Page 41 of Necromancers Don't Raise

“Perfect. Thank you.”

“If he doesn’t take the job, maybe you could ask around for someone else.”

I hesitated, then flashed her a smile. “I don’t have time to look at portfolios.”

She held up her hands. “Then good luck with him. You’ll need it.”

I found Sebastian in the fashion section of the uptown library, a few blocks from the Fashionarie.

“Miss Nova,” Bones said ponderously, as we walked towards Sebastian and his corner table piled with books and crumpled up sketches. “I don’t believe that they sell shoes here.”

“No, we need to get the dress designer to tell us what shoes we need first. That’s the designer.” I pointed at the sleeping gnome, chair balanced on its back legs, his boots on the table, etchings in the leather of twisted skulls that reminded me of Mercury’s laboratory door. Bas was going through a brownish sludge period. Was he dying his own fabric and leather? How lovely.

I put the drawing I’d made of the jewelry on top of his legs and studied him. “So, I could either kidnap you, or you could come along willingly.”

He opened one eye to peer at me, and then Bones behind me. He dropped the chair down with a thud and caught the paper in his plump fingers, glancing at it before returning his bright brown gaze on me.

“You think kidnapping me would help inspire me to do good work?”

I smiled. “It’s elven made. My boss wants me to model it at the auction. He saw my eyes and missed the rest of me. I’m supposed to be stunning, to go with the jewelry. I was about to go get shoes, but thought I’d stop by for you first.”

He narrowed his eyes at me. “Do we know each other?”

“Yes, but you don’t remember me.”

“I’d remember those eyes. Stunning. I remember everyone I’ve worked with. We haven’t worked together before.”

I smiled brightly and then scooted my chair closer to his. “Prove it. You remember working onTheDetective Warlock?”

He studied me with narrowing eyes. “I might not remember the color of those eyes, but I do remember how piercing they could be when you’re intent on something. You’re?—”

I slapped my hand over his mouth and glared into those brown eyes that narrowed and then widened as he went through what he knew about my disappearance and death, which could be nothing.

I removed my hand and stepped away. “I’m a distant cousin of the Clarences. So, do you still have connections with the show?”

He waved that away like it didn’t matter and really looked at me. “Are you here for my connections or my talents?”

“Both.”

His lips twitched. “Honest as ever. Turn around.”

I glanced around, but no one was in this corner of the library, probably because the gnome had chased them out. I turned around, arms out, because he needed to see what he had to work with.

“The hair’s natural?”

“Yes. It’s very soft.”

He gestured me down so he could pat it. He pulled away with an expression of delight. “It’s like a baby bird. You’re a baby bird, hatched from a cocoon.”

“Birds don’t…You’re right. So, do you have any contacts withTheDetective Warlock?”

He put his hands on his hips and pursed his lips. “And this boss of yours? Does he have a name?”

I sighed heavily. He was playing hard to get. “Mercury.”

“The antiquities dealer?” His eyes gleamed with a familiar madness. Okay. This was a challenge that he couldn’t resist.

“Yes. The necromantic sorcerer they call, ‘The Dealer.’ So, do you have a contact or not?”

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