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“Let’s get this over with. The magic always leaves a bad taste in my mouth.”
Not completely comfortable with what we’re about to do, I force myself to try to appear relaxed as I wrap an arm around her shoulders and guide her through the door. Just inside, arranged in a perfect line, are half a dozen metal gurneys, each holding a sheet-covered body.
“May I ask what you’re going to use them for?” he asks, eyes shifting nervously between the three of us.
“Target practice,” Rainey deadpans.
Ju looks like he’s about to pass out. “T-t-target practice?” He looks to me for confirmation, and I shake my head.
“Dead walkers,” Bronywyn tells him as she steps closer to the gurneys.
Ju gasps, his already pale face turning sheet white as he gapes at her like she just grew a third head. “You’re going to re-animate them?”
Ghouls are possessive creatures who tend to horde dead bodies. By doing so, they can take on the appearance of anyone who they drink. And by drink, I don’t mean blood. These bastards use their forked tongues to devour the bone marrow of their victims.
That being said, his complete and total shock is not surprising. Especially since I imagine he’s already eaten from each and every one of the victims before me and likely wants to finish them off before incinerating the bodies. To be completely honest, I try not to think on it too hard. My cleaners bring them here, and he gets rid of them. I pay him. End of involvement.
“In a way,” she replies. “They have no actual mind of their own, and they will be linked to me, completely under my control.”
“But that is dark magic!”
“Is it?” Rainey turns to Bronywyn, a single, burning question plain as day on her face. I recognize it because it’s the same one on mine.
Her cheeks flush, and she glares at the ghoul as if he just told a secret she’d rather remain hidden. “It is technically dark magic, but it’s not the same as before.”
“No? Because getting everyone out isn’t going to mean shit if we have to turn around and kick your ass, too. And I’ll level with you, Auntie Bronywyn. I am really not interested in having to save you a second—or rather, third—time.”
She completely ignores Rainey’s sarcastic nickname, though based on the grin she’s fighting back, I see she’s not offended in the least. “You won’t. I’ve done this before.”
“And you don’t find it a bit risky to try again? Especially after everything?”
“It walks the line between light and dark magic, but it all depends on what you’re using them for. If my intentions are to go out and slaughter innocents, then yeah, it would be dark. But seeing as how we’re using them to save innocents from bastards who would see them dead, we’re in the clear.” She steps closer to the furthest gurney and reaches down to fold the sheet from the dead’s face.
The man she reveals might as well be human seeing as how all supernatural energy has dissipated from him. But when she holds her hands over his chest and closes her eyes, the air charges, shifting and snapping around her while violet magic climbs down both arms.
“I cannot be privy to dark magic!” Ju squeals and rushes out of the room before either of us can stop him.
Rainey turns to me. “Guy’s a bit shifty, don’t you think?”
“He’s a ghoul,” I remind her. “Comes with the territory.”
“Huh. Never seen one before.”
We both fall silent as we watch Bronywyn. The violet intensifies, wrapping around her and the dead man in a mist that casts an almost calming glow around her.
That is until its eyes snap open and it sits straight up on the gurney.
“I serve,” it says, deep voice gravelly, likely due to the fact that it dried out while it’s been dead.
My stomach churns. This is so fucking wrong.
Bronywyn drops her hands and takes a deep, steadying breath. I can see the strain clear as day on her face—feel it through our bond—but as much as I want to walk away without causing her any more discomfort, I know that this may be the only way we’ll get our friends back.
She steps away from the first one, and I try not to pay too much attention to the way its foggy gaze tracks her every move.
“That’s the creepiest fucking thing I’ve ever seen. Honestly, it’s even creepier than the dead walkers you conjured for Delaney.”
“That’s because they’d been dead for weeks rather than hours. Looked less human.”
