Page 48 of Total Eclipse of the Moon
She squished through the black sludge on the floor toward the necromancer, forcing herself not to think about what was down there. She’d need to burn her shoes after this. Remaining out of striking range, she stopped and forced herself to stare into the dark gaze and blood-stained face. The necromancer squinted against the light. These creatures liked to kill with their mouth and often ate their prey’s heart. So disgusting.
Nothing sane killed enough humans to cause this level of floor mush. She’d do anything not to speak with it.
Madeline raised the hand opposite that holding the necromancer frozen with the crystal to demonstrate a knife sliding across her throat in threat.
The being’s bluish black lips moved, but little more than hissing came out. She was fairly sure she heard it curse her in Russian and then say in that language, "Go ahead. Kill me. I’m ready. Are you?"
"No talking."
The necromancer continued in Russian, which required some mental gymnastics for Madeline to translate. Russian wasn’t her best language, but she thought the being said, "They stole everything from me. They kill my daughters. Then they try to burn me."
She swallowed against the sudden dryness of her throat as she thought of Samuel. "So this is some sort of vengeance quest? Become a necromancer and kill everyone?" She watched the being, which lacked the expected grief of someone who had lost multiple children. It wanted to be killed.
"Do it. Kill me." The pleading came off disingenuous. "I choose death."
"Why not commit suicide, then?" The creature wanted to be killed by someone else's hand for a reason. Suspiciously, she muttered a truth spell, but only had half a belief it’d work since she didn’t have the properly seasoned salt to throw at the being to activate it. "Purification I do conjure so that thought be spoke to be pondered. Passion so red, set to the fire, let the truth be said as is my desire."
Once completed, she asked, "What happens after your death?"
The necromancer chuckled. "Smart little witch. Do it and find out."
Intuitively, she knew the answer. The creature had stashed an almost dead human somewhere, a victim that had been prepared to absorb her soul when she died. Once absorbed, the necromancer would be twice as powerful, not that Madeline understood the logistics of that kind of magic.
The cost of holding the necromancer still for so long started draining her to the point numbness settled into her hands.This is in my head.Had to decide quickly. Hoping the truth spell would work she asked, "Where did you stash the human you plan to use?"
The being’s face contorted as if trying to fight not telling. "Apartment next door."
She couldn’t do this all herself. She yelled, "Shane?"
Nothing.
Louder she yelled for him. Trembling settled into her lower arms. Her breaths left her nose in locomotive puffs of steam in the frigid room.
"You’re going to die, little witch." The necromancer emitted a chirping high-pitched laugh.
"No, you are," Shane said behind her.
Thank God.
He moved in, knife in position to strike the being’s neck.
"No!" Madeline yelled. "There’s a body, probably a half-alive human, in an apartment next door that’s been prepared to take her soul when it leaves this body. Wemustremove the spells from the body before we kill this thing. The human might die when you mess with the spells. Shane…" She waited until he met her gaze. "You can’t save this thing or the human. The human will have marks on it, likely in blood. Just mess them up. I mean, break the lines of the marks any way possible. Be fast."
She and the necromancer stared at each other after he left.
"You’re weak," it said superiorly.
I’m not sure I’m enough.The pain from everything inflicted on Shane vibrated with every inhale and exhale. After barely recovering her abilities yesterday, was she back to full strength? She’d never attempted to hold a necromancer or any other powerful magical creature still like this. As if sensing a fissure in her confidence, the crystal flickered.No, no, no. Hold. Please, hold.
The necromancer smirked. "I’m going to eat your heart in front of that lycan."
Hurry, Shane.
Black spots dotted her peripheral vision. Both arms shook as she held the crystal toward the evil being.
The necromancer wiggled its fingers, now loose from the freeze spell, and licked its lips. "You look delicious. Never eaten witch before."
She fisted the knife tight in her free hand. Small, but sharp, it’d be something. Because she was about to collapse.
