Page 91 of Death is My BFF

“Have to make a living somehow, besides selling old books and crystals. To you, I am the warlock.”

If the Angel of Death, demons, and Carrion Angels could exist, why couldn’t a warlock?

“Where’s your beard, wand, and pointy hat with stars on it?” I asked.

Trixie snickered. Since she’d laughed at my joke, I decided she wasn’t a trigger-happy psychopath and had just been doing her job earlier.

Ace gave me a flat look. “Ha-ha. I’m not a wizard. Wizards don’t exist.” A smirk broke free on his stony face. “Although, I’ve worn a pointy hat with stars on it once or twice, but I was highly intoxicated.” He lowered himself into the chair in front of me, removed his top hat, and raked his fingers through his colorful hair. “Let’s begin.

Trixie,mon ange, please wait outside.”

She obediently left the room.

“Wait, begin what?”

Ace smiled like a fox. “Do not worry,ma chère. I am going to perform a reading and go from there.”

“Um, hard pass. Thanks for the offer though.”

“If you think you came here out of chance, you are wrong. Those who enter my shop enter for one reason and one reason only. They are at a crossroads.” He leaned forward on his elbows, resting his ring-covered hands palm up on the table on either side of the crystal ball. An open invitation to put my hands over his. As oddly tempting as it was to accept, I kept my hands where they were, clasped tightly in my lap.

“A crossroads . . . ” For all I knew, this guy was a con artist picking at straws. “Great pitch you got there. Can I borrow your phone?”

“Do you believe in a force greater than yourself, Faith?”

I let out a mirthless laugh. “At this point, I’d believe just about anything. But meeting a warlock who conveniently has all the answers I need is kind of a stretch for my mental tolerance.”

“Non croyant de la magie,”Ace said with a wry smile. “You doubt my power. Will you allow me to prove myself to you?”

“Fine.” I shrugged. “Hit me with your best—” I cut my sentence short because my hair had whipped around my face from a gust of air and the candles surrounding us lit one by one.

“You’ve been attacked twice by demons,” Ace said, looking me dead in the eye. “Just today, you’ve caught a glimpse of what makes you so exceptional. You’re attempting to block it out because it terrifies you that you might not be as ordinary as you’d hoped.

You fear for your loved ones’ safety more than ever.” He paused and rubbed his jaw, as if figuring out a crossword puzzle. “The Angel of Death has gotten in your head and vice versa, and now you feel him and others manipulating you in more ways than one. You don’t know what to trust, including your instinct.”

I stared at him, open-mouthed. “Whoa.”

“Nonbelievers are my favorite to impress.” He curled his fingers on the table, insinuating he wanted me to place my hands in his.

“Shall we continue?”

Coming to terms with the fact that I was in front of yet another supernatural being, my heart started to pound in my chest. “Can you . . . can you give me a moment? I’m a little nauseous.”

“You’re nauseous because you’re about to get your period.” Ace scrunched up his face, grimacing. “I really wish I didn’t know things like that. Perhaps we should discuss my payment before we jump into this?”

“Listen, man, I already told Lara Croft out there, I don’t have any money.”

Ace lifted his chin and his irises lightened from violet to lilac, like holographic foil. “I don’t want your money,ma chère.”

Then what the heck did he want?

Shadows danced over the warlock’s handsome features and crazy-colored eyes. “What I require is . . . more important to me than money.” His accent thickened as his voice dropped lower. “I seek a favor in return for my help. A trade.Comercio.”

“A favor?” I leaned back in my seat. “What kind of favor?”

“I cannot disclose to you what the favor is. Though, it will not be illegal, sexual, or harm you or any of your loved ones in any way. I am not a man who is true to his word—Iammy word. The choice is yours. One favor, and I will give you what you want most: answers.

This is quite the barter,MademoiselleWilliams, especially considering my own personal information on the Angel of Death.”

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