Page 29 of Destined to the Reaper

Despite his disturbing appearance, I felt no repulsion or disgust. Granted, as a necromancer, I was used to skeletons, decay, and rot. But this felt different. Obviously, I wasn’t attracted by his mummified appearance, but I found myself eager and curious to see what he would look like once his regeneration kicked in. At least, I was relieved to notice skin over most of his body including most of his face, and especially his mouth. It would have bothered me had he possessed a fully skeletal face.

Yeah, I had a thing for kissing.

Still, judging by the way his skin receded around parts of his rib cage and around his eyes, I suspected that in his normal form, Pharos naturally had some exposed bones. I couldn’t see anything below his waist as he was wearing some ornate boots, pants, a skirt, a hood, and pauldrons on his shoulders.

But as much as I wanted to continue studying him, the clock was ticking. However, something felt off. An insane amount of Death Magic was swirling around his unconscious form. It took me a moment to realize what was distressing me about it. It was flowing from Pharos, into the statue.

By the Gods, she’s leeching him!

Was that how Cornelius managed to enslave Pharos? Did he make a deal with the Keres so that he would get his soul, and she would get his body? With his formidable regeneration powers, he would effectively be an endless source of fuel for her to feed on. From the beginning, I struggled to figure out how a mere mortal could have ensnared a demigod. This could explain it.

As I couldn’t see any rune, glyph, or other magic conduit allowing the transfer, I took a closer look at his body, and only then did I notice some claw-like bone spikes embedded into his skin.

Crestfallen, I stared at the claws, uncertain what to do. Should I remove them first before summoning Pharos? How long will that even take? Will it trigger the demon? But if I summon him first, will that leeching negatively affect him? Will it delay the transfer so long that Cornelius will realize something bad was happening?

Too many questions without answers exponentially exacerbated my anxiety. The Keres’ ominous presence and the anger I steadily sense growing inside her made it even harder for me to think.

“Fuck it!” I muttered in annoyance under my breath.

Having made my decision, I stood at the position Pharos showed me in the vision at the head of the altar and began drawing the summoning circle. My heart nearly leapt out of my chest when the demon turned her head to look at me with a malevolent expression as she bared her dagger teeth. Heart pounding, I reminded myself that she couldn’t attack anyone. Forcing myself to focus, I hastily completed my task, praying that my wards would hold, and above all that Pharos would answer the call.

Chapter 8

Pharos

The journey home proved endless. We arrived in Willow Grove a little after midnight. The entire ride from the docks back to the city, I keenly looked for the call of Kali’s circle. Considering I hadn’t responded to it for two nights in a row—assuming she drew them—it made sense that she should have given up on the third night, especially at this late hour.

We’d been too far away for me to even perceive the previous calls. Unlike the standard summoning circles, the portal rings needed to be located within a far shorter radius of the person being invoked. I wanted to believe that Kali had not lost all faith in me and was merely waiting for me to come to her again or at least give her some sort of sign.

As soon as we arrived home, the servants handed a pile of documents to Cornelius, many of which involved strange deliveries to one of his mansions located in a couple of cities over from here. It surprised me. Cornelius had no love for that accursed place. And yet, it held foremost importance forhim. From what little I’d been able to glean from his mind, he intended to use it for a major project.

The Glocker Manor had been the theater of one of the most gruesome slaughters in the State’s history. The previous owner, Friedrich Glocker, was obsessed with the insane thought that he could bring back his deceased beloved, Melina Hartwick. To achieve this goal, he lured and slaughtered countless young women who shared even the slightest physical resemblance with his old flame. In his madness, he’d convinced himself that he could reassemble her, piece by piece, and summon her soul back from the afterlife.

Not only was that impossible, but Melina would have never wanted to return to him. She never reciprocated his feelings and made it abundantly clear every time he tried to woo her. That day, in his rage at being rejected yet again, he grabbed her by the shoulders and violently shook the young woman to make her hear reason. Thinking he would strike her, she fought him off, which only triggered him further. Things escalated to the point he ended up striking and choking her. It was only once she stopped fighting that Friedrich realized he had smothered her.

That tragedy sent him over the edge. Thanks to his wealth and influence, he managed to avoid facing justice. But his riches and prosperous businesses dwindled as he became consumed by his demented undertaking. His efforts caused more pain and misery, both to his innocent victims and to himself. After multiple attempts at summoning Melina’s soul, Friedrich only succeeded in summoning a Liderc.

Although they shared many similarities with their distant cousins—the succubi and incubi—Lidercs were even more fiendish. They took on the appearance and personality of a deceased beloved of their target. Every day, every night, they would come to their lover, feeding them the illusion that they were reunited at long last while sucking their lifeforce dry. Theirvictims would wither away in an illusion of bliss until their stark reality hit them too late.

In many ways, it had been too kind an end for Friedrich, considering the nearly two hundred desecrated corpses they found on his land after his passing. The only justice in all of it was how the fake Melina made him squirm, frequently reminding him of how he had wronged her, and making him beg for any sliver of attention she bestowed upon him even as she leeched the very life out of him.

What does Cornelius want with such a place?

But those wandering thoughts flew right out of my mind when the servant showed him the note Kali had sent. My initial reaction upon seeing it was panic. She must have given up on me to be willing to consider negotiating with that slime again. Then, even as Cornelius chuckled with a smugness laced with malice, I realized the message hadn’t been meant for him, but for me. She wanted me to give her a sign, and I intended to do just that as soon as Cornelius went to bed.

Thankfully, exhausted by the long journey home, he only dealt with the most urgent matters among the notes he had received. Most of it came down to him sending messages to various people he would see in the morning. It gave me the perfect glimpse into when he would be too busy and far from home to be able to counter my escape attempts.

And there was no way around that escape taking place tomorrow.

Although Cornelius still hadn’t said or hinted at anything, his suspicions had not abated. He kept his thoughts hidden more than ever from me. Through the journey back, and even once back here at home, I discreetly siphoned any life force I could within range without being so greedy my actions would be detected. It was more like skimming on the surface of everythingand anyone, even down to the plants and shrubbery in the vicinity.

As soon as my host finally went to bed, I visited Kali in her dreams. It was the safest and least costly way to contact her. The only thing making it possible was the bond we shared through the parts of my soul now residing within her. I could only pray that she wouldn’t dismiss it as just a dream. I couldn’t speak for fear it would leak out to Cornelius. I also couldn’t linger for the same reason.

To my chagrin, I couldn’t even lean in to the far-too-brief kiss I gave her before leaving. The powerful emotion it stirred within me was frightening. The depth of affection I felt for her was far too dangerous. Cornelius would feel it.

That she might come to harm at his hands because of me was a devastating thought.

Morning came far too late. Contrary to his habit, the necromancer slept in much later than usual. Seeing him reschedule one of his early meetings made me feel faint. For a terrifying moment, I feared he would stay home. I could have wept with relief when he finally headed out a few minutes shy of eleven thirty on his way to an alchemist at the other end of town.

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