Russell huffed.“You’re no fun.It could be a joint project.”
“You’re still working, so it wouldn’t be, and you’d end up dumping him in my lap.No, Russell.I don’t want to see John again.As long as he stays away from Cyril, I won’t hurt him, but if he so much as looks in Cyril’s direction, he won’t like what happens to him.”
The same went for everyone who might threaten Cyril’s life.Vale might have retired from his job as a professional assassin, but it didn’t mean that he’d suddenly forgotten how it worked.If anyone dared threaten Cyril, they’d find out what being targeted by someone like Vale would be like.
* * * *
CYRIL COULDN’T BREATHE.The pain was strong enough that he had to let go of the deceased and clutch his head with both his hands.He could hear people talking, and he wanted to scream at them to keep their mouths shut because the noise made his head even more painful.
His stomach heaved, and he was sure he was going to throw up.He might have if he hadn’t been startled by two hands on his wrists.Robbie pulled Cyril’s hands away from his face, and Cyril tilted his face so they could look at each other.
“What’s going on?”Robbie asked.He sounded calm, which helped.
“I don’t know,” Cyril croaked.
“Tell me what you’re feeling.”
“Pain.”
Robbie didn’t look surprised.“Your head?”
Cyril nodded and immediately regretted it because it made the pain worse.He whimpered and closed his eyes, hoping death would come swiftly.
Okay, so maybe he was being a bit dramatic, but he felt like crap, and right then, he’d rather die than deal with the headache.
Robbie let go of Cyril.Cyril wanted his support back, but he was sure that Robbie had better things to do than to coddle him.He leaned back in his chair, squeezing his eyes shut and trying to ignore everything happening around him.
“I apologize,” Robbie was saying.“Unfortunately, Cyril won’t be able to do this today.”
“What are you talking about?”a woman asked in a shrill tone that dug into Cyril’s brain.“We’re paying him to reanimate my mother.”
“I understand, ma’am.Cyril is here because he really wanted to do this for you, but he was in an accident yesterday, and he hit his head.As you can see, he’s in a lot of pain.We will reimburse whatever sum you’ve already paid us, of course.I can also give you the number of another necromancer in the area.”
“But we wanted Mr.Leblanc.He’s the best.”
Cyril might have smiled if he weren’t in so much pain.Hewasthe best.He wasn’t the only necromancer in the city, though, and he really wanted to get out of there.He felt sorry for this family, but he didn’t have it in him to do this today.He’d never admit to it, but he should’ve listened to Robbie and Vale.
It wasn’t only the pain, although that was enough for him to want to go home.He was worried.He needed to be sure of what he’d felt earlier.
He opened his eyes.Robbie had his back to him and was quietly talking with a couple in their fifties.Since he was distracted, Cyril wrapped his fingers around the deceased’s wrist as he’d done earlier.He could feel her, which meant that his gift was still there, but when he tried pulling her back into her body, the pain in his head flared, and nothing happened.
Cyril couldn’t reanimate bodies anymore.
All of his life, the most important and interesting thing about him had been that he was a necromancer.If he couldn’t reanimate bodies, who was he?
Those questions didn’t help his headache, and with a groan, he let go again.Forcing himself to do this wouldn’t change anything.He didn’t know ifanythingwould change the fact that he couldn’t use his gift anymore.Did he still have it to its full extent?Or was it gone forever?
This had never happened before.Cyril didn’t know that, and if he focused too hard on a possible future without being a necromancer, he could feel his chest tightening, and this place wasn’t the best to have a panic attack.
He forced himself to breathe.He wasn’t sure it would be enough, but he had to at least try.
A gentle hand on his knee made him look up.Robbie was there, clearly worried.“Come on.I’m taking you home.”
“The client?”Cyril asked as he got up.His legs felt wobbly, but Robbie was there to help.
“I explained what happened yesterday and that you have a headache.They understand, and they have the number of another necromancer.”
“They won’t be as good as me,” Cyril grumbled.
