"I won't be able to breathe. I am a necromancer, and I must be allowed to use it to help you or what's the point?"
"This is not open for discussion," he growled, striding off.
I ran after him and caught his elbow. He stopped and did not shake me off, but nor did he look at me. "Stop trying to protect me. You're smothering me. You are not my parent, and I don't need one anyway."
His entire body jerked. "I am not trying to be your parent, I am trying to be your employer, your protector. You are under my—"
"Care. Yes, I know, so you keep reminding me. But I don't want to be under your care, Lincoln, I want to be alongside you."
"That's not possible. There's only one leader of the ministry."
"More as an assistant, then."
"I have Gus and Seth to assist me."
I sighed. The conversation had veered in a direction that he wasn't ready to travel down and I wasn't prepared to fight for. Yet. "Let me help you find and return Estelle Pearson. We'll be together, where you can keep an eye on me, and I will only do as you instruct."
"The committee would not want you to be involved," he said, setting off again.
"Since when do you tell them everything?"
He grunted. "I wasn't going to. I was just pointing out that if you want to help, they are not to find out."
"We'll be sure to swear the others to secrecy then." I smiled and almost felt bold enough to slip my hand inside the crook of his arm. Almost.
We reached the courtyard before I thought of another question. "How did the committee members find out that I'd raised Estelle Pearson's ghost?"
"I don't know, but it's something I've been trying to work out since their arrival."
"You didn't tell them?"
"Of course not."
"But no one else knew. I saw one groundsman as I left the cemetery, and a coach or two passed by as I walked home, but that's all."
"Did you recognize any of the coaches?"
"No, but I wasn't really looking. I was too distracted."
"Was the groundsman the one with the birthmark?"
"I couldn't tell."
"I wouldn't put it past them to each have spies planted over the city, including the cemetery, particularly since you came to live here."
"Why do they need spies?"
"To gather information for ministry business, and to be made aware of potential supernaturals for me to investigate."
"If it's ministry business, why not tell you who their spies are? Why keep their networks a secret, rather than incorporating them into your own and making the ministry even more powerful?"
"That, Charlie, is a good question." He pushed open the back door and ordered Seth and Gus to join us for tea in the parlor.
Ten minutes later, Lincoln told the two men what had happened. I kept my hot face lowered, so I didn't see their reactions, but their weighty silence felt like a noose around my neck, condemning me. It served as a good reminder that no matter how lenient Lincoln had been, I was still guilty of disobeying orders and endangering lives.
"Our priority now is to find Estelle Pearson," Lincoln said. "Once Charlie has sent her back, we'll resume the search for Buchanan."
Gus held the delicate teacup between both hands, not even attempting to fit his stubby fingers through the handle. "Can't be too hard to find a walkin' corpse."
"Try parliament." Seth lifted his teacup in salute when Gus laughed.
I giggled with relief that they could make jokes about it. "I think once we find Estelle, we'll know where to search for Buchanan," I said.
"You're convinced her name meant something to him?" Seth asked.
"I am. She promised she'd give me answers about Lord Harcourt. She said she had a tale to tell, and it's likely her tale has something to do with Buchanan's disappearance."
"Why should we believe her? She could have said that so you would take her to her body."
"I'm certain she was telling the truth. The name certainly meant something to her. Her reaction when I mentioned Lord Harcourt was telling."
Gus twisted the cup in his hands and studied the liquid. "No disrespect to your
"This is not open for discussion," he growled, striding off.
I ran after him and caught his elbow. He stopped and did not shake me off, but nor did he look at me. "Stop trying to protect me. You're smothering me. You are not my parent, and I don't need one anyway."
His entire body jerked. "I am not trying to be your parent, I am trying to be your employer, your protector. You are under my—"
"Care. Yes, I know, so you keep reminding me. But I don't want to be under your care, Lincoln, I want to be alongside you."
"That's not possible. There's only one leader of the ministry."
"More as an assistant, then."
"I have Gus and Seth to assist me."
I sighed. The conversation had veered in a direction that he wasn't ready to travel down and I wasn't prepared to fight for. Yet. "Let me help you find and return Estelle Pearson. We'll be together, where you can keep an eye on me, and I will only do as you instruct."
"The committee would not want you to be involved," he said, setting off again.
"Since when do you tell them everything?"
He grunted. "I wasn't going to. I was just pointing out that if you want to help, they are not to find out."
"We'll be sure to swear the others to secrecy then." I smiled and almost felt bold enough to slip my hand inside the crook of his arm. Almost.
We reached the courtyard before I thought of another question. "How did the committee members find out that I'd raised Estelle Pearson's ghost?"
"I don't know, but it's something I've been trying to work out since their arrival."
"You didn't tell them?"
"Of course not."
"But no one else knew. I saw one groundsman as I left the cemetery, and a coach or two passed by as I walked home, but that's all."
"Did you recognize any of the coaches?"
"No, but I wasn't really looking. I was too distracted."
"Was the groundsman the one with the birthmark?"
"I couldn't tell."
"I wouldn't put it past them to each have spies planted over the city, including the cemetery, particularly since you came to live here."
"Why do they need spies?"
"To gather information for ministry business, and to be made aware of potential supernaturals for me to investigate."
"If it's ministry business, why not tell you who their spies are? Why keep their networks a secret, rather than incorporating them into your own and making the ministry even more powerful?"
"That, Charlie, is a good question." He pushed open the back door and ordered Seth and Gus to join us for tea in the parlor.
Ten minutes later, Lincoln told the two men what had happened. I kept my hot face lowered, so I didn't see their reactions, but their weighty silence felt like a noose around my neck, condemning me. It served as a good reminder that no matter how lenient Lincoln had been, I was still guilty of disobeying orders and endangering lives.
"Our priority now is to find Estelle Pearson," Lincoln said. "Once Charlie has sent her back, we'll resume the search for Buchanan."
Gus held the delicate teacup between both hands, not even attempting to fit his stubby fingers through the handle. "Can't be too hard to find a walkin' corpse."
"Try parliament." Seth lifted his teacup in salute when Gus laughed.
I giggled with relief that they could make jokes about it. "I think once we find Estelle, we'll know where to search for Buchanan," I said.
"You're convinced her name meant something to him?" Seth asked.
"I am. She promised she'd give me answers about Lord Harcourt. She said she had a tale to tell, and it's likely her tale has something to do with Buchanan's disappearance."
"Why should we believe her? She could have said that so you would take her to her body."
"I'm certain she was telling the truth. The name certainly meant something to her. Her reaction when I mentioned Lord Harcourt was telling."
Gus twisted the cup in his hands and studied the liquid. "No disrespect to your
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