Free Soul Crossed by Lisa Gail Green

fever when they traveled to America. Then she went to an orphanage where she stayed on, pledging herself as a nun.”
    I try to reign in my surprise. Then again, if my Mom’s Catholic school stories are true, Ms. A. would make a great nun. “She wasn’t happy there?” I ask.
    “She did it for the wrong reasons, Grace. She was rejecting the possibility of love and family. It hurt too much to let it back into her life.” Mr. Griffith stares into his cup like he’s reading the future, or maybe the past.
    “That’s so sad,” I say, slipping a bit of hair in my mouth to chew.
    “It makes me very sad indeed when someone chooses to avoid love out of fear.”
    I nod, feeling pity for Ms. Alvarez and guilt over being annoyed by her.
    “Humans are beautiful creatures, Grace. They have the capacity for wonderful things. Sky’s the limit. But life is built on choices. Those choices have consequences, sometimes for ourselves, sometimes for others.”
    “Well, I think I’m making real progress with Cam.” Then I remember Ms. Alvarez’s warning and bite my lip.
    “Really?” he sounds surprised. “That’s why I’m here, actually. I’ve noticed some new signs.”
    “Signs?” I ask.
    “He’s moving toward the darkness.”
    “Oh,” my shoulders fall. I thought I’d made progress. Thought I’d gotten through.
    “Don’t get me wrong, Grace. I simply wanted to be sure you were feeling up to the challenge. You’ve been through a lot, and your death was so recent. But I believe you are more than up to this task,” he puts a hand on my head, and I feel a new lightness, like I could move the world if I wanted to.
    “Really?” I ask, looking into his eyes.
    “Absolutely. I have faith in you, Grace. Just be careful. It can be hard for a new Angel to see evil even when it is right under her nose. You want to believe the best in people, and that is your greatest strength. But it can also be your downfall.”
    I drink in every word he says, but one thought buzzes in my head long after he’s said good-bye.
    He believes in me.

Chapter 23
Josh
    I pat the ground with the shovel, then wipe my hands on my jeans. I’ve just buried a brown and white beagle. I turn and almost bump into Keira. She’s leaning against a tree and shaking her head at me. But I see the amused smile play on her lips.
    “Aw, did you kill another puppy?”
    “No. Camden killed it. I missed.” I throw the shovel to the ground and feel my eyes burn.
    “On purpose,” she chides.
    “So what? This wasn’t in the job description.” I slide down the trunk of another tree and sit on the earth. It’s cold, but I don’t care. I watch the steam puff from my mouth and disappear into the air.
    “You can always change your mind and choose eternal torment,” she says, leaning over, and the scent of cinnamon fills my nostrils.
    “Leave me alone.”
    “Saying things like that only makes me want you more,” she says, kneeling before me. “I’ve decided to forgive you, you know.”
    “You have?” I ask, suspicion buzzing like an alarm in the back of my head. She smiles.
    “Maybe.”
    I let my head drop and continue to sulk. “Keira, when is this over? I mean, how do I know when his soul is corrupt enough? And then what happens?”
    “Then you move onto your next assignment. It never really ends. He’ll see to that.” Her misery makes her sound almost human.
    “But when? I mean, it doesn’t get freakier than this kid. He’s messed up. Sick in the head. Where do you draw the line and say his soul is damned?” I want to move on. I need to get away from this place.
    “He has to kill someone,” she says. She looks me in the eye to see how I handle the news. Inside I’m screaming. I want to vomit. But I keep it all locked up tight because I don’t trust her. “Murder is the ultimate sin because the victim can never offer forgiveness.”
    “I’m no murderer. So how come I ended up in Hell?” I ask.
    “Aren’t you?” she asks, sounding