“What the hell?” Lukas demands, his voice sharp with disbelief. Unable to simply take Wren’s word for it, he reaches out, his fingers aiming for Cole’s shoulder. I assume he’s trying to read his mind, to confirm that Wren isn’t hallucinating, to prove that this is some kind of mistake. But his hand goes straight through him. I suck in a breath, my whole body locking up as the implications hit me. Lukas jerks his hand back immediately, his expression flickering with something shock.
“What the…” He trails off.
“Whoa.” Cole mutters, visibly shuddering.
“That was weird. Yeah, let’s not do that again, thanks.” He says, his tone is joking but totally strained. He isn’t as relaxed as he’s trying to act. My head swings wildly between Wren and Cole, my brain scrambling for any kind of logical explanation. This can’t be real. Cole is driving a car. He’s been interacting with us this entire time. He can’t be dead. Unless… I swallow, my throat dry. If he were a zombie, if he were just a reanimated corpse, then Lukas would have been able to touch him. That means he’s not physically here. Which implies… No. No, that makes NO sense. I shake my head.
“What the hell is happening? How is this possible?” I turn to Wren, because out of everyone here, he is the necromancer. He should understand this better than any of us. Wren’s voice is quiet, almost broken.
“He’s a ghost.” He contirms, but he looks just as confused as I feel.
“He can’t be.” I argue, my voice a little too desperate.
“Lukas and I can see him. Only necromancers and a few very rare people can see ghosts. I know for a fact that I’m not one of them.” My thoughts are racing, my mind grabbing onto every reason this can’t be true.
“Not to mention, ghosts don’t interact with the world. They can’t just,,,” I gesture wildly at Cole.
“They can’t drive taxis!” I blurt out. Despite the literal evidence in front of me, I can’t accept it. It’s too impossible. Too wrong.
“I don’t understand it either.” Wren admits.
“But Uncle Cole is…” He hesitates, his shoulders hunched, his entire body curled in on itself. His voice cracks slightly.
“He’s definitely dead.” He says, his voice barely louder than a whisper. There’s something else in his tone now. Not just devastation. Guilt. I frown, reaching out instinctively to pat his arm.
“Wren?” I prompt softly, waiting. Because he’s clearly not done speaking. He swallows hard, his fingers gripping his knees like they’re the only thing keeping him steady.
“Mum and I thought that he left us.” he says, barely above a whisper.
“A year ago. No… More like two years ago now. He just stopped coming by.” He explains. My stomach twists.
“I asked Mum about it, she said he moved away. That we might see him again one day. But I…” His voice falters, thick with emotion.
“I never thought he was…” He doesn’t finish the sentence. He doesn’t need to. My heart aches for him. Poor Wren. He lost his mother, and now he’s discovering his uncle is dead too. I glance at Lukas, whose entire demeanor has shifted into something cold. His jaw tightens and he turns his glare on Cole.
“You had better explain yourself.” Lukas says, voice low and dangerous. Roxy growls from her seat, perfectly in tune with Lukas’s mood as always. I don’t know what Lukas thinks he can do to a ghost, but judging by the sheer intensity of his presence right now, I wouldn’t put it past him to find a way. Cole finally glances in the mirror, his mouth pressing into a thin line. He starts to open it, to say something, but something in his expression must set Lukas off, because before Cole can even get a word out, Lukas cuts him off.
“I’m not joking.” He warns, his tone dropping to something sharper.
“I don’t want more vague, unhelpful comments. No more cryptic hints. Your nephew deserves real answers. And if you don’t provide them… Then, living or not, I will find a way to make you speak.” Lukas says with complete sincerity. A thick silence blankets the car. It’s one of the strangest things, because Lukas doesn’t sound angry. He doesn’t sound out of control. He sounds calm. Completely measured… And somehow, that makes him ten times more terrifying than if he had just completely lost it. Controlled emotion is so much more dangerous than somoene who just lashes out impulsively. Cole exhales slowly, his shoulders drooping slightly. He keeps his eyes on the road, but now he’s driving slower. More carefully. As if he’s using the task to keep himself steady.
“You’re right, it’s just…” He hesitates, finally, he sighs.
“It’s just not a happy story.”
Cole takes a moment to gather his thoughts, his fingers tightening around the steering wheel. The silence in the car is thick, heavy with the weight of everything that’s just been said. I squeeze Wren’s hand gently. He’s shaking. His whole body is locked up, he is so tense. His breathing is shallow, his other hand clenched into a fist against his knee. Lukas, meanwhile, remains stone faced, his glare fixed on Cole, unwavering and unforgiving. I don’t think Lukas likes surprises very much, and this? This has been a big one. Finally, Cole exhales.
“Well… I suppose the first thing I should say is…” He hesitates, then glances at Wren in the rearview mirror.
“Wren… You’ve never actually seen me alive.” He confesses. I feel Wren stiffen beside me. Cole’s voice is gentle, careful.
“I… died long before you were born.” He adds. The words seem to hang in the air, thick and impossible.
“You didn’t know, because you hadn’t come into your magic yet. And because your mother, my sister, helped me hide it from you. We thought… It might be a bit too much for a child to understand.” Cole glances over his shoulder briefly, clearly wanting to see Wren’s reaction, but Wren doesn’t move. He’s still frozen, still staring straight ahead like his entire brain has short circuited. Cole clears his throat, then continues.
“As for how you can all see me… Well, you’re right that necromancers can see ghosts. But when a necromancer becomes a ghost… Well, things are a little different…” He trails off, letting the words sink in. That makes Wren’s head snap up. His wide eyes lock onto Cole in pure shock.
“You… You’re a necromancer too?” His voice is tight, desperate. Cole nods.
“Yes. It runs in our family, though your mother wasn’t one. I wasn’t sure you were, either, not until recently.” His expression softens slightly.
“I wanted to stick around. Keep an eye on you. Just in case.” His words are almost wistful. His confession is followed by a long, tense moment of silence. Then Wren speaks again, his voice small.
“But… If you didn’t stop visiting because you died… Why did you stop coming to see us?” He asks. The way he says it, soft, hesitant, like he’s afraid of the answer, breaks something in me. He’s never sounded younger than he does right now.
“Because… You weren’t the only person I’ve been keeping an eye on these past years.” His jaw tightens, his expression darkening slightly.
“My death wasn’t peaceful. I always did my best to watch the man responsible for it.” He explains darkly. Something clicks in my head.
“Solem…” I murmur, barely realising I’ve spoken out loud. Cole nods grimly.
“Yes.” He confirms. A cold chill creeps down my spine.
“Two years ago, I heard that he was searching for necromancers. He wasn’t having much luck. But back when I was alive, he knew what I was. What he didn’t know, at least, I thought he didn’t, was that you could be one too.” His gaze flickers toward Wren.
“I thought if I distanced myself, it would lessen the chances of him realising you might be a necromancer. Your mother wasn’t one, so I hoped he’d think the line died with me.” Cole clenches his jaw.
“Obviously, my plan failed.” His voice turns bitter, laced with regret. Wren’s fingers tighten around mine, his grip so tight it hurts.
“But why didn’t you tell us?” Wren demands, his voice rising slightly.
“Or did you? Did Mum know why you were avoiding us?” He questions. Cole shakes his head.
“No. Being a ghost is… Not the most fulfilling existence.” His voice is quieter now, almost tired.
“She understood that. She knew it was unnatural for a soul to linger as long as I have. She was always encouraging me to move on. She didn’t want me trapped here forever.” Cole sighs heavily.
“The longer a ghost stays, the harder it is to move on. I thought it would be better for her if she just believed I had moved on. So I gave her… Hints. Let her think I was gone. I thought she’d be happier that way.” His mouth pulls into a tight, bitter line.
“She was right, after all. Souls aren’t meant to linger like this.” Cole sounds older than he ever has before. Beside me, Wren suddenly shudders. Then, without warning, his grip on my hand tightens even more. Pain shoots through my fingers, but I don’t pull away. I don’t need to be able to read minds to know what he’s thinking. He’s thinking about his mother. I squeeze his hand back. There’s nothing I can say to make that better. So I just sit there. Holding on. Lukas clears his throat, breaking the silence. When I glance at him, his posture has softened just slightly. He still looks frustrated, but not quite as intimidating as before. Finally, he speaks, and he asks the one question that both Wren and I have been too afraid to ask.
“How did you die?”