The Next Death

Chapter 11

It's been three days and neither Mr. Mors nor Agatha had returned. I wouldn't consider it odd, but neither of them is ever gone that long at the same time. I keep trying to get information out of Neal, but he's not letting anything slip.

Neal had gone into Mr. Mors's office, claiming he had something he had to do, leaving me to run the shop by myself for a bit. There must have been a lot of traffic in the shop today as I can tell things have been picked over on the shelves and moved around. Might as well set to work on that, better than homework.

xXxXx

There. That looks so much better. Nice and organized. I glance back at Mr. Mors's office. The door was still shut. Now I was starting to worry. Surely Neal would have finished with whatever he had to do by now. No, think positive. Maybe it was a big task that was taking longer than he had expected.

As I turn my attention back to the shelf, I notice a ceramic cat further down the shelf. It's completely turned around; it's back pointed at the aisle. How was anyone supposed to take notice of it when it's like that?

I lean out for it. It's out of reach. I'm tempted to use my telekinesis to fix it, but I push the temptation down. Whatever Mr. Mors and Agatha were dealing with was important and serious. I wasn't allowed to practice or use my power until they returned. If they gave that kind of order, it was for a reason. Besides, I had survived the last sixteen years of my life just fine without it.

I try reaching for it again, this time, shimming as close to the edge of the ladder and leaning out as far as I dare. Still, the cat remains out of reach. I do a quick scan of the shelves. Nothing else was out of order. I was not about to go down the ladder, move it, and climb back up for one thing. Absolutely not.

Carefully, I shift myself, bracing a hand on the shelf. This would allow me to reach even further. Oh, this was such a bad idea, but I was going to do it anyway. Fingers crossed, I wouldn't fall and this would give me the extra length I needed. I take a deep breath and lean out, using my training to keep myself balanced.

My fingers grasp the cat. Ha! Deftly, I turn it so it's sits facing the shop. Not half bad.

"Hello?" A voice calls out through the shop.

I hadn't heard the bell ring. My head snaps towards the door. The movement is just enough to cause my hand bracing the shelf to slip. Not good. I try to turn back to the shelf, to catch it with my other hand. In doing so, I somehow manage to dislodge one of my feet from the ladder resulting in a free fall.

I don't actually hit the floor though. Something breaks my fall.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to spook you," the voice says. It's a man's voice.

Whoever was in the shop had caught me. "No, that's on me. I was being a bit careless. Um, thanks for catching me."

"Of course," he replies, letting my legs go.

Once I'm back on my feet, I feel his arm drop from my back. I take a step back as I turn to face him. I don't know how he got into the shop without setting off the bell, but I ready myself to fight. I'm sure I would be forgiven for using my powers in self-defense.

The man I face is well built. He stands taller than me but no taller than Neal. He has black hair that is brushed back and falls to just above his shoulders. I'm not sure if his bronze skin is natural or from spending a lot of time outside. Maybe both? His friendly smile reaches his eyes which radiate warmth.

I smile at him in return. "Can I help you?"

"I hope so, Miss," His eyes dart down to my name tag, "Elizabeth." His eyes come back up to mine. "I'm looking for a friend of mine. He said he would be here." His eyes scan the shop. They remain warm, but I can see the calculations running behind the warmth.

"Who are you looking for?" I ask as casually as I can, tucking my hands into my pockets. I let my fingers wrap around the pen I shoved into my pocket earlier.

His eyes come back to rest on me. The warmth has dimmed. Would I be able to fight him off if it came to that? I can feel my muscles tensing.

"Are you alone here?" He asks. I don't miss the edge in his voice.

My mind flickers back to when Mr. Mors called Agatha a fail-safe against anything my training might attract. Was this man one of those anythings? Was he a demon? "Of course not."

The man studies me. The warmth has completely faded from his eyes. They're filled with calculation and debate. "Who else is here?"

A very loaded question. Should I lie and say Agatha? Should I call for Neal? "Who are you looking for?" I fire back.

His eyes narrow as he takes a step towards me. Hell no. I drop into a fighting stance.

"Sam?" I hear Neal's voice behind me. "Sam, no!" A hand claims my shoulder and pulls me back, away from the man. Neal points a warning finger at me as he claims his new position between me and the man, "No." When I don't move, he holds out a hand. "Give it." I blink, looking to the hand his hand is extended towards. Oh. I hadn't realized I pulled out the pen. I surrender it to Neal, allowing myself to relax.

Neal tucks my pen into his own pocket, turning to face the man. "Sorry I wasn't out here. Mors asked me to take care of something."

The man's eyes dart to me. "I take it you didn't inform your help either." He studies me again, the calculation gone, replaced by curiosity. "Ma hu 'anaha?"

I bristle at his question. What kind of question was that? I was a human, obviously. "'Ana 'iinsan," I snap at him.

The man starts, blinking. "You speak Arabic?"

"She can probably respond in any language you throw at her," Neal says, placing a hand on my shoulder. "She's the reason Mors wanted you to come here."

"About that," Sam crosses his arms. "Mors told me you would be filling me in on what I'm supposed to be doing here. Am I to assume that we're protecting this. . ." His eyes flick to me, studying me for a second before returning to Neal, "Human?"

"That is part of it, yes."

It's my turn to cross my arms. "Hello? I'm right here. I'd like to be filled in too."

Neal nods. "Let's start with introductions. Eliza, this is Samsama'il," he says, nodding to the man. "Sam, this is Elizabeth," he says, patting my shoulder. "Sam, your perception is correct. She's not human."

"Yes, I am," I object.

"She's not entirely human," Neal amends. "Eliza here is our future boss. Our job is to train and protect her." Samsama'il arches an eyebrow, a thousand questions brimming in his eyes. Neal moves, catching his shoulder and leading him down the aisle before he can ask anything. "Let me show you around and fill you in. You can spend the rest of Eliza's shift getting acquainted with her." Neal pauses at the end of the aisle glancing back at me with a wry smile. "Chin up Eliza. You get to resume training tomorrow."