Page 41 of Death and Divination
“I don’t have any money, and I have no need for adornment,” I told her.
The stones and metalswereaesthetically pleasing, and from hours watching late-night informercials, I knew there were humans in particular who valued these things and were motivated to quickly purchase them before time ran out and the low-low introductory price had ended. Humans and dragons. And goblins. And gnomes. And trolls. Okay, all beings, mortal and immortal, liked sparkly shiny things, it seemed.
“Not for you, reaper.” She pulled out a tray and sat in front of me. “Maybe soon you will have money because I believe that in the near future you will want to purchase something like this beautiful diamond solitaire.”
“I’d rather purchase a cell phone and maybe a few packets of underwear,” I told her.
She let out a huff, then waved the ring in front of my face. “This is better than cell phones and underwear. It’s for you to give to your loved one, as a pledge of fidelity and partnership for all eternity.”
“Why do I need a ring for that?” This was all so confusing—more confusing than the settings on the microwave.
The fairy rolled her eyes. “Trust me. Now look here. These are rings fit for a Perkins witch. Rubies as red as the luscious blood that flows through her body? Emerald as green as the grass that will one day grow over her grave? Onyx as black as the darkness of ashes after a cremation?”
The fairy really needed to work on her salesmanship. I get that she was trying to appeal to the reaper in me, but surely, she should have realized that I wasn’t eagerly considering the mortality of the witch fate had chosen as my beloved. I was about to make some vague complimentary statements about the rings and head over to the firehouse when something caught my eye—a pale metal band of entwined ivy.
“Platinum. Purity and strength,” the fairy murmured, pulling the ring from the case and putting it in my palm.
I ran my fingers over the tiny leaves, admiring the intricate detail, then I handed it back to the fairy.
“I’m assuming reapers don’t carry cash?” She raised her eyebrows. “Visa? Debit card? Apple Pay?”
Maybe someday I’d buy this ring and give it to Ophelia, but even a reaper who’d only been in this life for less than two days knew it was too soon.
“I’m afraid I don’t have any of those forms of payment. Thank you for your time. You have beautiful jewelry,” I told the fairy, turning to leave.
As I headed down to the firehouse, I thought about the ring. Was that really what mortals did when they loved someone? Purchase a piece of wearable art to symbolize their emotional attachment? I headed through the open bay door and past the ladder truck to where Skip sat on a plastic lawn chair that looked too flimsy to hold the weight of a giant. Next to him on another lawn chair sat a gargoyle who I assumed must be Edward.
“Should I buy Ophelia a ring?” I asked the giant.
Skip elbowed the gargoyle. “Holy crap. It’s been what? Two days? And he’s already wanting to buy her a ring. I thought those demons moved fast, but they’ve got nothing on reapers.”
“I guess when you see people die all day every day, you don’t sit on your thumbs and wait for the right time.” The gargoyle put out his hand. “I’m Edward.”
“Nash.” I shook his hand, noting the granite texture of his skin and the man’s crushingly firm grip.
“Hey, Flora,” Skip shouted toward the back of the firehouse. “Nash wants to know if he should buy Ophelia a ring.”
The Valkyrie poked her head around the doorjamb and eyed me from top to toe. “No.”
She vanished while the other two laughed.
“Give it a few months, bud,” Edward told me. “You don’t want to scare her off.”
“Think you’re heading down the right path though.” Skip nodded. “She seemed pretty happy with you a few nights ago.”
“You hurt Ophelia, and we’ll shove your scythe up your ass!” Flora shouted from the back room.
The guys laughed again. Valkyries. I hadn’t come across them a whole lot as a reaper, but I knew they were violent, and I knew when they issued a threat, they meant it. I got the impression that the rest of Ophelia’s co-workers felt the same. They were a close-knit bunch, and I loved that she had friends who cared so much about her.
“So, you’re on a shopping trip today?” Edward nodded to the bag I carried that held my shirts and pants.
“I’m actually applying for jobs but needed to pick up a few things.” I shifted the bag to my other hand. “Hopefully by the end of the week I’ll be working at either the diner or the hotel.”
Edward nodded thoughtfully. “Hollister’s a pretty chill guy. The diner would be more hectic, but the staff there is a lot of fun. My sister used to waitress there on weekends.”
“You should talk to Sheriff Oakes,” Skip said. “He might want another deputy, and no one’s gonna mess with a reaper. We’ve got our own version of the academy here, so you wouldn’t have to deal with going out into the human world to train.”
Given that he was the second one to mention that, I took it for a sign. When Ophelia got back, I’d run it by her. I’d definitely take the diner or the housekeeping job if offered, but it would be good to be open to other options.
