by RJ Blain
Eoghan tensed, but he remained seated, a honey rock rind held in his hand. Given enough motivation, I believed he might find a way to weaponize it. I could think of a few ways I could put a honey rock rind to good use. First, I’d use the end to gouge Hammel’s eyes out before attempting to insert it up his nose to scramble his brains. Assuming the rind couldn’t penetrate into the skull properly, I would have to try to asphyxiate the bastard with it.
From there, the various possible insertions of honey rock rind took a dark and twisted turn.
“This is all your fault,” Hammel snapped, striding over. At his side, he wore a gun.
Did everyone in the damned town except me have a gun? On second thought, they probably did. Nobody in Sunset liked being told what to do, and guns offered the illusion of authority.
Hammel was definitely the type to want to maintain his authority.
The gun was a problem, although I had good reason to believe the problem wouldn’t last long. The devil’s gaze locked onto it, and I recognized when Lucy transformed from family man to the beast capable of bringing ruin to the world if he escaped his chain.
A single twitch towards the gun would end Hammel’s life, and I saw no need to prevent the inevitable. No, however satisfying trying to scramble my ex-boss’s brains with a honey rock rind, I’d take the quick and merciful route.
I’d stand up for myself first, though.
“Nothing that has happened here is my fault. It isn’t my fault your wife died. It isn’t my fault you can’t bring back the dead. It isn’t my fault you’re a cheap bastard. It’s also not my fault you had no idea what you had in your basement. It’s definitely not my fault you can’t listen to reason. I suppose it is my fault for putting up with your abuse for so long, but I didn’t have a whole lot of options in this one-horse town.”
Thanks to Hammel, that had changed.
“Abuse?” My ex-boss snorted. “You should be grateful anyone would take an uneducated waste like you.”
Hammel opened his mouth to continue his verbal assault, but the devil went from seated to pouncing, his hands and feet transforming from human to claws and hooves. Lucy’s form rippled, and the horned beast of legend drove the wayward man to the grass. Bone crunched, blood spurted, and death came, not at a scream, but on the sigh of a final exhaled breath.
The devil vanished in a cloud of brimstone, taking Hammel’s body with him when he went. Something remained, a haze in the air as though something I couldn’t quite see lingered, waiting.
“That is the imprint of a passing soul,” Gabriel explained. “This is what you need to witness.”
I’d seen ghosts before, but the mirage before me lacked the same presence and substance of the incorporeal dead.
Eoghan sighed. “And, as expected, the coward screams.”
I heard nothing. “Does he?”
“I would scream, too, if my brother had his claws dug into me and dragged me to hell,” Michael confessed. “It is not a pleasant journey. The soul is gone already, but this is an echo of its passage. Azrael has turned his back on this soul, for this soul is not worthy of such comfort or companionship in death. Eoghan would rather not deal with him, but he will—once the soul settles a little.”
“And what about me, then?”
“Be patient.”
“They need to accept their death before they can move through the boundary in full,” Eoghan said, setting down the honey rock rind and giving the hazy apparition his undivided attention. “Like you, I don’t truly need to do anything for a soul to move through the boundary. I just get to listen to them scream most of the time. That happens when someone dies close enough for me to witness, and I become aware of the soul’s passage. Sometimes, the departed seek me out when they struggle to go beyond on their own.”
“And what about the ghosts?”
“What about them?”
“Why do they linger?”
“They had a good enough reason to stay, I suppose. They can leave if they want. Nothing holds them here but themselves. That is what I am. That is why I am here.”
Azrael chuckled. “For all he is a vengeful creature at times, your Eoghan has never denied anyone their rest. There are those who have been barred through other ways, but that is no fault of his.”
“Except me,” I muttered.
The archangel laughed at me. “Oh, he would have broken his rules for you, of that I have no doubt, but it is the universe itself that makes us as we are. We cannot die for we are death. You’ll get used to it.”
“I still don’t understand what I’m supposed to have witnessed here. It’s a shimmer.”
“Just wait a little longer,” Azrael soothed. “While the soul leaving the body is instantaneous upon true death, the souls linger somewhat before fully crossing the boundary. It takes some time for it to move on. When it does, you’ll understand.”
“I have determined archangels enjoy being as vague as possible.”
“We are often told we are assholes,” he replied in an amused tone. “Here. It begins. My brother is shackling his latest toy, and the rest of the soul is being pulled into whichever hell has been chosen for him. Perhaps the universe means to take the merciful route with your awakening. But this seed of life forms while the soul pays for its crimes in life.”
The haze dimmed, fading until all that remained was a tiny speck. A hint of something, a faint chill in the air, reminded me of the presence of ghosts, although much weaker.
The chill possessed a cutting edge, as though someone dragged a frozen sheet of paper over my skin. I hissed and recoiled.
“It is not a pleasant seed, is it?” Gabriel asked, and he heaved a sigh. “You feel its potential. Cold, unyielding, and hard. But even these seeds must be replanted. That is the intent of the universe. For as long as there is good in the world, there must also be evil. For as long as there is chaos in the world, there must also be order.”
“His next life begins with that seed?” I asked, considering how something so tiny could become a person—a person capable of so much harm.
“Your life began as such a seed as well, and the universe took much care with your planting. You won’t plant every seed. But you have the option to plant the seeds. You could take this seed, put it in a box, and then find the right people to give it to. An infertile woman may become fertile with the right seed. And a corrupted, cold seed can become warm with the right planting. Go on. Cup it in your hand. You won’t hurt it.”
“So I shouldn’t hit it with the weed whacker a few times first?”
“I would not.”
I regarded the last remnant of Hammel’s life, heaved a sigh, and put the weed whacker down. I stepped around the picnic blanket so I wouldn’t disturb Darlene, who slept through our conversation with no sign of waking. The closer I got to the seed, the colder the air became. “It’s really cold.”
“That is a consequence of the life he led. In life, he was not what anyone would call a good man. He sometimes did good things, such as providing you with food when your paycheck was not enough to cover your costs, but he did not do it for any care for you. It would have cost him more money to find someone new, and he would have had to pay them better. He knew this. Even his good deeds were motivated by greed.”
“Won’t he be just as bad if he’s replanted like this?”
As one, the archangels shrugged, and Azrael joined me, took hold of my hands, and pulled me close enough to envelop the seed between my palms. He released me and patted my shoulder. “Right now, the seed reflects its origins, its previous life. Right now, his soul faces the consequences of his actions in life. When his punishment has concluded, you will find the soul will warm until it is a more neutral entity. Few souls have a hard alignment with the forces of good, evil, order, or chaos. Nurture is as important as nature. As you are what you are, you can choose to keep this seed safe in your custody until it is time for it to be replanted—and by the time he has been brought back into balance, you will understand how
you can manipulate the seeds of life.”
Eoghan grunted. “You’re going to give her ideas, Azrael.”
“Yes, I am. That is my intention. She needs to learn her role, and while you are neutrality and I am considered the more benevolent face of death, she must learn all of her role, which has as much capacity of good as it does evil. And sometimes, evil and darkness is what needs to be planted. And that is what she must be prepared for. The light cannot shine without the darkness, Eoghan. This is the way of the universe. She is the one who can bring light to the darkness—and create darkness so the light may shine. I’m sure you’ll have some glorious arguments over some souls she opts to keep in her custody until she decides what to do with them. If you’re particularly unlucky, she might even cherry pick the souls of your offspring. I expect you’ll find yourself the father of abused souls. She is the type. She cannot save everyone, and she recognizes this, but there will come a point that she can save one, so she will. And she will seduce you to do so.”
I opened my mouth to protest such a plan, spent a moment to think it through, realized the bastard asshole of an archangel spoke the truth, and snapped my teeth together with a clack.
Azrael laughed at me.
“You are a feathered menace. Are you sure you are not the devil’s henchman?”
“I assure you I am not. I am merely honest. What will you do with that seed, Anwen? This is but the first of many choices you will have to make about the nature of souls and balance within the universe. This is what you are. Do not mind Eoghan. He has opinions.”
“I can do whatever I want with his soul?”
“You can. The only part of its fate that has been sealed is that you will decide how it is replanted upon conclusion of his punishment.”
The devil reappeared in his human form, sat on the picnic blanket, and gently gathered his wife, settling her on his lap with her head resting against his chest. “I enjoyed that.”
“That didn’t take long.” I clasped my fingers together so the seed couldn’t escape from me. “You have his soul, but I have his seed.”
“Yes, that is how it works,” the devil confirmed. “When the seed is ready to be planted, the soul will return to it from my hells. The seed won’t become fertile until the soul has been brought back into balance. Right now, the seed has too much of a capacity for evil. If we were in an era of good, you would consider planting it to bring things back into balance—but for now, he should enjoy my hospitality. View the seed as the spark that brings life, and it holds the soul when life is ready to be made. The seed is not, technically, the soul, but it is only compatible with the soul it belongs to. It’s complicated. The universe typically is.”
“What am I supposed to do with his seed?”
“You could make him a her in the next life. Seeds lack gender. Souls also lack a gender, although when souls are partnered, they tend to keep their original genders. So, let’s assume you and Eoghan partner, and you were mortal, which you are not. Should your seeds be planted again in a future life, you would remain a female, and he would remain a male. Forcing that human to be a woman in the next life would be a fitting punishment.”
“You’re already punishing him. Isn’t the point of you punishing him to make it so I don’t have to?” I peeked between my fingers, and the seed stayed nestled between my palms. “Why isn’t it trying to escape?”
“It can’t. It lacks a soul right now. For the most part, it is an inanimate object.” Lucy chuckled. “For the most part.”
“Why was ‘for the most part’ so important you repeated yourself?”
Eoghan snorted. “He’s the devil. That’s why.”
“I’m hurt, Eoghan,” the devil whined.
“Are you even capable of being hurt?” Azrael asked. “Interesting. Have you truly fallen so far?”
“Now I’m really hurt. Stricken low by my cruel brother.”
The archangels laughed.
“Focus,” I scolded. “What am I supposed to do with this seed?”
“Put it in a box, carry it in your pocket, and do whatever you want with it. Just try not to lose it,” the devil replied. “I’m sure you could find it again, but it’s so annoying when you lose a seed of life you’ve been holding onto for a while. I have a few I need to plant I’ve misplaced, and when my wife finds out, she’s going to spank me.”
“You just want me to spank you,” Darlene mumbled. “You’re noisy. What’d you do now?”
“I’m always noisy, disturbing your naps. You naughty kitten, gorging on so much melon you needed a nap. I lost one of the seeds I was supposed to be keeping an eye on.”
The devil amazed me, behaving as his title warned, lying to his wife to protect her from her memories.
“Idiot,” Darlene grumbled. “If you make me look through the house again, I’m banning you from my spots for three months.”
“That’s too long. The seeds are stupid, and you don’t even like the assholes who own them anyway. Don’t ban me from your spots for three months over a few nasty souls nobody wants anyway.”
“Touch her on her shoulder,” Michael’s voice whispered into my ear. “Then you will see the darkness of those memories—and you will learn a little more.”
I held Hammel’s seed in one hand and patted Darlene on the shoulder. To disguise my motivations, I said, “I’m sure he’s just yanking your chain. Anyway, I have more melons if you want to gorge on them again. They’re that good, aren’t they?”
The feeling of soft, melting ice greeted my touch, with one spot colder than the rest. The boundary between life and death lurked within her, and I fought to keep my eyes from widening.
She somehow still stood in the valley of the shadow of death and hadn’t quite been able to step away from it like I had done when I had approached the doorway to the afterlife.
“Precisely. That is precisely what ails her. When she remembers, she draws closer to the boundary, but her soul understands it is not yet her time. It becomes afraid. It tries to protect her the best it can,” Michael whispered, and I got the sense his words were meant for me alone. “He could not guide her fully back. All he could do was ensure her survival. No one can take back what death has claimed except death itself. It is against the laws of the universe. But this is your domain, for you are death, and she has not fully faced what it means to meet you, Azrael, or Eoghan. You can guide her through that valley and take away the shadow from her. And, if it pleases you, the seed of life you bear can carry that burden for a while until it is ready to be planted. A fitting punishment, and one that will ensure this seed forever flinches from attempting to bring the dead back to life. It will not be difficult for you to guide her. Shoo her away from the boundary. Wave your hand if that helps.”
“Yes, they are that good,” Darlene replied, and with a happy purr, she snuggled against her husband. “I can’t help it I’m a cat. I like to nap.”
I suspected the wear and tear of her soul hovering close to the boundary of death tired her more than anything, and I concentrated on the boundary and the feeling of her soul. As I liked the idea of shooing her back to where she belonged, I imagined doing just that, sending her away from the boundary and back to the comfort of the unlikely soul waiting nearby rather like an eager puppy.
I understood, then, why Lucifer had first been called the Lord of the Morning, an archangel representing the light.
He radiated light and warmth, which only grew brighter when Darlene’s soul ventured closer to his.
It didn’t take much to have that trapped part of her scampering back where it belonged.
And, as Michael had suggested, I shooed the darkness that had clung to her into the seed in my hand. The shadow lurked, a spot colder than the rest within the seed. In time, I would shoo it away, too. I could only hope I could identify when the time was right for the seed to escape another facet of its punishment.
“Just like so,” Michael whispered. “It is finished,” he said in a normal voice. “Enjoy your spot
counting tonight, brother, try not to annoy death in all its parts too terribly much, and do attempt to keep your word about fixing this hole you have made.”
The Lord of Lies chuckled. “I always enjoy when I can count my wife’s precious spots. I’ll see about the hole after I have enjoyed counting her precious spots. I always enjoy counting my wife’s precious spots. It may as well be a universal rule.”
“That’s because you’re a pervert,” Darlene said, and she stretched with a yawn. “That was a nice nap.”
“I am glad you enjoyed your nap, my darling. And as for my perversions? Of course I enjoy my perversions. They’re so entertaining. While you were napping off your gorging, I took care of some unpleasant business and helped a new guest to his accommodations. Once I have finished counting all of your beautiful spots, you can go play with him. I put your favorite toys outside of his cell for you. It’s been a while since you’ve gotten to toy with one of the naughty souls.”
“If you’re trying to secure more spot counting, it’s working.”
“I am. Pure selfishness on my part,” the devil lied.
I’d seen a glimpse of the devil’s soul, and for her, he was nothing but a light in the dark.
“And now you understand,” Michael whispered in my ear. “My brother is a blessing, however much that annoys Him. For all my brother fell, his fall became one of His greatest gifts to mankind. My brother’s fall bought mankind its freedom.”
Huh. That one had gotten missed by the history books.
“Indeed,” Michael replied.
I’d need a lot of time to think about that mystery of the universe.
“Maybe you all should go home,” I suggested, waving the angelic and devilish congregation away with my free hand. “I am going to clean this up, head back to my house, and figure out what to do in the meantime. I also have plans for the rest of my honey rocks.”
“Of course you do,” the devil replied with laughter in his voice. “You are a shameless addict.”
I laughed. “I really am.”
“They are quite good. I find them pleasing,” Eoghan admitted. “They are a pleasant and harmless vice.”