The Price of Exorcism by Dakota Brown (sneezy the snowman read aloud .txt) 📗

probably out jogging. Soccer practice was Saturdays,and he usually spent the vast majority of Sunday exercising. He said it let himspend the rest of his week at the office with a lot less restlessness.

I settled into my place at the table and Mal broughtme a simple breakfast of scrambled eggs and toast.

"Thanks, Mal."

"Any time, Chris." He kissed the top of myhead before settling into the chair he usually occupied and drank his coffee. Mayhemcame over to sit next to us while I scarfed my delicious breakfast.

I thought I'd take a page out of Aaron's book and gofor a walk before I headed into the pizza shop. Mayhem would probablyappreciate it and I could use a chance to stretch my legs. Billy, my manager,wasn't expecting me until later anyway and it wouldn't be too hot out for awhile yet. I'd woken up earlier than normal.

Mal gave me a quick kiss goodbye when I was doneeating and headed out. I glanced down at my hellhound. "Want to go for awalk?"

The little yellow dog wagged his floofy tail andpadded toward the door.

∞ ∞∞

It was hot enough by the time I went outside that I'drelented on the jacket. I wore it tied around my waist. I didn't have much of atan, so I wouldn't stay out too long. Walks weren't my normal habit, but nowthat I had a dog I felt like I should take him for a walk. Not that Mayhem didn'tfollow me everywhere anyway, so he was hardly lacking for exercise.

Still, he seemed to enjoy the simple activity,sniffing at rocks and other things as we walked down the road, and occasionallypeeing on them. I didn't exactly live in a neighborhood but there were otherhouses nearby and the actual neighborhood that was near me did have sidewalks,so I headed that way.

The hot sun beat down on me and a few lizards scuttledout of Mayhem's path. Not needing to pay much attention to the hellhound sinceit was his job to guard me, I let my mind wander to how much things had changedin the last month or so. Darius wandering back into my life. Finding Mal,Sabian, and Aaron. And Ezra, a quiet voice whispered. I told it to hush. LosingSabian again. The pain of not getting him back last night stung, but we wouldfigure something out.

Mayhem woofed and I halted, looking around forwhatever had bothered the hellhound. The little dog was staring off to thewest. At first, I couldn't figure out what he was looking at. However, he hadn'tshifted into his much more impressive hellhound form, so I thought it likelywasn't too dangerous. Well, I hoped not, anyway.

Then I caught sight of something blending in with theheat waves coming off the ground. Equine shaped and pawing at the ground if myeyes didn't deceive me.

"Huh," I wondered aloud. This was the secondtime I'd seen a riderless horse in the distance recently. Once about a monthago when I'd finally dug up all my old occult stuff, and now. It couldn't be acoincidence.

"What is it, Mayhem?" I wondered ifhellhounds could communicate somehow outside of dog noises, but no answerappeared in my mind and after a long moment of staring, the horse wheeledaround and raced out of sight.

It was far enough away that I couldn't really make outa lot of details other than horse shaped and I had no idea what to make of it.I'd have to see if Mal had any ideas.

Shrugging, I bent over to scratch Mayhem on his fluffyhead, and we continued on our walk.

∞ ∞∞

My stomach grumbled as I poked at the administrativework on the computer. A quick check to make sure Billy's work was up to mystandard–it was probably better than my standard–and then all the little thingsa restaurant owner had to deal with. If I hadn't let it pile up, this wouldn'thave taken long, but I hated doing it. If I got it done today, I could ignoreit for another few weeks though, so there was that motivation.

If I didn't have dinner plans, I would have grabbedsome pizza or breadsticks or something, but it wouldn't be too long before Iwas heading home with a large pizza covered in cheese and meat. Fresh out ofthe oven was best, but it wouldn't burn my mouth if I waited until I got hometo feast upon it.

Wow, I was fantasizing about pizza. Maybe I should geta snack at least. I did still have a couple of hours before I was planning onheading home.

One more task and then I'd take a break.

"Hey, Price?" Billy stuck his head in theoffice.

"Yeah, mate?"

"Someone here to see you." He said thishesitantly, as if he wasn't sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing, and itwas obviously a stranger, or he would have told me who it was.

"Not blowing up the kitchen or anything, arethey?"

"No. He's wearing a suit, though. Kinda weird."

I raised my eyebrows. If it was an inspector, theywere welcome to look around. Everything should be fine.

"Huh. Okay." I closed down my task and followedmy manager out through the kitchen and into the dining area.

Billy didn't even have to point. My gaze was drawn tomy visitor as if he had a direct line to my soul.

I froze when he met my eyes from across the diningarea. Fuck.

Short, dark curls, dusky skin, dark, almost black eyesthat seemed to contain the universe. Fucking Ezra. Well, to be fair, we hadcalled him. How in the hell had he gotten into the restaurant? The wards werestill up. They should have kept him out, or at least reacted to his presence ina way I would have noticed.

Mayhem, my unobserved shadow, brushed against my legas if to remind me he was there.

"Someone you know?"

"Yeah, he's a friend I guess you could say. Ijust wasn't expecting him here, well, ever."

"Okay. Do you need anything?"

I took a breath and shook my head. "Naw. He's afriend," I emphasized the last word as if to convince myself, too. "Thanks."

"Sure, boss. Holler if you do."

"Will do." Not that there was fuck allanyone but possibly me could do about