James and I walked for a while in a pensive silence only accompanied by the sound of my sneakers crunching on pine needles and fallen leaves.

Slowly, the trees began to thin out, and without me entirely realizing it, we were out of those strange woods and back in the flatlands of the Underworld.

I turned around, wanting to take one last look at the trees, only to see that the woods were no longer there. There were only plains of hills and grass behind us. I wasn't even surprised at this point.

However, the fickle woods seemed to have gotten us back on course. Although we still hadn't found the path, the city was right in front of us. The only thing separating us was a lazy river spanned by a wide wooden footbridge.

I stared at the skyscrapers across the way, seeing lights flickering in the thousands of windows. I wondered if Lana was up in one of them, peering down at me.

Shaking my head, I started across the bridge, but I paused halfway across, my mind swirling with thoughts. I rested my elbows on the ledge and stared down at the water rippling beneath us. It looked a bit like an oil slick: the water itself was jet black, yet its darkness was broken up by swirls of purple and turquoise and glimmering sparkles that I could have sworn were diamonds. And further down in the river, a few skinny trees sprouted from the muck, brandishing purple leaves that looked like feathers.

I wonder if Gretchen made those trees, I thought, still miffed that she had abandoned me with Cornelius and Elizabeth. She had seemed nice at first... but she had abandoned me when I needed her most. She was just another façade, along with the trees and those woods and the people on their little farms.

I ran a finger along the wooden railing. "Nothing is real," I murmured, thinking back to the weeks before, to everything that had happened before the dance: Lana's gradual change from brusque and selfish to something that had actually resembled care. It was all a façade, all a lie, but it hurt to think about that, so my brain flipped to another topic, one that was a bit more pleasant, but just as painful.

Taylor.

I still couldn't get the image of her in that white dress out of my mind. My lips still tingled when I thought back to our kiss. And the look in her eyes when I told her I hadn't wanted to leave her...

I knew the Taylor in the lake wasn't the real Taylor; she was back on Earth, and I was in the Underworld. We were worlds apart. And yet the feelings it had dredged up were genuine.

"James," I said, looking down at the bear balanced on the railing, "can I ask you something?"

The angel nodded. "Of course."

"Lana told me that there are no genders in Heaven. Or that genders are irrelevant and... and basically it doesn't matter who you love. So being gay is fine, because at the core of it all, we're all the same. Was she telling the truth?"

"The Devil was speaking the truth," James admitted. "Love is love."

I looked out at the river. "I think I might be gay."

James looked at me. "Think?"

I shrugged. "I feel like I should know if I'm gay or not. But... I'm just so confused. Back on Earth, everything seemed so fuzzy. I wasn't interested in anyone. I was just going through the motions. But now, after we walked through those woods, things feel a little clearer. And I just feel like... I think I'm in love with Taylor."

James gave me a kind smile and patted me on the arm. "Love is a beautiful thing."

I fiddled with the sleeve of my jacket. "But what if this is all a trick of the Underworld or..." Even as I said it, my words rang hollow. I may or may not be gay. But I did know something for sure: I had feelings for Taylor. Strong feelings. And at this rate, I was never going to get the chance to express them to her.

I took a breath, inhaling the scent of sea salt that I'm sure was supposed to be calming but only set my nerves on edge. "James, what do you think my chances are of getting out of here?"

"Angels are notoriously bad with probabilities," James said, looking uncomfortable at the sudden change of topic.

I sighed. "I guess that is an unfair question... But if I don't make it out of here—if I die or if Lana refuses to give Billy back—will you tell Taylor that I... that I love her?"

James continued to look uncomfortable. "Well, if you die, then a celestial war will break out and it might be difficult to pass on that message—"

"James please."

He paused, then nodded. "Of course, Jessa. I'll tell her."

"Good." Then, scooping him off the railing, and I said, "Let's go save the world."

The city started abruptly once we had stepped off the bridge. One second we were on a wood-planked archway, and the next we were cradled by a network of buildings. It reminded me a bit of New York City, although the air was clear and there were no cars.

There was no path to guide us, just an endless crisscross of city streets with no clear way to go. So I just started walking, hoping to find a sign that would point me in the right direction.

Although I initially had been reminded of New York, the architecture here was an odd mismatch of different eras. We passed skinny skyscrapers, brick monstrosities, and squat buildings with embellished entryways. Some buildings look like they had been plucked out of Architectural Digest. Others looked as if they had been lifted out of ancient Rome.

"Look at that building," I said to James, staring at a curved blue structure that looked more like an award than an actual building.

"Which one?" the bear asked.

I pointed to my right, and then realized that the building was no longer there. Instead, it had been replaced with a grey brick structure.

"That's weird," I said, feeling a hint of unease in my stomach. "There was a different building there..."

"This city is off," James agreed. "The buildings... And the people."

I was about to ask "What people?" when I realized that there were, indeed, others around us. The problem was that they only were visible in my peripheral vision. When I turned to look at them straight on, they would vanish like smoke.

"Huh... This is disconcerting..."

Suddenly, I heard a rhythmic slapping sound that caught my attention from behind us. I turned around to see a tall blond man jogging down the sidewalk.

He didn't vanish as I stared at him, which I took as a positive sign, so I flagged him down with a wave of my hand.

He had a pair of old headphones on, and he slipped them off onto his neck as he paused, jogging in place next to us. A Walkman, I realized, staring at the music device. My dad had an old one in his office that he had used in the 80s.

"'Ello mate," he greeted in a pleasant Australian accent. "Nice to see a new face around here! Apologies for the sweat."

"It's all right," I said. "I... I'm actually a little lost." I dug into my pocket and pulled out my yellow itinerary. "I'm supposed to be meeting the Devil, but I got off the path."

The man peered down at the page. "Ahh I see. Well, the city is a complex place, as you might have noticed. Buildings changing and all. But typically, if you wander enough, it gets you where you need to go."

"So I'm just supposed to... keep walking?"

"Exactly!"

"And how long does it usually take to get to where you need to go?"

"Well, that depends on what your business here is," he said matter-of-factly. "If you're meant to meet the Devil and work out a deal, I'm sure you'll wander your way to her pretty quickly. But if you're not actually supposed to be here, or have some other malintent for the Devil, you'll either get dropped off back in the countryside or be forced to wander the streets forever."

"What?"

He held up his hands. "Don't shoot the messenger! That's just how it works here. The Devil's close by. There are a few people who don't like her much, wish to do her harm. So she had to put in some safety measures. Surely you understand that?"

"I guess," I murmured, starting to get a little nervous. I didn't necessarily wish Lana any harm, but I knew the conversation we were going to have wasn't going to be pleasant. Did the city know that? Would I be doomed to wander here forever?

"Anyway, better get back to my jog!" the man said, slipping on his headphones and moving away. "Good luck mate!" And before I knew it, he had rounded a corner and was gone.

I groaned, looking down at James. "Every time I think I have this place figured out, just a bit, it reminds me that I have no clue what I'm dealing with."

"Let's just keep walking," James said. "You're her invited guest. I'm sure we'll run into her eventually."

"Oka—" I started, when I suddenly heard more rhythmic slapping. I turned, expecting to see our Australian friend returning, when instead I spotted a girl with a large afro running directly towards us. Only, this girl didn't look like she was going on a light jog. She looked manic, with wide eyes and her mouth curved in a snarl.

And she was running straight at me.

I screamed, started to run, but the girl was too close. There was nowhere for me to go. She took a leap and lunged—but was stopped midair, as if there was an invisible barrier between us, flinging her to the ground.

And yet she wasn't deterred. She scrambled up off the pavement and pounded on the air, opening her mouth in a loud scream. "LET ME OUT!" she bellowed, spit flying out of her mouth. "I'M GONNA KILL YOU... I'M GONNA MAKE YOU PAY, I SWEAR!"

"What the hell," I muttered, my heart racing as I took a few scared steps back.

The girl didn't tire. She continued to bang on the air, clawing at it, kicking it, as if she could break through to us. Her nails were long and jagged, and I suspected that she had been trapped for quite some time. And poking out of hair was the tiniest hint of horns.

There are a few people who don't like her much, wish to do her harm... I guess we had found one of those people.

"Keep moving," James urged me, and I didn't need to be told twice. I turned away and started running. And yet the girl's wild screams followed me, echoing down the nearly deserted streets: You did this to me! And when I get a hold of you, I'll kill you! I'LL KILL YOU!