Free 1 Grim Tidings by Amanda M. Lee

Getting mistaken for a prostitute couldn’t be as uncomfortable as this, could it?
    “And what did those readings say?” Redmond was intrigued.
    I screwed up my face in disgust as I readied myself for Madame Maxine’s pronouncement.
    “You know that I keep all my readings confidential,” she said. “Don’t try to be cute.”
    I let out a long, shaky breath and finally found the courage to meet Madame Maxine’s blue eyes. I expected to find mirth and consternation, but all I discovered was warmth and sympathy.
    Hmm. Maybe Madame Maxine wasn’t as bad as I thought.
    “Are you still making bad decisions, girl?”
    Or maybe she was evil incarnate.
    “We’re not here about me,” I replied.
    “I figured.”
    “How?”
    “You both have dark auras,” Madame Maxine said, sinking back down in her chair. “That means you have serious issues on your mind. You’re worried.”
    Redmond maneuvered himself to the open seat across from Madame Maxine, settling his large frame in the small chair with more grace than I would have thought possible. “We have a problem.”
    “Define problem.”
    “There’s a wraith in the area.”
    Since Madame Maxine was aware of the supernatural population, I expected some sort of reaction. Fear. Panic. Mild interest. None of those emotions moved across her face, though.
    Instead, Madame Maxine reached up and pulled the wooden pick out of her gray hair, letting it fall to her shoulders in a mass of silky waves. For an older woman, she really was breathtaking. That bohemian chic thing she had going for her was pretty impressive, and I’m not just saying that because her ankle-length purple skirt had me considering trading in my Converse for comfortable pumps – or at least sensible flats.
    Redmond was the first to break the silence. “This isn’t a surprise to you?”
    “No,” Madame Maxine admitted. “It’s not.”
    “Why didn’t you tell anyone?” I asked, my mind tangling with a series of insults.
    “Who should I tell?”
    “The Authority?” I suggested.
    Yes, we have a paranormal council. The members don’t have a lot of power, but they do have a wide range of information dissemination avenues. They could have at least made everyone aware of what was going on.
    “I’m not part of that group,” Madame Maxine reminded us. “I’m a solitary practitioner.”
    “That doesn’t mean you’re not responsible for what happens in this town,” I said.
    “How am I responsible?”
    “If you know a wraith is here – a wraith that’s killing people and sucking souls, mind you – you should report it to someone.”
    “Why?”
    “Because it’s wrong.”
    “It’s wrong to you,” Madame Maxine said, choosing her words carefully. “You’re a reaper, I get that. You have a job to do and a mantra to embrace. That doesn’t mean everyone believes in that mantra. People believe differently, young lady.”
    “So you think it’s okay for a parasite to live off the eternal life of others?”
 
    “I didn’t say that.”
    “What are you saying?”
    “ Aisling,” Redmond warned. “Don’t.”
    “Don’t what?”
    “Don’t do what you’re doing?”
    “You can’t think she’s right?” I was incredulous. Redmond is notorious for not rocking the boat, but he’s not exactly known for just sitting there and watching it sink.
    “I didn’t say that,” Redmond replied, his voice low and his purple eyes serious. “Why don’t you let me do the talking?”
    I crossed my arms over my chest obstinately. I hate it when he treats me like a child.
    “Let the girl talk,” Madame Maxine interjected. “She has an opinion and it’s her right to express it.”
    Redmond seemed surprised by Madame Maxine’s chiding. “I thought … .”
    “Just be quiet, boy,” Madame Maxine instructed. “This is between me and her.”
    Redmond opened his mouth to argue and then wisely snapped it shut. He sent me a sympathetic look before focusing on Madame Maxine and avoiding my heated