enough to know that there were guards
everywhere and if either of them, him or Brandi, made a move to harm her,
they’d be dead. He looked over at her when she dropped to her knees.
“Here, let me help you up.” She swayed a
little then pulled away from him. She was moving toward Mel when she was
suddenly surrounded by ten guards. “Brandi, I’d stop right where you are if I
were you. These guys play for keeps.”
“Where am I? And how the hell do I
leave?” Brandi crossed her arms over her chest as he’d done and tapped her
foot. Mel looked at him then back at Brandi. “Well? I don’t have all day.”
“Actually, you do.” Mel looked at him
and smiled. It was sad and didn’t reach her eyes. “Marcus, could you take Mac
to see Kilia? Brandi and I will visit.”
“I don’t want to visit. I want to go
home.” Brandi looked ready to commit murder as Mel walked away. Mac wanted to
stay with her, but knew that when Mel spoke, he had no choice.
They were nearly down the hall when he
spoke to Marcus. “She’s not aware of anything, you know? She doesn’t have any
idea what she’s here for…well, neither do I, but I’m guessing it’s to see if
Kilia will speak to me. Do you know what Mel wants with Brandi?”
“No, sir, I do not. My lady doesn’t
share her plans with me.”
Mac thought that wasn’t true. Everyone
trusted Marcus. He’d been around forever.
“But you’re right about Miss Kilia. She
would like to see if you can find out anything about her.”
Mac nodded. He would if Kilia would
speak to him. Some spirits didn’t want to be bothered. And the older they were,
the more stubborn they seemed to be. He walked into the waiting room, the room
where the body of one of magic waited until her ring, flowers in a circle,
could be completed.
The family would be able to visit her,
much like the humans did for headstones. The pixies would keep the flowers
fresh and growing strong for the deceased and the family would see those and
think of the one they lost. Not the cold stone that the humans seemed to
prefer.
Kilia was waiting for him. He didn’t
know if he’d have to call her, but she seemed to be expecting him. Marcus
closed the door behind him when he left the room. Mac looked over at the young
woman. “In order to speak, you must have something to say. You cannot ask me to
do things, say things that will harm anyone you left behind. Do you
understand?”
“Yes.” She smiled at him. “I have heard
of your abilities from the others. They say that you work with the queen to
bring justice to those who were taken. Taken as I have been. Is that true?”
He nodded. “I’m a necromancer. But I’m
not going to return you to where you came from. I’m here because Mel, your
queen, thought you might help in finding out who murdered you.”
“He is a vampire. His name is Zachariah,
but I didn’t catch his last name.” She pulled up her sleeve and pointed to the
marks there. “He grabbed me when I came out of the bathroom. It wasn’t until I
was nearly out of the building that I felt a small jab in my arm. He tried to
drug me.”
He couldn’t see the marks she was
referring to. He couldn’t really see her well. She was fuzzy and a little
blurred. Her eyes were bright in the darkened room and her skin pale. In a few
days she’d be faded to nearly nothing and then only a few necromancers, such as
he was, would be able to see her at all.
“Close your eyes, Kilia, and think of
what he looked like. I can capture that image in my mind.” He watched her do as
he asked then, before he could touch her mind, she looked at him again.
“My parents, can you take them a message
for me? I promise to you that it will not harm them. I wish to give them
peace.”
Mac nodded.
“I wish you would tell them that I am
sorry. That I should have come home when they asked. I should have done a great
many things that they asked of me. Tell them…tell them that I have never loved
them more than in
everywhere and if either of them, him or Brandi, made a move to harm her,
they’d be dead. He looked over at her when she dropped to her knees.
“Here, let me help you up.” She swayed a
little then pulled away from him. She was moving toward Mel when she was
suddenly surrounded by ten guards. “Brandi, I’d stop right where you are if I
were you. These guys play for keeps.”
“Where am I? And how the hell do I
leave?” Brandi crossed her arms over her chest as he’d done and tapped her
foot. Mel looked at him then back at Brandi. “Well? I don’t have all day.”
“Actually, you do.” Mel looked at him
and smiled. It was sad and didn’t reach her eyes. “Marcus, could you take Mac
to see Kilia? Brandi and I will visit.”
“I don’t want to visit. I want to go
home.” Brandi looked ready to commit murder as Mel walked away. Mac wanted to
stay with her, but knew that when Mel spoke, he had no choice.
They were nearly down the hall when he
spoke to Marcus. “She’s not aware of anything, you know? She doesn’t have any
idea what she’s here for…well, neither do I, but I’m guessing it’s to see if
Kilia will speak to me. Do you know what Mel wants with Brandi?”
“No, sir, I do not. My lady doesn’t
share her plans with me.”
Mac thought that wasn’t true. Everyone
trusted Marcus. He’d been around forever.
“But you’re right about Miss Kilia. She
would like to see if you can find out anything about her.”
Mac nodded. He would if Kilia would
speak to him. Some spirits didn’t want to be bothered. And the older they were,
the more stubborn they seemed to be. He walked into the waiting room, the room
where the body of one of magic waited until her ring, flowers in a circle,
could be completed.
The family would be able to visit her,
much like the humans did for headstones. The pixies would keep the flowers
fresh and growing strong for the deceased and the family would see those and
think of the one they lost. Not the cold stone that the humans seemed to
prefer.
Kilia was waiting for him. He didn’t
know if he’d have to call her, but she seemed to be expecting him. Marcus
closed the door behind him when he left the room. Mac looked over at the young
woman. “In order to speak, you must have something to say. You cannot ask me to
do things, say things that will harm anyone you left behind. Do you
understand?”
“Yes.” She smiled at him. “I have heard
of your abilities from the others. They say that you work with the queen to
bring justice to those who were taken. Taken as I have been. Is that true?”
He nodded. “I’m a necromancer. But I’m
not going to return you to where you came from. I’m here because Mel, your
queen, thought you might help in finding out who murdered you.”
“He is a vampire. His name is Zachariah,
but I didn’t catch his last name.” She pulled up her sleeve and pointed to the
marks there. “He grabbed me when I came out of the bathroom. It wasn’t until I
was nearly out of the building that I felt a small jab in my arm. He tried to
drug me.”
He couldn’t see the marks she was
referring to. He couldn’t really see her well. She was fuzzy and a little
blurred. Her eyes were bright in the darkened room and her skin pale. In a few
days she’d be faded to nearly nothing and then only a few necromancers, such as
he was, would be able to see her at all.
“Close your eyes, Kilia, and think of
what he looked like. I can capture that image in my mind.” He watched her do as
he asked then, before he could touch her mind, she looked at him again.
“My parents, can you take them a message
for me? I promise to you that it will not harm them. I wish to give them
peace.”
Mac nodded.
“I wish you would tell them that I am
sorry. That I should have come home when they asked. I should have done a great
many things that they asked of me. Tell them…tell them that I have never loved
them more than in
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