Page 11 of Necromancers Don't Raise

I stood, weaving slightly before I found my balance. “Yes, let’s go.” Really? Now when I’d barely gotten off an IV? When my blood was barely chugging through my veins? Yes. I had to go into the outside world and find a way to let my parents have closure, as well as find out what I could about Calista and Breanne. Mercury didn’t want me at risk, even though it was ridiculous to think that anyone who knew me then wouldrecognize me now, but I had armored clothing and Bones, who could probably rip off people’s arms ifTheWarlock Detectivehad it right.

He drove the large black car while I sat in the back. He’d insisted that guests couldn’t drive or ride in front, so I had to sit in the back and try to stay awake. It helped that he took such creative license with his driving. He swerved around a corner, barely missing another car, passing on the right side instead of the left. No way he had an actual driving license. Could the dead apply for a license? What would I do for identification? What about work? What kind of life could I build for myself now? Everything I knew involved mergers and marketing. Management. Well, even the dead or the recently-dead-currently-immortal needed managing. But was that what I was good at, or just what I’d done?

I took a deep, steadying breath. I needed to do that a lot. I had to focus on one thing at a time. Underwear and contact, those were the priority.

The market was not for people like I’d been. I hadn’t even thought about what it would be like, but when Bones pulled up at the bottom of a sheer cliff on the edge of the undercity of Song, I didn’t think he’d keep driving into the cliff, into the dark, narrow tunnel that clipped the sides of the long black car, coming out in a parking lot that overlooked a large separate cavern that was an absolute warren of shops built two and three high with winding paths between them.

This was a goblin market. And we were here for the fruit. Or vegetables, but same incredibly dangerous difference. When Bones opened the door for me, I let him help me out, but I was distracted by the sight beyond the stone rail of the bewildering market. I walked over and bumped a man I hadn’t seen, probably because of the way the shadows wrapped around him.

His eyes glowed red and then another man stepped out of the shadows. The same thing, the red glowing eyes and pale skin with prominent teeth. Fangs. Oh. They were vampires. How exciting. I stared at the nearest one’s fangs and tried to decide if they looked real or not. It didn’t seem real, but that was my life lately.

They looked me up and down, then gave me leers. Leers? I’d just seen myself in the mirror. There was absolutely nothing to see.

I was confused enough that I kept staring at them until one of them took it as encouragement and leaned closer.

“I don’t suppose you have the time,” he drawled, flashing a smile that showed fangs fully extended, up close and deadly.

I gasped and stepped backwards, bumping into the car and then losing my balance. I would have fallen if Bones hadn’t been there to steady me. Ah, I was attractive as dinner. That made more sense.

“Easy, Miss Nova. You should rest when we get back to the manor. The Master wouldn’t like you to fall. Oh dear. Perhaps I shouldn’t have brought you outside until you’re entirely recovered.” Bones frowned in consternation while the vampire backed away with raised hands.

“I meant no offense to Mercury’s guest.” His gaze was speculative now, but not leering. Apparently, if I was with Bones, I was off the table. Literally in the case of a thirsty vampire. I definitely didn’t have enough blood to donate, no matter how worthy the cause.

Bones turned to give him a puzzled glance. “You offended Miss Nova?”

“No, of course not,” I said, patting his wiry arm. “Let’s get shopping. I’m definitely going to take a nap when we get home.”

He kept staring at the vampires until they’d turned and rapidly vanished into the shadows, then he gave me a sweetsmile. “Yes, we will shop quickly, then return home before the master misses you.”

I’m sure he’d miss me desperately. No, I was the only person at the house without any work to do.

The market would have been terrifying without Bones hovering behind me. As it was, it was overwhelming and confusing. I’d never seen a goblin before, but here, they were everywhere I turned, bargaining here, gesturing there. Was I actually one of those strange green monsters with sharp, jagged teeth?

I grabbed onto Bones’ arm and looked around like a tourist who’d never been out of the country. I’d never been in goblin country. That was quite evident. The magical goods were incredibly eye-catching, and a werewolf was arguing with a vendor about a bag of herbs that he could smell was not as it was labeled. Bones walked happily through the market, and everyone stepped around him, giving him and me cautious looks, like we were the dangerous ones.

Apparently, the necromancer did have an impressive reputation. I’d hate to burst anyone’s bubble by revealing that he was secretly a teddy bear. Maybe he saved that side of himself for his dead. Probably. And now he was stuck with me, who wasn’t dead, but still had a killer to catch.

It was difficult to find human vegetables in the goblin market, but I wasn’t eating anything that wasn’t clearly grown in normal soil. Eventually we found our way to the vegetables, and there got everything we’d need, plus an assortment of fruit and berries that would be nice for some snacks. Did Mercury like snacks?

The goblin who was helping Bones had an assistant who gathered the produce, and I pointed out which ones I wanted, which of course were less shriveled and sad looking than the others. I’d done several photo ops of the local farmer’s marketwhen I’d been the face, and my dad’s passion was gardening, edibles as well as ornamentals. This was not like either of those. The assistant kept sniffing me, but I tried to ignore her.

“You smell like death,” she finally said. “What happened to your hair? And your fingers?”

I curled my hand into a fist and realized how far I’d gotten from Bones, who was trying to understand what the produce goblin was trying to say about older vegetables actually being better for cooking.

“Excuse me,” I said with a slight smile and then walked as quickly as I could to Bones. I slipped my arm in his and turned to face the goblin that was trying to rip him off. Bones always came here and cleaned out their worst produce. As though his cooking needed help being any worse. “You must be unaware, but fresh is best these days. I know that trends change, but as a vendor, you should be on top of these things. From now on, Bones will always buy the freshest fruits and vegetables. Do you understand?” I said, my calm smile in place, but my voice firm. This voice did firm very well, because the goblin was nodding and apologizing before money exchanged hands.

I put my hand on the goblin’s skin and didn’t pull away, however strange it felt, tough hide, but soft and silky. “That’s not the right price.”

He looked at me, anger flaring through his eyes. “Who do you think you are? What do you know about the price of fresh goods?”

“I’m Nova, and I know that we’re going to shop in the upper city if the prices here aren’t reasonable. They have a much better selection. What do you think, Bones? Should we go to the upper city?”

He blinked his eyes at me. “Upper city?”

“You can go out in the light, can’t you? Is it too late?”

He shook his head. “I can go out in the light.”

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