Bad Omens (The Final Cut/Definitive Version)

Chapter 32

"Horse Feathers...." Eden grunted clutching the ragged wound in her stomach, blood drenching her hand, in her other hand; she was weakly grasping the flaming sword.

"Gabe...." Eden rasped as blood ran down her chin. The Archangel was carrying her to safety; he had to get Eden as far away from the battle as possible.

He ducked behind a building, cradling Eden in his arms. "Eden..." His eyes were leaking and he blinked the pesky water drops away as he gently eased Eden onto the ground.

His clothes were already soaked in blood but that didn't stop him from tearing off his jacket and wrapping it around Eden's bleeding midsection.

"Gabe....take the sword...run....save yourself......" Eden grit her teeth when Gabriel tightened his jacket around the terrible wound.

"I'm not leaving you, Eden." Gabriel said sternly as he shoved the sword off to the side. It wasn't flaming anymore. It looked like an ordinary sword now, an ordinary sword drenched in blood.

Eden moaned as Gabriel cradled her in his arms. "I'm going to heal you, brace yourself. This might sting a bit." He pressed his forehead against hers and concentrated. He poured every ounce of celestial energy he could into Eden's broken body.....

He lifted his head and gasped at the sight of Eden's cheek. It still bore the deep cut, her right wing still had the gash in it, and feathers were still missing. The rest of her body was still marred with cuts and scrapes.

"No no no!" Gabriel said as he peeked under his makeshift bandage. The wound was still there and it was still bleeding. His healing hadn't worked.

"No!" Gabriel tried again, this time holding her hand as he tried a healing miracle yet again....

It didn't work. Gabriel became frantic. "No! No, please, why isn't this working?" He wondered aloud, trying to understand what was happening....he suddenly realized that his knees we're damp.

He peered down and realized that he was kneeling in a small puddle of blood. Eden's blood, his pants were soaking wet with it.

Eden coughed and whimpered, "Gabe." The Archangel gently touched her back, feeling the deep gash where the sword had run her through, to his horror, he realized that Eden was slowly bleeding out. There was nothing he could do.

"Eden...please...don't die....you can't die..." He had only read about death in the pamphlets, seen some slide shows about it. Nothing could have prepared him for this.

Tears fell from Gabriel's eyes, temporarily blurring his vision. He felt a gentle hand pressed weakly against his cheek, soft fingers wiping the tears away.

"Please don't cry Gabe....it's going to be okay..." Eden broke into a cough, fresh blood trickling down her chin.

Gabriel grabbed the hand that was caressing his cheek squeezing it tightly, "Please, don't go. Stay with me..." His voice cracked as he tried yet again to heal her and when it failed, Eden's breathing became ragged, her hand falling from Gabriel's grasp, her eyes fluttering shut, despite Gabriel begging that she keep them open.

"Hold on Eden....please, hold on...I'll take you to Crowley and Aziraphale! They'll be able to help you." Gabriel tucked an arm under Eden's legs, but before he could lift her into his strong arms, a sinister voice said,

"Oh how romantic, the Champion dies for her boy toy."

Gabriel tensed as his nostrils we're assaulted by the foul smell of a demon, a demon whose stench he knew all too well.

"Hastur." Gabriel snarled as he glared daggers up at the Duke of Hell.

"Oh this is too perfect to pass up. I get to finish the Champion off and kill an Archangel too." Hastur took a step towards them and Gabriel hugged Eden closer to him.

"If you come any closer I will smite you foul fiend." Gabriel spat. Eden coughed feebly and gasped, struggling to breathe.

Hastur grinned wickedly as he walked closer to the Archangel...