“I always knew you were telling the truth,” Kelsey said. “I never thought you were crazy.”
“You think I didn’t know that?” her mother said. “Poor little girl, thinking for the whole wide world.” Kelsey laughed through a sob, and her mother hugged her tighter. “Don’t be so hard on yourself, my baby,” she said. “The world’s not so hard as you think.”
The stranger called down to her mother. “Rowena, it’s time.” Asher was sitting on the ground, but he seemed to be okay. The other angel was smiling.
“I have to go now,” her mama said. She framed Kelsey’s face in her hands. “Oh, I could just eat you up.” She kissed her on both cheeks. “You take care, honey. I’ll be seeing you again.”
“Bye, Mama.” She watched her mother climb the hill and take the stranger’s hand, then the two of them disappeared over the hill together.
“She’s fine,” Jake promised. “She’s happy now she knows you’re safe.”
As the Judge disappeared in the distance with Kelsey’s mother, headed for the plains of Light, Asher climbed to his feet. “Kelsey committed suicide,” he said.
“She did,” Michael said. “The Word is a complicated thing—even you and I don’t know all the rules.” He grinned. “Good thing for you, too.”
“I killed a mortal,” Asher said.
“You didn’t know he was a mortal,” Michael answered. “And your friend saved him as he much as he could be saved. He’ll get another chance, I think.”
“So that’s it?” Asher said. “Not that I’m complaining, but shouldn’t I be punished?”
“You have to go back to the earthly plane without your sword knowing what you know now. Human pain, human hunger.” He looked past Asher to where Kelsey stood with her husband. “Human love. Isn’t that punishment enough?”
Asher looked back to see Kelsey wrap her arms around Jake, holding on to him with all her might. He thought about what Lucifer had said about desire, about how jealousy would twist him, and he shivered.
“But you’ll have plenty to keep you busy,” Michael said.
“Yes.” His wings were still jet black. He was no demon, but he was not a seraph anymore, either. He couldn’t return to Michael’s army or the plains of Light.
Down the hill, Kelsey turned to Jake. “Are you going, too?”
He grinned. “Not just yet.” He kissed her. “I think I’ll wait around here a little longer.”
She opened her mouth to answer, and a sharp, blinding pain ripped through her skull as if her brain were suddenly exploding. She screamed, and Jake caught her, holding her tight.
“It’s going to be all right, baby girl,” he said. “You have to go back.”
Asher heard her scream and turned in time to see Jake catch her. He broke into a run.
“No!” Kelsey clutched at Jake, trying not to hear the beeping of machines, the voice of a nurse, trying not smell the antiseptic.
“You have to, honey,” he said, stroking her hair. “I’ll be waiting right here.”
Asher reached them, and Jake grabbed his hand. “Go with her,” he said. “Promise me. Don’t let her be scared.”
Kelsey barely heard him. Jake seemed to be letting her go….no, he was fading away. She was falling….no, she was already lying down. Her head hurt so bad…she could barely see….one eye was covered with bandages…she was having trouble keeping hold of a thought, and she couldn’t feel her arms or legs.
People were talking…at first she couldn’t understand the w
ords or recognize the voices…Jason…another man…a doctor?
“Her mother-in-law is on her way from Atlanta,” Jason was saying. “She would be her next of kin, I guess.”
“Tell the nurse when she arrives,” the doctor said. “We’ll have to make some decisions.”
“Is it really hopeless?” Jason said. They were fading out, walking out of the room. She only caught a few words more…brain damage…vegetative state. She closed her one good eye and wept.
She felt a warm, soft kiss on her cheek. Looking up, she saw Asher bending over her. His wings were still black, and there were soft lines on his face, making him look almost human. But his beautiful smile was the same. He lay a hand on her bandaged head, and she gasped, a rush of heat passing into her through the bandage, first dulling then sharpening the pain. The nurse sitting beside her jumped up and checked the monitors. She didn’t see Asher, but she could see the change in Kelsey. Her heartbeat was stronger; her EKG was dancing, recording a brain filled with life. She gasped and ran from the room.