The Necromancer (Amber Lee Mysteries Book 3) by Katerina Martinez

facial expressions, like how his eyebrows would furl when worried, or how his jaw would clench when he was annoyed. They were mild emotions, but he put so much intensity into them. He wasn’t annoyed now, though, or worried. In fact, his face seemed somewhat plain; lips flat, eyes wide. I couldn’t read it.
    “Oh, trust me,” Frank said, “The red witch will have no trouble keeping herself safe. She’s feisty. I, on the other hand, may need some protection.”
    I smiled. I could feel my cheeks flushing. “C’mon,” I said, “You’ve been doing this way longer than I have.”
    “Yes, witch, but you’re different. You think things and they happen. Do you know how long it’s taken me to get good at what I do? Years. You’ve been at it for months and you can already compete for Gold in the Olympics.”
    “Now you’re just being ridiculous, and I think that’s our cue to leave.”
    Frank shrugged and stood. Aaron didn’t know what to do with himself, but Frank helped. “I’ll leave you two a moment,” he said, and he grabbed his backpack and made for the front door.
    I looked up at Aaron. My resolve had been rock solid, until now. My hands were starting to shake, pressure was building inside my throat and my eyes were starting to glisten. The vultures could come, for all I cared.
    “Let me help you with your stuff,” Aaron said.
    “Really? You aren’t going to try and convince me to not go?”
    “I don’t want to. You’re a big girl. I have to let you do the things you need to do.”
    I reached for his cheek and stroked it. “Why are you so understanding?”
    “Because you let me leave. And you didn’t know when I would be coming back. I know when you’re coming back. And besides, from what I’ve just heard whatever is waiting for you in the Underworld has the Red Witch to deal with.”
    That made me smile. I turned my face away while my cheeks flushed. “Twelve hours,” I said, looking back at him.
    Meanwhile, Aaron walked over to the coat rack on the back of my closet door and pulled out my leather jacket. I hadn’t needed to wear it in a few weeks, but I figured it would be cold where I was going to go, so I slipped into it. Aaron then helped me sling my backpack over my shoulder and stood before me by the front door.
    “Twelve hours,” he said, pulling me close to him by the waist.
    “What are you going to do?” I asked.
    “I’m going to wait for you.”
    Aaron pulled me close to him by my hips, tipped my neck toward his lips, and kissed me. I ran my hands through his hair and joined in, searching for his tongue, savoring him like a piece of chocolate cake. Gods, he was so rich. I could barely contain myself. Our foreheads pressed together when the kiss was over.
    “You better come back to me,” he said.
    I nodded, pecked him on the lips once more and made my exit. Frank was waiting outside in the cold, dead of night with only the crickets for company.
    “I bet that was tough,” he said.
    “It was, but he’ll be okay.”
    “You sure he won’t wet the rug? Rip up your upholstery?”
    I couldn’t take offence to the words that came out of Frank’s mouth. The laugh fell out of my mouth so fast I wouldn’t have caught it even if I wanted to! I was laughing so hard my sides were starting to hurt and the key in my hand had trouble finding the lock it belonged to.
    Seconds later Frank broke out too. It wasn’t like him to laugh like that, certainly not at his own jokes. Frank had a thing about people who enjoy themselves a little too much. But here he was, laugh like a seagull’s caw. It felt good to laugh.
    Despite everything that was going on, we were laughing.
     

 
     
     
     
    CHAPTER 13

     
    If I thought the forest where Collette had been staying was creepy during the day, at night the place was downright ghastly. Crooked trees which should have been alive and blooming but were instead black and withered were jutting out of the ground, their leafless branches reaching