“Who says Heaven doesn’t have them?”
She opened her mouth to deny it, only to say, “There are angels living in places like this, aren’t there?”
“Even if there weren’t, you have to admit this is way nicer than what you described.”
She glanced at him. “I hate it when you point things like that out.”
His lips quirked. “Funny how the truth in this conversation is the problem. Isn’t your God all about not lying?”
The pinch of her lips acted as a reply. She moved into the space, taking in the details. The fluted chimney came down into an egg-shaped fireplace split in the middle to show off blue flames. Only as she neared did she notice it emitted cold air, not hot. It helped with the sweltering dry heat she’d experienced outside.
A large curved couch wrapped around part of the coldplace, smooth and cream colored. A counter flanked the other side. Beyond it was the kitchen.
Julio whistled as he opened the fridge. “Damn, you got a working one. Even better, you’re being spoiled. Cold beer for me, and for the lady, a spiked lemonade.”
“Sounds painful.”
“It’s delicious. Here.” He handed her a bottle, and she took a sip to find it tangy and sweet with a bite.
“This is more of that fire water,” she exclaimed, holding it out from her.
“It’s called alcohol, Curls.”
“Drinking is a sin.”
“Are we still keeping count?” he asked, heading for the wide bank of windows. Once more, he uttered a low whistle. “Check this out.”
As she stood by his side, gazing outward, she blinked. For one, she’d expected ashy clouds. After all, the windows remained dark, but the blackness was only because they looked upon a universe.
Sort of.
Peering out she saw the ball of Earth with its moon and planets and stars and sun. At the same time, within, and yet not, as if a mirage she could only see if looking a certain way, she saw Hell. Her mind sought to understand the inverted sphere of its existence—and failed.
Then there was a gray fog of nothing. Could it be the fabled Limbo?
Within, and not at the same time, were the rigid lines of Heaven. Lattice upon axis upon vertices.
That wasn’t the end of it, though. There were more places of existence. Some purely made of liquid. Others of fire. Ice. Something she couldn’t even name.
This couldn’t be real.
She touched the glass, and the image in the window stabilized to that of Heaven. Zoomed in almost dizzyingly fast before hovering above the nursery. She’d never seen it from this angle, and yet she recognized it.
“What is that place?” Julio asked, standing behind her.
“That was my home.” Did he notice her use of the past tense?
“Seems”—he cocked his head—“very clean.”
“It is. Pristine and mostly white. Color is chaotic.”
“I’m surprised you’re allowed hair, skin, or eye color,” he noted.
“That’s not something that can be changed, although some nannies choose to shave their hair.” She ran a hand over her curls. “I didn’t because I like it.”
“Me, too.”
His words made her shy, and she ducked her head. “Hell is not what I expected.”
“And you’re not what I’d have expected either.” He pulled her against him.
She tilted her head to keep their gazes locked. “Is it wrong I like being here with you?”
“You need to reevaluate your concept of right and wrong.”
“How?”
“By experiencing things, because you ain’t seen nothing yet.” He dropped a light kiss on her lips, and her eyes closed in anticipation of more. Instead he tapped her buttocks and snapped, “Let’s go exploring, Curls. I know a psychic who makes a mean souvlaki and can tell you your future at the same time.”
The only future she wanted was standing right in front of her.
But she went exploring with him. Ate some of the best souvlaki. Met the very pregnant Sasha, who, at times, appeared to be arguing with someone she called the future. Sometimes she would spout vague things such as numbers at random, but she said the weirdest thing as they were leaving. “Don’t let her swallow it.”
Who swallow what?
Sasha the psychic never said.
As they walked back to the gate to return to the second ring, because only the devil’s family or highly placed minions got the first, she held Julio’s hand. Her heart full. Her lips pulled in a smile. This was happiness.
She’d turned to say something when she heard a strange sound overhead. A glance showed a long pink shape gliding past.
“What is that?” she exclaimed.
“Dragon.”
“They don’t exist.”
“You just saw one. Care to rephrase?”
“But it was pink. In the stories they are green or gray, red only in fiction.”
He snorted. “That’s the devil’s doing. He gave the pink dragon to his granddaughter. I hear his daughter Muriel was pissed. Apparently, the kid is a bit of an escape artist.”
“The devil has more than one child? And a grandchild?” The concept was odd given Elyon only ever had the one son. Although she’d heard rumors after his imprisonment there might be another. And it wasn’t an immaculate conception.
“He does have family, but rumor has it his kids don’t live to be old. He kills them the moment they start coming after his throne.”
“That’s horrible.”
“He’s the devil,” was his reply.
A devil who proved to be complex. Actually, everyone she’d met had layers to them that made engaging with them fascinating. But the one that intrigued her most accompanied her into the home she’d been given in Hell.
Julio said, “You should have a bath.”
She wrinkled her nose. “I’d prefer a quick shower.” She enjoyed Earth’s hot water that emerged from a spout rather than the cool basins for bathing in Heaven.
“You only think that because you’ve never been in a Jacuzzi plunge pool. Come on, I’ll show you how it works.”
He took her to a wall of windows, only for her to realize the windows slid aside to reveal a bathroom with a water hole in the floor.
Julio had shed his shoes already and dipped a toe in. “Perfect temperature.”
She followed his example and, after removing her footwear, tested the surface of the water.
Hot.
Fragrant, too, she noticed, sniffing the steam.
“Get in.”
Since he seemed insistent, she stepped down into it, noticing the stairs underwater.
Julio laughed. “You were supposed to take your clothes off first.”
“But you’re here.”
“Bodies are a natural thing. Clothes aren’t, or we’d be born with them.”
The argument forced her to think. “Nudity is a sin.” What she fell back on since she didn’t have a good rebuttal.
“I thought we’d agreed most of your rules are bullshit.”
“If bodies are natural, then why are you dressed?” she blurted out.
“I thought you’d never ask.” It didn’t take him long to divest himself, but she stopped watching after the shirt came off and showed off the slabs of muscle across his chest. His cloak remained but was just a shadow at his back, that did nothing to hide his body.