Page 1 of Taken to the Deadlands

Chapter 1

Mia

Sometimes seeing ghosts had its perks.

As soon as the elderly lady hobbled out of my run-down shop, I started counting the massive wad of cash she had slipped me.

All I had given her were a few words of comfort. A tale or two of her deceased husband living it up in the afterlife. And a couple of far-off stares, and just like almost everyone that found their way into my shop, she believed it.

I had made a name for myself in the small town. The town of Fallhurst had only about two thousand people and had only grown a few handfuls in the five years I’d been here.

I was poor when I arrived—still was if I was being honest—and had no way of making money. But it only took me a few days to realize the small quirks of this town.

This town loved the supernatural.

And with this money, I have enough for monthly rent on this shop, and I can even afford a treat for myself.

A part of me felt bad for taking advantage of some of these people in their grief-filled states, but money was money.

A high-pitched whine drew me from my thoughts.

I looked back to my desk where my cat, Momo, sat looking at me with her big green eyes. Also a customer favorite. She would often sit on the laps of customers as I went about my show, soaking up all the attention and warmth. One could almost think she was the perfect accomplice. Putting everyone at ease while I worked my magic.

I bounded toward her, letting my hand run across her smooth, black fur. She leaned into my pets, her purr filling the quiet shop.

“Maybe I can get you a treat too,” I whispered to her.

When she looked up at me and meowed as if understanding my words, I couldn’t help but smile.

“For an ex-stray, you sure are spoiled.”

Not that I minded. I would spoil that cat with everything I had. After all, she was all I had besides this shop.

I had been lucky to find her one day behind my dumpster. At the time, she was all skin and bones and hadn’t gotten her nails trimmed in what looked like years. When I took her to the vet, they rushed her into emergency medical care.

She fought to survive, and after that, there was no way I would have been able to leave her behind.

The doorbell chimed behind me, causing my heart to speed up.

Another customer? Maybe my luck is finally kicking in!

I turned to greet them but jolted back when I instantly came face-to-face with a person—no, not a person. I gripped the desk behind me with all my might for fear that I might faint if I didn’t.

She could have been confused for a person if it weren’t for the bright red horns jutting from her forehead. They poked out of shiny white hair and circled backwards and out. Dark black veins trailed from them, running down her forehead and sticking out against her pale skin.

Wide red eyes filled my vision, looking at me with a playful expression. What should have been the whites of her eyes were completely black.

I couldn’t speak, couldn’t move. Fear had taken hold of my entire body.

“Spirit seer,” she breathed. Her voice was husky and held a bit of a growl to it. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen one of your kind.”

I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came out. She tilted her head to the side and took a step back. Only then did I notice two things.

One, she had brilliant red wings sprouting out of her back. They were so large, the tips of them brushed the ceiling of my shop.

Two, she had barely any clothes on. She was covered in a red, shiny, spiderweb-like material that covered her breasts, parts of her stomach, pussy, and legs, starting mid-thigh.

“Can you not speak?” she asked. “You were just talking to the old lady? Maybe I should get her?—“

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