The guys glance at each other as if wondering whether I’ve lost my mind. ‘No one voluntarily goes into the Pit,’ says Raffe, scowling at me.

‘And once you’re in, you don’t get out without being let out by the Pit lords,’ says Josiah. ‘That’s the problem with the Pit. Otherwise, newly Fallen angels would be rescued left and right.’

‘Besides,’ says Raffe, looking at Beliel. ‘The Watchers aren’t what they used to be.’

‘What if we could get the Watchers you remember?’ I ask. I nod toward Beliel. ‘The Watchers he remembers?’

Raffe looks back at me, and I see a spark of interest.

Chapter 34

34

We half drag, half fly Beliel’s cage off the torn grass toward an outer building that’s out of sight of the main hotel.

‘Do we have any reason to believe it’ll work both ways?’ asks Josiah.

‘I was hoping you guys would know,’ I say.

‘There are ancient stories of hellions jumping out through very powerful swords,’ says Raffe. ‘But there’s never been a reason to jump into the Pit.’

‘You mean to tell me that I discovered a talent of your beloved swords that even you guys didn’t know about?’ I pull as hard as I can on the cage bars.

‘You seem to bring out new and unimagined dimensions from both me and Kooky Bear.’

‘Pooky Bear.’

‘Right.’

I step over a hole that someone must have crawled out of.

‘Come on. Say it, Raffe.’ I give him a half smile. ‘I love it when you say Pooky Bear. It’s just so perfect when it comes out of your mouth.’

‘She might kill you in your sleep one of these days just so she can get rid of that name.’

‘Can’t she have a new name now that she can be with you again?’

‘You were her last solo wielder, so she’s stuck with the name until she gets a new solo wielder.’

I keep expecting him to ask for his sword now that he has his angel wings back, but he hasn’t. I wonder if he’s still annoyed with her for showing me his private moments. I can feel Pooky Bear’s yearning to be held by him, but I don’t say anything. This is one fight I should stay out of.

We set the cage down behind the outer building. It’s quiet and deserted here.

Josiah shakes his head but is no longer arguing against the idea. He’s right. We all agree that it’s a terrible plan. But when Raffe asked him to come up with a less terrible idea, he didn’t have one.

Now that it’s time, my hands tremble as I pull out the sword.