Page 26 of Death Trap

Now my laughter seemedreallyinappropriate.

And he had said it was somehow my job to stop it? Me?

I couldn’t even get my reaper job right half the time. Who was the genius that made me responsible for saving the entire world? Maybe even the afterlife?

My chest tightened just at the thought of it.

Oh, man. We were allfucked.

As I walked across the porch, I grabbed my gun and put it away. Then, I took out my chalk and squatted down. While glancing at Eli, who was still standing like a regal statue, a thought struck.

Maybe I didn't need to ask Wyatt or Marla for a spell to help me activate the Hell elevator. Maybe I had what I needed right here in front of me.

“You said you're a Guardian, right?” I began, feeling a sly smile tug at my lips as I started to draw the spirit door on the wood. “Is that as in Guardian Angel by any chance?”

“Not in the sense most humans think, but some have considered my kind as that, yes.”

Wasn’t it always that way? Humans thinking one way, and it being the other.

If Guardians were sort of angels, and an angel was what I needed to operate the elevator in Styx, then it looked like I’d just found my ticket to Hell.

But I couldn’t make my intentions obvious to him. I hadn’t known him long, but I had a pretty good feeling the Guardian Code wouldn’t be too keen with me going to a place like Hell. Especially if I was supposed to be this super special person meant to save the world, or whatever.

Better to ease Eli into the topic first.

Excited that things were coming together, my drawing abilities became shaky in my haste. When I connected the circle, I was surprised when it glowed orange, not entirely expecting it to open at all.

If I convinced Eli to come with me to Styx for some reason—perhaps by saying we needed to speak to Simon about everything—maybe I could get him to activate the elevator for me and get me into Hell. It’d be devious and sneaky, but the only way I could get downstairs to find the ex-reaper Benjamin and Lisa, Wyatt’s wife. If—when—I actually found them, what I was going to do next was a different story. I’d have to figure that out once I got there.

First, I had to get Eli to Styx Corp.

“Hey,” I said, glancing at him. “Maybe you should come with me to meet my boss. We should tell him about everything that’s going on. He’ll want to help. He’s taken over Azrael’s position temporarily. It’s possible he could fix the censor.”

Partly true. Simon had managed to fix the censor last time it had gone all screwy, but it had taken a while to get it done. There was no doubt in my mind it’d take just as long this time—possibly longer. And I didn’t want to wait anymore to get my answers. I’d waited long enough.

“He’s a good person,” I said. “He’s helped me a lot.”

Eli’s side smile told me he knew that already, and a shiver ran through me. Even if I knew him before now, it was just…creepy.

“You know, you may be right,” he replied. “Since he seems to have taken the role of your caretaker while in the afterlife, it’ll be a good idea to have him aware of the dangers when I can’t protect you.”

I opened my mouth to say something about the “caretaker” comment but clamped it shut immediately. Simon really had become more than a simple mentor and boss to me, hadn’t he? I wouldn’t go as far as to say a father figure, but definitely a really good friend. Someone I could trust—maybe the only person I could trust, really. Besides Kay, that is, and she was too busy caring for a newborn and getting her shop repaired.

Eli peered at the spirit door. “There’s one other thing, Jade. I can’t pass through into the afterlife plane without your permission. You’ll have to invite me in.”

My eyes widened. “Sounds like vampire lore,” I said. Of course that wasn’t how the rules really worked with vampires, but it was one of the funnier parts of their tales.

“Angels, as well as demons, can visit the living world. Angels have more freedom, of course, and can go to earth or Hell at will, but most don’t bother. There’s no need to. Demons have more restrictions, of course. Their spirits can only pass from Hell to the living world during the solstice because of the protective veil, unless it’s been tampered with.”

“As in what’s going on now,” I added.

“Exactly,” he said. “But both demons and angels cannot enter the afterlife without permission from a previously living soul.”

“That sounds silly.”

His shoulder lifted, as if he were trying to mimic a half shrug but the gesture was still unfamiliar to him. “I am not the one who made the rules, but I’m expected to follow them without question.”

“Ah,” I began. “Part of the big, bad Code?”

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