Page 40 of Necromancers Don't Raise

“No. She won’t bite you at all.”

“She climbs in your hair while you’re sleeping? I’m shocked to hear you admit to sleeping.”

He nodded soberly. “Yes, even necromancers have to sleep sometimes, and Vanilla is very sweet. She isn’t a zombie rat.”

“Not that there’s anything wrong with zombie rats.”

He smiled at me. “Most people are slightly unnerved by my zombie rats. That’s rather the point of them.”

“Do you want me to scream and insist you carry me in your arms to protect me from them? It could be arranged.”

“Could it?” His eyes warmed, and then he shook his head. “No time for hysterics if you’re going to find a dress by tomorrow evening.”

I gasped and grabbed his arm in a death grip. “Tomorrow evening? Are you mad?”

He smiled and squeezed my hand back. “Not quite, but some have a different opinion. Bones is ready to take you where you need to go.”

I shook my head. “Yes, but first, I need to make some sketches of the jewels. I assume you won’t let me take them with you.”

“Not at all. You may take them with you, but you’d have to wear them, spelled to prevent anyone from removing them from you, even if you were dead.”

I shook my head. “Spelled jewelry. So luxurious. I only had one spelled piece of jewelry before. No, I’d better not get used to wearing such expensive gorgeousness until I’ve looked over thecontract. Unfortunately, I don’t have time to look at it until after the auction. I’ll have to trust you not to take advantage of me.”

“Hmph. Yes, we must all trust me not to take advantage of you, but everyone knows that you can’t trust a necromancer.” He pulled a pencil and paper out of his jacket and handed it to me. “Make your sketches, Miss Nova, and then off with you.”

“Thank you. I’ll do my best, Mercury. I can’t promise that I’ll be perfect, but I will do my best.”

“You are already perfect, Miss Nova.” His eyes seemed sincere, but I’d seen my perfection in that blue diamond statue, and it was definitely in the past tense.

Chapter

Twelve

Sebastian Hammermill wasn’t difficult to track down. All I had to do was head to the Fashionarie’s Courtyard, where all the hopeful designers took lessons from the greatest fairies and elves the school could get on their teaching board.

I went towards the most rebellious looking girl there and nodded at her. She was staring at Bones. No, she was staring at his peach and purple pinstripe suit.

“I’m looking for Bas. Do you know him?”

She was distracted from him as she studied me, and the weirdness that was my look.

“Why?”

“A job.”

“He just turned down a contract with one of the largest department stores in the country.”

“He does that.”

Her lips pursed. They were purple, like her eyebrows. Her glittery fairy wings had literal glitter sprayed on them, along with some piercings that made me wince. “You know him?”

“Sure.”

“But you still want to give him a job?” Those purple brows rose almost to her hairline, which she’d shaved into a scalloped line.

“Crazy, I know, but it’s a challenge that I think he’d enjoy.”

“He’s in the library, fashion section, drowning his sorrows in eighteenth century men’s suit coats.”

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