame her, especially now knowing that the Halo bearer had told Reya she didn’t want any part of this.

“I…I killed them all?” Ava’s voice trembled, tears streaming down her face.

“No! Ava it wasn’t you. It was Reya. We need to find a solution to help you command the halo.” Mother Superior was quick to reassure her, the nun’s voice full of barely controlled fury.

Ava couldn't speak, she just looked down at where Beatrice’s hand held hers. The sister warrior squeezed it, trying to comfort the younger woman.

“Now I understand the entire situation we find ourselves in, I need to speak to Vincent and Yasmine. We will find a solution Ava, I promise you.” Mother Superior declared, standing.

“Beatrice.” She snapped to attention when Mother Superior addressed her,

“You will stay with Ava at all times in case Reya tries to take control again. I would also like you to teach her some martial arts principles in meditation and controlling emotion. Anything that we can do to assist Ava in mastering the halo”

“Yes Mother.” Beatrice answered, pleased she wasn’t being ordered away.

Turning back to Ava, Mother Superior levelled her with a serious look, “Have faith Ava, we will do everything we can to avoid you becoming Reya’s bitch again.”

Both Ava and Beatrice gaped at the cursing. Mother Superior gave them a smirk and a wink, before turning on heel and walking out of the room.

"Well, that went better than I expected." Ava remarked, falling back onto the bed.

"Ow." The Halo bearer winced quickly rolling onto her side.

"You okay?" Beatrice murmured, concerned at Ava’s reaction.

"My back hurts so much, why does my back hurt?"

Shit the halo scar. The doctor must not have been able to clean it up before Ava blasted them.

"When you…when Reya killed those people, the Halo burnt the skin around your scar on your back. It must be the only thing that didn't heal when it activated."  Beatrice replied.

A grimace of fear passed over Ava's face, "I don't need the doctor to look at it right? I don't…I'm not sure if anyone else can touch me without it…you know."

They both knew what she meant, if someone Ava didn't completely trust tried to touch her, especially there, right now, it could trigger the halo again.

"Come on, I'll clean it and bandage it if need be. I should be fine, right?"
Beatrice announced confidently, standing and offering Ava her hand.

Ava gave her little nervous smile but allowed Beatrice to lead her into the bathroom.