The Necromancer's Betrayal (The Final Formula Series, Book 2.5) Read Free Page B

refused to apologize. “My roommate isn’t a big guy, but I’m sure you can find something. Go. Dress yourself and return to me.” She waved a hand toward the hall.
    “As my lady commands.” He bowed at the waist.
    She tried not to watch the play of muscle along his abs or his backside as he walked away.
    Dead, she reminded herself. Dead, dead, dead. But warm. How did that work? Why did her necromantic senses tell her he was dead when every other sense told her otherwise?
    She rubbed her face. Shit. What had she gotten herself into? Worse, she felt so guilty. He didn’t seem like a monster. But if Grams was right, he needed to be bound.
    Grams. She would take him to her. She would know what to do.
    Elysia wandered into the kitchen taking James’s Coke with her. He hadn’t drunk much, if any. Why the charade? Maybe he wanted to rinse the taste of her blood from his mouth. She shivered, remembering the way he had groaned, the feel of his mouth against her skin. She really needed to get a boyfriend. Or maybe it was just the magic. It had been a long time since she had truly used her power. It surprised her anew how… alive it made her feel.
    She turned toward the table to collect the knife. The table was empty.
    “Did you move my Coke?” James asked.
    “Damn.” The word came out on a gasp as she turned to face him. “Do you do that on purpose?”
    “What?” The sardonic twist of his lips belied the question. “Mine?” he asked pointing to the condensate-covered can on the counter.
    “Yes.”
    He crossed the kitchen to retrieve it. He had pulled on a pair of shorts, and though they covered what they needed to, they were clearly too small. He hadn’t bothered with a shirt.
    “Where’s the knife?” she asked.
    “Sink.” He leaned against the counter, taking a slow sip from his can while he watched her.
    Goosebumps pebbled her arms under the intensity of those green eyes. Refusing to let him intimidate her, she walked over to the sink to check. The paring knife lay against the chipped porcelain surface that lined the ancient sink. The blade didn’t bare evidence of its recent use. It looked clean. Still, she turned on the hot water to give it a quick scrub.
    “You thought I took it.” He didn’t sound angry.
    “It wasn’t where I left it.”
    “I don’t need a knife to cause harm, and besides, you put in the kill you, kill me clause.”
    She tried to ignore how easily he said that, as if he wouldn’t hesitate to kill her otherwise. “It’s called a soul bond.”
    “But I have no soul.”
    She looked over at him. “Everyone has a soul, yours is no longer bound to this plane of existence.”
    He frowned, a slight cock to his head as he considered her explanation.
    “And the soul that was bound is my own. You could say we now share it.”
    “That’s not the way I understood it.”
    “Perhaps you should attend necromancy class.”
    His lips curled, hinting at a smile, though it didn’t reach his eyes. “Perhaps.”
    She picked up the neatly folded towel and began to dry the knife. She wasn’t cut out for this. She wanted to go to work this evening, not drive home. She returned the knife to the drawer. “We need to get on the road.”
    His humor evaporated. “Take me to Grams? Show her your prize?”
    Elysia sighed. “I’m going to go pack.” She eyed him.
    “I have a condo on the other side of town.”
    “You’re not a student?” Students had to spend their first two years in campus housing.
    “Part-time student. This is my first semester.”
    That might explain why she had never bumped into him before. But it also bothered her. What if he really was just another magical being trying to get by in this world? No, Grams said he was dangerous, and Grams would know.
    Elysia nodded and left him standing there.
     
    Elysia stared up at the fancy new condo. It occurred to her that James could be a lot older than he looked. Although, if he was starting his college career, he might be