Raven's Breath (The Women of Purgatory) by Tish Thawer Read Free Book Online Page B

on her face was so innocent it caught me off guard. I could feel my feelings about her shifting, sliding from annoyance to pity.
    "Never mind. How about I come in and we can chat in your room instead?" I asked.
    "Actually, no. You can't come in."
    I jerked my chin, her rebuff smacking me in the face.
    "Oh no...it's not because I don't want you to. You literally can't come in. Death spelled my room and is the only one who can enter."
    Wow . What a sick bastard Death was turning out to be.
    I opened my mouth––planning to offer another alternative––when the door to her room opened behind her. Death's silhouette filled the space, the invading light spilling around him. I could only imagine the look on his face.
    I flared my wings to maintain my position, then took off like a bat out of hell. I wasn't going to push my luck with him any further tonight.
    I landed outside of Digger's and walked in, rushing to my regular booth in the back. I'd begun to devise my next move when a set of broad shoulders––accompanied by a bad attitude––appeared at my table.
    "What the hell's wrong with you? Someone ruffle those precious feathers of yours?"
    "Fuck off, Krev."
    I hadn't seen the bane of my existence since the last time Garrett and I had gone to the bar.
    Garrett.
    Thinking of him made it hard to breathe.
    I sat quietly and stared at Krev while he appeared to contemplate what his next insult should be.
    "Where's your boy toy? I figured since you can't defend yourself, you wouldn't go anywhere without him these days."
    There it was. Lame, to the point, and at the moment the perfect thing to say to piss me off.
    I leapt from the booth and wrapped my hand around Krev's neck.
    "How about you get smart for once in your life and leave me alone?" I snarled.
    "Whoa, whoa. Calm down, beautiful. Or were you just looking for a way to get your hands on me?"
    "Sure, we'll go with that."
    I punched him in the face...repeatedly.
    Digger was at my side, grabbing my arm and pulling me back before I could land another hit to Krev's jaw. The feel of my fist against his nose was satisfying but didn't relieve the anger that had built up within me.
    "Enough!" Death's voice boomed through the room. All the Reapers, including me, stood silent while Digger handed Krev a napkin for his bloodied face.
    "Raven. Come with me."
    Whispers filled the air and assumptions about my punishment floated through the room. Everyone's eyes were on me as I followed Death out the door.
    "I'm sorry, Krev just..."
    Death waved his hand to silence my explanation, grabbed my wrist, and teleported us back to his chamber.
    Sweat beaded on my skin when he stalked to his throne and retrieved his scythe.
    Oh shit !
    What was I going to do if he came at me with that damn thing? I wasn't ready for my final death.
    I blew out a faint breath when he sat down and placed it across his lap. His cold stare bore into me and an overwhelming desire to spout all my sins overtook me. My mouth opened, but again, he raised his hand for my silence.
    "I don't want to hear your excuses. Not about your fight with Krev, or why you accused me of hurting Garrett earlier. What I do want to know is exactly what you said to Holli?"
    Damn. How was I going to play this? Defiance was my first instinct, but the pull in my gut and the look on Death's face told me that that would be a mistake. So, I took a deep breath and confessed.
    "I didn't say anything to her, really. I just asked if she'd like to join me for dinner. I wasn't aware you had spelled her room or that she couldn't go out without your permission. I'm sorry. With Garrett missing, I felt lonely and thought she and I could spend some time getting to know each other better. That's all." There...that was mostly the truth .
    Silence reigned while he processed my answer. I prayed he didn't have a way to tell if I was lying or not. Finally, the grip on his scythe relaxed.
    "Thank you for reaching out to Holli. I know she appreciates it and so do