Page 44 of Necromancers Don't Raise

“They really like you,” Sebastian said, sounding amused and slightly appalled. “Or is it the gems you’re going to wear? What are Daphne’s gems spelled for?”

The elf sniffed. “I’m sure you’re not here for a history lesson.”

“You know what the gems are spelled for?” I asked him. “Would you please tell me? I’m going to be wearing them.”

The elf looked put out, but drawled, “Well, there are protection spells woven into them, and that’s the root, but they’re also spelled with confidence and an aura of desirability. Not that you need that last bit. How did you come into possession of these gems, if you don’t mind my asking? I’d thought they were lost to time.”

“They aren’t mine. I’m just wearing them for the auction at Mercury’s antiquities tomorrow night.”

He stared at me for a long moment. “Ah. Mercury has had many objects of great worth and rarity pass through his auction house. But I think you are the rarest of all.”

“Thank you,” I said stiffly, then bent down to take off the shoe. He was using more flattery than necessary, and I didn’t like saying thanks to lies I didn’t need. I tugged on the shoe, but it wouldn’t come off. “Sebastian, can you give me a hand?”

He handed me the other shoe. “Yeah, they really like you. Looks like you’ll need a great magic user to get them off you. How handy that you’re living with a necromancer. Put on the other shoe or you’ll be limping even worse than before. Also, these shoes will help with healing that knee. Come on. We’ve got to get to the fabric district before the good shops close.”

Bones paid for the shoes and guns. I didn’t put on the gun holsters, because until I looked them over and tried them, I’d have no idea whether they’d work for me. Also, those harnesses might like me so much, they never came off.

It took one hour of Sebastian racing through shops, throwing bolts at the half amused, half exasperated shop owners whoknew Sebastian well, before we had our parcels and were heading back to the car.

He’d held samples to my eyes dozens of times, making sure everything would work perfectly. He had that look on his eyes as we walked, the intensely focused obsession that meant he already had the entire dress designed in his head.

He linked his arm with mine, pulling me down to his level, which was a good foot shorter than me. “We need to stop by my garret for a few things to make this process more magical. This dress is going to be my masterpiece, Nova. I know you’re unaccustomed to magical processes, but if I’m going to design a dress that lives up to those gems, and clingy shoes, I’m going to be using all the magic I’ve got.”

I frowned at him. “That sounds dangerous. It’s just a foil for the gems, not an actual?—”

He cut me off with a wave of his hand that almost hit my nose.

“Do you think I can’t do as well as some dusty elven craftsman from hundreds of years ago?”

“No, it’s just…”

“Then stop lowering your expectations. I’ll make you shine, Nova Estrecha.”

“New star?”

“You just wait and see. You’re going to shine and dazzle.”

Chapter

Thirteen

Iwas wearing a matching underwear set in fuchsia and acid green tie-die leopard print with the elven shoes when the Warlock Detective knocked on the kitchen door. That is, Winston the Warlock knocked on the door. He wasn’t an actual detective.

“Don’t move an inch, or I’ll stab you with all my pins. I swear on the soul of my dead grandfather the bullfighter,” Sebastian said through a mouthful of pins, some of which fell out at his words.

I didn’t move, just stood there with my arms out on either side of me while Sebastian draped the first rough layer of gauzy nothing. “I would never. Bones, would you let in the warlock, please?”

Bones made some moaning-sigh sound of death and walked stiffly to the door. He wasn’t entirely on board with letting another stranger into the master’s kitchen, but it was a character from the tv show, and he may have been under the impression that the warlock would spell my dress with some kind of protection spells. I’d had the idea while I was trying to convince him, and it wasn’t half bad.

Winston the Warlock wasn’t a disappointment. Most celebrities are much shorter than you imagined, with visible makeup you can’t see on tv. He wasn’t wearing makeup, but he was wearing a wizard’s coat with elaborate embroidery spelled onto every square inch. It wasn’t part of his costuming, but a real family heirloom that looked like it could use some patching.

“Welcome to Mercury’s mansion,” I said with a big smile.

He stared at me, at my underwear, for a second blinded by its brightness before his eyes snapped to my face and he gave me a very somber bow. “I hate to interrupt your…” His eyes darted to Sebastian, who bared his pin-enhanced teeth at the warlock, dropping more pins in the process. “Fitting, but he made it sound interesting.”

“Sebastian is always interesting. Would you like to sit? Have you eaten? I’m so delighted that you were able to make it on such short notice.”

“I’m sure I shouldn’t linger in Mercury’s mansion without him present. On the other hand,” he said with a large smile as he sat down at the table. “I believe I smell fresh bread.”

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