“Chances are Kalab is playing games with your head while the necromancer he’s working with is outside the walls stirring up the Unblessed.”

  Though I recognize he has a legitimate argument, I trust my instincts on this matter.

  “It’s not Kalab. The necromancer’s presence is very different from him. When she speaks in my head it has a different feeling than when he does.”

  With a weary sigh, he says, “The sooner we get out of here, the better. The train can’t get here fast enough.”

  We lapse back into silence. I concentrate on the sensation of my power burrowing through the earth seeking out the dead. I can almost taste the dirt in my mouth and see the darkness. It’s a suffocating feeling, so I return my attention to my surroundings. I’m still aware of my search, but now it’s like a buzzing in the back of my head and not consuming my focus.

  “Quade, if the Beloved Dead the necromancer stole are buried underground, why don’t they just climb out? Wouldn’t they hear the living above ground and want to attack?”

  “As long as the dead remain under the necromancer’s influence, they’ll obey the last command given to them.”

  “Can another necromancer take control?”

  Quade cocks his head and gives me a wry smile. “You want to steal them away?”

  “The necromancer took people important to me from the Perdition Sanctuary.”

  “I noticed that, too. The theft does appear personal.”

  “It’s very personal. Schoolmaster Simmons was a friend. He was kind to me after my mother died and always had words of encouragement during my darkest times.”

  “Do you think he was working with Jane and The Republic?”

  The suggestion hurts. “Maybe Jane has other motives, but I have to believe that all those years of kindness were true. I felt they really cared about me. I still do.”

  “You have to consider that they might have been waiting for you to manifest your abilities. Your mother was a necromancer. They knew that you could be one, too.”

  “Maybe Jane changed her priorities after she found out I was a necromancer. I do believe she sincerely cared about me.”

  Quade doesn’t say anything, which makes me feel even more defensive.

  “My whole life can’t be a lie, Quade!”

  “I’m not saying it is, Ilyse. People can care about you while still having their own agendas.”

  “Like you?” I ask irritably.

  “Yes, like me. But as we agreed earlier, I have put that agenda aside for now. Jane clearly hasn’t.”

  Smarting from our conversation, I return my focus to my search. The tendrils of my power continue to creep along through the forest. The only dead I sense are the bones of small animals and the Unblessed on the other side of the wall.

  Quade breaks the silence growing between us. “So you’re trying to find the cache so you can steal them and use them against the necromancer?”

  A bitter laugh escapes me. “No. Is that what you think? The necromancer stole my mom, Quade.”

  Understanding blooms in his eyes and he says, “Damn. Forgive me, Ilyse. Of course. You want to return her to the Perdition Sanctuary.”

  I remember all the times I’ve seen my mother recently. My dead mother pressing her hand against the glass of the observation window the night Carrie and I returned my mentor’s body to the sanctuary. The dream of her standing outside of my window. Her body dragging Bale’s down into the unforgiving ground. The necromancer has been using my mother to awaken my powers and manipulate me. It’s infuriating and unforgivable.

  “Quade, she should be at peace and awaiting the Resurrection, not being used to hurt me.”

  “I’m sorry, Ilyse.”

  “All of this feels so personal. It feels like this necromancer wants to hurt me. Resents me. Wants me to rebel and fight back. To escape from the settlement. To be like-”

  I freeze in the power of revelation.

  “Ilyse?”

  “Oh, my gods! How didn’t I see it before? How did I miss it?”

  Quade slides off the tombstone and hurries toward me. “Ilyse? What is it?”

  The revelation hits me so hard I can hardly breathe. Tears flood my eyes and my legs start to buckle. I lose control of my power, the green flames engulfing me. Instantly, the tendrils of my necromancy surge above ground to flow over the top of the wall. My mind is carried along in its thrall as my body collapses.

  Instantly, I stand among the Unblessed, staring at the stone wall rising over my head. The base of the wall is slick with the gore and blood. The charred bodies blacken the ground for hundreds of feet. The smoke and fire frightens the remaining horde, so they cower behind the fire line. I approach them slowly. The green flames of my power wrap around the Unblessed, drawing their attention. Their heads tilt toward me as I walk into their midst. I get the impression they’re awaiting my commands. Most are very old, mummified by time, but others are fresh. Maggots and flies fill the pocks in their gray flesh and crawl over their eyes.

  Though I know I’m not really outside the wall and that my body is secure inside the settlement, fear wells inside my chest, making it harder to breathe. All my life I’ve been terrified of what lies on the other side of the wall. Now I’m among the dead like I always feared, yet they can’t hurt me. If I wanted to, I could use them to hurt others. The thought of unleashing them on Elder Alvus is very tempting. How satisfying it would be to see him torn apart. It would be the perfect revenge for all he’s done to my family. Yet, the thought is also horrific and instantly weighs me down with guilt for even considering such an action. Using my power to kill like Aura did at the Bridgetown Settlement isn’t who I am.

  Or is it?

  Quade appears among the smoldering corpses walking through the smoke toward me. His head tilted downward, I can only see the top of his hat. His form doesn’t cast a long shadow like the bodies of the dead milling in the waning sunlight. I can feel him through our connection attempting to pull me toward him, but I resist.

  Ilyse.

  I mentally block him. I need to know if my suspicions are true. If there is a necromancer out here, I want to find her and confirm my worst fears.

  Turning around, I plunge deeper into the horde. The Unblessed reach out to me, their fingers brushing the illusion of my body. There is a strange gentleness to their actions that unsettles me.

  The high fence protecting the railroad tracks curves away toward the south, revealing the thick woods at the edge of the clearing around the settlement. To the north is the empty shell of the hydroelectric plant that was abandoned once the settlement decided to follow the Lost Texts and shun tech. The high fences surrounding it sag under a snarl of weeds. A long-abandoned road is broken apart, the blacktop resembling puzzle pieces as the dead stumble in my direction. They’re drawn to me even though my body lies elsewhere. It’s unsettling and a reminder just how naïve I am when it comes to my abilities.

  To the west, fallen trees, mounds of dirt, and the remains of an old building grab my attention. A large number of the Unblessed dawdle about the ruin blocking my view. I push through the horde, easily passing through them.

  Ilyse! Quade’s voice calls out.

  I again ignore him, continuing onward, the building coming into clearer view. Greenish flames dance over a half-collapsed wall. Though I’m afraid, I rush forward weaving through relics of the past: an unreadable sign, the twisted metal skeleton of vehicles, warped plastic furniture.

  What had this place been? What was it now?

  It’s very dark around the collapsed structure. The tall pine trees shield the area from the sun and cast dark, wavering shadows. It feels so much colder in the gloom as I make my way through the Unblessed, thick weeds, rotting tree branches, and ancient debris. A flickering line of very dark green fire keeps the Unblessed from wandering closer than a few feet to the building. I pass over the uneven ground, my pulse accelerating. Behind the collapsed wall there is a stairwell that leads downward. A rusted sign reads Employees Only over an empty doorway at the bottom.

  If I’m right, I’m about to stand eye-to-eye with a ghost from my past. The suspense is almost too much to endure as I descend the uneven, filthy stairs. I hesitate before reaching the doorway. I’m shaking violently with fear and excitement. I can still feel Quade trying to pull me back to my body, but I continue to fight him. I need to know the truth.

  I jump down the last few steps and enter the room beyond the open entrance.

  Kalab is waiting for me in a narrow hallway. What do you want, Ilyse?

  My excitement dies instantly. It’s you.

  Yeah. This is our waystation, he answers. And you’re trespassing.

  Beyond him is another door. It’s closed and I wonder what lies on the other side. It has to be the necromancer he’s working with.

  I saw the flames and I thought the other necromancer was here. I stumble over my words feeling foolish.

  Ah, the other necromancer, Kalab says. Your mysterious necromancer that has eluded my detection. I doubt they’re out here. They’re probably holed up in the Atonement Settlement somewhere. If they exist.

  Why would I make her up?

  You tell me, he answers with a smirk.

  You’re not making any sense!

  Neither are you.

  Are you the one tormenting me?

  Oh, no. Not my style. I’m a direct sort of guy. He shrugs and leans against the closed door. Which is why I’m going to be direct with you. If you want true freedom, tell me now and I’ll get you over the wall to this safe house. Then tomorrow, we’ll head out to The Republic. Jane will make all the arrangements for your housing and schooling there. Just say the word.

  I stare past him at the doorway. Is the necromancer you’re working with in there? I want to meet her.

  I’m the necromancer, he answers.

  Stunned by this proclamation, I gawk at him.

  I’ll teach you how to control your powers because you obviously need some training.

  Men aren’t necromancers, I say.

  Well, I’m one and I’m a man, he answers.

  Prove it.

  Kalab opens the door to reveal a small room with a sleeping pallet and a traveling bag. No one else is here. Just me. I’m a necromancer, but I’m not messing with your head. I’m laying out the truth. Come with me. I’ll train you.

  His revelation leaves me feeling disappointed and contrary. So shouldn’t I just go to the Chantry?

  I said you need training, not religion.

  Is that why you didn’t go to the Chantry?

  I escaped the Chantry, he replies.

  Escaped? Really? Quade never made the Chantry sound like a place you had to escape from when he spoke about it.

  Well, he wouldn’t, right? Kalab chuckles, shaking his head.

  Did you leave because you’re a male necromancer?

  I’m not into their mumbo jumbo. I refused to wear their robes and obey their rules. They tell us that we can’t exist without their Necromancer Order so they can control us. Cleric Fabiola herself told me that if I left the Chantry, I was doomed. As you can see, she was wrong. I’ve been a Padre for five years.

  What is a padre? What does it mean?

  It’s Father in another language. It’s something they called priests back in the day. It’s kinda a joke since the Chantry built a religion to keep necromancers under their control.

  Oh.

  Come with me and I’ll get you to true freedom. You know that’s the creed of The Republic. Freedom for All.

  Are you sure you never detected another necromancer in the settlement when you were there? Or someone suspicious?

  Other than Quade? And speaking of the devil…

  I sense Quade before he appears at the top of the stairs. His hat completely shadows his face and his long coat sweeps the dirty stairs as he descends. Yet, it’s all an illusion. He’s not really here in the same way I’m not. I don’t need to see his expression to know he’s unhappy with me.

  Ah, the Undertaker has come to steal back his recruit, Kalab says with a sneer. Can’t let you out of his sight in case you’ll really run off, huh? Then what will he tell the Chantry?

  Ilyse, we need to return. Now. Our bodies aren’t safe, Quade says, ignoring him.

  I stare at Kalab, hating that his words have had enough of an impact that I’m starting to have doubts again.

  The offer stands, Kalab says. Just say the word.

  I reach out to Quade to take his hand. Take me back.

  I open my eyes to see I’m lying on the ground outside the Murrow House with my head in Quade’s lap. His fingers gently brush against my cheek, the green flames of his power fading away. Night has taken over the eastern sky and the air is cooler. He doesn’t say anything when I flick his hand away and sit up. I cross my arms and lean them against my knees. My body feels so heavy after being untethered from it. I’m a little nauseous and disoriented. Even worse, my doubts about Quade have returned making me irritable.

  “Kalab is a necromancer, isn’t he?” Quade says finally. “It’s all been a ruse to get you to The Republic.”

  “No,” I answer.

  “But you went straight to him after you said you know who the necromancer is.”

  “That was an accident. He is a necromancer, but not the one after me. I believe him when he says he’s being straight with me. Did you know about him?”

  “I heard rumors of a rare male necromancer who left the Chantry. I’m guessing it’s Kalab.”

  I nod.

  “So who is the necromancer?”

  I take a long moment to reflect on my suspicions and what Kalab said. Though he rocked me a little with his disclosure, I’m not shaken enough to alter my conclusion.

  “Ilyse?”

  There is an odd intonation in Quade’s voice I don’t understand when he says my name. Again, a flicker of doubt makes me hesitate, and once more, I review my calculations. No, I am certain about the necromancer.

  “We should go inside,” I say finally.

  “Are you going to tell me?” Quade asks in his strange tone.

  My reluctance to share with him frustrates me. Kalab’s revelation and accusations against Quade affected me more than I realized. My naiveté works against me. It makes me afraid of every possible misstep I could take.

  Tilting my head to gaze into Quade’s worried eyes, I believe in his sincerity. I can’t doubt him now. He’s been my constant supporter through all of this. I have to share with him a truth that shakes me to my core. If I’m right, we’ll have to face the necromancer together.

  “It’s Angelina. My sister. She’s the necromancer tormenting me.”

  CHAPTER 16

  Revealed

  It’s difficult to eat the long, stringy noodles covered in a spicy red sauce, but I like the balls of meat mixed into the dish. Though I try to imitate Quade’s deft motions as he twirls the noodles around with a fork, I continually fail. I finally resort to chopping up the pasta so I can scoop it into my mouth with ease.

  The silence between us has stretched to a very uncomfortable length.

  After my declaration about my sister, it was obvious Quade wasn’t interested in continuing our discussion, which left me very confused. He insisted we return to the house for dinner. Once inside, he excused himself to make our meal. I watched him from the dining table as he fixed our food by placing two flat gray envelopes in a strange circular machine and turning it on. When he took it out, the packs were bulging with fully cooked food inside. Any conversation we’ve had since we sat down to eat has been small talk.

  The situation is making me increasingly nervous.

  I spear a meatball and glance at him out of the corner of my eye. I don’t understand his reluctance to talk about my revelation. Paranoia is beginning to eat at my nerves. Did I uncover a secret? What if Angelina ran away to the Chantry and is working with Quade to recruit me? Would she do that? Why wouldn’t she just talk to me? Nothing makes sense anymore. My whole world is full of lies, hidden plots, and confusing circumstances.

  Quade finishes eating and pushes his plate away. He finally focuses on me and I feel smaller under his gaze. It’s as though he can see straight into my soul and observe all my fears, hopes, and questions. Instinctively, I reinforce my mental shield against him.

  “We need to talk about what you did earlier,” he says finally, his shoulders sagging and his eyes downcast.

  “You don’t want to talk about Angelina?”

  “Not yet.” Tentatively touching my hand, he says, “I’m more concerned about what’s going on with your abilities. What happened earlier was... disturbing.”

  “My powers have been caught up by the Unblessed before,” I say defensively. “That’s how we met, remember?”

  “I know that. And it’s not uncommon for awakening necromancers to have those types of experiences. There’s nothing unusual about that. What is unusual is your ability to travel over distance, even a short one, while projecting yourself. As is blocking me at every turn like you just did a second ago. Usually, newly-awakened necromancers are broadcasting so loudly, the first thing we teach them is how to create mental shields.”

  I flinch at his words. It only confirms that I’m not only abnormal by the Atonement Settlement standards, but by the Chantry’s.

  “Ilyse, I know you’re scared, but I’m here to help you. One of the ways I can help you is pointing out that your powers are... formidable.”

  “How?”

  “Usually necromancers have to be trained to move about when projecting themselves. Do you understand how you were able to do it?”

  I shake my head. “I honestly never thought about what I was doing. It just happened.”

  Quade appears to freeze for a second, then brushes his fingers over his goatee. Another nervous tick he has. “All right. I’ll explain. Your power makes a connection with the undead, and then you project your mind to their location. You’re tethered to them, so you’re constricted to the area where they are gathered.”

  I’m troubled that I did everything he described without conscious thought, but I realize something even more disturbing. “When I went into the building to talk to Kalab, there weren’t any Unblessed there. How did I do that?”

 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20