"Let me guess," Mal said, sitting back and getting comfortable as the chair beneath her changed from her driver's seat to one of the plush recliners in the room, "I take it from the black wings present, and the sheer number of them, I'm finally going to Hell as Rida threatened I would. And the mob is here to drag me away."

While Mal was glad to see others this time, she was somewhat surprised by their presence. After all, Rida had worked hard to make sure that Mal hadn't seen anyone but her. Though the other time she did see another was when she refused to sign the contract. He'd come from someplace called Records to assure her that was Rida's contract for her. That was it.

Rida had threatened countless times that if Mal didn't sign the contract and follow it strictly, she would go to Hell. But Mal never believed Rida would follow through with that threat.

Because there was one colossal thing she had learned about this place, whatever it was, wouldn't allow its occupants to lie. Mal had tried several times but could only ever speak the truth. So Mal stopped talking to Rida for the most part because she didn't want to risk her real thoughts and feelings coming out around Rida. Especially with no backup.

However, while lies could not be spoken, if a person believed something wholeheartedly, they could repeat it even if it was wrong. But their words sounded hollow, almost robotic. It was rather difficult to explain but accurate enough. When Rida spoke of her religious rhetoric or her threats of Mal going to Hell, she could just tell. A feeling, deep inside, that what Rida was saying was wrong.

There was so much about this place that she didn't know. Rida knew very little herself, surprisingly. Mal had asked many questions over her stay here. Both to learn and to test her theory about lies here. For a time, Rida quoted what she believed, but when Mal clearly didn't think as she did, Rida stopped answering Mal's questions altogether—going so far as to ban any questions from Mal.

The other angel wouldn't answer either. He wouldn't even tell Mal his name. At that point, she realized she was being kept from everything except the room she arrived in, but why?

Perhaps now, with others in here, she might learn.

When one moved toward her, he had her full attention and anticipation. But once she got a good look, she couldn't help it as she stared wide-eyed. The angel was an orc, a motherfucking orc! With black wings. He seemed at ease with her staring and shock; he grinned at her with comfort and surprising ease given the tusks protruding upward out of his bottom jaw.

A mythical creature; that was one of the many that Rida denounced the existence of when Mal's interest leaned more towards fantasy. Now he was standing before her. Further proof of Rida's falsities and a greater truth being kept from her. Any dread she might have still had vanished with that orc's grin. Mal couldn't help but smile back.

"Greetings." He said in a deep baritone voice, "We're here for a different reason."

Mal quirked an eyebrow, "And that would be?"

"To monitor your life and this one." He said, gesturing towards Rida at the end.

Mal caught Rida's flinch and the fact that the orc didn't address Rida as a fellow angel.

"Though I must say that show there at the end was rather enticing." His mischievous grin left no doubt about what he was referring to.

"Glad you enjoyed it." She laughed.

She still felt awkward, but her embarrassment about her occupation died about a month after getting the job. Yes, she was a stripper. Her upbringing had drummed into her that she should have been ashamed. But after working in that profession, that part of her brain was easy to ignore. Most of the time, anyway.

"Filthy demons need to shut up and stay away from my charge!" Rida spat, reminding everyone that she was still there and still agitated.

Mal had to bite her tongue to keep a Gollum reference from popping out. It was ever so hard, but she miraculously managed it. But it fit the situation almost perfectly.

While lying wasn't allowed here, it wouldn't stop impulsive thoughts from popping out, especially if the emotions behind it all-consuming. This got Mal into trouble with Rida when she said the first thing that came to mind.

Rida, ignorant of Mal's animosity towards her, stood and approached Mal holding out that dreaded contract. "Sign this and get on with your next life. This time you will do it right, child, or it will be hellfire's and brimstones for you!" Rida looked around then looked back at Mal. "The current company should be proof of enough of that!"

All of the men, which she did notice that everyone else in the room were men, including what looked to be another soul, shouted, "NO!"

Mal was shocked by the anger and sheer determination displayed on each of them. She agreed with them, of course, but she was surprised that they all seemed to be on her side. None of them were backing Rida at all. Just how bad was the situation when Rida was the odd one out? Not that Mal complained, it confirmed her theory that something about Rida and her precious contract was seriously off.

"Mal, do NOT sign that!" The orc said, stepping closer to her, obviously the leader of the band of black wings if the way they all looked to him and allowed him to speak was any indication. His urgency, and sincerity, rang pure and clear. For the first time in all her time here, Mal heard the complete truth in his words and felt this place's magic, confirming it in her very soul. If magic was even the right term here. Mal didn't know what to call it, but that was the best she got.

The truth. From a stranger. Never from her supposed guardian angel. It was about time.

"I don't know where or how she got that, but that's not your contract." He frowned deeply. "You were never even supposed to have a contract. Gabriel himself asked me to oversee this lifetime, on Michael's orders, I might add. You suffered needlessly and terribly because of a fake contract!"

"LIES!" Rida shouted. Mal heard the urgency in her tone as well, along with a hint of desperation. However, that was it, Rida's usual hollow sound was back, and it held nothing of the ring of truth she heard from the Orc seconds prior. "Child, you've been raised many times now with the word of God spoken in your home. You know evil comes not in ugly creatures but in the face of beauty to deceive the good and pure souls."

No one missed the fact that Rida just called the orc a face of beauty, who shook his head rather quickly and stared at Rida in abject horror.

"Do not let them sway you now!" Rida ordered urgently, continuing as if everyone wasn't reacting to her previous statement at all. "Yes, your mortal shell fell victim to the depravity of lust, yet again, and while I was truly sickened to the core by your actions, after the fact, I was proud that you withstood from sins of the flesh during your last years of life. There is hope for you, my dear, now sign your contract and be gone. Rest assured that none of this rabble will be here upon your next return."

Again, all of the men shouted, “NO!”

"Mal, you're a free thinker; that's why you never fit in well with that family. You know heaven and the afterlife don't work that way; you know it." The orc said cautiously, his hands raised to show he was no threat. "That contract will merely see that life repeated again." Mal noticed his voice went from desperate, yet cautious, to downright vicious. "Rida actually would have made this life worse than the others if I hadn't interfered. All of the beatings were done with her prompting. Your husband having a small-dicked, then leaving you, her doing. But by far, her worst crime was forcing you never to have children."

Mal looked at Rida, while she had suspected before, the orc merely confirmed it. Not once had the ring of truth vanished from his words as he spoke. "Is that true?"

Rida turned her nose up at her, as she often did when Mal asked pointed questions and did so to promote her superiority to Mal. "It was not in your contract, so yes. I stepped in to assure you would go on the right path this time, after failing so many times before. I did what I did for your best interests."

"Then what was that job?" Mal asked, looking about the room. "That certainly wasn't Rida."

"Certainly not!" She spat.

"My doing." The orc said sheepishly admitted, one hand rubbing the back of his neck as he refused to look at her in the end. "It was better than her option."

"I see. Thank you for that; by the way, I got some terrific friends out of that." She said with a gentle smile towards the orc. She scowled at Rida. "Pretty sure I already know the answer to this, but was it you had planned?"

Rida looked furious. "You were supposed to accept the invitation from your aunt to visit the nunnery!"

"My aunt?"

"Yes." Rida sniffed heatedly.

"Accept my aunts' invitation to visit her at the community's nunnery headquarters?"

"Yes!"

Mal sighed and rubbed her temples. Was it even possible to get a migraine here? Because it sure felt as if she was getting one.

"Aunt Mary-Florence, the nun, only wrote to me all of two times? The first time was about visiting her at the Head Quarters, and she wanted to meet the day before my wedding. I couldn't go because I had a lot of last-minute things to go over." Mal looked over at Tarnok, "You again?"

He shook his head with a chuckle, "No, sweetheart, that was all you."

At Rida's grumbling incoherently, Mal looked back at her. "That same aunt who also wrote me a long letter after I got my job at Red Lights. She went to Rome and refused to return. In her letter, she told me she was glad that I was out of the community and relatively away from their influence. Apparently, the Vatican did not kindly take the revelations she proved about the community, and the Vatican officials re-educated her. While she couldn't condone my current job occupation, she was glad that I wouldn't get caught in the fray when the Vatican claimed restitution. She did wish me well, however."

Rida's temper visibly snapped. "That woman's later traitorous actions aside, if you had accepted that invitation none of this," she waved her hand at the other occupants in the room, "would have happened! You were supposed to be inducted as a nun!"

"That was not her destiny!" The orc shouted; his fury etched into every word. "Even if she had accepted and your plot succeeded, we still would have been here because you monumentally screwed up! To start with, I've read the original file and the current one. I didn't need Gabriel to tell me what Michael had planned for her because I saw it with my own eyes! She was supposed to fall in love, get married, and have lots of children who would go on to do incredible things in the world! Michael ordered that! You know him, right, the leader of the Arch Angels? Of all of the angels in point and fact? Personal liaison for the Almighty!? Those were his specific instructions, more than likely coming straight from the Almighty! Whose word is gospel to us angels, and you went and defied them!"

Mal looked at the orc in shock. "That's really true, isn't it?"

"YES!" The orc insisted as Rida shouted, "NO!"

But the orc carried on as if Rida hadn't spoken, and Mal hung onto his every word. "If you had run away right after graduating High School as you intended, you would have spent the summer with your friend. The one who helped you all through high school and had already escaped the community. Both of you would have fled the state and arrived at the College where you were accepted. You would have been far enough away from your family and the community that they couldn't touch you. You would have been safe. A month after courses started, you would have met your future husband.

"He was an older student, studying for a psychology major. Because of the abuse you suffered, you would have fought against love at first but then embraced it and allowed it to heal you. You would have told him everything. By that time, he would be working with a doctor who the FBI employed. Your story would have reached them. Combined with other testimonies from others who had fled the community, the FBI would have shut down the community with the Vatican's blessing."

"Blasphemy!" Rida screeched.

"Why do you think that nun defected, huh?" The orc proceeded to yell at her. "That community was an afront to all that we are and stand for! Under Michael's orders, it was to be shut down! I did as he commanded since you couldn't be bothered or were too busy derailing Mal's destiny."

"Was that it?" Mal asked. "I would have been the catalyst that shut down the community."

"There was more." The orc said with a warm smile. "You would have taught your children to be mindful of those who would hurt them, but still, love with all they are. You would have raised them far better than you were. With you and your husband, they would have been the pioneers to see a better future for all children." He glared at Rida, "She saw to it that not only would they never be born, but that the rest of your world would suffer for a great deal many years. If we can't engineer their birth soon, that is."

"Why?" Mal asked, looking at Rida. "Why would you do that? Aren't you supposed to be an angel? Aren't you supposed to look out for the betterment of the world? Why would you purposely harm a world? Forget about me; why hurt so many innocent people? Why, Rida!?"

Rida's nostrils flared as she breathed deeply. "They speak not but lies!"

"We can't lie here!" Mal said, standing up, finally having enough, and faced off with Rida.

No matter how much Rida might claim the high ground as a superior, Mal was taller, and she now had an army at her back. Rida, as always, stood alone.

"Sure, you can repeat something if you believe with every fiber of your being that it's true, no matter how wrong it may be, but you can always tell there's not one hint of truth in it. Lies are impossible here!" She pointed to the orc and the other black wings. "I can tell what they are saying is the truth. You, on the other hand, it's like you're repeating something you read from a book. So tell me why?"

Rida was silent for a long moment before she once again turned her nose up. "No charge of mine will partake in the sins of the flesh. I was made an angel because of my purity; I will see my charges rise, for they are the same. I am the best of all my comrades. As in life, so too am I in death. What you speak of as "truth" and hearing it from their mouths is but a trick of the Devil! That sorcery you speak of is just that! For that is how Satan works my child, with his silver tongue and heathen sinful ways. You know this girl; you know this! Your upbringing taught you this in life; I have taught you this here! The world is not my concern, only my charge."

"You have got to be fucking kidding me." Mal said, her head throbbing again.

In a rush of movement that Mal could not see, and the others could not stop, Rida was suddenly in front of her and slapped her hard across the face. Such was the force that Mal's head whipped to the side. Had she not already been dead, Rida would have broken her neck.

And Mal thought she had a headache before.

"Do not use that befouled language in my presence!" Rida screamed. The room stood shocked that the verbally abusive, but never physically, Rida had done such a thing. However, that didn’t stop the males from growling most menacingly.

Rida used the moment they were somewhat distracted as an opportunity to put the contract in Mal's hands. "Now sign this, you vivacious slut, and go back to your mortal shell! Rest assured upon your return, none of our present company shall be in attendance. Use this opportunity to cleanse your mind and body. When you return next, we'll give your soul the cleansing it so obviously needs."

"A vivacious slut, huh? Present company not here, huh?" Mal mused. Only the men seemed to hear the venom in her voice as they took a noticeable step back.

She looked at the glowing contract. She knew what it said; she'd read this thing several times already. There was no out, no what-if scenarios. Mal had to endure all of that abuse from start to finish, and she had to get to an unspecified ending that Rida wanted. Though now Mal knew what it was Rida wanted from her; to become a nun. No, that was wrong. Rida didn't wish Mal to be a simple nun. Rida wanted Mal to be just like Rida. A carbon copy of her.

Ignoring that fact for the moment, she considered the rest of the implications of the contract. Mal could live without many things. Nine lives, and if it was one thing she'd proven, she could do just as well without sex, a decent husband, and children. Would she like to have them? Yes, however, she could survive alone. But what she couldn't do was go through all of the hypocritical bullshit for a tenth time.

The church officials said one thing but did another, expecting the masses to behave as if nothing had just happened. Which they did, the masses followed blindly at least, willfully at most. But, by far, the worst of it all was the double standards.

Among them were the men could do no wrong; women were all that was wrong, and no argument could ever change that perspective.

A prime example would be her husband's behavior in her last life. While she was expected to stay at home and obey her husband's orders, he was allowed to sleep with his best friend and a young girl fresh out of high school. While she was banned, her husband was still welcomed by the church and his mistress and their children.

Another example would have been what happened to her sister. Christie was abandoned, and they discarded from memory, while Christie’s husband was treated like a grieving widower, and all rallied to support him in his time of grief.

No help came for the women in that community.

And Mal was supposed to become a nun for them? A faithful follower of this cult? No, that was never going to happen with or without Rida's machinations.

To that end, there was only one thing she could do.

Mal turned the contract on its side and proceeded to rip it in half, and again, and again until it was in tiny little pieces. It's glowing dimmed with each tear. When the glowing stopped, she dropped the pieces to the floor.

"Sorry, Rida, but I'd rather be a vivacious slut and go to hell with this lot than to go through that life one more time. I refuse even to entertain the idea because the orc is right."

"Tarnok." He amended amicably, which was downright tame compared to the other celebrations. However, the relief was prominent on all of the male's faces.

"Tarnok?"

He nodded.

"Huh, it suits you."

He grinned. "Thank you."

"As I was saying," Mal said as she flipped her hair over her shoulder. She looked back at Rida, "Whatever your plans for me, they never would have worked. I don't believe as you and that cult do. Never have, never will, and no matter how many times you subject me to that nightmare. Because no matter the contract, no matter your lectures, or theirs, I know, in my soul, that it's all wrong.

"No, Rida, I will not go back. I don't want you as my Guardian Angel anymore, either. In my mind, you're not even that. No angel should knowingly, willfully, and I hope I'm wrong about this, eagerly subject a child, adult soul or not, to that evil!" Mal vehemently stated. "Because that's what that," she gestured toward the viewing screen, "was. Cruel, vicious, and evil. That you seem to support those actions tells me you should be the one going to Hell, not me."

"Point of clarification," Tarnok said, calling her attention back to him, "you won't be going to Hell. Not unless you want to work there, that is."

"If she," Mal gestured her head towards Rida, "ends up there, I just might take you up on that offer."

When Rida didn't react to that, all attention turned back to her. She was still staring at the ruined contract in utter shock.

"What's your problem now?" Mal demanded in exasperation.

"H-How could you!? You, you tore the sacred word of God!" Rida began sobbing hysterically, dropping to her knees to hastily recover the torn-up contract and attempted to put it back together. "No! That's is impossible! It was the word of God! It was sacred! It shouldn't have been so easily destroyed! No! I have to fix this!"

What followed Rida's wails and babbling was her attempting to reassemble the pieces of the contract. She licked her fingers and then ran them along the edges of the parchment to use her saliva as glue to put the pieces back together. Paper cuts healing instantly.

When that all failed, she put her power, a light rainbow-colored aura emanated from her body, into the parchment. For all split second, Mal feared it worked. But then it fell apart again, and Rida followed.

The whole situation gave Mal pause. The contract wasn't the sacred word of God. Mal had no doubt her efforts to ruin the contract would have failed if that was the case. However, Rida's breakdown was the real thing. The truth was there in front of her, yet she clung to that cult's edict.

How much of this is willful ignorance? She thought, watching the heartbroken Rida. And how much of this has been fed to her by another? Could someone be encouraging this?

In the end, it was the only thing that made sense. How else could it be possible that Mal still understood a lot more than Rida, despite her lack of knowledge of this place? If what she suspected was right, then someone in a position of authority needed to know.

Taking a deep breath to steady herself, given what she was considering, she needed it. She looked at Tarnok, "You mentioned something about Arch Angels, Michael, and Gabriel, I believe."

He nodded. "We were under orders to find out what that, child," it was clear that was as polite he was going to get, "was up to with your soul." Tarnok leaned in closer and dropped his voice. "We were actually ordered by Gabriel, Michael, and Satan. Gabriel only asked for a few hands, but considering Michael's involvement, Satan sent us higher-ups instead."

"Higher-ups?"

"Thinks of it like supervisors or generals." He winced. After a glance at Rida, he looked back at her. "It would probably be for the best you leave my boss's involvement in this unsaid for now. All she knows is Gabriel is investigating on Michael's orders."

"I can do that." Mal assured him. "Anything else you think I should know?"

He contemplated that for a moment before sighing. "Rida was never meant to be your guardian."

Mal looked at him in shock. "Excuse me?"

He nodded. "It was supposed to be some other guy. I can't remember his name now." He looked at her critically. "Have you seen anyone else at all during your time here?"

"Once," She affirmed, "he was from records. Never got his name."

"Deliberate?"

"Oh, yeah!"

"Shit!" He cursed to himself. "Records, huh? Why was he here, do you remember?"

"Not likely to forget, I was the one who insisted on it."

"Oh?" He looked at her curiously.

Mal narrowed her eyes at him. "I've already made it abundantly clear that I've had my doubts about Rida and that contract."

"What did he say?"

"That Rida's contract was constructed for me."

Tarnok growled in annoyance, "Not a lie, but obviously not the whole truth! Bastard!"

"Anyway," She said hastily, doing her best to hide her nervousness at the orc's visible ire, "is there a way to speak with Gabriel? Or his secretary if he has one or something? There are somethings that I wanted to tell him, and I'm sure there's a lot of things about this place that he could instruct me on."

"That's a good idea, and I assure you, had you not suggested to meet him, he would have sought you out himself. If nothing else so he could apologize. Unfortunately, he's absconded in a meeting that souls are barred from. So where do I put you in the meantime. Hmm . . ." Tarnok said with a sigh of great relief. He looked at the only other soul in the room, and a sly grin came over his face. "I tell you what; you can go back with his charge to his office and wait for him there. We still have a report to make, so we'll be waiting on Gabriel to leave the meeting. If he's with Michael, as I suspect, we might be able to see Michael's reaction. But I digress; you should wait for Gabriel. I'm not a guardian, so as much I would be honored to have you as my charge, I have my work to get back to. Besides, I'm sure he has other plans for you."

"Gabriel or Michael?"

Tarnok just grinned.

For the most part, Mal had ignored the other soul in the room. She noticed him long enough to ascertain that there was a second soul and that this one was male. After that, she focused on the new angels and why they were there. It was far more critical. Judging by the soul's silence throughout all of it, he understood that too.

Now that her business had taken care of, or as much as it could be in that moment, she could acknowledge the other soul freely. Who he was and why he was there, she had no idea. She had assumed he'd accompanied Tarnok or one of the others. Apparently, he was Gabriel's charge instead. So how did he end up here?

Something to ask him later.

"Is that alright with you? If I go back with you?” Mal asked somewhat timidly. Suddenly unsure if she should even be near this soul.

"If it gets you away from that crazy bitch, I'm all for it." He said, offering his hand.

"Alright," she giggled as she took his hand. "Where to?"

For the soul's part, he looked flushed and was glaring at Tarnok. Hence her sudden doubt and timidness. But once she started speaking to him, his features softened, and she had his full attention.

"I'd escort you anywhere you asked. Angels orders be damned." The amount of confidence and assurance took her by surprise. She could feel the blush rising into her cheeks.

"Th-thank you." She finally managed. "But Gabriel's office is more than fine."

"That's it! You need punishing!"

The forgotten, broken, sobbing Rida suddenly screamed and leaped to her feet. She went to advance towards Mal, but the angels blocked her path. The other soul wrapped his right arm around Mal, pulling her close, and held up his left arm, his hand straight up, palm out.

"Get over here!” Rida snarled, “Hiding behind those heathen Devil's is utterly disgraceful! Get over here and accept your punishment!"

"I am not hiding behind anyone." Mal snarled in return. Turning to face Rida, but the other soul still had his arm around her waist. His grip on her tightened at her declaration, preventing her from moving forward, her back against his front. And somehow, his arm hadn't moved an inch. "They all sprang in my defense!"

"You! You selfish girl!" Rida screeched. "We go through this every time! And every time you’ve been disciplined, yet still learned nothing!"

At that, the entire male crowd stiffened, their eyes narrowed, and they started to snarl.

"Mal," the soul behind her got her attention, his voice barely more than a whisper. "What does she mean by "disciplined"?"

"Well," Huh, her thumbs suddenly became very interesting. "She, um, well, according to her point in view, I've needed to be punished in the past."

"How often?" Tarnok snarled menacingly

"In her defense, I was rather belligerent."

"About?" The other soul prompted.

"I didn't want to sign the contract and wanted my questions answered. Rida said what I wanted didn't matter."

The group snarled with more volume than the last time. Rida stood perfectly. Still, her nose upturned, unafraid.

"Mal, was she ever physical?"

She winced at the other soul's pointed question. "Define physical."

The snarls were abandoned as they all gave a deep guttural growl. Now, Rida looked a little worried.

"It hasn't happened in a few lifetimes! I swear!" Mal insisted.

She couldn't believe she was defending Rida, but these guys suddenly turned into a rabid pack of wolves. Rida deserved punishment, yes, but until they learned if she had a backer, Mal couldn't let them rip the pathetic angel apart.

But it would seem as if the males were having none of it, for the other soul asked another pointed question.

"How much of that was because you weren't playing along with Rida's "plans"?"

"Well . . ."

"Mal," Tarnok finally stood from attack position, "it doesn't matter. A guardian is not permitted to harm their charges in any capacity!"

"Good to know." Mal mumbled. "Anyway, don't you have a report to deliver to Gabriel?"

"Fine!" Rida snapped, her fierce gaze resting on Mal. "If I can't punish you, make you see reason, then he will!"

"Somehow, I think will you be the one to receive punishment this time." Mal's voice was calm, but inside, she was quivering with nerves.

She hoped that it would happen, but a part of her was still fearful that Rida would get her way. Like always. Rida's parting words emphasized it.

"We shall see."

Then Rida was gone. Vanishing in that particular way angels do. Tarnok held her and the other soul back until he'd felt Rida leave that area. He then urged them to make haste to Gabriel's office.

The other soul took Mal's hand, and for the first time that she could remember, Mal, stepped foot outside that room.