Deadly Sin (Cassandra Farbanks) by Sonnet O'Dell Page A

on my bedroom floor.
    The wood was cool against my belly, while the sunlight streaming through the open balcony door warmed my bare buttocks. Groaning, I pulled up to my knees and stared at my hands as if they held the answers. Something silver jingled around my neck as I worked at a kink I felt in it after sleeping on the cold hard floor. I picked up the chain to see that it was my locket. At least I knew what side of reality I should be on.
    “What happened to my clothes?” I asked as if expecting someone to answer me. I turned and raised my hand to block out the daylight. What time was it? The sun was already so high in the sky. There was a rag or something lying between the open balcony doors, on the sill that led outside. It flapped gently in a light breeze. I snatched it and turned back to the light once my eyes readjusted I could see what I held in my hands. It was the night shirt I’d gone to bed in. The sleeves were ripped along the shoulder seems and down the sides like something had burst through the material. The hem was in ribbons of fabric that could have been made by claws or talons. I shuddered, turned again to the light, and shut it out completely by closing the doors and pulling the curtains. What the hell had happened?
    I got slowly to my feet. My legs were a little unsteady and I staggered over to the bed to see what the time was. It was nearly twelve o’clock. I swore loudly and hurried to shower and get dressed. Truth was going to think me lazy and ungrateful at this rate. I pulled on black jeans and a red sweater, brushed my damp hair into a quick ponytail and headed out. I walked at a fast clip through town. I had to get to an appointment that I was very, very late for. Most people who saw me coming just got out of my way, except for one guy who stood in the middle of the street reading a newspaper. I collided with him, but neither of us went down. I was going to apologize profusely, when I saw what was on the front page. I grabbed it and tried seeing the picture better, but the guy, thinking some crazy woman got hold of his paper, pushed me off.
    “Get your own,” he said gruffly and folded it up under his arm. He marched further down the street to just stand, reopen it, and get in someone else’s way. I gave him a certain hand gesture. I choose not to describe here and headed for the nearest newspaper dispenser. It was the local paper and I could get one at one of those newspaper vending machines rather than find a newsstand. There was one outside the Guild Hall. I could grab a copy and still be at Truth’s before one.

Chapter Seven
    “I turned into a frickin bird last night!”
    On the whole, not the best thing to shout upon entering a shop and looking out of breath with wild, wet hair dripping down your neck. I looked a little crazy and scared all two customers in Grimoires at the time, causing them to promptly scurry and leave. Truth stood on the mezzanine with her private collection of books, tsking as the only energy she now found in her shop was mine.
    “Cassandra, you sure do know how to clear the room.” I looked at her puzzled.
    “Sure, you yell fire?” I asked questioningly, then shook my head and held up the paper. “I’m in the paper, look. Well you can’t look, but it’s right there.”
    Truth walked down the steps towards me. Despite being blind since birth, her steps never faltered. I lay the paper out flat on the counter. The headline read Mysterious Rare Bird Flocks to Fair City. It was accompanied by a blurry shot of some kind of large bird sitting on a lamppost. The picture was sort of shaky, obviously taken by an amateur on a camera phone. Truth touched the paper, turning it around to face her as she joined me.
    “Let me have it. As it seems I have no customers at the moment.” This was the moment I realized my poor choice of words and everyone’s hasty departure.
    “Truth I’m sorry I…” She put her hand up to shush me as she muttered magic and ran her