Page 28 of Fated Angel

Gabby banks hard to the right and Colt watches as a large graveyard comes into view. His breath hitches in his throat when he recognizes it for what it is—the oldest graveyard in the middle east, Uyun al Hammam. They’ve flown to Jordan. Gabby tucks her wings in, diving at high speed toward the center of the cemetery. She lands in a flurry of dust from the ages, and Colt lands near her.

As the dirt settles Colt feels an ominous and oppressive energy, like he’s been here before.

He looks toward Gabby and his stomach drops out. She's standing on a large round table looking every bit the avenging angel. Her wings curl around her, her face full of excitement as she raises her hands in front of her. She’s chanting in Aramaic, oblivious to everything around her. Slowly, the stones begin to float out of her bag. Gabby breathes a sigh, as if she’s witnessing true beauty, and with a wave of her hands the stones float to their designated spot on the table.

“The dream,” Colt whispers, the sense of deja vu weighing him down in place.

Gabby stands amidst a swirling maelstrom of dark energies, the seven pieces of the obsidian arrayed before her like shattered stars. Her angelic form seems both fragile and resolute, a beacon of hope amidst the encroaching darkness. Colt's heart clenches as he watches her, a knot of fear tightening in his chest. He has never seen her so vulnerable, yet so determined.

Her smile, though small, carries a weight of determination as she raises the core shard above her head. It's a gesture of both defiance and acceptance, as if she's embracing the inevitable struggle ahead. Closing her eyes, Gabby begins to chant, her voice soft yet commanding, weaving a spell that seems to draw power from the very depths of the abyss.

Colt feels a surge of energy ripple through the air, a palpable force that seems to buffet him from all sides. He staggers backward, the ground shaking beneath him as if unable to bear the weight of the magic being wrought. For a moment, he fears he might be consumed by the sheer magnitude of it all.

Then, with a blinding flash, a pillar of dark light erupts from the ground, splitting the sky asunder. Colt shields his eyes, his heart pounding in his chest as he struggles to make sense of what's happening. When the light finally fades, leaving only the echo of its brilliance etched into his vision, he slowly opens his eyes.

Gabby is there, sitting on the edge of the makeshift altar, her form bathed in the soft glow of the now whole obsidian. She looks weary, drained by the effort of wielding such potent magic, yet there's a finality about her that speaks of victory.

"It's time to go home, Colt," she whispers, her voice barely above a breath. Her eyes, the color of storm clouds, meet his gaze, and for a moment, he's lost in their depths. There's a sadness there, a recognition of the toll their journey has taken, but also a glimmer of hope for what lies ahead.

As Colt kneels before her, his heart and soul in suspended animation, he realizes that he has no idea who’s just won.

And in that moment, as he reaches out to take Gabby's hand, he realizes he’s about to find out.

11

Gabby

As the first rays of morning sunlight filter through the window of her bedroom in Mercy City, Gabby stirs from her peaceful slumber. She’s enveloped in warmth, her body nestled in Colt’s protective arms. It’s a rare moment of tranquility she cherishes, one she’s not willing to leave yet.

They arrived late in the night, heading straight for Colt’s cottage beside the academy, and collapsed into bed. Their last shred of energy was used to pull the other close. It was Colt’s steady heartbeat that accompanied her as she fell into an exhausted sleep.

Now, the promise of the day hovers in the periphery of her consciousness. There’s Sierra and Blaise to visit and update. A happy reunion with Kalish, Maya and Klae.

And a Spear of Destiny to power.

So that order can be once more established.

The obsidian’s voice is almost familiar now, but still not one Gabby wants to hear. She mentally turns away from it, now choosing the control she’ll find in wakefulness. The obsidian is powerful, it knows her weaknesses. It infiltrating the space between sleep and consciousness isn’t one she wants to have to fight.

But a scene rises in her mind.

One she can’t turn away from.

Gabby finds herself atop a celestial citadel, her wings stretching wide. Beings from the celestial, infernal, and mortal realms bow in reverence. With the simplest of gestures, she quells wars, bringing an end to conflicts that have raged for generations. Poverty dissipates, replaced by a world filled with prosperity and abundance.

Peace blankets the three worlds as Gabby becomes a unifying force among all beings.

Why stop there?

In the next images, she doesn't just end wars among nations; she quells the turmoil of the heart, bringing about unity among celestial and infernal entities, as well as mortals. Her actions transcend the boundaries of a single realm, harmonizing the very fabric of the cosmos.

You can make this reality. You will have the power to reshape the world.

Gabby finds she’s not moving. That she wants to see more. In this dark, seductive narrative, she's the ultimate force for good, a ruler of unparalleled might.

You’d be the supreme ruler of the three realms.

In the vision, her celestial wings glow with unparalleled authority.

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