Page 275 of Castings & Curses

“That’s what her paperwork says.”

“Except you know very well Hell’s Admissions Department doesn’t handle housing placements.” She sighs, and I can hear the strain in her voice, and it’s almost as if I know what’s to come, but not wanting to hear it any more than she wants to say it.

“Spill it, Roche.” I turn in her direction.

“HHD—Heaven’s Housing Department does.”

I close my eyes at her words. Of course, it makes sense. HHD, HAD. It’s a simple error, a typo. A typo that some stupid, ditzy angel made that sent this poor lost soul directly to Hell.

Which means Heaven fucked up.

Great…

“You know what this means,” she says with an annoyed tinge in her voice.

I do, but I don’t want to say it. All I can do is nod in disbelief as the coffee starts to percolate.

“It means we have to convene with that god awful asshole, Matthew, and tell him one of his angels screwed up, and that means…”

“We’re going to Heaven,” I say plainly.

“Yes, Endor. I just got Meticulous Matthew’s email. We’re to bring the girl and meet him, and the angel in question, for a meeting in three hours.”

Fuck.

Could this day get any worse?

CHAPTER9

Valory

One never really needs an alarm clock inHeaven. Though, like many things that make up this paradise, some angels still use them.

But who needs an alarm clock when I have Chance?

His velvety smooth tongue steadily licks my hand until I wake from slumber, and I wipe it on my linen sheets.

“I’m up, I’m up,” I say sleepily as I stretch my muscles and make my way out of bed. Sunlight pours in through the windows, little streams of light hitting the gray-white wooden floors. I make my way to the kitchen, Chance’s toenails clicking on the wood behind me as he huffs and puffs excitedly.

I never had a dog growing up, or up to when I reached adulthood. In life, I was allergic to pretty much everything cute and fuzzy, so pets were never a part of my life. When I discovered you could have pets in Heaven, I was thrilled. I’d gone and picked out Chance that day, completely giddy about the whole thing. He’s probably one of my favorite things about this afterlife.

Just as I’m filling up his food bowl, there is a knock on the door. “Are you in there, Val? Open up, come on!” Delilah’s voice carries.

I sigh but figure it’s no use letting her stew outside. She’ll only make more of a fuss. When I open the door, I raise a brow and she just smiles innocently. Hazel eyes gaze back at me with excitement as her perfect pink lips curve into a smile, her bright-red curls bouncing with each step she takes, walking in without a care.

“I have to give you the tea!” she says as she makes herself comfortable on my couch.

I don’t bother to argue, just shut the door.

Delilah is like a hurricane and it’s easier to let her travel on her path until she ultimately fizzles out. I suspect she was what they callneurodivergentin her life. How we wound up as neighbors is a mystery, considering most of the angels in my neighborhood tend to be of the same caliber. We all work the front line. Some work in the Annex with me, while others work in HHD.

Delilah is the only one in the neighborhood with a position in Guardianship. Though, she’s not a full-fledged Guardian Angel yet, since she hasn’t taken the final exam. She’s an Assistant Guardian. All that means is she can do everything a Guardian does, but she can’t make any of the decisions. She’s an angelic babysitter.

But hell if she doesn’t love getting to watch all the Guardians’ charges like it’s some sort of reality show. Which in a way, I guess it kind of is.

“Good morning to you, too, Delilah.”

Chance runs up to her, licking excitedly. She pets him, ruffling his fur as she touts, “Good boy,” to him sweetly while I make my way back to the kitchen.

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