Archangel

Chapter Thirty-Three

Scarlett's POV
I woke up panting, sweat covering my body. I reached up to touch my face and I felt tears on my cheeks. What the hell was that? That was not a dream. Not even close, if felt way too realistic to be a dream. If felt as if I was there, as if I was Anastasia herself, experiencing everything she had. I felt the pain, sadness, the betrayal of what Gabriel did. But most of all I felt the anger and the hate that she did. It was so intense, I felt as if my heart new nothing else. My god, how could he have done that to her? His closest friend? What kind of monster was he? He's psychotic. Indulging this idea in his mind that Anastasia belonged sorely to him and no one else. Killing her, just so Michael wouldn't have her. I've heard of killing for love before but this was just insane. I moved the duvet aside and stood up. As soon as I did, pain radiated in the middle of my back. I reached to touch my back and I felt something wet against my fingertips. I looked at my hand, and my fingers were covered with blood.
"Oh my god." I whispered as my hand started shaking. I ran to the bathroom, my back stinging, and washed my hands in hot water wanting, needing to get the blood of my hands. Then I looked in the mirror and twisted around too see my back. What I saw made my blood run cold. Two vertical gashes, were wide open down the middle of my back. I started shaking uncontrollably, trying to make sense of what I was witnessing. This couldn't be happening.  I couldn't even begin to comprehend this, I could not have done this in my sleep. This means that what I saw, really wasn't a dream. It was something much more. But what? And why is this happening? And how? All these questions swirled around in my head, not being able to answer any of them. I stepped out of the bathroom and went to the window, hoping to organize my thoughts. I was so deep in thought, I didn't even hear Gabriel come in.
"What happened to you?" I turned around quickly, but it was too late, he had already seen my back. He strode over to me, the picture of concern on his face, but then I remembered what he did, and I was repulsed by him.
"Stay away from me. Don't you dare touch me." He stopped in his tracks. I wasn't even embarrassed that I was standing half naked in front of him for the third time. I guess when you're filled with rage, you're not really affected by other things. At the same time he seemed to realize what I was wearing as well because he looked at me confused.
"Where's your dress?" He finally asked.
"Oh, you mean Anastasia's dress? The girl in which you got to meet alone, so you could throw her to the ground and cut her wings, while she cried in agony and begged you to stop. And then take her to the edge of heaven and earth to push her off. But you had the audacity to kiss her before you pushed her. Did you feel absolutely nothing? For the woman you claimed that you loved so much, and yet you gave her a tortures death. One which she did not deserve." He looked flabbergasted by words, which of course he should be.
"How did you...How did you know that? I never told you that." He asked trying to recover from the shock. I smiled knowing I had the upper hand.
"How does it feel knowing you don't know everything?" I asked with a smirk. He gave me a death glare and my arrogance dropped down a bit.
"I'm not playing Scarlett. How did you know that?" I might as well tell him, maybe he could even help me figure out what the hell I experienced. So I told him about my "dream" and then waking up with the gashes on my back. He listened intently, his expression grim the whole time.
"May I see them?" I looked at him confused.
"The gashes." He replied, reading the look on my face. I hesitated, unsure of what to do. I didn't trust him, not after what I've seen him do.
"Look, I'll admit. What I did is unforgivable. It repulses me every time I think about it. I wasn't myself. I was blinded by pointless anger and jealousy the whole time. I realize how stupid and childish I acted. What I did...haunts me to this day. Which is something I deserve, I know. And every time I look at you, what I did replays over and over in my head. All the blood, her wings, her screams... But I also see her beauty, how full of life she was. So determined and so damn stubborn. Just like you." He spoke the truth, the sincerity was clear on his face. Maybe he wasn't as much of a monster as I thought. No, just because he's realizing that what he did was wrong, does not make up for his crime. He deserves to live with the guilt. And maybe it's because I know how it feels to live with guilt that I gave in and turned around showing him my back. He approached so slowly, that I thought maybe he changed his mind. I was about to turn around when I felt his hand on my back, which made me freeze. I could feel his warm breath on my neck. He trailed his hands down my back, not touching the gashes.
"I can't believe it. They're exactly the same wounds. How is this possible?" He whispered.
"I was hoping you would have some answers." I said turning around. We were mere inches from each other.
"Unfortunately I do not. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." He said as he walked over to the bed took the duvet and handed it to me. I put it around me as I saw the regret in his eyes. This was the perfect opportunity to get into his head, when he is most emotionally weak and vulnerable. It was a long shot but it was worth a try.
"Gabriel, you don't need to apologize to me. What you can do is stop this war." He chuckled.
"You know I won't do that."
"Why not? Is this really necessary? All the pain, the death? No reasoning of yours could be justified enough for those things. And don't tell me you don't care, or don't feel anything. Cause I know you do. You've showed that right now. You're not the scary big bad wolf everyone pegs you to be. So please, I'm begging you, stop this."
"You don't understand. I can't. I've already started the war. There's no going back. It's either finish it or surrender. And I will not surrender. Not for anything."
"Ugh, you men and your stupid pride." That's when a light bulb went on. He says he won't surrender for anything, however he might surrender for someone. I can't believe I'm even considering this. But if it would end this war, it would be worth it. After a few more seconds of thinking about what I was gonna do, I made up my mind.
"I have a proposition for you." He looked at me intrigued.
"I'm listening."