Vitality (Vitality Series #1)

Chapter 59 Moonlight Sonata pt.2

Ava's eyes opened slowly... first to the light in the distance, then deeper into the shade where Layton sat, far away from her. His arms were crossed over his knees, his eyes hooded and unbearably still against her. "What were you saying inside?" His voice traveled to her, flat and quiet.

She sat up hazily. The voice inside that was speaking to him was almost forgotten. The visions were still trying to take over her cognition, like blinding lights. She forced them back enough to become consciously aware of the present. Maybe a part of her didn't want to face it yet.

"The sun is bright. Shouldn't you go find somewhere dark and cool?"

"I am in shade enough for now. And I have human blood pulsing through my veins." Layton stood as he showed his forearms and took a fierce step forward. "I have time to kill. Now, what were you saying?"

"You two could go on forever like this — killing one another." A voice quivered. They looked over to see Gabriel crouched over on a pile of stone. "Going on and on, taking from each other... Until, one can't go on anymore."

"It's day, Gabriel." Layton's voice deepened. "What are you doing here?"

"And yet, you are here... On the other side. Is it the better side? Can you hold her in the sun?" He mimicked the conversation earlier. "I can hold her anywhere — I've been here waiting since, to see it with my own eyes."

Ava stood when she noticed that Gabriel was walking towards the light, and his eyes met hers; for the first time, it was almost like she could see him as the person he once was, before most of him had slipped away into the clouds. It was a fate she would not allow for her friends — she would not let that happen — what was that vision?

"There are two sides, remember. Which are you walking to?" Gabriel said to her. There was a small stream of light between him and Ava, which his hand reached through to bring his fingers to her face, almost touching but not quite. "I cannot endure this life while this exists." The heavy weight within Layton lightened as he watched this gesture. Gabriel's fingers started to simultaneously disappear and crisp from light. "Will you cry for me when I am gone?" His half-alive gaze rose to Layton, who gave him nothing. There was a sorrowful longing flecked with equal measures of disdain and adoration in his eyes, which made Ava wonder if they had been lovers once; perhaps before darkness had swallowed Layton whole. "You cannot, though, can you?" Gabriel looked back at Ava, who had a tear on her lashes for reasons too complex for her to understand, and then he winked.

Gabriel stepped into the full brilliant light, his eyes releasing.

Ava yelled for him to stop, but she had already begun to see the destruction of his night; her yell had caught in her throat at the sight. Any earthly colors left on him fell from his skin. Cracks of light ran throughout his body, burning away pieces too bright to exist without shadow, until everything charred away into nothing, even ash and smoke were swallowed by the sun. The smell was like sharp lightning and burnt skin... and charred soul.

The tear had fallen from her now — Layton still gave nothing — she turned sharply from Layton and closed her eyes. She had no veil. It was something else, and she could feel it that very second as she tried to rake through her memories. Something gripped through her and over her eyes to hide the extent of what she had gained since she'd been there, as well as locking a door to her of so much unknown, and even previously known, as if she were cast out... unworthy.

The singular shock of Gabriel, however, had rattled the hinges of a floodgate, and she began to at least understand what she had seen while in the cave with Layton, like slashed glimpses through the blindfold.