“So, Mr. Philips,” Mr. Jevol said, shuffling papers around in front of him. “I've heard nothing but good reports coming from your manager down in the... ah, ritual chambers. How have you been liking it so far?”

When Tim walked in at a quarter past six – nearly an hour late – I was expecting him to look sick, or at least bedraggled. Hell, I'd been creeped out enough the night before I'd nearly expected his body to show up on the morning news. That's what I get for taking a drunk lady's rants too seriously. I'd lost some sleep worrying and I was sure it showed.

“Did you know demons live forever?” she asked. Her elbow was the only thing keeping from faceplanting on the bar. Her boobs were just about falling out of her dress as she leaned over, but I kept myself from staring. I'm professional like that.

“Have you secured the Kevinflier mechanism?”

“Yes, dad.”

Smack. Schlorph. Crunch. The normal, everyday sounds of cleaning up after the latest batch of rituals. It wasn't commonly spread around, but the release of a spirit from a corpse was... not pleasant for the corpse. Fortunately nobody was actually using it anymore. Furthermore, it made sure that nobody in my line of work would be using it themselves. Most people considered that a bonus, even if the means were on the messy side.

What is a dream but a thought gone mad?

“Who would have thought?” Mauria asked. “A necromancer and an enchantress, lying in bed together. Furthermore, not trying to kill one another.”

“Chickens?” Sir Albert asked. His thick, snowy brow raised into the shadow of his helmet. “Are you certain the scout has not gone mad?”

So they like to blab on the news a lot about how necromancy is an “ancient, respectable art” with “grand traditions” that is innately built around the “inherent balance between life and death.” That may all be true. But when you get right down to it, there's an awful lot of blood, viscera, rot, and really, really late night shifts.

Isabella stepped onto the bare stone of the way and shivered. Had it been so cold here before? She wrapped the blanket around herself tighter. And had it always been so quiet?

“How did you sleep, Master?” George asked. At least, I assumed it was George. The name was supposed to pass down as part of the legacy. He was the man opening the crypt door for me, anyway, so therefore he was George.

This can't be happening. Think, dammit, think. Where was the last place I saw it? The desk? Maybe my bookbag? God, this can't... I glanced at the clock. Only five minutes until I had to catch my ride to school. Dammit! Why hadn't I made sure it was here last night? Wait, hadn't I? It should have been right here, right? Right on the desk?

Junko collapsed on the couch. “I am out of brain-space,” she said. “All done. Memory error. Shutting down to avoid data loss.” She stuck out her tongue and flopped over like she'd frozen in place.

Mr. Jevol shuffled some papers on his desk, looking at them intensely through his square spectacles. He wasn't actually reading anything. I could tell just by tracking his pupils. That made him the kind of person that liked to look official and important. Ah, well. There were worse traits to have in a boss.

“I'm dying, you know.”

“Ha! Right. You're going to outlive us all.”

“Maybe. Nonetheless, I'm dying.”

“In another twenty-five, then?” KL asked. He counted bills out onto the table, paying off their whole tab himself, as usual. Nobody knew where his money came from. He always evaded the question.

“Just swing across! You have to hurry!” Koji, Jara's brother, was shouting from across the ravine, barely visible among the trees on the other side. Rain was pouring down in sheets from a green-gray sky. Jara held her grip, white-knuckled, on the vine he had swung across to her. Even though she could hear the troops moving up from behind, she couldn't move.

“It's too far!” Jara cried. “It'll break!”

“Keth,” Genus said. “How much longer is this cave?” He leaned on his weather-beaten staff, pressing against the cold wind that blew from below.

“It goes on forever and ever!” his grandson replied. “It'll be almost dinner time when we get there!”