bChapter /bb64 /b

Instead of using a portal, we opt to walk the kids through the space. It’s not like they really need any more unexpected events right now. Xavier makes a couple of theserge buggy–like things where we all gently ce the newborns and babies that can’t walk in them, with each bof /bbus /bpushing a buggy. Then we get the children who can walk to follow usb. /bbI /bwalk in front, while Levi and Xavier walk bat /bthe back of the group, and after about a minute, I realise a lot of the younger ones are getting distracted, and my brothers keep having to coax them into following the group. So, it’s the perfect excuse for me to be a bit of a show off as well. I use my magic to create coloured footprints that sparkle and shine bas /bbI /bwalk and without even looking, I can hear several little gasps and giggles as they follow the pretty rainbow of footprints. We make it to Levi’s hotel, yep, that’s what I’m going to call it, and he quickly walks up beside me to show me a single door which he quickly turns into a sparkly rainbow colour. “Stop trying to one–up me,” I whisper, and he grins.

b“/bOh, I don’t even have to try.” He winks and opens the door, where the kids squeal and push past us to run inside. He’s literally made an entire room of soft y equipment. It’s three stories high with tunnels and slides. He’s got a ball pit and foam blocks, and a maze of climbing and crawling things.

“Gods dammit,” I whisper.

b“/bCool, right?” He says cockily.

“You literally had less than ten minutes. How did you even think of all this?”

He shrugs. b“/bDon’t tell me you haven’t had dreams about what it’d be like to have our own pups.”

Yep. He’s got me there.

“Whoa, nice, Levi.” Xavier pats him on the shoulder bas /bbhe /bpushes his buggy through.

I quickly count the babies we haveb, /ba total of thirty, and then make a soft, fluffy bouncer for each of them to the side of the room. The guys help me get each little pup into oneb, /bstrapping them in safely and turning on little vibrations as they magically swing softly side bto /bside.

“I might keep this room for any kids that have toe here.” Levi muses quietly as he puts down thest baby, “Maybe I’ll make an open room on the side with some bcots /band bedsb…/bba /bbbig /bmovie bscreen/bb./bb” /b

“And lights bthat /blook like bstars/bb,/bb” /bI add. “That would be cool for any kid.”

“What happened to bthem/bb, /bXav?” Levi bsays/bb, /bturning his attention to my brother, who looks sadly at the kids as they y,

“That’s what we’re going to figure out. I need to go speak with Noah. Are you good here?”

b“/bbYeah/b, yeah, of bcourse/b. I’ll bget /bstarted on getting these guys sent off to bthe /bright ceb. /bbThey /bdon’t bdeserve /bto be stuck any longer than they have been.” Levi says bseriously/b.

“Oh, and Haidenb./bb” /bXavier bturns /bto meb. /b“I need to borrow someone from your waiting room.

b1 /bcock an eyebrow. “Are you allowed to do that? There’s a process you know. I point to me and then bLevi/bb,/bb” /b

b“/bFuck the process. We need to work out what Alpha Marcus is doing, Once Noah helps me to see ba /by–by–y of some events, then I’ll return the soul to the waiting room.”

“Okay, fine, fine. Just don’t lose it, okay? It’s enough of a mess bas /bit is in there without having to track down a missing soul.”

“Yeahb, /bgot it.”

“Come on, I’ll help you find who you’re looking for.”

We portal back to the waiting room and bI /bask Xavier who exactly it is he’s looking for. Marius Mae. He was literally here just before the kidsb. /bEveryone gets a magic bstamp /bwith a number and is sent to the back of the line until I get to speak with them. It took me way too long to stamp everyone who was already here, so I knew who needed to go next. Once I exin and take a soul to the motel, then their numbers change, so number one is always the next in line. Marius is literally right down the end of the line. I motion for Xavier to follow meb, /band for the second time todayb, /b

bI /bmake the incredibly long walk bdown /bbthe /bhall with souls lined on either side, sitting patiently. Everyone looks bup /bwhen we pass, most probably hopeful they’ll be pushed bto /bthe front of the line. When we finally get to the end, Marius looks up and sighs.

“I didn’t realise the bwaiting /bline to hell was so longb./bb” /bHe points up the hall.

bDo /byou like Uus story?

bADD /bTO LIBRARY

1:01 PM P bP /b

“bIt’s /bnot specifically a one–way ticket to hell. You get processed from bhere /bwith all the information you need to a hotel of sorts, from there you get evaluated on your life to bsee /bif you will go up or downb./b” I point in both directions. “Think of this bas /ba sort of in–between ceb. /bEither way, we can talk about all of that when you get back.”

“Where am bI /bgoing?” He pales slightly.

“With me,” Xavier says sternly.

“Why?”

“Because I need answers.”

“But I told you everything I know already!” His voice rises in a panic, and I decide to intervene. I don’t need all these souls to be distressed because of this.

“Thank you for doing that, but I think Xavier here needs to have a look inside your mind to see if there are any details you may have missed. Anything that might help those kids. That’s what you were trying to do, right? You wanted to help themb?” /b

b“/bYes.” He says quickly.

“Then help themb. /bGo with Xavier and help them.”

He nods once, standing and following Xavier through a portal. Poor guy, whether he deserves it or not, he’s going to see what hell really looks like today.

bThis work/bb, /bbGoddess /bbof /bthe bUnderworld /bbby /bbSheridan /bbHartin/bb, /bbis /bban /bbexclusive /bbintellectual /bbproperty /bblegally /bbcontracted /bbwith /bbNovelSnack/bb. /bbAny /bbreproduction/bb, /bbdistribution/bb, /bor bupload /boutside bNovelFlow/bb, /bbAnyStories/bb, /bbNovGo/bb, /bband /bbReadink is /bbunauthorized /bband /bconstitutes bcopyright /bbinfringement/b.

bChapter /bbComments /b

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