Page 5 of Till Death

I didn’t takenofor an answer in general. It was one of my things.

And his smile was really starting to get on my nerves. What did he have to smile about? Just because he was God…

It still boggled my mind. I forced all those thoughts and feelings aside and focused on his shirt instead, which was striped with different shades of blue and had a cartoon dog on the front. The innocence of it only added to the absurdity of this entire situation.

“I mean that Cole has gone over to the dark side. His soul belongs to his father and that is the end of the story. It’s time for you to give up on him.”

Umm excuse me? No. Absolutely not.

“Those words aren’t in my vocabulary,” I said sweetly. “As you well know.”

“There is nothing you can do to save him. It’s an integral part of the cosmic thread. Once a Halfling soul has given in to the demon inside, there is no redeeming them. I’m sorry, Jade.”

I held out a hand to stop him. “Don’t.”

“I’m trying to help you. The sooner you realize there is no saving Cole, the sooner you can get back to where you’re truly needed.”

“There has to be a way.”

Did I sound as pathetic as I felt?

I must, although Hank simply looked at me the way a person might stare at an adorable pet. “There isn’t, I’m sorry.”

“Are you?” I wondered. “You don’t sound sorry.”

“I’m sorry for your pain. I’m sorry for your heartache and how you feel called to do the impossible,” he said. “I’m sorry you are having such a hard time accepting this loss. It’s the natural way of the world. I’m not allowed to interfere and there is no way for even an Archangel to bring a soul back once it’s been damned.”

“Yet none of those things sound like an answer to me. You’re the All Knowing. There’s something you’re not telling me.”

I must not scream at God.I must not scream at God.

People did it all the time when they were down on their ass, but it seemed a bit worse to actually scream at him in person.

“There are other, more important issues for you to consider at this point, such as mending the veil between worlds.”

My stomach rolled, queasy at his words. “Like I’m supposed to do it all on my own?” I clarified with a wince.

“The veil will be mended once balance is restored,” Hank explained patiently. “You’re already on the path as long as you stay focused and refuse to be sidetracked.”

Typical cryptic non-answers. Every time we met it was the same bullshit and, quite honestly, I was more than tired of it by now. He was still waiting for me to figure it out on my own.

“Why didn’t I think of restoring balance?” I smacked myself on the forehead. “Oh, because I’m trying to fight a war without God’s help and save my boyfriend at the same time.”

Okay, I really didn’t like that word, either.Boyfriend. It didn’t accurately explain what Cole meant to me and made me feel a little embarrassed that I’d used it in front of Hank.

“I already told you about my limits.”

Hank still smiled as though nothing I said phased him in the slightest. Was it wrong to want to smack the expression right off his face?

I blinked to try and get myself together before I did something stupid.

“And I already told you that I need a way to save Cole. Tell me where he is, how to find him,” I said. “I don’t care what you say, because there has to be a way, and I’m not just giving up. Besides, from where I stand, the best person to restore balance is you, Hank. You’re the guy in charge, aren’t you?”

Definitely the most bizarre conversation I’d had this week.

Maybe this kind of supernatural meeting had lost its luster for me.

Hank just shook his head with a chuckle.

---