types were afraid to get your whites dirty.”
I can’t believe she’s talking to Yeats like that. Even more unbelievable is the grin on his face. “Now, Al, you know if it weren’t for my kind, your job would be a whole lot harder.”
“If you say so.” She looks me up and down. “What’s with your plus one? Why is she here? I can tell she hasn’t been through Judgment yet.”
How does she know that? Do I have a stamp on my forehead or something?
“We’re trying to figure that out,” Yeats answers candidly.
As if hearing an inaudible warning bell, Al and Cerberus turn at the same time. “Hey,” she yells at a soul trying to sneak out of line. “You kill eight people and fail to show any remorse, you go in there. Try getting away again and Fluffy will be picking his teeth with your bones.”
She doesn’t wait to see if he gets back in line before turning back.
“Wait,” I say. “How do souls have bones?”
Al lets out another cackle. “It’s a figure of speech. Obviously Cerberus won’t eat them.”
“Oh,” I say with relief.
“They’ll spend eternity in his bowels.”
“That’s just gross.”
Al laughs again. “So, Yeats, is she the soul everyone’s talking about?” she asks as she wipes a tear from the corner of her eye.
“Yes,” Yeats answers just as Hazel arrives.
After casting a curt nod in Al’s direction, she asks, “What are you doing here? We’re supposed to drop her off with Peter and talk to the Gatekeeper.”
“She didn’t know who Cerberus was,” Yeats answers.
Hazel stares at him in disbelief. “How is that our problem?”
“Hey, Halo, relax,” Al says. “We were just making small talk.”
Hazel looks at her, not bothering to hide her disgust. “Make sure the mutt doesn’t get his paw prints on my robe.”
From deep in his throat, Cerberus issues a low warning growl, but Hazel ignores it. “We need to get her to Peter,” she says to Yeats.
“Okay. We’ll be right there,” he answers.
As Hazel stalks off, Al gives a hiss. My Guardian pauses for an instant, her hands clenching into fists at her side, and then continues on.
“You shouldn’t goad her like that,” Yeats says with a shake of his head. “When will you two learn to get along?”
“Hey,” Al answers, “I tried, but when Miss High and Mighty got promoted to Guardian, she couldn’t get out of this place fast enough.”
“Not everyone is made out for the Gates,” Yeats says, patting Al’s arm. “Especially the one that leads downstairs.” Glancing at me, he adds, “I better deliver you to Peter.”
“Tell the Bishop I said hello,” Al says, and then looking in my directions adds, “Feel free to swing by and talk if you get bored hanging out with the goodie-goodies.” As before, her head snaps back to the line of people waiting to enter the mouth of the cave. “Don’t make me release the hound,” her voice booms. “Trust me, you will be wishing for a fiery inferno when he gets done with you.”
“Looks like you have your hands full,” Yeats says, surveying the scene.
Al shakes her head in disgust. “Why is it when humans wage a war against each other in the name of religion, I end up dealing with a bunch of idiots?” She turns without saying goodbye and souls scramble out of her way.
“I like her,” I say to Yeats as we make our way to where Hazel is waiting. “The dog, not so much, but Al’s cool.”
He laughs and I realize the sound doesn’t hurt my head as much. “Alexandra has been Cerberus’s handler since the beginning of time. She’s seen everything and it’s given her a sick sense of humor. Still, there are few who can see the best and the worst in a person like she can. Back before Peter arrived, she handled the flow of all incoming souls. Of course, there weren’t as many people on Earth back then.”
I look around at the multitude of souls, each speaking different languages and wearing clothes I’ve only seen on the news or on the National Geographic channel. “When Peter arrived, she got the short straw and now has to hang out at the mouth of Hell?”
Yeats nods. “Cerberus still had a job to do and without her controlling him, well, let’s just say chaos would be redefined.” We cross an invisible center line between Heaven and Hell and there is an immediate change in the energy. For one thing, people aren’t trying to get out of line. Instead, it’s like