Page 25 of Michael
“We need to get some treats…” I mumble.
His expression lights up. “Like chicken wings?” he asks eagerly. “I’m dying for a beer right now.”
“Cat treats,” I explain, “to lure the kodi out and set the trap.”
“Oh…” he utters, all delight fading from his face.
“I have the perfect ones in mind,” I add, unable to stop a smirk from quirking up my lips. Oh, the hunt is on. I’m gonna catch this kodi, and I already have a plan.
CHAPTER14
Michael
I’m standingin the shop’s doorway, my heart racing with unease. A thrill courses through my veins, instigating me to take Amanda’s hand and rekindle the magic I sensed earlier between us. Sheer bliss shook me to the core back then, but the empath in me sensed something else—that strange pang of knowing someone so full of joy can be simultaneously heavy and troubled.
More than before, I’m determined to uncover her secrets.
Amanda pushes the door open and steps into the room. Cautiously, I follow.
My eyes widen in astonishment as I take in the sight of the peculiar shop. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Every corner of the room is filled with a dizzying assortment of artifacts and trinkets, all vying for my attention. There are odd bottles and jars, strange symbols and sigils painted on the walls, mysterious potions and elixirs crammed into an old bookshelf—each item, more wondrous than the last.
“This is a magic shop,” I utter, my voice low and strained. I thought we were buying cat treats from the store down the road.
“Mymagic shop,” she adds proudly as she stands in the middle of the room.
Despite how enticed I am with the thought of experiencing something magical, I can’t help but feel a twinge of alertness and disapproval.
“You’re afraid of a little magic, is that it?” she teases as she drops the keys on the credenza.
“Respectful,” I amend, and my tone is dead-serious. I don’t like being here. A clash of darkness and light lays before us, opening doors that are best left closed.
“Look, we’re not staying long,” she assures me. “I’ll just grab the treats and smear them with a bit of my personal hocus pocus. Okay?”
I stand in the middle of the room, trying not to pry but unable to stop myself. I reach out and brush the tarot deck next to the shop keys. My finger slides along the smooth, soft finish of the cards, which look as if they were painted by Monet or one of his contemporaries. I can’t help spreading the cards with a finger and watching their images. Each card has two inscriptions: a short phrase on the back, and a longer phrase on the front. I run my fingers over these inscriptions and find them to be not quite like hieroglyphics, but more like Arabic letters.
“That’s my angel deck,” she offhandedly says.
My lips curl into a faint smile as I look at the card depicting me in my angelic fury. I’m glaring out of the center of the card with righteous rock-hard determination. My sword, the legendary blade that only I can wield, is raised in preparation for the final blow. My long blonde hair flows behind me in windless air as I float above a felled foe. The green and blue background depicts a night sky filled with stars and wispy patches of cream and purple clouds. It has the look of an engraving, something carved into stone, but it’s one of those new shiny cards that has a black border on all four sides.
“Do you like this one?” I ask, feeling a warm wave spilling over me.
“Let me see.” She saunters close and stops beside me, studying the card intently. “Oh, that’s Archangel Michael.”
“Mm-hmm.” I nod, eager to hear what she’s got to say about me.
“He gets the job done, but it takes forever to get his attention,” she blurts, then walks away.
My jaw slackens. I’m dumbfounded. “Well, I guess he’s pretty busy,” I reason, scratching behind my ear. “He’s the mightiest warrior in heaven, after all.”
“Is he?” she replies, stopping at the bottom of a narrow staircase.
I feel my brow slipping into a tight frown. “Do you know of a mightier angel?” I challenge, kind of insulted.
“I don’t know,” she says, gliding her delicate hand over the smooth railing. “I’ve always thought Azrael is the real boss up there.”
“Azrael?” My eyebrows shoot up at the mention of this being. I take a step closer to her and lower my voice as I ask, “And how exactly do you know that? Have you seen him or been in his presence?”
She shakes her head with a little smile on her lips. “No, nothing like that. But he is mentioned more often than Michael in some circles, so I just assume he’s more prevailing. Plus, he has four wings instead of two… so he must be really powerful, if that helps any.”
