“Like what?” She glanced around, checking for the aforementioned entity. “What more could there possibly be? You are so incredible. A supernatural being beyond anything any of us ever expected. There can’t be anything left.”

I let a sad smile lift one corner of my mouth. “You might be surprised.”

She folded her arms at her chest. “No. Not possible. Nothing would surprise me. I’m sure of it. I am unsurprisable at this moment in time.”

“You’re absolutely sure?”

She grew wary. She knew full well not to assume such a thing. I had to razz her a little, though.

I reached into my pocket after a furtive glance around myself, just to make sure there were no gods close by, and brought out the pendant. To her, it would simply look like a necklace. Like a beautiful, aged pendant from an era long past, but a pendant nonetheless.

To me, however, it was like a galaxy inside another galaxy wrapped in an opal. It sparkled and shimmered and lured me closer every time I looked at it.

Cookie gasped. “That’s beautiful. Did your father give that to you somehow?”

I shook my head. “No. This was a gift from Kuur.”

“Well, that was nice of him,” she muttered, not sure how to address that one.

“Right? It’s not every day a guy gives a girl he’s trying to kill a beautiful necklace. Especially one from the 1400s.”

“The 1400s?” she asked, sucking in a soft breath of fascination. “You’re really lucky. If he hadn’t been hired to kill you, I’m sure he would’ve been a great guy.”

“But, Cook, this isn’t just any necklace.”

“Of course it’s not. It was given to you by an evil assassin from another dimension. It can’t just be any necklace.” She filled her lungs and girded her loins, metaphorically. “Okay, hit me. What is it? I can take it.”

“Inside this innocent-looking pendant with this innocent-looking jewel and these innocent-looking carvings is another dimension.”

Cookie had started to reach for it. Just to touch it. She stopped and slowly pulled her hand back.

“And it’s not just another dimension. It’s a hell dimension. Kuur was sent to trap me inside it for all eternity. The bad part is I sent him, a demon-like being from another dimension, into a hell dimension in which dozens of innocent people have also been sent. And now I have to get them out, one by one, all while leaving him inside. And to make matters worse—”

“It gets worse?” she asked, her face turning an ashen white.

“I have no idea how to do any of that.” I had regained all my memories as a god, but for some reason, things didn’t work quite the same in my human state of affairs. I still had to learn everything.

“Well, we all have our little problems, right? Of course this one makes mine sound a little pathetic in comparison.”

“Don’t you dare say that. Amber’s growing up, and it’s hard to see that happen. She’s just a little girl in our eyes.”

“Charley, you had to send your daughter away before you even got to know her. My problems are ridiculous in comparison.”

“They most certainly are not. Of course, I didn’t tell you the best part yet.”

“There’s more?”

“Cookie, don’t you know me by now? There’s always more.”

“In your world, yes, there is. I’m ready. Whatever you got, I can handle it.”

“Okay, one of the things I learned when my father crossed was that Reyes, my beautiful, breathtaking husband, is a god.”

I figured I’d give her time. She clearly needed it. She was now gaping at me, her mouth hanging open far enough to cause a triple chin. When I’d given her long enough—we did have cases to see to, after all—I said, “He’s one of the gods of Uzan.”

“Wait, aren’t they bad?”

“Very.”

“Oh, Charley. I’m not sure I understand.”

“Join the club. I don’t even know if he knows. Satan tricked one of the three gods of Uzan. He trapped him using this jewel.” I brushed my fingers over the glass covering the gem, the dimension, inside. “It’s called god glass.”

She leaned closer but still kept a safe distance. “Why—how are there innocent people inside?”

“Long story involving an evil priest. Suffice it to say, it’s very powerful, and from what I could tell when this pendant was open, very big.”

“I—I don’t even know what to say.”