by C. S. Wilde
“Detective, there’s no easy way to say this, so I’ll rip off the band-aid.” Dr. Stone removed her black-rimmed glasses. “Stella and I believe your necromancer found a way to weaponize her essence.”
Mera cocked her head. “Weaponize?”
“Yes. Once a host is bitten by a contagious dead, they don’t necessarily die. That means the necromancer’s essence can stay dormant within the new host until they pass away, or until the necromancer decides to kill them, like Green did with Morgan. Once they pass, the necromancer’s essence would be activated. Meaning, the dead would raise themselves.”
Well, at least that explained how Fred Johnson had turned into an undead. The only reason why Morgan hadn’t turned as well, was because Green wanted her to pay for helping Mera. A pointless and spiteful thing to do, though Morgan was in a better place now.
“So, Green wants an outbreak,” Julian said quietly. “But she can’t possibly have enough energy to kill a bunch of people from a distance. So why would she play the long game of waiting for them to die?”
“She won’t,” Mera assured.
She’d met enough manic criminals in her life to know the necro-bitch wouldn’t stop. Eventually, Green would create more contagious dead. It was only a matter of time.
“For now, we’re safe.” Dr. Stone countered. “Morgan mentioned Green was weak, and you’ve put down the contagious dead she created. If Fred Johnson had infected anyone else, we would know at this point. She could, however, find ways to fuel her power.”
A shudder raced through Mera’s body.
“Wouldn’t spreading her magical essence in such a large scale kill her? Even a fae couldn’t pull this off, and they’re the most powerful of all magical creatures.”
“Green would die, unless she found a way to replenish her magic. Stella thinks she might try sucking the life out of living creatures, though I believe that’s impossible. There’s no record of it in all of history.”
Green wanted chaos, she’d said so herself. An army of undead, ready to rise at the snap of her fingers?
Pure. Freaking. Chaos.
“Thanks, doc.” Mera walked to the door, and Julian followed. “Please contact us if you find anything else.”
“I will. And detectives? Be careful. Whoever Green is, we’ve seen nothing like her before.”
“Don’t worry,” Mera assured. “Powerful or not, I’ll put a bullet in her head. You can count on that.”
Chapter 9
They spent the rest of the day interviewing Fred Johnson’s family and friends.
“Fred was an angel,” his mother croaked, blowing her nose into a tissue. “My poor boy!”
No, entitled prick was more accurate. Also, a freaking murderer.
The portrait his loved ones painted made Mera sick to her stomach. Exemplar boyfriend, caring son, dedicated employee. None of that changed the fact he’d bitten his girlfriend in the face to make her as repulsive as he’d looked.
As far as Mera cared, Fred Johnson could burn in hell. Sure, he’d been a victim of Green’s plans, but that didn’t excuse what he’d done to Morgan. The bastard deserved the bullet Mera put in his head.
Soon, she would do the same to Green.
The necro-bitch might be the greatest mystery of her career. Mera had pissed off a great many people in her life. Part of the job, really. A level-five witch, however? She would have remembered meeting one. And yet, Morgan said Green hated her.
“She has bigger things in store for you.” The woman’s voice echoed in her mind. “Things a lot worse than death.”
How could Green despise Mera so fiercely if they’d never met? Leaning back on the floral-patterned sofa, she crossed her arms.
Julian continued to question Fred’s parents, but Mera knew this visit was a gigantic waste of time. These people didn’t know their own son, so they couldn’t provide any useful information.
The sensation of a soft nibble brushed against her lips, as if the wind had stolen a kiss from her.
“Bast?”
His laugh echoed through her mind, the most soothing sound in the world.
“I should thank you for the babysitter.” His voice was muffled, like he spoke through a closed door.
The distance between them sucked.
“Corvus is supposed to be your partner while I’m here,” she patiently explained. “But now that you mention it, looking after you definitely fits the babysitting category.”
His finger curled around a lock of her hair; she felt it clearly, even though he wasn’t physically there. Mera had no clue why, but sensations came through their link a lot better than words.
“You were worried about me. Admit it.” His low, sultry tone made the space between her thighs tingle.
“Never.” She smirked, but quickly tried to hide the smile with a discrete cough.
It didn’t work.
Julian glared at her, while Fred’s parents frowned as if Mera was the most horrible person in the world.
Considering their son had been a petty psycho, they shouldn’t judge.
“Anyway,” Julian went on, but Mera quickly disengaged from what they discussed.
“How’s your case?” she asked Bast.
“Complicated. How about you?”
“The victim died.” Admitting it still hurt. “To cut a long story short, the necromancer can create links with people bitten by a contagious dead, even if they’re alive. And she can kill them through the connection.”
Silence lingered for a few moments, though Mera could feel Bast was there. “That’s alarming,” he finally replied.
“Major understatement there, partner.” Mera glanced over at Julian with Fred Johnson’s parents, making sure they hadn’t noticed her disinterest in their conversation for a second time.
Either they hadn’t, or they didn’t care.
“The necromancer calls herself Green, and for some reason she hates me. The victim, Morgan Schmid, died because she defied her. Because she tried to help us.” Rage flowed through Mera like lava, mixing with the freezing touch of sorrow. Both sensations rushed through the link. “I couldn’t protect her. I swore I would…”
“You will bring her killer to justice, kitten. I pity the fool who’s unafraid of your wrath.” A gentle kiss fluttered against her forehead and the restlessness thrashing inside her immediately subdued. For a while, at least. “By the way, did you say the necromancer is a she?”
“Yeah.”
“Are you certain?”
“Females can be criminals too, you know.”
“It’s not that.” He rolled his eyes, and it was the oddest thing, seeing flashes of him inside her mind—images of Bast that projected themselves occasionally through their link. “Can you imagine why Green hates you?”
“Nah. Her angle is still a mystery.” She let out a soft sigh. “Jules and I are interrogating the undead’s family and friends. Maybe there are drugs involved, though I’m not sure how they connect to the big picture.”
“Jules, huh?” Worry thrummed through their link.
“Bast…”
An apologetic bow of his head. “Change of subject, then. Did the victim mention anything about ancient runes, or Azinor?”
Mera frowned. “You mean Azinor the Snake?”
“You’re familiar with him?”
“He was one of King Wavestorm’s advisors during the Great War. Uncle Barrimond blamed him for it, but Mother applauded him for his cunning. Wait… How does your case connect to a waterbreaker?”
She gasped as the realization dawned on her. It clearly annoyed Fred Johnson’s parents, but she didn’t care.
“Bast, you dickwart!” Excusing herself, Mera rushed out the door and stopped in the garden. “We were supposed to investigate Poseidon together! How did Ruth find out about him?”
He swallowed; Mera sensed it through their link. She also sensed him pondering if he should shut down their connection.
“Don’t you dare cut me out, Sebastian Dhay!”
“Ruth wants to protect you, and so do I,” he finally said.
“Screw you,” she countered out loud, jabbing at the empty space ahead as if it was Bast’s chest. “You’re not a knight in shining armor, and I’m not a damsel in distress.”
“Mera, you have your hands full with the necromancer. This way, we kill two birds with one stone.”
She hated everything about this. The distance between them, the fact he was digging into Poseidon without her by his side… She couldn’t believe Ruth had gone behind her back! She’d never treated Mera like a child before, so why start now?
Mera also hated that Bast had a point.
“Fine, but you better keep me updated. What’s the connection between Azinor and Poseidon, by the way?”
Silence ensued, followed by the feel of his strong arms around her. Mera closed her eyes, enjoying the ghost of his presence for as long as she could. The warmth of his skin, his breath caressing the curve of her neck…
“I’m looking into it, kitten.”
Not the full truth, she was sure of it.
“Take care of yourself.” Once again, he stamped a kiss on the top of her head. “I’ll come back soon. I promise.”
Mera cleared her throat, the longing in her chest stealing a breath or two. “Bast, this isn’t fair.”
He didn’t reply.
The bastard was gone.
“Mer, what the hell?” Julian chided as he stomped out of the house, startling her. “You just upped and left!”
Raising her hands, she stepped back. “I get why you’re mad, but in my defense, the parents didn’t have anything to offer, so I had a call with Bast.”
“What do you mean you had a call with Bast?”
Clearing her throat, Mera scratched the back of her neck. “So… thing is, we kind of have a mental link. It makes working cases a lot easier.”
He stared at her, his jaw hanging open. “You gave a fae access to your goddamn head?”
“Look, I wasn’t a fan of it either in the beginning, but it turned out to be really practical.”
“Oh, I see. Is that why you were giggling like a schoolgirl, then?”
“I was hardly—”
“This is a bad idea, Mer.” He leaned closer and lowered his tone. “Getting involved with your official partner is wrong.”
His emphasis of official did not go unnoticed. “We’re not…” She stopped, because she didn’t want to lie to him. “What do you care if—”
“Look, I’ve missed you, but I understand the work you and Bast do is important. We’ve made progress in uniting the boroughs, thanks to what you two did. What you keep doing every day, as partners. You should never stop working with him.”
Mera opened her mouth, not entirely sure what she had to say, but Julian beat her to it.
“Find another way to let off steam, is what I mean. Preferably not with him.”
She arched one eyebrow. “With who, then?”
“With whomever you choose.”
“You’ll have to do better than that.”
Glancing up to the sky as if praying for an intervention, Julian cursed under his breath. “Look, we’re not official partners anymore, and I think that’s a good thing. There’s a world of things between us we’ve been avoiding for years. They’re bound to come out at some point.”
Yeah, he was absolutely right.
Julian stepped closer and gently took her hand. His thumb brushed over the back of her palm, drawing slow circles on her skin.
Some deep part of Mera relaxed, and an unwelcomed warmth rose to her cheeks. “Jules…”
“When you went to work with Bast, you created a void. I miss my partner, my friend. I miss us. I’m not good with feelings, Mer, you know that.” Letting go of her hand, he then rubbed the back of his neck. “My timing sucks, doesn’t it?”
Mera blinked, her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water.
‘Say something!’ her siren pushed.
What, though?
Julian was right. His timing sucked. So did Mera’s.
Shoving his hands in his pockets, he turned to leave. “Forget it. It doesn’t matter.”
“Jules,” she called out, but couldn’t finish the sentence.
He stood there, with his back to her. Waiting.
All the things they’d ignored for years pushed to come out at once. Mera’s monumental crush on him, the fact they’d nearly kissed several times, but always put duty first. Years of chances lost and lines almost crossed.
Julian was her best friend, and she’d missed him so very much. Mera didn’t want to lose him, but she had to tell him about Bast. How he’d changed everything overnight and turned her life upside down.
There was so much to tell him, so much to fix, that the way out got blocked. Mera didn’t know where to start.
Upon her silence, he waved without looking back at her. “All right. See you tomorrow.”
Chapter 10
Somewhere in the past…
Mera’s russet hair floated around her as she bounced gently amidst the endless sea. Her green scaled bodysuit matched the color of her side-fins, leaving only her hands, neck, and feet unprotected.
“You ready?” Belinda asked beside her.
Her best friend wore an eager grin, and purple beady eyes that glimmered like precious gems. They perfectly matched her lavender bodysuit. Belinda’s yellow hair danced in long curls around her face, and the pinkish hue of her hide gleamed brighter where faint sunlight touched it.
Belinda was positively beautiful. Unlike Mera.
Her hair wasn’t as lustrous, and her skin edged toward the colors of the rainbow when highlighted by the sun. Also, her coming of age hadn’t arrived yet, which meant her flat chest paled in comparison to Belinda’s curves.
That was why all the young males at school focused on her friend, leaving Mera unnoticed, despite being the queen’s daughter.
Not a bad thing, really.
Mera wasn’t ready, hadn’t even considered the possibility of romance. As long as she had Belinda and their open-sea adventures, she couldn’t care less about malelings.
In fact, her adventures with Belinda were one of the few things that brought Mera a shred of happiness. Those, and her visits to Professor Currenter, of course.
Today, however, would be the greatest adventure of them all.
“I’m ready,” Mera said with a nod, clutching the orca leather straps of her shell-shaped backpack.
She and Belinda dashed into the infinite blue, dancing and laughing with the tides as they talked about malelings and school—but mostly about malelings. The subject might not have interested Mera much, but she enjoyed listening to her friend talk about it.
“Is there no one at school who tickles your fancy?” Belinda asked while they broke water, zipping past schools of fish and mighty reefs. “You should have a line of contenders. You’re the queen’s daughter, for dolphins’ sake.”
“There’s nothing good about that,” she muttered quietly.
Mera had bigger problems than boys. One problem in particular called Queen Ariella Wavestorm.
“I’m sorry.” Belinda’s lips formed a thin line. “Things will get better. I promise.”
“You shouldn’t swear on the impossible, Bel.”
Her friend merely winked at her.
They swam for a long time, soon leaving the outskirts of Atlantea behind. Stopping twice, they ate the carefully packed snacks they’d brought in their backpacks—the journey usually took half a cycle. Herrings wrapped in seaweed weren’t Mera’s favorite delicacy, but they did the trick.
On they went, until they reached a remote spot in the wastelands. Hiding behind a big rock, they studied the vast expanse ahead, focusing on a cave to the right.
The most beautiful creature Mera had ever seen rested at the mouth to the cave, its body curling on the sea bed. The water dragon had no scales. Its light-silver skin, as thick as a whale’s, glimmered in the same way the mo
on reflected off the ocean’s surface.
Those creatures were the most untamable in the seven seas. Many had tried to overpower them, and many had perished.
Belinda watched the dragon eagerly, a slow smile spreading across her lips. “I can’t believe we’ll ride a water dragon today.”
“We haven’t succeeded yet,” Mera reminded her, but her friend dismissed it with a wave of her hand.
Water dragons could never truly be tamed, so she and Belinda would have to be quick. They needed to ride the creature for maybe a moment or two before letting go of it. That was the safest approach.
“As long as we stick to my plan, we should be fine,” Mera pointed out.
“But why not try to domesticate it?” Belinda’s eyes glittered with a certain madness. “Surely, we can defeat the mad queen with a water dragon on our side?”
Mad queen.
Mother.
Mera refused to build hope. It was pointless. “No one has ever tamed a water dragon and lived to tell the tale.”
“How is it any different to taming an orca?” Belinda blew water through the gills in her neck. “You’re the most resourceful waterbreaker I know. We could do it!”
Orcas and water dragons were completely different animals. Their people had tamed the first but not the latter for a reason, and Belinda would do well to remember that.
“We ride it for a short while.” Pulling a gleaming silver orb from her backpack, Mera nodded at her friend, signaling this was her final word. “Water dragons weren’t made to be controlled.”
“Neither were orcas.”
“Valid point, but orcas can’t disintegrate someone by belching waterblaze.”
“Fine.” Belinda rolled her lavender-colored eyes. “Off you go then.”
Swimming forward slowly, Mera set the silver orb down before the dragon. The giant creature locked eyes with her the whole time. Not with her exactly, but with the shiny object in her hand.
Dragons loved shiny things. Professor Currenter often said that it trumped their first instinct to attack, so Mera had brought the most lustrous object she could find.
