Veruca was bent over Diana as if they might kiss, but Finn’s necromancy knew instantly Diana was no longer in any sort of control over her own body. It was an empty vessel, and his power wanted to take full advantage. In a fit of irritation, he did something he’d never quite managed before, yanking his awareness out of her completely, making sure it sat squarely in his chest and didn’t get any more scary ideas.
“Is she okay?” Finn whispered, not realizing he’d spoken aloud until Doris answered.
“Depends on who you mean, but I’d say both of them are better off than when they walked in.” She lowered her gun, holstering it under her arm, and took a step back. “Whatever your girl’s got going for her, it’s pretty formidable. Since you’ve obviously got this all handled, I’m gonna be going.”
“You should stay a spell,” Veruca said, looking up from Diana’s corpse and focusing directly on Doris. “I’ve still got questions for you.”
“I don’t think I’ve got the answers you want, sorry.” Turning, she started heading toward the door at the front of the shop, one that Finn assumed led to the small storefront that faced the commercial parking lot. Veruca got to her feet and moved as if she’d grab Doris and wrestle her to the floor, but Finn grabbed her.
“My love, it’s not worth it. She’s caused enough trouble.”
Hearing him, Doris turned, winked once at Finn, and then disappeared through the door. Veruca remained tense, her gaze focused intently on the boring, cream-colored door as if it might contain important secrets. He’d seen her like this before, primarily when she’d taken in a soul that had belonged to someone reckless, dangerous, or cocky. Her blood was up, and Finn didn’t want her going after Doris and getting shot in the process.
Wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her close, angling them both so he wouldn’t accidentally focus on Diana’s body.
“Stay with me, hug me. Tell me you’re okay,” he whispered, staring at a pile of plastic wrap that looked like it had been pulled off a pallet once upon a time and then abandoned. Veruca stayed distant for a few moments, the tension in her keeping Finn from feeling like they were really connected. Finally, though, she relaxed slightly, wrapping her arms around him. He tried to ignore the way she rubbed his back just the same as Diana had.
“I’m fine, we’re fine. You’re safe. Diana can’t hurt you anymore.”
Finn pulled back, catching her eye and holding it. “Can she hurt you?”
“No,” Veruca said, smiling. “I’ve got her under control. She was everywhere, but I’ve gathered her up. I’ll take her to Belial. I can’t think of a more appropriate punishment than Hell itself.”
Finn frowned, felt sad at the prospect, but couldn’t disagree, not really. Diana had done awful things without regard for the sanctity of life. That did deserve some sort of punishment. Veruca pushed up and kissed him, cupping his face and reminding him that she was still the woman he loved, that she hadn’t been corrupted by pulling Diana’s soul into her chest and weaving it with her own. Finn kissed her back, squeezing her as hard as he dared, hoping the nightmare was over.
****
“I’ve made some calls, sent demons to clean up the bodies Diana left, the rest of the money she’d stolen has been donated to some local children’s charities, and soon we’ll be free of her for good,” Veruca explained as they pulled up into the garage of Belial’s building. Finn still looked a little ill, and she imagined it was because she’d admitted to having Diana’s soul inside her. She hadn’t admitted to him that Diana’s body would be picked up, cremated, and spread over a large and rapidly moving body of water as soon as possible. Likewise her victims.
It was pretty much a sure thing she’d never escape Hell once Belial had put her there, but Veruca didn’t want to take any chances that she might come back for more vengeance. Deciding Finn needed some cheering up, she ushered him out of the car and hooked her arm through his as she locked up.
“I saw you,” she told him, squeezing his hand.
“Huddled in a knot on the floor crying like a dropped infant?”
“No, through Diana’s memories. Young Finn, fresh-faced and certainly more gentlemanly than the man I know today.”
“Bollix,” Finn said, a smile tugging at his lips. “I’ve never been a gentleman.” He gave her ass a little slap as if trying to prove a point. She returned the favor.
“No, no, I saw it clear as day. Teenaged Finn politely rebuffing Diana’s amorous advances without making her feel stupid or ugly. She never assumed your refusal to bed her was her fault.”
“It wasn’t, not really. She was young and impressionable. I wasn’t about to take advantage, especially once she really got squished and molded under Mort’s thumb.”
“See? Gentlemanly. Now you just walk around the house naked and make lewd comments when I do the same.”
“You love my lewdness.”
“I love your everything.” As the elevator doors shut, she stepped around to face him, pulling him down into a brief kiss. He indulged her, keeping her close as they ascended. Smiling, she met his gaze, considering if it was the right time to tell him the rest of what she’d seen in Diana’s head and soul. The elevator doors opened, revealing the long hallway that led to Belial’s office, so she decided it could wait until they got home and settled in.
****
Belial greeted them both with a snug hug, and Finn fought the urge to make an impressed ooh sound at the feeling of Belial’s sexy body pressed up against his. He didn’t want to ruin any of the goodwill he’d somehow built up with the Prince of Hell by flirting with him in front of the woman they both loved dearly.
“I hear through the grapevine you’ve had quite an interesting week,” Belial said, gesturing for them all to sit. Joanna was missing from her desk, and Finn wondered if she’d even had to come into work that day.
“To say the least. The necromancer proved to be a difficult quarry, but we managed to take her down eventually.”
“I can see that,” Belial said, his gaze dropping to Veruca’s chest before he shook his head and met her eye again. “Why’ve you brought her to me?”
“She’s done too much damage and reached her power too far to be let free into the atmosphere. She hasn’t signed a contract, but I believe she’s deserving of Hell as her final resting place.”
“Agreed,” Belial said, shifting in his seat. “When you say she’s reached her power too far?”
“I mean she’d left a small army of zombies around the states. It’s how she survived three bullets to the head and a few more to the chest. I wasn’t aware zombies could function with such head trauma, but she managed.”
“It’s not the zombies who can’t survive, it’s the necromancer,” Belial explained. “If the skull and brain are too damaged, the necromancer has a much harder time relating to the dead and a harder time functioning through a corpse.”
“Yeah!” Finn agreed before he could stop himself. “It’s like my yeti!”
“You have a yeti?” Belial asked, his tone just a little patronizing.
“Eh, no, not anymore. I raised one recently and it got its head squeezed right off. I couldn’t find much use for it after that.”
Belial just gestured to Finn as if he’d made a very good point and then focused solely on Veruca again.
“Anyway, she’d left her soul spread thin, cut into ribbons and left across the country. It’s how she avoided death and was able to raise herself. Her soul coalesced, to a point, when I yanked every scrap out of the zombies in the area, but it couldn’t really reconnect. So after a bit, it traveled to the next nearest vessel, Amanda. With a body, she had a little more awareness, and she was able to go retrieve her corpse. I didn’t realize, but she kept several safety pins—her anchor,” Veruca explained, even though Finn was sure Belial knew all about how necromancers connected themselves to their zombies. “On her body. Doris had taken her dominant arm, thinking it was the only part of her connected to the other zombies, but she still h
ad access.”
“Doris?” Belial asked. “That’s … the woman you hired?”
“Yes, though she didn’t go by that. Insisted we call her Alex, but we ran across enough people who knew her as something different, that I couldn’t begin to reference her in a way I’m sure you’d recognize.”
“I believe I know exactly who you’re talking about. I’ve got my eye on her.”
“That’s something at least,” Veruca said, sighing. She leaned back in her seat, exhaustion showing faintly in her posture. “She’s gone, made off with Diana’s arm, but the rest of the body will be taken care of shortly. I just need to be sure Diana’s not going to be making any more appearances in our lives.”
“I’ll keep her thoroughly under lock and key,” Belial said, reaching out and pressing his hand to Veruca’s chest. Finn watched eagerly, as if he had the power to see Diana’s soul passing between them. Nothing visibly changed, though Veruca did look a touch livelier as Belial pulled away.
“Is there anything else I can get for you? How’s the hotel?”
“It’s running well, should be back to normal before too long. There’s been very little interruption in business. I hope you don’t mind the money I requested. Seeing as—”
“It’s done, don’t think about it. If you need more, don’t hesitate to ask.”
“I could use a fiver,” Finn piped up, hoping Belial knew he was kidding. Without hesitation, Belial reached into his inner pocket and pulled out a hundred dollar bill, handing it to Finn.
“Keep the change,” he said with a wink before getting to his feet. “Shall I see you both out?”
“No, I know you have business elsewhere.” Veruca got to her feet and leaned up to kiss Belial lightly on his cheek. “Thank you. You’ve no idea how much I appreciate your help.”
“I just wish I could have done more.”
“I got it handled, didn’t I? I didn’t want to bother you.”
“My Reapers are never a bother. Speaking of, I’ve made sure your upcoming appointments are taken care of. Take the next week off. Go on a trip with your boy.”
“Maybe we will,” Veruca said, turning to hold her hand out to Finn. “What do you say, want to check out Hawaii?”
“Let’s go somewhere with nude beaches,” Finn said, taking her hand and letting her lead him toward the door.
“I have a feeling any beach is a nude beach as far as you’re concerned.”
“And aren’t you grateful for that?”
****
The movie was winding to a close, the credits only seconds from fading in. Veruca had let Finn pick the movie, and as usual, he’d gone for something simple and innocent from a bygone era. The stiff kisses and upper-crust speech had distracted him from thinking about how bad the week had gone, and from asking some of the questions he had in mind.
Veruca was sprawled across the couch, her back tucked up against Finn, her hands intertwined easily with his. They remained quiet for a while before Veruca spoke, her tone light, even though it sounded slightly forced.
“I learned a lot about necromancy from Diana,” she said. “Some of it I’d like to teach you. I think it could be useful, especially in helping your control.”
“I don’t know if I want to learn any of her tricks,” Finn said, feeling a tightness start in his shoulders.
“It’s not the practice that was the problem,” Veruca assured him. “It was what she did with it. You’re more than powerful enough to accomplish what she did, but in useful, helpful ways. I think it would allow you to feel more at ease raising the dead as well. Having a larger range of tricks, really learning all there is to a skill can make you more comfortable at employing it.”
“Employing my necromancy?” Finn asked before giggling and snorting a little. “Hopefully you don’t mean for me to run an entire grocery store staffed with the undead. I doubt that would be considered sanitary.”
“Of course not,” Veruca said, elbowing him lightly and getting in on his game. “If anything, it would be an undead construction crew. They wouldn’t need to take a lunch and they’d never leer at passing women. Well, I suppose your zombies would leer at passing everythings.”
Finn laughed but couldn’t argue, even if he thought her use of the word “leer” painted him in an unfair light. “It’s more like ogling. Gawking at worst. Eyeballing, even. You could call it looking, but never leering.”
“All right, fine. Your zombies would look at every person who passed by the site because you’re easily distracted.”
“Am not!” Finn insisted, sneaking his hand up to give her breast a light squeeze. “Now I’ve got no idea what we were talking about, so I think we should go try to jog my memory by having sex.”
“Again?” she asked, though she didn’t move his hand away from her chest. “It’s barely been—how long is the movie?—ninety minutes since the last time we went at it.”
“Fine, then we can sit and chat some more, if you’re still too sensitive and satisfied from the last time.”
Veruca chuckled, hugging his arm tightly around herself and then pulling his hand to her lips so she could give him a light kiss on each of his fingers. Minutes passed in silence, the two of them content to sit in each other’s personal space and enjoy each other’s company. Then Finn’s mind started to wander, and he realized there was no reason not to ask the hard questions.
“What name did you see in Diana’s soul?”
“What do you mean?” Veruca asked, turning slightly in the circle of his arms to look up at him.
“You can read names, right? On souls? It’s how you knew Alex—or Doris or whoever she is—wasn’t really Alex.”
“Diana,” Veruca said, dropping her hand to rub Finn’s knee. “Why?”
“That wasn’t her name, though. Mort made us change our names when he took us. Called me Colin, though I never much liked it.”
“It was the only name on her soul,” Veruca said, considering. “Though that could have just meant whatever name she’d had before faded over time. Names are imprinted with love. The name a parent gives a child is often the one that sticks with them for life, but there are exceptions. If you’ve found a new family and they know you by another, you can gain a new name, or a second one. Nicknames given out of love stick, and sometimes a person can make their own identity based on who they truly are and give themselves a new name. Alex, despite all her fake IDs and posturing, only has the one name.”
“So no one’s ever loved her?”
“Her parents did, enough that the name stuck. But even she doesn’t love herself enough to really, um … to really establish another.”
“So no one loved Diana except Mort?”
“More likely you,” Veruca said, leaning up to kiss his cheek. “You’ve got a lot of love to give, and I think you cared for her enough to etch that identity onto her soul.”
“I dunno if I loved her,” Finn said, pondering. “I wanted better for her and would have taken her with me when I left, if I thought she’d go. She wasn’t … unhappy there.”
“I’ll bet she was Mort’s best pupil. I don’t know if he loved her. I’ve seen evidence of what he did to you, and a man capable of that isn’t capable of love, no matter how much better he may have treated her. Though better is a relative term in this case.”
Finn went quiet, considering the past and everything that had led up to the pleasantness of stretching out on Veruca’s couch with her in his arms. Another question that had shivered unpleasantly in the shadows of his mind poked to the front of his psyche, and he swallowed hard before asking it.
“Do you think I’m called Finn because of Diana? Because she loved me as such?”
“I think you’re Finn because that’s always been your name. It’s etched deeply in the threads of your soul. Finn Patrick Kavanaugh, emblazoned quite clearly.”
“But that’s not my name, not the … I chose it, gave it to myself. Finn, I mean. Not the rest. After I’d forgotten my past, once it was scrub
bed from my brain. I knew I wasn’t Colin, couldn’t bear to think of myself as Colin, so I chose another name. Diana was the only one who called me Finn, at least until I met you.”
“You must have chosen it because you remembered it, at least on some level. It’s the name given with the most love. Whomever you were forced to leave behind, they cared for you, even more than I do, as impossible as that seems.”
Finn’s heart thumped in his chest, the intensity pushing a lump up into the back of his throat. He tried to swallow the stinging feeling before it could get to his nose, but it forced its way through and he sucked in a sob. Veruca twisted, climbing onto his lap so she could hug him with her whole body, petting his hair and whispering soothing words in Spanish into his ears. He hugged her back, burying his face in her neck.
He wasn’t sure why he was sad. His past had always been a mystery as far back as he could remember, and it hadn’t bothered him to lose it. But knowing there was more love out there promised just for him hit him right in the gut.
“You’ll always be Finn,” Veruca whispered. “I’ll never let you go, never let anyone take you and try to make you someone else. No matter what happens, I’ll find you.”
“Promise?” Finn asked. Veruca pulled back, cupping his face in her hands. She held his gaze intently for a long minute, making sure he knew the truth in her words before she spoke them.
“I do. I promise with all my heart, with all my soul.”
Finn smiled at her, knowing she meant it with every fiber of her being. Her wording made him consider their experience together so far, and he leaned in to kiss her lightly and rest his forehead against hers.
“What if you promised with part of my soul?”
“Your soul?”
“You used my blood, right? To track me down? You had to go to a witch and trust someone else to help bring me home. But you can read souls, find them. You found every scrap of Diana’s just because you had taken part of it inside you. Could you take part of mine? To keep? That way you’ll always be able to find me.”
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