Chapter Six #2
Rachel sighed. “Fine. I knew you were going to say that, but I really hoped you wouldn’t.
” She hesitated. “I’ve looked into all of this.
The people who work for the Organization are almost never good people, Vale.
Considering the kind of jobs the Organization takes, they can’t be.
I have a hard time imagining you working for them. ”
“It’s something I’ll always regret doing, but I felt I didn’t have a choice at the time. I’m not sure I had one even now. Anyway, what’s done is done, and there’s no changing the past.”
“Whatever you did for them, it doesn’t matter to me. I know you now, and you’re my friend.”
Vale was relieved, but at the same time, he wished that Cyril felt the same way.
He understood why he didn’t. Cyril was a gentle soul.
He wasn’t used to violence and killing people, even though he dealt with death every day.
What he did was completely different. Vale killed people, while Cyril gave them their lives back, albeit temporarily.
It was how they’d met, and Vale wouldn’t have it any other way because he loved Cyril the way he was.
He just hated the situation they were in.
“Same goes for me,” Russell said, sounding way too serious. “Whatever happened, I don’t care. You’re my friend, and I’m going to help you.”
“Thank you both,” Vale said, hoping they couldn’t hear the emotion in his voice. “But no matter what they ordered me to do, I always tried to do the right thing. I helped many of the people I was tasked to kill to hide from the Organization over the few years I worked for them.”
“How’s Cyril taking all of this?” Rachel asked.
“Not great. He’s having a hard time accepting that I worked for these people. I don’t blame him.”
“He understands, though, right?”
“He’s trying to. We talked last night, but I don’t know what he’s thinking.”
“You’ll be fine. The two of you are meant to be together, so I’m not worried.”
Vale wished he could say the same, but he had no idea what would happen to him and Cyril once all of this was over.
He didn’t know if Cyril would still want to be with him or if he’d want to break up.
Cyril was discovering things that Vale had hidden from him that painted Vale in a not-so-great light.
Vale wouldn’t blame him if he wanted out.
If that was the case, Vale would leave Cyril alone.
He wouldn’t leave town, though. He wanted to protect his boyfriend, no matter what.
Cyril didn’t need to know that he was there.
Yes, it would be kind of creepy, but Vale didn’t care. Cyril had already been in danger often enough since they’d met. If there was anything Vale could do to ensure he didn’t get hurt, he’d do it.
That included Cyril’s nightmares. Vale didn’t have a clue what to do about them, but he knew someone who could look into it. “Rachel, I need a favor.”
She didn’t hesitate. “What is it?”
“I know you’re busy, but I was wondering if you could look into necromancers’ powers.”
“I can do that, but can I ask why? You live with a necromancer. Surely, you can ask him any question you have.”
“I could, but he doesn’t know what’s happening, either.”
“That doesn’t sound good,” Russell commented.
“I don’t know what it is. Cyril has never been through anything like this, and he’s confused.”
“What’s happening to him?”
Vale took a few minutes to explain what was going on with Cyril’s ability.
He was sure that this new change had to do with Cyril hitting his head, but that didn’t help.
It didn’t tell Vale how to help Cyril through the nightmares or if there was anything they could do to stop him from having to live through them.
Vale hated feeling powerless, and that was how he felt at the moment.
He had to wait for Rachel to find out more about Cyril’s ability, and he couldn’t hunt down Helena and her team because they were too dangerous and he still didn’t know enough about them.
The only thing he could do was wait, which was the one thing he didn’t do well with.
“We’re here for you,” Rachel said before hanging up.
Russell wasn’t far behind, and once the conversation was over, Vale lowered his phone and stared at the screen until it turned dark.
They’d believed him. They hadn’t asked for more information than he’d willingly given them. They’d taken his word as truth, unlike Cyril. Vale didn’t blame Cyril for not trusting him or not believing him, but it still hurt. It hurt that he had to prove that he wasn’t a monster.
He wasn’t even sure that he could prove it. Unfortunately, he wasn’t a good person. He was lucky that Cyril had given him a chance at all. It was more than he’d expected, and he’d always be grateful for the time they’d had together.
He just hoped it wasn’t over yet.
* * * *
“I’M NOT SURE I LIKE this,” John said as he looked around.
He’d been silent most of the drive there, which was weird because usually, he couldn’t keep his mouth shut. It made Cyril nervous, but he had to ignore how he felt and focus on why he was here.
He stepped through the gates, John right behind him. He stayed silent as Cyril headed in the direction of the plot where he knew Melissa had been buried. He hoped to get there without anyone noticing him, but of course, he wasn’t that lucky.
“Mr. LeBlanc,” a man called out.
Cyril swore under his breath, then plastered a smile on his face and turned to face the man. “Mark, how’s Eleanor?”
Mark grinned. He kept his distance, but then, it was something everyone did. At least he wasn’t treating Cyril like a leper. He never had.
“She’s doing fine,” Mark said as he bounced on the balls of his feet. “Ready to pop, and she can’t wait.”
Cyril visited cemeteries so often that he usually got to know the people who worked there. He’d definitely gotten to know Mark, who, like John, couldn’t seem to be able to keep his mouth shut to save his life. That was how Cyril knew that Mark’s wife was pregnant with their first child.
“You’re here for another body?” Mark asked.
“I am.” For a moment, Cyril didn’t know what to say. He couldn’t exactly tell Mark that he was about to exhume and reanimate a dead girl without her family’s authorization.
“Well, I’ll see you later, then,” Mark said with a smile. “And tell Robbie to send me the paperwork. I haven’t received anything.”
“Of course.”
Cyril felt guilty about lying to Mark, and he was sure that Robbie would kick his ass when he found that he’d used him like that, but it didn’t matter right now. Cyril had what he was here for. He had access to Melissa and her grave.
He hooked a hand around John’s elbow and guided him toward the area where they needed to go. Thankfully, John waited until they were out of Mark’s sight to speak.
“It’s that easy for you? You pop up, and just like that, they let you in and allow you to dig holes?”
“I don’t dig holes anywhere. But yes, it is that easy. These people are used to seeing me around. I visit this cemetery more than I visit my own mother. They know why I’m here, and they don’t want to be involved, so they keep their distance.”
“I wish I’d thought about doing the same,” John grumbled.
“You can still leave. I’m used to doing this stuff on my own.”
John squared his shoulders and straightened his back. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Cyril wasn’t sure what he’d done to deserve this kind of devotion, but he was glad for it.
He didn’t even care that he’d have to dig alone.
He hadn’t been lying when he said he was used to it.
He did care about not being here on his own, though.
What he was doing was wrong, but having John there distracted him enough that he could ignore it.
He needed to reach Melissa and get answers.
He was willing to do anything to obtain them, even though he hated it.
John insisted on helping with the digging, so they took turns.
Cyril wanted to tell him to sit down and shut up, but when he tried telling John that it was okay and that he could do it on his own, John glared at him.
It was an expression Cyril couldn’t remember ever seeing on the man’s face, so he knew that John was serious.
As long as he didn’t exhaust himself, Cyril didn’t have a problem with John helping.
By the time they were done, they were sweaty, despite the fact that it was December. Cyril took a moment to breathe as he stared at the coffin. This was it. He almost had the answers he was seeking.
“This is kind of creepy,” John said. “But I can’t wait to see you do your thing. Why did we dig this person up, anyway?”
Cyril hadn’t told John what was going on with Vale. He wasn’t sure that doing so was a good idea, but John had been here for him, so why not? He was going to hear Cyril’s questions to Melissa, anyway. “I need to ask her about Vale.”
John’s expression was serious. “And his time with the Organization?”
“Yes.”
“Just remember that this happened years ago. He’s not the same Vale as he was back then.”
Cyril swallowed. John didn’t know everything, but even if he did, Cyril was pretty sure he’d still be on Vale’s side. It made sense. Cyril had met John, Rachel, and Russell through Vale. If he and Vale were to break up, he’d lose them.
He hated the thought of that almost as much as he hated the thought of losing Vale. He wouldn’t blame them, though. To them, he was barely more than a stranger, while Vale was someone they’d worked with for years. Of course they’d choose him.
“Do you need a moment, or should we start?” John asked.
“I want to do this as quickly as possible.”
“Because you’re not supposed to be doing it. All right, let’s get to work.”
John was the one who opened the coffin. He didn’t seem to be afraid or disgusted. He behaved as if this was a normal daily occurrence for him, and Cyril was once again grateful that John had insisted on coming with him. This would’ve been much more complicated if he’d had to do it alone.
Melissa was well-preserved, but then, her family had enough money to ensure that she was.
She was wearing a white shirt that had turned yellow with the years, and her skin looked paper-thin.
Cyril knew to be careful. He didn’t want to damage the body.
If he was lucky, no one would ever find out he’d done this, but he owed it to Melissa to be careful with her remains.
He gently touched her cheek. He heard John suck in a breath when she moved.
She reached for her face, and Cyril cleared his throat.
“Don’t do that,” he gently told her. He knew from experience that her eyelids had probably been glued together, so she wouldn’t be able to open her eyes even if she tried rubbing them.
“What happened? Where am I?” she asked.
“My name is Cyril. I’m a necromancer.”
Melissa was silent for a second. Cyril gave her the time she needed. He’d never died, but he could imagine how confusing being back in her body was to her.
“I died,” she said.
“You did. You were kidnapped, but no ransom was ever asked. They found your body a few days later.”
“But they did find it?”
“They did. You were laid to rest.”
“I’m not anymore?”
Cyril cleared his throat. “I have a few questions about what happened the day you died.” He hoped she’d think this was an official investigation.
Her back stiffened, but she nodded. “What do you want to know?”
“Who killed you?”
Cyril held his breath as he waited for her to answer. He already knew who killed her, but he was pretty sure that hearing the truth coming from her would break him.
“I don’t know his name,” she said slowly. “He grabbed me when I left school. He was tall, with blond hair and blue eyes.”
Cyril froze. “You’re sure about that? Your killer had blond hair and blue eyes?” Vale was blond, but back then, he’d been dying his hair red. He also didn’t have blue eyes. They were brown.
“Yeah, I’m sure,” Melissa said. She grinned, exposing yellowed teeth. Cyril heard John suck in another breath, but he ignored him. “I saw him die,” Melissa continued.
Cyril was extremely confused. “How did he die?”
“After he shot me, he was about to leave, but someone else arrived. That guy shot the guy who killed me. He tried to help me, too, but it was too late.”
Vale hadn’t shot Melissa? He’d tried to help her? “Are you sure about this?” Cyril asked.
“Very. I remembered feeling vindicated. I don’t know the second guy, but I’ll always be grateful for what he did.”
Cyril needed to sit down. He needed to take a few minutes to freak out.
He hadn’t believed Vale. He hadn’t trusted him. He’d thought that Vale was lying to him and that he was a monster.
He wasn’t.
“My parents,” Melissa said. “They’re okay now?”
Cyril knew a few things about them since he’d researched Melissa, so he could answer that question. “They’re doing fine. They created a nonprofit in your honor. They help girls like you go to college.”
“That’s nice.”
“They seem like nice people.”
“They are. I’m glad they’re doing okay.”
“I’m sorry for what happened to you, Melissa.” And even more sorry for what he’d done today. He shouldn’t have reanimated her. He should have trusted Vale.
Cyril’s nightmare had been real, but it hadn’t been complete. He’d believed that his boyfriend was a monster for no reason, just like he’d reanimated Melissa for no reason. He’d made a mess of an already messy situation, and he wasn’t sure how to fix it.
But he’d have to try. He couldn’t lose Vale.