there are still some things I fear. Showing up at Jerome's this early in the morning with you in tow is one of them. What's so important? Did you come up with a name for the bowling team?"
I held out the memo I'd received. Even before he looked at it closely, Carter's smile fell. I didn't doubt that the paper had some type of Hellish residue that my senses couldn't pick up. When he didn't take the note, I simply set it down in front of him to read.
"A transfer, huh?" His tone was odd, almost like he wasn't surprised.
"Allegedly. But I have to assume there's some kind of mistake. Jerome is supposed to meet with me first, you know? And you saw him last night. There was no indication that anything weird was going. Well. Weirder than usual." I tapped the paper angrily. "Someone in HR messed up and sent this on accident."
"You think so?" asked Carter sadly.
"Well, I certainly don't think Hell's infallible. And I don't see any reason why I would be transferred." Carter didn't answer, and I studied him carefully. "Why? Do you know of some reason?"
Carter still didn't reply right away and instead downed his drink. "I know Hell well enough to know they don't need a reason."
A strange feeling settled over me. "But you do know of one, don't you? You aren't that shocked by this."
"Hell doesn't really surprise me anymore either."
"Damn it, Carter!" I exclaimed. "You're not answering my questions. You're doing that stupid half-truth thing angels do."
"We can't lie, Georgina. But we can't always tell you everything either. There are rules in the universe that even we can't break. Can I have another?" he called to the bartender. "A double this time."
The bartender strolled over, arching an eyebrow at Carter's request. "Kind of early for that, don't you think?"
"It's turning into one of those days," said Carter.
The bartender nodded sagely and liberally refilled the glass before leaving us alone again.
"Carter," I hissed. "What do you know? Is this transfer real? Do you know why I got it?"
Carter pretended to be intrigued by the light sparkling on his whiskey again. But when he suddenly turned the full force of his gaze on me, I gasped. It was this thing he did sometimes, like he was peering into my soul. Only, there was more to it this time. It was as though for a brief moment, his eyes held all the sadness in the world.
"I don't know if it was a mistake," he said. "Maybe it is. Your people certainly get their wires crossed often enough. If it's legitimate . . . if it is, then no, I'm not surprised. I can think of a million reasons, some better than others, for why they would want to move you out of Seattle. None of which I can tell you," he added sharply, seeing me start to interrogate him. "Like I said, there are rules to this game, and I have to obey them."
"It's not a game!" I exclaimed. "It's my life."
A rueful smile played over the angel's lips. "Same difference, as far as Hell's concerned."
Within me, I began to feel an echo of that terrible sadness I'd briefly seen in his eyes. "What do I do?" I asked quietly.
That seemed to catch Carter off guard. I demanded answers from him all the time, clues to figuring out the many puzzles that seemed to follow me around. I was pretty sure, however, that this was the first time I'd simply asked for such open-ended life advice.
"Let me guess," I said, seeing him gape. "You can't tell me."
His expression softened. "Not in specifics, no. First, you need to find out if this was an error. If it was, then that'll make everyone's life easier."
"I need Jerome for that," I said. "Maybe Hugh or Mei would know."
"Maybe," said Carter, though it didn't sound like he believed it. "Eventually, Jerome will pick up his phone. Then you'll know."
"And if it is real?" I asked. "Then what?"
"Then, you may have to start packing."
"That's it? That's all I can do?" Even as I said the words, I knew they were true. You couldn't refuse something like this. I'd had dozens of transfers to prove it.
"Yes," said Carter. "We both know you don't have a choice there. The question is, how are you going to let this affect your future?"
I frowned, starting to get lost in angel logic. "What do you mean?"
He hesitated, as though reconsidering what he was about to