A Fine Necromance

by Lidiya Foxglove

  “Go to bed, girls,” Mother said.

  “Like we can sleep now.”

  “Well, go be quiet, then. Your father and I will talk about this.”

  They all started to leave the room. I listened for the various footsteps, my sisters pattering up the stairs, hitting the one that creaked. My parents went into the library; the heavy door shut.

  It was still a while before I dared to open the door.

  The door almost hit one of the oldest maids, a Austrian hedge witch whose ancestors had served my family for five generations. “Master Harris?”

  “Yes—” I had managed not to make any sounds of surprise, but I was briefly frozen.

  “Aren’t you a little old to be hiding in the treasure room?” She smiled, and seemed to interpret the expression on my face as fear of a war with the faeries instead of anything more insidious. “Well, I won’t tell anyone.”

  “Thank you, Heike.”

  “The family will be fine,” she said. “The council will take care of this. You’ll be safe at school. You’re going back tomorrow, aren’t you?”

  “Yes. Thank you. I’m sure I will be very safe there.”

  The next day, I left with the relics, and so far, no one was the wiser for it.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Charlotte

  Judging by the smug look on Harris’ face when he came strolling up to me the evening after I returned from the holiday break, I knew two things right away.

  One, I was getting Firian back.

  Two…

  “You owe me now, Chosen One,” he whispered as he passed me a ring. When I tried to take it from him, he snatched his hand back. “No. You have to earn it. Remember the deal?”

  I blushed hard. I blushed like someone had smacked me. “You’re not going to hold me to that,” I said.

  “You bet your boots I am.”

  My eyes darted back and forth, but he had caught me alone walking back from the library. “You…want me to…”

  “I know what the rings on your fingers mean,” he said huskily, his blue eyes just as intense as they were in our first year. Harris was part of the group, but a part of him remained aloof—a maddening mystery. “Let me put one on your finger.”

  “I—”

  His fingers reached for my chin, pinning me in the air, his fingers cool against my hot skin. “Do you know what I risked to get this ring? All for you. All to make you happy, so you could have Firian back. But not just Firian…”

  I squirmed. “Harris, you’re the one who is always acting like you don’t care. If you wanted me so badly, you should have just said so.”

  “Unlike my friends, I’m not a horny moron,” he said.

  “Oh yeah?”

  “I bide my time because I know the cost. I’ve finally decided that you’re worth paying the cost.”

  My mouth flapped open and closed stupidly before I said, “Why?”

  “You’re not like other witches. You’re not like other humans either. You’re somewhere in between, and you’re—” His hand still gripped my face, but now the other hand joined the first, cupping my face. “You’re mine.”

  I mean, really, I had barely unpacked my travel bag and I had all this to process, but was any of it really news to me? I had known long ago that I wasn’t like other witches, and that Harris was drawn to me. He was competitive with me, and attracted to me, and he held back because that was how he was. Cautious. Proud. Ruled by his head.

  And it wasn’t like I needed another man interested in me. Four? How greedy was I? How many ingredients did that HAM sandwich need?

  I mean… was he really talking about having sex with me tonight? I ought to tell him to take a hike, but instead my heart was pounding and I couldn’t breathe as he pressed his lips to mine. He might be cold in personality, but his lips were warm and pliable and I found myself responding like I had been craving him for years. Our last kiss wasn’t bad either, but this one was better yet. When I reciprocated, his breath quickened and he put a hand around my waist, holding me closer.

  “Can’t help yourself, can you?” he said. “Alec and Monty still aren’t enough for you…?”

  “Um, speak for yourself. I’m not the one bribing you. That’s the only reason I’m doing this, you know.”

  His thumb ran across my lower lip, the sensitive skin tingling with the memory of his kiss. “Don’t lie,” he said. “Not if you want to impress the fae.”

  “You can’t hold a candle to Alec anyway,” I said.

  His eyes flashed. He took my arm, dragged me into the stacks, and tore open the button of my pants. “Oh yeah?” His hand went right to work on me, thrusting down my panties, fingers fucking me while the knuckle of his thumb brutishly rubbed against my clit.

  My temperature rose by like a thousand degrees. “Harris—no—not—not here.”

  “No one is on this floor but us.” He said, “I can give you something no one else can.”

  I clenched his arm, feeling the tension in his muscles as he worked me hard and relentlessly. “Is this—how you treat Daisy?”

  “Hell no,” he said. “I’m not interested in doing this to Daisy. Only you.”

  My wetness soaked his hand.

  “Putty in my hands,” he whispered. “That’s what I’ve dreamed of.”

  “You’re still an ass, even now!” I snapped.

  “I know. So why haven’t you fought me off? Haven’t heard the word ‘stop’ escape your lips once. Alec’s nice. Monty is charming. Firian is your best friend. What are you missing? An ass.”

  “Oh yeah?”

  “Yeah? You’re my asshole?”

  “I’m certainly going to get to know yours. And every other bit of you. First—tonight.” He rubbed my clit hard until I started coming on his hand, and I was coming so hard and messily that my brain was like, oh great, I’m flattering him. I couldn’t help myself. He was infuriatingly right. I was missing an asshole. Well, not really an asshole, but a guy who would just live out my dirtiest fantasies without hesitating. It wasn’t like the other guys didn’t hit some of those buttons, Alec could certainly get into it, but they were gentlemen. Harris’ hand was fucking me like he was channeling rage into lust. I don’t know why it was so exciting. I guess I knew he would never hurt me, but I also didn’t know what he would do.

  Anyway, I couldn’t help it. I was in the throes of it and he was the one who sent me there, gasping, mindlessly yanking a few library books off the shelf in an attempt to get a grip on something.

  He drew back his hand. “Go to my room and wait for me,” he said. “I made sure Monty is occupied.”

  I went back to the dorm with the most awkward post-orgasm glow, because as soon as I walked away I wanted to be annoyed. Okay, I was a little annoyed. Like, how dare he. I should just go to my own room and shut the door!

  Well, I’m doing it for Firian, I thought.

  Riiight. For Firian. Aside from the fluttering inside me that just unabashedly, inexplicably, was ready to check if Daisy was right and he had a small penis.

  Spoiler alert: He didn’t.

  I went to his room and sat on Montague’s bed, and I crossed my arms, ready to bring some attitude. I looked at his side of the room and saw that he had taken down every photo of his family and Daisy that used to be there. The only thing left was a picture of him with Alec and Montague when they were younger—8th or 9th grade maybe. Figured, that Harris had actual photos. They were all so cute.

  He was really taking this seriously. It was us—and me. Or them. His family. His old life. His destiny.

  The door opened and he immediately tore the photo of HAM from my hand.

  “Harris—”

  “I don’t want to get all touchy feely about this shit,” he said. “I just want you. And you want this ring.”

  “Yeah, but—”

  “Hush.” He pressed me back on the bed by the shoulder. “You’re beautiful,” he said, like it almost surprised him. “You’re not a bad reward.”

/>   I wanted to say something sarcastic, but the way he said it was weighted with the loyalty he had shown his friends, and the risks he had taken to help me.

  He cared about us. He didn’t know how to say it.

  He really thinks I’m beautiful…more beautiful than Daisy…or any of those other wealthy witches?

  Uhhh…like I care.

  I was just fooling myself. Harris was…not so bad, himself. He was my prince. Maybe he was more like the jerk prince from Frozen than the nice princes, but…I would certainly never be bored with him around. He was a real life prince. Flawed, arrogant…

  Mine.

  Something in me just felt like…we fit. I fit with him, and he fit with all of us. Even when I was with Alec and Montague in the most intimate way, Harris’ absence was with us somehow. As he started to kiss me again, it felt so right. I really had been waiting for this forever.

  He stripped off my shirt, and there was real tenderness in the way he cupped his hand around my breast, letting out the smallest ragged sigh. How long had he been dreaming of me? Of this? How many nights had he stared at the ceiling above this very bed and told himself that he should stay away from that Charlotte? Just that sigh said it all.

  I reached for his buttons and he stiffened briefly before allowing me to unfasten them. I’m not sure anyone ever touched Harris with love. I’m not sure he even had much experience with girls.

  There was still an exciting authority to the way he stripped me down and took out his cock, taking out a condom without even asking if I was on birth control, which I appreciated. Assuming responsibility is hot. “Now you earn that ring,” he said.

  I glanced at his junk. “I guess that’s not bad,” I said, with a little sniff.

  He took my hands and smacked them down into the bed covers. “Well, I’m not as gentle as Alec.”

  “You think Alec is gentle?” My eyes flew open as he went for it. He forced himself inside me. I mean, maybe forced isn’t the right word considering I was laying under him with my legs spread and a few saucy remarks flying off my tongue, but I didn’t expect him to actually just take what he wanted. “Ungh…”

  “Big enough for you?”

  My skin heated. “No,” I managed. “Not a contest though.”

  “Hmph. You sure look flushed.”

  “Is any of this supposed to be romantic?”

  He gave me a half-cocked grin. “You get enough of that elsewhere.”

  “I think you’re a virgin.”

  “I guess you wouldn’t be a bad first, but do you really think so?”

  “Judging by the way you’re blushing, maybe. On the other hand, you do know where to stick it, which isn’t nothing.”

  He scoffed as he rocked his shaft deep into me, and I was kinda hot for the fact he wasn’t shy about it. There was no need to beat around the bush (a particularly apt metaphor in this case—ohmigod, is that where the phrase ‘beat around the bush’ actually came from?).

  “I’ll leave you to wonder,” he said.

  “So you think you don’t have to be romantic because your friends are romantic already?” I panted, trying to pretend that he was barely doing anything for me, just to troll him. Although, in fact—

  “I guess you won’t be doing the dishes either?” I continued, trying not to enjoy his beautiful eyes or his perfect, faintly sneering mouth.

  “Nope.”

  “What’s the point of having you around?”

  “Magic,” he said softly. “I brought you this holy spell. It will break Firian’s curse. Moreover, I brought something that will do serious damage to the Withered Lord. We will bring the faeries their head, Charlotte. My ancestors might have been famous for staking vampires…but I…will be the first Nicolescu to behead a demon.”

  “Every girl’s dream.”

  “Not every girl’s. But maybe…yours.”

  “I could pass on the beheading.”

  “You can handle…whatever this magical world throws at you,” he whispered, drawing his lips close to mine. “Chosen One…my chosen one.”

  “Mm…”

  “That’s what I’ve been waiting to hear.”

  “Shush.”

  We kissed again and I let myself melt into the feel of him. Every one of my boys was so different, and with Harris…it was the edges that I craved. I arched my back as he took me like he needed me, like he’d been waiting for me, and for some reason I felt more vulnerable than I had felt with anyone else. This moment felt fragile like it was no more real that when I saw Alec in my dreams, which is to say…sort of real, and sort of not.

  When Harris hit his peak, he started driving even deeper, groaning low with satisfaction. He was breathing hard, taking a minute before he pulled out.

  “What about me?” I asked.

  “I already took care of you.”

  “That didn’t count.”

  “Well, it’s all you get. The bargain was that I get you and you get this.”

  “Bargain,” I snorted. “Well, now that you’ve had one taste of me you’re going to have to find some more rings because you’ll be back.”

  “Maybe.”

  He slid a ring on my finger. It looked ancient, and a little creepy. It was the kind of thing a goth girl would sell at a craft fair booth called something like ‘Poe’s Raven’. “What is the little white thing?”

  “A shard of a saint’s bone,” he said. Then he added, “You know, my parents really wanted me to marry you, so they could watch over you.”

  “Oh…uh…so you said no, I assume?”

  “Of course I did.”

  “You were quick with that answer.”

  “Because…” He turned to me. “I wouldn’t send anyone I care about to live under the gaze of my family. Things are…getting more dangerous. You probably haven’t heard…Stuart’s butler Orson has been accused of murdering councilman de Brigue.”

  My eyes widened. “Your post sex talk could use some work too.”

  He shrugged. “I figured I should tell you. They’re seriously hunting for Stuart. We need to work quickly, but I need you to stay safe, Charlotte. I will always save Firian for you, or anyone else who loves you, because the more people who will shield you, the better.”

  That was the first thing that for realsies pissed me off. I grabbed my shirt and started reconstructing my now-rumpled uniform. “I don’t need to be shielded. Y’all think it’s romantic to protect me? It’s condescending. How about I shield you?”

  “Just…don’t take off the ring,” he said. “It’s very special.”

  “And I can use this ring to break Firian’s curse?”

  “Yes. Just cast a simple curse breaking spell and this ring will super charge it.”

  “Then I guess I have work to do.” I buttoned my shirt up quickly. Harris leaned back on the bed and looked me over like he enjoyed the sight of me. He had slipped his boxers back on but I was struck by the gorgeous vulnerability of his lean, strong limbs, fair skin without even a single weird mole or spot. He wasn’t as muscular as Alec or even Montague; but I knew that Harris was more of a warlock than the two of them put together, and there was a sense of power laced under the surface of his skin.

  “You have the skin of a princess,” I said.

  “Thank you,” he said, sarcastically.

  “I thought Hapsburgs were supposed to be in-bred.”

  “Sorry to disappoint you. Maybe you should stop ogling me and get to work on that curse.”

  “Ugh.” I flounced toward the door and flung it open, more than a little frustrated—only to bump into Montague, who looked at me with a little flare of anger in his eyes.

  “Charlotte,” he said. “We have a problem.”

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Charlotte

  Montague stopped, his nostrils flaring slightly. I felt…judged.

  “What have you been up to anyway?” he demanded.

  I crossed my arms. “Saving Firian.”

  Montague looked at my hands and saw the
reliquary ring. “What is this?” He shoved past me into his room where Harris had managed to get all his clothes back on in no time. Montague grabbed his shirt and rattled him. “Are you fucking around with Charlotte?”

  Harris lifted his wand and a flash of light threw Montague back.

  “I can smell you on her,” Montague said, baring his fangs. “We have some serious shit going on and you took the time out to treat my lady like a plaything?”

  “Excuse me!” I waved my hands between them. “No one is treating anyone’s lady like anything. Harris and I had an arrangement, and—”

  “You’re mine,” Montague said. “I won’t share you with anyone who doesn’t cherish you.”

  “I’m not your property. Harris does cherish me, don’t you, Harris?”

  “I suppose.”

  “He totally does,” I said. “He’s just being difficult. I know y’all are friends so don’t fight, okay? It’s a waste of time.”

  “He’s the only who just told me we have a crisis on our hands,” Montague said. “He told me to go check on Daisy, and now I find out that while I was checking on Daisy, he was…” He grabbed Harris again and shoved him into the wall.

  “You know, I’ll let you have that one,” Harris said, with a crooked smile. “I didn’t want to miss my chance. Now that I’ve stolen the reliquary of St. Columba and the grail water, I have effectively left my family for good. They haven’t noticed yet, but they will. I know that some of us won’t make it out of this alive. Before I started dumping all the bad news on Charlotte, I was taking my moment of joy.”

  “What bad news?” I asked.

  “You know how Daisy was supposed to go back to Chicago for Christmas?” Harris said. “Well, Irving was one of the few students to stay here this year. He said her car left in the afternoon and then in the middle of the night, it returned, and Piers escorted her into his house, and she hasn’t been seen since.”

  “What? When were you going to tell me?”

  “After you saved Firian,” Harris said. “You can’t break curses when you’re all worked up.”

  “You are the worst.”