“I suppose you want to come in,” she said.
Cyril spoke before Vale could.He didn’t want Vale’s brusqueness to offend her.He would get straight to the point, but Cyril could see that he needed to get Iris to warm up to him.“We would love to,” he told her.“But if you’d rather talk to us here, it’s fine, too.”He gestured behind himself.“Your garden is beautiful.”
He almost laughed when Iris rolled her eyes at him.She stepped aside and waved them in.“I agree that it is, but there’s no need for you to butter me up.I’ll talk to you even if you don’t.”
Cyril quickly stepped into the cottage, half afraid that she’d change her mind if he didn’t.
The interior took his breath away.The cottage was larger inside than it had appeared from the outside, with low ceilings and walls lined floor to ceiling with bookshelves.Every available surface held books, from ancient leather-bound tomes with cracked spines to modern paperbacks with worn covers.The smell of old paper and dried herbs filled the air, mingling with something that made the hair on the back of Cyril’s neck stand up.
Between the books were oddities that made Cyril’s fingers itch to touch them.A glass jar containing what looked like preserved moths with iridescent blue-green wings.A small gilded animal skull was set on a velvet cushion.Bundles of dried flowers hung from the ceiling beams, their colors faded to browns and grays.A collection of mirrors in various sizes and shapes reflected the room back at Cyril in fragments, and he had the unsettling feeling that the reflections weren’t quite right.
“I’m here about Marcus and Diana,” Cyril said, unable to help himself.He needed to know if she recognized those names.
Iris’s expression changed.Something flickered in her eyes, maybe grief?“I know those names,” she said quietly.“Are they—”
“Dead,” Cyril finished for her.“Both of them.”
Iris closed her eyes for a moment, and when she opened them again, they were bright with unshed tears.But there was no surprise in her face, only a deep sadness that surprised Cyril.“I see,” she said.“I’d hoped I was wrong.”She turned away from them, her shoulders slumping.“You’d better come into the living room.This conversation requires tea, I think.”
She led them down a narrow hallway, past more shelves crammed with books and objects.The living room was smaller than Cyril had expected, but it felt warm and lived-in.A fireplace dominated one wall, but it was empty since it wasn’t winter.The furniture was old but comfortable-looking, including a worn sofa with faded floral designs, two armchairs that didn’t match, and a coffee table marked with water rings and burns.
“Sit,” Iris commanded, gesturing to the sofa.“I’ll put the kettle on.”
Cyril and Vale sat, and Vale’s hand immediately found Cyril’s, squeezing gently.Cyril squeezed back, grateful for the support.The cottage felt strange, like it existed slightly outside of normal space, and he needed something solid to hold onto so he didn’t get lost.
Iris returned with a tray with a teapot and three mismatched cups.She poured the tea with steady hands despite the tears that were rolling down her cheeks.She handed them each a cup before settling into one of the armchairs, cradling her own cup like it offered her comfort.
“Now,” she said.“Tell me everything.”
* * * *
VALE DIDN’T BELONGin this conversation.He was here to support Cyril and to make sure nothing happened to him, but he wasn’t going to participate.This was Cyril’s show, and Vale was happy to stay out of it.
He didn’t know what to think of Iris yet.For now, she didn’t seem like anything but a nice old lady.She’d even made some tea, and Vale had noticed how Cyril had already softened toward her.That was okay.Just like it wasn’t Vale’s job to ask questions about Cyril’s ability, it wasn’t Cyril’s job to keep in mind that everyone and anything could be a danger.
“My ability as a necromancer has been changing,” Cyril said softly.“I’ve always been a strong necromancer, but recently, I’ve done things that I don’t know how to explain.I’ve used an entire cemetery of dead bodies to save the people I loved.I keep having what I initially thought were dreams in which people die.I know they’re not dreams because I dreamed of Marcus and Diana’s deaths.The first time I had that kind of dream, the death wasn’t recent, but they are now.I watched Marcus and Diana die through their eyes.I couldn’t do anything to stop it from happening.I was powerless, even though Vale and I rushed out as soon as I woke up from Diana’s dream.”
Iris glanced at Vale.Cyril hadn’t explained who he was, so she was probably wondering.Maybe the fact that they were still holding hands had clued her in.She didn’t seem to care.She looked thoughtful and a little sad, but that was it.
“I’m not surprised by what you’re saying,” she told Cyril.
“Really?BecauseI’msurprised by what’s been happening.This doesn’t make sense.I didn’t know that a necromancer’s powers could change.Why should they?”
Iris put her tea cup down, leaned back in her chair, and laced her fingers together over her stomach.She appeared thoughtful, as if she was wondering how best to explain this to Cyril.“You’re dealing with death.Even though we’re necromancers, it’s still mysterious and something we don’t have a lot of information about,” she pointed out.“As it should be.Death is one of humanity’s biggest mysteries, and it should stay that way.You shouldn’t be here, Cyril.Marcus and Diana were here, too, and they died.I don’t want to see that happen to anyone else.”
Vale had to agree there, and he would’ve kept Cyril away if he could have.Unfortunately for him, his boyfriend was stubborn, especially when he wanted answers.
To be fair, Vale wanted answers, too.He needed to know how to help Cyril.He needed to know how to protect him.
“I understand, but I can’t leave,” Cyril told her.
She nodded.“I didn’t expect you to.You and I are in this for life, unfortunately for us.”
Cyril frowned.“I’ve never had a problem with my ability.I know some people hate being a necromancer, but that’s not who I am.”
“That’s good to hear, but it’s not what I meant.”
“Whatdidyou mean, then?What’s happening to me?Please, if you know, you have to tell me.”
