“We do...”
“Hardly a harbinger then.” He smiled down at her, and for the first time since she’d collapsed, she returned it
“Are you two really okay with this? I know nothing about how my powers work. I can’t answer your questions. Probably ever.”
“Then we’ll figure it out together,” Faye reassured her. “I might even know someone who can tell us more.”
“You do?” Hope lit up Penny’s voice.
“Possibly. We can agree that you have death magic, not light magic. Right?”
Reese tried not to laugh. Faye only ever used ‘right’ as a question when she already knew she was right.
“I guess so, but I can’t say I’ve ever thought about it.” Penny sat up suddenly, and Reese mourned the loss of contact. At the same time, he knew it was for the best. While they’d been having their conversation quietly, it still wasn’t the place.
“It makes sense,” he admitted, trying to ignore the smug look on his blonde mate’s face.
“I know,” Faye responded. She stood up and held out her hand for Penny, helping the other woman to her feet. Reese followed swiftly, jumping up with a grace only a bird shifter could claim. He cracked his neck. Shifting soon was probably a good idea. It’d been a while, and he was starting to suffer the itch of his inner raven trying to get out.
Maybe he should fly to wherever Faye intended them to go. His sense of direction was unparalleled, and his shifter form was only slightly larger than a normal raven, so it wasn’t like he’d be spotted and raise any suspicions.
He caught Faye’s eye and she nodded once. Years of knowing his shifting patterns, and years of knowing him, meant she didn’t need words.
“Yes. We’re off to see Isabella,” Faye responded, causing Reese to grown. He knew the necromancer from high school, and they’d never really got on. “Oh, don’t look at me like that, Reese. She’s grown up since school.”
He raised an eyebrow.
“Alright, maybe not. But she’s the best shot we have since Damien went rogue.”
“I’d hardly call what he’s doing ‘going rogue’, Faye.” Or at least, it wasn’t in Reese’s book. After the Necromancer Council had been suspended, an odd sort of martial law had come into effect for them. Damien’s part in that was to chase down the kind of necromancers who’d caused the issue in the first place. In other words, the ones who killed people. Or reanimated the unwilling dead. Although, how the dead could be willing was another matter.
“The point is moot.” She waved her hand to dismiss the conversation. “Isabella is our chance for answers.”
“True...”
“I feel like I’m missing something,” Penny muttered.
“We’re off to see a necromancer,” Faye answered sweetly.
“An immature necromancer,” he muttered.
“Reese!” Faye admonished. She turned so she was just facing Penny. “She’s really not that bad. Most of the time anyway.”
Reese’s shifter hearing picked up Penny’s gulp. He felt for her. She had no idea what she was in for.
Chapter Eleven
Penny looked at the surprisingly plain front door, and frowned. It wasn’t what she’d expected when the other two had started on about a necromancer. She’d been expecting dark and dingy. Maybe with a haunted house vibe. Certainly animal skeletons littering the garden. Instead, she got nothing more than a white picket fence.
“Are we in the right place?” Her voice shook as she asked.
“Yes. Isabella’s family has lived here since we were at school.” Faye looked up at the sky, and Penny followed her gaze, spotting a speck of black getting ever closer to them. “Ah, here he is.”
“Is that...?”
“In the feather,” Faye replied with a light laugh.
The bird landed on Faye’s shoulder and cocked its head.
“Hi, Reese,” Penny said, feeling a little silly talking to a bird, even if the bird was part of her mate. One of her mates.
Reese chirped at her, assumedly in greeting, before turning to Faye and making a series of sounds she could only describe as irritated.
“No, Reese. I left your clothes at the café because I thought sending you in to meet Isabella completely naked. Although...the plan does have some merits. What do you reckon, Penny?” A smirk played at the corner of Faye’s mouth.
To Penny’s surprise, she had to smother a laugh. “I think it’s a great idea.” The words slipped out before she realised what she was saying. Faye’s part-smirk turned into a beaming smile.
“Here, you daft bird.” She handed him a small bag, which he grasped in his beak, before flapping off and into a dark secluded space.
Disappointment that he’d actually be fully dressed surprised Penny. That wasn’t normally her reaction to anyone.
Reese appeared moments later, his hair looking slightly ruffled. He strode up to Penny and kissed her gently on the lips. He pulled away, and repeated the action with Faye. It was the first time she’d seen them kiss since accepting they were her mates, and she was only a little surprised at the lack of jealousy within her. Even more so by how she was already feeling less like the two of them were a couple with her on the outside. She knew that would’ve sunk in with time, but she hadn’t expected it quite so soon.
“I thought about not kissing you in punishment...” he started, his eyes a lot softer than his words implied they’d be.
“But that’s too cruel,” Faye finished for him, her face lighting up in a smile.
“It would be yes. We’ve had too much time wasted for us.”
“Sorry,” Penny muttered.
“No!” Faye’s instant reply came. “Never be sorry for something outside your control. There’s a reason we’ve met when we have, and that doesn’t have anything to do with it being your fault.”
Penny stood there for a moment, stunned. She wasn’t sure what to make of it. Part of her still felt guilty for not being around sooner, even if that was a ridiculous thing to think. It wasn’t her fault, just like it wasn’t Reese or Faye’s faults either. All it was, was bad luck.
“Okay,” she muttered softly.
“Good, now let’s go see Isabella,” she said, striding the remaining few paces between them and the door, and rapping her knuckles against it firmly. Penny hurried so she was standing behind her, with an uneasy looking Reese next to her. He really wasn’t a fan of this Isabella person then. She wondered what had gone on between them for him to be so uneasy. But that was a question for another day. It probably wasn’t best to ask for the down low on the person they hoped would give them answers.
“Hello?” a sleepy voice said from the door. Ah, at least Isabella looked like what Penny expected of a necromancer. She had pale skin, with long dark hair and bright eyes that seemed to swirl with colour. There was also something a little off about her, but she couldn’t put her finger on what. Maybe it was just the banshee reaction to her necromancer magic. The two couldn’t mix well given necromancers could interrupt the banshee warning system by simply bringing the dead back to life.
Not that she imagined it would be simply. She knew nothing about necromancers, and didn’t want to cast any aspersions without knowing the truth about them.
“Isabella!” Faye chirped, sticking her hand on the door frame so the other woman wouldn’t close it on them. Well, she could still close it on them, but it’d be terribly rude, even if they were their uninvited.
“I see you brought bird brain.” Isabella narrowed her eyes at Reese, who made a weird, almost part growling noise. Faye held a hand out behind her, trying to touch him and likely ground him, but failing. Instead, Penny placed her hand on his arm, and squeezed gently. He looked in her direction, and his expression softened, leaving the path clear for the Reese she’d come to know.
“Good evening, Isabella,” he said through gritted teeth. Pride welled up in Penny. She hoped he’d always be so reasonable.
“We need some help,” Faye said, ignoring Rees
e. Probably for the best, Penny wasn’t too sure how much longer he could actually stay quiet for.
“Of course you do,” Isabella snarled. “Why else would you be here?” Okay, so she clearly wasn’t happy about this. And that wasn’t helping with how nervous Penny was feeling about the whole situation.
“We just have some questions about death magic. Our mate, Penny....”
“What?” Isabella demanded, her eyes meeting Penny’s and turning into a death glare that could only be rivaled by one from the devil himself. “Why have you brought that here?” she spat out. Penny swallowed loudly. This wasn’t good at all.
“She’s our mate.”
“Shut up, Faye,” Isabella growled. Then, with a surprising amount of speed and grace given she’d just appeared to wake up, Penny found herself pinned against the wall of the house. She was facing in the opposite direction with a hand around her neck, and angry eyes boring into her. “Why are you here?” Isabella demanded.
“A-a-answers,” she stuttered out, her words inhibited by her windpipe being crushed. That was inconvenient to say the least.
“And you think I’ll give them to a banshee?” The venom in her voice wasn’t like anything Penny had ever heard. She wondered if the problem was between Isabella and banshees, or necromancers and banshees, but she imagined she’d find out fairly soon.
“Enough, Isabella,” Reese growled, pulling the hand away from Penny’s neck. She gasped in relief, sucking in deep gulps of air in an attempt to regain her composure.
“How dare you bring her here!” Isabella kicked and tried to scratch at Reese’s face.
“Why?” Faye asked softly.
“Do you seriously not know?” The shock seemed to stop the dark-haired woman’s attack, and Reese let go of her.
“No, that’s why we’re asking.” Penny could hear the lack of patience in Faye’s voice, but, thankfully, the other two hadn’t caught on. Reese caught her eye. Okay then, just Isabella hadn’t caught on.
“Fine. But only cause I want her gone. Maybe when you understand why, you’ll do something about her.” The menace was plain, but at least she knew two people had her backs. “Better come in then.”
Chapter Twelve
Isabella’s glare was really getting on Faye’s nerves. There was no real need for it. She’d never met Penny before, and even if she had, Faye was sure that Penny had never done anything to hurt the necromancer, that just wasn’t part of her inherent nature. She knew she shouldn’t feel like that already, after all, she barely knew the other woman, but there was still something about her that made Faye so certain.
“What are you after, Faye?” Isabella broke the silence with a snarl.
“We need to know about death magic.”
“And what makes you think I’ll tell you and bird brain about that?”
Faye scowled. She knew Isabella and Reese hadn’t got on in school, though she’d never known why that was. However, she had thought that the two of them would have moved on from whatever the disagreement was. The scowl on Reese’s face, and Isabella’s entire demeanor, suggested otherwise though.
“Please, Isabella. We know nothing, and Penny screamed earlier. We need to properly know what it’s about.”
“And you think I know?”
“Yes. We’re all more than aware you father sat on the Council before it was disbanded. I highly doubt you don’t,” Faye pointed out. She’d always found Isabella’s father a little intimidating. He was like an older, male version of his daughter. The stereotypical image of a vampire more than a necromancer, though that was mostly because most humans seemed oblivious to the existence of necromancers, despite the fact they were far more dangerous than vampires, who tended towards just being a bitey really. They weren’t about to kill anyone for their life essence.
“Fine. I know things.” Isabella sighed. That was easier than Faye had expected.
“Why were you so angry we’d brought Penny?” she asked. It might not be the most important thing they needed to ask, but it was still something they needed to know. Especially if it meant they had to try and stay away from necromancers in general. Though that could prove pretty difficult considering most paranormals led every day lives. The woman at the coffee shop could be a fae, or the cleaner for next door’s house could be a wolf shifter. She wasn’t, but the point was still valid.
“You really don’t know a thing about banshees, do you?” Isabella asked, a resigned tone in her voice.
“No, that’s why we’re asking,” Reese griped.
“Reese!”
“Sorry,” he muttered. Faye hoped that’d be the last of him interrupting. He really wasn’t going to help the situation.
Isabella let out a raucous laugh. “I see how it is. Someone finally tamed the bird.”
“She’s had me tamed for years, and you know it,” Reese responded instantly. Faye threw him a dirty look, but he just shrugged.
“I still say you had until you turned eighteen.” Isabella waggled her eyebrows and her meaning finally sunk in. Sparks ignited on Faye’s hands, and it was all she could do to keep them in check. Even once she’d extinguished them, she could still feel the power crackling beneath her finger tips. She was going to have to be careful, or she’d end up with a bigger problem on her hands. She was sure she could feel more power than she’d ever felt before. Apparently, meeting Penny had been good for more than just being able to touch Reese. She’d have to try some bigger magic at some point. Maybe she could get Bex to teach her.
“Moving on. Banshees,” she prompted.
The tension from Penny, who was sat next to her on the worn sofa, was almost touchable, and without meaning to, she took her hand in her own, giving it a squeeze. Penny returned it, and contentment flowed through Faye. This was what mating was supposed to be like.
“They’re necromancers.”
“What?” Penny blurted out.
“Well, they’re not. But they used to be.” Isabella examined one of her nails, as if she hadn’t just dropped a major bombshell on them all.
“You mean...”
“Before they’re given the banshee curse, yes.”
“How does that work?” Faye asked, curious, but also knowing she wanted to know for other reasons. She didn’t think Penny would agree to children until she knew how the curse worked. Not from her reaction to talk of kids earlier. And while Faye didn’t want them now, she did at some point. Hopefully the fact neither her, nor Reese, had any death magic, would help with the situation.
“It’s to do with the banshee scream.” Isabella shrugged. “We don’t know the specifics, but if a necromancer child hears a banshee scream at an exact age, we’re talking down to the minute, they become cursed. No one is sure what happens after that, other than that the children disappear.” She seemed very unaffected to be talking about missing children, but that could just be her immaturity coming through. Isabella had always been a little bit that way. It was one of the reasons Faye had never been closer to her.
“So I could curse someone without meaning to?” Penny asked, horror filling her voice.
“Yes. And steal our family from us,” Isabella snapped. Which was when it all clicked into place for Faye.
“You lost a sibling, didn’t you?” she asked softly.
“Yes, our middle sister. She was only five when it happened. It was awful, the sound shook my very soul. But it did far, far, worse to her.” Tears pooled in the woman’s eyes, and for the first time, Faye felt kind of sorry for her. Though it didn’t stop the slightly jealous monster simmering beneath the surface, nor the anger over how Isabella had treated Penny when they’d first arrived.
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. It’s not your fault. But that’s why banshees are so rare. The circumstances are so specific, and a lot of necromancers just keep their children inside between the ages of four and five. If they can, and if they know, anyway.” She looked away, and Faye wondered what else there was to it.
“Oh.�
��
“Yes, oh.”
“Do you know what the scream means?”
“Other than the loss of a child?” Isabella laughed bitterly. “Normally it’s a warning that something bad is coming. Sometimes death, sometimes just pain and anguish. At least, as far as we can tell, that’s what they’re about. But there’s still not enough information for us to go on. You’re on your own for that one, I’m afraid.”
“Is that seriously all you can tell us?” Reese spat.
“Yes. Though it appears she has some life magic now, probably her connection between the two of you,” Isabella said, her tone softening properly for the first time.
“How can you tell that?” Faye asked. Life and death magic were still shrouded in mystery for her, as they were for most paranormals. She suspected the only ones who had any clue, were the necromancers themselves. Everyone else just seemed to know they had life magic, and that was it.
“Necromancers can see mating bonds. Didn’t you know that?” Isabella cocked her head to the side as if asking why they wouldn’t.
“No. That’s not common knowledge.” Faye’s anger rose as she realised Isabella had probably been able to see the link between her and Reese even when they’d been at school. Meaning hitting on him had been a really low blow on her part. She just about managed to keep her anger under control though. Which was definitely a good thing. Exploding here wouldn’t be a good idea. Well, exploding anywhere wouldn’t be.
“Oh. Well, we can. The one between you and bird brain is pretty strong, but a little twisted. As if you’ve sealed it wrong.” Isabella’s brows furrowed. Faye opened her mouth to try and head her off so she didn’t question what was going on too much. She didn’t want anyone else knowing about their odd predicament. Isabella held up her hand to stop her from speaking. “It’s got a slight kink in it that suggests it was more twisted before, so whatever it is you’re doing now, is working. Then there’s another bond between each of you and the banshee. That one’s faint, but it’s been growing stronger by the second.” She frowned.
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