The Necromancer Council

Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Tabby glugged wine into two glasses and handed one of them to Cissy. Sommeliers around the world would probably cringe to see the way her cousin was pouring it, but Cissy didn't worry about it too much. No doubt it was an inexpensive bottle from the supermarket and not the kind to enjoy slowly while eating top-grade steak.

"Rick told me you saw the High Council the other day," Tabby said as she joined Cissy on the sofa.

"I did. I thought it was time to set up our Council again." Now she was saying it, she suddenly didn't feel as confident about going through the whole process. Especially when it would involve working with other people so closely. Darius had been sweet, and respectful of her space and time, but that didn't mean anyone else would be. She knew better than to trust everybody because one man had been nice to her.

"I think that's a good idea," her cousin said. "Almost every necromancer I meet says something about it. I wish they'd stayed quiet about Rick being on the High Council, it'd make it much easier to avoid questions like that."

"You get it a lot?" She bit her bottom lip, trying to ignore the guilt welling up inside her at the revelation. She hadn't meant to cause any problems for Tabby by waiting to set up the Council. She'd been selfish in wanting to wait until she felt better. Her people needed a Council to run properly.

Tabby shrugged. "More than I expected, less than I feared."

"I'm sorry, I..."

Tabby reached out and put a hand on Cissy's shoulder, a sympathetic smile on her face. "You have nothing to apologise for. If you'd rushed setting up the Council, then we'd have encountered more problems along the way. You're doing what's best for everyone by taking care of yourself first."

"Is that what my minder is for?" She took a sip of her wine in an attempt to quash the awkwardness she felt about asking.

"Your minder?" the other woman asked, seeming genuinely confused.

"Darius. Do you know him?"

"Of him. I didn't realise he had anything to do with this," Tabby admitted.

"Oh. Well, apparently he's been working as a liaison with the Council, and now they've assigned him to work with me. Which would have been nice to know before I encountered him in the Council chambers." She tried to keep the bitterness out of her voice, but wasn't convinced she'd managed.

"Ah, I can see how that would have been a problem."

"Hmm."

"What do you make of him?" Tabby asked, a curious look on her face.

Had her cousin already worked out the way she was feeling about the other necromancer? It didn't seem possible, but there had to be some explanation for the way she was looking at Cissy right now.

"I don't know," she responded weakly.

Tabby raised an eyebrow. "Or..."

Cissy sighed and took another sip of wine. She wasn't sure why she bothered. Like all paranormals, she could choose not to let alcohol affect her, and that was what she'd always done since getting free. The last thing she wanted was for drinking too much to dull her senses and end up in a dangerous situation as a result.

"Ah, it's like that." A small smile spread over Tabby's face.

"I didn't say anything," Cissy pointed out.

"You didn't have to. I remember that confused and conflicted feeling."

She bit her bottom lip as she considered what the best way to broach the subject was. Tabby was the only mated person she knew well enough to be able to ask the questions she needed to.

"You can ask," Tabby promised. "Whatever it is on your mind, you know I'll help."

There was nothing for it. If she wanted to get to the bottom of the way Darius was making her feel, she needed to talk to someone about it. And there was a chance Tabby would be able to understand. Potentially better than anyone else ever could.

"How did you know Richard was your mate?" she whispered.

"Hmm, that's a good question." Tabby took a drink from her glass. "To some extent, I just knew. It was like nothing I'd ever felt before. Being around him felt easier than I'd expected it to be, and the desire to have something more was kind of overwhelming. And terrifying. If something happened to him, I don't know what I'd do. Though I suppose I don't really need to worry about that when his death would mean mine."

"It's a lot of trust to put in someone," Cissy mused.

Her cousin shrugged. "It's also not. The same would happen in reverse, and now we just go about living our lives. It's almost a bit of a relief, really. I don't know how I'd be able to cope with the grief."

"Did you ever doubt it?"

"Of course. I wondered how it could possibly be happening to me when it doesn't always happen for other people. It was kind of surreal. But I'm glad I listened to what the universe was telling me. I've never been happier than with Rick." A soft smile spread over her face as she said her mate's name.

A small wave of jealousy rose within Cissy, but she pushed it away. She wasn't interested in Richard. And that hardly mattered anyway when she had someone who was eliciting the same reaction in her as the one Tabby was describing. Though that caused its own set of problems.

"What if I'm not ready?" she whispered.

"For finding your mate?" Tabby checked.

Cissy nodded, unable to meet the other woman's eyes.

"I don't think that's a problem. If he truly is your mate, then that means that the universe thinks you'll be perfect together. If that's true, he'll give you the time you need and not rush you. I don't know Darius well, but from what I've heard of him, he's not the kind of man who is going to demand anything you're not willing to give."

"That's kind of what he said himself," Cissy admitted.

Tabby's eyebrows shot up. "You've already talked about this?"

Cissy grimaced and set down her almost empty wine glass. "In a way. It wasn't exactly an in depth conversation."

"Ah, so you're worried he's said something that he doesn't mean?"

"I don't know." She hid her face in her hands. "I've never felt like this before, and it's confusing."

"It is," Tabby agreed. "But that doesn't mean you can't work it out. If he's said something, then he probably means it. But if you're worried about it, then you should talk to him. If he was telling the truth, then he'll be willing to go into it in more detail. If he wasn't, then he'll show it in how he responds to the question."

"And what if that happens? If he isn't willing to wait and let me have the time I need? If we're mates, then we're stuck with one another."

"You can still live your lives apart if you choose to," Tabby reminded her. "It'll be hard, but it is doable. And you have us to help you."

Cissy bit her bottom lip, but nodded anyway. The other necromancer was right. She had to trust in what the mating bond would mean, and that she could get through it if things didn't work out.

She was made of strong stuff, and she wasn't about to let something that might not even happen break her.