Read Online 1 Grim Tidings by Amanda M. Lee - Free Book Online Page A

familiar object. “I got this back for you this morning.”
    I grudgingly took the scepter from his hand and shoved it into my pocket. “Thanks.”
    “You’re welcome.”
    “Did they give you any crap?”
    “No,” he shook his head. “They were surprisingly easy to deal with.”
    “And they didn’t have any questions about the paperwork?”
    “Nope.”
    Redmond’s soul was busily making promises to Shiva – and he wasn’t in hearing distance – so I took the opportunity to grab the bull by the horns.
    “So, Detective Taylor stopped by my place this morning.”
    “Is that the guy who took you and Aidan in for questioning?”
    “Yup.”
    “Why was he at your condo?”
    “Because he wants to torture me.”
    Redmond regarded me skeptically. “Why did he really show up?”
    “Because he wanted me to confirm that the two witnesses he found really saw a seven -foot-tall guy who looked like a demon in a robe.”
    Redmond’s breath came out in a whoosh. I knew it!
    “You knew it was a wraith, didn’t you?”
    Redmond averted his eyes from my gaze. “No.”
    “Don’t lie.”
    “I had my suspicions,” Redmond replied. “That’s different.”
    “How?”
    “Don’t look at me like that.”
    “Like what?”
    “Like I lied to you.”
    I rolled my eyes. “You did.”
    “I did not.”
    “You did, too.”
    “I did not.”
    “You did, too. Now what is he doing?”
    Redmond glanced back up at his charge and sighed. “Dedicating his life to Shiva in exchange for eternal worship.”
    “He’s already dead.”
    “He doesn’t believe it.”
    “They never do.”
    “I hate doing Hindu retrievals,” Redmond sighed. “They’re never violent, but they’re always so earnest.”
    “Is that why you agreed to let him say goodbye to the statue?”
    “Don’t be a pain.”
    “So, what do you think about this whole wraith thing?” I returned to the problem at hand.
    Okay, here’s the situation. We live in a world where the paranormal exist. Not vampires (sorry, sparkly Robert Pattinson fans). Not werewolves (sorry, randy Joe Manganiello fans). Not zombies (sorry, gritty Norman Reedus fans). Not mummies (sorry … hmm, there have never been any hot mummies in pop culture, have there?). But other things do exist. Reapers. Witches. Fairies. Wraiths.
    Wraiths are our current concern, though. They’re essentially fallen witches and warlocks. They can live for centuries if they absorb the souls of the recently deceased. As for the owners of those souls, once they’re gone they’re gone. No afterlife. No Heaven. No Hell. No Purgatory. Nothing. It goes against the very fiber of nature.
    Wraiths are a big deal – and they’re inherently evil. If we have a rogue one in the area, we have a fight on our hands.
    “I think we need more information.” Redmond’s face was drawn and serious.
    I love Redmond, but his insistence o n following the rules and not flying off the handle is tedious.
    “Where are we going to get this information?”
    “I have an idea.”
    I searched his face for answers and, when I found them, my heart plummet ed. “No.”
    “Yes.”
    “No.”
    “Yes.”
    Crap. He wanted to go see Madame Maxine. I knew I should have picked a different brother to approach.
    “Wait here,” Redmond ordered. “I have to tear this guy away from the statue. I’ll be right back.”
    I can’t wait.

Ten
    “I think this is a bad idea.”
    Redmond didn’t even waste a tired look in my direction. “Then wait out here.”
    We were on Woodward in Royal Oak, on the sidewalk in front of Tarot and Tea, a magic shop. This was Madame Maxine’s shop – and I have never had a positive experience here.
    “I’m not waiting out here,” I argued. “People might think I’m a prostitute or something.”
    Redmond glanced down at my Converse and shook his head. “Not in those shoes.”
    He had a point.
    “Well, I don’t want to rely on you to tell me what she knows.”
    It was a low blow, but I figured he