Page 111 of Death Trap

I liked that. “Iwillsee you soon,” I said firmly. Mostly to convince myself of it, too.

As Eli and I walked toward the door, I turned to the bar and gave everyone a small wave.

“You stay out of trouble while I’m gone,” I called back to them with a sad smile.

“No promises!” Wyatt shouted back, only to be smacked playfully by his wife.

I forced myself to walk out of the bar and away from my friends, my heart as heavy as lead in my chest. Eli’s hand found mine again, and he linked our fingers.

Together, we started walking down the street to the transportation portal beside the bookstore.

“I didn’t know leaving the afterlife would be so difficult for you, but it seems you’ve made a lot of friends here,” Eli said gently.

I know he was just trying to lighten some of the uneasiness I was feeling, but all his words did was make my sorrow grow. After considering myself alone for so long, I was realizing that I had made a solid group of friends. Me, of all people. And now, I had to leave them all.

“You’ll be able to come back, Jade,” he assured me. “You just need to complete the Trials, and there will be no more restrictions on things. No spirit doors to draw. No unpredictable powers…”

“You make the Trials sound like they’re as easy as a first-grade spelling test or something.” And I knew better than that. There was no way they were going to be a piece of cake.

When he grimaced, it only confirmed my suspicions. “It’s not, I’m afraid. The Trials are meant to challenge you in the most possible way. Because they’re meant to gauge your virtues and strengths, they have to be.”

I swallowed roughly, suddenly not feeling so good. Reaching the portal, Eli helped me onto the symbol.

“Styx Corporation.” The moment Eli said the words, the magic swirled around us, tossing my hair about and drying my eyes. The scene before us blurred and changed shape, and soon we reemerged in front of the tall Greek temple that was Styx Corp.

Even though it’d been a few days since we’d faced off with Azrael, it felt like yesterday. The sky around the building was a beautiful shade of blue, the clouds just as white and fluffy as ever. Not a speck of lightning or a storm cloud in sight.

All the cracks in the marble columns were fixed, and everything was back in its normal place. If I hadn’t seen the destruction for myself, I would have never guessed the structure had been so close to collapsing in on itself.

We walked up the stairs to the front door. Before entering, I paused.

“Will I be able to stay at my apartment?” I asked, the question suddenly popping into my mind. My place wasn’t anything spectacular, but it had been my home for almost two years, and I liked it for how simple it was. Most of all, I liked the location. Being in Fairport, near the harbor, and close to Kay were what made it worth living in such a cramped space.

Even with how ludicrous my question must have sounded, Eli regarded me with a sympathetic look. “It may be a bit of a commute issue,” he began, “but you may be able to. We have a place waiting at the Holdings, but if you’d rather be in the afterlife, I’d ask Michael when you see him.”

I realized then what my resistance to staying with him in the Holdings must have looked like. Like moving in was too much too fast. And it was, honestly, but that hadn’t even been my first thought. I liked the little afterlife I had created here. Being an Archangel was still new. I wasn’t sure if I was ready for the change.

It was a new start, I reminded myself. I’d finally found a part of myself I’d been missing. I should be embracing it, not running off scared.

Apprehension skittered through me, but that was part of facing the unknown, wasn’t it? Time to buck up, be brave, and face it head-on. That’s what an Archangel would do.

At least, I thought so.

Eli opened the door, and we walked inside. To my relief, the lobby had been zapped back to its pristine, modern-looking appearance. Even Maryanne’s head popped up from her spot behind her U-shaped desk, and she scowled like she always did when seeing me.

It was nice to see some things never changed.

“Jade.” She half snarled my name as we drew closer. When her gaze fell on Eli, her disgusted look instantly changed to what I assumed she thought looked sweeter. I’d say she looked constipated. “Ethan.”

Eli gave her a polite nod at the fake name and a smile.

“Where do you think you’re going?” she asked, her drawn-on eyebrow raised. “Simon hasn’t requested a meeting with you.”

I halted, making Eli do the same, and turned to her. My grin was wide as I approached her desk and rested my elbow on it.

“We’re not here to see Simon, actually,” I said with fake sincerity. Boy, I was going to enjoy this one. “We’re actually going to Heaven’s elevator.”

“Jade.” My name rumbled low in Eli’s throat as a warning.

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