questions, none of which Mike could answer. So I got everything he did know and left.
…
We were walking from the trailer when a ghost dashed over. It was a middle-aged man dressed in modern garb, and I’d never have guessed he was a ghost if he hadn’t run right through two set workers.
“Ms. Vegas,” he said. “I need a message sent to my business partner.”
I kept walking. Jeremy glanced over at the ghost. He’d say he was just responding to my reaction, however slight, and I’m sure that’s part of it, but his kitsune blood gives him a few psychic powers, which I believe includes the ability to detect spirits. He can’t see them or hear them, but he seems to know they’re there.
“Necromancers do not appreciate being approached in public,” Jeremy said, his voice conversational, as if chatting to me. “If you wish to speak to her, you’ll need to contact Eve Levine.”
“It’s just a message. And it’s urgent. He’s going to sell my shares to my son, and that lazy good-for-nothing will ruin everything I built—”
I lifted a hand to silence him.
“You’ll need to speak to Eve,” Jeremy said.
“Bitch,” the ghost snarled and stalked off.
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed someone else had turned from a conversation and was gaping at us. I looked over. Gregor was staring at the spot where the ghost had been. He looked confused.
“Well, that’s interesting,” Jeremy murmured.
“He saw something,” I said.
“Necromancer blood?” Jeremy said.
“It’s possible.” I paused. “Either way, we are co-hosting a show together and I haven’t said more than a few words to him. Do you mind if I ask him to join us for a drink?”
“Not at all.”
…
Gregor seemed pleased by the invitation. Relieved, too, as if he’d been unsure of his welcome. It wasn’t his fault I’d been duped. He wasn’t Bradford Grady and he wasn’t Angelique. I shouldn’t shut him out because of what happened to them.
As for whether Gregor had necromancer blood, it was hard to tell. He’d seemed to react to the ghost earlier. It’s also possible that I’d reacted to it myself, and he’d been looking confused about that. He didn’t mention it and there was no easy way to broach the subject.
There was no easy way to broach the subject of his “gift” either. You’d think there would be. After all, we’re professional spiritualists. I should be able to say, “So, how did you start seeing ghosts?” But it’s a tricky topic, because most spiritualists don’t see them. Of course, no one admits that openly. Some wouldn’t even confess it to their therapist. Others will do a little “nudge, nudge, wink, wink” with colleagues. There are some, though, who genuinely believe they have “the sight.” And they might.
I know a few spiritualists who seem to have necromancer blood. That’s still no guarantee of actual powers, and even then, it comes in varying degrees, from “I catch glimpses” to “I hear voices” to my full-on “I see dead people.” Most real necromancers know what they are, from their families, and wouldn’t dream of entering the business professionally. That’s just crazy…as I’ve heard many, many times.
Then there are the people who are, well, crazy. Or, more likely, had a breakdown at some point and saw ghosts. Non-supernaturals can detect spirits when the barrier between reality and fantasy is thin, during a mental break or in early childhood. In those cases, I think spiritualists honestly did see the dead once and never forgot that or stopped believing they had the power, lying dormant within them.
As for figuring out which type Gregor was, it wasn’t as hard to get him on that subject as I feared. He started it, asking me point-blank about my own powers, when they started and so on, as if it was a normal topic of conversation.
I gave him my usual story, about first spotting a ghost when I was twelve. It’s a funny little
…
We were walking from the trailer when a ghost dashed over. It was a middle-aged man dressed in modern garb, and I’d never have guessed he was a ghost if he hadn’t run right through two set workers.
“Ms. Vegas,” he said. “I need a message sent to my business partner.”
I kept walking. Jeremy glanced over at the ghost. He’d say he was just responding to my reaction, however slight, and I’m sure that’s part of it, but his kitsune blood gives him a few psychic powers, which I believe includes the ability to detect spirits. He can’t see them or hear them, but he seems to know they’re there.
“Necromancers do not appreciate being approached in public,” Jeremy said, his voice conversational, as if chatting to me. “If you wish to speak to her, you’ll need to contact Eve Levine.”
“It’s just a message. And it’s urgent. He’s going to sell my shares to my son, and that lazy good-for-nothing will ruin everything I built—”
I lifted a hand to silence him.
“You’ll need to speak to Eve,” Jeremy said.
“Bitch,” the ghost snarled and stalked off.
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed someone else had turned from a conversation and was gaping at us. I looked over. Gregor was staring at the spot where the ghost had been. He looked confused.
“Well, that’s interesting,” Jeremy murmured.
“He saw something,” I said.
“Necromancer blood?” Jeremy said.
“It’s possible.” I paused. “Either way, we are co-hosting a show together and I haven’t said more than a few words to him. Do you mind if I ask him to join us for a drink?”
“Not at all.”
…
Gregor seemed pleased by the invitation. Relieved, too, as if he’d been unsure of his welcome. It wasn’t his fault I’d been duped. He wasn’t Bradford Grady and he wasn’t Angelique. I shouldn’t shut him out because of what happened to them.
As for whether Gregor had necromancer blood, it was hard to tell. He’d seemed to react to the ghost earlier. It’s also possible that I’d reacted to it myself, and he’d been looking confused about that. He didn’t mention it and there was no easy way to broach the subject.
There was no easy way to broach the subject of his “gift” either. You’d think there would be. After all, we’re professional spiritualists. I should be able to say, “So, how did you start seeing ghosts?” But it’s a tricky topic, because most spiritualists don’t see them. Of course, no one admits that openly. Some wouldn’t even confess it to their therapist. Others will do a little “nudge, nudge, wink, wink” with colleagues. There are some, though, who genuinely believe they have “the sight.” And they might.
I know a few spiritualists who seem to have necromancer blood. That’s still no guarantee of actual powers, and even then, it comes in varying degrees, from “I catch glimpses” to “I hear voices” to my full-on “I see dead people.” Most real necromancers know what they are, from their families, and wouldn’t dream of entering the business professionally. That’s just crazy…as I’ve heard many, many times.
Then there are the people who are, well, crazy. Or, more likely, had a breakdown at some point and saw ghosts. Non-supernaturals can detect spirits when the barrier between reality and fantasy is thin, during a mental break or in early childhood. In those cases, I think spiritualists honestly did see the dead once and never forgot that or stopped believing they had the power, lying dormant within them.
As for figuring out which type Gregor was, it wasn’t as hard to get him on that subject as I feared. He started it, asking me point-blank about my own powers, when they started and so on, as if it was a normal topic of conversation.
I gave him my usual story, about first spotting a ghost when I was twelve. It’s a funny little
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