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I blinked at them. Who had I killed recently? The holidays had been sort of quiet. They usually were, for reasons I didn’t entirely grasp. I’d killed far fewerdraugrthan normal. I pondered my recent jobs. “Harold?”
The confused dead man started, “No, man. This isTommy. I’m Scott.”
“I killed Harold,” I said. “And Lydia, but she was human. The guy who was punching the window.” I went through my mind, pondering jobs. “There was the guy at the Cormier job.”
“Human, bonbon. Weasel nuts was a human,” Eli reminded me. “And you didn’t kill him. Detoothed, but not killed.”
“Right.” I frowned. “When exactly did I kill these people?”
“This week,” Tommy said, sounding less sure of himself.
“I don’t think I killed anyone other than that guy yesterday,” I muttered, glancing at Eli.
As we were talking, the puma, four coyotes, a weasel, as well as assorted nutria started to gather.
“The fuck. . .” Tommy said.
I shrugged. “I don’t like to be outnumbered. I called aid.”
“Why do they obey you?” the woman asked. “Are you a vampire?”
“No,” I answered truthfully. “I’m a necromancer, and they’re dead.”
“Cool,” said Scott.
I smiled coldly. “Alldead things obey me if I will it. That’s what necromancy is.”
There was a long silence, and I started to think the ambush was not going to result in anything other than inconvenience. I felt a twinge guilty for waking the dead predators with a hope of a meal they, apparently, couldn’t have.
“At the house in the city. You killed them and then called the police.” Tommy watched the animals with a fear that was almost sad.
I reminded myself that they’d wrecked our car and were trying to intimidate us. They caused this. I should be nearly home now. Instead, I was standing here arguing with daft and obtuse while their stoner buddy was adding emphasis at odd intervals. I was not in the mood for this. I glanced at the necromantic puma and let it stalk a little closer. Animals might not speak but they were more obedient than revived people.
“We want parley,” the woman said. “And not to be killed.”
“Wait. You mean, the Hebert house?” I asked. That was the only place I’d called the police.
“I don’t know the house’s name is, man. The one where you nailed cards to their hands.Thathouse. Unless you do that a lot, it should be a pretty freaking short list.” Tommy waved his arm around. “We are herenowto try and get mercy. We followed you from the city, but then you went to Baba Yaga’s castle and—”
“Baba Yaga?” I echoed.
“The witch, man. You went to the witch.” Scott paused. He looked at the animals. Suddenly, as clarity sideswiped him, he pointed at me and whispered loudly, “Dude, I think she’s a witch, too!”
Scott took two steps back, as if that distance would matter.
Don’t need to outrun the witch. Just the other people,I thought. I hated being the monster.
“We didn’t know there was a witch and vampire war in your city. We got caught in the crosshairs, you know?” Tommy was pacing now. “We just want to have eternal life, drink a few babes, and travel. Maybe level up enough to have wolves or be bats—”
“Bats would be so cool,” the woman interjected.
“Right . . .” I exchanged a look with Eli before asking the threedraugr, “You were part of the Prague group?”
“Totally!” Scott said with a fist pump.
At my side Eli muffled a laugh. Admittedly, the trio of abnormal dead people were stilldraugrand could stillflow.They could be a threat, but it seemed unlikely. I wasn’t quite ready to drop my sword, but I wasn’t feeling terribly menaced.
“Parley,” I said, testing the possibilities. I wasn’t sure Eli’s car would get us far, and I didn’t think examining it while they watched sounded wise. Honestly, I also wasn’t sure what to look for in car engines.
