Secrets and Sins

Chapter 24

~Ava~

The moment the bracelet wasn’t against her skin, Ava felt it, the halo’s power warming her back, seeping into her veins. On the plus side it immediately soothed the pain from the injuries sustained during the fight, but Ava could also feel the power building, readying itself to blast her opponent from her. The Halo bearer couldn’t stop the explosive discharge, it blew the fire captain off her like he was nothing and tipped the dumpster behind her. The striking golden light blinded her for a moment.

Trying to blink her eyes clear, Ava was frustrated that she still couldn’t see much until she registered that the concrete dust from the collapsed buildings had been kicked up and was now forming a thick fog around her. Panting slightly, Ava looked around for her bracelet, she needed to find it before…

“Ava.” The voice spoke directly into her head, a shiver went down her spine.
“Did you really think you could escape from me?”

Ava just whimpered, scanning the ground frantically. The halo flashed on her back, the pain bringing her to her knees, she continued to run her hands over the cobblestones around her praying that the bracelet was near her.

Please, please, let me find it.

“Ava, I will not be ignored.” Reya spoke again, the halo flared again making her wince.

“Fuck…You.” Ava gasped out.

The burning pain from the halo increased, Ava cried out and fell forward just managing to catch herself with her hands. She heard Bea call out her name in the distance.

No, no, no. She can't be here.

Ava looked up into the sister warrior’s deep brown eyes that she loved so much, doing everything she could to stay herself.

“Stay back Bea!” She warned.

“You can’t save her, Ava. I will make you kill her.” Reya sneered; Ava had really had enough of this bitch.

“I will not submit.”

The heat from the halo reached an all-time high, scorching through the skin on her back. Ava couldn’t hold on any longer.

I’m sorry Bea.

Ava blacked out.

When she opened her eyes, she was in that place, Reya’s place. The bitch herself standing in front of her. Ava was on her knees.

If this is it, I won’t make it easy for her.

As though she had heard that thought, an evil smile began to spread across Reya’s face. Ava stood preparing herself for the inevitable battle of wills when a rumbling noise started around them. Reya’s expression slowly changed to surprised and then angry, she reached out to grab Ava, but the floor abruptly dropped out from underneath the Halo bearer’s feet, squeezing her eyes shut, Ava fell into the darkness.

The feeling of falling stopped, Ava wheezed in a breath, winded from the experience. She opened her eyes.

Where the fuck am I?

She was standing in a pit, it was completely circular, about 50 meters in diameter, the dirt wall surrounding her, looking up Ava couldn’t see any daylight; she was so deep down in the earth.

A buzzing started in front of her, drawing Ava’s eyes back down. All of a sudden, a concussive boom nearly deafened her, a huge portal opened up on the wall of the pit, the edges were made of some sort of purple liquid that seemed to defy gravity, the center almost looked like molten silver shimmering and pulsing.

What the actual fuck?

Taking a couple of steps forward, against her better judgement, Ava reached a hand out to feel the strange glistening surface. As soon as her fingertips touched it the portal let out a loud whoosh, the molten center fluctuating until Ava could make out something on the other side. The image cleared slowly, showing two different scenes, split dead center by the same gravity defying purple liquid.

On the left was the image of a huge valley, the sky had a red, orange and purple hue like that of a sunrise or sunset. Little figures dotted the valley, Ava squinted, leaning closer to the portal surface to see what they were. She sucked in a sharp breath when she realized thousands upon thousands of wraith demons stood on the valley floor. Ava had only ever seen them in the earthly form, all smokey and ghostly. These wraiths were solid and absolutely terrifying. They had claws as long as her middle finger dangling from their disturbingly long fingers. They were reddish brown in color, as tall as a man and had freakishly long arms that almost reached the ground. The wraiths sported the familiar skull shaped heads, with two goat like horns and massive black eyes.

On the right Ava could see a huge flat field filled with thousands of another type of creature, the sky was pearly white and baby blue, very much in contrast to the valley on the left. These creatures were more familiar to Ava. About 8 feet tall and covered in a thick, rocky hide, the tarasks stood in ordered lines all facing the direction of the portal.

Ava looked between the two scenes confused by what she was seeing, the way the tarasks and wraiths were gathered almost looked like they were commanded to be there, like they were an army. Suddenly, Ava comprehended what she was looking at.

The armies of the Holy war.

~Beatrice~

It took a moment for her to realize that the scream she could hear was her own. Beatrice sprinted to the Halo bearer lying lifeless on the ground. Shock was quickly taking hold of her, her mind was in turmoil, her body was numb. All she could feel was her heart bashing against her chest so hard it felt like it might shatter it.

She can’t be dead. She can't be dead. She can't be dead.

Dropping to her knees beside Ava, she carefully turned her onto her back. The woman’s eyes were shut, her face pale, blood gradually soaking the front of her tunic.

“No. No. No.” Beatrice mumbled, cupping the Halo bearer’s cheek.
“Ava wake up. You have to wake up. Come on baby, please?”

“Bea.” Camilla said from somewhere behind her, Beatrice ignored her.

“Bea?” She repeated. Beatrice just shook her head, continuing her attempts to wake Ava, she could feel the nun crouch beside her.

“BEATRICE.”

Finally, Beatrice turned to her friend. The first thing she saw was the pistol in her hand. Rage flooded her body, making her vision tunnel as she stared at it.

I'll kill her.

“You fucking shot her!” She snarled, grabbing the nun by the front of her tunic.

“Bea listen please! She’s not dead. The bullet is in her shoulder. Look.” Camilla spoke quickly, reaching down to wipe away some of Ava’s blood so the wound was visible.

Beatrice stared at the hole in the front of Ava’s shoulder, it had not hit anything vital. Her anger gave way to surprise, she could see a slight cerulean blue glow inside the wound.

“Mother Superior had bullets made from the metal that turns the halo off. Just in case something like this happened.” Camilla explained.

Beatrice couldn’t speak, the roller coaster of emotion from the last few minutes finally catching up to her.

Ava's okay. She's not dead, just unconscious.

She let out a sob, tears pouring down her face. She felt Camilla put an arm around her. Beatrice couldn’t help but let all of the emotion out of her, now the floodgates were open there was no stopping it.

After a moment, Camilla spoke again gently, “Bea we have to get her back to the Cradle, come on.”