Emily was still unconscious, laying on a cold stone alter. It was the coldest part of the hell and yet she was sweating. As I wrung the water out of the cloth, I saw Delaney skipping down the aisle. The rag doll in her hand was being brutally swung with each skip Delaney took.
"Bran, what are you doing?"
"Keeping Emily cool."
She climbed up the steps and gripped the edge of the stone, looking at Emily with a lot of curiosity.
"She was here with Michael, did you hurt her?"
"No, she has become a fallen angel to be with me."
Delaney giggled as she looked at me.
"Is she your girlfriend?"
I smiled and nodded.
"Bran's got a girlfriend." She sung loudly.
"Everyone already knows."
"I didn't." She said with a pout.
"That's because you're a parrot."
Delaney turned and looked over her shoulder.
"I am not. I don't have a tail or feathers."
"Not what I meant." I said under my breath. "Why are you here Delaney?"
She shrugged as she tucked the doll into Emily's arm.
"I heard mommy and daddy talking about the island. Are you going to live there?"
"Emily and I are going to build a home on the other side of the island."
"Don't you like living with us in the castle?"
I looked up and saw the sad eyes. Her bottom lip was wobbling but I knew it was real unlike the last time I'd seen it.
"I'm not going that far Delaney, it's not as if you can't visit."
"Daddy said I had to wait for permission because you might not want me around."
Yeah, he was right about that one. I didn't need my baby sister turning up when I was under the sheets with Emily. Or worse, above the sheets. I sighed heavily and put the rag into the bowl of water, rounding the alter. Delaney's hands went up expectantly, I picked her up and hugged her.
"There will be times where it won't be appropriate for you to visit but I'm sure if you ask mom or dad to bring you to the layer then it will be fine."
Because they will knock on the door rather than Delaney's efforts of walking through walls. She was lazy and I didn't want to be in trouble because she walked in on something she shouldn't have.
Delaney nodded before resting her head on my shoulder, her fingers twirled the ends of my hair.
"How come you don't go to school anymore?"
"There's been a lot of issues but I'm sure I'll be made to go back soon enough."
"I saw Emily at the school, angels don't go to our school."
No, they didn't but this one did and for that I would be grateful for an eternity.
"She was spying on me but changed her mind."
I set Delaney back to the ground and returned to wiping the sweat from Emily's forehead. She was burning a mighty fever and all that I could do was try to keep her cool while her body fought it. Delaney stepped up to the alter, looking at Emily with a lot of curiosity. Wary fingers reached out and touched the dark pink hair, Delaney grinned broadly as she looked up at me.
"I'm going to have pink hair too."
"That will make mom so happy."
She watched me as I smoothed the cloth over Emily's pale skin, those little fingers twitched and I knew what was coming.
"Bran."
"Yes Delaney."
"Can I do that?"
"Sure."
Delaney hopped down and moved around the alter, climbing up the steps and sitting on the stone beside Emily. The cloth was barely wrung out, still dripping water as she sploshed water over Emily's hair.
"Delaney, you need to wring it out more."
She watched me again and continued to care for Emily.
"You'll make a great father."
I looked up and saw my mother standing at the end of the aisle, the baby in her arms.
"One day I guess."
"You're only eighteen, no need to rush. But I guess your bodies will dictate and you won't get much of a choice."
Her eyes slid to the little girl beside me, the one who had trouble remaining quiet was actually being silent.
"I was wondering where you went."
"I'm never far away." Delaney responded.
"Yes but since Emilio arrived I've not seen the back of you and suddenly, you're gone. I should have guessed that you'd be off investigating the latest fascination."
Emilio yawned as my mother moved closer, he was awake and content. I couldn't wait to have this with Emily, our own children and a little family that was made by the love that we had for each other. She didn't have a family; she didn't know what it was like to be surrounded by people that cared for their own. Emily might have had the other angels that she could have called her family but that would be like me calling the demons my brothers and sisters. It wasn't accurate.
This family, my family, they would accept her and love her and it wouldn't be because of me. It would be because there was goodness within themselves. We might be death but we are still kind and caring. The angels and heaven might look down at us but that didn't mean that they were right when they spoke ill of us. We were the black sheep, we were spoken of in hushed tones and it was wrong. Of course, no one wanted to change their opinions. Sometimes being a little evil was fun.
Life in the underworld had returned to normal, it might be a fleeting moment or it might be for many years. Hopefully with Emilio's arrival, my father will be occupied and not grow bored like he had after Delaney was born. It was when she was about six months old, my mother was distracted with Delaney who had decided that she wanted to start walking and Cara who was acting out at school due to her own boredom.
So my father in his infinite wisdom took ten-year-old me to see the gates of heaven. Maybe he was curious as to my abilities, maybe he wanted to be a cheeky imp. Either way it resulted in a lot of amusement and one of those feel good, bonding moments between us. It was rather sugary sweet but it didn't matter. What mattered was the tie between us had been strengthened and given what I've just endured with Emily, we needed that kind of strength.
The gates of heaven weren't meant to be locked and they clearly thought that the devil was up to his usual misbehaviour but that was just the beginning. Did they reach out to rattle the gate? Yep, they sure did. Did they get zapped? Yep. Did it trigger a trap door that might have been my idea? Of course it did. They didn't go far, just to a shallow pit full of the waste of the damned.
I smiled as I thought about it, the damned had the worst smelling waste and the angels weren't happy. It was a great day.
"Bran, whatchya smiling about?"
I looked at Delaney, she had her arms wrapped around my mother's waist, looking up at me with large curious eyes.
"My trip to the gates."
"Daddy said I'm going next year after I turn ten."
My mother scoffed as she shook her head. It had become a ritual after he took Cara, Delaney was avidly waiting her turn. She'd already marked the calendar to her ninth birthday in a month's time and then to her tenth birthday as well.
"You can't escape it." I said to my mother.
She smiled at me, one that indicated she didn't really care. Her adoration for my father was limitless, their love for each other was something that I aspired to have with Emily.