The Curse Servant (The Dark Choir Book 2) Read Online Free PDF Page A

delivering their karma ahead of schedule.”
    “Do you sell curses as well?”
    I squinted. “No.”
    That was technically accurate. I had never actually sold a Nether Curse. In fact, I had only ever fired one curse in my entire life, and I was damn lucky the Presidium hadn’t dropped my body into the Chesapeake Bay for it.
    “How do we proceed with this hex, then?” he asked.
    “Right. Well, there are ways of doing this. A hex is a consequence. He does A, then B happens in response. And there’s an exit strategy. When this person decides to stop hurting you, the hex goes away. It’s clean. It’s fair. It’s legal. And you’re not compelled to believe me at all. All you have to do is pay the fee. I do the rest.”
    Leibnitz released a tense breath and rubbed the folds on the back of his neck.
    “That’s actually a relief.”
    “So who’s the particular thorn in your side?”
    “His name is Jacobs.” He left it at that.
    “And?”
    “He just made partner.”
    “Lawyer?”
    He looked up at the skyscraper behind us. A large bronze plaque spelled “Grey & Lisle” just above the rows of glass doors at street level. I had heard the name before, mostly on sponsor banners at local events. They were one of the big tower firms on the East Coast, but beyond that I knew very little.
    “And you were in line to be partner?”
    “Oh no. No, I’m just… no.”
    “Okay?”
    “I’m a certified accountant. And as such, I was made privy to certain inaccuracies.”
    “Inaccuracies? I’m thinking in the whirlwind world of accounting and corporate law those aren’t exactly business builders?”
    “You’d be surprised. No, these were internal errors. Only, they weren’t errors. They were quite intentional, and my purpose is to report these.”
    “To Mr. Jacobs?”
    “No. To the senior partners. It was Jacobs who created the parallel ledger.”
    “Okay, you lost me.”
    He waved his hands in front of his face. “Don’t worry about the details. If you don’t need them, you won’t want them.”
    “Fair enough.”
    “The point is he defended himself, and won.”
    “You lost your job?”
    “Heavens no. But he made partner shortly after.”
    “And?”
    “And that’s it.”
    Holy crap, this guy was actually gunning for justice. “You just want it brought to light?”
    “He’s a bad man, Mister Lake. Just trust me. He shouldn’t win. He just shouldn’t win.”
    I gave Leibnitz a long look and felt humble. “Sounds like we can do business, Ari.”
    “Good. What’s your price?”
    “Five thousand.”
    “Done. What do you need?”
    “Well, I need a piece of Jacobs.” He blanched a little. “Don’t worry. I mean a piece of his energy. His person. Hair is good. Blood is better.” I didn’t mention that my typical marital infidelity clients tended to provide semen.
    “I think I can do that.”
    “Great. Call me when you have whatever you have, and I’ll arrange a pickup. Something like this can be a one-day turnaround.”
    Leibnitz seemed almost excited by the time we parted company. The meeting was good for me. I had grown considerably more jaded within my own practice in the past six months. I’d almost forgotten there were people out there who needed real help. And even then, this particular accountant wasn’t looking for help or revenge as much as a real sense of justice. It felt like a good hot shower.

sually my morning safari for presentable clothes off the floor of my bedroom put me in a rock-chewing mood by the time coffee became reality. Perhaps it was that emotional deliverance, that shining ray of celestial caffeine brought to me each morning at the café that painted Francesca as my saving angel? More likely I was succumbing to my life-long habit of prescribing ideals to otherwise mortal women, but it usually felt somewhat religious.
    This morning, however, I wasn’t in a foul mood. I wasn’t even brooding. The sky was clear. The chill of morning air had yet to melt under the heat