Page 105 of Death Trap

I closed my eyes, reveling in the sensation of weightlessness. No longer afraid.

It would all be over soon.

After a long moment, brightness pressed against my eyelids, and the flipping feeling in my stomach stopped. Even stranger? The bottom of my boots seemed to be against something solid. Like the ground.

But that wasn’t right.

Cautiously, I cracked my eyes open. It took them a second to adjust to the harsh light, but when everything became clear, I could see I was standing in a place surrounded by whiteness.

The Void.

Yep. Knew this was coming.

“Back so soon?”

I jerked in surprise, only to settle when I saw Hank’s haggard self on my left. So, this was how Kay felt when I kept popping in and scaring the shit out of her. Completely understood where she was coming from now. It wasn’t fun at all.

This time, he wore a sad smile, as if he were happy and not-so-happy to see me at the same time.

Right back atcha, Hank.

“I didn’t expect to be back so soon,” I said and held out my arms, “but here I am.”

“You made a self-sacrifice to save countless others,” Hank said, and I wondered how he knew that. Not that I’d call it a self-sacrifice. More like a spur-of-the-moment decision that probably should have been handled differently.

I shrugged off his comment. “If I’m here, does that mean Azrael is, too?”

He nodded slowly. “He is.”

I sighed. At least I’d brought that asshole down with me.

Clapping my hands together, I turned to Hank. “All right, is there anything to do in this joint? Or do you just wander aimlessly for the rest of eternity?”

“I’m sorry, Jade, but you don’t belong here,” Hank said.

Wow. Not exactly the warm hello I’d been expecting. It’s not like I wanted to be here, either. This hadn’t been planned.

“What do you expect me to do? I just can’t walk out of here. You said it yourself last time. Asking could be a one-time deal. And it had worked. I’d gotten out. The reaper part of my soul was Released, but my angel part was still alive. That must be how I had gotten around it. A cosmic loophole. But I’m dead-dead now. Can’t weasel my way out of it this time.”

He only stared at me, waiting for me to finish my thought process.

I paused.

“Unless…I canaskto go back again. Like the first time.” I turned to Hank for the answer.

He frowned.

“Is that possible?” I asked. “Can I just ask to leave again?”

Holding my arms above my head, I drew in a deep breath, about to speak to the Void like last time.

Hank held out his hand to stop me. “You don’t need to do that,” he said and sputtered a laugh. “It does nothing really. I made you do it for myself.”

I dropped my hands and gave him a deadpan look.

Hank shrugged. “I needed some amusement. There’s no one to talk to in here.”

I walked around in a circle and stuffed my hand in my pockets, trying to keep my annoyance under control. “I don’t suppose you have God’s phone number? Maybe call him up and ask him for another chance? To put me back?”

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