Dead Shifter Walking Read Free

problem; I lack a heart.
    …
    Dawn light slipped past the plantation shutters
as Tommy kicked my ass again in the racing game.
    “Ugh! I am done,” I said, putting my controller
down, rubbing my burning eyes.
    Tommy stretched, grinning like a fool ear to ear
on the flowery sofa. “Don’t worry, Olie, I won’t tell a soul.” He
mimed zipping his lips but was unable to complete the gesture as I
smacked him in the face with a pillow.
    He started giggling uncontrollably, holding his
stomach, and I couldn’t help but smile.
    “Go to bed,” I commanded, standing to stretch.
My watch read 5:45 a.m. I groaned inwardly.
    Crossing his arms, he attempted to deny my
authority. With only a raised eyebrow, he relented, but not before
pulling me into a surprise hug and dashing up the stairs.
    I smiled at his retreating form. He was doing
better; thank all that is good in this world.
    Pulling the throw off the back of the sofa, I
snuggled in for a few hours of rest, sighing contentedly.
    …
    “Yo, Sleeping Beauty,” A familiar voice called
out, pulling me from my peaceful slumber.
    “Kass,” I responded unmoving as her light weight
rested on my back.
    “What’s up, my long-lost lover bug?” she asked,
covering my body with hers.
    Groaning, I demanded, “Time!”
    “Time to get up and go get ‘em,” she stated,
slapping my ass, and I knew if I looked up at her Caribbean face,
it would be split into a grin.
    “I can kick your ass,” I muttered into the
pillow.
    “Whatever, Suc-u-licious,” she stated, pulling
off the already too small throw.
    Opening my eyes, I saw Grams walk in, laughing.
“Kass, you know she has never been a morning person.” She was
meticulously dressed as usual in a soft pink pencil skirt and white
blouse.
    Kass’s smile only widened, making her teeth seem
impossibly white against her olive complexion.
    Pulling my exhausted self into a sitting
position, holding my head, I pushed my exhaustion and irritation
into a braided cord into my mind. It was a trick I‘d learned, long
ago, to manage my inner turmoil. I did the same with all my
emotions, tucking them deep within so I could push them out when I
needed them.
    Being a succubus, my emotions were my highest
form of power. I could affect whole rooms if I did not exercise
control. Most succubi and incubi leaked a small amount of emotion;
it was only natural. I did not. I attribute that fact to my hell
and the bitch who created me, Selena. I pushed that particular
braid of pain away deep into my core exhaling.
    “Let’s go Princess,” I said, standing and
dwarfing Kass. “I gotta learn the dances for…“ I paused, turning to
Grams.
    “At least the next month,” she stated
diplomatically.
    Rolling my eyes, I pushed Kass into motion, but
not before she sneaked a smile at Grams. “A whole month, I haven’t
sat that still in a long, long time.” I muttered.
    Grabbing a muffin from the deep burgundy bowl on
the yellow cream counters, I couldn’t help but glance around the
kitchen. I had kept the original cabinets, but refinished them with
a soft white with dark brown handles.
    Moving around the island to the ceramic sink, I
filled a glass of water from the advanced filtration system,
stretching my left hand above my head and leaning to pull out the
crick in my side from sleeping on the couch.
    “Quit stalling,” Kass said, grabbing an apple
from the stainless steel fridge and taking a crisp bite.
    Rolling my eyes at her again, I dried my hands
on the forest green kitchen towel before following her into the
dance studio. It was one of my favorite rooms, spanning a quarter
of the house’s first floor with a beautiful, slick, light hardwood
floor, framed by mirrors along three of the walls, not to mention
the top-of-the-line sound system easily controlled by voice
recognition.
    Swallowing the rest of muffin down, I caught the
clothing Kass tossed to me, chucking my own travel-worn gear
off.
    “That looks like it hurts,” Kass commented as