If Simon took any special notice of the display he didn’t let on. Instead his attention turned back to his beakers, one of which looked to be on the verge of bubbling over. He went to it, saying over his shoulder, “I don’t see how you could be connected. There is nothing I’ve heard about you that makes me understand why they would pick you as a target. At the same time, this is what they have been planning for since the Realms first collided, and considering the effort and the risks they are taking to collect you, I see no other possibility that explains their interest.”
In the thickness of the ensuing silence, only the zombie appeared to not be troubled by dark and heavy thoughts. Olivia shook off her own worries first, and she smiled at the zombie, small and trembling, but warmth still evident in it. “Thank you for seeing us, Simon.”
“Anything for you.” It was the first spark of human feeling the zombie had exhibited, this response to the dark-haired woman. She was important to him, though in what way Terak could not fathom. Simon then turned to Larissa. “Young lady, I can’t press this upon you enough. If you are somehow connected to this, they will stop at nothing to get to you. This is all they exist for. They want their world the way it once was. They hate this new reality. They still have power, but not the complete domination and utter subservience they enjoyed in the other realm. They want it back, and will do anything to get it.”
Chapter Twenty-One
‡
Back in the car, Terak watched as Larissa continued to absorb the information. She was pale, almost as pale as the abomination, and her arms were wrapped around her stomach as though it were the only way to keep herself from flying apart.
Olivia looked into the rear view mirror. “Larissa? You okay, sweetie?”
She was anything but okay, but the question brought some strength back to her. She straightened in the seat. “You know a zombie, Olivia. A sentient zombie.”
Olivia’s eyes went back to the road. “I never planned for that. I kept getting introduced to more and more people, and the more people I talked to, the deeper I got sucked into the politics and the backstage goings-on. Believe me, right now I really wish I didn’t know so much. This shit with the necromancers…I could happily have lived in ignorance.”
“Yeah,” Larissa said. She absently started to pick at her fingernails as she looked out the window.
“Are we still friends?”
Larissa’s head jerked at that statement. “Of course we are. You’ve stood behind me since all this started. Why would I leave you after you’ve put yourself in danger helping me?”
Olivia’s shoulders relaxed at the sincerity in Larissa’s tone. “What are you going to tell your family?”
Larissa shook her head. “I’m not quite sure where to go with this yet.”
Olivia laughed, a harsh sound. “I got you. Right now I’m so messed up I can’t remember how to diagram a sentence. My kids are going to eat me up and spit me out.”
“Jason Evans will be king for the day. I hope the school is still standing tomorrow.” Both women laughed, a call to move beyond fear and back to normalcy.
After the laughter died down, Larissa breathed deep. “Thank you again for setting up this meeting. So please don’t think me ungrateful when I say I wish he had been a little more helpful. I’m still no closer to knowing why they are targeting me, and that’s what I was hoping to find out.”
Olivia smiled, and Terak saw mischief in her features. “Well, if you weren’t here with a fine-looking man who happened to be in your bedroom at five in the morning, I would have said it was because you were a virgin.”
“Olivia!”
Larissa’s scandalized tone was barely heard over the sudden pounding in Terak’s ears.
She was untouched?
“I’m just saying…” Olivia didn’t even try to hide her smirk.
“Well, don’t!”
Yes, her father was protective, but from what he knew of humans, they did not reserve sexual intimacy solely for their mates. She was old enough that not having a lover would be unusual.
Larissa refused to look at him, her face scarlet and muttering under her breath on how she would take revenge on Olivia.
It was still early morning when they arrived back at her apartment, but late enough that she would have awoken already to get ready for her day. Larissa motioned toward the balcony. “Thank you for coming with me, but I need to get started-”
“Is what Olivia said true?” he broke in, no finesse in his words. He needed to know, now.
Her face flamed immediately, but Larissa pretended ignorance. “What are you talking about?”