Chapter 27-4

Death’s mouth tightened into a frown and his eyes moved from mine for half a second – enough subtle signs for me to realize there was a catch here. “Death.” My hands shot out to grip the front of his jacket, yanking him forward. “What. About. Hadley.” “Calm down! I haven’t forgotten about her,” Death snapped. “Of course I haven’t forgotten about her. Believe me, I would send her to Palermo with your mother, too, but if you hadn’t noticed, she’s a little too pregnant at the moment to be flying.” “Well, that’s all fine and dandy, then,” I said through clenched teeth. “Then what exactly do you suggest we do to keep her safe?” “She’ll be heading back to Albany with your aunt Sophia tonight.” The answer was as simple as that? Death was going to send my mother and little sisters all the way to Sicily and yet Hadley was only going three hours out from the city? “What, can’t you just, like, zap her to Palermo with my mom?” I said in confusion, releasing my grip on his jacket. “You’re Death, right? Can’t you just – “ “Oh, gee, why hadn’t I thought of that?” Death retorted sarcastically, rolling his eyes. “I would if I could, Archer, but here’s the thing – I’m not the all-powerful, supernatural being you think I am. At one point I might have been called that, but not now. Not after I Fell. What things I can do now are extremely limited.” His explanation was far from what I was expecting to hear, if I could’ve speculated anything said by Death. “Fell?” My thoughts were shifting around so rapidly I could barely focus on one straight thing to dissect. “What do you mean, fell?” “Fell,” Death repeated. The expression in his eyes was unsettling as he finally met my gaze again. “Fell from Heaven. I was stripped of my wings and cast out.” “Oh. You were…okay.” His response brought on a whole other slew of questions, but judging by the look on his face, now was not the appropriate time to ask. “So,” I said, inhaling deeply. “Hadley is going to Albany with my aunt. And you promise she’ll be safe? The baby, as well?” Death held his hands up in a surrendering gesture. “You have my word that she and your child are as safe as they possibly can be.” I felt my shoulders slump with relief. “Good. That’s… - “ “Because she’s not the one Havoc is coming for.” “…Good. Excuse me?” “Archer. You are.” “I’m...okay. Havoc is coming. For me. Right. When?” I was surprised at myself. I was managing to form at least semi-coherent sentences even though Death had more or less just delivered my death sentence. But that was what this was all about, wasn’t it? Everything I’d done was to make sure Hadley and our baby were safe, away from harm. “You’ll know when. I can’t tell you anything more than that, because I don’t know anything else.” I almost rolled my eyes. Right. I should’ve expected an answer like that. Death gripped my shoulders and gave me a firm shake, like a father would their son. “I’m…sorry. Very sorry, Archer. I wish it didn’t have to be this way.” “Yeah, you and me both, pal.” I wasn’t sure of the feelings that were coursing through me, feelings that I had absolutely no experience with. I felt numb all over, almost like someone had just dunked me in a bath of ice water. “So I’m going to offer you a few last words,” Death said “What I told Hadley.” What could Death possibly have to say to me now that would make any of this seem all right? “What?” “You did good, kid.” He clapped me on the shoulder again with something that might have been an affectionate smile, and then he was gone. I stood there in the middle of the janitor’s closet, staring at the wall, trying to collect my thoughts. When I finally did leave the stupid closet, I was no were near a plausible explanation that would account for why Mom and the girls would be going to Palermo and why Hadley would be going to Albany. Why I would suddenly be disappearing to God only knew where. "Archer?” Hadley looked up from the magazine she was flipping through in the waiting area and tried to get to her feet as I approached her. “Are you okay? How did it go with Lauren? I – “ I grabbed her face in my hands and kissed her, trying to convey everything I felt for her through the simple touch. When I leaned away from her, there was a dazed look on her face and her eyes were crossed, her arms hanging limply at her sides. “…What?” “You trust me, don’t you?” “Of course I do,” Hadley said immediately. “Of course I trust you. But I don’t – “ “Then I need you to trust me when I tell you that you have to go to home with Sophia tonight, okay?” “But why?” she demanded, frowning. “I don’t understand.” “I know,” I said, pressing my lips against hers again. “And I’m asking you to go even though you don’t understand.” I hadn’t told her what had just transpired in Lauren’s room, or the janitor’s closet with Death, but I got the feeling Hadley already knew everything when her eyes started brimming with tears. “Just…just promise me…” She dropped her forehead against my chest, breathing shakily. “Just be careful, all right?” I wrapped my arms around her, holding her close, resting my cheek against the top of her head. “Promise.” I had to convince myself that I wasn’t really saying goodbye to Hadley and that I could keep my promise to her. More like I was just saying see you later. Somewhere deep down I knew that I would never have the ability to let things end like this. This story had to have a proper ending. Not one full of death and destruction. But an ending where all of the hardships, everything you faced, were completely worth it, despite what you may have lost. Because in this story, I had everything to lose. And the one thing that I refused to lose was right in my arms.