Page 63 of Death Trap

Instantly, the power extinguished from her hand, and the tension on her face softened.

“Come inside,” she said and glanced up and down the street. “Quickly.”

I didn’t argue with that. I’d seen how she chased that Halfling away, and if there were more of them lurking out here in the shadows, I was safer with her.

I followed her into Divine Magic. Once inside, Arianna clicked the lock and waved over it, muttering a spell. The crackle of magic caressed my skin. It was so strong, I could almost taste it. Much stronger than when I first visited Marla.

What does magic taste like, you may ask? The only way I could describe it was like lavender soap, burnt coffee grounds, and gunpowder. Straight gunpowder. Like a firework exploding on my tongue.

“You have some powerful protection spells around this place,” I said, then rubbed my tongue on the roof of my mouth to try and get rid of the strange taste.

“After what happened to my aunt, I couldn’t take any chances,” she replied. “She was a lot cockier than I am. She thought she could handle anything that walked through that door, but that was obviously a mistake.”

Good point. Arianna moved to the window and pulled the curtain closed to black out the view of the outside. Again, she mumbled another spell.

“Was that the only half demon out there?” she asked.

“That I saw. But who knows. They like to hide in the shadows.”

“Why are they after you?”

“I’m not sure exactly, but I’m thinking it has something to do with my old boss.”

She only blinked and waited for me to continue.

“He’s the Angel of Death.”

Her mouth actually gaped open. “You’re kidding.”

“I wish I was,” I huffed. “I’m a reaper. That’s how I know your aunt. I helped her cross over when she died.”

Arianna put her hands in her back pockets and rocked on her heels. “How is she? Is she okay? Is she happy where she is? In heaven?”

I resisted the urge to snort at that last comment. “It’s not exactly heaven. More like a luxury retirement community for magical folk. But she’s definitely loving the perks. She misses you though.”

Although she smiled, her eyes glistened in the shop’s low lighting. She was quick to blink the tears away and began fiddling with a pair of gemstone earrings on a nearby display rack.

“She brags about you a lot,” I added, pretending like I hadn’t noticed her emotion. “Said that even though you’re young, you’re a force to be reckoned with. A level three already.”

She nodded and sniffled a bit, still focused on the jewelry for sale. “She was a tough teacher, but she made me stronger.”

I believed that.

“More than my mother ever did.”

I winced, not expecting such an abrupt turn in the subject. Not sure how to exactly respond to a comment like that, I didn’t.

Arianna glanced back at me, and her gaze held nothing but anger now. But anger that was rooted in sadness. Maybe from abandonment. From what Marla had told me of her sister, she had chosen dark magic over her own daughter. I wouldn’t be surprised if that was exactly what she was feeling. I wouldn’t blame her either.

“Is my mother over there, too? Wherever you come from?”

“Uh…” Did I tell her that her mother was most likely in Hell, being tortured for all of eternity? Didn’t seem like a good idea. Angry or not.

“You don’t need to sugarcoat anything for me,” Arianna replied firmly. “I may have been young when she died, but I knew what kind of witch my mother was. And I say it that way for a reason. Tamara was a witch first and a mother last. Honestly, if there’s a Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if she was the devil’s personal assistant or something.”

Wow, that was unexpected. And a bit harsh. Here I was afraid to upset her by telling her the truth, and here she was the one telling me she didn’t expect anything else from her mother.

“I don’t know where your mother is honestly,” I said. “I haven’t seen her.” At least it was partially the truth, right?

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