Page 94 of Living with Death

“As you would expect. But she keeps an eye on their children. She watches them from afar and sometimes becomes friends with them.”

“And moving? How has she handled that?”

“You know she can choose to live here, right?” Michael says.

“I don’t think she’ll want to. At least not right now.”

“That’s understandable,” he says.

“Morgan doesn’t mind it. It gives her something to do when she’s not working as a therapist for children. Helping them with their nightmares and sleep disorders.”

“What will Mabel do with her time?” Michael asks.

I shrug. “Perhaps she’ll remodel homes. She’s doing a fantastic job with hers, but she also likes to help people. It’ll be for her to decide.”

They both nod in agreement.

“Well, I know what you came here for.” Michael opens his pale hand, and a swirl of white mixed with stars and golden glitter forms above his palm. Two rings fall from the galaxy—black with stars resembling diamonds.

“Rings of magic, which will bond Mabel and you forever.” He drops them onto my hand. “Once you place this on her finger, it will be done. She’ll sleep, and when she wakes, she will be immortal.”

“It does something to the heart and mind,” Hypnos says, waving his hand. “I’ll make sure she sleeps deep so she won’t feel a thing.”

I give him a look.

“She’ll be fine,” he assures.

I nod, closing my fingers over the rings. “Thank you.”

“Congratulations,” Michael says.

“We’ll have dinner,” Hypnos says. “Morgan would love to meet her. If Mabel says yes, of course.” He winks.

I give him the finger before blackness swirls around me, and I vanish before them.

Chapter Thirty-Six

The wind whips around us as Azrael holds me in his arms. Black wings stretch behind him, and the golden sun covers us. This afternoon I was standing on a ladder, hanging orange and purple lights around the house when he approached me—wearing a tentative smile.

“I want to take you somewhere,” he said, his eyes darted to the blow-up Halloween decor that now covered my yard.

“Where?” I asked, with a nail between my lips.

“Just get your coat.”

I looked down at him. “Should I change?” I was in jeans and a sweater that said Boo. Yes, the Halloween bug had bitten me.

“No. Just grab your coat.”

“Okay, can I finish hanging these first?”

He looked behind him and then waved a hand. The lights rose and went into place.

My eyes widened. “You could have saved me some time.”

He laughed, holding out his hand. “Come.”

I climbed down and retrieved my coat. We went through the house to the backyard and took to the sky above the clouds so no one would see us.

---