“No, but you have to admit that it doesn’t happen often that a necromancer has his throat slit while sitting in his apartment, working.Everyone’s having way too much fun coming up with theories to let it go.”
“A man died.There’s nothing fun about that.”
“You don’t have to tell me.I’m just saying what I’m seeing on social media.”
That was a reason Vale didn’t have any kind of social media, and he wasn’t about to change that.What was happening right now had solidified that opinion.
“You know I’ll continue digging into it,” Rachel said.“If Cyril is in trouble, I’ll do everything I can to help.You two are going to have to be careful, though.”
“As if we’re not already considering everything.”
Rachel sighed.“I know.I’ve been digging into that, too, but it’s hard.It really seems like no necromancer has ever publicly talked about their ability changing.They’ve always been a secretive bunch, though.I’m not surprised I’m not finding much.”
Vale wasn’t, either, but it did make things more complicated for them.
But there was no way out of it.Cyril was involved, whether Vale liked it or not.Even right now, he was home, researching Marcus.Vale doubted he’d stopped since Vale had left the apartment around an hour ago.Cyril had been on the couch, scrolling on his phone, researching Marcus Webb’s name.
He felt guilty.Even though there was nothing he could’ve done since he hadn’t seen the future, just Marcus’s death as it happened, he felt like he should have done more.That was why he was so intent on finding out what happened to Marcus.
Vale was curious, too.Why had Cyril seen his death in particular?Was it because Marcus had been a necromancer?Could that be the only reason?But then, why wasn’t Cyril seeing other necromancers’ deaths?Why Marcus in particular?Why only him?
“Anyway, you have work to do, and so do I,” Rachel said.“You should go before Cyril starts wondering where you are.”
“Consider it done,” Vale told her.He appreciated the distraction in a way.He needed it.
He hung up, then took a second to relax.He couldn’t go into this anxious.There was nothing to be anxious about, not when it came to the job.He would go in, do it, and go home to Cyril.He wasn’t sure what he’d find when he got there, but whatever it was, he’d deal with it.
* * * *
CYRIL HEARD THE FRONTdoor open and knew it was time for him to put his phone down.It was a good thing since it was almost dead, and Vale didn’t like it when Cyril forgot to charge his phone.He’d been too busy to do it because he’d been focused on Marcus and on finding anything he could about him, but even though he felt like he should continue trying, he also knew that he couldn’t stay focused for much longer.He needed to eat, spend a few hours with his boyfriend, and hopefully, sleep without nightmares.
He wasn’t sure what he’d do if he had a nightmare tonight.Deal with it, like the other two times, but still.He didn’t want to see someone else die.If he could, he never wanted to see someone die ever again.He’d learned to deal with death when he was very young, but that had never included being in the body of someone who was being killed.He doubted that he would ever live the death of someone dying of natural causes, peacefully in their bed.
“Please tell me you’ve moved from the couch since I left,” Vale said as he walked into their tiny living room.
He’d taken his shoes off at the door, and he wiggled his toes a bit.It shouldn’t be adorable on a man like Vale, but it was, and it made Cyril want to kiss him.He got to his feet, ready to do just that, but froze when he got closer to his boyfriend.He cocked his head and frowned, trying to put his finger on what was bothering him.
He didn’t have to think for long.“You had a job today,” he said.
“I did,” Vale answered, looking confused.
He kept mentioning retiring, but Cyril knew him.Vale would go nuts if he fully retired, and Cyril didn’t want Vale to ever regret being with him or to feel like he was being forced into retiring as a professional assassin.Cyril was fine with what Vale did.He would never be able to do it himself, but he’d decided that if he wanted to be with Vale, he had to accept all of him, and he had.
But Vale had never come home with death clinging to him like it did now.
“What’s going on?”Vale asked as he stepped closer.
Cyril wrinkled his nose.“The person you had to deal with today wasn’t a necromancer, were they?”
Vale frowned.“No, he was a crooked cop.Why?What’s going on?”
Cyril waved at Vale’s body.“It’s weird.It’s like this person, whoever he was, is clinging to you.I can feel him.”
“Isn’t that part of being a necromancer?”
“Not like this.I’ve never felt anything like this except when I reanimate a body.I shouldn’t be able to feel the man’s presence on you.”
“Do you think it has to do with the way your ability is evolving?”
