Page 20 of Death Match

I huffed a laugh. “You have no idea.”

To my surprise, Sean’s eyes narrowed on me, making me shift nervously.

“What?” I asked.

“You seem different,” he said.

“Different? What do you mean?”

“I don’t know. Something’s off.”

What was I supposed to say to that? Off?

“I didn’t get a new haircut or anything, so…” Then it hit me. Was it the angel bit? Had to be. “Oh, I think I know what it is…”

“What?”

How much to tell him… How much was Iallowedto tell him? That was the real question. No one had really given me a copy of the rules with this Archangel business, but I could probably assume exposing what I really was and what was coming our way was more than likely a no-no. Especially to a human.

“I’m…not a reaper anymore,” I said. There. Partial truth.

His eyes widened. “They sacked you?”

“You could say that.”

“Oh man, Jade. I’m sorry,” he replied with genuine sympathy. “I hope it wasn’t because of anything I did on my end. From visiting me?”

“No, no, no. I sort of got a promotion.”

“What? No way!”

I figured that was where I should end the conversation. Just in case. “Yeah, but I don’t have much time before my job actually starts. So, I wanted to stop in and tell you I was actually able to reunite your mother and father.”

Sean stood there in stunned silence for a few moments. Then, he ran a hand over his face and said, “But I thought you said my ma shouldn’t be in the supernatural afterlife. Were you able to bring her over to Pop on your side?”

Ah, shit. That’s right. The first time I had visited Sean after Wyatt’s death, the first question he had asked me was if his mother and father were back together. Of course, Lisa hadn’t been in the supernatural afterlife. I’d assumed she was in the human’s, like she was supposed to be. Not in Hell, where she actually was, because of a corrupt angel and his nefarious plans to keep me under his thumb.

I had a lot to fill him in on there. And since it all wasn’t explicitly about Heaven and whatnot, hopefully I wouldn’t be breaking any rules by telling him that part.

After sucking in a deep breath, I began. “I found out your mom was actually in Hell…”

The look on his face said it all. Shock and then disbelief. But before he could say anything, I went on.

“She wasn’t supposed to be there. She was put there by my old boss, who had been working very hard to make sure I never found out what he was up to behind the scenes.”And find out who I really was.How to keep the story short and sweet? “When I found her, she said I had been the one who had given her the box with my tattoo on it.”

“You?” he croaked. “How…?”

I sighed. “I’ll save that one for the next visit.”

His narrowed eyes said he didn’t like that answer.

“I’m not sure how much I’m supposed to tell you,” I went on, which was the truth. “Spirit confidentiality and all.”

“But you got her out, right?” he pressed. “You got Ma out of there?”

“I did. I got her out, and she crossed over like she should have the first time. She’s now with your dad, working in the bar.”

That won me a smile.

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