“Demons can’t come into our areas any more than angels can go to…well, wherever it is that you go.” She’d gone from angry to puzzled, and she bit her lip, thinking.
“I’ve been to Heaven before,” I argued. Although, looking around, I wasn’t sure. This place looked and felt much different from what I remembered. When I’d met Jesus, I’d visited a log cabin standing on an endless prairie. And unlike last time, my demon was putting up a fight. She hadn’t been bothered by my previous visit, but now she frantically urged me to return to the bowling alley.
I wasn’t about to leave until I’d spoken my piece, however. William had told me that seducing angels was the best strategy, but I hoped this one would listen to reason. “I need a favor. I want you to let me tempt Craig.”
She gaped at me. “Are you kidding? I can’t do that!”
“I’m not asking for me,” I pleaded. “I’m asking for my daughter. If I win Craig over, then my demon overlord will amend my contract so that my daughter won’t have to become a succubus.” I considered getting to my knees and hugging her ankles. “I’m desperate.”
The angel’s features hardened. “I know all about you and your situation, Lilith Straight!” She pointed to a piece of paper that had been tacked to the smooth, silvery trunk of one of the trees. It looked like an old-time wanted poster. There was a sepia-toned picture of me, and beneath it the words, ‘Wanted for Deceiving an Innocent Soul.’
I ripped the poster from the tree. “This doesn’t even look like me!” My eyes were half-shut, and my mouth gaped. It was as unflattering as my driver’s license picture.
“You’re on our ten most wanted list,” the angel said. “I’ve heard how devious you are. I know what you did to Tommy Lefevre!”
My cheeks burned. Having everyone in Heaven knowing about what I’d done to Tommy was worse than doing the walk of shame down the runway during New York fashion week.
She was full of self-righteous wrath. “You tempters are pure evil.”
I bowed my head. “Maybe so. But my daughter isn’t, and I’m only doing this for her.”
“ ‘The Devil made me do it’ is no excuse!”
So the pity card wouldn’t work. The angel was as determined to do her job as I was to do mine. It was time to send a different message. I raised my eyes to meet hers. “Fine. But just so we understand each other, I
will
do whatever it takes to finish this job. And I mean
whatever
it takes.”
Her blue eyes blazed. “Like making a child choke on a piece of candy?”
“I had nothing to do with that! That was a random accident!”
“Yeah, right.”
Of all the things I’d been accused of, this was the worst. “I would never hurt a child,” I argued.
“Not even to save your daughter?”
It was a question I couldn’t answer. “I’m just warning you, that’s all,” I said. I was losing steam. I hated being in this creepy wooded place.
My demon fluttered against the insides of my mind, reminding me that we needed to get out of there. When I turned to find the doorway back to the bowling alley, I noticed two other wanted posters. One showed two figures in trench coats and fedoras. The other was of William. Unlike me, he looked spectacular in his picture. It figured. Beneath his smiling face was written ‘Wanted: for the Seduction of Angels’.
I nearly laughed. His claim hadn’t been empty bragging after all.
As I was about to step through the doorway, the angel said, “You know better than to trust Helen, right? She’s very good at making things work her way.”
I left without replying. The very last thing I needed was advice from an angel.
Chapter Eight
When I got home, I went upstairs, filled the bathtub with hot water and added my favorite scented bubble bath. Then I slipped into the fragrant water, closed my eyes and tried to soak off the uneasy feeling I’d gotten from being inside Heaven.
“Hello, Lilith.”
My eyes popped open
“I’ve been to Heaven before,” I argued. Although, looking around, I wasn’t sure. This place looked and felt much different from what I remembered. When I’d met Jesus, I’d visited a log cabin standing on an endless prairie. And unlike last time, my demon was putting up a fight. She hadn’t been bothered by my previous visit, but now she frantically urged me to return to the bowling alley.
I wasn’t about to leave until I’d spoken my piece, however. William had told me that seducing angels was the best strategy, but I hoped this one would listen to reason. “I need a favor. I want you to let me tempt Craig.”
She gaped at me. “Are you kidding? I can’t do that!”
“I’m not asking for me,” I pleaded. “I’m asking for my daughter. If I win Craig over, then my demon overlord will amend my contract so that my daughter won’t have to become a succubus.” I considered getting to my knees and hugging her ankles. “I’m desperate.”
The angel’s features hardened. “I know all about you and your situation, Lilith Straight!” She pointed to a piece of paper that had been tacked to the smooth, silvery trunk of one of the trees. It looked like an old-time wanted poster. There was a sepia-toned picture of me, and beneath it the words, ‘Wanted for Deceiving an Innocent Soul.’
I ripped the poster from the tree. “This doesn’t even look like me!” My eyes were half-shut, and my mouth gaped. It was as unflattering as my driver’s license picture.
“You’re on our ten most wanted list,” the angel said. “I’ve heard how devious you are. I know what you did to Tommy Lefevre!”
My cheeks burned. Having everyone in Heaven knowing about what I’d done to Tommy was worse than doing the walk of shame down the runway during New York fashion week.
She was full of self-righteous wrath. “You tempters are pure evil.”
I bowed my head. “Maybe so. But my daughter isn’t, and I’m only doing this for her.”
“ ‘The Devil made me do it’ is no excuse!”
So the pity card wouldn’t work. The angel was as determined to do her job as I was to do mine. It was time to send a different message. I raised my eyes to meet hers. “Fine. But just so we understand each other, I
will
do whatever it takes to finish this job. And I mean
whatever
it takes.”
Her blue eyes blazed. “Like making a child choke on a piece of candy?”
“I had nothing to do with that! That was a random accident!”
“Yeah, right.”
Of all the things I’d been accused of, this was the worst. “I would never hurt a child,” I argued.
“Not even to save your daughter?”
It was a question I couldn’t answer. “I’m just warning you, that’s all,” I said. I was losing steam. I hated being in this creepy wooded place.
My demon fluttered against the insides of my mind, reminding me that we needed to get out of there. When I turned to find the doorway back to the bowling alley, I noticed two other wanted posters. One showed two figures in trench coats and fedoras. The other was of William. Unlike me, he looked spectacular in his picture. It figured. Beneath his smiling face was written ‘Wanted: for the Seduction of Angels’.
I nearly laughed. His claim hadn’t been empty bragging after all.
As I was about to step through the doorway, the angel said, “You know better than to trust Helen, right? She’s very good at making things work her way.”
I left without replying. The very last thing I needed was advice from an angel.
Chapter Eight
When I got home, I went upstairs, filled the bathtub with hot water and added my favorite scented bubble bath. Then I slipped into the fragrant water, closed my eyes and tried to soak off the uneasy feeling I’d gotten from being inside Heaven.
“Hello, Lilith.”
My eyes popped open
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