There was something else going on with this case. It was more than just a matter of her being pulled by the Outsiders; that would only account for some of her distress. It was as if there were a tether to her body on the other side-Azrael had seen similar cases in the past with souls whose physical bodies were still being kept 'alive', but nothing as strong as this. He was beginning to suspect there'd been magic worked on the girl, something working within her body. If that were the case, he would only have to wait for her physical body to be allowed to die before he could fully claim her soul. In the mean time, he'd have to do what he could to keep her from becoming lost.

He took a deep breath, readying himself to reenter her world. Just as he was about to step through the portal, his phone rang, startling him.

Joseph: "Thana-- Azrael?"
Azrael: "Speaking."
Joseph: "Hi. This is Joseph Saints with Duat Real Estate. I just wanted to let you know that one of your souls has wandered onto a property I have for sale over on the East Side."

Azrael: "Let me guess-young woman, skinny, black hair?"
Joseph: "Sounds like you're not surprised to hear about this."
Azrael: "No, not really. East Side you say? Give me the address and I'll be right over."

Azrael listened with bemusement to the address given to him by the real estate agent. The address was familiar, an echo of a memory from the soul of Emily Laine. Things were beginning to fall into place as he hung up his phone and left his office through the door, making his way out to the parking lot and his car.

He pulled into the driveway behind two other vehicles, outside one of which a rather irate woman stood with her arms crossed. He ignored her and made his way to the entrance of the house where a man in a business suit was eagerly waiting.

Azrael: "Mr. Saints."
Joseph: "She's in the living room. At first I thought she was my 6 o'clock appointment, but she started going on and on about someone she knew who she swore used to live here. Then, she just lost it completely. I checked with some of my contacts and they gave me your name, said you'd know what to do with her."
Azrael: "She's my responsibility, yes."

Azrael followed Joseph into the living room where Emily sat on the floor, her eyes glazed and distant. It was always disconcerting to see a soul in a state of transition-she was trapped between realms, not yet fully lost yet beyond hope of being saved.

Azrael: "Thank you, Mr. Saints. I'll take care of her for you now. Give me just a few minutes and you can get back to your appointment."
Joseph: "I don't envy you your job."

Joseph left the house, quietly closing the door behind him as Azrael knelt next to Emily. He concentrated slightly, allowing himself to momentarily enter the world as she saw it. The decay and destruction confirmed his fears-she was a lost cause, destined to occupy a place that was neither heaven or hell, nor blissful nothingness. It was the realm of lost souls, a place of anguish and torment of their own devising.

He quickly willed himself back, shaking off the remaining impressions of her world of madness. He knew then that what he'd suspected was true-something in her physical body had a concealment spell on it. It had kept him from seeing the big picture, caused him to take the wrong form in her life. She'd returned to where her heart belonged, and it was nowhere near where he'd taken her.

Azrael: "I'm so sorry this happened to you."

He reached out, gently touching her forehead. With a soft glow of white light, he sent her fully into Limbo.