I was about to shift my body again, hoping it was just my tiny movements causing the problem when raucous laughter burst out behind me. It set my teeth on edge. I clambered to my feet with a hiss of pain, eyeing them with immense dislike.

“Did you actually think that was gonna work?” Gabe guffawed, his mirth-filled face just begging to be punched. I clenched my fists but did nothing more. Who knew how many others might be lurking? I had no idea of the scope of Heaven. If it was anything like Hell, well, I might be bigger than these three, but I’d be very swiftly outnumbered if they called for reinforcements.

“He truly thought he was going to just portal out of here!” Raphe cackled.

“She is the only one who can create portals out of Heaven,” Mike explained with that awful smirk plastered all over his stupid face. “So, I’ll ask you again. Would you like to meet with Her?”

“Might be the only way to get outta here, Boss,” Beezle yipped.

“Fine,” I grumbled. The angels parted, and I got my first good look at where I was now that the mist had cleared.

I peered around at what looked like the lobby of a very swanky human hotel. Cream carpet, plush velvet lounges, thriving indoor plants and large windows that let in some form of light that seemed completely unlike anything I’d ever experienced before.

At the far end of the room, behind a reception desk completely inlaid with mother of pearl, was a double set of gold, handle-less doors. They reminded me of the doors to the elevator box thing that I’d used in the hospital the day I’d visited Jemma there, although these were much more impressive.

Bitterness rose like bile in the back of my throat. “I thought the gates were meant to be pearly. Not the reception desk.”

Mike shrugged. “We’ve modernised. Done some renovations.”

I snorted. “Clearly, stealing souls that should have been Hell-bound has been a very lucrative venture for Heaven, to be able to afford this sort of luxury.”

Mike chuckled, like I was a toddler who had just adorably mispronounced a big word. “Perhaps the surrounds just match the ruler …”

My fists clenched by my sides, but I couldn’t entirely deny it. Had my father’s personality, and those of his predecessors, shaped what Hell looked like today? But no, that couldn’t be right. Hell was always meant to be a place of cruelty, misery and torture. And Father and Hellen seemed completely at home there, in a place I’d never truly loved.

“What is this place?” I asked.

“It’s Heaven …” Gabe’s eye-roll was practically audible, the sarcasm oozing from his mouth.

My teeth ground together. “I know that. I meant this room, specifically.” I spoke slowly, like I was talking to a very stupid person. Angels were notorious dullards, from what I’d heard.