Though the crowd wore hoods, she knew all eyes were now on her. She reached out, fingers unsteady, and picked up the final bit of shriveled flesh.
“Ely,” Doug whispered.
“How far down this rabbit hole are you willing to go?” Neil asked.
She lifted her chin, meeting his white eyes. “All the way to the bottom.”
Neil smiled, then bent down, his mouth close to her ear. “Did you know that only a lich king is immune to the power of the ghoul master?”
“I’ve Made with my blood.”
“But that is not all you can do, is it? You are not a lich king, like me. You are something else.”
“And how is it that you are so knowledgeable?”
“I’ve done a lot of research on the topic. Do you think I would have taken this risk otherwise?”
She frowned, but maintained her silence. He was trying to rattle her.
Throughout the exchange, Doug stood with his head bowed, but now he began to walk, his stride a little awkward as he moved toward the portal.
Neil sighed. “My poor cousin has no immunity at all.”
Elysia stared at Doug’s retreating back. He was under Alexander’s control? Already?
“Well?” Neil prompted, his gaze dropping to what she held pinched in her fingers.
Holding her breath, she pushed the unsavory morsel between her lips and swallowed it down before it did more than touch the back of her tongue. Her stomach clenched and her throat tightened. For a moment, she feared she might vomit. She took a couple of deep breaths to steady herself, then stood tall and once more met Neil’s white eyes.
“See,” she whispered. “I—”
Hello, daughter
, a voice whispered within her mind. The crazy thing was, it sounded like her voice.
Come to me
.
Her feet moved, carrying her toward the open portal. Panic seized her, and she tried to stop, to turn and run, but her body didn’t respond. She wanted to scream, but she couldn’t even open her mouth. Her body was no longer hers to control.
Neil chuckled behind her.
Her feet carried her forward, whispering across the short, spring grass of Alexander’s false grave. Heart pounding, Elysia fought the compulsion, trying to find a way to break free of the ghoul master’s control. Blindly, she tried to find something to throw her magic against, but there was nothing. He was inside her, controlling her movements. At least, she could still control her thoughts.
She stepped into the portal and stumbled to a stop, suddenly in control of her body. Doug reached out, catching her elbow to steady her. Neil joined them, and a moment later, the lich followed. The portal closed stranding them in the land of the dead.
Elysia looked around, expecting Alexander to be present. After all, it had seemed to be his voice that had echoed out of the portal, but aside from the silent lich, they were alone.
A new portal opened, and Elysia glimpsed a flickering of light and stone. The lich stopped beside it. He, or maybe she, gestured toward the opening. It hadn’t even glanced in their direction or uttered a word of its own—if it could. Was it a servant of the ghoul master, as well? Judging by the decay, it had been in his power a long time.
“I guess this is our stop,” Neil said.
Come
. A male voice intoned.
Neil immediately obeyed while she glanced at Doug.
“I shouldn’t have agreed to include you,” he whispered.
“It’ll work out.” She walked forward, and Doug fell in step beside her. “James is standing by,” she whispered. “We just have to play along.”
They stepped out into a windowless room that reminded her of a castle. The floors, walls, and ceiling were all constructed of the same gray-brown stone. Old-fashioned oil lamps hung from hooks around the perimeter of the room, illuminating the almost modern furnishings. The dark burgundy area rug looked new, or at least, well kept. A pair of leather armchairs sat to either side of a polished, dark wood table that held a large chess set. The chamber was furnished much like Ian’s crypt, only nicer and lacking the books.
The portal closed behind them. Their escort hadn’t followed them into the room, but they weren’t alone.
He
stood at the far end of the room on a small dais that held a flat black sarcophagus. He didn’t wear the brown robe she expected. His were a deep burgundy, so dark they were almost black.
Come closer, my children
. He spoke directly into their minds, a faint accent coloring the words. Goosebumps pebbled her arms as she recognized his accent. It was just like Ian’s.
They crossed the carpet, even Neil’s steps hesitant, and stopped at the base of the dais. She couldn’t see Alexander’s face within the deep shadow of his hood. Did he hide his face out of vanity? Liches rotted far more slowly than the average corpse, and a two-hundred-year-old lich was undoubtedly a gruesome sight.
It saddens me to see how far the Family has fallen. The best they can send me is the stunted alchemist, the childless heir, and the cursed one.
Elysia wanted to cross her arms against the coldness of his tone, but she made herself stand still, chin up, refusing to give in to the fear that tingled along her spine.
Or it says something about dear Xander’s power of persuasion that he can convince the Family that this is the best they have to offer. He must know that if this scheme fails, not one of you is qualified to take my name and lead the Family into the future.
“The scheme will not fail.” Neil stepped forward. He shrugged off his brown robe to reveal the closer-fitting black robe beneath. A robe Elysia had seen Addie dressed in on more than one occasion: an Alchemica alchemist’s robe.
Neil slid his fingers along his ribs and extracted a vial from the narrow pockets hidden in the folds. The golden liquid within sparkled in the lamplight.
“The Elixir of Life, lacking only a drop of spring rain. Tomorrow, the true Deacon will return to walk among the living.”
Elysia stared at the vial in horror. It was the Final Formula. Neil had already brewed it.
“The stunted alchemist cannot be trusted,” Doug said, the typical necromancer arrogance heavy in his tone. “I suspect he has my father under an alchemical spell.”
“I wish I had that kind of power,” Neil muttered.
Doug ignored the comment. “My cousin does nothing unless it benefits him, and there’s no benefit in this for him.”
“I will have proven my worth, my contribution to the Family.”
“Since when has that ever mattered to you?”
A weird huh-huh-huh sound came from Alexander’s direction, and Elysia realized he was laughing.
What of you, Douglas? What can you offer me?
Doug straightened to his full height, his golden hair catching the lamplight much as Neil’s potion had. “My lineage. I am my father’s son.”
Yet you have no offspring of your own.
“No.”
Are you sterile?
Neil glanced over on that one, a small smile curling his lips.
“I chose to focus on my career first, to expand the Family’s business interests.”
Commendable, but that doesn’t answer my question.
“There is nothing wrong with me.”
Alexander seemed to study Doug a few minutes longer before his hooded head turned in her direction.
The urge to fidget was almost overwhelming, especially when he stepped down from the dais. She tried to take a step back, but he reached out and captured her chin in one skeletal hand. She froze, not certain what he intended.
It is amazing how much you resemble your ancestress.
She was tempted to ask if he referred to his niece, but thought better of it. His grip was tight enough; she didn’t want to give him a reason to squeeze.
He seemed to be studying her now, but unable to see his expression, she wasn’t sure.
“Yes?” she said, or tried to. It was difficult to speak with her chin clamped in his hand.
I guess I can still be surprised
. He released her.
“Deacon?” Doug prompted.
I have never seen a soul bond of this intricacy
.
Elysia stilled.
“You can see a soul bond?” Neil asked.
If I know to look. Xander told me she soul bound the grim
.
Neil gave Doug a frown, giving Elysia the impression that he hadn’t wanted Alexander to learn about James.
Summon it,
Alexander commanded her.
“Him.” She lifted her chin. “And I will not.”
“I should probably mention,” Neil spoke up. “Elysia’s attitude toward the dead is…unhealthy.”
Meaning?
“The grim is her lover.”
That seemed to stun Alexander to silence.
“But she has eaten your flesh,” Neil said. “I thought you could command those she has bound through her.”
If she had simply soul bound him.
“She didn’t bind his soul?” Doug asked.
No, she took it.
Elysia frowned. “What?”
Alexander made that odd huh-huh-huh noise again.
My brother has told you nothing.
“Would you care to clarify?” Doug asked.
Neil snorted, then covered his mouth as he struggled to control his laughter. “All this time, you didn’t know your very soul was in danger.”
Elysia wanted to demand that he explain, but she didn’t want to confirm her ignorance in front of Alexander.
“What the hell are you talking about, Dunstan?” Doug demanded.
“The girl you were going to marry is a soul reaper.”
“Ely? A soul reaper?” Doug seemed to be struggling not to laugh. “Give me a break.”
His response reassured her. “The soul reaper is a myth,” she said. “A story told to frighten children.”
“There are stories and exaggerations,” Neil said. “But at its heart, it really is a blood gift. The rarest, most powerful, and the one with all the nasty side effects.”
Which is why my brother used it as the basis for his curse. And why I cannot take the bond from her. But if he is truly her lover, I don’t need her to summon him. I can convince him to join us on his own.
Chapter 4
J
ames jumped through the portal, his body morphing into the hellhound as he crossed the threshold. His paws made no sound as he landed on the carpeted floor of Elysia’s room. He shifted human, then pulled a pair of sweatpants out of the bottom drawer of her dresser. He was adjusting the waistband around his hips when movement drew his attention to the hall.
“We need to find a way for you to knock,” Ian said. The sleeves of his linen shirt were rolled up above the elbows. He must have been working in the lab.
“Any word?” James picked up a T-shirt and walked over to join him.
“She is more likely to contact you than me.”
James moved past him into the hall. He glanced at the closed door to Addie’s room. “Is Addie asleep?”
“I assume. She went to bed as soon as everyone left. I told her she overdid it today, but of course, I might as well talk to the wall.”
James smiled. It was such a relief that Addie was recovering at last. He still woke some nights, drenched in sweat and unable to remember if she had gone into the light or not. On more than one occasion, he had traveled to her room, to make certain she hadn’t. And just like today, Ian had been aware of his visits, often calling softly through the door to make certain it was James. Gavin had been vanquished, but like James, Ian still kept watch.
“Since you were asking about Elysia, I assume you’ve had no word from her, either,” Ian continued.
“No.” James stopped in the living room and raked a hand through his hair. “I tried to sleep, but every time I dozed off, I thought I heard her call.”
“Are you certain she didn’t call?”
“We’ve tested it. If she calls me, I’m instantly awake. If she makes it a command, I’m on my way before it registers.”
Ian grunted, then headed for the stairs. “Then this must be a product of your anxiety.”
“And you’re not anxious?” James followed him down the stairs and into the lab. Judging by the various equipment setups, Ian had indeed been busy. Ian was far too meticulous to leave a mess when he wasn’t working on something.
“We must give her time to accomplish her goal.” Ian bent to adjust the speed on a magnetic stirrer. The spinning stir bar within the flask of amber-green liquid slowed to a gentle swirl.
“If you’re not anxious, what’s this?” James stopped beside the disassembled compass resting on the laboratory workbench.
“I didn’t say I wasn’t anxious.” Ian straightened and met his eyes. “Nor will I be unprepared.”
“I can soul track her.”
“And if something befalls you? I prefer to have a backup plan.”
James frowned, but could find no fault in his logic.
“Interested in giving me a hand?”
“It’s either that, or climb the walls,” James admitted.
Ian smiled. “I suspected as much. Lab work is an excellent way to keep the hands busy and the mind engaged.”
James stepped up to the bench. “Is that why you had a lab in your tomb?”
“One of the reasons, yes.”
James didn’t ask for the other reasons.
Ian was right about the lab work, but then James had always enjoyed spending time at the workbench. He had started his study of alchemy to try to puzzle out his own creation, but the discipline had become an end unto itself. At some point, he had decided to make it his career. Which was why he was leaning toward a chemistry degree.
He capped the last test tube and set the rack of multi-colored liquids on the bench before Ian. The shower kicked off upstairs and James glanced at the clock. It was already after 7 a.m. Ian had been right about the lab work taking his mind off his worries.
Ian reached for a tube, fumbling it before he got a good grip. His lips pressed into a thin line, but he didn’t comment. Addie wasn’t the only one who had fallen prey to Gavin. Ian had been dismembered, but thanks to one of Elysia’s bizarre blood gifts, she had been able to reattach his limbs and make them functional. The incident had damaged his dexterity, though not enough to truly hamper him.
He held the test tube aloft and eyed the contents. “Excellent work.”
James looked up, surprised by the praise.
“You have a talent for this—at least the foundational processes.”
James’s feeling of accomplishment faded. Ian was praising him as little more than a glorified assistant. “Do you always wrap your compliments in a qualifier?”
Ian lowered the tube. “Have you actually bottled magic?”
James frowned. “Not on my own. Addie insisted I start with the basics. She said I would never truly progress if I didn’t master this first.”
“True.” He carefully returned the tube to the rack, then turned to the beaker of clear liquid he had removed from the hot plate a few minutes earlier.
James watched him a moment. “Do you think I’m ready to move beyond it?”
“That is not for me to say. You are Addie’s apprentice. Besides, I wish to keep you humble.”
“I’m not likely to get a big head over a few successful potion foundations.”
“Confidence is confidence, and that can translate into other aspects of your life.” He dipped a glass stir rod into the beaker, then touched the rod to a pH strip.
“So you prefer to keep me…uncertain of myself?”
“Yes.” Ian picked up a dropper and added two more drops of nitric acid to his beaker. “A lack of confidence might deter you from pursuing my granddaughter.”
“That was convoluted as hell. For one, why tell me your reasoning, and two, I already know how you feel about Elysia and me.”
Ian sighed, but didn’t look up from his work. “You have the potential to be a very talented alchemist. As for my convoluted logic, I wanted to come clean, but I was conflicted.”
James rubbed a hand over his face. “I don’t think you’re as sane as you appear.”
“Probably not.”
His easy agreement killed any further argument James might have made. He sighed and began gathering the dirty glassware and carried it to the sink.
“It’s nothing against you personally,” Ian said after a moment. “Addie’s right, you are a fine young man. I’ve seen no flaws in your character, but that does not forgive the fact that you are not among the living.”
“Elysia knows what I am.”
“Then it doesn’t bother you that she seeks to adopt a child because you can’t give her one?”
The wet beaker slipped out of James’s fingers and clinked against the others in the bottom of the sink. Fortunately, nothing broke.
“That’s not why she’s adopting Kari’s baby,” James explained. “She feels responsible for him. Besides, it’s not like we’re some married couple trying to have kids. We’ve done little more than go out a few times.”
Ian looked up, arching a brow.
James knew he was blushing and hated it. “Seriously. I haven’t touched her. Not like that—and not that it’s any of your business.”
Ian eyed him a moment longer, then returned to his work. “You are not alive. You are animated. You know that. She knows that. The timing of this adoption might be a little off, but deep down, she knows the truth. As do you.”
James frowned, not sure he bought that. Elysia feared this baby might bear some lasting effect of her necromancy. She wanted to watch over him. That was why she was pursuing this.
Right?
“You are drawn to the life in her, just as she is drawn to the death in you. Nothing more. It can’t be anything more.”
James picked up the beaker brush and began to scrub. He worked in silence, refusing to give Ian the satisfaction of an argument. It wasn’t as if he could convince him, anyway. Not that he believed a word of his crazy logic. All this little chat amounted to was Ian trying to preserve his blood line. Despite what he claimed, he was like his brother in that respect.
Finished, James dried his hands and turned to go.
“James.” A thread of command underlay the word and James stopped. There was no denying that Ian was an incredibly talented necromancer. He probably hadn’t even intended it to be a command, but that didn’t stop the snarl that rose in James’s throat.
“Am I interrupting?” Addie stepped into the room.
James turned to face her, surprised he hadn’t heard her tread on the stairs, but Ian had distracted him.
Ian cleared his throat. “It is recommended that a woman your age get eight hours of sleep.”
“Which age is that?” Addie asked. “The age I am or the age I appear to be?”
“I’m sure the requirement is even longer for one recovering from an injury such as yours.”
Addie turned to James. “You’re welcome to growl at him some more if you like.”
“Thanks, but I better be going. Rowan might have need of me.”
“You should rest, as well,” Ian spoke up.
Addie snorted. “He’ll be forcing you to eat next.”
Ian lifted his brows.
“I had two slices of whole grain toast and a big glass of milk,” she hurried to add. “What’s all this?” She gestured at the cluttered workbenches.
“I couldn’t sleep,” James admitted.
“It’s not my place to say,” Ian spoke up, “but your apprentice may be ready to move beyond foundations.”
“He has been for some time.” She gave James a wink. “But since we moved to Cincinnati, there hasn’t been a lot of…opportunity to continue his training.”
One of the biggest reasons was standing in the room with them. Until Elysia came along, Addie hadn’t wanted James around Ian. She feared Ian would see him as too much of a temptation.
A knock at the back door sounded before anything else could be said.
“It’s too early for Era,” Addie said. “Rowan?”
James glanced toward the hall that led to the back door, and called the hound closer to the surface. His vision shifted, allowing the brilliance of the souls around him to become visible. Solid objects weren’t a hindrance—only distance. He had no trouble seeing who stood on the stoop. Two someones.
“It’s Grams and Livie.”
“Did Elysia tell her grandmother and cousin where she was going?” Ian asked.
“No. She didn’t want to worry them.” James headed for the hall.
“They’re here awfully early,” Addie said to Ian. “Especially since they live almost an hour away. Do you think they found out?”
“Who would have told them?” Ian asked. He spoke softly, but James had no trouble catching the words. Suddenly apprehensive, he pulled open the back door.
“James.” Grams’s eyes widened a little. “I didn’t expect you.”
He realized that she had probably sensed his death and expected Ian to open the door.
“Hey, James.” Livie grinned at him over Grams’s shoulder.
“Good morning.” He returned the smile. He liked Elysia’s young cousin. “Won’t the two of you come in? Addie and Ian are in the lab.”
“Aren’t they always?” Livie asked.
Grams chuckled and both women bent to pick up the large cloth tote bags that rested on the stoop at their feet.
“You go ahead,” James said. “I’ll get those.”
“Thank you, James.” Grams was always polite to him. Almost too polite.
“I got this one,” Livie said, hoisting her awkwardly shaped bag.
“Do you fear I’ll drop it?” James teased, lifting Grams’s bag. The scent of bacon and peppers wafted out.
“It
is
glass,” Livie said.
“I think I got the better deal.” James peeked inside his tote.
“Hey.” Livie lightly smacked his hand. “That’s for Addie.”
“I’ll give you my car if you don’t tell her.” He followed her into the lab.
“I can’t get my driver’s permit for another eight months. What else do you have? A phone?”
James smiled. Of course a fourteen-year-old girl would want a phone. She and Grams were on a tight budget. They had almost lost their funeral home before Ian stepped in.
“Actually, I recently got a new phone,” James lied. “You want my old one?”
Livie stopped in mid-stride to stare at him. “Seriously?”
“I can even add you to my data plan. It’s like ten dollars a month.”
“You can’t get rates that low.”
“Rowan has one of those corporate things. I pay ten dollars a month.” Actually, he didn’t pay anything, but he knew Rowan wouldn’t bat an eye at adding another phone.
“The Flame Lord would let me share his data? I’m Old Magic.”
James smiled. “What do you think I am?”
“Good point.” She laughed.
“What are you two scheming over?” Grams asked, releasing Addie from a hug.
“James is going to give me his old phone,” Livie said.
Addie met his eye, a small smile curling her lips while Livie shared the details with her grandmother. Addie knew he didn’t have an old phone.
“What’s in the bag?” Addie asked before Grams could refuse James’s offer.
“I was hoping you wouldn’t notice, but it smells like breakfast.” James set the bag he was carrying on the counter.
“You drove all the way down here to bring me breakfast?” Addie asked Grams.
“I have an appointment with the insurance company this morning,” Grams admitted. “And since we would be in the area—”
“Which probably means you’ve been up since five a.m. peeling potatoes.” Addie hugged her again. “You’re the best grandma ever.”
Which was true. They had all adopted her. She even insisted everyone call her Grams. Well, everyone except Ian.
Speaking of, James noticed that Livie had stopped beside him.
“Hi, Grandfather.” She gave him a shy smile.
“Good morning, Livie. Elysia tells me you managed a dual animation the other day—just as I showed you. As fast as you’re progressing, you’ll be ready to perform a blood animation soon.”
James frowned. Ian had refused to let Elysia do one the other day. Why did he encourage Livie, but always seemed to hold Elysia back?
“Thank you, sir.” A little color bloomed in Livie’s cheeks. “Though I don’t know why Ely would get excited about me animating two zombies at once. I mean, I’ve seen her go out into the cemetery to let off the tension, and I once counted fourteen.”
“Don’t compare yourself to your cousin. We’re all individuals, with our own talents.” He leaned closer. “I’ll let you in on a little secret. If I’m backed in a corner, I’ll take a skilled necromancer over one with raw power any day.”
“You have both.”
“I’ve also been at it a lot longer. But I had to learn the hard way. I once made a grand mess of things when I was seventeen.”
Livie grinned. “Will you tell me the story?”
“Livie, we need to go,” Grams cut in. “My appointment is in twenty minutes. Perhaps he can tell you at your next lesson. I think I might want to hear it myself.”