in two giving him an even eerier appearance. The skin folded and shifted, creasing around his eyes. “Yes, I’ve been trying to reach Beatrix for some time. She’s my love; I will raise her and have her at my side for the rest of time.”
His hand moved to his chest and his eyes flickered shut for a brief moment. If I thought necromancers were capable of emotion, I’d have thought he genuinely loved whomever Beatrix was. The idea sickened me. A trickle of fear slid down my spine; if he succeeded in raising and controlling a witch of that power, then he’d be close on unstoppable.
“Serena sent you, didn’t she? I know all about the amulet and her situation.”
His eyes hardened once more. He stood taller and set his shoulders back. In one fluid movement, he changed from a decrepit old corpse to that strong man that was staring me down. The necromancer’s creatures shuffled into view. Haggard corpses with flesh that hung off their bones. I looked between him and the zombies that were starting to surround me; they were between me and my goal. I couldn’t allow that.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
The necromancer shook his head lightly before he began moving his hands much like a conductor.
“We could have been great together.”
I wasn’t sure if he meant me and him or him and Beatrix. Both options triggered my gag reflex. His hands started with slow, languid movements. His bony fingers soon began to twitch, the tips worn down revealing the sharp points of the bone beneath the thin skin. I was almost entranced for a moment. His pale, verging on translucent, skin took on a soft grey-green glow as the magic built within him. The zombies were old and slow; the necromancer clearly hadn’t made any new ones for a while. I was more than a little glad of that. I wouldn’t have had much of a chance otherwise. I lunged at the necromancer and suddenly had two zombies between me and him. They had moved with incredible speed out of nowhere. The fight wasn’t going to be quite as simple as I’d hoped.
I kicked the woman on the left; my foot went clean through her sternum and broke her spine on the other side. It took me too long. The other zombie drove his elbow into my thigh; the sharp joint sent pain radiating through my leg and knocked my balance. I stepped back and moved to my right, not taking my eyes off him as his female friend crumbled to the ground. The necromancer had made a break into the shadows. There was no time for caution. I put my blades back in their sheathes before I drove forwards and landed a right hook to the zombie’s jaw, twisting his head to a sickening angle. I continued with a knee into his hip joint. It was enough to make him pause; I took advantage and grabbed his head between my hands, twisting with as much force as I could muster. The sound of his brittle spine snapping was incredibly satisfying.
The other zombies shuffled around me, blocking my path to the mausoleum. I ducked and danced between them. My blades wouldn’t have been much good, as I needed to break their necks and decapitate them. My blades were good for slicing flesh, not breaking bones. I hated zombies. I shattered one’s knee while ducking under another’s clumsy punch. The small man crumpled to the ground and reached out, trying to claw at my legs. I stomped down on his skull before I kicked the legs out from under the broad man next to him. The distinctive sound of stone scraping on stone cut through the air. The runes should have kept the necromancer out; he must have spent decades trying to break them.
I held back the scream when teeth sank into my shoulder, I refused to give it the satisfaction. I slammed the heel of my hand into its forehead before I mule kicked back and shattered its fragile pelvis. Warm blood trickled to my collarbone and between my shoulders. I cursed and kicked the offending zombie’s head as hard as I could, causing the skull to crack and crumble on impact. That left me with the big
His hand moved to his chest and his eyes flickered shut for a brief moment. If I thought necromancers were capable of emotion, I’d have thought he genuinely loved whomever Beatrix was. The idea sickened me. A trickle of fear slid down my spine; if he succeeded in raising and controlling a witch of that power, then he’d be close on unstoppable.
“Serena sent you, didn’t she? I know all about the amulet and her situation.”
His eyes hardened once more. He stood taller and set his shoulders back. In one fluid movement, he changed from a decrepit old corpse to that strong man that was staring me down. The necromancer’s creatures shuffled into view. Haggard corpses with flesh that hung off their bones. I looked between him and the zombies that were starting to surround me; they were between me and my goal. I couldn’t allow that.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
The necromancer shook his head lightly before he began moving his hands much like a conductor.
“We could have been great together.”
I wasn’t sure if he meant me and him or him and Beatrix. Both options triggered my gag reflex. His hands started with slow, languid movements. His bony fingers soon began to twitch, the tips worn down revealing the sharp points of the bone beneath the thin skin. I was almost entranced for a moment. His pale, verging on translucent, skin took on a soft grey-green glow as the magic built within him. The zombies were old and slow; the necromancer clearly hadn’t made any new ones for a while. I was more than a little glad of that. I wouldn’t have had much of a chance otherwise. I lunged at the necromancer and suddenly had two zombies between me and him. They had moved with incredible speed out of nowhere. The fight wasn’t going to be quite as simple as I’d hoped.
I kicked the woman on the left; my foot went clean through her sternum and broke her spine on the other side. It took me too long. The other zombie drove his elbow into my thigh; the sharp joint sent pain radiating through my leg and knocked my balance. I stepped back and moved to my right, not taking my eyes off him as his female friend crumbled to the ground. The necromancer had made a break into the shadows. There was no time for caution. I put my blades back in their sheathes before I drove forwards and landed a right hook to the zombie’s jaw, twisting his head to a sickening angle. I continued with a knee into his hip joint. It was enough to make him pause; I took advantage and grabbed his head between my hands, twisting with as much force as I could muster. The sound of his brittle spine snapping was incredibly satisfying.
The other zombies shuffled around me, blocking my path to the mausoleum. I ducked and danced between them. My blades wouldn’t have been much good, as I needed to break their necks and decapitate them. My blades were good for slicing flesh, not breaking bones. I hated zombies. I shattered one’s knee while ducking under another’s clumsy punch. The small man crumpled to the ground and reached out, trying to claw at my legs. I stomped down on his skull before I kicked the legs out from under the broad man next to him. The distinctive sound of stone scraping on stone cut through the air. The runes should have kept the necromancer out; he must have spent decades trying to break them.
I held back the scream when teeth sank into my shoulder, I refused to give it the satisfaction. I slammed the heel of my hand into its forehead before I mule kicked back and shattered its fragile pelvis. Warm blood trickled to my collarbone and between my shoulders. I cursed and kicked the offending zombie’s head as hard as I could, causing the skull to crack and crumble on impact. That left me with the big
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