you

  !”

  Jacob raised an eyebrow. “Have we met before?”

  “I went to school with your cousin, Martin. Now, uh…I’m a detective in Los Angeles and…I know this sounds weird, but do you know this guy?” He jabbed his finger at the lanky man, hoping that his lie about being a detective would at least spook the guy and make him think twice about doing anything against Jacob.

  The lanky man stared at Harry like he wanted to throttle him. He nodded toward Jacob. “Of course he knows me.” He reached into his pocket.

  “Keep your hands where I can see them!” Harry reached into his own jacket and pulled out

  a

  9mm

  .

  He paused, then slowly raised his hands.

  Jacob growled. “What the hell is your problem? Put your

  gun

  away

  !”

  The music from the bar’s sound system grinded to a halt. The dancing drunk hottie with her partner stumbled and turned to stare, and the bartender looked like he was reaching for either his cell phone or a shotgun from behind

  the

  bar

  .

  Heat rose in Harry’s cheeks, and he tried to save face. “So, you know this guy? And that he carries

  a

  gun

  ?”

  Jacob crossed his arms and glared. The pale Watcher just sat across from him wearing a smirk. “As head of my private security team, yes, he carries a gun. I imagine he has a concealed carry permit, just like you…although I can’t imagine why you’re allowed to have a gun. Put

  it

  away

  .”

  Harry slipped his gun back into his holster under his jacket. He gave a quick nod toward the security man and faced Jacob. “Sorry about that. I guess I read the situation wrong.”

  The pale Watcher finally spoke up. His eyes were dark and piercing. “That’s been happening a lot in our fair city, Mister…”

  “Storm. Harry Storm.” His arm gave a slight twitch when he extended it to shake the

  Watcher’s

  hand

  .

  The Watcher tilted his baseball cap upward in order to get a better view of Harry. He studied him a few seconds before smiling. It wasn’t a friendly smile, but more of a welcome to the lion’s den, little mouse type of smile.

  “I’m Bruno Jones. And yes, I am a Watcher, but as you can see, I come in peace.”

  Harry’s hand fell to his side. He fought the urge to wipe his palm. “Yeah, again, sorry for interrupting.”

  Harry turned and headed toward the exit, making sure to not make eye contact with the few patrons he passed, and especially not the bartender. He walked down the street and made it back to his Maverick, where he climbed into the driver seat and gripped the steering wheel. He took a few deep breaths, trying to expel the humiliation and anger that sat like a tight ball in his chest.

  Just across the street, he saw a dark sedan parked with a blond guy sitting inside, wearing all black and looking like he ate souls for lunch. He locked gazes with Harry.

  “Son of a…” Blondie was one of Warren

  Bright’s

  men

  .

  The other man started his car and took off down the street. For a moment, Harry froze. He had fantasized about beating the hell out of Warren’s goons, and the man himself, but knowing that Warren had been pulling his strings this whole time made Harry pause with fear. And that just made him even angrier—another knife twist from the wizard. Harry did manage to jab at his spy watch and stick his hand out the window. He hoped it was able to capture the license plate number.

  He rolled up his window and pulled out his phone. He dialed Belagio’s number, but it was already disconnected. Well, it looked like Belagio’s “employer” who wanted pics of Jacob Wolfe was none other than Warren Bright. But why? Wasn’t it enough to curse him? Did Warren and Belagio have to play games with him and make him out to be some sort of crazy person attacking the mayor’s chief of staff? He wouldn’t be surprised if that was tomorrow’s headline in

  the

  news

  .

  Whatever Warren Bright and Dominic Belagio were after, they were going to drag him and that Jacob Wolfe guy along and dispose of them when they were done. It looked like tomorrow warranted a trip to the police station to call in a favor with an old friend.

  4

  Aria

  Aria stretched and yawned. “Finish up your

  homework

  ,

  then

  —

  ”

  “Do our chores,” Ellie Volgens groaned. “We already know. We’ve only done the same thing for the past few months.”

  Aria lifted an eyebrow. “Was it really

  that

  ,

  or

  —

  ”

  “No,” Ellie said. “Well, yes. But that’s beside the point.”

  Aria sighed. Firecracker, that one. Ellie was just ten, but she always knew what was going through Aria’s head, well before Aria did half the time. Kid had skills in telepathy. Zarek, on the other hand, didn’t need to be told to finish up his homework. He preferred to be nose deep in textbooks and dusty old tomes rather than doing what most boys his age did. She supposed it was because he was set on being a Loremaster. Both Zarek and Ellie attended the prestigious Albertus Magnus Academy, a private school that also incorporated training kids with preternatural abilities.

  Ellie slapped her math book shut then jumped from the table. “

  All

  done

  !”

  Before Aria could even speak, Ellie was already following along, picking up her pencils, notebook, and math book, sliding each into her backpack before zipping it up and taking it to the parlor where Zarek’s book bag

  already

  sat

  .

  Aria shifted her gaze to Zarek, who slowly rose from the table, keeping his attention on his latest library find, Ancient Cultures. His lips turned down as he slipped the thin yellow ribbon stuck in its binding within the crease of its pages, then took the book to the shelf in the

  sitting

  room

  .

  Aria shook her head. Boy acts like it’s torture to live in the world for half an hour. Sooner or later, he’d have to live in it and accept that it wasn’t perfect. Hmph. Maybe she had it wrong and Zarek was on to something. A great deal of her faith in humanity had been destroyed a long time ago, and the only thing that kept her going was the desire to not wither up and die. And, she liked eating and the occasional pair of heels. Other than that, the world had

  abandoned

  her

  .

  While Ellie and Zarek went to clean their rooms, Aria cleared the dinner table and waited for Benjamin, the children’s father, to get home. After running a sink full of hot soapy water, Aria dunked the sponge into it, pulled on a plate, and scrubbed while mulling over the day’s events. The children seemed to be extremely cooperative this evening. No arguments over chores. No complaints over dinner. It was a nice change.

  Things weren’t always as smooth. Ellie and Zarek were typical siblings, with their arguments and fair amount of rivalry. In fact, that morning’s events were quite the adventure. Ellie had decided to take Zarek’s previous library book and hide it from him. Aria nearly tore the house from roof to floor helping him look for it while Ellie danced, giggling and skipping through the hallways, humming.

  She had to threaten Ellie with no TV for a week just to make her give up the book, which was hidden in Zarek’s backpack the whole time, before they left the house late. Even then, Aria had to Jedi-mind-trick herself so that Ellie couldn’t tell if she was bluffing or not. Aria then had to perform damage control just to keep Zarek from enacting revenge upon his little sister. Despite all that, she had a soft spot for the kids, and Ellie exploited that every chance

  she

  got

  .

  Her lips stretched with a grin thinking about the kids, but when she looked up and out through the kitchen window just above the sink, her expression fell. The red eyes of a hellhound stared back at her, glowing vibrantly in the darkness outside. Her heart froze in her chest when its low howl turned into human-like cackling.

  “Aria!” Benjamin’s deep voice filled

  her

  ears

  .

  She jumped. A twinge shot through her thumb. She blinked and peered through the window; the hellhound was gone. She pulled her hand from the warm soapy water to examine her skin. Blood immediately filled the line in her finger where she had cut herself.

  “Shit,” she said under her breath. She walked over to the table where a stack of napkins sat in the center, collected neatly in a small wooden square. She pulled on one then wrapped her thumb with it. She shifted her gaze to Benjamin, who approached with a questioning look. “Hello, Mr. Volgens. I didn’t hear you

  come

  in

  .”

  “I called your name several times before coming into the kitchen.” His voice was softer than before. “Here, let me take

  a

  look

  .”

  “That’s not necessary. It’ll stop

  bleeding

  soon

  .”

  “It’s no trouble.”

  Doctor Benjamin Volgens was a healer in magic and in practice. When he wasn’t healing cuts and scrapes at home, he was mending bones at his hybrid medical clinic. A hybrid clinic was a fancy way of labeling a clinic that used both traditional medicine and “alternative” treatments.

  Benjamin ignored Aria’s refusal, taking her hand firmly in his and gently unwrapping the now stained napkin so he could examine the damage. His lips pulled down at the corners as a pinch formed between his eyebrows.

  “It’s not that deep,” she

  assured

  him

  .

  He enclosed Aria’s thumb in his hands. A burst of warmth filled her thumb, then tingling and stinging throbbed down into her wrist. When he pulled away, the bleeding had stopped, and all that remained was a slight

  reddish

  line

  .

  “

  Thank

  you

  .”

  She wondered out of all the people he’s healed, if he had ever regretted helping any of them. For a long time, she had lost satisfaction in sin eating. But last night with Lora and Hessa, it stirred something in her. Perhaps it was a mother-daughter thing. But, it wasn’t without its price. She felt the fatigue settling in her bones, the mental exhaustion that came with age. The hellhounds sensed this

  as

  well

  .

  Benjamin shrugged, but smiled at her all the same. “It’s what I do. How were the kids today?”

  “No more rambunctious than usual. Leftovers are in the fridge. Mrs. Volgens called and said she’d be home around ten and not to wait up

  for

  her

  .”

  “Thank you. I’ll finish up here. You can head home. We’ll see you tomorrow morning.”

  Aria nodded then went to say goodbye to the kids. Zarek was in bed with a mini flashlight and still reading. He mumbled a half-hearted goodnight to her. His eyes never left the page. She moved on to Ellie’s room, and the girl was at her window, stargazing. Before Aria could announce herself and grab Ellie’s attention, she turned from the window and smiled

  at

  her

  .

  “I hope your finger’s

  okay

  ,

  Aria

  .”

  Aria gestured for Ellie to come to her, and she enveloped her in a big hug. If she ever had a little girl, she would want her to be like Ellie.

  “I’m all right, your dad healed it. Time to get into bed

  and

  stay

  .”

  Ellie jumped into bed and buried herself beneath a dozen stuffed animals. Sometimes when Aria would come in the morning to pick her up for school, all she could see in Ellie’s bed were a toe peeking out or maybe a human hand amidst the bears and unicorns.

  She was caught by surprise when her cell phone rang. She whispered goodnight once more to Ellie then stepped out, closing the door behind her. The caller ID just said “Unknown,” which she didn’t like, because half the time it was the loan company asking when she was going to make her next student loan payment. Around ten years ago, she thought she could go to school and pursue something—anything. It didn’t work out, and she was stuck with the bill. She checked the time—9:15 p.m.—they were going to get a piece of

  her

  mind

  .

  She answered the phone. “Listen, it’s past nine, and according to the law, you can’t call me this

  late

  and

  —

  ”

  “Aria Knight,” a man with a smooth British accent began, “I am sorry to bother you at this hour, but I was hoping to hire you for a sin eating ritual.”

  “Oh. You want me hire me? Can I have your

  name

  ,

  sir

  ?”

  “My name is Dominic Belagio, and I work for Bartholomew Perkins.”

  Aria smiled to herself in recognition. “The founder of Perkins Pharmaceuticals?” She thought it would’ve been crass to say “

  rich

  guy

  .”

  “The same,

  my

  dear

  .”

  Her expression fell. “Then…I’m sorry for your loss. He passed away tonight?”

  Belagio chuckled. “Goodness, no,

  not

  yet

  .”

  “Well, I don’t perform the Rite unless the person is dead.” Every now and then she’d get a call like this, and she’d have to explain that sin eating only worked for deceased people during a specific window of time, for a person truly repentant at heart, when their eternal fate wasn’t quite sealed.

  “Aria, my employer will be dead by tomorrow night, thus I will require your services at

  that

  time

  .”

  She felt a cold lump in the pit of her stomach. “I’m

  sorry

  ,

  but

  …”

  “He is dying, Aria. Terminal cancer. Quite ironic, as he pioneered cancer fighting drugs, but he refuses treatment and says he is ready

  to

  die

  .”

  “I’m sorry to hear that, Mr. Belagio. Is it certain that he’ll die tomorrow? Perhaps you can call me once he actually

  passes

  away

  .”

  “It will be tomorrow, I’m afraid. We obviously want to keep this matter discreet and don’t want the press or unsavory characters taking advantage. Do you think this is something you

  could

  do

  ?”

  Something felt off to her. “I’m

  not

  sure

  .”

  “Perhaps there is another sin eater I

  can

  call

  ?”

  “I’m the only one in this region.”

  “Mr. Perkins has authorized me to pay you a

  handsome

  fee

  .”

  “Oh, well, it’s not really about the money.” Although she was tempted to ask just how handsome that

  fee

  was

  .

  “In addition, my vast resources will be at your disposal to help you track down your birth mother.”

  Her heart leapt in her chest. “How do you know

  about

  her

  ?”

  “I know that when you’re born with that mark on your hand that they give you over to Shriveners as your guardians. Most families stay in contact with their sin eater children, but in your case, they did not. You’ve never met your mother, but I am now giving you that chance. Those of the strongest witching bloodlines can live a very long time, and your mother is a very powerful witch. All I ask is that you help an old man go on to his reward.”

  Tears stung her eyes. After all these years of dreaming and imagining what it would be like, she finally had a real chance at meeting her mother and even finding out who her

  father

  was

  .

  Her shaky voice nearly croaked her reply. “I’ll be there tomorrow night.”

  “Very good. I’ll text you the address to his estate, as well as the

  gate

  code

  .”

  “Okay. See you tomorrow.”

  She sniffed and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. She turned around and nearly pissed herself. Ellie stood behind her, wearing a blank expression.

  “You should trust your feelings, Aria. It sounds too good to be true,

  doesn’t

  it

  ?”

  Sweet little girl, what do you know about all this? Your mom may be a workaholic, but at least you have a mother. And your dad is a good man. “I thought you were in bed, Ellie.”

  She tapped her temple with her forefingers to remind Aria that her telepathy didn’t tone down simply because it was bedtime. “We should have a girls

  day

  out

  .”

  Aria couldn’t hide her chuckle. “Pedicures and frozen yogurt?”

  Ellie nodded. “I’d like that. Let’s do it Saturday, so Mom can

  join

  us

  .”

  “It’s

  a

  date

  .”

  By the time she poured herself into her 1999 Volkswagen Beetle, she was ready for the comfort of a nice cup of hot tea and bed. Six in the morning came quick for her, and last night’s ritual made it difficult for her to sleep.

  She might even go for a bubble bath, with extra lavender.