Requiem for the Living (The Reanimation Files Book 2)

by A. J. Locke

  “Great,” Renton said. “Now, I think you two should head to the conference room and get settled before they start letting the press in. I have to get my notes then confer with Tielle, so I will see you there shortly.” He gave a smile then walked away.

  “He seems nice,” I said. “And is obviously a genius if he spends all his time trying to figure runes out.”

  “A rune genius and a war vet. Two things you don’t usually find in one person.”

  “Oh, so he served in the army. Cool.”

  “Yeah, he did a few tours and made it all the way to General.” Micah said. “But then he was injured, almost crippled actually, and had to leave the army. After he recovered he turned to rune development as a new career and eventually made it to the government’s ranks. He’s a good guy, and you’re right, he’s very intelligent. I know he’ll do anything to help you.”

  “Not sure there’s anything anyone could do at this point.”

  “Selene…”

  “Ilyse said I won’t make it to the end of summer.” It pained me to see how much those words hurt him. I sighed. “Think I’m too old for the Make a Wish Foundation? I’d like to go swimming with dolphins or something.”

  “Don’t joke.”

  “I have to, you know that. You and Ilyse do enough worrying.”

  “We will save you,” Micah said. I almost believed the conviction in his voice. But enough of that, time for a topic change.

  “We’re still on for dinner tonight, right? Looking forward to dinner is probably the only thing that’s gonna get me through the day.”

  The look that briefly flashed across Micah’s face made me feel as though he’d forgotten.

  I narrowed my eyes.

  “We’re still on,” Micah said. “Though I don’t get why you are so adamant about going to this place tonight.”

  “Monday is ribs night! You wouldn’t want to deny me my ribs, would you?”

  “Hell no,” Micah said teasingly. “Or else you might take it out on my ribs.”

  “You got that right.” I looped my arm through Micah’s. “Now, let’s go get this thing over with.”

  We joined the flow of people heading to the twelfth floor, and I couldn’t stop myself from tensing up. My feet wanted to take me in any direction other than the one they were going.

  “It will be OK,” Micah whispered with his lips pressed against my temple. I sighed, feeling better just by having Micah close to me. I wanted to get past this so I could concentrate on more pressing issues. Like who was responsible for burying Isabelle in my yard.

  “I really need you with me—” I was cut off by the sound of Micah’s phone receiving a text message, and noted that he frowned as he read it. We were walking toward the conference room, and while the press wasn’t here yet, I recognized a lot of dead witches and necromancers from the paranormal branch of the government. Guess I should have expected all the big wigs to come down for the Selene Show. I took a deep breath and was about to head in, but Micah pulled me aside.

  “Selene, I have to step away for a while.” He avoided looking me directly in the eyes and his whole demeanor was off. I frowned.

  “Are you serious? Right this moment you have to leave? I was just saying that I need you with me to get through this. Where could you possibly have to be that’s more important than being here with me?”

  “I’m sorry.” He did look sorry, but I was still pissed. “I wouldn’t leave you if I didn’t have to.”

  “And why do you have to?” I crossed my arms over my chest. “I feel and look like shit, I’m about to endure a ridiculous press conference put on by the people who want to lock me up and strip me, and my head is still reeling from this morning’s discovery. I really need you right now, Micah. Whatever it is, can’t it wait and hour or two?”

  “It’s regarding a client, and it’s a very serious matter. I’m sorry, Selene. If I had known about the press conference I would have made other arrangements, but I can’t slack on my work duties. I’m really sorry—”

  “Just go.” It was clear my very reasonable arguments weren’t going to persuade him to stay. “Take care of your business, I’ll be just fine. Whatever.”

  He tried to take my hand but I pulled away and walked into the conference room without giving him another look. My hands were clenched into tight fists, and I tried to concentrate on taking slow, even breaths. The last thing I wanted was to look all put out on live television over a fight with my boyfriend.

  The conference room was the same one used for the reanimator check, and was more of an auditorium than a conference room. As appealing as a seat in the very back was, I knew I’d be expected to sit up front, so I walked down the aisle. There were cameras set up in front of the stage from every news station, and cameramen were doing last minute checks of their equipment. A few of them spent more time than was necessary angling their camera toward the stage as though they wanted to make sure they got my good side. Or maybe it was my bad side they were hoping for. I resisted heaving a huge sigh and sat down. I was soon joined by Tielle and Renton, who sat on either side of me.

  “You know what’s nice about having a press conference sprung on you? Having absolutely no time to prepare. Are you even going to tell me what the hell I can expect from this thing?”

  “There’s no need to get over excited,” Tielle said. “We are simply going to have a conversation about the recent events surrounding you and the ghost you became bound to.”

  “And hopefully alleviate some fears,” Renton added. Tielle looked as though that was the last thing she cared about.

  “Great, that wasn’t vague at all,” I muttered.

  Moments later Andrew took a seat at the front, though it was at the end of the row I was sitting in, thank goodness. He made sure to catch my eye and give me a warm smile though. I also saw Ilyse, and appreciated her smile a lot more than Andrew’s. She sat several rows behind me with other dead witches from the eighth floor.

  Soon after everyone was settled, the door to the back area behind the stage opened and about half a dozen of Tielle and Renton’s colleagues from the government walked out and sat down on the chairs behind the podium. These were the real big wigs. The sight of them silenced the buzz of conversation in the room almost immediately. The feeling I had like there was poison churning in my stomach intensified. Or maybe it was just the Rot that was intensifying.

  The reporters were now allowed to enter, and they did so while chattering excitedly and clamoring for a seat at the front. The right side of the aisle was for the press, while everyone else and I sat on the left. Once they’d jostled each other for seats and settled down as much as they were going to settle, Tielle headed to the podium. I glanced at Renton, and he gave me a reassuring smile, which didn’t reassure me, but it was the thought that counted. I instinctively squeezed my hand into a fist, only to realize that Micah’s hand wasn’t there to squeeze back. I had to fight not to let my anger and disappointment at him rise. At least not right now.

  “Good morning,” Tielle began in that bland voice of hers. If she’d been one of my college professors I would have fallen asleep in class every time. “The purpose of this press conference is to discuss the circumstances surrounding Ms. Selene Vanream, and answer any questions you may have about her situation. I would ask that you wait until the appropriate time before you ask questions. Now, let’s begin.” She looked at me. “Selene, if you would please join me.”

  I walked onto the stage, feeling nothing at this point, because what good would it do to keep bemoaning the situation? As I stood next to Tielle, all the faces seemed like a blur. As soon as I was on the stage, the cameras started flashing and people yelled questions at me, but Tielle gave a few loud taps on the microphone.

  “Let us not start this press conference in a frenzy,” she said. “You will have an opportunity to ask questions later.”

  It took a few moments, but the room eventually settled, though my eyes felt like they’d been assaulted by all the
camera flashes. It did nothing to help how I felt, so on top of my queasiness I had a headache. It was all I could do not to sway. Passing out on live television would not be a good look. Although it would effectively end the press conference.

  “As you know,” Tielle began, “about a month ago Ms. Vanream was instrumental in stopping Michael Bianchi, a rogue reanimator who had placed the ghost of his brother, Larry, into the body of a young man named Ethan Lance by first expelling Mr. Lance’s ghost. Larry then proceeded to murder anyone who had wronged his brother or himself, and it culminated in a hostile takeover of Affairs of the Dead. Ms. Vanream, having encountered the ghost of Ethan Lance, tried to help him recover his stolen body, but along the way became bound to him.

  As a result of the ghost bind, Ms. Vanream, who as you know is also a reanimator, underwent an evolution of power. She is now able to do what Mr. Bianchi did: expel a ghost from a living body and place an existing ghost into it. Also, any ghost that rises around her will be anchored to this world, which means a necromancer circle will be ineffective against it. Ms. Vanream has also contracted the Rot due to constantly being bound to a ghost, and it is our hope that we can find a way to unbind Ms. Vanream and save her life.”

  I almost scoffed at that. It was the first time I’d heard anything about saving my life from Tielle. Ilyse and Micah were the only ones trying to help me. I was pretty sure Tielle would find it a perfectly acceptable solution if I were to die of the Rot. Then everyone could stop scratching their heads over trying to figure out an ethical way to unbind me from Ethan so they could then subject me to the unethical process of stripping my reanimation power.

  “Before we continue, I’d like to invite Renton Morse to speak about his findings on the practice of ghost binding,” Tielle said.

  Renton came to the stage, and Tielle took a seat behind us.

  “I have spent many years studying the history of necromancers, reanimators, and dead witches,” Renton began, “and I believe that sharing some of what I know can help shed light on Selene’s situation, especially in light of the fear her new power has brought forth in the public. Yes, Selene has powers that we have not seen in hundreds of years, but that does not mean she is dangerous. These changes happened to her outside of her control, and I believe she deserves more understanding than she has gotten. Selene has not tried to use her evolved power in any capacity. If she had, we officials from the government would have taken swift and immediate action against her.

  I realize knowledge about what it means to be ghost bound is largely obscure to the general public, so allow me to try and explain. It is true that many times reanimators used their bound ghosts for mass murder, but they were also used in more positive, though not necessarily less bloody, ways. Many ancient wars were fought not with men but with bound ghosts, and such a method proved to be very effective in sparing soldiers from risking their lives on the battlefield. Of course, death played a heavy hand in this practice as the reanimators eventually succumbed to the Rot.

  I don’t believe Selene will try to use her power to create an army of ghosts for the greater good of the US army, but it’s important to look at both sides of the equation, as well as to pay attention to the individual herself. Selene stopped a mad man and the equally mad ghost of his brother from continuing their revenge massacre, and she sacrificed a lot in the process, including her own health. If Selene were considered a real threat, please believe that she would not have been allowed to keep her freedom.”

  “But isn’t it true that the only reason she’s allowed to remain free is because of all the red tape holding up getting a warrant issued?”

  One of the reporters had decided not to wait until the designated time to ask questions, how shocking.

  “Initially, yes,” Renton replied. He was not thrown off by the interruption. “However, the situation is far more complicated than we are used to when it comes to reanimators.”

  “I don’t see how that can be true,” another reporter said. “Wouldn’t stripping her reanimation power fix everything? The government comes across as so invested in stripping reanimators yet a reanimator with dangerous power such as hers is being allowed to remain free?”

  “Do you think it makes the public feel safer knowing someone who could shove our ghosts out of our bodies is walking among us?” a third reporter spoke up.

  I clenched my jaw the way Micah did to stop from having an outburst. As much as I wanted to defend myself, I had to let Renton handle the situation because all I’d do is start yelling and cursing, and I was pretty sure that wouldn’t get us anywhere.

  “What’s really stopping the government from stripping her?” another reporter said. “Or are they so cruel that they are waiting for the Rot to do the job for them? Because we all know stripped reanimators are as good as dead anyway.”

  This one at least seemed more neutral toward me. Tielle stepped forward. From the look on her face I could tell that she wasn’t happy about the reporters disregarding what she’d said about waiting to ask questions.

  “Ethan Lance,” Tielle said, standing next to Renton. “He is still bound to Ms. Vanream, and if she is stripped while ghost bound, it will kill her. I anticipate the next question to be about why we cannot simply unbind Mr. Lance from her, and the answer is that Mr. Lance’s body was completely destroyed during the showdown with Michael and Larry Bianchi.”

  “Selene could put Ethan back into a physical body,” Renton added. “However, without Ethan’s own body, there is not much we can do to proceed with this route. I’m sure you would agree that it would not be the best course of action to do what Michael did and take someone’s body by first expelling their ghost.”

  “And what about Andrew McNabb?” another reporter asked. “Can’t she put his ghost back into his body?”

  “No, because his body was cremated due to the violent nature of his death,” Renton said. The image of Andrew’s body, hacked up by a meat cleaver lying in his blood-covered bathroom flashed through my mind, making me shudder slightly. I looked over at Andrew, but he was sitting there calmly looking on.

  “We are at an impasse,” Tielle spoke up. “As much as we don’t like to admit it. All we want is to find a way to safely rectify this situation, but a solution will not appear overnight. That is why myself, Renton, and other representatives from the government will remain here for the foreseeable future. We will be doing whatever we can to monitor Ms. Vanream, as well as continue to work toward a satisfying conclusion.”

  “Regarding Andrew McNabb,” one of the reporters asked. “How is the government dealing with a ghost that cannot be sent to the afterlife? Are we to expect anchored ghosts to be prevalent now?”

  “That is another issue we are working on,” Tielle said. “At this moment I do not have an answer for you that you would find acceptable, but Mr. McNabb is also under our surveillance.”

  “And why is he being allowed to remain at the head of Affairs of the Dead?” the same reporter asked. “Surely there is something unethical about a ghost running a business.”

  “Mr. McNabb has proven that he can continue to do in death what he did in life, so he remains here at our discretion.” Tielle’s voice was getting tight, like she was as over this press conference as I was. I knew all we’d do was spin in circles. None of the reporters here, or the people watching, were going to walk away from this thinking anything different about me. The bottom line was that everything involved with my new power just came across as dangerous and deadly, and Renton talking about ghosts being used to fight wars hundreds of years ago to spare human lives was hardly enough to change that opinion.

  “I again would like to assure you that Selene is not a danger to you,” Renton said. “In fact, I think it would be good for you to hear from Selene yourself, so I would like to invite you to address questions to her directly.”

  Oh great, this should be fantastic. I tried to look strong and calm as I stepped in front of the podium, though what I really wanted to do was take a few painkil
lers and have a nap. As soon as I was in front of the microphone, questions started flying at me to the point where all I heard was a lot of noise. And here I thought they’d raise their hands and ask questions in an orderly fashion.

  “Selene can hardly hear the questions with everyone asking them all at once, can she?” Renton said.

  The reporters calmed, and raised their hands, and Renton pointed at one of them to get things started.

  “Ms. Vanream,” the woman said, standing up. “Is it true that—”

  Suddenly, we heard a loud explosion, and everyone in the room was on their feet and turning around to see a ghost beastie barreling into the room.

  CHAPTER THREE

  The reporters and camera crew screamed and tried to scatter, but getting to the exit was going to be a problem. The ghost beastie was round and lumpy, and had no eyes that I could distinguish. What was easily distinguishable was its huge mouth full of sharp teeth. It was also slimy, as was evidenced by the goo it left in its wake. And it was fast. Trying to get past it and out the huge hole it made in the wall was a worthless endeavor.

  The necromancers and dead witches were calmer. I jumped off the stage and took my rune gun from the small of my back. Firing at the beastie would be tricky though, since it was fast and there were a lot of frantic civilians in the way. A ghost beastie showing up was just what I needed to happen in the middle of a press conference about how dangerous I was. Somehow I would take the blame for this. But I’d have to worry about that later. Right now the beastie was making quick work of barreling through people, so it had to be brought down.

  The beastie was still toward the back of the room, so I hung back and aimed a careful shot at the top of its body. Colorful electricity sparked around it as my bullet plus the other bullets that hit it made it shudder and roar, though it didn’t fall. People running back and forth in front of me blocked my aim, so I started shoving people aside. They’d thank me later when they walked away from this alive. When I glanced to my right, I saw Tielle and Renton with their guns out, looking for openings that wouldn’t end up inside a civilian instead of the beastie. The room had become a clusterfuck, and I wasn’t sure we’d be able to successfully bring the beastie down with so many people around. It wasn’t like I could ask the beastie to kindly step out into the hallway so I could send it to the afterlife.