Lukas and Eli finally reappear, and I sigh dramatically, leaning against the wall for full effect and draping one hand across my forehead.
“That was the longest thirty seven minutes of my entire life.” I complain, drawing the words out for emphasis. Eli laughs, a rich, warm sound that almost makes me forgive him for taking so long. Then he winks at me and I forget I was even annoyed. Seriously, I bet this guy can get away with anything. Meanwhile, Lukas crosses his arms and fixes me with a flat look.
“Don’t be ridiculous. You’re completely exaggerating. We couldn’t have been gone more than thirty-five and a half minutes.” He says with a completely straight face. I try to suppress it, but a giggle slips out before I can stop myself. I immediately stifle it, refusing to let him win so easily. Lukas notices and smirks just a little, he knows he got me. Damn it.
“Well?” I demand, trying to pretend that I’m not completely changing the subject.
“Nothing terribly useful.” Eli sighs, though he doesn’t look too surprised.
“One of the witnesses barely remembers anything. The other said she saw people running away, but nothing more specific than that. Hardly helpful.” He shrugs. Lukas, on the other hand, looks far more cheerful, which tells me he probably picked up something interesting. He’s already edging toward the car like he’s got a secret he’s dying to share privately. That or he just REALLY wants to get out of here. Eli notices Lukas’s awkward retreat and clears his throat pointedly, as if to say Seriously? What’s wrong with this guy? I flash him a polite smile, trying to smooth over the weirdness.
“I suppose we should let you get on with your day. Thank you so much for letting us tag along, you’ve been an absolute angel.” I say, turning the charm up to maximum. I even bat my eyelashes for effect, and okay maybe because the guy is pretty. I’m not silly enough to think that he’s actually interested in me. Most incubi are incorrigible flirts, and honestly Eli’s comments have been fairly tame by their standards. Plus from what my cousin has said, he’s a genuinely nice guy. So it’s just a bit of fun. Eli grins, clearly pleased with the flattery. Lukas, however, is still attempting his getaway. I grab his arm and tug him back, shooting him a pointed glare.
*Thank him!* I insist silently, hoping my expression makes it clear that I’m not kidding around. He did us a favour and we need to be appreciative. No point in burning bridges. Lukas sighs like I’m asking him to donate a kidney, but he plasters on a polite smile and mutters.
“Thanks for your help.”
“No problem.” Eli says easily. Then he pauses, looking between us with a glint of curiosity in his eyes..
“Hey, we should trade numbers. You can call me if you need help, and I can let you know if anything interesting comes up, though it’d be easier if I actually knew what you were looking for.” He says pointedly.
“That’s a great idea!” I say quickly, shooting Lukas a look to keep him from arguing. I take Eli’s phone and enter my number.
“If you could keep us updated on any weird magical cases, or cases with missing people or unexplained disappearances, that would be perfect.” I say happily. Eli quirks an eyebrow but doesn’t press further. You’ve got to appreciate a guy who knows when to butt out.
“Sure. And maybe next time we talk, you’ll actually tell me what it is you’re investigating.” He teases, his tone light but curious. Lukas clears his throat, clearly uncomfortable with the whole interaction, and begins inching toward the car again.
“Bye Eli!” I call out brightly as I hop into the car. Eli is still smirking as we drive away.
“So, what did you find out?” I demand the moment Eli is out of sight, my curiosity bubbling over. Lukas leans back in his seat, his expression thoughtful as he organises his thoughts.
“The woman who saw people running during the fire? I got a sort of… Image of what happened from her memory. It was mostly what she said, just people running everywhere, but one of the people she saw looked… Off. She thought the guy just looked injured, I mean, of course she did. She’s human and the guy was up and moving. But it was more than that. I’m fairly sure the man she saw was dead.” I blink, taking in the weight of his words.
“You’re sure about that?”
“As sure as I can be from a two second glimpse of a traumatised woman’s memory.” Lukas replies.
“But yes, I’m REASONABLY sure that one of the men she saw escaping was actually a reanimated corpse.” I take a deep breath, trying to wrap my head around it. It’s kind of a lot, but at the same time I’m really not sure how helpful this information is. It’s like we’re stumbling around in the dark just hoping we will find a light switch so that we can see what the hell is going on and who else is stumbling around in the room with us.
“So… There WAS a zombie at the scene? That’s… Not particularly reassuring. It confirms there’s a necromancer around, but it also tells us they’re up to some seriously dark stuff.” I conclude.
“Exactly.” Lukas agrees grimly.
“But that wasn’t all. The reanimated corpse was-”
“You can just say zombie.” I interrupt.
“Right. The Zombie… Wasn’t alone. There was someone else there. I couldn’t make out much, just that the person was short.” He says bluntly.
“Short? How short? Like, on a scale of pixie to giant, where would you place them?” I ask, tilting my head in thought.
“Closer to dwarf sized, but less stocky.” Lukas replies after a moment’s consideration.
“So… About my height minus the heels?” I quip, tapping my foot, the one that isn’t currently being used to drive that is. A soft laugh escapes Lukas, easing the tension in the air.
“Yes, that sounds about right.” He agrees.
“So does that mean we’re thinking the necromancer is a woman?” I ask.
“Possibly.” Lukas says, though his tone is cautious.
“Or it could be a small man. The person with the zombie didn’t necessarily have to be the necromancer. They could have been someone else fleeing the scene, or even another zombie. For all we know, necromancers might be able to raise multiple corpses at once. It’s not exactly my area of expertise.” He grumbles. I sigh, feeling the weight of unanswered questions piling up. We really just don’t have enough information.
“Then we need to figure out how to research necromancy. Properly.” I conclude. Lukas raises an eyebrow, doubt clear on his face.
“And how exactly do you propose we do that? Neither of us are necromancers, and that kind of knowledge is usually passed down within families. It’s not the sort of thing you find in a public library.” He reminds me.
“Good point,” I admit with a reluctant nod.
“But there’s still got to be a way. We can go back to your hotel and look for ways to research necromancy. Like, maybe we could start with famous necromancers and try to trace their family lines to see if any descendants might have kept records. OR we could work backwards and investigate psychics or mediums who claim to communicate with the dead and look into their family trees. Figure out which ones might actually be legit.” I reason. Lukas sits in silence for a moment, his expression is impossible to read.
“What?” I ask, feeling self conscious under his gaze. I focus my eyes on the road.
“Remind me to ask for your help the next time I’m stuck on research.” He says finally, his voice filled with genuine admiration.
“You have some really creative, out of the box ideas. I shouldn’t be surprised, though. I’ve been in your head, it’s always so busy. It makes sense that you’d be good at this sort of thing.” He adds. I’m caught completely off guard by the compliment. People usually comment on my bright clothes or colourful hair, but this feels… Different. Personal. It’s unusual for someone to compliment… Well… Me. Not the carefully crafted and presented version of me, but just me. I mean, I love when people compliment my clothes and hair. They’re something I love and they’re a big part of my personality. But most people don’t really look past them. It’s just… Strange.
“I… Uh…” I stammer, my cheeks warming. Desperate to change the subject and hide my awkwardness, I blurt out the first thing that comes to mind.
“What do you usually think about?” I ask.
“You.” Lukas replies instantly, without hesitation or even the slightest hint of a smile. I groan, and have to fight the urge to slap my forehead.
“Damn it, Lukas.” I complain. He bursts out laughing at my response, the sound filling the car and breaking the awkward tension.
“Since I met you, at least.” He clarifies.
“Except for that brief moment when I was running for my life. Then, I was mostly thinking, Get me the hell out of here.” I let out a reluctant laugh, damn it, he got me again.
“Of course.” I say finally, my lips twitching into a reluctant smile.