Mate of Fate

Questions

Alice POV



The minute Gabriel and I set our feet back into my mansion, Zadkiel appeared as if he'd been lurking in the shadows right behind us all the way from the forest and back. The two Angels exchanged glances of what could be interpreted as kindness towards one another. Well, at least some common courtesy. Which was actually quite refreshing. As if they both understood and acknowledged that for me to have any fair chance of making any decision, it would require them to do what I needed.

I needed them both for this, at the same time, and without their quarreling and fighting constantly. The silent agreement between them to hold a sort of truce while I had my moment to ask them what I needed, seemed to linger in the air.

"Zadkiel, Gabriel, thank you for agreeing to sit down and talk things through with me and answer whatever questions I may have. Will you both please promise me to keep off out of each other's throats and behave, otherwise I will not talk to either of you further"

Gabriel sat down on the floor and spread out a plush blanket across from him, and patted it, for me to sit down, as he nodded in agreement to my demands. I turned my gaze to Zadkiel before sitting down, hell-bent that he agreed to my terms as well, before I even took a seat. Zadkiel grunted and mumbled underneath his breath, but he agreed and sat down next to Gabriel. I finally sat down across from them on the floor. Sitting like that next to each other it's almost like looking at both dusk and dawn at the same time. My mind began trailing off as I looked into their eyes. I must have sat daydreaming for a while, because Zadkiel's patience wore out, and he ordered me, in his gentle but masculine tone, to begin my round of questioning them. I snapped out of my dream and gathered my thoughts before I began. I had so many questions, and now was the time to get some answers.

I looked between the two of them, their powerful presences both comforting and overwhelming. Gathering my courage, I began to speak.

Time to talk

"Gabriel, Zadkiel," my eyes moving from one to the other, "I need to understand what's happening. There are so many things I don't know, and I can't make any decisions without knowing the truth."

Gabriel nodded, his expression gentle and encouraging. "Ask anything, Alice. We'll answer as best we can."

Zadkiel, though less patient, gave a slight nod, his gaze intense but willing to listen.

I took another deep breath and began.

"Where do you both come from? I mean, what's the celestial realm really like? "

Gabriel and Zadkiel exchanged a glance before Gabriel spoke. "We come from a realm beyond the mortal world, a place of light and energy. It's difficult to describe in human terms, but it's where we were created and where we serve our purposes."

My brows furrowed. "Created? By whom? And what are your purposes?"

Zadkiel leaned forward slightly, his eyes locked onto mine. "We were created by a higher power, call it the Divine. Our purposes vary, but we are meant to protect, guide, and sometimes, to challenge."

"Challenge? What do you mean by that?"

Gabriel sighed, his wings shifting slightly. "Zadkiel and I have different views on how to fulfill our duties. That's where our rivalry stems from. Our disagreements aren't just personal; they reflect deeper philosophies about our roles."

I bit my lip, as I had always done when I had to process rather intense amounts of information, like when my father had died and Melinda became the village Chief. "So, your rivalry... it's not just about me?"

Zadkiel's eyes softened a bit. "No, Alice. It's ancient and complicated. If anything, your presence is soothing it in ways we've never experienced before."

"Why me?" I murmured, my voice barely a whisper. "Why did you find me, and why do you both seem so drawn to me?"

Gabriel's gaze was tender. "You have a unique spirit, Alice. There's something about you that resonates with us, something powerful and pure."

Zadkiel nodded in agreement. "You're different, Alice. You have a light that draws us, something we can't ignore. You are both the light and the darkness combined. Your soul calls out to us and binds us all together in cosmic balance."

I swallowed hard. Zadkiel and Gabriel really had a way of making my heart both stop and start at the same time. I knew they were right on the money with this, because I could feel the very essence in my very own core.

"And the celestial realm... can I visit it?"

Gabriel hesitated, glancing at Zadkiel. "It's possible, but it's also dangerous. The celestial realm is not meant for mortal beings. It could overwhelm you."

My mind was beginning to spin with all this information. "What's your connection to my world, other than me? And can you exist in both realms?"

Zadkiel answered this time. "We exist in both realms, as immortal creatures of the universe and celestial angelic beings, we have no limitations like you do. Our connection to your world is to fulfill our duties, guiding, protecting, and, at times, influencing."

I sighed, beginning to feel the weight of the situation and all the new knowledge of the universe itself.

"And what happens now? What do you both want from me?"

Gabriel's expression was earnest and tinged with raw, unbridled emotion. "I want to protect you, Alice. I want to honor our soulmate bond forever and longer. I want to love you, even if it will cost me my final breath. Without you, I would seize to exist, this is as clear to me as the sun sets every morning. I want to spend eternity with you.I know it seems like a terrible thing to ask of you given the circumstances we've created for you, but I promise you we never meant for your world to end because of our rivalry. I am not entirely sure exactly what happened, but the impact of our fight erased the existence of anyone else but you. I can never begin to ask for your forgiveness, but I hope that you will consider being with me or Zadkiel anyway, because my love, our love, newfound or old, is undeniable and forever."

Zadkiel's gaze was equally intense, his eyes betrayed how deeply affected he was too. "I want you to be free to choose your path, even if it leads you away from me and Gabriel. I actually agree with many of the things Gabriel said, but his chivalry doesn't suit me well. I want you more than the desert wants rain after years of drought. You are the single most mesmerizing and captivating creature I have ever laid my eyes on. My love for you is unwavering and unbendable despite the fact that it's only just been discovered. You face impossible circumstances, and it's all because of me and Gabriel. I will never ask for your forgiveness, because I will never forgive myself. But I will give you the universe if you'll let me. I won't stand in the way if you choose Gabriel, and I won't deny you the right to reject both of us. Neither will I deny the impact you have had on me and Gabriel from the second he found you. Alice, I want you and I need you. The thought of being without you makes the very heart, I never knew I had, ache as if it were ripped apart. You are the starlight in the night sky. I want you to make the decision in your own favor, no matter the consequences for us. "

The weight of the heart

I felt the weight of their words, the gravity of the choices before me.

"Thank you for answering my questions. I have a lot to think about. You have both been incredibly patient and wonderful, but I need to be alone for a while now. I need you both to leave for a few days and give me some space to make my final decision. Is that doable for you? I promise I will find my way and call for you the second I've made up my mind".

Gabriel nodded in agreement before kissing me gently on the top of my head before taking flight towards the night sky. Zadkiel gazed intensely at me as if he wanted to say a thousand things, he squeezed me tightly and lingered for a moment before he too flew up and away.

Now I had the mansion to myself. I slumped down on the couch and lost myself in my thoughts.