Page 103 of Madness Behind the Mask
“Who else?” I ask, nodding at the list as I pat Ryo’s back.
“Vance Marshall. He’s the youngest capo on the list and was only promoted a few years ago. He’s smart, sly, and will go far if he lives long.”
“But…?”
“He’s probably not going to live long.”
“Why not?”
“He’s a necromancer.”
I suck in a breath. Necromancers are incredibly rare. “He was born as one or he learned?” I ask. Anyone can learn to bring back the recently dead, but it takes decades of training, and it has a very low survival rate considering to bring someone back, you have to one, give up a piece of your own finite soul, and two, venture into Purgatory to get them – a place that makes the Plane of Monsters seem cute and the perfect place for a family day out. And,of course,the only way to train to survive Purgatory...is to constantly go to Purgatory.
A person who learnsitrarely ever liveslong.
But a personbornto necromancy liveseven less.Their magic isn’t limited to only bringing back the recently dead. Nor is it limited to ‘healthy’ corpses. Necromancy can never bring back people who lost their head or had their heart ripped out, but a born necromancer can bring back those who lost whole limbs or still have lethal poison in their veins.
The issue isn’t that their magic kills them. It’s that their bodies do.
Or rather...the black market buyers who want their bodies.
A necromancer’s headgoesfor sixty thousand dollars intoday’s market. His heart, seventy five. A single fingeronly goesfor three, but thereareten of them. The man’sa walking bank, and Idon’twant Molly anywhere near that level of danger.
“He’s learned,” he says, and I breathe a bit easier.
“What’s his innate magic?”
“He’s human.”
My eyes widen. “And helearnednecromancy?”
“Which is why I don’t think he’ll live very long. He’s too smart for his own good. Got the balls of a rat though, I’ll give him that.”
I silently agree. “What about Garrett Madison?” I ask, looking at the next name on the list.
He sighs. “He volunteered to fight in both World Wars, and is a respected hero even by a lot of the other Families across America. He has an admirable sense of honor and has the innate ability to go invisible, making him a damn good assassin – not that he does much of that anymore, but that is how he rose through the ranks. Solidifying our connections with his family will be no bad thing.”
“So what’s the problem with him?”
His jaw tightens. “He has a long beard.”
I blink. “What?”
“And he prefers to cycle rather than drive.”
I glance at him, confused.
Then a smile breaks out across my face as I realize he’s just finding excuses not to marry our daughter away. I wiggle on his lap, snuggling deeper against his chest. “He sounds awful.”
“Quite,” he says, so deadpanned I laugh.
Caden sucks in a breath, then turns me around with his telekinesis until I’m facing him. He looks deep into my eyes, something he does every time I laugh, and my heart squeezes with love for him.
He kisses me, careful not to squish Ryo. Mymouthopens, and his tongue sweeps inside.
“I love it when you laugh,” he murmursagainst my lips.
“I loveyou.”
