Afterlife (Purgatory Series Part Three)

Chapter One: Capital A for Awkward

Chapter One: Capital A for Awkward

"So I can just stick my finger in it?"

"Yes."

"Will it hurt?"

"No."

Shifting from foot to foot, I adjusted the straps of my backpack and stared at the glowing light that was Gabriel.

"I mean, it's just kind of weird," I explained. "What will I be touching if I stick my hand in there? Your arm, your wings, your-"

I cut myself off before I could make an even bigger idiot of myself. "I mean you are the light, aren't you? So technically, if I touch the light, I'm touching you."

Aggravated buzzing filled the air and I cringed.

"This light is only a conduit in which I communicate with you," he replied. "It is not my corporeal form, so no, you will not be touching me."

"Oh."

Embarrassment flooded me and if I hadn't been a vampire I probably would have been blushing the color of a tomato.

I took a couple of steps forward and extended my fingers toward the glowing light. Just before they made contact, I hesitated. My eyes drifted back toward the doorway, where my parents stood watching.

We had already said our goodbyes. They knew why I had to leave and that Gabriel had given me a mission to protect humanity, but knowing and accepting are two different things. My leaving wasn't easy for any of us, especially since we had no idea when we would see each other again.

But I had given my word: my eternal servitude in exchange for the lives of my friends. I had been given a choice and now I had to live with the decision I had made.

I gave one final wave and turned back around. Before I could chicken out, I nodded to myself and shoved my hand forward into the light.

The next thing I knew, I was lying face down in the sand. Standing up, I brushed as much of it off my clothes as I could and spat out some that had gotten in my mouth.

"Gross," I muttered under my breath. "Thanks a lot, Gabriel."

It was night here, wherever here was. It had been midday in Texas when we left. A cold breeze wafted in from the water, indicating wherever we were it was winter here too.

Opening up the zipper on my backpack, I smiled when Hamhocks' snout poked out. He seemed fine, despite my initial worries of how our travels would affect him. I lifted him out of the pack and sat him on the ground. He immediately began to root deep into the sand making happy grunts and rolling around without a care in the world.

"Alethea Roberts?" someone called from my left.

I turned toward the voice and saw several phoenixes standing a few yards away. At least I assumed they were all phoenixes; they all had glowing eyes like Roran once had. They didn't look quite as glad to see me as I expected, in fact most of them looked rather angry.

Maybe they weren't as thrilled to be training me as Gabriel claimed.

Okay, so maybe he hadn't said 'thrilled', but he had indicated they would be willing. Their faces made it seem like they were reluctant with the whole arrangement at best.

But just as I was about to give up hope of being welcomed, I spotted a friendly face in the crowd. Roran trailed behind the group, his eyes staring at me with an unreadable expression.