Chapter 12

“This is where the souls remain once they enter my realm,” Mikhail explained. “The Pool of Caeli is the last stop a soul makes before it continues on to Heaven or Hell. The deeds one does, the decisions one makes in life are weighed against each other here.”

“Who makes the final judgment?” Andrew asked as he peered into the shimmering depths of the pool. “Do you?”

“No. Michael and Gabriel do, which is why Gabriel was here before. When a human dies, Azrael brings the soul here. The removal of the soul from the body is gentle if the person was good in life.”

“And if the person wasn’t?”

Mikhail looked over at Andrew. “Then the Angel of Death rips the soul free with his scythe.”

Andrew swallowed hard. “Um. Ow.”

“To put it mildly.” Mikhail grinned and waved toward a door across the room. “That way. There’s still more to show you.”

Andrew took one last look at the pool, then went around it to the door. “Whoa.”