A Reaper Made Read Free Page B

Tessa told him. “Ears burning?”  
    He gave her the side eye, choosing to ignore her statement and instead greet her as usual.  
    “You knock on doors when you can just teleport anywhere?” I asked him as he walked into the living room.  
    “Some people are polite,” Tessa mumbled under her breath. I stuck my tongue out at her and Tully sighed. I braced myself for the usual reprimand and wasn’t disappointed.  
    “What have I told you about maintaining composure, child?” he asked.  
    I grimaced. He was a stickler for rules, far worse than any doctor or teacher I’d learned from in life. He never hesitated to correct my errors. In fact, he was doing it right now.  
    “You’re off daydreaming again, aren’t you?” Tully asked, snapping me out of my thoughts.  
    “Only a little bit,” I responded, keeping a straight face when Tessa laughed. “What are you doing here anyway?”  
    “If you’d care to listen, you’d know,” Tully said, his tone a bit frosty. I managed an apologetic expression; he waved a hand at me as he leaned against the doorway. “I need to meet up with someone at the bar. I wanted to know if Tessa would accompany me.”  
    The “bar” Tully referred to was Luther’s, a well-known otherworldly operation frequented by the supernatural world. The only one of its kind, it catered to all those in our world, provided they could keep it civil. I’d only visited once, when I’d first become a Reaper, as Tully frowned upon too many visitations. Reapers couldn’t get drunk and didn’t really do crowds. It would look odd, perhaps even suspicious, if we visited too many times.  
    Tessa lit up at Tully’s request for her company. “Really?”
    “Why can’t I go?” I asked with a pout.
    Tully huffed. “I had assumed you’d be at the nursing home, but since you are here, you are more than welcome to accompany us.”  
    I brightened. “Oh, cool. Count me in.”
    Tessa gave Tully a wary look. “Wait a second there, Reaper. Why do you need me?”  
    Tully shrugged. “I could use a witch.”  
    “Because?”  
    “Because it is good practice to watch thyself in such an establishment,” Tully replied, his tone clear that it would be the end of the discussion. “If you are otherwise occupied, I will understand.”  
    “No, it’s fine, I’ll go,” Tessa said quickly, shooting a look at me. Tully didn’t ask for favors, so the fact he might need a witch was strange enough to tag along.  
    “When do we leave?” I asked.  
    “Now,” he answered. Without another word, he disappeared from his spot, using his Reaper power to teleport to the parking lot outside the bar.  
    Tessa huffed at his manners and I gave her a knowing look. We said nothing, but gave each other a nod as she went into the back room where she would use magic to teleport. Tully and I could travel in an instant, but a solid-bodied witch didn’t have that type of power. She’d need to use her own version of a secret passageway.  
    I closed my eyes and thought of Luther’s, focusing on bringing my spirit into that spot. When I opened them again, Tully stood next to me, patiently waiting for Tessa to arrive. Barely a minute later, Tessa popped into existence, the glow of magic fading from her skin. She holstered her bag on her shoulder, the magical contents clinking with the movement.  
    “Okay, Reaper, lead the way,” she said to him.  
    Tully did as instructed and we followed him into the supernatural bar.  

CHAPTER FOUR

    We stepped into the establishment, navigating our way around tables and chairs to a booth in the back corner. With low lights and glowing red candles, my eyes had to adjust to the darkness. Tessa received a few hellos and whistles, while Tully ignored everyone, clearly on a mission. I wouldn’t know anyone here and instead kept right on Tully’s heels, eager to find out why he’d come.  
    The three of us sat at the scarred wooden table, Tessa and I sitting across from