Death Bound: An Urban Fantasy Novel (Modern Necromancy Book 2) Read online

  Chapter 1

  Rohan climbed onto the crowded metro bus with a bouquet of flowers in hand. With a burst of energy he sprung up the steps and into the aisle, and he became immediately aware of eyes. People who had been riding, sullenly gazing out the window during the evening commute had stopped to stare at him.

  It must have been the flowers. He gave a sly smirk and weaved between the standers and feet jutting into the aisle.

  Soon the people went back to their routine. A newspaper rustled. Rock music blared through the headphones of a nearby teenage girl. Someone was eating Chinese food in spite of the bus’s no food or drink policy, and the smell of fried rice reminded Rohan of the Chinese restaurants in L.A.

  Ever since he had moved to Virginia, he’d gotten stares. Maybe it was in his mind, but regardless, be just couldn’t feel at home here, even though he had started over.

  A woman’s voice sounded from the back of the bus.

  “Rohan, over here!”

  He saw a hand waving from behind a couple of men reading newspapers.

  “Excuse me,” he said, working his way between more passengers. He sat next to the woman in a beige trench coat with her brown hair in a bun. His sister.

  “Are those for me, or your date?” Beverly asked, as they hugged.

  “Flowers on a first date? I don’t think so, especially a blind date.”

  Beverly took the flowers and sniffed them, closing her eyes. Even though she was a few years older than Rohan, she was starting to get wrinkles around her eyes. She let out a pleasant sigh. “And they’re irises too. You were paying attention last time you visited your big sis.”

  The bus lurched forward and Beverly grabbed the seat. Rohan put his hand out and steadied her. Then the bus picked up speed again.

  “So… who is this lady again?” Rohan asked.

  “Don’t you trust my judgment?” She nudged him in the ribs with her elbow, a gesture she had loved to do growing up, much to Rohan’s annoyance.

  “So...?” He asked, refusing to let it go so easily.

  “She’s nice, and pretty. But who cares about that? What matters is that you’re back in the sea, little fishy. No pressure. Don’t think you have to fall for her… just keep an open mind. And try not to think of Senna, will you?”

  “I can’t just turn off my thoughts,” Rohan said. “Were you able to do that when you divorced?”

  “We’re not talking about me,” Beverly said, laughing. From the look in her eyes, he knew she wasn’t going to let him change the subject.

  “You have no clue what I’ve been through,” Rohan said.

  “Try me.”

  He shook his head. Memories of Altemus, the evil old man, flashed across his mind. A snowy temple in Russia. A skull with black markings all over it. The intense chase and bitterness of the afterlife, and Senna—his head hurt just thinking about it all again. “I’m not ready to talk about it.”

  Beverly shrugged and they rode in silence for a while.

  “So,” Rohan said, playing with his hands, “Tell me about Jess—”

  “Tess. God, at least get her name right.”

  “Right. Tess. Has she ever… lost someone?”

  “No, Rohan. She’s not broken like the two of us. She’s just a nice girl from work.”

  “Flight attendant?”

  “Front desk.”

  “Ah.”

  “For some crazy reason, she’s agreed to share a meal with you. Maybe if you’re good, she’ll be open to a dry hump after.”

  “Bev, what the hell—”

  A chuckle escaped from one of the passengers behind them.

  Beverly shrugged. “I’m just saying, you could probably use it.”

  “Can we not talk about stuff like that?”

  “When you asked if she was a flight attendant, that’s where I thought your mind was…”

  Rohan shifted in the seat and Beverly smiled, pretending to zip her mouth shut.

  That was a problem with having an older sister who knew no limits—she’d talk about anything, and Beverly loved to make Rohan feel uncomfortable in public. Or in private. She wasn’t comfortable unless she was teasing him. Strangely, he missed the teasing even though it was annoying. Even an awkward sex joke was better than being tortured by sorrow or running through the afterlife, battling the undead or necromancers.

  The bus came to a stop at Rosslyn, and Beverly gave him a quick hug and a peck on the cheek. “This is my stop,” she said as she moved for the door. “Have fun, and don’t worry, I won’t wait up!”

  She made her way off the bus, and waved from the sidewalk as the best left her behind. The purple bouquet of irises were a burst of color compared to the rain-drenched, gray terminal. She would wait for another bus, one that would take her to her job at Reagan Airport, where she worked as a baggage attendant.

  Rohan glanced over in time to see the monuments if D.C., but his thoughts were on the date ahead. He had phoned Tess a few hours ago to ark if she wanted to go to a classy Moroccan restaurant he remembered from his last visit with Beverly. Tess said she was up for anything. He had liked the sweetness of her voice, the femininity of it. She sounded attractive enough, but that didn’t matter as much as it used to. If there was any way he would be able to date again after Senna, they’d have to be a perfect fit.

  Only a couple more stops and he’d be there.

  His hands shook. It occurred to him that this was the first date he’d been on in many years. Yeah, he and Senna would go on mock-dates occasionally, but that didn’t count.

  Her last touch would stay with him forever, along with her parting words telling him to move on.

  He would certainly try. For her, because he had promised. Somehow, thinking about her wasn’t as painful lately.

  He almost hated to admit it, but he was finally moving on.

  The bus approached his stop. The shaking in his hands made him rub them together again, and after the bus stopped and the hydraulics let out a nervous whooshing of air, he climbed off amidst a small stream of people.

  The sun was setting and already a few stars had popped into the dark sky. The street lights flickered on, bathing the street in a yellowish glow.

  “Rohan?” a voice said, and he turned to see her.

  Tess was quite pretty. She wore a blue, sequined blouse with jeans, and her dark brown hair was tucked behind her left ear but hung freely on the right. Her bright blue eyes were accentuated by thick mascara, but he didn’t see any other signs of makeup. It kind of gave her the look of an Egyptian goddess.

  At least he wasn’t underdressed. He had worn a designer t-shirt and jeans. Dress shirts never felt right on him.

  “Tess?” he asked.

  She nodded, and he was glad he hadn’t gotten the name wrong this time.

  “Thanks for meeting me out here,” he said, extending his hand.

  “Oh, I didn’t tell you?” she laughed. “I actually just live up the street. This restaurant is one of my favorite spots.”

  He frowned, wondering why she hadn’t mentioned that. Maybe it was the whole thing about not revealing too much to someone before meeting them, he supposed.

  Together they faced the restaurant. It was a masonry building flanked by a bookstore and a perfume shop, with what looked like apartments above. The windows were tinted and a maitre d held a large, wooden door open for them. Already Rohan could smell distant aromas of cumin and coriander.

  The maitre d ushered them into the dimly lit restaurant where sitar music was playing. They sat in a circular booth decorated with arab
esque tapestries, and their waiter brought them mint tea. Smiling knowingly, be closed off the space around their table with a sheer curtain. Then the waiter brought them a hookah.

  They sipped tea and talked while they smoked. Tess was around Rohan’s age. Born in West Virginia, she had moved closer to D.C. to go to Georgetown, and stayed ever since.

  “Yeah, international business,” she said, answering his question. “It was an okay major, but ended up having nothing to do with my career.”

  “Not many people’s majors do.”

  “That’s what I figured at the time,” she said, her hand resting on his arm. “I turned down some high-paying corporate job because she I wanted to travel the world. Hence, working at the airline with your sis. They always had openings all over the world, and I keep telling myself that one day I’ll transfer overseas.”

  As she talked, Rohan leaned on his forward and listened. When it was his turn, he was amazed at how little he actually shared. Grew up in L.A. Worked as a kid’s magician for a while, making people smile every Saturday. In a relationship that didn’t work out. Moved here to start fresh.

  She listened and blew a cloud of smoke out of the side of her mouth.

  “You normally smoke?” he asked.

  “God no. But hookah is nice, isn’t it?”

  The dinner was even better than he remembered. Tess ordered chicken with honey and almonds, and Rohan ordered couscous with lamb. He had a house beer that he’d never had before, and it was strong,--so strong he ordered a few more. He didn’t know what was more intoxicating---the beer, the food, or Tess and the way she laughed and put her hands on his after he told a joke.

  Before long, the urge to hit the restroom took over him.

  “Excuse me,” he said as he stood, then wobbled. He’d drank more than he expected.

  Tess smiled and pretended to tip the hat she wasn’t wearing, and he staggered off.

  In the restroom, the piss seemed to take forever. When he was done he went to the sink and splashed water on his face.

  This wasn’t the time to be acting like a drunken idiot, he told himself. Not on the first date. He was going to go out there and tell her he had a nice time, pay, and say good night. That was it.

  But he floated back to the table and somehow found himself holding her arm and laughing with her as they stumbled out of the restaurant, through the balmy air as headlights and streetlights and traffic lights spun around them, swirling like a dream. They entered an old apartment lobby that smelled like mildew, stumbled up the stairs, and at her door he kissed her.

  He pulled away, blinking.

  Time to cut it off. Things were moving too fast.

  “Good night, Tess,” he said.

  “You okay to go home like this?” she asked. “Maybe come in for a quick cup of coffee?”

  “Maybe,” he said, glancing back at the stairs, wondering if he’d fall if he tried to descend by himself. “It was only a few beers. God. But yeah, that would be nice.”

  She smiled and opened the door wide for him, then left him in the living room while she went off to boil some water.

  The apartment was small and drab, and surprisingly spare for a woman’s apartment.

  Guess you’ve got to live light if you’re going to up and travel, Rohan thought, remembering their conversation.

  Tess entered with a steaming mug.

  “Thanks,” Rohan said, accepting.

  But Tess wouldn’t let go of the mug. She winced and a painful expression wrinkled her face.

  “Hey, you okay?” Rohan asked.

  “It… no….” She stumbled back, spilling the coffee.

  Rohan leaped forward and caught her as she fell. “Tess? Stay with me.”

  “I can’t… it... it hurts!”

  “What hurts?”

  “My... my soul...”

  Rohan reached into his pocket and grabbed his phone to call 9-1-1.

  “Make it STOP!” she screamed.

  Her eyes clouded over, and her hand seized his wrist, knocking the phone to the floor.

  She turned to him, eyes full of hatred, and she spoke with a voice that was suddenly deeper and multiplied, as if two people were speaking at the same time. “You thought you were done with us?”

  “What the hell?”

  Rohan shook himself free from Tess’s grip and left her on the floor. He stared in horror as she crawled toward him like a beast.

  “Don’t recognize me?” she asked. “I suppose I wouldn’t either...”

  He detected a male timber in her voice. And then he froze as Tess laughed and laughed.

  There was no mistaking that laugh.

  It was Altemus.

  Chapter 2

  Tess jumped up, charged Rohan and then she was on him, clawing and screaming, a silver glow emanating from her skin.

  Rohan pushed her away and held her at arms’ length, but she swiped his arm away, pushing it aside as if it were nothing. Supernatural strength! He hadn’t expected that.

  He couldn’t strike her---even if Altemus was inside her, it would hurt Tess, and she was innocent.

  They stumbled backward and collided with a wall.

  Something metallic hit him on the head and suddenly the room was spinning and he was on the floor.

  Pots and pans clanged around him on the floor, and, seeing blood on one of them, he realized that must have been what hit him.

  Hands were around his throat. He grunted as Tess spoke, and this time it was Anne Altemus’s voice that said, “You tried to destroy us. But we waited, we recovered our strength, and now it’s us who will destroy everything you care about.”

  She pinned Rohan to the floor and he felt another presence, dark, cold.

  With a thrust of his hips, Rohan twisted out from under her and tried to scramble for the door.

  A pot hit him in the leg and he stumbled, and then Anne was on him again, slamming his head against the floor.

  “You can’t resist us!” she shouted, and again Rohan felt the cold presence in his body, seeping into his skin like cold rain, then through his bones, chilling him.

  A spirit was taking over, inhabiting him.

  Rohan focused all of his energy on expelling it, forcing it out. He thought about summoning spirits of his own from the afterlife, but he didn’t have the power. He couldn’t make a sacrifice.

  A deep, familiar voice sounded in Rohan’s head. “We’re a few steps ahead of you, Rohan. Did you think I’d forget about you after all we’ve been through?”

  Tess’s lips contorted into an evil grin as Anne’s pixied laughter mixed with Tess’s beautiful voice. Rohan wanted to rip the hag out of Tess and dismantle her.

  “We’ve been hard at work,” Altemus’s voice said. Rohan felt it in every part of his body, as if it he were thinking it. “You destroyed our physical bodies. But we learned to harness our energy, to take over bodies. And now it’s your turn to suffer.”

  Rohan screamed as he felt pressure swell in head.

  He refocused, pushing Altemus out of his body in a bright, violent wisp. Altemus roared, a translucent beam of light hovering next to Tess.

  Rohan was winded, but in a flash he dashed for the door.

  “After him!” Altemus shouted as Rohan flung himself down the stairs and then out into the night..

  He had to find help. Surely there must have been someone around, someone who could help.

  But as he burst into the night, he realized there was no one.

  At least, no one who could exorcise and vanish an evil spirit from the afterlife.

  It was up to him.

  He escaped down a side street and sprinted until he reached a stone retaining wall with a park in the distance. The wall was easy to jump, but the park wasn’t exactly the best hiding spot.

  A cold wind blew, accompanied by a sudden shock as Altemus flashed before him and then was, stopping him in his tracks.

  Footsteps sounded from the rear and her turned to see Tess jumping over the wall. She landed
on her knees, then looked up at him with glowing eyes and a grin that meant him harm.

  “You’re only postponing the inevitable,” Altemus said.

  “Or maybe you aren’t as strong as you think,” Rohan said.

  WHACK!

  Tess swept out Rohan’s legs and forced him down with his arm twisted behind his back. His face had hit the grass hard, and he tasted blood

  “It’s time,” Tess said, her face inches from his. He could still smell her sweet perfume. “Every time you struggle, you’ll get a taste of this.” She brought her knee into his back and twisted hard on the arm.

  “Aghh!” Rohan shouted, and a couple across the park stopped to look, but quickly moved on.

  “Are you ready, my love?” Tess asked, looking up at Altemus. Rohan had to keep reminding himself that it was Anne speaking, not Tess.

  “Our destiny changes right here, at this moment,” Altemus replied.

  The cold returned to Rohan’s head, and again he fought it, but each time he did Tess doubled up on the physical pain, weakening his resolve.

  He couldn’t keep fighting.

  He had no choice.

  He gave up.

  Then, with a final wave of cold and a drowning, floating hopeless sensation, Rohan sensed he was no longer in control of his body. His arms moved without him willing them. His voice, cold and evil, escaped from his lips with words he didn’t think.

  “What have you done?” he screamed, but is lips didn’t move. He heard his voice reverberated inside his head, but there was no reply.

  It was like a dream—he was in his body, but it was like he could see it from the outside. He watched himself stand, a wicked smile on his face, and then the two bodies, his now occupied by Altemus and Tess’s occupied by Anne, took each other in an embrace. They held each other and kissed.

  Rohan wanted to recoil at the sensation of the two lips against each other.

  “You look hideous,” Anne said, laughing.

  “So do you, my love,” Altemus replied, brushing his hand across Tess’s face.

  Rohan tried to harness his power, to return and stop this, but it was no good.

  Altemus had taken over his body.

  Chapter 3