Hold Me Closer, Necromancer - Lish McBride [49]
“Worst-case scenario?”
“There are rumors as to how he got his power. Like I said, you don’t want Douglas Montgomery taking an interest in your child’s talent.”
Tia raised her eyebrows. “You’re suggesting that a member of the Council can steal talent?” She frowned. “Even if that is possible, the karmic debt alone…it’s unthinkable. The Council is supposed to protect us.”
“Yes, it is. But I suspect Douglas has begun to dominate the other members. Pushing them toward his desired direction.”
“Unthinkable,” she said again, softer.
“I know. Normal people complain about their corrupt legal system, but even the most crooked cop can’t take your soul.” Nick scratched his chin. “Look, I didn’t mean to scare you. Like I said, worst-case scenario.”
They sat silently for a minute. “I should go,” she said, standing. “Do you want me to let Kevin know where you are? Maybe he’s gotten past whatever happened between you?”
“I was born,” he said with resignation. He stood and stretched. “And Kevin’s never gotten over it. It’s best if you just let it go. Thank you for all of this.” He gestured around the cabin and smiled, but it was weak, sad. She was pretty sure that smile was the one Nick used the most. “I haven’t seen…people in a while. It was nice.”
He pulled a notebook and pen from one of the piles and scribbled something. “My number,” he said. “Just in case.”
“You have a phone?”
“I know,” he said, “it doesn’t look like it. But there’s one in here somewhere. If it hasn’t been shut off.”
She folded up the piece of paper and stuck it into her pocket.
He turned to the door.
She reached out her hand and then pulled it back. “Would you like a blessing?”
He turned back to her and blinked. Without a word he dropped to his knees and bowed his head.
She whispered the spell under her breath and lifted his chin with her hands. She kissed both of his eyelids before drawing a symbol of good fortune on his forehead.
He stood up and gave her a gentle hug. “Thank you.”
“It’s weak,” she said.
“I haven’t been practicing.”
“It’s still more than I had before.” He let go of her. She opened the door. “Nick, why don’t you challenge Douglas if he’s so bad?”
Nick examined the sky as if he’d find his answers there. “Because I wouldn’t survive it.”
She let the screen door swing shut behind her and made her way back to her car. Though she didn’t look back, she knew that Nick watched her the whole time.
I stirred what was left of my hot chocolate with my cinnamon stick. Some of the melted whipped cream clung to the stick, following in its wake. I wasn’t really sure how to take everything my mom was telling me. She’d known I was a necromancer and hadn’t told me, which stung. She’d also never mentioned she was a witch, but I was more amazed that I hadn’t figured that out than I was hurt by it. Or maybe all my other anger and frustration was eclipsing that little nugget of information. And lastly, I had an uncle who was just like me. I wasn’t sure how to feel about that, either. We didn’t have much in the way of extended family, so a hidden uncle was a bit of a blow. That he was another necromancer just made the secret worse. I felt like the part of me that had been cut away had just grown back. And now a madman in pressed jeans was hunting that small cluster of relatives and friends. I let go of my cinnamon stick.
“So you guys always knew that I’d be”—I stopped, searching for a word that sounded better than what I was—“different?”
My mom refilled her mug. “No. Well, yes. The odds of you being straight human were small.” She smiled. “I was hoping you would take after me. But I guess most parents wish that.”
I struggled with my thoughts. Would I want to be different? “How?” I shook my head. “When did you know?”
She held her mug up, breathing in the scent of the chocolate. “Right after you were born, I gave you a test.”
“Like a blood test?”
She shook her head as she took a sip.
Tia brought everything she needed with her to the hospital.