Shit.
Jo walked over and healed the both of us while we kept a lookout.
Serena whispered, “That was stupid, but thanks.”
I winked. Now that I had a moment to breath, and think, I really wanted a private conversation with Serena. It wasn’t time for that sort of thing though, and not just because of the crazy cougar, but because I wasn’t ready for the shit to hit the fan yet.
But I was working on an actual plan, in fact I’d already set a part of it in motion, when I’d made another deal with Sara.
I was curious and asked, “Jo, can’t witches hurt a shifter with magic?”
I’d noticed she hadn’t really done anything but track him, and break tree branches to drop him out of the canopy. Yet… weren’t witches more powerful than that?
Jo shook her head, “Witches control life, but it’s harder with other supernatural races. Their own internal magic fights us. Shifters are the worst. If I really tried, I could kill one of you easily enough, but a shifter regenerates from wounds so fast that even a lot of internal damage can be fixed in a very short time.”
That makes sense I suppose, it was why getting silver into them was so important, so they couldn’t just heal it all in moments.
“Thanks Jo, I feel much better, even my overworked arms. Where are they?” I asked as I bent down and grabbed my weapon, and put in my second magazine. Just in case he circled back around.
She pointed over to our left, “About two miles, I think he’s coming back.”
“Just out of curiosity, can shifters regenerate dead tissue?”
She shook her head, “No, but the body would break it down quickly, and grow new flesh in minutes. Why?”
Minutes… were a lot better than seconds.
“Oh, just curious,” I said, and I swirled the energy of a necromancer, the magic of death around my body. I was an idiot for not thinking of this before. Just because we weren’t fighting undead didn’t mean my magic was worthless. What had Macy said? We have the power to necrotize flesh, but she hardly ever used that one. In other words, my magic could kill the flesh of the living. Let’s see this bastard dodge without working legs.
Jo frowned as she took my meaning, and Serena looked at me sharply, catching the obvious lie.
The only catch was, I wasn’t sure how much magic I’d have to channel to overcome the shifter magic and kill that tissue.
Jo said, “He’s close,” and pointed off to the side of the trail.
I wielded as much power as I dared, and looked for him. He’d obviously led Christina and Matt on a merry chase to split us up, and had outrun them badly and doubled back, probably to kill Jo first, so we wouldn’t be able to find him anymore. After that, he’d pick us off one at a time if he could. Not today, I wasn’t letting him jump Jo as much as I hadn’t let him jump Serena, despite there being a huge level difference in caring, that wasn’t the only reason I’d done it.
I walked in front of them and sent my magic out like wave or pulse, if I had the power to destroy life, surely I could feel it? He was above us, again. I looked straight up, gathered my magic and sent it out with the will and intent to kill his limbs.
The cat screamed, and fell out of the tree. I kept the energy flowing, it was a goodly amount, but no more than what I’d used before. Serena lunged forward and swiped at his neck with the sword, he somehow twisted and rolled his body, and only a few inches of his neck were cut. He bled fiercely for seconds, and started to heal, but he couldn’t dodge her second swing.
His head rolled, and I cut off the magic. Damn, I should have done that a long time ago. Idiot. I was a necromancer, but I’d been buying the hype, necromancer bad.
Screw that.
Serena walked up to me and pulled me into a tight hug, which I returned. She held it for a few seconds, and then let go, which was probably a good plan, any longer and my body would have gotten ideas.
“I’m glad you’re alright, so what did you do?”
I nodded at Jo, “She gave me the idea, I killed his legs, with my magic. Minutes are better than seconds, he wouldn’t have had enough time to regenerate from that.”
Jo asked, “Why didn’t you get his heart or brain?”
I frowned, good question. Maybe I wasn’t so clever after all.
“I thought the legs would be easier?” my statement sounded more like a question.
She laughed, “Actually you’re right, the core of our magic is around our heart, and our mind. But it wouldn’t have been that much more.”
I shrugged, “Maybe, the less magic I use the better I think.”
At least until I’m bonded again, then I won’t have to worry about it. I looked at Serena and promised myself we’d do it soon, talk I mean, and I’d tell her everything.
Christina and Matt ran in and stopped.
“What happened.”
Serena said, “I cut his head off, after Tom took out his legs.”
The body was already disintegrating, the swords had the same enchantment as the daggers. I sheathed mine, then cleared the chamber and clicked the safety on before putting up the gun. It was time to get the hell out of here.
Chapter Seventeen
The weapon was clean, and I was tired. It’d been a long ass Monday, and I was running on very little sleep. The four of us walked down to the vault and opened it up. We returned the swords, and the guns and unspent ammunition. I was looking forward to getting a full night’s sleep.
Serena put her hand on my arm before I could walk out.
“Sis, Matt, I need a private moment with Tom.”
They both gave us looks, and then nodded and walked out. She walked over and pushed the door closed.
“There’s no recording in here at all. Just right outside the door.”
I nodded, “What’s up?” I asked, though my gut was already twisting, I had a good idea.
She sighed, “The talk with my father, and my orders. He asked me all the same questions he did before we became partners, and… this time I gave different answers. I never wanted this, or expected this to happen. But… I’ve grown to care for you quite a lot. We’re… kind of perfect together aren’t we? I never knew a man like you could exist.”
She walked over and caressed my face, but there wasn’t any joy in her eyes.
“My orders were that tonight was our last mission. We’re both grounded, although if you like you can patrol with Matt and Christina. My new partner will be here in two days, from Sacramento. After this conversation,” she paused as tears gathered in her eyes, “We are not to be alone again. We may continue to spar, if someone else is in the room. I… don’t know what to do. I don’t want anyone else, at least not until I figure out what we really have, if anything.”
Yup, more damned drama I thought to myself, even as I felt sick to my stomach. I guess I was the family dog. Sit, stay, heel, don’t sit on the couch. Not much good for anything else. I was… angry to say the least, but I wasn’t one bit surprised at this new turn of events. I’d already feared what was revealed in that conversation with her father, once I figured out the truth of how she felt about me.
I figured one of his questions would be if she’d fallen for me.
This was also far different from what happened with Christina, not that I was trying to minimize that part of things, except it was different. Serena and I had fallen a bit for each other, but naturally. No obsession on my part, no weird ass expectations on hers. It just grew and snuck up on us naturally after I shook off my obsession with her sister. She wasn’t declaring herself either, she just wanted to see where it went. Which was far more normal, and healthy. And I wanted it, that chance I mean.
She was… perfect for me. Not perfect, but I loved her sense of humor, the wiseass wittiness and cheeky flirting, the confidence, strength of character and will, the way she saw me as a person and not a damned experiment, and naturally her graceful and striking beauty was a hell of a bonus.
“Would you give us a chance, if you could?”
She nodded, “Yes, very much so, and it will be a cold day in hell before I jump whatever idiot shows up in two days, but even if at times I’m reckless or whimsical, I’ve never gone against my father’s strict orders. He’s my… superior officer too. Doing so would only bring us both grief.”
Yes, there would be a lot of grief coming. Probably violence too, but hopefully not with her father. I think I had a plan now, sort of, but I still needed a day. Well, I didn’t need a day, but Sara did. If Carl found out tonight, chances were his orders would be to kill me. I needed… certain things to happen first.
“Do you trust me?”
She nodded, and I reached up and wiped the tears from her cheeks. I wanted to kiss her badly, her lips looked so inviting, and I knew she’d let me, but she was far too vulnerable and upset right now, it wasn’t the right time.
“I want you to meet me tomorrow evening, after dinner. I have a lot to tell you that may… change things. Afterwards, we’ll go tell your father too, he needs to know. Things might… change after that. Maybe enough that we’ll get that shot, but it’s about to get complicated.”
She looked confused, but I knew she would judge my words without deception or lies. It was just my words didn’t say all that much.
“You can’t tell me now?”
I shook my head, “I need to wait at least a day for certain things to happen, and it’s a long story, it will take a while.”
She sighed, “I’m not supposed to be with you alone, much less meet you anywhere away from here.”
I nodded, “We won’t be alone, I give you my word. Just, if you can keep this between us for a day, and we’ll both tell your father tomorrow night.”
She sighed, and hugged me, “I’m probably crazy, but fine. Who else will be there?”
I smiled when she pulled back, “It’s a surprise, but you know her.”
She pouted, but I didn’t cave.
“Fine, where?”
I grinned, “The roof of my dorm building.”
I picked that place because it was in the center of college grounds, and it should be safe enough.
I just hoped that only one day would be long enough for Sara to uphold her end of the deal.
She snorted, “Okay, I can do that.”
“Alright, I’ll see you tomorrow before that, sparring? I’m sure we can talk Timothy into critiquing our style, I’ll make sure I don’t overdo my late morning weight lifting.”
She nodded, still confused, but had an almost disbelieving yet hopeful look on her face too. She’d believed me, or at least believed that I believed we might have a chance.
I said, “Goodnight Serena.”
She stretched up and kissed my cheek, “Night Tom, please don’t be crazy, okay?”
I laughed, “I’ll do my best.”
Her body was flush against mine, and warm and very inviting. I let her go, before the temptation to kiss her became too overwhelming to resist. My heart raced as I opened the vault door. It was kind of messed up. I had the future of several races on my shoulders, and all I could seem to care about right then was Serena, and what she meant to me. In fact, she was the only reason I was even moving ahead with this right now.
Maybe it was better that way, the idea of saving a whole race from pointless slaughter, stopping three other races from being dupes and weapons, and exposing the Fae as the villains they were, was entirely too big to really contemplate and grasp. Doing it for Serena was simple, and very motivating.
We left the vault, and went our separate ways. I hoped I’d done the right thing, I’d find out tomorrow if I got pulled in Carl’s office to be questioned about my late evening rendezvous, but I really believed she wouldn’t report it. At least, not yet, she’d give me a day.
Perhaps it’d been foolish of me to gamble like that, but I couldn’t let her leave without hope, and I hoped I didn’t see her that sad ever again.
I was tired, exhausted really, but I grabbed my notepad and had one more stop tonight, sub-level six…
The next morning, we ran twenty miles as usual, and one look at Carl told me my faith in Serena was not misplaced. I knew she’d have no choice but to tell him after the twenty-four hours that something was up with me, but she’d kept her word. It was obvious, because Carl looked at me warily. No doubt worried about my response for this newest stab in my back. If he knew about tonight, or that I’d been hiding something from him, he’d have a far different expression on his face.
Not to mention the coven of witches.
On the bad side, Timothy found out about us using the swords, and insisted we were all idiots, and that we were all going to be in a sword boot camp weekend this coming Saturday and Sunday. Apparently, we were quite lucky we hadn’t cut off our own legs, fighting with a dagger does not give us expertise with a sword.
I supposed it was inevitable, and I should have seen it coming.
Okay fine, I’ll admit to myself that I was a bit jazzed at the idea of expertly wielding a sword, instead of the awkward lunges and swings we’d done last night. We were fast and deadly, but if we’d been facing another sword wielder that knew what they were doing we’d have been toast. But hell would freeze over before I admitted that to Timothy.
The rest of the day passed quickly, and although Serena seemed positive in our sparring session, I knew she was slightly subdued, and worried. Just a few more hours…
Chapter Eighteen
I stood on the roof next to three empty chairs, and looked at the waning light of the sun on the horizon and turned as I heard the rooftop door open.
“I thought we wouldn’t be alone.”
I smiled, “We won’t be, I feel Jo coming now.”
Serena nodded, and walked over to me, but she kept her distance.
“I’m a little nervous.”
I nodded, “Trust me, this is going to suck, but you can be sure I care about you deeply, and your safe here.”
Jo walked up, “I got your text, what’s this about?”
I replied, “Hi Jo.”
She rolled her eyes, “Hi Tom… so what’s this about?”
I said, “Do either of you know about the prophecy?”
Serena looked confused, Jo however asked rather accusingly, “How do you know about that?”
I sighed, “Macy told me, when she told me about my four predecessors.”
Jo frowned, “Serena isn’t cleared to know that.”
I nodded, “That’s the problem, isn’t it?”
Jo looked confused.
I explained, “Secrets. Secrets are why the Blood were turned into a weapon, instead of being a cure. Secrets, are the reason the witches are just as much the dupes of the Fae as the Blood are.
“One with dueling natures and plagued by doubt.
“One will rise up and search for the truth and restore the knowledge of old.
“One will be betrayed, the truth denied, and the shadow of war will come.
“One will defend the last chance for peace and end the necromancer's blight on this world.”
I stopped for a moment, “I found the truth, and I’m going to restore the knowledge of old, to whomever I damned well please.”
Serena sighed, “What are you talking about.”
“The end of the war, that should never have been. The end of the blight, the truth of the races and not that cockamamie bullshit you all think you know.”
Jo bristled, but settled down after a moment, “What makes you think you know the truth.”
I replied, “Because I did the obvious, I sent a ghost on a mission to find out. Little Sara Reilly, the only ghost I’ve ever talked to, she went and spent some time with the Nephilim in the afterlife, and told me what actually happened back then, straight from the people who were there. I chose to tell you two first, then Serena and I will go with it to Carl, and you can… update your mother.”
Jo said smugly, as if identifying the flaw in my plan, “The ghost could have lied, judgement doesn’t work on ghosts.�
�
It was almost ironic, as if she’d never read the prophecy, the part about the truth being denied.
“I know, which is why I plan to prove it when I’m done. If I’m wrong, it will be obvious, and you can kill me.”
Serena gasped, “Why?”
“Because this is important, and if I’m wrong… I’ll be tainted. Sit with me and I’ll tell you the truth about the Blood, and why they were created, and what their true purpose is.”
They both looked wary, but Serena’s wariness had a lot of worry for me mixed into it. Jo just looked, scared. I told them the truth as Sara told it to me. It took me about twenty minutes to get through it all, it was a lot of history.
Serena asked coldly, “We can’t dilute our blood?”
“No, you were led to believe that so you wouldn’t be influenced by an outside opinion.”
Jo frowned, “So how do you plan to prove it.”
“Well, the bond? I told you its true purpose. I have the potential with Serena,” I turned to her, “Will you help me? Will you bond with me? I don’t expect mating or children, but I hope we can find the opportunity to work toward that, if of course, I’m telling the truth, and am not deluded or crazy.”
Serena still looked a bit thunderstruck. I could understand why. I’d just told her, that her whole life is a lie, and they’d been turned into butchers and murders, instead of healers, for the Fae’s sick satisfaction and lust for power.
She nodded slowly, and reached out her hand. I could see both the worry and attraction in her eyes, both for me as I took her hand, and willed the bond. It didn’t start off in an ephemeral way like it had with Christina, I knew what I was doing this time, and the bond snapped into place and buzzed powerfully as our magic exchanged.
Her eyes grew wide.
Jo asked, “Okay, so you can bond, that doesn’t prove…” she cut off in a huff as I held up a hand.
I let go of Serena’s hand to test something, and wielded my necromancer power, channeling it out. Not enough to taint me, but just to check if we needed to hold hands, or if the power would exchange over the bond from a distance.
Revealed: Necromancer's Blight: Book 2 Page 12