Fierce Lessons (Ghosts & Demons Series Book 3) by Robert Chazz Chute, Holly Pop Read Free Book Online Page A

crazed with loneliness. I was a Druid. Talked to trees a lot. No women for years. It was terrible. Much like now, actually.”
    “What do you remember best?”
    “The lice. For centuries, the only hope to get rid of lice was to mix ash into your soap, but first people had to invent soap. I was miserable for a long time. Then I came up with the sword in the stone deal and life was good…for a while.”
    “I see.”
    “And now, you come to me looking for a special magic trick.”
    “One glamor spell, please. To go.”
    “Hm. Well, easy for me to do. Easier to get rid of the appearance of your horns than it was to elude lice. One of Victor’s Magicals could give you a lesser glamor spell that would work for a short while. However, at the stroke of midnight, you’d have no guarantees. Those lovely ebon horns might turn into a pumpkin. You think you know ridicule now? Imagine trying to find a willing swain when you’re the pumpkinhead girl.”
    “What’s your price, Merlin? I have no money.”
    “Oh, my dear! A man like me has no use for money. Money is for the living and I want to move on from those petty concerns. Besides, Victor Fuentes is the richest man I’ve ever met and he’s not happy at all. No, my price is something you can afford. I’m told killing is something you’re good at. Death is my price.”
    “You want me to kill you?”
    “Oh, by the gods, yes! If only it were that simple. Let’s have that cup of tea and we can discuss terms. Demons don’t seem to mind the heat or the cold overly much, but you must be uncomfortable in those wet clothes. Hot tea and conversation is the order of the day! I’m sure we can come to an arrangement to rid you of those lovely horns.”
    Lesson 163: I told you nothing important is straightforward. Read the fine print before you enter any contract. The old thief was wearing a mask and I still wasn’t cynical enough.

8
    “T he crux of the problem,” Merlin explained, “is that I cannot be killed and I am sick of hiding down here surfing the Internet. I’ve done all the missions on GTA V many times.”
    “You can’t die? Poor you. Isn’t that a good kind of problem to have?”
    The old wizard shook his head. “There are several kinds of immortality and they are not all equally pleasant.”
    I thought of the friends I’d already lost to the war. I wished they were still fighting by my side, safe from fire, drowning, falls, blunt force trauma and pointy instruments. “Sticks and stones break our bones, Merlin. Your issues do not excite me.”
    “Everyone wants to live forever,” Merlin said, “but they give little thought to what immortality really means. I believe, as many do, that when we die, we go Elsewhere — ”
    “Wherever that is.”
    He shrugged. “I hope it’s a second chance to begin again. I suspect a new dimension will offer new challenges. You’re in the middle of your new challenges, demon girl. It seems my best years are behind me.”
    That thought made me cold. “Are you saying these are my best years? Gawd! ”
    “If you live, yes, probably,” he said.
    “No one’s best times can be during war, Merlin.”
    “Our finest hours come when we have occasions to rise to.”
    I refuse to make that a lesson. I hope it’s not true.
    “I dream of everlasting peace,” I said.
    “Could be boring. A heaven with nothing to do is not a heaven.”
    My gaze fell on the sword in the stone. “There’s plenty to do besides wage war. I can’t wait for peace. We could spend our time playing with cool iPhone apps, just for one instance. I could order a pepperoni pizza with extra cheese and not worry that I’ll feel bloated and draggy. I’ve actually had anxiety dreams where the demons attack right after I’ve had too much pizza.”
    “Dream on, demon girl. In the meantime, let’s stay focused on my prob — ”
    “You can’t die! That’s, like, the biggest opportunity to do great things ever! You’re a powerful wizard! I really do not