Page 53 of Midnight Witch

“Shame you didn’t barf,” Nikolai told the incubus nastily.

Alicia’s skin took on a greenish tinge. “How about no one mention bodily functions for a while? I’m barely hanging on to breakfast as it is.”

Mrs. Son-Ha put a pot of tea on the table and squinted at Alicia. “Are you guys sure this woman is the Queen of Soul Reapers? She looks kinda feeble.”

Alicia opened an eye and studied their host. “I’ve been meaning to ask. Who is this? And why do I smell the presence of so many soul remnants in her house?”

Mrs. Son-Ha sniffed and crossed her arms. “I’m a Shaman.”

Alicia blinked and straightened. “Get out of here!”

Mrs. Son-Ha scowled. “It’s my place, lady.”

“That’s not what I me—oh, never mind.” Alicia sighed. “Just so you know, there are only a handful of real Shamans in the world. The rest are charlatans.” She lowered her brows, her tone turning suspicious. “One thing Iamcertain of. Shamans do not possess the ability to erect divine barriers.”

Mrs. Son-Ha shrugged. “That’s not me.”

They told Alicia about Camael and the dragon bell.

“Oh God.” The Reaper Queen’s expression turned glassy as she stared at the artifact sitting innocuously on the windowsill. “Astarte will have a coronary when I tell her about this.” She pinched the bridge of her nose. “I bet Armaros just laughs his damn head off.”

Mae blinked. “Armaros?”

“He’s part of Astarte’s alliance,” Alicia explained. “He’s a fallen angel and the eleventh leader of the Grigori. His name was the Accursed One and he was Heaven’s most talented blacksmith before he was banished to the Underworld.”

Mae startled.

Hellreaver quivered on her chest.Ar—Armaros!

Brimstone blinked his eyes open and raised his head where he’d been snoozing by the back door with Tarang.Ah.

Mae looked warily from the weapon to the fox. “What is it?”

I do believe that’s the name of Hellreaver’s maker.

Hellreaver practically vibrated off Mae’s chest.He’s right, my witch!

Her eyes rounded. “Really? Then—can he fix the skeleton key?!”

“What are you talking about?” Nikolai said, puzzled.

“Armaros is the one who made Hellreaver,” Mae explained excitedly.

Alicia stared. “Oh.” She slammed her fist into her palm. “That makes total sense!”

“Is that skeleton key even relevant anymore?” Vlad asked Mae dubiously. “Since it appears the Dark Council already has their hands on theBook of Shadows, I can’t see the urgency in getting it fixed.”

“I—”

Mae faltered. What the incubus had said was technically correct. Still, she couldn’t help but feel that key was important.

Call it a witch’s instincts.

“Something tells me we might need it one day.”

I agree, my witch,Brimstone murmured.

A sliver of unease flitted through Mae. The fox had been strangely out of sorts since they’d returned from the nexus. She was about to ask him what was troubling him when a hum distracted her.

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