Page 77 of Necromancers Don't Raise

“In her sleep. Which means that me coming out of the woodwork like I did with my grandmother’s recognizable faceputs her at risk from this Salina character. Is she what really worries you?”

He stared at me with dark, desolate eyes. “Yes. I haven’t been working for the last thousand years to strengthen my borders and build up my armies. I should have, but I was lulled into a false sense of ennui. So what if I die? But now, I live to protect you, to adore you, to suffer indigestion from worry. If you are willing to accept Cassandra Clarence’s assets, why not Mr. Good’s? Business is business, and you have already inherited his enemies.”

“Including this vampire?”

“Particularly this vampire. Hm. Vampire doesn’t convey the depths of her depravity. She’s a vampire dark sorceress whose aura is death. That means that if you get in a certain range of her, you die. Just like that.”

I shivered and clung to him for a second while my heart pounded. She was scary enough to frighten my mother and Mr. Good? “You sound like you know her well.” I looked at him suspiciously. “Vampires are always incredibly beautiful.”

His eyes glimmered. “I’ve gone to war against her a few times. She encroached, I repulsed, she attempted seduction, I was repulsed. She is the main reason I dislike Mr. Good. He was supposedly her right-hand man before he distanced himself in a new country and then, strangely enough, got himself locked into the most secure prison in the world. He’s as safe as your grandfather, the former Calumny of the Seven?—”

“Calumny? Cordy Hood’s name was Calumny? How bizarre.” I kissed him, just a peck at first, but his lips captured mine, and the next thing I knew, I was crushed, devoured, consumed in the most delicate and delightful way. I grasped his hair and hung on for dear life as he stole my breath, persuasive lips parting mine until his tongue danced across mine, sending bolts of electric wanting through me.

I kissed him until my spine was melted against his hand, and all of me was on fire. He felt so ridiculously good against me, warm, strong, perfectly controlled, but with a passion that swept away every other thought, lost in that one, sweet and enveloping kiss.

When he pulled away, I was confused and shocked at the sudden disappearance of so much dazzling sweetness.

“What?” I asked, blinking at him like an owl emerged from a tree.

He smiled slightly, soft lips so absolutely tempting. “We’ve arrived at your apartment. May I walk you up?”

I stared at him, then looked out the window at Apple City’s finest apartment building, and my apartment was the finest in it. I felt a wave of happiness that had me throwing myself into his arms and squeezing him as tight as I could. He’d listened to me. He was doing his best to trust me, even when it went against his nature.

“Is that a yes?” he grumbled, but squeezed me delicately back.

I kissed his throat, trailing kisses up to his jaw.

He cleared his throat, which I felt against my lips. “Miss Nova, what are you doing?”

“I’m lingering in the back of the car with my fiancé. Yes, you can walk me up, but you have to kiss me the entire way and stay with me once we get there. I’ve always wanted to do that. I walked into an elevator once where this couple were kissing, and they didn’t even notice me.”

“You want me to be oblivious to the world around and the dangers that may come?” He pulled away and smiled politely. “We will die together.” Then he pulled me out of the car.

I stepped into a seething horde of undead rats with glowing eyes. I couldn’t help squeaking and leaping at Mercury, like he could save me. He caught me in his arms and continued towardsthe doorman, who stared at us with large eyes, the typically unflappable ogre clearly flapped.

“Hello, Moose,” I said brightly as Mercury carried me towards him, rats at his feet.

He took a moment to tip his green top hat that looked so beautiful with his green skin. “Miss Nova. Welcome to the Eagle’s Eye. Mrs. Clarence notified me that you might be coming by to pick up some things.”

I nodded, but I didn’t have time to say anything else, because Mercury strode past him into the lobby, with its plush green carpet and rich gold mirrors. The next thing I knew, we were waiting outside the gold elevator, him still not putting me down, and the rats still accompanying us.

“Mercury,” I murmured as one woman walking through the lobby screeched and threw her coffee in the air when an undead rat ran over her lovely Italian pump.

“My precious heart,” he replied evenly, not turning to look at the scene. His back was to the rest of the world, as though nothing could get to us, but the rats were watching every direction.

I sighed and put my head down on his shoulder. “It must be exhausting to be so many rats at one time.”

“I’m never exhausted with you, my darling.”

I smiled slowly and looped my arms around his neck. “Why do you like me?”

“You fit perfectly in my arms.” He squeezed me tight for a moment before relaxing his grip.

I poked his muscular biceps beneath his tuxedo. “That makes sense. I like you because of your bare chest. I think that you should fight Winston for me.”

He gave me a side-eye. “Shirtless, and with tickets? But I’m not certain Winston would fight for anything other than his own cause.”

“All we have to do is find his weakness and exploit it.”

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