Secrets And Sins Part 3: Happy ever after

Chapter 47

~Halo~

Halo hadn't been alone for a long time, a very long time. They had forgotten how cold it was, how lonely it was, to not be hosted by a Bearer. The miserable feeling was relentless, Halo hated it.

Movement on the far side of the room broke them out of their melancholy. Ava sat with her back against the wall, her knees pulled up into her chest and her face tucked away. She'd been ignoring Halo since Uriel had left them and, though they were deeply saddened by it, they couldn't really blame her.

"Feels weird to be in a body again." Halo tried, hoping that maybe Ava might give them something to show she didn't completely despise them. "Especially without you."

She said nothing, though her arms tightened a fraction where they were looped around her legs.

Halo wondered if Ava missed their connection. They themselves definitely did. There was something deep in their consciousness that ached for the Bearer, it was like nothing Halo had ever experienced before and it was perplexing.

Crestfallen, they sighed, mirroring Ava's body language. It was surprisingly comforting to be curled in on oneself, like you were shielded from the outside world and all its horrors.

Like a human-shaped hedgehog.

Halo peeked up at Ava again to see she hadn't moved at all, another wave of guilt stirred up their stomach. They weren't used to having a stomach but knew enough from being part of Ava that intense emotion could make you physically sick. Halo had to do something to alleviate the guilt that was eating away at them. Perhaps another apology might help?

"I'm sorry for keeping this from you, Ava." Halo's voice was clear and confident, a definite contrast to how they were feeling. "I believed I was protecting you..."

Finally, Ava lifted her head, revealing an icy glare. "I've already told you, I don't want to talk to you. We're done."

"But," Halo pouted, they'd learnt that from the best, "If we don't talk how will we fix this?"

"I don't...!" Ava stopped herself mid-sentence to take a breath, pinching at the bridge of her nose. "There is no fixing this. We're done. No more Ava and Halo, we're not friends or partners or any of that shit, okay? You betrayed me, you're the reason why I'm here, and the reason some angelic assholes are going to 'judge me for my crimes'. You are the enemy."

They stared at each other across the cell, Ava's usually warm, deep brown eyes, cold and harsh.

Halo was the first to look away. "I understand."

"Good." Ava sighed, leaning her head back against the wall and closing her eyes. "Now leave me alone."

"Yes, Ava."

~

It was probably an hour later that Uriel came to get them; it was time to face the Council.

The hallway beyond the cell was long and straight, Halo didn't think they had taken a turn yet, unless perhaps there was a subtle curve to the wall that went unnoticed. They had never been to this part of the angel's council building, even during the time they had spent in this realm as a part of Gabriel.

Uriel led the way while behind them marched two rather buff-looking guards carrying spears tipped with divinium. Though the hall was wide enough for them to walk side by side, Ava trudged on in front of Halo, maintaining the distance between them that may as well have been an ocean. It hurt, but at least they were together. Halo kept their gaze trained on Ava's back, a reassurance that the Bearer was alive and unharmed, for now anyway.