“I can’t imagine why anybody would want Bierman over Wilkins,” I snarled sarcastically.

  “Listen,” said Aunt Belinda, “take a break and regroup. You still have some time to get your wand license.”

  “Time is actually the one thing I don’t have,” I muttered.

  I got to my feet and slung the backpack over my shoulder. “I was so close this time,” I said.

  Aunt Belinda tried to offer an encouraging smile as she escorted me to the door.

  “Things always seem way worse than they really are. I know you’ll make it through next time,” she said.

  I grabbed the scrunchie out of my tangled hair and angrily readjusted my messy bun.

  “Yeah, sure,” I muttered.

  ***

  One good thing about being on this side of town was being close to my favorite bakery, Paisley’s Pastries. The academy was placed right in between Hollow Hills and Providence. Providence was headquarters to the one and only soul processing plant and home to all of the souls stuck in Purgatory. Paisley was one of those people stuck in Purgatory fighting to make the best of a bad situation. Lucky for me she decided to make the best of things by opening up a bakery.

  I inhaled deeply as tears came to my eyes at the mere thought of biting into one of her homemade eclairs.

  I want eclairs, donuts, two of those crème-filled pink things, and four of those crispy cake things.

  I know I’m supposed to be on a budget, but a sugary pick-me-up was just what I needed in order to salvage this disastrous day.

  The door softly chimed as I pushed my way inside. Paisley glanced up from behind the cash register and smiled. She was a short woman with dark curly hair and a smile that could light up a room. Her rich dark skin shimmered under the soft lights of the tiny shop.

  “Lettie!” she exclaimed. “I haven’t seen you in half of forever, not that I truly have a real concept of time, but you know what I mean.”

  She wrapped her arms around me and gave me a tight hug.

  “I know,” I replied sheepishly. “But given the day I’ve had, you might be seeing me a lot more often.”

  “Oh no,” she said reaching for the samples tray she had sitting on the counter. “Try these strawberry brownies and tell me they don’t make you feel ten times better.”

  I greedily grabbed one and shoved it into my mouth. I didn’t realize how hungry I was until that moment. Cecilia and her antics did make me miss out on breakfast, so a sugar-laced snack was much appreciated.

  “This is one of the best things I’ve ever put in my mouth,” I moaned.

  Paisley set the tray down and flashed me a toothy grin. “Sweetie we have to find some different things to put in that mouth of yours,” she teased.

  I rolled my eyes and reached for another brownie. “We all aren’t so fortunate to have not one but two drop dead gorgeous boyfriends at our disposal.”

  Paisley was one of the few women around that had more than one mate and it was awe-inspiring to see them interact with each other.

  “Honey, those men are such a headache on occasion. I never thought I would have two boyfriends let alone two boyfriends with two different jobs that are often at odds with each other.”

  I chewed and thought for a moment, trying to recall what it is they actually do.

  “One is a Grim and the other is …”

  “A Reaper,” she said finishing my sentence. “Both of them are complete nut-jobs but I wouldn’t have them any other way. So, about your order, do you want your usual?”

  “Yes,” I replied, nodding excitedly. “Plus a few of these brownies.”

  “You got it,” said Paisley.

  She grabbed a box from behind the counter and started filling it with every kind of sweet delight possible.

  “About this boyfriend situation,” she drawled.

  Knowing Paisley, I wouldn’t like whatever she had in mind.

  “What about it?” I asked through a mouthful of brownie. “I’ll meet somebody eventually.”

  Paisley dropped my box on the counter and leaned over toward me. “How?” she asked. “You don’t leave the house other than to go to the academy or to my shop. Live a little and dive headfirst into some nonsense.”

  I nearly choked on the brownie as I tried not to laugh. Paisley was not only famous around town for her sweet treats, but we also remember the time the World was sent into total chaos due to her shenanigans.

  “Didn’t you almost bring about the destruction of mankind and the end of the World as we know it due to you diving headfirst into some nonsense?” I asked.

  Paisley folded her arms across her chest and grinned. “I can laugh about it now because the crisis was adverted, but in my defense, that was an accident. It’s also one of the reasons I don’t work at the processing plant anymore. One soul goes missing and suddenly certain death is on the horizon. I couldn’t take the pressure of all that.”

  I shook my head and reached for another sample. At the rate I’m going I’ll have to pay her for all the samples I’ve devoured.

  “That one soul was on the heavy hitter list though,” I said. “How did you even manage to get ahold of his name?”

  Paisley shook her head and frowned. “I don’t remember all of the details, but the point is, I didn’t end the World.”

  She picked up my massive pastry box and handed it to me. The heft of the box was surprising.

  “I put a few extra goodies in there,” she said, giving me a wink. “Don’t wait so long to come see me next time.”

  I shoved the last piece of brownie into my mouth and reached for my wallet to settle the bill.

  “I’ll be back sooner than you think, especially if you have more of these strawberry brownies.”

  We said our goodbyes and I started the trek back to my house. The sky darkened slightly, a clear indication of the late hour, and an instant reminder for me to hurry up and get back. I covered the mirrors this morning, I was sure of that, but I always liked to double check my work.

  Cecilia better have that salt circle around the house completed or she will be eating unseasoned chicken from now till New Years.

  I rounded the corner and gazed up at the massive monolith I called home. The house reached so far into the sky that most of it was hidden in the clouds. I’m actually embarrassed to tell people that I’ve never completely been through the entire thing. There could be a whole family living inside with me and I’d never know. When Grandma died she left the house to me and my cousin, Asia, but she has refused to accept her half of the inheritance.

  Not that I blame her. Asia has her own shit going on and keeping the portal to eternal darkness closed didn’t rate highly on her agenda. I wasn’t so lucky. It had been drilled into my head from birth that it was my job to keep the portal closed. At first, I was excited to take on the task of such an important job, but after my parents were killed by who knows what while in Abaddon, the job seemed less enticing.

  Grandma used their deaths to hammer it into my head about how important it was for me take the job seriously and train every chance I got. The issue was, I can’t train or do anything else other than re-stick a magickal band-aid on the portal since I can’t legally perform magick.

  I shifted the box of pastries to one hand and swung the gate open with the other. My foot helped to kick it closed while I gave the yard a quick scan.

  The front looks good. Cecilia poured a nice thick circle of salt.

  The weeds around the side of the house made it difficult to truly see the salt ring, but I squinted through the darkness to ensure there wasn’t a single space. What I really needed, other than a few more outside lights, was a gardener to come hex these weeds away. The cost was a little too high, but as soon as I get my hands on the rest of the money, I’ll be able to give this place the attention it truly deserves. I kept walking around and stooping down to check that everything was intact, and it wasn’t until I reached a small area right under one of the windows that I noticed a major problem.

  The area in question was no wider than an inch, but an inch was all it took to let something out. I dropped the box of pastries, a few of them spilling out on the ground, and started to quickly spread the salt around enough to close the gap.

  My heart pounded as I grabbed the pastries and got to my feet. Every little sound I heard in the distance threatened to make me pee a little.

  I stumbled up the stairs and made my way into the house to find Cecilia.

  “Cecilia?”

  My ears strained to pick up the soft thump of her tiny paws or the swishing sound of her wings, but I’m met with silence.

  That’s not a good or bad thing. I don’t hear or see Cecilia, but at least I don’t hear or see anything else.

  I slowly walked from room to room looking for my familiar, but I didn’t see a single hint of her. All of the mirrors appeared to still be covered and there wasn’t any point in going through the rest of the house. According to Grandma the only mirrors in the house are on the first floor, a decorating decision of hers that I’m grateful for. She had them moved because beings kept slipping through. The last thing you want is to wake up with a harpy standing over you ready to shred you to pieces.

  “Cecilia!” I shouted, a little more forceful.

  I tried to stay calm but my stomach flipped and turned with each room I checked.

  It’s not unusual for Cecilia to wander off and do her own thing, but she would typically come to me when summoned. The fact that she wasn’t coming was a major red flag.

  I stopped just short of my bedroom and stared at the partially open door.

  If that psycho jumps out at me again I’m going to lock her in her room for a month.

  “You better say something if you’re in there Cecilia, I’m not joking,” I said threateningly.

  When I didn’t get a response I slowly crept across the hall, closing the gap between me and the door.

  I gently pushed it open further and dropped my box of pastries again for the second time. Both hands clasped over my mouth to help stifle the scream determined to rear its ugly head. There in the corner of the room was the floor length, cursed to stay stuck on the wall mirror, and it was uncovered.

  I fumbled with the sheet and quickly worked to spread it back over the mirror, but not before catching a glimpse of what appeared to be a dark forest. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what happened to Cecilia, and it certainly didn’t take one to figure out what to do next.

  “I’m coming, Cecilia, just hold on,” I muttered.

  Chapter Three

  My hands shook as I devoured my seventh or eighth cup of coffee. I stopped counting the amount of caffeine I drank after the third cup. Every drop mattered especially since I’m determined to stay awake through the night. I couldn’t close my eyes and get some rest even if I wanted to. Not with Cecilia missing, and my constant worrying about what could have come through the mirror. I had no way of knowing exactly how long the mirror was uncovered.

  “This is why I rarely leave the house,” I muttered, trying to steady my hands.

  I spent half the night worrying and the other half planning my rescue mission. Unfortunately, Cecilia left a nasty taste in everyone’s mouth and I’m sure no one would be excited to help me retrieve her. Aunt Belinda already wants her gone, and Asia was out of the question no matter what.

  My eyes flickered over to the fridge and I caught a glimpse of the withered piece of paper clipped to the front. The note was scribbled in Grandma’s handwriting: Matten’s Magickal Supply Shop.

  They were the ones tasked with making my weekly delivery of supplies. I’m sure they have something that will come in handy to help rescue Cecilia.

  I jumped to my feet and checked the time again.

  “If I get started now, I can get there by the time they open,” I muttered.

  Despite my eagerness to get to my familiar, it was necessary for me to make sure that everything was secure. I didn’t need any other mishaps distracting me.

  With the mirrors covered and the salt ring intact I set off toward the supply shop.

  My face was twisted into a neutral expression, but inside all of my emotions took turns rearing their ugly heads.

  What if she’s dead already?

  What if something actually did slip through?

  All of this bullshit over the lack of lobster.

  I was so lost inside of my own thoughts that I nearly walked past the supply shop. The peppery scent of incense coated the air and the scent intensified as I made my way inside.

  “This place is a dump,” I muttered under my breath.

  I’m not sure how my grandma stumbled upon this shop, but finding anything useful in here would be a nightmare. Different little odds and ends were piled high on top of each other. The higher the stack, the more dust that coated everything.

  I rounded one corner after the other trying to find something that looked sturdy enough to take on whatever was in Abaddon. As I strained to read the label of one of the things I’d picked up, a large shadow fell on me. I turned around slowly and came face to face with a golem. The giant clay creatures always freaked me out and this one was no exception. They are oversized and under-brained, which made them exceedingly dangerous if given the wrong set of instructions.

  There’s a big difference between, “pick me up” and “pick me up gently”. My very first broken bone was as a result of a misguided golem, and I promised myself to steer clear of them.

  The thin slit in its expressionless face parted slightly and a muffled voice came through it.

  “Can I help you find something today?”

  “Uh, yes,” I stammered, taking a few steps backward. “But, I’m not sure what I need exactly.”

  The slit parted again and there was a brief pause before the voice came through.

  “Come to the register please.”

  The clay monster turned and lurched down the aisle toward the register and I fell in step behind him.

  This would be easier if you would just organize this place better.

  I glanced at my watch and sighed. Since I’m not exactly sure when Cecilia went missing, I’m not exactly sure how long she’s been gone. One second in Abaddon was far too long, but I know for a fact it’s been hours at this point.

  The golem abruptly stopped and I barely caught myself from walking right into him. I stood there for a few moments and once I’m finally satisfied he won’t move anymore, I side step him.

  There, right behind the counter stood a handsome specimen of a man with a wide grin. His raven hair was cropped short and spiked a little bit in the front.

  Is that a dimple? Gaia help me, it is a dimple. How the hell am I supposed to focus with him standing in front of me?

  “What’s up, Ponytail? Need some help?” he said.

  My hand involuntarily touched my lopsided ponytail and I suddenly wished I was anywhere but here. I know I’m supposed to be a on a rescue mission, but I wish I would have spruced up a little.

  I’m wearing yesterday’s clothes and the coffee didn’t help my morning breath situation.

  I should be okay if he stays right where he is.

  “You guys were … I mean … I’m … uh.”

  What the hell? Now I can’t make a coherent sentence.

  Drop dead handsome tilted his head to the side as his eyebrow shot upwards.

  You aren’t the only one confused.

  I closed my eyes and tried to start over without sounding crazy.

  “You guys deliver supplies to my house every week, and I didn’t get my order yesterday,” I said. “You usually just drop everything on the front porch.”

  I figured starting at the beginning would help clear up the confusion a little.

  “Really?” he asked.

  He grabbed the pen he had stuck behind his ear and reached for a notepad off of the counter.

  “It wasn’t your fault,” I said in a rush. “My familiar canceled the order out of spite.”

  He dropped the pen and frowned.

  “What the hell did you do to piss off your familiar bad enough to be that disobedient?”

  I exhaled and shook my head. “I didn’t bring home lobster.”

  At first the sexy cashier stared at me unblinking. After a few more moments of awkward silence he burst into a fit of laughter that I thought would never end.

  “Wait, wait, wait,” he said between chuckles. “Cuddles and Gavin get out here, you have to hear this.”

  I rolled my eyes and folded my arms across my chest.

  I hope you do catch a whiff of this morning breath. We’ll see who’s laughing then.

  Before I’m able to think of a quick comeback, the curtain behind mister sexy parted and out walked two more living gods.

  One was the perfect example of tall, dark, and handsome. His deep brown skin was completely flawless and partially hidden behind a large pair of glasses. The T-shirt he’s wearing strained against his muscles and I suddenly have thoughts of him being shirtless.

  As if he wasn’t enough, a man bigger than the golem standing next to me, towered over the other two guys. I’m sure he could take on an army of golems by himself and still come out on top. His sun-kissed skin glistened with a thin layer of sweat and his long hair is pulled back into a low ponytail.

  He’s definitely Polynesian. Maybe Samoan? He’s a mountain of sexy, that’s what he is. Wait, why am I here again?

  “What is it, Ichiro?” said the giant. “I was unloading the truck.”

  “Go on, go on,” said Ichiro gesturing to me. “Repeat what you just said.”

  Yes, all three are sexy, but I’m a woman on a mission and I’m getting pissed.

  “Fuck you,” I hissed. “This isn’t funny.”

  Ichiro stopped laughed for a moment and folded his arms across his chest. “Oh, we’ve got a little potty mouth, I see. Like hell it isn’t funny, loosen up a little.”

  I rolled my eyes and bit my bottom lip. “If I repeat it, will you hurry up and help me? I’m running out of time.”

 

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