“Really? That’s amazing, Cat,” I say, trying not to let the surprise flush my face.
She shrugs.
“Well,” I say, brushing my hand out in front of me, “don’t worry about me. That’s way more important. I’m pretty sure I can find my way at this point.”
“All right, well, gotta go. See ya after school,” she says, walking backward down the hall.
“You got it.”
A broad, goofy grin spreads across her ebony cheeks and despite the admonishment of the Gilberts from my dad, I can’t help but smile back.
“Go. You’re gonna be late,” I say, shooing her with my hands.
Cat holds up both hands, “Going—yeesh.”
Sighing to myself, I drop my backpack from my shoulder and dig around. After much longer than expected, I pull out the crumpled-up piece of paper formerly known as my map. Staring at the tattered layout of the school, I orient myself and finally figure out which way I need to go. It’s amazing how little you really take in when someone else leads the way for you.
“See? You got this, Autumn. Easy peasy,” I say aloud as I start moving. As I make my way, the twists and turns look familiar and I can’t help but feel a sense of satisfaction for having maneuvered this journey on my own.
With my head buried in the piece of paper, I take the final turn toward my last class of the day and accidentally slam into the back of a guy standing still in the middle of the walkway.
“Oh, jeez. I’m so sorry. I didn’t see you,” I begin.
It takes me a moment to recognize the white-blond hair and broad shoulders.
“Dominic,” I say, my mouth dropping open.
He grins slowly. “Hey, there. I hear you’ve been looking for me. I figured we’d bump into each other at some point.”
I roll my eyes. “Yeah, I have, actually,” I mutter, dropping the map and sighing.
“What can I help you with?” he asks, his grin sliding into more of a smirk.
“Dominic,” I begin, “weird stuff has been happening to me lately and I think you might know something about it.”
Slowly, he cocks a blond eyebrow.
“I mean, you were the first one telling me I need to seek out the truth. And I’ll tell you, after the weeks I’ve had, I could really use some truth,” I continue.
He watches me for a moment, his face flipping through a couple of conflicting expressions. “Here’s the thing… I don’t know if you’re ready for the entire truth just yet.”
I snort. “I’m so sick of the runaround I keep getting. I’m not some small kid who needs to be coddled. I’ve seen shit, okay? I know things. I wish you’d just be straight with me.”
“Fine, you’re a damn necromancer,” he spits.
My eyes pop open wide and I can’t help but snicker. “What? First of all, how would you know that?”
“Because I do. You come from a long line of witches with that legacy,” he says.
“That’s absurd,” I say, narrowing my eyes. Without a doubt, I now know I have Warren’s ability to see the dead. But necromancy? It’s not possible to have both…is it?
He takes a step back, running his hand through his white-blond hair. “I see things, too. Things that don’t always make sense. Sometimes I can move things without touching them. I technically don’t know how it’s manifesting in you, but I figure, if I had to lay money on it, you’re more like Abigail…”
It’s my turn to take a step back. My mind instantly recalls my last interaction with her. “Abigail?”
“Yeah, she’s your—”
“I know who she is,” I say, goose bumps flashing up and down my back and arms. “She was my uber great-grandmother.”
His mouth slides into a silent ‘o’ and he blinks away his surprise. “Yeah.”
“So, you’re psychic or telekinetic? That’s your ability? Can you read minds?” I say, leaning against the windowsill.
“Er, something like that,” he nods. “It’s one of the reasons I knew who you were without talking with you.”
“So, what am I thinking about now?” I ask, blinking expectantly. I need to know if he’s just playing with me or if he’s actually telling the truth.
He tilts his head to the side. “Other than I’m apparently full of shit?”
“Yeah, I guess. What else?” I chuckle.
“Okay, when I mentioned Abigail, your mind flitted for a moment to a vision of her. Not an old black and white photo, but an in-color, moving image of her. You’ve seen her, haven’t you?” he says, his intense blue eyes burning into mine.
“I—maybe?” I say, confusion settling around me like a fog.
“Did you know necromancers can’t typically see the dead they’re trying to resurrect? They need a postmortem medium to guide them. Warren was—”
“I know. Supposedly he could see ghosts,” I whisper, dropping my gaze to the floor.
“Right.”
“So, if I can see Abigail, wouldn’t that mean I am not a necromancer?” I say, shaking my head. “I have Warren’s gifts, not—”
“Look, I’m just gonna lay it out there. Abigail has come to me, too.” Before I can interject, he raises a hand to stop me. “Not…not in the same way as she comes to you, but in dreams, visions. She’s the one who wanted me to give you the nudge. She senses your presence and power. Whether or not you think you have the ability doesn’t matter. She thinks you do. If that’s the case, it would make you one of the most powerful necromancers this godforsaken town has ever known. Maybe the world. She has big plans for you,” he whispers.
I snort, unable to squash the rising panic from the night before. I swear,
