Page 96 of Death Deals

I was starting to realize that Heaven was severely understaffed. There was a very good chance we could lose this thing.

We needed more help.

“What if we didn’t keep it a secret, Michael? What if we told everyone what was happening and asked for help beyond Heaven?” I suggested. “I know it’s not my place—”

“It’s not your place,” Michael shot, his anger quick and sharp, taking me off guard.

I clamped my mouth shut. I’d only known Michael a short time, but he rarely smiled as it was. It was unnerving seeing him any other way.

He sighed, but his tone remained stern. “The situation is a delicate one, and I appreciate your concern, Jade, but you need to trust me.”

“Hell’s raising an army, and our numbers are pitiful at best.” My tone rose in desperation. He wasn’t getting it. “If I learned anything this past week it’s that there’s no shame in looking for help. I’m sure there are people out there willing to fight to save themselves and the world they love. Why not give them a chance?”

“Because this is Heaven’s fight. It is our burden and our responsibility alone.”

“You’re dooming us all,” I snapped. “It’s a fight we can never win.”

“Then we die with purpose. It is what God created us for.”

“Do you hear yourself?” My body shook with my rising frustration. “There are millions of souls in the balance here. People I care about—”

“Continue on this, and I’ll take away the housing privilege I just bestowed to you,” Michael said.

I leaned forward, about to say more, but Eli’s hand on my arm and his voice in my head stopped me.“Enough, Jade. Leave it alone.”

“Fine.” Jerking my arm out of his grasp, I spun. “Don’t listen to me, but you should tell your soldiers that you’re knowingly sending them to their deaths. They have the right to know.”

Without waiting for a response, I stomped toward the exit. As expected, Eli followed at my heels.

Once outside, he caught up to me and stepped in front of me, cutting off my stride.

“Jade, stop for a minute and talk to me,” he said.

My anger flared. “Now you want to talk? Because you were mighty quiet back there with Michael.”

“What did you want me to say?”

“You claimed to be my partner, didn’t you? ‘We’re in this together?’ Do you remember that B.S. you spewed? I could’ve used some support back there. Or is that only when it’s convenient for you and your goals?”

He blanched but didn’t say a word.

“Yeah, that’s what I thought.” I pushed past him and stalked down the path toward Heaven’s transportation platform.

Eli stayed behind.

Before he could change his mind and follow me, I stepped onto the stand, closed my eyes, and imagined the street outside my old apartment in the afterlife, the one in front of Cuzzin’s Pizza and Pasta.

Magic rushed through me, and when I opened my eyes, I was standing on the afterlife side of downtown Fairport, the scents of baking pizza crust and the sitting water of the harbor wafting on the breeze. Beautiful pale blue skies above, perfect spring-like temperature, and not a complaint to be had.

Near to perfection—something I used to hate when I’d lived here before but now welcomed with open arms.

I smiled and grabbed the apartment building’s door handle.

Home sweet home. Or at least, the closest I was going to get to it.

I slept like the dead, and that was saying something since I wasn’t exactly alive to begin with. But when I woke late in the evening, I felt better, more refreshed. Maybe I’d just missed my bed and my box-of-an-apartment. Maybe I was overly exhausted. I was voting both.

What was even more shocking was that I’d gone this long without hearing from Michael or even Eli. I’d thought they’d have been knocking on my door or phoning me telepathically to summon me back to Heaven by now. Had something I’d said actually stuck?

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