Page 58 of Midnight Auto Parts

Again.

Dis Pater sat at his desk with his back to me. His laptop was open as he typed away on his next cozy. The chapter heading, containing a cat icon, gave him away. I read over his shoulder from where I drifted on a horizontal lean. I really needed to get the hang of this astral projection thing.

“What possessed you to name your character Kitt Gato?” I fixed my tilt but couldn’t get my feet to hit the floor. “Could you not decide on his age and thought Kitten Cat was a good middle ground?”

A long-suffering sigh bowed his shoulders before he hit save and spun in his chair. “You again?”

“Looks that way.” I spread my hands. “I assume Kierce is en route?”

“He is the one I summoned, so…” He winged his eyebrows high. “You do the math.”

“Are you an asshole to everyone, or am I special?”

A flicker ofsomethingcrossed his features before he scoffed at me. “You’re not special.”

“Ah. You’re just an asshole then.” I shot him two thumbs-up. “Good to know.”

“Are you stalking Kierce?” Elbows on his armrests, he steepled his fingers. “Are you obsessed with him?”

“No.”I huffed at his nerve. “I’m not an obsessed stalker.”

“That’s exactly what an obsessed stalker would say.” He snapped his fingers. “Oh. That’s good. I can use that.”

While he jotted down his idea, I drifted to the window. Sure enough, Kierce was racing for the cottage.

“What would you do if I told you to stay away from him?”

Dis Pater’s voice drew my attention back to him. “Ignore you.”

“You’re not afraid?” He resumed his earlier pose. “I am agod.”

“You also murder people just to see if they’ll die or change into something more interesting.”

“Again.” He shrugged. “I’m a god.”

The door crashed open on a windswept Kierce before I could bite back at Dis Pater.

“Report.” He spun in his chair, turning his back to us. “What have you discovered?”

“Eleven of the skeletons are missing small bones,” Kierce gritted out, searching me over for injuries.

“They probably thought we wouldn’t notice,” I said smugly, submitting to Kierce’s examination.

“We?” Dis Pater glanced back at us, his gaze calculating. “Youhelpedhim?”

Keeping my mouth shut seemed like a great idea in the moment, so that was what I did.

“Can you sense their power?” His eyes gleamed bright. “What happens when you touch them?”

Oh yeah. I wasn’t saying a word. Clearly, I had already shared too much.

“What would you like me to do, Master?”

There was that word again.Master.Kierce used it as a diversionary tactic, but it set my blood on fire.

Pretty sure Dis Pater heard my teeth grinding, because he smiled at me. “Find them, of course.”

“I’ll take my leave then.” Kierce bowed to his chuckling god. “I’ll contact you as soon as I have them.”

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