Page 32 of Reapers Don’t Ride

He smiled at me. “Not that I don’t trust your fidelity. But no one is putting an unwelcome hand on you.”

“So that brings us back to freedom, duty, a ferret, and a fairy. Why are you working for Romi?” I asked the pix.

“It’s none of your business.”

“But I told you. I’m interested. You’re clearly not happy here, so why do you stay? Why is kicking you out a threat? There are a million jobs that smell better than this one.”

“Why are you still a killer even after the ones who made you kill are gone?”

I blinked at him. “There is a reason.” I grabbed him and slammed him to the solid wood counter, bouncing his head off the surface while those eyes burned brighter and brighter at me. I leaned close and inhaled, deep, smelling another scent, female, young, and so very innocent.

“Get away from him!” Her voice was shrill, and the gun she aimed at my head shook in her grip. She was probably ten, but fairies aged more slowly, and by the pretty yellow and hot pink wings to match her hair, she was definitely a fairy.

She was wearing a collar, silver, so it was safe against her skin, but she was definitely held captive.

“Chira, get out of here,” the Pix yelled, desperation heavy on his skin.

I released him and stepped away, brushing off my hands. I moved closer to the fairy girl. “The thing is, you aren’t holding that gun right,” I said to her.

She stared at me, then frowned at the gun. I gave her a slight smile because this was the most beautiful setup I could have asked for. Being shot would be an excellent way to kill a goblin. All I had to do was get her to pull the trigger when I was standing in front of him, and then I’d make sure he stayed dead.

I took four steps forward and then to the side so I was in the right position, then bared my fangs at the child.

Her eyes widened, and she dropped the gun. It went off when it struck the stone. I smelled angel blood and then bared my teeth in earnest. She backed away from me, hands raised, and then Romi swung a chain at my head while Gavriel sank to his knees.

Things had officially gone off the rails. I leapt, grabbing the chain while I spun so it was wrapped around my body, then I hit Romi, swinging around him so the chain came up against his throat, his belly against the stone, body bowed back as I contemplated ripping his head off with the chain. It would be messy, and this was supposed to be a quiet job with an accidental death, but the scent of angel blood swelled higher and higher.

The pix grabbed a rusty knife from a table and held it at Gavriel’s throat. “Let Romi go or I’ll kill your friend.”

Gavriel’s eyes met mine, and he looked amused. Blood was coming from his shoulder. Not a lethal shot, and he was a reaper. I wasn’t supposed to kill anyone, but Romi was gasping and struggling like a fish at the end of a line. At the end of his line. If I kept on like this, he’d be dead before much longer.

Gavriel kicked the gun towards me. I caught it, then turned and shot the lock off the cage. Crucible came out like a mad tornado, spitting and gouging Romi’s face before he landed on my shoulder and started combing my hair, tugging hard enough to make my eyes sting.

“Why is the ferret…” the pix said, frowning at me in confusion, then his eyes cleared. “You intentionally came here for the ferret. It’s yours! That’s why it’s so well-trained. Why it knows how to mix poison and pick locks.” He lowered his knife, and Gavriel side-stepped him and went to pick up the fairy girl.

She blinked at him and then kept staring. He spread his glorious white wings and shone with an inner light.

“I think that we’ll make a trade,” he said, studying the girl with a gentle smile before he turned to me. “Her life for the goblin’s. Do you agree, Goblin? Your life for this child? You can’t steal someone’s pet without paying for it. That’s fair, is it not?”

Romi gurgled then hit the stone floor three times, the ultimate sign of defeat.

I released him, spinning the chain and then wrapping it around my arm while I nodded at the Pix. “Get paper. We’re writing a contract.”

“A contract? You can’t trade her life for his. Slavery is illegal.”

I flashed a smile at the adorably fairy boy. “Is it? Then she must not have a collar around her neck. If you get a paper, then I won’t have to write the contract in Romi’s skin.” I flexed my fingers, showing how sharp my claws were. “The last time I used someone’s skin…”

“Get a paper!” Romi gasped.

It took two more minutes before he’d written the contract according to my directions and signed at the bottom. I put a drop of blood next to his name and then nodded at Gavriel. “Does it look good?”

He leaned over and frowned at it. “It looks good to me, but I don’t make contracts with demons.”

I grimaced and leaned my cheek against Crucible’s fur. I’d missed having him close even though he smelled terrible. “Thanks. I guess we can go then.” I smiled at the girl. “Do you have any belongings you’d like to take with you? You can have your brother fetch them.”

The pixie boy inhaled sharply. “How did you know…”

“Meet us outside.”