Page 21 of The Hellhound's Mate
Saph put his hand on my back as he asked, “Do you know who the necromancer is?”
Bozboq shook his head, and I could’ve sworn I heard bones grinding as he did that. “Blond guy, short, slender, pretty. Fierce temper. Likes shiny things on and around him. Bunch of stray cats came out of the woodwork when?—”
“Gaufrid.”
I jumped as a clap of thunder immediately followed Saph saying the necromancer’s name. Was that some kind of sorcerer thing, or just really great timing? I didn’t like it either way, especially since Saph looked like he might be sick.
After swallowing hard, Saph asked, “How many does he have under his spells?”
“Oisian, the hellhound, and about sixteen of my people before we got out of there. I figure he’ll come here next once he sorts himself out. There’s another cemetery north of here, but it’s a few days’ walk.”
“He’ll come here first.” Saph sounded so defeated, and then he turned to me and cupped my face in his hands. “I need you to leave. Go stay with Vera maybe.”
I pushed his hands away. “I’m not leaving you! I might not know much, but I can fight.”
Saph shook his head. “You don’t understand. When Gaufrid enslaves me, I won’t be able to resist any order he gives me. If he doesn’t kill you himself,” he paused to gulp, “he’ll make me do it.”
I could see how it broke his heart to say that and now it was me reaching up to bring his big face down to me. “If I leave, then so do you.”
“I can’t,” he said so sadly. “I’m bound to this territory. All I can do is wait for him to come.”
“No! No, there has to besomethingwe can do.” I wrapped my arms around Saph’s middle and looked to Bozboq with hope.
Bozboq shrugged. “Gaufrid seems to think Oisian will be coming with him when he leaves Ravensgate?”
“It doesn’t matter,” Saph said. “He’s just devised some spell to break what binds Oisian to his gate. He’ll probably do the same once he has me.”
I felt Saph breathe against the top of my head and hated that it seemed like he was already giving up. “You can’t give up, Saph. We’ll figure something out.”
He sighed against me. “I’ve been through this before. He’ll say the spell to enslave me before I can get close enough to do anything to him. And that’ll be the end.”
I pushed back and looked up at him. “It’s spoken words? Do you remember them?”
He gave me a sad little smile. “You’re not a necromancer.”
“Well, how do I become one? Let’s get that done quick, and then I can practice the spell. Do you know how to undo it? I’ll need that, too, for afterward.”
“You could slaughter everyone in town,” Bozboq said, “and bathe in their blood during a thunderstorm. If lightning hits just right?—”
“You’renotbecoming a necromancer,” Saph said to me though his fierce gaze was on Bozboq.
He wasn’t wrong, but still. “I’m not giving up either, so what about pagan witches? I know a few.”
“Earth magic isn’t the same.”
“It’s too soft and fluffy,” Bozboq added.
I had a feeling my friend LaRhonda would take offense to such a description, but when compared with slaughtering townsfolk, maybe it wasn’t too far off.
“There has to be something!” And I actually stomped my foot.
“There is.” Saph took my hand and led me back toward the house. “You go pack and call Vera.”
I didn’t fight him because I didn’t want to. If he couldn’t leave, if there was nothing we could do to stop what was coming,if I had to flee to live, then I was going to spend what time we had left making sure he knew he was loved.
I followed him up to my bedroom—a space I’d hardly spent a moment in except to dress—but then I manhandled him into sitting on the edge of the bed. I climbed up onto his lap and sat straddling his thighs and facing him. He tucked his hands under my ass, and I smoothed back the fur on his worried face.
“You are the most magical thing that’s ever happened to me. I regret nothing. I’ll carry every second of knowing you in my heart for the rest of my life.”
