When Galaxy woke next, she was dead.
Or at least, she thought she was, as her entire body was covered head-to-toe in dirt, whilst the rest of her was lying flat on the ground at the bottom of a freshly dug grave.
Sucks that I'm dead, Galaxy thought.
Dying at eighteen a day after her birthday wasn't exactly something she'd had on her bucket list.
With this thought, her mind kept wandering to what her obituary must have said:
Galaxy Steele died at the age of eighteen at Galhoul Cemetery, making her body all that easier to bury.
This was good news for the grave diggers, and even better news for the families of the Albright Tragedy.
The fire-starting teenager is survived by her handsome dog and her father.
No one attended her funeral due to fears that another fire might suddenly erupt from her coffin.
Avoid her burial at all costs!
...But Galaxy realized she wasn't dead when she felt another shovel full of dirt being tossed onto her face. Panicking now, she gagged and choked as bits of earth found their way into her mouth.
If her tastebuds worked this well, she was most definitely alive.
"I'm not dead!" Galaxy screamed between coughs, though what came out of her mouth sounded more like "IMA DA!".
She'd buried herself in sand at a beach once. But waking up in a grave covered in earth gave a whole other meaning to the saying burying your gays - one that she did not at all approve of.
"I can see that" a voice said, causing her to turn her head.
She squinted, and saw that the voice belonged to her uncle, as Rafe Steele stood above her, his arms propped up on the shovel no doubt responsible for digging her grave. Beads of sweat dripped from his brow beneath his disheveled top-hat, and Galaxy noted that his face - once as polished as marble had several bloodied scratches on it.
K9 sat next to Rafe, looking quite pleased with himself, though his eyes now glanced every now and then at Galaxy in concern, ignoring the sorry excuse of a man next to him.
Galaxy was about to try and move her arms when her uncle threw another shovel full of dirt down onto her face. She didn't know why, but every effort she made to move sent shocks of pain throughout her.
"HEY! Cut that out, will you?"
Rafe looked down at her, his face knotted in annoyance. "I'm trying to save your life, girl. A simple thank you for my efforts would be nice!"
"Save me?" Galaxy spat, trying to clear her mouth of the foulness. The grave dirt in her mouth was beginning to burn her tongue, reminding her of the time she accidentally ate pizza too fast. "You're burying me alive!"
Her uncle chuckled. "If only... But no. I assure you that this process - however strange - will help heal those wings of yours, though it will only work if you keep still. Okay?"
Wings?
Her mind hurdled back to when she'd been in the magical mausoleum, and thats when she remembered.
She hadn't died all all. She'd fainted after she'd seen her wings and realized that she might have been the monster - the one responsible for killing those girls.
Turning her head slightly, Galaxy could see both her wings now sandwiched beneath her body, the feathers splayed awkwardly about her like a starfish.
"Calm yourself," Rafe said, no doubt sensing her rising panic. "I can see now that your father sent you my way completely ignorant of everything, which I suppose is for the best given your family history. However, I can explain everything provided you remain calm. Can you do that?"
Her uncle looked down at her, waiting.
Galaxy nodded, not trusting herself to speak.
She'd come here for answers, and it was clear that her uncle had some - even if he'd for some reason decided to dump her body in a grave. The icy coldness felt like it was seeping into her flesh.
Her uncle glanced nervously at K9, and raised one of his hands to his bleeding cheek as if unsure whether her dog would permit him the opportunity to explain.
"Go on," Galaxy assured him. "K9 won't hurt you. I promise."
Unless you're an asshole again, she thought. Then he'll likely scratch the other side of your face, and I sure as hell won't stop him.
"That's a relief," Rafe said, before tossing something down to her. Galaxy craned her neck and was relieved to see that it was Uni The Unicorn; the travel companion her father had given her for her first plane trip alone.
"This...infernal, fluffy thing," Rafe said, looking down at the unicorn in disdain, "-was in your bag. I thought you might hold it as we talk? You're in a rather delicate state right now, and I'd hate to see your mind break."
It took a lot of effort, but Galaxy managed to lift one of her arms, enough to grab the infernal fluffy thing and hug it close to her chest.
"Am I the monster?" Galaxy asked, fearing the answer. It was possible she was wrong, but she had to know for sure.
Rafe was quiet for a moment, his face impassive. "What monster are you referring to?"
Galaxy frowned. "The one that burned down Albright. It's only been the number one story all over the news!"
She'd thought the monster had been following her all this time. But if the feather had been found at the crime scene and it had come from her wings....The evidence seemed to point more towards her being the killer.
Rafe sighed before answering her. "I don't concern myself with the news mortals watch. If you've lived as long as I have, you'd feel the same way. But to answer your question: no. You are not the monster, Galaxy."
"How do you know?"
Rafe smiled in amusement. "Because you wouldn't have been able to enter through the cemetery gate if you were one - even if you are a half-breed."
"I'm a what?" Galaxy snapped, her hands curling into fists. She couldn't move any of her limbs to actually attempt murdering her uncle, but that ended up not being a problem as K9 growled at Rafe, causing him to back away from her dog whose fangs were now in full view.
Seeing her uncle terrified by her dog warmed her heart.
"By half-breed," Rafe swallowed "I mean only that you are part angel and part demon. As for the monster you say has been following you...I'm afraid I don't know much about that."
"Part demon?" Galaxy felt her stomach lurch.
"Your father," Rafe explained. "He is one of the Seven Princes of Hell. Well, ex-prince of Hell, really. He's no longer welcome in Sin City among his circle of demons."
"Why not?" Galaxy asked, not that she believed any of what she was hearing.
Rafe's mouth turned downward in distaste. "Because Axelipheles fell in love with my sister; an angel of the purest light. Together, their union bore the first child born of heaven and hell."
Though she was intrigued, Galaxy didn't bother pressing Rafe for details on the marriage story of her parents, as she could tell by his scowl just how much he approved of their love - not that she cared.
As far as she was concerned, be you human, demon, angel or otherwise, one could love whoever you loved.
Though her mind felt as if it were shattering into a million pieces with this new knowledge.
Her father couldn't be a demon! He was the worlds best ever father, that made her pancakes every morning, and happily suffered through all the many pillow fight she'd made him partake in growing up. It was hard to imagine her father as an evil soul-sucking demon - let alone a bad person.
Her mother though...
Whoever she was, she'd always been a mystery her father had yet to speak of.
"How do I know if anything you're saying is true?" Galaxy asked, brow raised.
"Oh, because you have reasons to doubt me, do you?" Rafe said, his annoyance plain.
Galaxy snorted. "A few minutes ago, you were screaming at me to leave, and now I wake up and you're throwing dirt in my face, calling me a half-breed, and telling me my father is a literal demon from hell!"
Rafe sighed. "That was before I knew you had angel wings. I thought you were more like your father. But as you have wings, that means you possess a direct connection to the divine. If you are blessed, you might even inherit the Steele family power - a power you might very well possess now that the grave dirt has revived your soul."
She saw Rafe's eyes gleam hungrily at the mention of this.
"Angels have powers?"
Rafe nodded. "Some do. Those in our family that possess the Steele gift would have the ability to summon the dead."
Galaxy felt a shiver roll down her spine.
If she had this power, perhaps she could talk to Evely and explain everything? Perhaps it was possible to resurrect her and bring back the other girls that had died in the fire?
"The only thing we can't do is return someone to the land of the living," Rafe said, as if reading her thoughts. "It's a line no angel is allowed to cross - no matter how good the reason. Bringing someone back would result in ones wings being clipped." His eyes averted downwards at the word 'clipped' and she saw his hands involuntarily lift to his back as if reaching for something that was no longer there...
Galaxy nodded her head in agreement, though a part of her was not sure of her innocence in all this. What if she'd just been hallucinating everything this whole time and she truly was the one responsible for the fire?
"Then how do you explain the feather found at the crime scene?" Galaxy asked, looking at the naked spot on her left wing where a single feather was missing. "It belongs to my wings! The monster has wings! If I didn't kill Evely or those other girls as you say-,"
"A demon killed them," Rafe assured her. "Trust me when I say that you are not responsible. Those fires that follow you are the mark of a Greater Demon. Fire follows those creatures everywhere."
Galaxy gulped. "Did my father know about me?"
Her uncle nodded. "Axelipheles would have known whenever you began developing your powers, yes. "
Quite the name, Galaxy thought smirking. No wonder her father went by Axel.
"As to why your father never told you anything... I suspect it was to protect you from the other side."
Galaxy felt herself flinch, recalling Officer Scully's mention of a deal her father had made with the other side.
"Something wrong?" Rafe asked, looking at her intently.
Galaxy risked a glance over at K9 before responding. "It's probably nothing, but when I was arrested, this Skull Face guy said my father made a deal of some kind - some deal involving me. Would you know anything about that?"
Rafe winced. "No. Though you'd do well to remember your father's true nature, Galaxy. He is not like us. He is not among the blessed. He is a demon."
Galaxy grit her teeth. "My father would never do anything to hurt me. I'm sure there's some sort of explanation."
"I'd be careful all the same if hell has taken an interest in you." Rafe looked at her then, frowning. "Though, you're certainly taking this better than I thought."
Galaxy shrugged, though the gesture brought her pain. "I'm just used to bad things happening to me."
Rafe nodded, as if he he understood from experience. "You won't have to worry about that here. Whatever is after you, it won't be able to enter this cemetery."
Galaxy hugged her Unicorn tighter, now feeling a warmth spreading throughout her body. She flexed her fingers slowly, before doing the same with the rest of her joints, knowing that the grave dirt had healed whatever had been wrong with her from before. "Can I get up now? Or are you going to throw more dirt onto my face?"
Rafe chuckled. "I suppose not." He offered her his hand up. "I'd best give you a tour."
It quickly became apparent by the end of the grand tour why Galhoul Cemetery was haunted.
All around her, ghosts mingled freely about between the gravestones - each one from different eras and places in time. She hadn't noticed them before, though her uncle explained this was because she was still coming into her powers as an angel.
And apparently, she was a rather clumsy angel as her wings dragged against the ground as she walked, despite her best efforts to keep them raised.
'Where exactly is Galhoul Academy?" Galaxy asked. As far as she could tell, she was in a cemetery with ghosts that kept looking at her like she was evil incarnate.
"I'll take you there," Rafe promised. "But you have to pass The Weighing of Souls first."
"The weighing of souls?"
Whatever it was, it sounded like a test she had no choice but to take.
Rafe nodded. "Your soul must be weighed in order to gain entry into Galhoul. It's to test your aptitude for the light - to see if you're righteous and right."
Wonderful, Galaxy thought, not knowing what in the hell righteous and right meant.
A few ghosts leered at her off in the distance, prompting her to walk faster to keep up with Rafe's pace.
"Is there a reason all the ghosts here have permanent scowls on their faces?" Galaxy asked, trying to hide her fear.
She thought the dead would be more respectful of the living, but apparently not.
Her uncle looked at her rather sheepishly. "Apologies. The dead don't like to be disturbed - nor do they take kindly to outsiders. To them, you are an especially different kind of...outsider."
He means half-breed, Galaxy thought.
Looking around, she noticed that they had arrived back at her families mausoleum, though it was difficult to take in the magic of it with how dark it had become.
"If I can't go to the Academy just yet, where am I supposed to sleep?"
Her uncle gestured to the mausoleum before her.
"You're not serious," Galaxy hissed. "What? Do you expect me to sleep inside a coffin?!"
She was claustrophobic!
Galaxy glanced over at the Mausoleum, praying to - well - whoever was up in the sky that this wasn't her only sleeping option.
"Your father sleeps in one," Rafe said.
She turned back around to argue with him that no he most certainly did not, only to find Rafe had all but vanished.
"Unbelievable," Galaxy cursed, snatching up her bag that her uncle had left for her. Placing Uni Unicorn inside, she walked over to the mausoleum and opened its doors, though the candles that decorated the place were now dark.
Dark...
Everything was dark.
And when it was dark, she naturally began to worry and think of the things she feared the most: What would become of her at the Weighing? Did she have the Steele power? And if so, was she even powerful enough to bring Evely back and face the possible consequences of heaven in the process?
"I should call dad," Galaxy said, glancing over at K9. Whenever she was feeling blue, she knew he would answer.
Picking up the duffle bag, she felt around for her phone, but her hands found nothing.
Off in the distance a wolf howled, and she could hear many of the graveyard ghosts partaking in what she assumed was their nightly ghoulish rituals.
Fresh tears surfaced in her eyes then, though she hastily wiped them away.
"Aw! Don't cry Gal," a voice said.
Galaxy looked around in the dark for the speaker, only for her eyes to land on her dog.
"K9?!" Galaxy said in disbelief. "You can talk?"
K9 let out a loud bark which took to mean a 'yes'.
"But...how?"
K9 leaped up onto the silver coffin. "I am K9; Nightmare King of the Nine Nights. And you - Galaxy Steele; daughter of Axelipheles - the coolest demon king in all of existence, are my master."
Galaxy smiled. "He's the coolest?"
K9 wagged his tail. "Oooh yeah! He gives me treats and helps scratch all my hard to reach spots."
Galaxy laughed aloud at that, wondering if her nightmare dog would be able to help her. "Would you be able to help me?"
K9 nodded his little head eagerly. "Of course! Anything for you, Galaxy."
Perhaps there was one person - or nightmare rather - that she could count on.
"Right... Do you know how to summon the dead?"
K9 tilted his head, thinking. "You want to see the rainbow girl again?"
The surprise must have shown on her face, because K9 laughed - which was a strange sound coming from a dog - almost like a hyena. "I've seen her picture on your nightstand. Evely seems real nice - for a human."
"Why are you here, anyway?" Galaxy asked, recalling that her father said he'd wanted her to bring K9 along for protection. She'd thought the idea was ridiculous at the time, but not so much now.
K9 looked at her as if the answer was obvious. "To protect you, of course. Aren't we furever friends?"
Galaxy smiled, recalling her nine year old self having made K9 a furever friends collar - a red one with the word 'furever' stitched on the inside.
"Of course we're friends," she assured him. "I just never realized I had a talking dog. What are you protecting me from though? Does dad know about the monster?"
K9 got real quiet then. "He suspected that a Greater Demon might be after you, but he wasn't sure. He loves you Galaxy. The less you knew the safer you were. He had me come with you here to protect you from the angels, and i'm glad I did." He growled before saying: "I'll bite their wings off if they try to hurt you - I bet they'd taste a lot like fried chicken."
Galaxy chose to ignore the fried chicken comment. "But I thought angels were nice - like those cute little cherub things on hallmark cards?"
K9 shook his head. "They are devious, cunning, creatures. They may look innocent, but they'd sooner carve the heart right out of your chest if it meant they'd gain something from you."
Galaxy felt her knees buckle a bit then, though she reached for one of the coffins for support.
"Don't worry, Gal," K9 said nudging her arm playfully from his perch. "I'll keep you safe."
He turned around once, then curled up inside the silver coffin where there weren't as many books. "Can we sleep in this one? I don't think sleeping in that other one is a good idea..."
Galaxy looked over at the gold coffin that had been filled with the roses, recalling the spell it had put over her.
"Good idea," Galaxy said. "You'll keep an eye out for me though, right?"
The ghosts from the graveyard hadn't looked all too pleased by her presence, and she did not fancy becoming a graveyard snack.
"Of course I will," K9 assured her. "And I'll eat any bad dreams should they come for you."
Galaxy was going to ask K9 what he meant by that, when she began to feel the heaviness of sleep tug at her eyelids.
After removing some of the books from the silver coffin, Galaxy snuggled inside it - being careful of her wings - next to K9 with Uni the Unicorn sitting upright between them.
That night, she dreamt of hellfire, demons, and a girl in a rainbow dress calling out to her, screaming for help.
Only, it couldn't have been Evely.
...Could it?