Slip Song (Devany Miller Series) Read Free Page A

fought about he’s forgiven.”
    I shook my head. There wasn’t anyway he could ever forgive me for eating his soul―or whatever it was I had done to him. Had I stopped him from moving on to a better place? Is that what Ravana did with the souls she’d forced me to give her?
    “ Devany?”
    “ Just wait.” Damned if I wasn’t going to have to go to the Slip after all, though I’d been avoiding even thinking about the place. If not the Slip, then I would need to talk to Tytan, something, or rather someone, else I’d been avoiding, though for many other reasons than fear. “I’m glad you’re here. Will you be able to watch the kids for me? Later, I mean?”
    Ann nodded, her eyes wide.
    “What?”
    “ Your aura is ablaze.”
    I looked down at my shirt as if I would see myself shining. Nothing. A year ago I would have teased her or scoffed. Now, damn it, I knew there were things beyond belief: magic, demons, oogy monsters living in the swamp of another world. Still, I couldn’t draw anymore people into the danger-zone surrounding me.
    There wasn’t a damn thing I could think of to say, so I shrugged.
    “ I don’t know what’s going on, but I’m here for you and for the kids.” She was fingering the crystal around her neck, something she’d worn since I could remember, given to her by a medicine man in Arizona when she was a toddler.
    “ Thank you. That means a lot to me.” There would be a lot to do. I had no idea when the police would release Tom’s body but I would have to plan the funeral. He did have a will, thank heavens, and unless he’d moved it, it was still in the safe deposit box at the bank with mine and our life insurance policies.
    I dropped my head into my hands. I’d have to call his parents. Hell, I’d need to call my dad, though how I’d get a hold of him up in the mountains I didn’t know. He’d lived out in a cabin tucked away in the Rockies since Mom died. My brother and I were used to his hermit-like ways and neither of us were surprised when he packed up and moved after I’d gotten married and Travis graduated from high school.
    Kind of sucked now. It would be nice to have him wrap his arms around me and tell me everything was going to be all right in that rumbling voice of his like he had after Mom’s stroke. “Would you go check on the kids? I need to make some calls.”
    After she left the room, I pulled my cell phone out of my pocket and stared at the contact list. So many people needed to know about Tom but I wasn’t sure how I would be able to relay the information over and over. I considered asking Ann to do it but dismissed the idea. How would I like it if some stranger told me my son was dead?
    My head swam for a minute at that really bad choice of words and I had to hang onto the counter until the dizziness passed. With fumbling fingers, I dialed, a knot of acid burning in my stomach as I waited through the rings.
    Telling his parents was hard. Thankfully, they said they would let his brothers and sister know. The next call I made was to Danni. I knew she wouldn’t ask a lot of questions, nor would she expect details. Her small voice made my hunched shoulders ease. “I’m sorry, Devany. I’ll let everyone at work know.”
    “Thanks.” I snuffled, ripping off a paper towel because it was handy. After I blew my nose, I grasped for another subject. “How are you doing?”
    Her soft sigh made me smile. “Good. Zech and I have talked about moving in together.”
    “Wow, Danni. That’s exciting.” I wondered where Arsinua was and how she was dealing with the loss of Zech’s heart to a human woman. She’d gone to care for him when he’d been so badly burnt. I didn’t know where she was now, only that Zech had found his way back to Danni. He wouldn’t talk to me. He was still angry.
    I didn’t blame him. There was a lot to be angry with me about.
    “Take care, Devany. If you need me.” She didn’t have to finish the words. I knew and felt the same