Chapter 123: Gate

When we reached outside of the city, Natalia stretched her hand out to me.
"Where to, boss?"
"Back to my room. We need to get Sandriel on board next."
"Heaven doesn't like to make deals."
"I've made one with them before. It's okay." I took her hand.
The shadows covered us, then the cold. A moment later, my room brightened into view around us. Sandriel sat on the bed.
"Took you long enough."
"We were gone for a minute," Natalia said.
"And in hell time that's hours," he said.
"Yes, it was hours. Its own kind of torture," Natalia said. "Your turn. You get to see our new boss in action."
I raised my eyebrows at her. "It wasn't very impressive."
Natalia shrugged. "Impressive enough for me."
I held my hand out to Sandriel. "Ready?"
"I guess so."
He took my hand and pulled me close to him. His arm came up around my waist. I held on to his strong shoulders as his wings popped loose. He jumped through the window. His wing caught the wind and we flew through the air. The city disappeared quickly beneath my feet. Slowly the night sky turned to white fluffy clouds as we passed the boundary. I could feel it like a stiff wind as we passed through it.
We approached heaven's golden gate. The white puffy clouds drifted about the blue sky lazily. Last time I had just appeared where I needed to be. This time it seemed we were taking the scenic route.
"Why can't you just pop me into the place with all the desks?" I asked.
"Only upper-level angels can do that."
I nodded in understanding. He seemed a little down about that, but that meant his price was cheaper. That would be good for me.
He led the way through the golden gates and the pearlescent brick road. It wound into a pearly white city full of domed towers. The city held a similar feel as hell. People were dressed in white, but still walked like we weren't even there. They were too busy to care about one another.
Sandriel led me to a white building to the side of the center. When we walked in, we appeared in an open white area. In the distance, things faded into white clouds. The white marble beneath my feet clicked under my boots. We walked until we arrived at the first desk. I recognized the man, the information man.
He paled a little when he saw me.
"Hello," I said flatly.
"Hello, how can I help you?" He asked.
I opened my bag and let the remaining crystals tumble on his desk. He looked at the nine crystals then up at me.
"I'd like to purchase this angel."
"Right, you need to submit an application for..." He looked at my face.
"Do you know where I got these crystals?" I asked him quietly.
He shook his head ever so slightly.
"They're from me. I made them." I twirled my fingers around. The nine crystals rose off the desk and swirled around his head.
"I have way more control over these crystals than I did that last one. Is this payment enough for Sandriel?"
He gave a slight nod.
"Great, do you have someone that can fill out the proper paperwork and get me his contract?"
He nodded again.
"Wonderful. Can you make that happen? Now?"
He tapped a few times at his screen. An angel swooped down next to the desk with a contract in hand. He slapped the contract on the table. I let the crystals float down and settle on the desk. The information man filled out a few lines on the contract then turned it around for me to sign. I pricked my finger with the blade of the Aurora Sword. A small drop of blood splashed on the paper. My signature appeared as the blood disappeared.
He stamped it and slid the paper over to me.
"Right, you now own Sandriel."
I smiled at him as sweetly as I could manage. "Thank you. Nice doing business with heaven."
He narrowed his eyes at me. I smiled again and left. Sandriel hesitated a moment then followed after me.
"What was that about?"
"I bought Angandriel last time I was here."
"And I take it, it didn't go well?" He asked.
"Oh, it went fine. I just threatened to blow up heaven a little bit. I think he remembered me."
"I see. Heaven doesn't really like it when you break the rules."
"Well, I haven't seen any repercussions yet."
"That's because the paperwork makes it take longer. Trust me, they will exact their revenge."
"Let them. I don't like playing all these silly games. I will just have to be ready for them when they come for me."
"You realize heaven is the biggest contract holder along with hell in all the realms. You can't just fight them."
I shrugged. "I'll figure it out. Right now, I need you two to save Kezia. Maybe by the time heaven catches up with me, I'll already be dead."
"That won't save you from the outcome."
We reached the main entrance next to the gates. I turned to him. He picked me up by the waist, and we flew away from heaven.
When we landed back in my room, it was Natalia who was sitting on the bed this time.
"Ten minutes," she said. "Welcome back, boss. Now that you own us, what do you want us to do?"
"I need you to save Kezia and Amy. Kezia is my cousin and Amy is her niece or cousin or something. I can't leave here in case one of the other factions attacks, but you two should be able to go in and steal her away. She's probably in Utah at the major node point of the lay lines. The darkness has her."
"The darkness?" Sandriel asked.
I nodded. "Yes. She took over my former roommate's body, and now she wants to trade Kezia for me. Try to find Amy, too. Also, she has my former guardian demon under contract. Try not to hurt him, but don't let him kill you."
They shared a look.
"And don't trust anything the darkness says. She's a huge manipulator. Got it?"
They both nodded.
"Whatever you say, boss. I will do my best." Natalia saluted.
Sandriel nodded. "Me, too."
"Good luck. Please be careful," I said.
Natalia disappeared, and Sandriel took off through the window. I stared after him for a while. A huge pit settled in my stomach. I had done everything I could for Kezia. Now I just had to wait and see how things played out.