Page 33 of Devils and the Dead
“He sounds wonderful.” Maude reached out and patted my arm. “You should tell him about me. People should never begin a relationship with such secrets between them.”
“I will tell him. Just not yet.” I eyed my coffee cup, miserable that I might not be able to help Maude. “I want to see if there’s any hope of fully resurrecting you first, because me telling him is going to end up with you dead once more.”
She leaned back in her chair, studying me for a moment. “Then so be it. I would love to live a second life, but not if it ruins this chance for you and a nice young man. I had one good life. And you said I came from heaven, so being dead again wouldn’t be so bad. It’s not like I’d be going back to torture and lava pits.”
“It’s clouds and harps and choirs singing the same three songs over and over on repeat,” I insisted, because that sounded just as bad as torture and lava pits in my book.
She shrugged. “Even if you resurrect me, I’ll end up back there in another fifty years or so. Like I said, I don’t want my desire for a second life to ruin yours.”
I slid my arm back, catching her hand in mine. Gently. Because I didn’t want to accidently damage the fragile, decayed skin covering her bones.
“You listen to me, Maude Hoffman.” My eyes met and held hers. “You living a second life is not going to ruin mine. I will do everything within my power to help you have a second life here, fully resurrected and able to walk around, work, bake, make friends, maybe even find love. If Hades can’t understand the reasons why I want that, then he’s not the man for me.”
Oddly, the more I thought about confessing, the better I felt about it. Hades struck me as a thoughtful, logical man. He’d understand that I’d screwed up, that I was trying to make the best of it. And if he was who I thought he was, he’d help meandwork to prevent a war between heaven and hell.
“Hades got roped into this thing. He’s not a demon, and it’s not at all in his job description to track down lost souls,” I told Maude. “He’s an architect. He’s smart, creative, and kind.” I suddenly had an idea. “If I manage to resurrect you, and you live out a normal human lifespan, then after your death, maybe you could go to Hades’s afterlife. It sounds lovely. I’m hoping to go there after I die.”
I told her about Hades’s Underworld and described the afterlife he’d created.
Maude smiled. “That sounds lovely. Much better than the clouds and harp music, although I don’t think I’d really mind clouds and harp music.”
I let out a breath, so happy that I’d told Maude. I felt better about the whole situation. And I was resolved to tell Hades the whole secret after dinner. Or maybe the next day. Soon. I’d tell him soon.
And now for the less pleasant part of our conversation.
“When I went to see Rita yesterday, she told me that her Aunt Edna is convinced that you have risen from the grave.” I frowned at Maude. “This Aunt Edna thinks you were standing in front of her—not in a sheet this time—and that you left her the recipe for the peach crumble.”
Instead of appearing defensive, Maude seemed to deflate before my eyes.
“I’m so sorry, Babylon. I won’t do it again. She was asleep, and I thought she’d assume she dreamed I was there.”
“And dream the recipe you left for her?” I asked.
Maude looked down at the table. “She told me she’d lost it. That was my award-winning peach crumble recipe. I couldn’t let it be lost forever. Future generations should be able to make and enjoy my famous peach crumble.”
I sighed. What was done, was done. And Maude had promised not to do it again. “I hope I can find a resurrection spell that works. Then you truly can visit your family. Maybe you can say you’re a long-lost distant cousin or something.”
She smiled. “I’d like that. Instead of Maude Hoffman, or even Mary Ann Hoffman, I think I’d like to be known as Ann Flemming. That was my maiden name, you know. And I always liked my middle name. Ann Flemming. What do you think?”
“I love it. Should I start calling you Ann?” I asked.
She thought about that a moment. “After I’m resurrected. It will be my new name. And if you can’t resurrect me, and I need to return to heaven, I’ll continue to be Maude.”
Now I was doubly motivated to make sure Maude had a second life—one as Ann.
* * *
I was up early not justto talk to Maude, but to go to Accident and see what I could find out about elves—one elf in particular. But before I went to speak to the fairies, I needed to talk to Cassie.
I showered and took special care picking out my clothing. Then I added another cute outfit and some dressy boots to a duffle bag, just in case I got dirty in the course of my investigation.
After all, I had a man to impress at tonight’s family dinner.
It took quite a lot of banging on Cassie’s door for her to answer. I saw both her and Lucien’s cars in the driveway, so I wasn’t sure what was taking so long until she opened the door. My sister’s hair was a tangled mess, her lips swollen, the T-shirt she wore was on inside-out and backwards. As she swung the door wide, the hem of said shirt rose and I quickly averted my eyes.
“You’re flashing some snatch there, Cassie. Couchie alert,” I told her.
Yes, she was my sister, but there were some things I really didn’t need to see—especially at ten o’clock in the morning.
