Chapter 16: Underworld

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            Zed led me back to my room, my heart feeling empty and sorrowful. Gabe had sacrificed for me, lied on my behalf. One stupid second of doubt and now the guy I loved was in hell, literally. How was I supposed to cope with that? And more importantly, how was he supposed to cope with that?

“Here is your reaper chambers,” Zed said, opening one of the many secret doors of the underworld.

It was a room with no windows, akin to a rectangular cave with a slab of rock shaped like a bed. It was cold, and even with the door shut, I could hear the sound of screams. Gabe’s screams now.

“Thank you,” I said. It was a humble prison, but it was better than wherever Gabe was.

“Macy, I know this is hard. I bet you feel guilty. But don’t for a second that Gabe has no regrets. That guardian loves you, and he will survive.”

 “How do you think I became a reaper, Macy? What Gabe did was a lot like suicide, but it was a bit more honorable. Eternity is a long time, he will be ok. And Macy, so will you.”

“But he’s…”

“He chose his fate. You can’t change it. Right now you need to focus on Evan and reaping enough souls to get him topside.”

            Zed was right. Evan needed my help, and unlike Gabe, I could actually save my friend.

“When do I start?” I asked him. Zed smiled, as if to signal that he had gotten through to me.

“We’ll come get you soon. You’ll be trained by Jericho, our best reaper.”

“I thought you were head reaper,” I said.

“Talent and leadership are not always synonymous, Macy. Jericho is good at reaping, but he lacks social skills and honestly, any trace of humanity. It will be difficult to work with him.”

“Whatever,” I said. “Two hundred souls and then I’m back in purgatory.”

“No Macy, two hundred souls and you cross over to the great beyond.”

“Not anymore,” I whispered. “Not without Gabe.”

“That’s your choice Macy. I realize this boy did a brave thing, but you’re both young souls. You think you’re in love because you had a good two weeks, but that is nothing in the grand scope of things. Macy, don’t give up everything for this guy.”

“He did it for me,” I said.

            “Grand gestures don’t give him ownership over your soul Macy. You said you didn’t care about his scar, but think deep Macy. He didn’t get those marks by being a choir boy.”

“It was a different time,” I said.

“Macy, Gabe was in a holy war. He killed people. He just confessed to being responsible for your death. Don’t you wonder if maybe, just maybe, he was telling the truth?”
“No,” I said. “He wouldn’t hurt me. He loves me.”

“Macy, I didn’t want to say this before. You were so happy…” Zed said.

“What is it?” I said sharply.

“About Gabe,” Zed said. “I’ve poured over the records. There is no evidence he was ever in the underworld before. From what I can tell, Helena did kill you. But she never took Gabe.”

“What are you saying?” I cried.

“That I think Gabe would do anything to have you, Macy,” Zed said. “He proved that by taking your thousand years of torture. His love is deep, but it’s reckless.”

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