He was here for a reason.The family of the deceased woman he was about to talk to didn’t deserve to have him take his anger out on them.The woman who’d died in a car accident certainly didn’t.Cyril needed to be a professional, even though it was hard when his emotions were all over the place.
He plastered a smile on his face and opened his door.Like always, Robbie was waiting for him outside the funeral home.He smiled at Cyril, but his smile faltered when Cyril gave him a wooden smile back.He opened his mouth, no doubt to ask Cyril what was going on, but Cyril brushed him off because he didn’t have it in himself to talk about it now.“I’ll tell you later.”
Robbie looked like he wanted to push, but thankfully, he didn’t.He was a professional, too.
“I don’t know if you’ve had time to read the file I sent you,” he said as he opened the funeral home door to let Cyril in.“Elizabeth Stewart died in a car accident a few days ago.It was unexpected, and her family wants to talk to her one last time.It should be an easy enough job.”
Cyril hoped Robbie was right because he couldn’t take anything complicated right now.His personal life was driving him nuts.He didn’t need his professional life to do the same.
Cyril had been to this funeral home before, so he knew the way.He also knew the job, even though the people were different every time.He’d comforted grieving family members hundreds of times.He’d seen bodies and had touched them just as many times.There would be nothing odd or complicated about this job.
Or at least, that was what he thought until he found himself face-to-face with the deceased.
He shouldn’t recognize her.He hadn’t known her when she was alive, so there shouldn’t be a reason for him to.He did, though.He recognized her blonde hair and her freckles, and even the lipstick she was wearing.The last time he’d seen her face, it had been in the rearview mirror of the car in his nightmares.
He sucked in a breath.This couldn’t be right.“How did she die?”he asked in a trembling voice.
Robbie frowned at him.“I thought I’d already told you.She was in a car accident.A driver didn’t stop for a red light and slammed into her.”
Just like in Cyril’s dream.
What did this mean?He’d thought it was just a nightmare, but clearly, there was more to it.He’d seen this woman die.He’d been in her head when she had.That had never happened before, and he prayed it never happened again, but it had at least once, and he didn’t know what it meant or what to do with it.
A hand landed on his shoulder, startling him.Robbie took a step back as if wanting to be sure that Cyril knew he wasn’t going to hurt him, which was ridiculous.Of course Robbie wasn’t going to hurt him.
“I’m fine,” Cyril promised.
“You don’t look or sound fine.Let me get the family.I’ll tell them you’re not feeling well.”
Cyril shook his head.“Get them, but I’ll do this.They hired me to do a job, and I don’t want to disappoint them.”
Robbie stared at him.For a moment, Cyril thought he’d say no and would force him to go home.It wouldn’t be the first time Robbie did that.It was one of the reasons Cyril had hired him as his assistant.Robbie wouldn’t take any bullshit from him, and he took care of him when even Cyril didn’t take care of himself.
“All right,” Robbie said.“But I’m taking you home once the job is over.I don’t know what’s going on, but it’s clear you’re not doing great.”
“I’m doing perfectly fine.”
“You’re an extremely bad liar.”
Cyril resisted the urge to stick his tongue out.He was a professional, and he was here for a job.Still, it was tempting.
Sometimes, he disliked that people could read him so easily now.It had never been a problem before he started making friends and met his boyfriend.Now, everyone was always in his business, giving him advice and telling him not to work too hard.
What else was he supposed to do?He was one of the best necromancers in town.If people needed him, he wanted to help as much as he could.
That was what he did today, too.He shook Mr.Stewart’s hand and accepted a hug from Mrs.Stewart.Both of them had clearly been crying, and they started sobbing when Cyril reanimated their daughter.They were able to say their goodbyes to Elizabeth, who looked more peaceful by the time she closed her eyes for the last time.
Cyril wished he’d been able to ask her questions about the nightmare and her accident, but with her parents there, it had been out of the question.Besides, he suspected she wouldn’t have had anything to tell him.He didn’t think she knew he’d been there that night.She hadn’t reacted to his presence today, so he didn’t think she’d recognized him.
But Cyril had recognizedher.He’d seen her die.Hell, he’dbeenher when she’d died.Nothing like that had ever happened to him, and he didn’t know how to deal with it.Normally, he’d go to Vale, but could he this time?
* * * *
VALE FELT GUILTY FORthe entirety of his run.He’d known Cyril wanted to talk this morning, so instead of sticking around to do just that, he’d run—quite literally.
He had too much energy.When he’d woken up to find Cyril curled against him, for a moment, he’d been happy.Then, reality had slammed back into him.
He’d lied to Cyril.A lie by omission was still a lie, and Vale knew that Cyril would see it that way, too.That wasn’t even what worried Vale the most.No, what did was what Cyril would think about Vale working for the Organization.
