Page 33 of Fated Angel

“Yet you turn away the Grigori, the only one who has any chance of saving the human race,” Vladimir growls, hatred burning his eyes.

“The Grigori want to erase the entirety of human history,” Gabby says through clenched teeth.

Vladimir nods knowingly. “Such a fate is lifetimes better than what we face if they don’t. You two think you’re doing the right thing, that your path is the right one? The obsidian is evil! Anything you do with it will corrupt the world into darkness.”

Gabby shakes her head. “Where there is dark,” she says, looking at Colt with love in her eyes as she takes his hand, “there is always light!”

Vladimir answers with crazed laughter. “You think you’re the light to his darkness? Well that’s all well and good, angel, but there is no light bright enough to fight what’s coming. The Grigori were your only chance to save the human race, and you said no!”

Gabby pushes to her feet. “I’ll say no to them again, and a hundred times more. There’s no darkness so great that I would ever condone erasing everyone who has ever been or who is now alive.”

“Then you welcome the apocalypse with open arms.”

Vladimir sighs, his chest deflating. His eyes drift, focusing on something in the distance, and then his lips spread with an ominous smile. Without warning, Vladimir’s magic shield blazes back to full power and knocks both Gabby and Colt off their feet. They fly into the walls behind them, the air whooshing from their chest in unison. Stunned, they stare at Vladimir as he rises to his feet and straightens his coat.

“My witch has recovered, so I will take my leave. Heed my words, angel, by going against the Grigori you doom all of humanity. Better that you never existed, than letting humans live to suffer through the fate that’s coming.”

An explosion of smoke flares and Vladimir disappears.

Coughing as the smoke settles, Colt and Gabby turn away from the empty space where he once stood.

They’ve been warned.

And yet, their path won’t veer.

They share one last intense look before they both nod. It’s time to go back to Veritas.

13

Gabby

Gabby’s father’s already waiting for her at Veritas. She suppresses a frown as he turns and heads toward a rear corridor the moment he sees her, assuming she’ll follow. There’s no hello. No, how are you?

He’s been using you from the beginning.

You’re nothing but a means to an end for him.

Gabby stiffens, her feet faltering as she was about to do exactly what the great Archangel Gabriel expected—follow him. The obsidian just voiced her deepest, darkest fear when it comes to her father.

Archangel Gabriel impregnated her mother purely so he could have a child of the prophecy. So she could do exactly this, end the Grigori.

It’s time to choose your own path.

Colt’s hand brushes Gabby’s lower back. “Is everything okay?”

She looks up at him, biting her lip. She hates that the obsidian’s words have struck a chord. She hates the words that slip past her lips. “Does he even care?” she whispers.

“He…” Colt stops, looking like he’s rethinking his words as he studies her face. “He brought you to Mercy Academy, Gabby. He revealed himself to you. He’s been here every step of the way. In all my centuries, I’ve never heard of an archangel doing that.”

Of course he did. So he can use you.

Colt shakes his head, his lips twitching. “I can’t believe I just said all that.”

Gabby finds herself unwinding, despite the war going on inside her. Every step seems to be a battle between the darkness of the obsidian and her heart. The irony that the demon she loves sides with her angelic essence almost makes her smile. It’s further proof her and Colt’s love is pure. Good. Beautiful.

She presses a kiss to his cheek. “Thank you, Colt.”

His face grows somber, yet tender. “I’ll always be there for you, Gabby.”

---