Page 40 of Cold Sacrifice

“Their magic,” I murmured.

“Yes. And their blood, at first. Necromancers are of the dead. She would have taken a lot from them. She was in a big pile of dead, after all.” He disappeared and appeared abruptly at the door. “You need to get me out of here, Kait. I can help.”

“How do I do that?” I asked him, just as Gracie hurried in with client number two.

“Are you going to tell Rick about the teeth?” Remy asked, wandering over to my desk to peer down at them.

“I can tell him,” I said, “but I’m pretty sure they came from a corpse in a nearby graveyard. That’s the theme of the day, apparently.”

“We’ll discuss how you might free me from this space when there’s some quiet time,” Richard grumbled, once more beside me.

Gracie placed the folder on my desk. “You’re not going to be happy with this one,” she whispered, only Gracie Dawn didn’t do whispers, exactly. I was pretty sure everyone in the room, including the client, heard her.

I opened the folder as the client sat down. “Hello,” I said.

She was a redhead with bright green eyes, freckles, and a gap between her teeth that made her look younger than the lines at the corners of her eyes said she was. “My name is Judy. Judy Race.” She gave a self-deprecating smile and gestured at the file. “I guess you can see that.”

“What can I do for you that I’m not going to like, Judy?”

That drew a real smile, but she sobered quickly. She took a somewhat shaky breath and clasped her hands together over the leather bag she held on her lap. “Two years ago, my wife was killed. The killer was never found. It’s a cold case. I believe a spirit killed her. And now, I think it’s after me. Your name was mentioned online. Deep, dark places on the internet I never thought I’d be going. But I kept seeing your name there in the shadows, so I started asking about you. I was told you can do things no one else can do. That you really do see ghosts. That you can help me.”

Finally, she lifted her stare to mine, and though there was something fearful and shrinking in her eyes, she wouldn’t let it take control of her. Her determination was incredible, and she believed I could help her.

She had to believe it.

“I saw the videos,” she went on, when I remained silent, “when that attack happened at the mayor’s during the press conference. I saw the diner where vampires went in and killed people. I saw a lot of things, some blurry pictures, some really good videos. And I felt like I came to know you. Just like Mayor Hedrick said, you’re a protector. And I believe you’re not just a protector of the big city, but of the little nobody humans who live in it.”

Then she stopped talking, watched me calmly, and waited.

Remy and Sam watched me, too, probably wondering if I was seriously going to take on a murderous ghost case while I was trying to keep a necromancer from killing the vampires. While I was trying to keep Joe out of her hands and myself alive.

Uncharacteristically, Richard quietly watched me, as well, but I could feel his intensity.

Finally, I blew out a breath and nodded. “I’ll do it.”

Across the room, Remy snorted. “As if there was ever any doubt.”

“Good for you,” Richard murmured. “Now get me out of this building so I can help you, because if a ghost is murdering people, you’re going to need a spirit alpha to help you destroy him before he destroys you.”

I nodded. “All right. I’ll free you if I can. But I’m going to find a way to bind you to me, so you can’t take off and explore the physical world while I’m dealing with killer ghosts. You good with that?”

His lips trembled and he pressed them together. “I’m good with that,” he said. “I’m so fucking good with that, Kait Silver.”

I’d pay the witch extra to help me tether Richard to me. If he ever got out of control or started doing unacceptable things, severing that tether would send him right back to his afterlife and his confined little space in my office.

And I was good with that.

Chapter Fourteen

The office was empty of clients, finally, and Zach had returned from his job. We piled into my car and went to investigate the teeth situation at Annabelle Applegate’s house, which I figured wouldn’t take more than half an hour. Hour, tops.

Then we could go straight to Judy Race’s house and start investigating her killer ghost before leaving the city. By the time we reached Silverwood, it would be dark. I’d ask Bastien to meet me there.

And I’d send Joe to Max’s basement.

“We should track the necromancer,” Remy said. “End her, and this is over.”

“I have to free the trapped spirits first,” I told him. “I believe she’d have to be close to Bastien’s house to compel the vampires. After tonight, we’ll hunt her down and put her out of her misery.”