Page 19 of Death Match

“Real quick,” he said. “Tell me something Pop said to you after he died. Something only you would know.”

Was he joking?

“I thought I was trying to get into a double-wide trailer, not some super-secret club. Are girls even allowed?” I asked.

He gave me a deadpan look. Unamused.

“Okay, fine. Um…” I thought back to that terrible night and the moment we’d found Wyatt on the verge of death closer to the tree line on the property. I had helped his spirit cross over into the afterlife that night, and even though I had seen him many times after, happy and living his dream in his bar, thinking back to that night always made my stomach turn sour.

Don’t mention that he was killed by Halflings or that he died from internal bleeding. Skip that part.

“Uh…” The images in my head were all unpleasant ones; ones I didn’t want to bring up again and make Sean remember. So, I settled on something a little less gory and depressing. “Wyatt wanted to be buried with his hat. It was a must. And for you to take care of Angel because she would take care of you, too.”

Not too bad.

Angel barked once at my side at the mention of her name.

Slowly, Sean lowered his hand and allowed me fully inside. As I predicted, the side of the doorframe was covered from ceiling to middle with all different types of deadbolt, chains, and latch-style locks for an extra level of protection. Higher up, there was an angry-looking doll thing drawn in chalk, half its body smudged off.

Well, that was definitely new.

“What was that all about?” I asked, walking deeper inside the trailer. It wasn’t until I peeled my gaze away from the voodoo doll drawing and looked at Sean that I realized the living room and kitchen area had been completely cleaned of any leather-bound books, papers, or scrolls. Instead, floor-to-ceiling bookshelves lined the walls—in any place they could fit, really—and a row of filing cabinets sat behind Wyatt’s great wooden desk.

“I added some extra…precautions around here,” he replied. “You know, just in case.”

“I can see that.”

Angel trotted inside and curled up in front of her master’s old armchair, her normal resting place.

Sean huffed in defeat at the animal. “Some guard dog, huh?”

I couldn’t help but laugh.

“She must just really trust you or something,” he went on. “She usually barks at anything that moves.”

I always knew animals were more tuned in to spirits, and Eli had said dogs could recognize other protectors, like angels. Maybe that’s what it was—she sensed my angel side now that the reaper part had been Released.

Since the old texts and things had been cleaned up, organized, and alphabetized, all the spray-painted symbols on the rug were now clearly visible. No longer covered by boxes, crates, and piles. And there werea lotof them. The symbols for the demon trap were the only ones I recognized, but I was sure the others were nothing to scoff at, either. I’d seen what a simple drawing had done to a Halfling.

“You did a great job organizing this place,” I told Sean. Across the way, the kitchen sparkled clean. Almost as if it hadn’t been touched after the wipe-down and decluttering. “It even smells better in here.”

Sean beamed. “Thanks. It took some time, but hopefully it’ll be easier to find things now when I need to.”

Walking into the kitchen, I realized the left open microwave was the only thing with any sign of use. Sauce was splattered all over the inside, and the scent of burnt popcorn still lingered. Looked like Sean was living more like a real college student these days. No homecooked meals anymore being made in this kitchen.

When Wyatt was alive, Sean had been the one taking care of him. Doing the cooking and shopping and such. But now that his father was gone and he was alone, it seemed Sean couldn’t see the reason to cook anymore, unless it was out of a can and could be nuked for a few minutes.

How sad.

“Sorry I haven’t visited sooner,” I told him, which was the truth. I had stopped in a few times after the big fight with Xaver to make sure Sean was all right, but as time went on, I got too caught up in what was going on in my afterlife. With the whole Angel of Death out to get me and my newly acclaimed Archangel title, things had been a little hectic on my side of the veil, too.

Not to mention that I wasn’t really supposed to be here at all right now. Not until I finished the Trials and Ascended. But I had promised myself this would be a quick visit. Just long enough to tell Sean the news about his mother and father being reunited again and finding out the name of Cole’s true demon father.

That one he’d have to deliver to Cole himself because I definitely didn’t want to see him again.

But after that, I’d go right back to Heaven.

“Thing’s been a little crazy for you, too?” Sean asked.

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