24. Chapter Twenty-Four Daria
“ I ’m so sorry,” I stated.
Ghostly Sam looked down at his body, silent for a long moment. Lopez’s machete stuck out of his stomach, and a pool of blood expanded around his lifeless body.
Angie sniffled beside me. “I don’t understand. He was just alive, and he killed Lopez.”
I shook my head. “You were probably already dying, Sam, when you used the last of your energy to kill Lopez. And then Lopez stabbed you. Making everything worse.”
“I knew,” he began, his voice softer than usual. “I knew my injuries were bad. But I wanted to help. I wanted to do the right thing for once. I couldn’t let you die or lose Marcus if you did. I think I have the worst luck. Tell my brothers that I tried.”
I looked over Sam’s shoulder to see two large shapes coming our way. It was too dark to see them clearly. One was limping, while the other seemed to be helping to keep him upright. Soon, I was able to make out Harris and Marcus. Marcus looked in rough shape as he leaned onto Harris.
I wanted to take the time to be relieved, but I couldn’t, not now.
Marcus’ eyes locked on mine, not seeing his brother, and he gave me a shaky smile that broke my heart. “He’s dead. You’re safe.”
I nodded, my throat too tight with sorrow to speak. He frowned, sensing my grief and then looked away toward Sam, who was still staring down at his body.
Harris, noticing at the same time, tightened his lips together, eyes narrowing as if he were trying to hold back any reaction. I couldn’t understand that behavior, but he was the least of my concerns. Marcus moved away from his older brother and looked back and forth between ghost Sam and his dead body as he limped toward him, a confused look on his face
“Fuck,” he finally said. “Fuuuccck!” His voice cracked at the second expletive.
I placed a hand over my mouth, hurt for him.
Harris looked over to Sam, his face still relaxed, but I caught a trace of sadness behind his eyes. “How?”
Sam scratched the back of his neck with a resigned look on his face, the action most likely habit. “Bruh, I did a lot of fighting back there, and that fucking gang does not play fair.” He glanced over to Angie and me. “That’s what held me up from getting here sooner. Turns out, if you get stabbed enough times, you eventually die. Who’d have thought?” He chuckled.
Marcus snarled, glaring at his younger brother. “Is this funny to you?”
“Of course not, but what can I do about it? I’m thankful sis-in-law is here to even allow you all to see me so I can say goodbye.”
I closed my eyes, feeling on the verge of tears. He really could be sweet. Wetness touched my cheeks. Seems I was already crying. I felt so helpless. Was there nothing I could do?
Sam shrugged. “Whelp, I guess I should find a bright light to enter. Don’t think I was so bad that I’ll be going elsewhere.” He looked at Angie. “Or we can hang out for a while. That’d be cool.”
She nodded, wiping ghostly tears from her face. “Yeah, it would be.”
I looked back to Marcus, who seemed on the verge of exploding. I could feel the mix of grief, frustration, and shock he was experiencing. There had to be hope. If I could raise a demon, maybe I could resurrect an orc.
I stepped forward. “Can I try something? Maybe I can resurrect him?”
We could hear the sounds of the sirens in the distance. Harris stepped forward and picked up his brother in his arms with no struggle despite his own injuries. “If you can do that, let’s do so at my place. The police are going to get in the way. I’ll have my witch teleport us. Your detective friend can handle everything else here, but my people are leaving,” he stated matter-of-factly. He was masterful at controlling his emotions. I wasn’t sure that was a good thing.
And with that, Harris turned with this brother and returned to the house with us following.
Marcus stopped me with a hand on my shoulder. His eyes looked haunted, and I was certain he was still shocked. “Don’t feel any pressure, alright? This isn’t your burden.” He tilted his head to Lopez’s body. “You kill that guy?”
I grimaced. “I blinded him. Angie and Sam helped, and my undead.”
He nodded slowly, and I noticed that his eyes were watery. He was grieving but still taking the time to consider me. This guy was everything. “I’m proud of you, little flower.”
I puffed out my chest, feeling proud of myself and more determined than ever to help him.
When we teleported from the cabin, we wound up in Harris’ grand living room, decorated with beiges, browns, and off-whites in a minimalist but modern style. However, his design skills were not my concern. I walked over to Sam’s body, which Harris had laid out on the dark wood floor.
Ghost Sam made a pfft noise as he gazed down at his body. “Couldn’t even put me on your couch or the rug.”
Harris eyed him with a look of annoyance. “You’re a bloody mess. If this doesn’t work, I don’t want to have to deal with your dead body and a ruined couch or rug.”
Sam gave him the middle finger. “I love you, too, asshole.”
Harris ignored him and looked at me, waving his hand toward Sam’s body. “Let’s begin before he starts to rot.”
I raised my brows, walking to Sam’s body. Harris certainly had a way with words. “I want to give the caveat that I can’t make him alive again. Just undead. That’s all Rorrick was. An elevated zombie, for lack of a better word.”
Ghost Sam nodded, seemingly unfazed. “Sounds cool. I’ll kind of be like a vampire. Except I can go out in the sun and don’t need blood.”
Angie giggled. “So not like a vampire at all.”
“As long as I don’t have to eat brains, I’m good. Or flesh. I don’t think I’m built for that ghoul life.”
Pausing in front of Sam’s body, I took in a deep breath and closed my eyes. “No promises.”
“What?”
I put a finger to my lips. I’d used a lot of my magic today between raising a whole cemetery and sending strength to Marcus, so I wasn’t sure if I had the strength to make this work. Not to mention, I wasn’t sure if Sam was powerful enough to navigate his own body like Rorrick. I could try to give him that ability, but it would be a long shot. Long-term resurrection wasn’t something I had much experience with, so this would be an experiment.
I flexed my fingers and pushed out my magic, feeling it brush across my skin and through my fingertips. I focused on Sam awakening and being his old charming self. Since I knew him, it might be an advantage I hadn’t considered. I could connect his ghostly form back to his true self. I already knew I could do that with the ghosts in the cemetery; he was lucky enough to have a body that still looked alive. Perhaps he could heal the rest of his injuries like Rorrick did once he was resurrected.
I continued to concentrate, breathing out of my mouth and steadying my mind, my fingertips numb with the static of my magic. Several minutes passed, and then I heard the sweetest sound.
A sharp inhale of breath.
“I’m baaack!” Sam exclaimed.
I opened my eyes to see Sam sitting up and looking around the living room with a wide, teeth-barring grin.
I raised my arms above me in excitement and then instantly regretted it as a sudden dizziness wrapped around my head like a vice. My stomach dropped, nausea washing over me. And then my vision darkened. The last thing I saw as my body tumbled to the ground was Marcus racing toward me, calling my name.
***
Marcus
Daria had been unconscious for almost three days now. Once she’d resurrected my brother, I took her home. She’d been gone from it for too long. Her family came, and that was an uncomfortable conversation, but in the end, I somehow won their confidence when Devin vouched for me. Her mother insisted on staying in the two-bedroom apartment with her daughter, which left me in Angie’s room, who had mysteriously disappeared when Daria passed out. Once Daria’s mother learned I was her daughter’s mate, she understood my need to stay beside her.
My mate would wake up. I believed that. I just didn’t know when. I felt guilty for not taking better care of her, for not stopping her from trying to resurrect my brother. She had used too much of her magic for one day. Her raising the dead had been a valuable help, and I would truly be dead if not for her giving me some of her strength. However, I wished she’d thought more of herself. While I was happy Sam was with us, albeit as an undead, I didn’t want to lose her. I wanted to break or pause our bond as a gift to her while she was unconscious, but Shante had informed me that the bond was healing her. However,, I’d give her that freedom as soon as she woke up. The longer it took for Daria to awaken, the more worried I became.
And with nothing to do but sit and worry, I began to recap the last few days. I had survived and was now healed. One of the witches explained that the magic stone did not detonate when Rorrick stuffed it inside me because it was created to kill evil, and thankfully, my orc being didn’t register as evil. It was meant to be a failsafe, and I was thankful for it.
As for Death Mask, we’d successfully ended a gang, or at least their higher leadership. As a result, Devin and the witches were able to keep me Sam, Harris, and his people out of trouble with the cops. Somehow, I’d managed to get out of all this with my life and livelihood still intact. I owed thanks to my little flower.
On the third day of Daria’s unconsciousness, my older brother came to visit. “This is the most I’ve seen you in years,” I stated, offering him a seat on Daria’s small two-seater teal blue couch in the open living and dining room space.
Daria’s mother had left to go to the grocery store, and it was just Harris and me.
He sat down, looking around with a neutral expression. “This place is really… bright.”
I lifted a shoulder. “I like it.”
He wrinkled his nose. Color offended his sensibility. “She still asleep?”
I nodded. Neither one of us were big talkers. It seemed Sam had overcompensated for our low word count.
“Shouldn’t she be in a hospital?”
I sighed, pulling a chair closer to the coffee table from her dining table. We were too big to both be sitting on the couch. “We had a doctor visit. There’s nothing medically wrong with her. It’s magic-based. She’s drained from overuse. Why are you here?”
He produced a blue pouch from his pocket and gave it to me. I looked inside and saw several small black vials nearly two inches long. “What are these?”
“Potions made by some colleagues of mine to give her energy to speed up her healing from magic overuse. You give only one, but you can also have her keep them for the next time to prevent her having to go into a healing sleep for so long.”
I grumbled, shoving the pouch in my pocket. “There won’t be a next time.”
“Well, I’ve spoken to her father. We will arrange fair compensation for her reanimating Sam. She does amazing work. It’s as if he didn’t die.”
“You could stop the deal requiring her family to do any reanimations for you.”
Harris looked down at his black cashmere sweater, picking some unseen lint off it. “I’ve taken care of making things equitable.”
I knew him well enough to know that meant the conversation was over. He was going to do things his way, and as long as it didn’t harm Daria, I’d let it go.
Harris leaned forward, resting his forearms on his dark gray, slack-covered thighs. “Any regrets about making her your mate?”
I frowned, not wanting to argue with him about Daria’s worthiness. “I’m only worried about if she’ll forgive me. I’m going to break or pause our bond. I want her to be sure about me.”
“That’s an emotional decision. An unwise one. From what I’ve seen and heard, it seems she likes you. I like her. She seems useful. You wouldn’t want to lose someone so special.”
“She has more to offer than her magic,” I grumbled. “She’s beautiful, smart, funny, and giving to a fault. She changed me. I just want to be worthy of her.”
“Well don’t fuck it up with her then, bond or not. She’s a good woman.”
If I didn’t know him well enough, I wouldn’t think anything of his words beyond supportive. However, Harris didn’t give away compliments easily. This was more of a threat. If I didn’t treat Daria well, he’d have no problem coming in and making a play for her. She could quickly meet his needs, but I knew he’d be too cold for her. Daria was warmth, joy and selflessness—heavy emphasis on the latter.
I patted my pocket where the pouch lay, wanting to change the subject. “Do you think bringing this here will absolve you of not acting when your brother was kidnapped?
Harris sat upright, staring me down. “No, but I was making the best logical decision at the time.”
I growled in anger. This guy was never going to change. “Fuck your logic.”
Harris frowned and looked over at Daria’s closed bedroom door, which only pissed me off more. Did he think I would do anything to disturb her? I suddenly wanted him gone.
He looked back to me. “Do you realize how many times Sam has been in that situation? You think this was the first? He doesn’t call you about most of them because you didn’t have the resources. Most people he owes something to know to come to me. I’ve paid off many of his debts or called in favors to get him out of bad situations. He would ruin our business and wealth if I gave in every time. I needed him to learn. And he’s a shit actor. If he had an inkling of an idea that I would come to save him, they would know by talking to him. It’s happened before. And it always makes things unnecessarily difficult. I hope he gets on the right path now after all that’s happened. It’s never gotten to this level before. I regret you had to kidnap an innocent. I suppose I moved too late.”
I considered his words. It made sense. Sam had a long history of trouble. I could only imagine the circumstances he’d placed Harris in. My older brother wasn’t a totally cold being. I knew that deep down. It was easier to write him off in the same way he’d turned from me the moment I’d asked to walk away. It was as if he turned off a switch that connected me to him, and I suddenly became a stranger. It hurt, and so I labeled him an asshole and gave up.
Harris cleared his throat, looking slightly uncomfortable, which was not normal for him. “I have to ask, did you hate working for the family that much?”
I shrugged. “You know I didn’t love it.”
“I knew it. We all did. You had a soft heart, and Dad took advantage of your size and changed you. Maybe it wasn’t the right thing to do to a kid. And maybe I was wrong for continuing it. It wouldn’t be a lie to say that I liked having my brother by my side. When you left the life, it felt like you left me. The family. It was easier just to let you go and pretend you didn’t exist.”
I relaxed my face. He was hurt. I understood how he could feel that way, and it lessened my anger to see him be so vulnerable. I knew it wasn’t easy to show. It wasn’t easy for me. It seemed we were crap at communicating with each other. “I’m sorry.”
Harris gave me a surprised look, eyes widening. Had he never heard me apologize? Had we ever apologized to each other before? Even as kids? I don’t think even our parents had said sorry before. Only Sam had, which made sense, all things considered.
“I suppose I apologize for my actions as well. But it’s fine. It all worked out. My new enforcer is pretty good. And now I have this great deal with the necromancers.” He stood up. “Maybe I’ll see you and Sam more often. Life is too short, even for us, and I’d like not to have another brother become a zombie.”
I smiled, standing up as well. “Come visit me anytime, yeah?” I offered him my hand.
He shook it in return. “When I’m available. I have a hectic schedule, but I’ve meant to get a new tattoo.”
“Anytime, on the house.”
When my brother left, it felt like a tiny weight had been lifted off me. This seemed like yet another positive that I owed to Daria. Her talk with him when we called him at the cabin and then her saving our brother got under his skin in the best way possible.
I heard the sound of my name from her room, and I raced there to find Daria sitting up on the bed. Her curly hair was wild around her face, her eyes sleepy, but she looked beautiful to me. She was awake and healthy.
“How you feeling?” I asked, walking to her.
“Like I’m hungover. But I’m alive, I guess.”
I wrapped her tightly in my arms until she proclaimed that she couldn’t breathe. “Do me a favor,” I began. “Stop pushing yourself when you’re low on energy. We’re a team now, and if something happened to you, it would break me. You’re stuck with me now. That okay?”
I felt her nod into my chest.
“You sure?”
She looked up at me with those partially opened eyes. “Yup. I like you and stuff.”
I snorted. “I like you and stuff, too. But I will still call Shante to get her to pause our bond. She stated that she knew someone who could.”
Daria glared at me. “No.”
I sighed. “Little flower, it’s important that you are in this because you want to be. Not because I forced you.”
“I liked you before.”
“Not enough to accept my bond. You were angry afterward. Rightfully so.”
She dropped her shoulders but didn’t speak. She didn’t have to. I already knew what she was feeling. Fear. She wondered if she’d still want me if the bond was broken. It was a fear of mine as well. I feared she’d come to her senses and stay away from me. Try to forget the whole nightmare I’d put her through. However, I was falling in love with her, and there was no way I could call myself loving her if I allowed the bond to control any chance of a real relationship.
I tipped her chin up with a finger. “Daria, we don’t have to stop seeing each other. We’ll date like normal people. And then, when you’re ready, we can get the spell placed on us to mute the bond lifted. But only when you want to. I won’t bring it up. I’ll give you all the time you need. And I’ll have to accept if that time is never. You might decide that after all this excitement we’ve been through has died down, that you don’t really like tattooed ex-hitmen.”
Her eyes rounded and she gave an adorable pout. “I can’t imagine that ever being the case, but I guess you’re right. We don’t want any what-ifs.”
I kissed her forehead. “I’ll give Shante a call in a little bit.”
She looked around. “I’m home,” she exclaimed. “Where is everyone? Angie and Sam?”
“Your mother’s at the store. Sam’s back at my place. Angie disappeared right when you passed out. I haven’t seen her since.”
She wrinkled her brow, her mouth downturned with worry. “You don’t think she crossed over, do you? Maybe I was the anchor that held her here the whole time.”
I scooted closer to her on the bed. “You don’t know that.”
“I wish that I could have done for her what I did for Sam. Maybe I had that power even before us becoming mates. I never tried. Of course, I’d never brought someone back fully like that, and I didn’t know if she had the strength to maintain her mind. Hopefully she’ll show up later now that I’m awake. How’s Sam, by the way?”
“So far so good. He’s his old annoying self. Let’s give it some time. Angie might return.”
She nodded slowly, looking unconvinced, tears falling from her eyes. “I know she should ascend, but having my bestie around was good. She helped save my life in that fight. And she kept me from being lonely.”
I wiped the tears from her cheeks, feeling as broken as she felt through our bond. As painful as it sometimes was, I would miss that connection. I imagined I might feel a little empty afterward. “Well, you aren’t alone now. Hell, if something were to happen to me, Harris might try to take my place and be your mate.”
She rolled her eyes in disbelief before struggling to get to her feet, insisting on showering. I almost went in with her until I heard her mother return.
When she was done, and her mother had cooked dinner, we set the table to have a meal together. The situation still felt surreal, but I liked her mother, and she seemed to like me. That was most of the battle. I’d be searching for a ring in a few months.
Before we could sit down to eat, we were disturbed by a loud banging at the door. Daria lived in a three-level apartment building with no front desk, but there was a secure front door. Maybe it was a neighbor, but the banging sounded erratic and non-stop. It was meant to scare us.
“Is it Death Mask?” Daria asked, standing closer to her mother, who had gripped a kitchen knife.
I put a finger to my lips, heading to the door. I looked through the peephole, and I could not explain what I saw.
I opened the door, and a slightly familiar-looking zombie stood there in a tattered, dirty, black dress. Her skin was cracked and gray, her hair sparse and stringy. Her face was hallowed and thin, her teeth brittle and eyes cloudy. She waved at us before opening her mouth to speak. “Hey, guys. So, I woke up in my grave, which was so not cool.”
Daria gasped. “Angie?”
The zombie waved. “Hey, friend. I’m a whole zombie now, and I look like one. Really traumatizing, by the way. I thrillered it the whole way here. Children cried, dogs barked, and cars crashed. The police might be here soon. So, anyone want to tell me what’s going on?”
We all turned to Daria, who looked back at us with a hand over her mouth, eyes wide with shock. “Don’t look at me.”
If she hadn’t raised her friend from the dead, then who had?