Page 31 of Death Trap

Oh no. How were we going to get out of here?

Eli turned to me. “This is the way to Simon’s office?” The suspicion on his handsome face had me swallowing my next lie back down.

I had really fucked up royally this time, hadn’t I?

If we were really stuck, I was going to need his help to get back out. Lying wouldn’t help either of us right now.

I let out a defeated sigh. “No,” I said. “It’s not.”

“I had a feeling.” He glanced around me. “And where’s the elevator?”

“I’m not quite sure about that one…” I began. “I’ve never taken it before.”

For the first time, anger hardened his angelic features as he looked at me, and I realized very quickly I didn’t like that expression on him at all. It was too judgmental. Too stern. Like when Azrael had stared at me whenever I’d messed up and had been sent to his office to be reprimanded. It stirred up feelings of regret, fear, and a bit of aggravation, too. Plus, it wasn’t a good look on him.

“Jade, where are we?” he demanded.

“Uh…I couldn’t tell you whereexactly—”

“Jade.” His tone deepened, changing to something serious. Another thing I didn’t like on him.

I had to tell him. If we were stuck in Hell and I was the reason, he deserved to know. Besides, it was possible he knew of another exit door I didn’t. That way we could use it when the time came.

After I got my answers and found Benjamin and Lisa, of course.

I drew in a deep breath and let my next words come out on a rushed exhale. “I may have accidently brought us to Hell.”

“What?” he shouted, and I winced a little at the sharpness in his voice.

I held up my hands in surrender. “Okay, okay. I get it. You have a reason to be mad at me. I lied. But I had a good reason to. You have to hear me out.”

Eli pushed past me and felt around the wall for any signs of the elevator, like I had. When he found none, he slammed his fist into the wall, creating a small dent. Then he whirled on me.

“Do you have any idea what you’ve done?” he barked.

Even though my calm disposition was wavering, I lifted my shoulder in a half shrug. “It’s nothing personal. I needed an angel to operate the elevator. And I figured, since you were my Guardian and all…you’d be okay coming with me on this trip. I’m sure there’s a way out of here. You must know one—”

“No,” he replied sharply. “I don’t.”

I let out a short, nervous laugh. “Well, there’s got to be another exit. If not the elevator, then maybe…”

“Don’t you get it, Jade? Hell wasn’t made for spirits to come and go as they please. We’re trapped. You trapped us in Hell.”

I stared at him for a long moment as my insides tied themselves into knots. Why in the world had I not thought about that? There was a reason I never saw the spirits of murderers, abusers, and rapists after crossing them over. Hell didn’t let spirits out. There wasn’t an exit.

“What about your super angel powers? Can you zap any demons we run into? Maybe get one to tell us how to get out of here?”

Eli stood up straight, lifted his chin, and closed his eyes. Every one of his many muscles grew rigid, and he stayed like that for a few seconds before opening his eyes again. “My powers are weakened here.”

“You’re kidding me,” I said.

His gaze snapped my way. “No, I’m not. My communication has been severed. I can’t connect with the other Guardians. I can’t even reach my pure state.”

Pure state… I assumed that was his ball of light form.

“So, we’re screwed,” I said.

“Completely.”

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