Hold Me Closer, Necromancer - Lish McBride [48]
Nick shrugged and looked away. “I know my brother.”
Tia instinctively reached out to touch his hand, to comfort him. The minute she did, his head snapped up, and he looked at her. His eyes lost their focus—just for a second—before he cursed under his breath.
“Does he know that you’re a witch?” he asked. His voice was kind, with no hint of reproach.
She felt her breath catch. She shook her head. “I’m going to tell him. I—”
“Don’t.”
“Excuse me?” Tia might have gone behind Kevin’s back, but she didn’t want to lie to her husband forever.
Nick grabbed both her hands in his, squeezing them gently. “Listen to me carefully…”
“Tia,” she offered.
“Tia.” He gave her hands another squeeze. “This is going to sound harsh, but you have two choices. If you want to stay with him, you’re going to have to hide what you are.”
Tia pulled her hands away and sank back into the chair. “I can’t.” She smoothed her skirt over her knees. “I don’t want to live that way.”
Nick leaned back into his own chair. “I don’t blame you. The other option is to leave. Take that baby and go your separate ways.”
Tia felt the blood leave her face. Then panic fluttered in her chest, her fear of losing Kevin tangible.
“I’m sorry. You come in here, make me dinner, and I scare you.” Nick studied the stew in front of him, poking it absently with his spoon.
She straightened up, pulling herself together. “Apology accepted.” They both went back to their food for a moment, Tia turning things over in her head. She hadn’t told him she was pregnant. She’d begun to show, but only a little. Most strangers didn’t realize when they saw her. “How did you know?” she asked.
He blushed and looked away. “When I accidentally read you, I could tell.”
She folded her hands in her lap. “I hate to be so abrupt, but it seems to be that kind of day. May I ask?”
He nodded slightly but didn’t make eye contact. “I’m a necromancer.”
Tia became still.
Nick turned toward her. “That scares you?”
It did scare her. Not a lot, but enough to send a small shiver up her spine. She knew necromancers were just a different kind of creature, much like herself. That it was a power given by the goddess. But somehow she could only see its attachment to the darker side of things.
“No,” she said, “it doesn’t scare me.”
Nick laughed, surprising her. “So sweet of you to lie,” he said when he recovered.
She sighed. “Fine, a little.”
“Most people are scared.”
“Some of you have given us a reason to be.”
His eyes narrowed. “There are bad apples in every bushel.”
She felt herself flush. “You’re right. I’m sorry.” Tia smoothed her skirt again, even though it didn’t need it. A frightening thought came to her. “Nick.” She felt her mouth go dry. She started again. “Nick, is it dominant? I mean, does Kevin…”
“You’re worried about the baby?”
She didn’t trust herself to speak. She nodded. “Kevin never manifested,” he said. “It’s not like lycanthropy, where every kid gets it. But that doesn’t mean he’s not a carrier.”
“So there’s a chance?”
“Yes.” His eyes flicked back and forth, searching her face. “Don’t take it like that. Who knows? Maybe witch trumps necromancer.”
She tried to smile and failed.
“If not, Tia, you might need to move.”
“Will Kevin take it that poorly?”
“No. Kevin is…angry. If he finds out, he will most likely cut the baby out of his life and move on, but he’s not dangerous. Douglas Montgomery is.”
“From the Council?”
“Yes. Look, Douglas is territorial, paranoid, and strong. And his vote goes a long way.” Nick’s gaze landed briefly on her stomach before it returned to her eyes. “If your baby manifests…” Nick sighed and rubbed the crease where his shoulder met his neck. “Let’s just say you don’t want Douglas paying attention to him.”
“Why not?”
“Best-case scenario? You leave, like me. Douglas doesn’t like to share space. My talent isn’t worth the effort to hunt me down, but if I’d stayed, I would have been considered an annoyance. Enough to be a decent scuffle should he take me