Page 76 of Death Warden
I inhaled through my nose and then exhaled to center myself before reaching out with my mind and calling Magda’s name. Shadows skittered in the periphery of my vision.
I didn’t turn my head to look.
Necromancer 101 was clear. When on the spirit plane, focus on one target and one alone. Do not get distracted. A distracted necromancer was vulnerable, and a vulnerable necromancer was prey, because the spirits living here were hungry for life – not in an unfinished business way, but in an “I want to wear your body as a pretty suit and prance around in it” kind of way.
I wasn’t about to open myself to possession.
Magda Scorch,I called out with my mind.Come to me.
I pushed further, ignoring the cold pinpricks in my fingers and the crawling of my scalp. The center of my forehead grew warm as I focused on the veil containing the spirit realm and called out to the space beyond.Magda Scorch, you will obey me. You will come back.
Shadows danced beside me, caressing my barrier and testing its sanctity.
I concentrated on Magda, on her name, on the image of her dead body branded into my mind.Magda Scorch, come hither.
This wasn’t my first time summoning a soul from beyond, and I knew what to expect. A tugging, a resistance, something. But there was nothing.
Almost as if…as if Magda’s soul had ceased to exist.
But the other spirits had been alerted to my presence, and the gray, cracked earth crawled with them, slithering, skittering, and scampering toward me. Twisted, desperate remnants eager for life. I’d been here before, sensed them, but they’d never reacted like this. Never so quick, so desperate as they rushed toward me.
Panic closed a fist around my lungs.
Time to get the hell out of here.
I released my grip on the spirit realm, waiting for the drop into the gray, but it never came. I stood frozen, trapped on this side while the hungry remnants made a beeline for me. They surrounded me and pushed against my shield.
My chest grew tight. What the ever-loving fuck? No. Let me go. Why wasn’t it letting me go? The fist in my chest tightened, making my breath come harsher and faster. One of the remnants rose in front of me, staring at me with empty eye sockets fixed to an elongated face.
I caught a flash of red in the distance behind it. A door. A red door. The remnant moved to block my line of sight, and stunning emerald eyeballs suddenly appeared in its sockets and fixed their gaze on me.
I see you, Blackmore. I see you well.
Oh, God. He was too close. His presence so powerful it was a palpable force pressing against my shields and forcing them to cave slightly, sending a ripple of alarm through me.
Laughter echoed around me, getting louder and louder.
No. “No!” I expelled power, desperate to force the spirits away.
“Adi!” The world shuddered and the spirit plane rushed away from me, dropping me into the gray, where I felt hands on me.
I blinked away the gray and stared up at Curo. “Oh, God, thank you.” I hugged him.
He tensed for a moment, then hugged me back. “What happened?”
“I’m not sure. There was a voice. It spoke to me. It knew my name.” I shook my head. “Dangers of being a necromancer, I guess. Word gets out about your existence and spirits want to say hi.” I laughed it off even though my stomach was trembling with nerves.
“Did you find Magda?” Wendall asked, entering the room.
I shook my head. “No. It’s like she never existed.”
Wendall strode over to the body, which someone had covered, and carefully pulled back the sheet. “Logan wants more pictures.”
Curo looked down at the body as Wendall went to cover it up. “Wait…”
Wendall glanced up with a frown. “What? You recognize these symbols?”
Curo’s face has drained of all color. “Yes. The guy I sold my soul to had a huge pendant etched with those symbols.”
