This chapter is dedicated to bigfivedonaldduckfan . Last year's entry was already one of the best, but this year's Baguette Rhymes with Dead might even be better. Top-notch voice for the MC, a famous Parisian cemetery in the middle of the night, guards chasing the good guys, and we just entered a tomb--and all that in the first two chapters. Do I need to say more?

The boss lady.

I haven't sought out Levinia on my own accord since the christening of the Resting Point when I asked her to cut the ribbon. She is usually difficult to deal with, and changing her mind about Cass will be an endeavor of monumental proportions.

The sky elevator pings and the doors open, inviting me to step into the Celestial Garden. Just as every day around noon, Levinia attends to her flowerbeds and is hunched over her roses. Their heavy scent sticks to the air like cheap perfume to a prostitute. Usually, I don't mind the overstimulation that goes hand in hand with the heavens but today, they are headache inducing and nauseating.

Levinia's lips curl to a smile. "Anchor. What a nice surprise." She offers me her cheek for a kiss.

"How have you been, Mother?"

"Too much work lately." She brushes a few strands of her silver hair out of her eyes. "Big B's projects are keeping us busy."

"I agree."

She cuts one of the pink roses and rotates it to observe the petals. "But I'm sure you didn't come here to check on me. What do you need?"

"There is this human female, Cassandra Wallace. She killed a little girl in an accident. Lou said it was one of the reincarnated saints."

"Oh, yes, the woman caused quite the stir. Besides, didn't she also take her own life?"

"She did, but it's still not right to condemn her to section K. She has a good heart and is incredibly sorry about everything. If someone deserves to find redemption, it's her."

Levinia's lilac eyes drill into me until I lower my gaze.

"It's not that she killed an ordinary saint. It was Nur."

My head snaps up. "Nur? Why would you send her back to Earth?"

She lets out an exasperated gasp. "The way things currently are, Earth is simply not sustainable. The humans multiply like cockroaches, and have you seen what they have done to the environment? Filthy rivers, the ozone layer is on its last leg, and then my precious rainforest." She shakes her head. "They can't continue like this. The few times I put my fist down and sent them earthquakes and tsunamis, they never even blinked. Carried on as usual with their atrocities. Did you know that the ice caps are melting? That will cause an absolute mess."

"And you thought Nur was the answer?"

"Well, what else is there to do? This batch of humans is simply not working at all. Plus they get more evil by the day"—she swings her arms with so much outrage that she almost hits me in the face—"I mean we had to expand hell five times in this last century alone while spaces in paradise stay empty. I have a shortage of guardian angels because of the demand for demon labor, and no one has time to practice with the choir, and oh"—she stumbles over the words—"we are running out of souls. Redemption takes forever because these sinners are stubborn and they never learn, so we have been tearing souls apart without keeping proper track of them, which has led to some unfeasible soulmate combinations. Calling it chaos is putting it lightly."

I smirk. "I hope it's isolated to Earth."

"All of Big B's other projects on various planets in the universe are working smoothly. And of course, Nicoletta remains the flagship. Guess how many souls checked in with the devil down there?"

"How many?"

"Two." She raises two fingers. "In the last decade, that is. On Earth, we don't even have that low of a number on Christmas Eve."

"True, but none of the other inhabited planets have free will. That's unique to Earth."

"And quite frankly the problem, if you'd ask me. Free will simply doesn't work. But you know Big B. He can't accept failure and tinkers with projects until he gets them right eventually."

Imagine that.

"So you'll have another flood on Earth and hit the reset button." It would surprise me if it worked this time.

"I don't see any other way. Nur was meant to coordinate it, and after she already did such a fantastic job when she was reincarnated in Noah's body, I don't want anyone else. By killing her human form, this woman—Cassandra—threw us back by at least a century."

"But she didn't do it intentionally. Condemning her to section K without a chance of redemption will break her."

She cocks her head. "Why the sudden concern? She is just one human out of many. Why are you advocating for her?"

I shrug.

"Are you feeling okay?"

"Never been better." I smile to camouflage that I've been suffering from strange new sensations that have proved distracting.

Of course she sees right through me. Lying to the boss lady is an impossible feat.

"Maybe you should talk to Uriel—"

"I don't need a shrink, Mom."

She cups my cheek. "I'm just worried about you. Emotions like compassion, pity, and empathy are unbecoming a demon. They would prevent you from doing your job."

"I know."

"Then what is it about this woman? Why do you care so much?"

"I don't know." My gaze travels to the golden gates that mark the entrance to the heavens. They should be open to anyone who truly repents, Cass included. "Just this once, could you please reconsider your decision?"

"Hm. Let me talk to Big B about it, okay?"

Which means "no."

Promising to talk to the big boss is her favorite stalling tactic to avoid confrontation.

I can also see right through you, Mother.

"Then it's settled." She gives me one of her singsong laughs. "Will you be joining us for the annual choir concert?"

"I might stop by for a little while, but Lou is also hosting the big ball in hell that day."

"Yes, your brother has been miffed that he is not invited to official functions and has been causing scheduling conflicts."

Which is a little bit hypocritical to hold that against him. "I've never understood why he isn't invited. I mean, we were both forged from the same fire, so why can I go and he can't?"

"It would not be good for appearances to have the devil walk around in the heavens. It could cause discord with the angels."

Oof, celestial politics.

Not my cup of tea.

"Is there anything else you would like to discuss?" She arches a manicured brow. "If not . . ."

My cue to leave. I peck her on the cheek. "I'll see you around."

In a daze, I get back on the sky elevator.

What now?

Lou's deadline will be over in a few hours and I won't be able to change the outcome for Cass. He'll dump her into section K to face something worse than death.

The elevator stops at the sublevel right next to the bar, but I don't get off. Instead, I press the button to the basement. Warm winds I prefer any day over the constant rain blow me in the face and tousle my hair. I take a deep breath and soak up the scent of the fires.

That hits a sweet spot.

The demon guard steps aside for me to exit and salutes. I might not work here, but I'm still considered one of the celestials. Something I'm rather proud of.

Stepping through the silvery gates, I look up at the wrought-iron phoenix watching over the entrance. The guardian emblem of hell that embodies the path of sinners' redemption. Their spirit has to burn to the ground before they can rise from the ashes. I hunker down and allow the black sand to run through my fingers. Every grain is a dried up human tear.

Geez, there are so many.

Since my last visit, the hills around the base have grown in size and bear witness to the torturers' handiwork.

Walking through the Garden of Second Chances with its blooming cacti and color-speckled wildflowers, I'm barely able to dodge a demonic pony galloping across the sand. Lance, one of the horsemen, looks up from sharpening his sword.

"Yo, Anchor, what's up? Can't stay away from the best place below Earth?"

"Looking for Lou."

"I saw him go up to his penthouse, though I'm not sure you want to bother him." He wiggles his brows. "Had some broad with him. Gorgeous bed warmer."

Having him talk about Cass that way irks me to the core; if he weren't armed and had three heads on me, I'd punch out every single one of his glistening teeth. Shooting him a lethal glare kills the grin on his lips.

Asshole.

I jog toward the tall black-marble tower Lou chose for his residence. He's always had eccentric taste. The glass-bubble elevator catapults me up to the ninety-ninth floor within seconds. He greets me at the door but blocks me from entering his home.

"And? Did you sort out the Cass issue with Levinia?"

"She blew me off."

"Fuck." He glances over his shoulder, craning his neck.

"Where is Cass? I want to talk to her." I push against the door but his foot holds the heavy gate in place.

"Not a good idea."

What's his problem?

I push harder but jump back when Lou's little hellhound leaps at me through the gap in the door. Growling and baring his fangs, the little fucker dares to spit fire at me.

"Fester, no. Leave Anchor alone."

Fester launches another fireball that barely misses my head and sizzles dead on the marble wall.

"No. Bad boy." Lou grabs him by the collar and pulls him back into the apartment. "Sorry about that. Ever since Cass arrived, he has been overly excited."

"He is vicious. You need to keep him away from her."

"Oh, no." Lou chuckles. "He loves her. Has barely left her side."

"Well, I want to see her."

"You can't. She is out on the balcony, having dinner, and then she'll need to sleep."

"Oh, so she can be rested when you drop her off at section K in the morning?"

"Look, I simply don't want her to worry any more than she has to."

Since when?

"I want Cass to be okay, Lou. Taking her to section K is unconscionable."

He finally opens the door and allows me step inside. Fester gets a hold of my pant leg and I have to shake hard to keep his teeth from taking off my foot.

"Fester!"

Cass's call has the little hellhound freeze. He pricks his ears.

She whistles. "Come here, boy."

Like a bullet on a mission, Fester abandons my leg and disappears in the darkness of the penthouse.

Lou folds his arms. "I want her to be okay, too, but I'm not sure what I can do. Maybe if I talk to Levinia myself, she'll change her mind."

"Trust me, she won't, but"—I grin as a plan comes together—"she did say she wanted to discuss it with Big B again, which could take days . . . or even weeks."

"And it would be reasonable to wait until she does."

"I agree."

Lou nods. "I could go with that."

"For now, I think it would be best if Cass stayed with me at the bar."

"No way. She's much better off right here with me."

"Lou—"

"Non-negotiable, little brother."

"But—"

"Nice of you to stop by." He shoves me back out the door. "Bye-bye. Have a good day."

"Lou—"

The door slams in my face.

For fuck's sake, what's wrong with him?

At least for now, Cass is safe.

Total WP words: 10,329

Phew, a short extension for Cass while our brothers trying to figure out how to help her. I hope this chapter didn't disappoint with celestial politics and scheming. And, of course, I had to add some crazy pet, like in all of my stories, so I hope you loved Fester just as much as I did.

Comments/feedback are appreciated, so are votes, if you felt the chapter deserving. For the next two days, I'm busy with real life work, plus I want to catch up on responding to comments and read more of those amazing ONC stories, so the next chapter will probably not be up until the weekend. Thanks for reading and giving Between a chance.