Page 60 of The Pushy Pixies Are Going Down
Miles gave them a grin and waved us all on. “Let’s hurry so you guys can sit down for a few minutes. Thirty minutes isn’t enough time when you have to wait for your food to be cooked.”
I agreed but refrained from saying anything since, from the look of the skinny teens, they didn’t really have the option of cooking at home and bringing a packed lunch—or dinner, as the case may be.
I had a feeling Miles and I were about to become very familiar with this museum. From the glint in his eyes, I knew he was making plans—probably to drop off food for them regularly.
I was totally on board.
Lyric would probably offer to bring food too once they heard Miles’s plan.
The five of us hurried across the street, and after Miles asked the teens what they wanted to eat, he went off to order while we snagged a table.
“So what have you guys been up to lately?” I asked after an awkward moment.
Aeson shrugged. “Nothing much. Mostly just trying to get in as many hours as Sharp will let us.”
Chaos scoffed. “That guy’s such an ass. He doesn’t like me. I’ve been trying to build up my necromancer business when I’m not there since I make a lot more doing that.”
Aeson frowned at him. “You know I don’t like it when you do those jobs on your own.”
Chaos sighed. “Yeah, I know, but we need the money.”
Without thinking, I said, “You could always call one of us if you need backup. Miles and I—”
“And me too,” Lyric added.
I continued, “—would come help you as long as we’re not working.”
The twins stared at me like I’d grown three heads. Finally, after what felt like forever but was probably only thirty seconds, Chaos said, “I’m not making you guys go on jobs with me.”
Aeson sent his brother a glare. “Why not? They’re offering.”
“Because it would be ridiculous, and I can’t pay them for their time—”
I interrupted. “You wouldn’t have to pay us. We wouldn’t be doing anything but making sure you’re safe.”
Lyric nodded in agreement. “Seriously, it’d just be helping out a friend.”
Chaos rolled his eyes. “If I get into a bind, I can just raise the dead to get me out of it. It’ll be fine.”
My eyes widened, and Miles sat down beside me, dropping a metal number on the table as he asked, “Why are you raising the dead? And also, you can do that?”
Sola nudged my cheek, then pecked at my hair affectionately like she was upset I’d been apart from her for five minutes.
Lyric looked so excited. “Seriously? Like… you can make zombies? Oh my god, you can totally take over the world.”
Aeson snorted, and Chaos rolled his eyes, but his lips twitched like he was holding back a smile.
Miles asked, “Why do you need to raise the dead?”
“For protection, if I needed it—which I don’t. And yeah, I can do that. I mean, they basically come back as zombies if I’m in a bind and just need their bodies. But if I’m actually trying to pull someone back, I can bring their soul back into their body. It won’t stay there, I can’t like… bring them back to life, but I can bring them back long enough to speak to their families or whatever.”
“Wow,” Lyric said in awe. “That’s freaking mind-blowing.”
Miles looked as shocked as I did. I’d known the kid was powerful, but I hadn’t realized just how powerful he was.
Miles cleared his throat. “Is that one of the services you do when you’re doing your necromancer stuff?”
He nodded. “Yep. A lot of people want to speak to their loved ones one more time. Most of the time, it’s just to say goodbye, but sometimes it’s to ask where their jewelry is or something like that.”
