Afterlife (Second Eden #1) by Aaron Burdett

one who deals in it, I promise you that. You may think your money buys you everything you need, but there are secrets in Afterlife no amount of gold will ever purchase. There are songs sung to us who walked the Deep roads that could whisper nightmares that would drive you mad. Be careful with your threats, William, because there are those of us here who can bring the Deep to you if we so desire.”
    Bone Man stiffened. He squeezed the grip on his cane. If this woman traveled with dust devils, she might know of the relic. After he dusted William, he would peel these secrets from her wicked little tongue and throw her ashes to the wind.  
    William cleared his throat and placed his palms on the tabletop. “I want to see Samantha. She’s the only thing I remember from my past, the only memory that’s come with me. It haunts me. I can’t sleep. I can’t think. I need to see her, please.”  
    The fortuneteller shrugged, tugging the gold watch back to her. “Very well. It is so unfortunate we cross with nothing more than our names and our dearest memory. It can lead to such a tortured eternity.”
    “Unfortunate for souls like me. For people like you, it’s why you can even make a living.”
    The woman cracked a smile and interlaced her fingers. “How very observant. Now, look into my crystal ball. Good. No, do not blink. Let your eyes dry. Fall into the reflection. If you shed tears, so be it, but do not blink your eyes….”
    Bone Man edged closer to the divider, willing the shop’s door to drift closed and its lock to click in place. His sword passed through a space in the divider he hid behind. Steel glittered in the soft light, the weapon’s razor tip aimed between the man’s shoulders.  
    Bone Man’s arm tightened. He squeezed the grip hard and sneered at the man’s neck and how it glistened with sweat like a wet candle. The fortuneteller closed her eyes and placed her hands on William’s.
    Bone Man pulled back. William pitched from his seat and knocked the chair to the floor. The fortuneteller’s lips moved. Bone Man readied his strike.
    A siren blast shook the building. Bone Man recoiled, yanking the sword back through the divider. The fortuneteller’s eyes popped open, and William straightened, whirling around. “What’s going on? What is it?”
    “The archduke,” she said. “Alarms from the Black Palace.”  
    “But—”
    She stared him straight in the eyes. “This is not the time. Leave. Now. My shop is closed for the day. If you ever want to see your Samantha again, I suggest you run home as quickly as you can. This is not the part of town where men like you want to be when the blackjackets come knocking on my door. And they always knock on my door.”
    William stuttered a protest, but she slammed her hands onto the table and pointed for the door. “Get. Out!”
    Her spirit flooded the room with her command, the force of her mind barreling down on her customer. William buckled beneath it. He cleared his throat, then inched toward the door. “Fine, fine! But I will return to see her when the dust settles.”
    “Let’s just hope you’re not counted among the grains when it does, my friend. Now go.”
    The man offered a curt nod and dashed for the door. “Don’t think I’ve forgotten you still have my watch, Madam Arshakuni.”
    Her cheeks reddened as her gaze shot to the watch. She cleared her throat and offered him a much warmer smile. “Please, call me Marina. I look forward to your next visit. Prepaid, of course.”
    More alarms blared, and with that William darted for the exit. He never noticed Bone Man in his shadow, each foot falling in perfect lockstep with the man. After a few frustrated curses, William unlocked the door and threw it open, spilling into a night torn apart by siren blasts.  
    Bone Man peeled away at the alley’s mouth. In a single, smooth leap he vaulted to the rooftops, his crows squawking in a loop high above. Dust parted around him like the waves around a