“The irony is mind-blowing.”

Funny how a phrase like that in a place like this could still make a small amount of irritation well up in me.

“Not to state the obvious or anything.” CeeCee muttered in my place, and she and Paul traded condescending glares.

“Susannah, what exactly is this?” Jesse was frowning. He didn’t look happy. I sighed and sat down. Adam joined me, looking characteristically cheerful.

“Stop grinning like a fool, McTavish,” CeeCee joined us on the ground. “This is the most un-amusing thing that’s ever happened to me.”

"Aw, don't be like that, Cee!" he said delightedly, "We all just died, but obviously not, since we're, you know, here..."

“Susannah…” Jesse still wanted me to explain, though he sat down next to me too. Paul and Kelly, who was gaping in astonishment at the gray mist and lack of anything else surroundings us, were the only ones still standing.

“Don’t ask me, guys. Paul’s the one expressing his displeasure.” I said, feeling pissed-of. I mean, come on. Shadowland is bad enough in itself. It sucks to know there’s some other plane hovering around where we get sent to wherever, but now, we were somewhere altogether different, also meant for dead people?

“You’d think they’d be slightly more hospitable.” Paul smirked and sat down opposite me, still casting a look around at the gray mist wafting around. The only light was, seemingly, coming from ourselves, which was a little unexpected, and also kind of weird. It would suck to be ghosts now, when we’d already had to deal with them for a lifetime (or more, in Jesse’s case). “I mean, we’re shifters and company here. I think we deserve a glamorous welcome.”

“Well, we’re obviously not getting it.” CeeCee snapped. “So will you shut up and tell us where we are now?”

“Contradict yourself much?” Paul snickered.

“Funny, I expected him to be less of an asshole as a dead guy.” Adam said, and glared at Paul. CeeCee smiled at Adam and he batted his eyelashes at her.

“Um, guys, where are we?” Kelly asked, reviving herself from her stunned stupor, flipping her hair over her shoulder and elegantly seating herself by us.

We all stared at Paul expectantly. He looked extremely smug.

Out of nowhere, a wall appeared behind Jesse and me. It wasn’t quite as surprising as it may sound, mostly because it was the exact same shade of the mist, and since we were already dealing with supernatural, materializing walls weren’t exactly a prominent issue right now.

Jesse leaned back against it and I leaned against his chest as he put an arm around me.

“Basically, it’s a kind of limbo for people who aren’t…shall we say, human?” Paul smirked again. I glared at him.

“Oh, cut the crap, Slater.” I snapped. “We’re not superhuman. And even if we were, that wouldn’t explain CeeCee, Adam, and Kelly.”

“An unfortunate accident.” He stated coolly, and sneered at them. Kelly looked clueless. “We all died in the same instant, and Suze, de Silva, and I have such a powerful pull that you were kind of sucked along.”

“So why are we shifters here?” Jesse didn’t look like he wanted to talk to Paul, but it seemed kind of inevitable, considering our situation.

“We can’t pass on like ghosts because our souls have much less material. However, we’re still too human to stay back and live forever, so we’re kind of in an in-between.”

“Charming,” Adam said. “Now will somebody please explain what you’re talking about?”

CeeCee pulled him aside and they engaged in some hushed conversation.

I considered Paul’s explanation. It sounded, to be quite honest, like absolute crap. Not that I thought he was lying…It just didn’t exactly sound all that cool to hang around here for the rest of eternity.

“You’re right.” I said to Paul, and to say he looked stunned was a bit of an understatement. “They could have made this place a little more hospitable.” I suddenly remembered what he’d first said when we arrived. “And why did you think this was so ironic?”

“Well, we were messing with ghosts back on Earth. Now we’re stuck here, needing messing with.”

“Maybe they have some kind of divine mediator for us?” I theorized, and then glanced over at Kelly. She’d followed our whole conversation without having even the slightest clue what we were talking about. I’d leave it to CeeCee to clue her in. Knowing her and Adam, they’d probably tell Kelly some harebrained tale to freak her out, and then laugh at her for the next million years.

Ugh, that thought kind of sucked. The next million years...

CeeCee and Adam laughing their asses off at a pissed Kelly for the next million years.

“This sucks,” I whispered into Jesse’s neck. He tightened his arms around me as Paul scowled.

“I know, querida. But there isn’t really anything we can do. Except wait. Maybe someone will come along to help…”