Epilogue
Suzi returned to her routine, the hallowed halls of the funeral home keeping her clandestine secrets. Mr. Endicott’s final journey was hers to orchestrate. She alone knew the casket’s hidden passengers.
The clock mocked her as morning stretched into the afternoon. Twenty-six hours since her plea for Aiden’s life, and still no reckoning. She called the hospital, reassured by the unchanged status. Reed, Rio, Kara, Ruby, Charles, Maeve, and Lilly—all accounted for. Even her Alexa camera confirmed Ygritte’s well-being. Tom and his Tomettes, too, remained unscathed.
Don Bowers, grateful for her work with his son, offered pro bono assistance in patenting her 3D Reconstruction process. The Burch-McCord Reconstruction Process—was poised to revolutionize the field.
The Bowers family’s generosity flowed beyond gratitude, also funding the Jatha Washington Foundation, a non-profit Nick and Lynn run to support the funeral needs of less fortunate families. Nick recognized that this would not have happened if it had not been for Suzi's work with their son and asked Suzi to be a business partner in the foundation's operation. She accepted.
Jo, eager to learn, became her apprentice. Nick’s other homes awaited their reconstructions, and promises from colleagues ensured a steady stream of work. Suzi vowed to resume their visits to retirement communities, balancing duty and compassion. Amidst it all, Doyle’s advances persisted, but Jo remained untouched.
That evening, after checking in with everyone again, and relaxing with Ygritte after getting home from the hospital, she decided to check in with Guillermo. She sat on the bed, concentrated, and transitioned into the place where all of her personalities lived.
The new persona room still remained empty.
Suzi tried to reach Kariel, but silence met her calls. No angelic light bathed the room. Judas shared her concern.
“Miraleth? Can you hear me?” Suzi asked, not expecting an answer.
“I am here, Demon Reaper,” Miraleth’s voice replied.
“Demon Reaper? I kinda like that,” Spike spoke up.
“Can you tell me what happened to Kariel?” Suzi asked, her voice edged with desperation.
Miraleth’s reply was cryptic. “Favors bear a price, celestial and angelic alike.”
“So, my payment is silence?” Suzi pressed.
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“I cannot say,” Miraleth answered, leaving her adrift.
Exiting Guillermo, Suzi delved into the Ether. She thought of Aiden. His faint aura pulsed in the hospital room. She thought of Kariel, but nothing responded. The price remained elusive, and Suzi wondered if her favor cost her more than she dared imagine.
“Is this my punishment?” Suzi’s thoughts echoed through the void. The silver-white light materialized, small at first, then expanding until it consumed her consciousness. All other auras in the Ether faded, leaving only brilliance.
“This is not punishment,” a booming voice declared. “Kariel accepted her payment and will serve as a human soul for 100 years on the Prime Plane.”
“Who are you? And what do you mean—she’s a human now?” Suzi’s mind raced, grappling with the revelation.
“My name is Lahabiel,” the voice thundered. “Her new vessel was just created today.”
“Okay. So, what is my part of the payment for the favor?” Suzi pressed, her apprehension mounting.
“The die has already been cast, and payment has already been taken,” Lahabiel replied cryptically.
“Was it small? Big? Did it drain my bank account?” Suzi’s frustration bubbled. She needed clarity.
“Kariel was generous in her allowances to you,” Lahabiel said sternly. “I will not be so. Foolishness will not be tolerated. My duties extend only to what pertains to your celestial responsibilities.”
“Does ‘Lahabiel’ translate to ‘stick in the mud’ in Angelic?” Suzi quipped, testing the angel’s patience.
“No. ‘Lahabiel’ means ‘he who protects.’ ‘Stick in the mud’ would be ‘xud uzo fet’,” Lahabiel corrected.
As he spoke, Suzi understood the unfamiliar language. It resonated within her, unlocking forgotten knowledge.
“Get real with me, Laha bro. What is my payment for Kariel’s favor?” Suzi’s impatience flared.
“Your payment will be evident when made clear to you,” Lahabiel replied, irritation coloring his tone. “Is there anything else?”
“Yeah. Why do you appear as just a light, but Kariel was a full-bodied aura or even made herself look human in my head?”
“You bound a demon to Kariel. I won’t take the same risk. With no tangible form, you cannot bind anything to me,” the angel’s light explained.
“Fair enough. Maybe what I did wasn’t right, but it came from love,” Suzi defended herself.
“Kariel’s past indiscretions left her vulnerable. You’re growing but still erratic. A loose cannon,” Lahabiel admonished.
“Give me training!” Suzi urged.
“There is no official training for celestials. Most fail. Most turn to selfish acts or learn to take no action at all.”
“To be fair, your design in the whole celestial methodology is flawed.”
The bright, silver light was never moving to begin with, but now it seemed to move even less. It was completely and utterly still and silent. Suzi began to wonder if time had stopped.
“The design is HIS,” the booming voice finally said.
“Maybe I need to take it up with HIM then,” she said sarcastically.
“This conversation has met its finality. Farewell, Demon Reaper.”
Before she could object, she found herself thrust into reality with what she felt was a rougher-than-necessary transition, but not nearly as rough as when Kariel threw her out last time. She pushed too hard. She lost Kariel. She didn’t get to ask about Zayne. She was ninety-eight percent sure that her angelic contact hated her. And she still didn’t know what her ‘payment’ was.
Suzi thought Kariel’s payment of 100 years on Earth as a human seemed a bit steep. She thought saving a life would have been part of an angel’s job description.
“If that is frowned upon, then all of those doctors, nurses, and firefighters are fuuuuucked!” she thought to herself.
“Mmmm... firefighter,” Annie drooled. “That is the kind of smoked meat I like.”