Voodoo Kiss Read Online Free PDF Page A

you to do it for me."
    "As you say, boss." I shrugged and turned away, squinting against the glaring sun as I focused on the multifaceted residues from Sofia's aura. She had been here not long ago. The trail stopped abruptly so she must've left in a car, but that didn't faze me. Now that I had caught her scent, I would walk up and down this street until I found the next clue.
    Half an hour later, I was drenched in sweat and we were still searching.
    "Do you have a cold?" Cass asked, smirking.
    I shook my head. "That's not it. Something's wrong. I should've picked up her whereabouts by now."
    "Are you sure it's not just—" she waved her hand in the air. Her long, black nails that could morph into claws any second caught my attention "—that you're losing your touch?"
    The softest hint of her earthy smell wafted past. Cass opened her mouth to speak again when I held up a finger to stop her, then pointed to our right. "This way."
    "Looking to live forever? Because that is how long it's taking," she mumbled. I smiled and grabbed her hand, barely touching her ice-cold skin. It felt smooth like marble and thick as ice. She would turn soon—a fate I wouldn't wish upon my worst enemy, but at least I would get to be alone for a few hours without Lucifer's daughter watching over my shoulder. I couldn't quite focus with her around because her pain affected me. I didn't like my friends to suffer.
    Maybe the solitude would help me do my job, because right now I was at my wit's end as to why I hadn't yet found Sofia.

Chapter 4

     
    After a brief lunch, I was keen to return to the solitude of our hotel rooms to catch some sleep, but Gael seemed to have other plans.
    "Where are we going?" I asked for the umpteenth time.
    "You'll see." His eyes twinkled mischievously. I smiled, pretending to be excited, and commented on the beauty of the town. Truth was, I didn't feel excited in the least. I actually feared secrets because they made me feel like I was opening Pandora's box. I appreciated Gael's efforts and I knew he meant well, but as much as I tried, I felt so disconnected from him. Since the airport, my mind seemed preoccupied and distant, and I couldn’t help myself.
    The vehicle raced through the busy streets, past crowds of people gathered in front of dilapidated taverns. Eventually, the vehicle took another right turn onto unpaved terrain, leaving the city behind.
    Looking out of the window, I saw people, dressed in barely more than rags, their faces worn out and tired. The houses we passed by were huts made of what looked like cardboard boxes. In front of them, children played and laughed the way only children can. My throat tightened as I watched all these people struggling with poverty, mothers holding their babies in their arms in sanitary conditions not fit for a newborn, children with no future. A sense of hopelessness crept over me. The children reminded me of my own childhood far away from the luxury of Western civilization. Life had been hard for my family, but we made the most of it. We appreciated the simple things: our family, our friends, and that we had so much to be thankful for. I remembered how we used to snuggle together under a thin sheet when the Russian winter covered the vast lands in a white blanket that could freeze a grown man to death within a few hours. And every spring we were grateful to have survived.
    The driver stopped to ask for directions and motioned a kid to come closer. The child obeyed and approached us, unaware of the danger that might be lurking in a stranger's vehicle. At the boy's sight, barely older than ten with dark curls and torn shorts, something broke inside me. I wiped a tear from the corner of my eye, hoping Gael wouldn't notice, and reached into my purse for money.
    "What are you doing?" Gael hissed.
    I ignored him as I rolled down the window and handed the kid a few banknotes, watching his eyes widen for a moment before his hand clasped around the money. He said something, which I