Katie's Hellion

Rhyn lifted the book. He had no intention of reading it, but he liked how soft the cover was.

"Why is this human important?"

"Death won't say."

Rhyn snorted and let his head drop back against the stone wall. Death and her pet worked in their own ways. He didn't mistake his returned powers for a free favor. No, Death wanted something from him, and gave him the ability to do her will.

Yet another traitorous woman. He felt some peace knowing that --whatever Death wanted from him --she'd have to free him from Hell to get it.

* * *

Katie Young looked at the speedometer, which read thirty-seven when the blue lights flared up behind her, jarring her out of the pre-coffee morning stupor. She guided the car to the lit parking lot near the metro station, her destination. It was four-thirty, and she'd never seen a cop along this stretch leading up to the nearest metro station.

His glaring spotlight of a flashlight blinded her as he walked to the driver's door, and she held her hand up.

"Do you know why I stopped you?" the cop asked as she rolled down her window.

"No," she said.

"You were going thirty-seven."

"Yeah."

"That's speeding."

The light flashed away, leaving her in blackness studded with dim bulbs.

"The speed limit's thirty-five," she objected.

"So you knew that?"

"Yeah. I drive this way every day."

The light returned to her eyes, and she bit her tongue to keep from griping. She couldn't be late again for her job as an assistant general manager of a fast food joint, or she'd be fired.

"You were speeding intentionally," he said with a level of disgust she reserved for the revelation of her sister's ex-boyfriend cheating.

"It's just two miles an hour."

He said nothing, but the light disappeared and she heard him scrawling.

"Your taillight is out," he added in a clipped tone.

"I have four. There's only one out --the rest all work."

"So you knew your taillight was out."

More scrawling.

"Look, it's early, I didn't get much sleep, and these seem like minor issues," she said in what she hoped was a friendly voice.

"Your pupils are dilated. Have you been drinking?"

"No."

"On medication?"

"I took a sleeping aid last night, yes. I have a lot of trouble sleeping lately, probably because --"

"How many hours ago?"