Chapter 10
Chapter
Ten
Erasmus
“Shit,” I hissed as Franklin hit the brakes hard, jerking his SUV to a painful stop. My seatbelt held tight, but I still threw a hand out, bracing myself against the dash. The sound of angry, barking dogs lifted my head. Staring out the front window, it was easy to see why Franklin had come to a sudden stop.
“You okay, Boone?” Franklin asked as his hand slid to my thigh, his gaze fixed on the pissed off person we’d almost run over.
“I’m not hurt,” I answered and quietly muttered, “ yet .”
“My gun’s in the glove compartment.”
I swallowed hard. “You want me to get it out?” That was the last thing I wanted but I understood Franklin’s need to protect us. To protect me.
“Not yet, but be ready. Shield charm?”
Pops’s shield charm was easy to find. It was one of a myriad of charms I had stuffed in my pockets. “Finger on the activation button,” I answered. Pops had improved the shield charm. It would still protect us like before, but now we could move and it would move with us. That was an invaluable bonus. The trick was we couldn’t move very fast. Pops was still working out the kinks.
“Let’s hope we don’t need either,” Franklin said, doubt coloring those few words. “I’m not sure what worries me more, the gun or the dogs.”
A dog flanked either side of the man I assumed was Leander Dun. They looked mixed breed and were medium to larger in size. They weren’t the only ones. Spread out behind Leander were about half a dozen more. Each of varying size and make up. One thing his pack all had in common was they looked about as pissed as the necromancer leading them. No, not pissed. Protective.
We were at a standstill. Franklin removed his hand from my thigh and raised both into the air. I followed his lead. The shotgun trained on us didn’t so much as waver.
The car idled. At some point, Franklin had managed to get it into park. The windows were rolled up. I could probably shout and maybe be heard above the idling engine, but I wasn’t certain. Franklin appeared ready to give it a try, but Leander beat us to it.
“I don’t care what you’re selling or what god or goddess you’re trying to push on me. You’re trespassing on private property. Turn around and get off my land.” The dogs surrounding Leander lowered their barks to rumbling growls, sitting on their haunches, their muscles tense and ready to spring into action. I didn’t know if the command would be verbal or a hand signal only they understood.
“That’s not why we’re here,” Franklin shouted, and I flinched. His voice was loud and carried beyond the vehicle. “We’re looking for Leander Dun.”
I watched his hands tighten down on the gun, muscles tensing and jaw clenching. Eyes narrowed, he repeated, “Get off my land. Now.”
“What do you want to do?” Franklin asked, voice pitched so only I could hear him.
I had no idea. Well, that wasn’t true. I wanted to speak to Leander. I wanted to talk to him in a civilized manner while not staring down the barrel of a gun and dogs snapping at my heels. To do that, I needed Leander to listen and give me a chance.
Using my hand, I gestured to the window and made what I hoped was a rolling down gesture. I didn’t get a response which I took as a hopeful sign. “I’m rolling down the window,” I told Franklin. He didn’t respond.
Pressing the button, the window eased down. Shifting slowly, I leaned out a little way. Leander barely glanced my direction. His gaze was mostly focused on Franklin, assuming he was the bigger threat. He wasn’t completely wrong. He wasn’t right either.
Deciding introductions were needed, I said, “My name’s Erasmus Boone, and this is—”
“Fucking hell,” Leander said, finally lowering his gun.
“That was quick,” Franklin muttered, and I wholeheartedly agreed. I hadn’t even gotten to the necromancer part.
“What do you want?” Leander asked, gun still lowered but not yet pointing at the ground.
“You know who I am?” I asked.
“Of fucking course I do.” This guy used profanity like it was water. While I liked a good curse once in a while, it wasn’t part of my every sentence. Momma would have washed my mouth out with soap. “I read the gods damned news.”
“Oh.” It was all so new to me. Dr. Morgan McCallister had thrown me into a spotlight I didn’t exactly want or relish. Pushing that aside, I asked, “Are you Leander Dun?”
He finally lowered the shotgun the entire way. “You know I am. Now, what the fuck do you want with me?”
It was a legitimate question, one I wasn’t sure I knew the answer to. “For now, just to talk. That’s all.”
“ For now? ” Leander raised an eyebrow, his gaze flicking between Franklin and myself. His dogs had settled but still stood guard. “What does that mean?”
“Honestly, I’m not exactly certain. I can say I’m not here asking anything of you. I just… We’re both necromancers.”
“Yeah, lucky us,” Leander said, sounding anything but fortunate. Raising the shotgun, Leander motioned toward Franklin. “Who’s the muscle?”
My mouth slipped open and my eyes widened. “ Muscle? ” I stared at Franklin and despite the seriousness of the situation I laughed.
“What’s so funny?” Franklin asked, flexing his biceps. “I could be the muscle of this operation.”
I grinned and shook my head. “You are so much more than that.” I cupped Franklin’s cheek and desperately wanted to lean forward and lay my lips on his.
“Good to know you want me for more than my guns.” Franklin flexed his biceps again.
“You’re ridiculous,” I teased.
“You’re both ridiculous,” Leander said, his irritated tone letting me know Franklin and I were still skating on some pretty thin ice.
“You’re not wrong,” I agreed. “Can we shut the car off and get out? Maybe come inside so we can talk?”
Leander set the butt of the shotgun on the ground, leaning on it. The man was massive and most likely genetically took after his warlock father more than I did. Leander had dark, nearly black hair that was trimmed short. A thick beard covered most of his face. His broad shoulders were covered in a thin jacket, a faded red flannel peeking out underneath. His jeans were dark and dirt stained, and his boots appeared comfortable and weather worn. It looked like Leander and I had a similar dress code—comfy.
Glancing from side to side, Leander shifted his weight before finally nodding. “Shut the damn SUV off and get out…slowly. Don’t spook the dogs. They listen to me, but they’re on high alert right now, and nearly all of them come from a shitty background. They don’t trust easy.”
Much like the man that fed and cared for them , I thought.
Franklin shut off the car and both of us eased out of the vehicle, closing the doors as softly as possible. I left Franklin’s firearm in the glove compartment. Loaded down with Pops’s charms, we were still decently armed as we followed Leander across a small yard and up to a wide porch. Leander’s dogs followed him, sticking close to his legs. When he opened the door, all of them shuffled inside.
Leander didn’t hold the door open. He let it slam behind him.
“Welcoming,” Franklin deadpanned.
Squeezing his hand, I reached for the door, pulling it open. Franklin placed his hand on the door and held it open for me to go in first. Franklin always let me go first unless he thought we were in danger. I don’t think he thought we were under immediate threat now.
The inside of Leander’s home was warm and far more welcoming than the necromancer himself. While the main room was on the smaller size, it was cozy and I could easily see how it served its purpose. Well-used dog beds littered the floor around the main loveseat, and the two opposing chairs were covered in fur.
Propping the shotgun against a nearby wall, Leander sat his heavy frame on the loveseat and pointed to the two remaining chairs. “Sit if you want. I won’t apologize for the fur. This is their home as much as mine.”
“I don’t mind fur,” I easily answered. I wasn’t allergic, and to my knowledge, Franklin wasn’t either.
Perching myself on the edge of the chair, Franklin eased down into his, filling the space with his larger body.
Three dogs jumped onto the couch with Leander, and he somehow managed to show each of them a little love. The others found solace on their beds, and one of the dogs who’d flanked Leander when we pulled up hesitantly sniffed my leg.
“Don’t try and pet her,” Leander warned. “Just let her sniff you and don’t make any sudden moves. If you do that, you should be okay.”
“ Should be ?” Franklin questioned.
Leander shrugged. “They’re dogs. Animals. There are no guarantees when it comes to species with so-called higher intelligence. She’s a dog and instinct is a powerful thing. So is fear.”
I nodded with understanding. “We’ll try and be model guests.”
Leander snorted and rolled his eyes before jerking his head in Franklin’s direction. “You the cop mentioned in the news?”
“I’m a homicide detective, yes,” Franklin answered.
I wasn’t entirely certain what Leander thought of that. “You two looked pretty cozy in the vehicle.”
While I wasn’t entirely certain where Leander was going with that, I wasn’t ashamed and said, “Franklin and I are together as a couple.”
Leander shifted, his eyes fixed on Franklin. Head tilted to the side, he finally said, “And you know what he is.”
Franklin stilled. “You mean do I know that Boone is the kindest, most generous, intelligent, loving, and wonderful soul on the planet? Why yes, I do.”
Leander’s slow blink gave nothing away. The lazy grin barely lifting his lips was a bit more telling. “You don’t say. I suppose stranger things have happened than a human falling for a necromancer. Not many things, but still, it’s possible.” Leander shrugged. “Odd though.”
I couldn’t totally disagree. “It was surprising to me too,” I finally managed. I could tell Franklin wanted to argue but I reached across the space separating us and squeezed his wrist. Now wasn’t the time.
One of the dogs sitting next to him tried to crawl into Leander’s lap. “Not now, Princess.” He gently pushed her away and gave her exposed belly a good rub. Princess was a scraggly-looking gal with as many bald patches as fur. Her skin was scarred and she was missing an eye. I didn’t know what her story was, but figured it followed the Grimm fairytales and not the Disney versions.
Silence surrounded us until Leander finally said, “So, you’re in my house. Now, what the fuck do you want?”
Pulling my hand back from Franklin’s body, I leaned my elbows on my knees, clasping my hands between. “Like I said before, I’m not entirely certain. I… That is to say, I’ve only met a few other necromancers. The most recent one is named Navarre, and he’s…” I struggled to find the right words.
“Nutty as a fruitcake?” Leander supplied.
I pursed my lips and shook my head. “I don’t think so. He’s…”
“Confused,” Franklin offered. “I don’t really understand it all, but from what I do get, Navarre has a whole bunch of ghosts camped out around him. According to Boone and the medium, he—”
“Medium?” Leander asked, finally sounding interested.
I picked up the thread. “It’s a long story, but the short of it is that Franklin and I were asked to go to the Chicago area last month. Navarre had been found wandering the streets, covered in blood. He was suspected of murder and—”
“Of fucking course he was,” Leander angrily huffed.
“Yeah, well, we proved he didn’t murder anyone. There was a whole big thing,” I flapped my hands in the air as if that explained everything when it explained absolutely nothing at all. “In the end, I finally got the Magical Usage Council to get off their asses and get Navarre the help he needs.”
“And that help is a medium?” Leander asked.
I vigorously nodded. “Her name’s Tabitha Clark and trust me, she’s the real deal. I’d hoped she could remove all the dead spirits haunting Navarre, but it’s taking a lot longer than I imagined.”
“She has to go slow,” Franklin explained. “Tabitha Clark is afraid if she removes them too quickly, the effects will be negative.”
Leander stared, eyes wide and contemplative. “I don’t know that I understand.”
It was my turn to shrug. “I’m not sure I do either, but I’m not a medium. I could hear whispers of the dead around Navarre, but without their bodies, I was helpless to do more.” Inhaling deeply, I forged ahead. “Tabitha took Navarre back to Minneapolis with her. Evidently, it’s one of the Magical Usage Council’s hubs. He’s staying with her so she can help him and hopefully figure out a way to not only clear his current issue, but stop Navarre from acquiring more.”
“Do you think that’s possible?” Leander asked.
“I don’t know. I hope so.” Hope was all I had when it came to Navarre. I just prayed it wasn’t the false kind.
Crossing his arms over his chest, Leander’s thick biceps pulled at his flannel. “Well, good for him, and you. I suppose. But I still don’t know what that has to do with me.”
Blowing out a deep breath, I shook my head. “Nothing directly. The thing is, it’s become abundantly clear to me over the past year that no one knows just how many of us there are. There’s no accounting of necromancers, and when one is born like Navarre, then there’s also no safety net. There’s no one there to help them, and most necromancers like Navarre have a tragic ending.” The necromancer recently killed in New York easily came to mind. Truth be told, he was never far from my thoughts.
“They wind up dead,” Leander said, not a hint of inflection in his tone. “Nearly everyone else would say good riddance. The only good necromancer is a dead one, after all. We’re the abominations of the world.”
I flinched. They were words I’d heard all too often.
“That’s bullshit.” Franklin was quick to defend my necromancer honor. “Necromancers are no different than any other species, and they deserve to be counted and cared for.”
Leander’s smirk was anything but happy. “Glad you think so. I’d say you’re in the minority, party of one.”
“That’s not true. While I agree with you in general, there are a lot of others who aren’t so bad. Franklin’s co-workers are very nice to me. They—”
“That’s because you’re useful to them.” Leander pointed an accusing finger my direction. “Trust me, if you were like this Navarre, then they’d either lock you up and throw away the key or conveniently ignore you. They’d only care when your body started stinking up some dank, dark alley where you were finally put out of your misery.”
My hands clenched. Leander wasn’t saying anything new. Hell, I’d had similar thoughts too many times to count.
“Boone.” Franklin’s soft, tender voice pulled me from my downward spiral.
Inhaling, I closed my eyes and pushed away the gnawing guilt and pain. I needed to refocus. I was here to find out about Leander Dun. Given our less than welcome greeting, this might be my only opportunity.
“And what about you?” I asked.
“What about me?” Leander sounded skeptical.
“You’re what? Twenty-eight?”
“About that,” Leander agreed. “What does my age have to do with anything?”
I cocked my head, watching Leander’s fingers knead the sparse fur around Princess’s neck and shoulders. “You’ve managed to stay sane. An asshole maybe, but sane nonetheless.”
Leander grunted. “I suppose that depends on your definition of sane and asshole .” When I started to say something, Leander waved a dismissive hand. “Save it. I get what you’re saying. I’m functional. Here on my land, I’m good. There are no dead bodies. My mom and stepdad made sure of that before they purchased the land. He made me walk every inch of the property.” Leander closed his eyes, leaning his head back and relaxing his shoulders. “Bliss. Total fucking bliss. Nothing but silence. The nearest cemetery is twenty miles away. Too far for me to pick up on any of the residents.”
Franklin and I shared a knowing look. “Do you ever leave?” Franklin asked.
“Not if I don’t have to.”
“How do you get food and supplies?” I asked. “Does your family bring them to you?”
“Man, you really do live in a happy fantasy land.” Leander shook his head. “My family would like me to disappear, and after buying this place for me, that’s exactly what I’ve done. That was the deal I made with my mom and stepdad. I get a place to live—in peace—and they get rid of me, their consciences clear. In this day and age, you don’t have to leave your property to get anything. I’ve got good Wi-Fi. If I need something, I order it. Mostly I live off the land. I hunt and grow food. It’s more than enough.” Leander ended on a shrug.
“And money?” I asked. It wasn’t my business, but I was curious.
“I don’t need much. I do some remote computer coding here and there. It’s enough to get me by. I’m not cash greedy. I’m good. Content. And I sure as fuck don’t want anything to upset that.”
That message was clearly received. My fingers tensed and relaxed, repeating the process and making my hands hurt. This meeting wasn’t going how I’d hoped, not that I’d had a lot of hope to begin with. Leander fit every stereotype I’d ever heard regarding necromancers. The sad thing was, I couldn’t even blame him. Leander had managed to carve out a tiny, peaceful section of the world. Some wouldn’t call it living. For Leander, it was Shangri-la.
Head hanging, I felt the weight of futility land on my shoulders. I had no right to disturb Leander’s peace. It wasn’t my place. Slowly standing, I did something I rarely did and offered Leander my hand. He stared at it, as if the flesh might burn him before finally standing also and reaching for me. Our skin touched and his larger fingers wrapped around mine, giving my hand a firm shake.
“I’m sorry we bothered you,” I said while attempting to keep the defeat out of my voice. “Franklin and I will be on our way. We won’t disturb you again.” Franklin’s hand found mine and tugged me toward the door. Bless his heart, Franklin remained quiet. He was a silent comfort and infinite source of support.
Franklin’s hand was on the door when Leander said, “That’s it? You’re just gonna leave?”
I turned ever so slightly. “I thought that’s what you wanted. It was never my intention to cause you grief or…” I wasn’t sure how to finish without sounding overly dramatic.
Scrubbing his hands through his hair, Leander’s thick, dark locks stood up all over when he was finished. Princess remained on the couch, curled up next to another larger and furrier housemate. Three dogs settled around Leander’s feet while the others remained in their dog beds, ears perked and paying very close attention.
“Fuck, I’m gonna regret this.” Leander blew out a deep breath and tilted his head back, staring at the ceiling. “Tell me why you came. Why you really came all the way out here.”
“I—” My words caught in my throat. Franklin squeezed my fingers, pulling my attention to his fathomless eyes. Inhaling deeply, I gave Franklin a firm nod before I said, “I’m lucky. Or maybe fortunate. My father’s still in my life.”
Leander sucked in a harsh breath but remained silent.
“I can use my necromancer abilities to make a living and, on occasion, help others. I’ve got a home, a man that loves me, friends, and family. I’ve also got my sanity. It has become painfully clear that I’m in the minority.”
“And what? You feel guilty?” Leander questioned.
I shrugged. “Maybe. Although I’d say responsible is a better word.”
“Responsible for what?” Leander sounded genuinely confused.
“Responsible for my fellow necromancers that aren’t so fortunate,” I answered. “Franklin says I shouldn’t feel that way, but I do.”
Franklin pulled me toward him so that my back rested against his front. “That’s not exactly what I said. I think it’s admirable that you want to help. I just don’t want you to take on the weight of every necromancer’s lot in life.”
“Someone needs to,” I muttered, almost too quiet to be heard. Almost.
“That’s what you intend to do?” Leander closed the distance between us. “You want to find all the necromancers in the world and…do what exactly?”
I shrugged. “I’m not sure. I’m sort of making this up as I go. I just have to think there’s a way to help. I had a great support network growing up and I probably needed it less than nearly every other necromancer out there. If we could identify them and figure out what they need, what they can and can’t do, then maybe more necromancers can be helped. Maybe, just maybe, our species can have some kind of a life.”
Leander’s dark eyes widened as he stared down at me. His gaze flicked to Franklin before settling back on me. “You’re nuts.”
I didn’t take offense. “That’s possible.”
“And you’re on board with this insanity?” Leander asked Franklin.
My man didn’t disappoint. “We’re a package deal. If this is what Boone wants, then I’m here. And for the record, I don’t think it’s all that nutty or insane. Someone needs to step up. While I don’t think it’s Boone’s responsibility, he’s the only one brave enough to try.”
“Brave or idiotic,” Leander huffed while crossing his arms. “I hate to agree with the human, but he’s got a point. This should be something the Magical Usage Council spearheads. Not that they give a flying fuck any more than our warlock fathers.” Bitterness rang through Leander’s words.
“Well, we know the Warlock Council is out,” Franklin answered. “Not that we’re giving up on that route, but they’ve been less helpful.”
This time, the sound Leander made was more growl. “Typical.”
I wanted to get away from the warlock elephant in the room. “We’ve got some traction in the Magical Usage Council. I’m not sure how that’s going to pan out or if… Well, let’s just say I’m still not certain.”
“Fair enough,” Leander interestingly agreed. Crossing his arms over his chest, Leander silently stood there, his head turned and gazed across the room. For a brief moment, he appeared lost. Head hanging, Leander’s frame relaxed. “It is and isn’t easy to forget. I’ve lived out here, on this land, for the better part of the last ten-plus years. Some days, I’m able to forget I’m a necromancer at all. It’s been so long since I’ve heard the whispers, felt the cold press of something no one else could see against my skin. I didn’t have it as bad as this Navarre you’ve spoken about and I sure as shit can’t bring a soul back from across the veil like you evidently can, but I can hear them and…that kind of shit fucks with your mind. Especially when you’re young.
“Listen, I don’t know how I can help, or to be truthful, if I’m willing. But maybe don’t become a ghost yourself.” Yanking a cell phone out of his pocket, Leander said, “Give me your number.”
I quickly rattled off my cell number and a second later my phone beeped with an incoming text.
“Now you’ve got my info too. Don’t fucking abuse the privilege,” Leander ordered while pointing a finger at my chest.
“I won’t,” I promised while something warm filled my soul.
“I can’t believe I’m fucking doing this, but you might have a point. In my own way, I got lucky too. My mom married into money and instead of completely ditching me, my stepdad bought me this land. Sure, they don’t want shit to do with me now, but I count my blessings where I can. Some of us don’t have a blessing to count.”
“No. No they don’t,” I agreed.
“Next time, call before you roll up my drive. I’m not promising a warm greeting, but you won’t get a gun pointed at you either.”
My grin probably appeared more manic than happy. “Thank you, Leander.”
“Don’t thank me yet. I haven’t agreed to do shit.”
Reaching around me, Franklin held out his hand and after Leander took a moment to incredulously stare at it, he grasped Franklin’s hand and shook. “It was nice to meet you, Leander. You know, once we got past the shotgun and attack dogs.”
Leander’s belly laugh startled his dogs and made me flinch. It was deep and wholly unexpected. “You know, I think I might grow to like you two. Maybe.”
Maybe was far better than never.
Grin still pulling my lips and making my cheeks ache, we said our goodbyes and Franklin and I headed for his SUV. This time, our furry entourage wagged their tails, tongues lolling out the sides of their mouths as they escorted us on our way out of Leander’s territory.
Franklin’s vehicle dipped as it hit a lower section of the drive. “Rough beginning,” Franklin said.
“But a promising ending.”
Franklin’s hand on my thigh, along with his gentle squeeze, was answer enough.