Page 13 of Necromance
I resisted the urge to lean further away from him, to put more distance between us. I desperately needed to, but I couldn’t allow him to see how he was affecting me.
He’s a ghost, Mia,I reminded myself once more though the thought did little to dissuade my treacherous body from reacting to him… the heat from his body was suffocating and that deliciously warm scent that swirled around him was engraving itself inside of me.
Squeezing my eyes shut, I took a deep breath. I had to focus. I stood, moving away from his intensity.
”You’re bound to this place, to the painting. But why? How long have you been in there? How do I break the curse if you can’t even remember how it started?”
He remained silent, but I could feel him watching me. “I don’t know,” he finally said. “All I know is that I’m here and I can’t leave. Before you called me, I was in a void so you,Mia, you might be the key.” His lips quirked into that half-smile again, and for a moment I could see the tease in his eyes. “Or perhaps you’re just here to entertain me.”
I shot him an incredulous look. “Don’t flatter yourself.”
”Oh I don’t need to flatter myself. You’re not the only one who can sense things.”
I crossed my arms over my chest, trying to ignore the heat flaring to my cheeks. “Your senses are lacking, I assure you.”
He moved toward me and I took a step back, not trusting myself anymore than I trusted him. My escape didn’t deter him. He stood so close to me that I had to tilt my head back to look up at him.
”Don’t worry, witch,” he said, voice low, tinged with something that made my stomach flutter. “I’m sure we’ll figure this out,together.”
The way he said “together” sent a jolt straight to my core, but I quickly pushed it away, focusing instead on the task at hand. I smiled up at him, lifting my chin even more.
”I wonder,” I mused, lowering my lashes just barely. “If you were always this insufferable.”
I nearly celebrated when his gaze locked on my eyes and his own grin faltered just for a moment, long enough to realize that I’d had the desired effect I’d been reaching for. Two could play this game and I’d be damned if I was the only one who would lose.
The smile returned just a little too soon for my liking, however, and I couldn’t take my eyes off of the way it exposed his dimples. Of all the spirits that I could have encountered in this place, why did it have to be a beautiful man? It was bad enough that he was perfect in every way, butto add dimples was simply criminal.
His eyes dropped to my lips and I instinctively licked them. A warm sound came from the back of his throat and his gaze lingered there for a moment, his mouth only inches from mine. I was sure he was going to kiss me and damn my desires, I would have let him, but then his gaze shifted to the locket around my neck. He reached up, fingers grazing my skin as he lifted it in his fingers to examine it. His brows drew downward just a little as he toyed with it in his hand and I could have sworn I saw something that resembled recognition move through his golden eyes… only for a moment though.
”Quite beautiful,” he murmured, but his eyes were on mine now and I wasn’t sure if he was speaking about the necklace or myself. I raised my hand, our fingers brushing as I took the locket from him.
”It was a gift from my grandmother,” I said, not sure why I bothered to share that with him other than I could think of nothing else to say.
His eyes seemed to darken then, a far off look coming over them as if he was lost in thought… or perhaps a memory, but he didn’t say anything more, simply stared at me as though he was trying to figure out a puzzle.
I stepped away, turning toward the window, fighting his allure. My eyes were drawn to the soft light creeping through the thick velvet curtains. The first rays of morning were already painting the sky with hues of pale gold and lavender. I hadn’t realized how late… or rather how early it had gotten or how much time had passed while I’d been caught up in the whirlwind of conversation with Lucien.
The room felt quieter now, and for a moment, I let myself breathe in the calm. I glanced back at the room, instinctively my gaze trailed toward the space where I’d left Lucien standing only moments ago. My heart skipped a beat.
He was gone.
The air felt different now, as though his presence had never been there at all. I stood frozen for a long moment. Had I imagined him? Was I yet still curled up under the blankets simply dreaming?
I stared at the empty room, feeling the weight of his absence heavy in the air.
With a quiet sigh, I rubbed my temples. I needed to rest, yes. All I needed was a little rest so that I could focus. The exhaustion of magic the night before, combined with the constant pull of energy from Lucien had drained me far more than I’d anticipated.
I moved toward the bed, grateful for the quiet that had replaced the charged tension. I pulled the covers up, sinking into the soft sheets with a deep breath, hoping I could finally close my eyes.
But as I drifted off to sleep, my mind couldn’t quite shake the lingering thoughts of Lucien Wescraven.
CHAPTER SIX
The grand foyer of Ravenspire Castle loomed around me, its vast stone walls swallowing the flickering glow of my candles. Shadows stretched unnaturally long, as if the castle itself leaned in to watch. Dust hung thick in the air, disturbed only by the occasional draft swirling through the abandoned corridors. The scent of old wood and decay clung to the space, a reminder of just how long the castle had been left to rot.
The following night, I had dragged a round wooden table to the center of the grand room, closer to the fireplace where the dim glow of embers offered the illusion of warmth. With careful precision, I laid out a black velvet cloth, smoothing it over the uneven surface, then arranged my tools, each item exactly where it needed to be. A spirit board, its carved letters and numbers gleaming faintly in thecandlelight. A brass pendulum, cool and heavy in my palm before I set it beside the board. A ring of black tourmaline and salt, sprinkled in a protective circle around the table’s edge.
I hoped the seance would lure the other inhabitants of the castle out without having to exhaust myself in the process. Perhaps at least one of them might have some memory… some information about Lucien or his curse. So far, none had offered so much as a whisper and I didn’t have the strength to force them all out. Even if I did, it didn’t seem like they’d be willing to talk.
