My assignment had changed. No longer was I searching for the man that I had loved, no longer did I have to return him to his home so that he could be within the safe and loving arms of his parents. Now my job was to save him. Heaven had said that they could forgive his wrongdoings provided that he stopped after what happened at the bazaar. Anything after that was going to require a lot of heavy negotiation on his father's part to ensure that he placated those who were angry.
The devil had sent his reaper crows out to search for Brannon and Chloe. They had the ability to fly anywhere in the world, amazing eyesight and hearing, the demon crows were proficient in searching, they were fast at their job. I was in awe of them, they were diligent and trustworthy, they lived to serve their master.
Said master was standing beside me, we were facing a door in a hotel in Los Angeles. I'd always wanted to come here, craving the vibrancy that was life here. But sadly, I had a job to do. We'd come so close to catching them in Singapore, the devil was not amused. I didn't think that at eighteen Brannon could be put over his father's knee for a good spanking but the man looked so damned pissed at his son that it was a real possibility.
"I'll go first."
Awkwardly I nodded with a forced smile. Why was it awkward? Well that's because we'd discovered that Brannon and Chloe were more than just friends. It hurt and I felt gutted but it was to be expected. Brannon was feeling his own hurt and I'd done that to him so I deserved what I got.
The devil stepped through the door, we knew that they'd been here. Aside from the souls that had been extracted from this point, there was a veil of indifference over the room. It meant that those who passed the room didn't really see it. They might see the door but it would be shrugged off as inconsequential. Any bookings made for this hotel room would be wiped or re-routed to another room.
Patiently I waited for the devil to return with his grim news. Demons appeared beside me, walking into the room as the devil walked out.
"Well, they're gone. Not a single clue as to their next location. We should return to hell; I'm sure Chloe's parents will be waiting to hear of what little we have to offer."
I paused, glancing at the devil.
"Will it be okay for me to return?"
"For a while, yes. Your departure will have allowed the land to repair itself."
He looked at me with curiosity, I always felt like squirming under his intense stare. Never did I believe that I would come this close to the devil himself, never did I believe that I would walk beside him, united in our goal.
"You told me that you loved him Emily, what changed that?"
"Nothing. I still love him. I was told that there was no way that I could remove the purity spell, that our love was always doomed."
"But you never asked me. You never called to say what was going on. Do you know how much that hurt him?"
Tears rolled freely, sliding down my cheeks as I felt the pain all over again. I deserved it. I deserved an eternity of suffering for what I had done.
"They said that moving on was for the best, to let him get on with his life."
"And yet it is another step towards making hell crumble. Didn't you see that? After everything that you have endured, everything that you know, did it not occur to you that this was just another ploy to break the trinity?"
It hadn't occurred to me but now that he pointed it out, it was kind of obvious.
"Except it backfired, heaven is crumbling."
Which was the absolute truth. Heaven really was falling to pieces, struggling with the weight of the souls that Brannon had sent to them. It wasn't as if heaven couldn't cope with such an influx, it was the way that they were sent. One mass extraction, a cruel blow to so many lives. It was harrowing and the souls wailed as they floated around. They banged into buildings with the torment of suffering. Once strong buildings were now shattering like crystal.
"Answer a question for me Emily."
Warily I nodded, wondering what the devil would ask.
"If you could be with him, would you want that?"
"Yes."
"Okay, so delving further, what about this business with Chloe? Because you know that they have been intimate, don't you?"
I nodded, wrapping my arms tight to my body as I tried not to cry. It was pointless, I was already blubbering like a fool.
"What if she is pregnant with his child? What would you say then?"
"I would still love him, I will always hold him in my heart but I fear that the damage has been done and that he won't want me back even if it were possible."
Wiping the tears away, I leaned on the wall.
"If he is happy then that is all that matters. We know this. The trinity has to remain strong. Even now he has been away from hell for too long."
The devil nodded as he let out a pained sigh. He knew that Brannon would have to return home soon, otherwise it would be a serious detriment to the balance of power. As much as I was an angel and was supposed to support heaven, I was team hell in this instance.
"Time to go to hell Emily."
I followed the devil, sinking through the building and onto the path to hell. It was a treacherous path for those who didn't know how to navigate it, dark and filled with something sinister. Like a soft breeze, it floated around the body, wrapping through the legs and waiting for the moment when the mind faltered. I didn't want to think that there would be a time when I would walk this path by myself but if I wanted a future with Brannon, then I would be. It was a scary thought.