Three in the morning was the worst time of the day to deal with Vincent’s anger management issues.

Just last night, he hugged me all of a sudden like I was his most favorite person in the world. He even let me sleep in his bed, which was a huge deal. And I don’t want to sound like High School Musical, but thought that might be the start of something new. I wished.

It all slipped back to the bipolar and annoying when Luci got in our bedroom without even a warning and told us to get ready. For what, she didn’t say why. Something urgent, I guessed. She was going all Medusa on me with those hard stares.

After that, Vincent got all wound up again and snapped at me for anything. He was back again to his usual inauspicious self, which only worsened when he saw Cerberus peering over us as we got out of the house.

I tried to block him from Vincent’s view. But it wasn’t like it was possible to hide a dog this big.

He had made a makeshift cubby-hole by digging into the lawn, not without felling a couple cherry trees in the process. It looked like he wasn’t planning on leaving anytime soon and no one tried to make him.

A few carpenters were already working on the red gates he trampled on when he followed us home last night. They were quiet as they worked, carefully avoiding Cerberus’ spot.

As we passed by, Cerberus lifted his middle head and sniffed. The snub-nosed one started to pant with its tongue hanging lopsidedly. His tail wagged, sending gusts that made the trees sway to a dangerous point.

“No! Bad dog, Cerberus!” Byron Flynn hissed, his red head emerging from under one of Cerberus’ front paws.

The snooty one made a soft yodeling sound and brought its massive head down.

I stopped within safe distance. “Uhm… You okay in there?”

He waved at us as much as his current position would allow. “Go ahead! I have this all taken care of!”

By the time we arrived at Sathariel’s study, a.k.a. Hell’s Museum of Earth Stuff, I was wishing I had smothered him in his sleep. To think I even got so worried I ditched my silent protest when I saw him almost-crying in his sleep. Must be some horrible dream. Like being fed lima beans against his will or something.

Luci was already there. She and Vincent exchanged meaningful looks when they thought I wasn’t paying attention. They had a special connection like that. And they didn’t even need Diviner’s Charms.

I occupied the chair at the farthest corner, crossing my arms and staring at the faux fireplace.

Before long, Belial arrived, swaying slightly as she crashed down the first couch from the door. Obviously, it’s never too early to get drunk for her.

“What’d he say?” Vincent asked, tapping his boots on the floor.

“The expected,” she sighed groggily. “He’s too old-fashioned, that one. Wouldn’t even break his silly borin’ rules for his own—“ She pressed her mouth shut, suddenly looking more awake as her eyes shifted between Vincent and Luci.

“You had too much wine, Belial.” Luci forced out a shrill laugh.

“Yes.” Belial rubbed her temples. “I guess, I did.”

The door slid behind us, spewing out Sathariel and Levi. Looked like this was going to be a major Board Meeting.

I saw Grigori by the entrance. But instead of coming in, he sat on the floor and slid the door close. The rice paper covering the latticed frame was thin so I could still see his hunched figure guarding the room.

A closed-door meeting, too?

The instance Sathariel saw us, his face turned into a mask of distress.

Levi stepped ahead, arms crossed. “We have discussed this. There are rules in this realm that must be observed if we wish this peace we are benefitting from to remain.”

“Blah, blah, blah,” Belial muttered, rolling her eyeballs. “We have lived many a century under this ‘peace’ you’re talkin’ about, Leviathan. And the cycle goes on and on.”

Levi flinched infinitesimally at the mention of his true name. “Our race has survived because of this peace you scorn, Belial!”

“What difference does our existence make?” she argued. “Nothin’. Except for testin’ humans and bringin’ out their worst traits with our measly lodestones. If you’ve not still noticed, wraiths already do that. And they do it loads of times better than us.”

Her words seemed to have struck Levi speechless. In fact, all three of them had these remote brooding looks.

Belial closed her eyes and tilted her head backwards, a meter of braids falling down the back of the couch. “We have wasted thousands of years sittin’ here in the comforts of our own personal hells waitin’ for Eldest to forgive us. We’ve done nothin’ wrong since we were banished from home. Any of you startin’ to wonder why we’re still here?”

“M-maybe because… we have done nothing up until now.” Luci sounded uncertain, unable to look at her father.

A long daunting silence filled the study.

With a sigh, Sathariel shook his blond head. “You are welcome to stay here, Vincent. I’m afraid, the girl is not. As much as I am concerned as well on your brother’s whereabouts, I cannot have my people meddling with Azrael’s affairs.”

Vincent stood up, all the amiability of the Son of Death emanating from him. I was guessing this would be the point where he explodes. But before that could happen, or worse, before he could even have the slightest idea of destroying each and every one of Sathariel’s ‘artifacts’, I went to his side. I pulled the elbow of his sleeve and shook my head.

By some miracle, he managed to control his raging hormones and suck it in.

“I’ll go,” I said to Sathariel, though I was looking at Vincent.

I watched a circus of emotions—shock, anger and despair—take turns in his eyes. Still, I made do with the calmest possible expression I could come up with. I was even proud of myself for being able to pull up the sides of my lips.

“That’s it?” He shook his head in panic. “You’re giving up just like that?”

“No,” I said. “Either way, I would still have to go.”

“You don’t have to go. You’re not going away.” It sounded final, yet it was as if he was pleading.

“Then, you have no other choice. Let me crossover.” Meaning, kill me now.

“Resurrect the girl, for Eldessakes! So we can get this over with.” Belial butted in, something between fascination and warning playing in her eyes. “So we can get everything over with.”

“Yeah,” Vincent agreed feverishly, totally oblivious of what Belial just implied. “That’d work.”

Wordlessly, I shook my head. He knew my opinion on this all too well.

“Why?” was all he could say.

“So…” I looked around taking a deep breath. “Any of you kind enough to help me… crossover?”

Thankfully, I was feeling exceptionally detached. It felt like I knew exactly what I was doing. It was just that it was as if I was sentencing death to a wholly different person I had never even met before. To a person who could only be so evil, I easily stripped away her right to live.

No fear. No feeling of impending doom. No hesitation.

I had been afraid for too long. So long, I had learned to breathe fear. Finally, I was completely over that. I was one strand away from insanity and I knew it.

None of them answered. Or looked back.

“Okay… I was hoping Luci would be jumping up and down to get dibs on first try but—“ I shut my mouth once I saw Vincent’s face.

It looked like he was in a very, very bad place at the moment. He was like a ticking time bomb. I would hate to be the next person to have to talk to him. I was almost sure he would yell “Bring her back! You’re not Aramis,” or whatever. The old pieces of me were lost and I didn’t know anymore how to bring myself back together.

“Mr. S,” Vincent mumbled. “Can we talk?”

Mr. S. Finally, Vincent was learning his manners. He would have to if he were to live in Halja without me having to apologize all the time for his cockiness.

“Of course,” Sathariel answered cautiously.

“Alone.”

He nodded to Levi and the others and motioned to the door. The four of us filed out of the room.

Before Grigori slid the door close, I saw Sathariel’s eyes linger on me questioningly. Nodding, I bowed my head slightly and kept my gaze on the floor.

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I almost didn't get to post this because of power issues but my trusty computer saved my life! Yay! So yeah. Please feel free to leave your comments and suggestions below right before you hit that star (please?) and go to the next page! Thanks, awesome nerd!