The Gate

41. Starless Sky

At the Gate

Blue skies,

Makaya Gladwell twirled along the bridge that overlooked Atalka. She was patiently waiting for her mortality to arrive. Death was a strange thing to long for, but Makaya Gladwell had been alive for long enough. There were people she needed to reunite with.

Smiling at me,

It was nightfall, with a half-moon reflecting onto the river. Makaya glanced down, reminiscing. The water was once her home, but the two had been apart for several years.

Nothing but blue skies,

Jingfei was still unconscious. Makaya had tried to move her to a more comfortable position, but it was difficult in the cramped security booth. That didn't matter. Jingfei probably didn't have that much time left anyway. Makaya looked at the towering black gate behind her. It loomed back, its entrance firmly closed.

Do I see.

Ella Fitzgerald's voice continued to play from the speaker in the booth. Makaya hummed along, swaying with the music peacefully. A smile tugged at her lips as several black cars pulled onto the bridge. They all stopped before Makaya, waiting for her to open the gate.

Bluebirds,

The first car door opened, revealing the person she had expected. "Brandon Matthews." Makaya mused. Two more people exited the car. From the way they were looking at each other, they were husband and wife. Love. Despite being a siren, it was the one thing Makaya couldn't wrap her mind around.

Singing a song.

Makaya did know love. Once. It didn't last. "Agent Thompson, how has it been getting back on the field?" Agent Matthews asked the wife. He wasn't even looking at Makaya. It was like she didn't exist.

"Quite exciting." Agent Thompson responded in a British accent. "After our daughter, we were looking for purpose again. Returning to the Agency was the best decision we've ever made."

"I haven't been able to express my condolences about your daughter." said Agent Matthews. "The temptation of magic has a stronger pull on some of us, and we're not always able to resist."

Nothing but bluebirds,

"So, this is it." said Agent Matthews, gesturing in Makaya's direction. "It made all of this possible."

"It's so pretty." The husband noted, ignoring the glare he got from his wife. "Is it truly as intelligent as you say?"

"I'm not an 'it'." Makaya retorted.

All day long.

The strange, fixated gazes were nothing to her. She had dealt with stares as long as she could remember, even before the Forbidden brand had burned its way onto her skin. In both life and death, for better or worse, Makaya was something to look at.

Nothing made Makaya angrier than her death. She could recall each moment in vivid detail, from the sea breeze on her face to the cramped room they had forced her and little Jamie to stay in because there were no "colored" rooms available. "Colored" persons were not meant to be on the cruise in the first place, but upon the insistence of Mrs. Dorothy-Lousie Gartner, exceptions were made.

The back of the boat became a private reservation under the Gartner name. Makaya and her mother-in-law had entered the boat after the crowd, like a dreaded secret. James was supposed to be here. He had promised in his letter. That was the only reason she had come. She was here to see her love again.

Makaya scanned the dock one last time, but she already knew it was pointless. He wasn't coming, and he never would. A tear slipped down Makaya's young cheek, but she wiped it away. She had to be strong. For him.