by Kate Hall
“And how do you plan on rescuing Desireé from Heaven?”
It’s like all the air has been sucked out of the room. I dart my eyes to the door after making brief eye contact with her, but it’s closed now. What the hell is this?
“What are you talking about?” I ask, trying to play it off.
Dr. Nassar rolls her eyes and crosses her arms. “You know exactly what I’m talking about.”
I wrap my arms around myself, suddenly feeling more exposed than I ever have. If this woman knows about the war, about my situation with Desireé, then how can I trust that she has my best interests at heart?
She sighs. “If I wanted to send you to purgatory,” she says slowly, as though I won’t be able to keep up otherwise, “I would have had plenty of chances before now.”
My throat closes up, and I swallow so I can speak. “Which side are you on?”
She smirks and sits in the leather chair my dad has been spending a lot of time in. “People like you and me don’t have sides.”
I want to tell her that’s untrue, but I’m not sure if I can. I’d been wrongly placed in Heaven, and then I’d been cast out for pointing out the unfair system. And there’s no way I’d ever be accepted by Hell, not without extreme measures.
“Fine,” I bite back, standing up. “I don’t have a plan. I have no idea what to do, no idea where they’re even keeping her.”
Dr. Nassar raises an eyebrow and waits.
“Seriously! I know that demons are kept in a warehouse somewhere on Earth. But they could be anywhere!” I ball my hands into fists. I want to scream, want to hit something. Now there’s someone here who knows the situation, but I can’t express myself to her properly.
Just then, the door opens, and Dad peeks back in. “You ready to go home, kiddo?” he asks. He looks horribly drawn, and I almost want to hug him for the first time in years. Almost.
I grit my teeth and nod.
“Well,” the doctor says, standing. “Don’t let me keep you. I just need you to come back for a checkup in one week. Otherwise, my door is always open.”
Dad smiles wearily and shakes her hand. “Thanks for everything, Dr. Nassar,” he says.
She smiles, the expression wicked rather than friendly, and looks at me while holding out a business card to Dad. “Please,” she says, “call me Lilith.”
About the Author
KATE HALL is a full time traveler, dog owner, artist, wife, and reader. She believes in wild things like love, magic, and basic human decency. Some of her least favorite things include selfish people, eating fish, and tornados. Sign up for her mailing list and get access to free short stories!
www.KateHallBooks.com
Twitter @KateHallAuthor
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Available Books:
Smoke and Mist
Ignite the Mountains
Angel Academy
Clandestine Angel
Renegade Angel
The Girl in the Lake
The Girl Who Won’t Drown
The Girls Down Below
Night Academy
Deadly Academy
Final Academy
Southern Charms
Southern Spells
Southern Necromancy
