Klutz: Phoenix Heat (But Did You Die?, #2)

by Sedona Ashe

“Ninety-six experimental deaths on the wall, ninety-six experimental deaths…” I belted out my horrible rendition of the old bar song while scratching a line on the wall to mark the number of times I had died over the last twenty-four days. Yep, they were killing me four times each day. I snorted. To think I had once complained about my cushy desk job. “Would you stop humming that infernal song!” Willard, my personal guard, groaned.

My mouth hung open in disbelief. I had essentially just killed a man, no, two men, by pantsing someone.

The flames moved along my body. The heat must be getting to me, because the fire seemed…curious? I would swear that it slapped my butt, except that would be weird, wouldn’t it?

Trevor's perspective

Anzac stepped up near me and gathered a discarded water glass. He started to walk away but spun back around to face me. Resting a hand on my shoulder, he spoke, “I hope you will give me a chan—” ZAP. Ew. Bug. Imp shuddered dramatically. Her flaming feathers sparkled inside my mind’s eye. Anzac dropped like a—well, like a fly. “IMP!” I cried in alarm. Everyone froze, staring at Anzac’s prone body in stunned surprise. I looked down at Anzac’s still body, relieved to see his chest rise and fall. I blew out a sigh. The men acted as though nothing out of the normal had happened. They continued to pack things away. I blew out a sigh and reached down to adjust his head, so he at least wasn’t face down on the carpet. ZAP. Don’t touch. Gross bug. Imp gagged. Anzac’s body lurched off the flood like I’d used defibrillator shock paddles on him. “IMP!” I scream-whispered.

“How… protect… her… from… cursed one.” Yep. Definitely Lee’s voice. “Slap me with bread and call me a sandwich! I read his mind. Not perfectly, but did anyone ever read minds perfectly on their first try?” I shouted in excitement and ran to throw my arms around Dagger’s neck. I fell short of his arms when I tripped over Anzac’s sleeping form. Going down hard, my head cracked on the metal table leg. Pain lanced through my skull, and just as quickly, it disappeared—right along with my ability to move or breathe. What a dumb way to die...even for me. I guess I didn’t need to ask Lee who the cursed one was. I’d always known.

“How about you unchain me, send the wolf away, and show me how you handle bad girls like me?” I cringed inwardly. What was I going to do next? Ask him what he was wearing and call him daddy?