AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I opened the door, and my friends stepped inside. The host stopped us near the front counter.
“I’m going to have to see your Cast marks,” he said.
I furrowed my brow. “Excuse me?”
He pointed to a sign on the window I hadn’t seen before, which read No Mortana. “We verify each customer to ensure your safety.”
“Mortana aren’t dangerous!” Nadine protested. “This is unlawful.”
The host must’ve thought we’d be a problem, because he drew himself up. “We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone at any time. No shoes, no mark, no service.”
I was so shocked that I didn’t know what to say. I hadn’t expected this.
“We just want some breakfast,” Grant said. “You’re really going to turn away paying customers?”
“If you bring death into this establishment, then yes,” the host sneered. “This guy’s the Reaper’s Apprentice, isn’t he? You three can stay, but I’ll have to ask the reaper to leave.”
My hands curled into fists. Who did he think he was, banning my Cast like this?
“Look, buddy,” I snapped. “Death isn’t always a bad thing. The Mortana exist for a reason. We protect the coven during war, and we help people cross over after death. If you can’t see the Mortana for what they are, then you don’t deserve their business.”
He shrugged, like he was totally indifferent to it. “You’re right. I guess I don’t. You can walk out yourself, or I’ll throw you out.”
“You can’t deny us service like this—!” Nadine started, but the host grabbed her arm. He really wasn’t kidding about throwing us out.
“Don’t fucking touch her!” I yelled. I threw up a shield between them, so strong that the host was blasted backward. He crashed into a nearby table.
Patrons screamed as they leapt out of their chairs. “Call the police!” a woman yelled.
Grant grabbed me. “Time to go.”
“They can’t get away with it,” Nadine protested as our friends dragged us down the sidewalk.
“Believe me, we don’t want to eat there anyway,” Talia said.
“This is unfair!” Nadine burst, planting herself on the sidewalk several stores down from the café. “This isn’t about one meal. I know it sounds silly to fight about breakfast, but this is bigger than that. We can’t walk away from injustice like this. If we let them get away with this, what else will they get away with?”
“The priestesses are brewing poisons,” Grant hissed. “Who knows who else could be?”
Talia nodded in agreement. “We have to be careful.”
Nadine frowned. “If anyone can get away with this, things are only going to get worse.”
Talia sighed. “The only way to stop it is to go to the priestesses, but they probably sanctioned it in the first place.”
Grant’s stomach rumbled. “In the meantime, can we find someplace to eat? We can talk about this over breakfast.”
I nodded. “Let’s see what’s open.”
We walked down the street, and my guts twisted into knots as we passed shops with signs that read things like Alchemists Only and Must Present Cast Mark. Grant might be hungry, but I’d quickly lost my appetite. No wonder there were so few people shopping today. There were only so many places that would let a person in. Trying to find somewhere open to all Casts was next to impossible.
The more we walked, the more I noticed Closed signs over the doors and going-out-of-business sales advertised in the windows. It seemed half the shops were closing down. We slowed, until we came to a complete stop to take it all in.
Talia gaped. “I had no idea things were this bad.”
Nadine spun around. “Looks like our economy is going to shit.”
“It happened so fast.” Grant wore a puzzled look.
