Secrets and Sins Part 2: Finding Mary

Chapter 31

~Ava~

With Bea’s 'I love you' ringing in her ears, Ava returned to her body, or rather, slammed into it. The feeling of coming back wasn't dissimilar to that moment right before you wake up from a deep sleep, when you feel like you're falling back into yourself.

She was still pretty chuffed after being able to astral project accurately to the OCS, although it hadn’t been particularly straightforward, Ava shivered at the memory.

Where am I?

She was floating in a sea of darkness, there was nothing but a strange fog rolling around her.

Maybe I should have asked Reya how this actually works?

Ava tried to move, but nothing happened. She tried again, even just to lift an arm, still nothing. Panic quickly overtook rational thought, flashbacks to her paralyzed childhood kicking her heart rate up into high gear. To make matters worse, the fog around her thickened chokingly.

Fuck.

It was getting hard to breathe now, Ava struggled against the helpless feeling, she had to get to the OCS, she had to get to Bea.

Bea…

The thought of her girlfriend reignited her resistance, she quadrupled her efforts, straining to pull herself from the cloying fog.

Bea. Bea. Bea.

Clinging to the thought of the sister warrior, Ava felt a tug and suddenly she was freed from the abyss, a rushing noise filled her ears, glaring light cut through the darkness, she shut her eyes. When the almost painful sensations had faded, Ava opened her eyes to find herself standing outside one of the infirmary rooms of the Cat’s Cradle, familiar voices reaching her ears from within. She breathed a sigh of relief.

"Ava! Wake up!" A hiss from nearby forced her attention back to the situation at hand.

Blinking, she shook off the lingering haze from her astral walk and looked around the room.

"Fucking finally." Reya growled.

"They're going to be here any minute, did you make it back to your friends?"

"How do you know?" Ava frowned, scanning the area, everything appeared quiet.

"I just know. Are the OCS coming for you?" The deity was speaking rapidly, her eyes continually flicking towards the door.

Ava considered her answer carefully, Reya had insisted that she wasn't feeding the Brotherhood information but after everything she had put the Halo bearer through, Ava refused to trust her There must be a reason why her enemy was being so helpful right? Then again, the deity seemed absolutely opposed to the Halo falling into the cultist's hands so maybe she was telling the truth?

Ugh, why can’t my life be simple for once?

Reaching her decision, she played it safe, not offering details, Ava just gave the pixelated creature a single nod.

Reya physically relaxed, shutting her eyes while she took a deep breath, "Thank fuck for that."

"Okay…" She opened her eyes again, her face taking on a serious expression, "You must keep them talking for as long as possible, give your friends enough time to save you. If they start taking you over to the creare immortalis, you need to fight with everything you have."

"The what?" Ava asked, furrowing her eyebrows.

"That thing you idiot!" Reya pointed at the machine that never failed to raise the hair on the back of the younger woman's neck.