Page 54 of When the Angel Falls First

After hours and hours of it, I leaned back in my chair, aheavy sigh escaping my lips as I pinched the bridge of my nose. My eyes were heavy, my body was aching, and my mind was a blur of taxation and legal terms.

That’s when I saw the slip of paper tucked in the mail slot.

Hang in there, it said in a scrawl that rivaled a Shakespearean missive.I don’t want to interrupt your concentration, so just know we’ll figure this out.

I opened the door, looked left and right, but who knows how long ago Caleb dropped off this note. I settled back behind the counter, the note under my fingers, and somehow felt lighter for having it. I traced the letters with my fingertips, the curves soothing, and I fell into a meditative state. Just a short break. The cold, hard surface of the counter was so inviting…

I must have fallen asleep because when I opened my eyes again, it was pitch black outside. The lights of the Bookish Cat were dimmed, the familiar rustling of books and purring of cats silenced. I sat up, rubbing at my sore neck as I glanced around, noticing for the first time that Barb and the cats were gone, the shop locked up for the night.

My heart ached as I slipped out of the store, the reality of my situation pressing down on me like a ton of bricks. Another day passed, and still no answers.

I couldn’t give up, not yet. I would find a way to solve this mess. I made a promise to myself as I locked the door behind me, vowing to figure it out in the morning.

As the humidand crisp air filled the streets of early morning Seattle, the city was buzzing to life with coffee shops, fast-walking folks in suits, and the rhythmic patter of joggers. It was a picture of serenity and promise, which I hoped would set up my day for a breakthrough.

I made my way back to the Bookish Cat, my mind heavy with exhaustion and the unresolved weight of the previous night’s efforts, but with a bit of hope peeking in with the sun.

As I turned the last corner, I yearned to see Caleb’s warm smile, the reassuring sight of him with two coffees in hand.

But as my gaze fell on the bookstore, instead of the familiar figure, my eyes locked on to a stark, yellow notice plastered to the door.

A cold shiver of dread ran down my spine. The door, which I firmly locked last night, was ajar. The ominous yellow notice fluttered in the breeze. A sinking sensation hit my gut, the bitter taste of dread filling my mouth. What fresh hell was this?

With a deep breath, I pushed open the door, steeling myself for the worst. Inside, I found Mr. Anderson standing amidst the stacks of books, his thin lips curled into a sneer.

“You don’t have the right to be in here, Mr. Anderson.”

“Ah, but I do. I suggest you read that notice very carefully, Miss Ray,” he said, his voice echoing unpleasantly through the shop. His eyes flicked to the yellow paper tacked to the door. “You have exactly seven days to fix your tax issues, or I’ll have no choice but to take legal action, closing up your shop in the meantime.”

“But… Mr. Anderson…” A harsh tremor rattled through me, my nerves suddenly feeling as fragile as glass. A clammy chill spread across my skin, a sheen of cold sweat prickling at my temples.

Just then, the door swung open behind me. Caleb and Barb arrived at the same time, stepping into the store. Theirexpressions fell as they took in the scene: Mr. Anderson’s triumphant smirk, my white-knuckled grip on the counter, the ominous notice on the door.

A sudden realization struck me like a lightning bolt as Mr. Anderson brushed past me to walk out.

“Wait!” My voice echoed in the nearly empty store, an agonizing plea. “Where are the cats?”

He paused, turning to face me with a grimace. “Far away from my sneezing face!” The door jingled as he marched out.

His words hit me like a sledgehammer. My knees buckled, and I found myself collapsing onto the checkout counter, my body shaking with the onslaught of my emotions. The cats, my precious companions, were gone. The Bookish Cat felt hollow without them, as hollow as I felt inside at all this horrible news.

Barb and Caleb were at my side in an instant, their hands on my shoulders, their voices a soothing murmur in my ears. But their words were lost to me. I was drowning in a sea of despair, the tide of my problems pulling me under.

“Please, Josie,” Barb pleaded. “Consider contacting your family.”

I shook my head, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill over. “You don’t get it, Barb,” I managed to choke out, my voice raw with emotion. “They won’t help. They won’t come. I dug my own grave with them a long time ago.”

Even as Caleb and Barb wrapped me in a comforting embrace, I was lost in the storm, adrift in a sea of my own making. All because of a silly dream of sharing books from faraway lands.

The Bookish Cat, my dream, my life’s work, was sinking, and I felt like I was going down with it.

TWENTY-TWO

Caleb

Twenty-two forty-seven…forty-nine… fifty-one. I came to a stop outside the unassuming office, letting my senses reach out and inspect the interior. The small waiting room held two normal human women and one quarter-elf man, plus a receptionist who was part… goblin? Interesting. They weren’t held in terribly good standing in the magical community, though I’d always thought they got an unnecessarily bad rap.

Finding one working here was a good sign. My hand was on the door handle when my phone rang.

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