Shadow Of The Nightshade

Gabriel's visit (II)

Shadow

A part of me immediately reassured my past self. If I knew that there were cameras I would have fought harder, my voice whispered at the back of my mind yet it was a lie.

I would not have fought. I could not have, not when Gabriel had Eli's life dangling in front of me like a carrot.

'My darling pet,' he appeared in the room like he had always been there, watching. 'What a mess you made.'

I didn't want to watch. I didn't want to remember. But I had to.

What could I do to stop the video from playing? Nothing. All I wanted was to give Robin an explanation. I was not as strong as he thought. In fact, it was very easy to break me.

Gabriel had made sure of that years ago. He knew the right words to say, the exact buttons to push, the exact threat to make, to make me his.

I—she—might have fought before this, even with Eli's life on the line, if Timothy hadn't just died in my arms. . . her arms.

He walked towards them, the assassin and the corpse of her friend. My left cheek already tingled at the thought of what would happen next.

The sound of the slap nearly made me jump. I don't remember it being that hard but I remembered the pain and the bruise that formed from it later on.

The me on the screen was thrown away from Timothy's body by the force of the hit but she didn't pay any attention to Gabriel. She just crawled back to cradle the head that had just been pressed against hers moments ago, to her chest.

Then the tears started. She made no audible sounds but they streamed down her cheeks and jaw to land on Timothy's already wet hair.

I couldn't believe that was me and yet my rapidly recovering memories told me otherwise

Gabriel clicked his tongue and shook his head. 'How the mighty have fallen.'

He used the tip of his shoe to prod the body. 'This isn't your best work, but it will do,' he reached for the suicide note that was now drenched in blood but seemed to change his mind because he didn't touch it.

'It's not like you to not hug the spotlight,' he paused then laughed. 'Don't tell me the boy actually killed himself?'

I. . . She didn't answer him. Her fingers traced circles into Timothy's hair as though she was trying to rub her tears deeper into him.

'Let us go,' he grabbed her roughly by the arm and she followed limply. 'Your next target is. . .'

'No!' she suddenly lashed out, breaking out of his hold and hitting him across the face.

Gabriel reeled back in shock, touching the deep scratches on his cheek with disbelief.

I was also shocked because I didn't remember doing it.

'I can't do it,' she continued, shaking, 'I can't kill anymore. You can't make me kill them. . . He was the last one. The last one,' she shouted. 'Why did I have to kill him? Why did he have to die? I loved him.'

'No, you didn't,' Gabriel flexed his jaw, his amusement obvious. 'And he was not the last either,' he walked up to her and lifted her by the neck.

'You tried to hide him from me,' he used a finger to stroke her face gently, 'but I still saw who you really love, your precious hero. Isn't he why you're here?'

'No,' she whispered, her hands reaching up to pry the ones that choked her. 'I am here for Elijah.'

'Wrong again,' he roared and threw her to the floor.

I felt the pain pierce. . . No, she felt the pain pierce into her ribs. A pain that escalated when Gabriel placed his foot on her chest and held her down.

'Tell me why you were captured by The Light?'

'Elij—'

'Wrong!' He pressed down harder and sneered at her.

'I h. . ad to s-save him,' she wheezed. I knew she meant Robin but no one else had to.

'Elijah has been with me for years, why choose now to save him?'

'I am dying.'

'Your denial makes no difference,' he pulled away from her and sighed. 'You were not meant to love. You do not deserve it. And that hero you are giving your life for doesn't care either.'

'He does,' she whispered with surety I didn't feel now.

'Does he?' Gabriel asked back and pulled her to her feet with her hair. 'Do you think he searched for you? Do you think he tried his best to save you? He delivered you right into the hands of the people who tortured you day and night. They wanted you dead, Khafi. I saved you.'

'You're wrong about him.'

'Am I?' he laughed. 'He thinks you are a killer and he is not wrong. Look,' he pushed her to her knees in front of Timothy's body, 'you say you love him, yet you killed him.'

'I . . . didn't.'

'You did.' He pulled her up again and forced their gazes to meet. 'You might not have pulled the trigger but you caused his death. That is what you are, Khafi, nothing but a weapon to be used. You cannot change who you are.'

Gabriel let go of her and she stood on her own. 'I think you know what to do next,' he reached into his breast pocket and brought out a switch blade.

She took a step forward and took it from him.

'How many people have you killed today?'

'Two,' she answered with no emotion then rolled up the sleeve of her shirt. Fresh and old cuts crisscrossed her arm.

She held the knife steady against her skin but the rest of her trembled.

'How many more do you have to kill?'

'Ten,' she said.

'Make that eleven,' Gabriel said. 'If you kill Robin, I will set Elijah free immediately.'

'No,' she forced the words out, pulling the knife away from the new cut.

'You really don't care if your dear Elijah dies,' Gabriel said. 'Are you sure that you did this for him?'

'I can't kill Robin,' she admitted quietly.

'Why?'

She didn't answer.

Anger sparked in Gabriel's eyes. 'Take off your clothes.'

'What?' Her gaze snapped up to his face.

He walked slowly towards her. 'I will teach you that your so-called love is nothing. You are a nothing but a living weapon. You obey orders, my orders. Now, take off your shirt.'

'I—' she held the knife in front of her but I knew she could never hurt Gabriel intentionally. She wouldn't use it.

'I can ask Elijah to stab himself a dozen times over,' he grabbed her by the jaw, the knife pressed against where his heart should be. 'Right after I make him kill your precious hero in front of you, I can ask him to kill himself. I will make you watch as he chokes on his own blood; I will give him back his memories in his last moments so his hateful glare would be the last you see of him.'

'Shadow,' he licked his lips, 'I can make you a hundred times more miserable than you are now. Do you want that?'

The knife slipped out of her hands and she reached for the hem of her shirt.

When Gabriel took a step back, she pulled it over her head and threw it to the couch behind her.

'Good girl,' he smiled, his eyes exploring her exposed skin. 'Now take off the rest.'

Her hands reached to her back for the hook of her bra and she—. . .

The video shut off.

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