In The Arms of an Angel - 29. Chapter 29

Passa’el was in agony. He writhed on the ground, oblivious to everything but the pain. It was far more than he would have had just from falling on his back in the dust. What did it mean? Oh God, what did it mean? Fighting the pain he dragged himself to his knees. He was surrounded by people who were trying to help him. He wanted to scream at them. All he cared about was Uzzi’el. What was happening to him? Had Micha’el pulled the trigger before Uzzi’el blasted him? Where was the pain coming from? Was it from Uzzi’el.

As he got to his feet, the pain faded and he was able to stagger across the courtyard, thrusting people out of his way, until he got to the little knot of people who surrounded Uzzi’el. Breaking through, he fell to his knees and almost passed out when Uzzi’el raised his hand and grabbed Passa’el’s, holding it tight. A quick scan reassured Passa’el there was no blood.

“I’m sorry I hurt you. Are you alright?”

“I am now; now I know you’re okay.”

“Okay is such a relative word. I hurt like all hell.”

“Me too. What happened?”

“I think I drew in too much energy, and I didn’t account for the backlash.”

“What do you mean?”

Uzzi’el groaned as he and Passa’el helped each other to their feet. “I didn’t realise that when I threw all that energy at Micha’el the force of his deconstruction would surge back on me, on us.”

“Deconstruction?”

“Yes.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that I deconstructed him. I did to him what he was going to do to you when you were in his hands. He is gone, his atoms scattered and reabsorbed by the life force of the universe.”

“He’s gone? It’s over?” Uzzi’el nodded but another voice interrupted.

“It’s not quite over yet. There is something you should see.”

The speaker, a woman in a red dress who Passa’el recognized slightly, took Uzzi’el’s arm and drew him away. Passa’el, of course, followed.

A little way away another knot of people stood around, staring at something on the ground. The woman pushed them out of the way. Passa’el gasped when he saw what it was. Uzzi’el pulled away from both of them and threw himself to his knees.

“Gabri’el.”

Gabri’el’s eyes fluttered and opened. He looked totally shocked.

“He…he was going to….” He stopped, choking on his words. Blood was trickling from the corner of his mouth. “He…jumped a guard. He had a gun and he….” He choked again. He was going to shoot you.”

“You…you stepped in front of a gun? You took a bullet? For me? Why?”

“Because….” Gabri’el gasped as a spasm of pain shook him. “Whatever you think I always…. I always…loved…you.”

“You loved me? You truly loved me?”

“Enough to…to…. Enough to die for. Oh dear God.” Gabri’el clasped Uzzi’el’s hand and brought it close to his chest, pressing it against the blood soaked shirt. “I’m dying, Uzzy. I’m dying.”

Tears splashed on their entwined hands as Uzzi’el stared into Gabri’el’s face. “Yes,” he whispered.

“I’m scared, Uzzy. I never thought….”

“No. Neither did I.”

“I wish…. I wish I’d had a chance to prove….to show…. I wish I could have shown you how much I love you. If I could turn back time….”

“I know. Now I know.”

“If I could have…. I thought…. Everything I did…I thought it was for the best. I thought I was doing the right thing…for us. I never thought…. I thought… I thought that when it was over, when everything had settled you’d realise how much I love you, how I only ever had the best at heart. I thought we’d…. that…. that….” Pain stole his words and he coughed thick blood over his chest. “Uzzy,” he cried in panic.

Uzzi’el was panicking too, Passa’el could feel it. As much as he’s despised Gabri’el it was terrible to see him in so much pain and it was clear that he really did love Uzzi’el in his own way. Without prompting, Passa’el reached out for the rainbow energy and carefully shaped it before letting it leak slowly into Gabri’el, soothing his pain and fear.

Gabri’el’s beautiful blue eyes slid past Uzzi’el to light on Passa’el in shock. “You….” he whispered. “You…help…why?”

“Because he’s my world.” He knew he had no need to say more, so he didn’t.

Gabri’el nodded and tried to say something but he couldn’t. As Passa’el watched a spasm of pain sent a deep shudder through his body. He took one, deep breath and then his eyes glazed and his hand slipped from Uzzi’el’s.

“No,” Uzzi’el cried. “Gabriel, no.”

Passa’el gripped his shoulder and continued to carefully pour the energy into Gabri’el. At some point, Uzzi’el must have realised what he was doing, because he gasped and looked up into his eyes. He wanted to smile, but he was too deep into the process.

Eventually, when he was confident, he’d poured in enough energy and he thought he could see Gabri’el’s body shimmering slightly, he severed the connection and stepped back. Uzzi’el threw his arms around him and hugged him tight. “Thank you,” he whispered.

“You told me I’m not the one who kills. You took Micha’el’s life and I….”

Gasps from the watching crowd snapped their attention back to Gabri’el, except he wasn’t there anymore. His empty clothes lay, just bloody rags on the ground, a shimmering mist of rainbow colours slowly rising from them. All eyes followed the mist upwards to where it gathered to make a semi-solid image of an angel, his wings spread behind him. The angel was beautiful, its face serene. The lips curved into a smile, then the wings shivered and the figure rose like a bullet into the clear sky.

“What happens now?” Uzzi’el asked, his eyes still on the sky.

“He’ll go home. We’ll meet again one day soon.”

“No,” Uzzi’el said, turning back to Passa’el, “I meant with us.”