Raziel's POV

"Have fun," I murmur before connecting my lips to Kai's in a tender kiss.

I love the way he reacts to me. He completely relaxes, becoming putty in my arms and molding to my body as soft sighs of content spill from his throat. His hands grip the front of my thick jacket, pulling me closer, and his silky soft lips, which taste of strawberry, move against mine in the most tantalizing rhythm.

After a few more seconds of enjoying his lips, I break our kiss, a little more aware of the humans around us than Kai seems to be.

The same look of pure joy and slight bewilderment that he gets every time we kiss lights up his face, and he tugs my head back down to him, pecking my lips. "I'd have more fun if you come with me," he whispers, batting his eyelashes.

It's almost impossible to deny him, but I promised him I'd find a way to help Lance and I have an idea of how I could keep that promise, so while he goes shopping with Milan and Declan, I'll be finding out some information from the demon. Lance will be joining me while I speak with Zorander because Milan can't see him, so Kai and Declan wouldn't be able to talk to him much if he went shopping with them.

However, I didn't get a chance to tell Kai what I'll be up to since I haven't had a minute alone with him since we left the house this morning. Even now I can feel Milan and Declan hovering nearby as they wait for Kai.

"I'll see you back at the house, my sweet human," I whisper back, pressing a chaste kiss to his lips. He pouts a little but nods and waves bye to me while Declan waves bye to Lance, earning an odd look from Milan before they all leave to go shopping.

Milan wanted a new outfit for the party tonight, and Declan wanted to get his mom a welcome home gift for when she gets discharged from the hospital, so Kai suggested they all go to the mall once school had finished.

"Are we going to principal Ryu's house?" Lance questions, spotting the demon approaching us.

"I'm not sure if Milan is going straight to Kai's house after they leave the mall, and it would be awkward if she returned with Kai before we finish our discussion," I reply, raising an eyebrow in a silent question to the demon who shrugs and gestures to his car.

Lance is unusually quiet on the way to Zorander's house, still not entirely used to the demon's cold demeanor. Thankfully the drive there is short and Lance springs from the car like a trapped rabbit as soon as Zorander announces that we've reached our destination.

"What do you want to eat, hollow?" Zorander grunts once we're seated on his couch.

"Hollows can eat?" Both Lance and I inquire at the same time.

Zorander gives me a puzzled look. "I expected the soul not to know, but you've been around just as long as I have, you should know."

"I never paid much attention to humans and how their afterlife works. I've met very few ghosts and hollows in my life, all of them only briefly. This is the most time I've spent interacting with one," I respond, a little annoyed at the demon for his comment.

I know of the important things. Ask me to list all the poisons in the universe or do any evasive manoeuvre or wield any weapon, I can do any of those in a heartbeat.

"He can eat, the food just needs to be offered to him." The demon opens a cupboard and mini fridge both filled with snacks and Lance beams, rushing over and pointing to a chocolate bar. Zorander then puts the chocolate between two candles on the table in front of Lance and lights the candles, muttering under his breath, "I offer this food to the hollow in my presence."

Zorander gestures for Lance to pick it up and he reaches for the chocolate bar. It remains on the table, but Lance is able to hold a ghastly, semi transparent form of the chocolate. He releases an excited squeal and happily opens the chocolate, nibbling on it, after thanking the demon several times.

"What exactly did you want to know?" Zorander inquires, sitting on the one-seater across from Lance and me.

I grab the bag of chips he's offering me and begin talking after I open them. "I have an idea of how to help Lance and get him into heaven. I promised Kai that I wouldn't let Lance become a hollow, and I also think helping Lance is what I have to help Declan with so that I can stop being his guardian angel."

"Why do you want to stop being his guardian angel?" Lance asks with a frown.

"It's not that I want to stop, it's that if I don't make some sort of progress, I'll keep being pulled to Declan's side to observe him so that I can figure out the reason I was assigned to him and help him. I would rather spend my time with Kai, so before that happens I, at the very least, need to figure out what exactly he needs help with."

Lance ponders that for a moment. "Declan is still upset about what happened with his father. I don't think it's about me."

"That could be it, but I still think it's connected to you," I reply, popping a chip into my mouth. "Did you tell Declan you're a hollow and will disappear in two months?"

"I can't, he's finally happy after being miserable for so long. I don't want to upset him," he responds, retreating to the far corner of the couch as if physically distancing himself will strengthen his argument.

Zorander snickers. "So you'd rather disappear from his life one day and he spends the rest of his life looking for you." Lance whimpers and shakes his head in response. "Then you need to tell him. Even if Raziel finds a way to save your soul, you would still have to leave Declan. You died, there is no coming back from that, so rip the band-aid off early and give him enough time to say goodbye. He needs to start moving on with his life."

Lance sniffles and nods, taking another little bite from his chocolate bar. He looks a little like a cartoon mouse eating, but I don't think he would like it if I commented on that right now.

"When I went to Hell centuries ago, there was a gateway which led me directly from Heaven to Hell. Do you know if it's still there?" I ask, after a few minutes of idly munching on my chips.

Getting my wings back and flying Lance to Heaven myself would be the fastest, least painful way for me to get him there. Unfortunately, I don't know if or when I'll get my wings back, so it's time to share the idea that I've been sitting for the past few days.

"It is. Or was, the last time I was in Hell, but isn't it just easier to contact one of your angel friends and have them fly Lance up to heaven?" Zorander drawls, his eyebrows knitting together.

I thought about that too but decided against it. Gabriel could help. He's the angel I'm closest to in Heaven and the head of the Soul Division. His big heart and soft spots for souls makes him the most cheerful and loving angel I know, but unfortunately he's a stickler for rules. He's always hated my pranks on humans and has tattled on me to God in the past. So if his love for helping souls doesn't prevail, then any plans of getting Lance into Heaven after that would be completely ruined because he would certainly report us to God.

I don't have the best rapport with the other angels, so it's very likely that they would report me to God at the first chance they get. Then Lance's shot at sneaking into Heaven would be completely ruined, so it's better not to get anyone else involved. "No. It's too messy since taking a hollow to Heaven is against the rules."

"So your plan is to use the gateway in Hell?" I nod and Zorander continues. "In theory that could work. I'll draw you a map."

"I was hoping you could take me to Hell with you," I suggest, flashing the demon what I hope is a charming smile, though from his scowl, I have to believe it isn't working.

"I don't want to go back to Hell," he whines, frowning.

I knew this would have been an issue, but I'm still hoping the demon would help. "It would be incredibly painful for me to even step foot in Hell, but if you transport me, it should be less painful." When the demon still looks uninterested, I sigh and say, "and I will owe you one favour in return."

Zorander perks up at the mention of the favour. Greedy demon! "Any favour?"

"Within reason, yes."

Zorander smirks, appearing very proud of himself. "Deal!"

"So you'll take me to Heaven?" Lance, who has been silently enjoying his chocolate the entire time, asks. I nod and he very quietly mumbles, "when?"

"Whenever you're ready though it needs to be at least a week before you start losing your memories." Lance stuffs the last bar of chocolate into his mouth and bobs his head up and down in acknowledgement of my response. "You should tell Declan before then."

Lance nods. "You're right, and he needs to move on."

"We should do a practice run so you can get used to me transporting you," Zorander mutters with a sly smirk.

As much as I hate to admit it, he's right. I've never been transported by a demon before, so it's best to get any issues out of the way before I take the hollow with me. "Fine. How about next weekend? There is that high school party that I promised Kai I would go to tonight and Kai's dad is coming to visit Kai this weekend."

"Should I ask Declan about speaking to his father?" Lance asks.

"Sure." It can't hurt to pursue both avenues.

My phone pings at that moment and I pull it out to find a message from Kai telling me he's at home and so is Declan, and that Milan will be coming back to his house later to get ready for the party.

"Kai is home and so is Declan," I announce and Lance bids us farewell, disappearing from Zorander's living room. "What is the favour you want?" I ask Zorander before I leave.

He grins. "I don't know yet, but I'll think of something."

I roll my eyes, a part of me is imagining him coming up with the most twisted favour to ask, but I decide to ignore that part of me for now. "What are your plans for the weekend?" It occurs to me that I don't know much about Zorander's life on earth.

"I'm meeting up with my human friends," he replies. My eyebrows shoot up to my hairline and Zorander scoffs. "I have friends. They're way less entertaining than you and your human, but entertaining nonetheless. Maggie is forcing Scott to go on a hike with Clarissa and Robert, so she can continue to cheat on her husband with Robert. I'm hoping this camping trip will be the one where it blows up in their faces. Humans really know how to torture each other," he smirks, "and I'll be around to watch."

"Have fun?" I offer, unsure of how I should react to this.

Zorander snickers and waves me off, and I place my hand over the tattoo of Kai's name and transport myself to his side.

"Aaaaaahhh!" he screams, almost tumbling down the stairs from my sudden presence next to him. I quickly scoop up my human and take him to his living room. "You scared me!" he scolds, giggling as he lightly smacks my arm.

"I didn't mean to!" I pepper his face with kisses which has him squirming and giggling uncontrollably in no time.

Once I stop kissing him, he strokes my cheek. "You know how you can make it up to me?" I groan already knowing what he'll say. "A fashion show!"

"On one condition," Kai cocks his head to the side and I grin, "I need lots of kisses in return."

Kai giggles before straddling me and gluing his lips to mine, all too happy to oblige. My hands slide down his back, coming to rest on his butt as Kai arches into my touch. I think he loves making out with me just as much as I love making out with him. 

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