Settling into the other armchair, Gwen waited quietly until, after a few minutes, he sat back and released a tense breath. “So Felipe’s feeling melancholy?”
“He wanted to see his daughter before Saturday, but something came up.” Oliver told her about their visit to Agatha and Louisa’s house, the letter Felipe received from Teresa, the hopelessness in Felipe’s voice when he told Oliver he didn’t want to extend the deadline. “I don’t know what to do. I don’t want him to die, but—”
“What did Mr. Turpin say? Did you get to look at any books in the special collections?”
“I left before I could read them, but there weren’t many. All Turpin told me was that everyone’s magic is different and that the books were so biased, they’re probably worthless. I should just use my power. As if it’s that easy.”
“I mean, he’s not wrong.” She held up her hands. “Wait. Listen to me before you say anything. Lots of people have the same ability, but what sets them apart is how they use it. I could use telekinesis to throw knives at people or drop bricks on their heads. Mostly, I use it to reach things on high shelves and unlock your door. People with the ability to manipulate fire aren’t all bad simply because they have the potential to set fires, right?”
“Yes, but once they do, no one trusts them. That’s the part I’m afraid of. And Turpin said Felipe might change eventually if I continue to keep him alive.”
“Change how?”
“I don’t know. Apparently, no one knows because necromancy is taboo no matter how noble the reasons behind it.” Closing his eyes to regain his composure, Oliver said quieter, “And what about Felipe? This is his life we’re talking about. He’s already upset. Even if we can somehow manage this, what is he going to do? He can’t be more than a few hundred feet away from me. Going back and forth across the country on cases is all he did for years, and now he’s stuck tethered to me.”
“I would rather be retired or on desk duty than dead. I mean, you’re already working on cases together, aren’t you? It’s not like he has to stop completely.”
“Yes, but—”Not everyone has the right temperament for it. Felipe wouldn’t want to work with him long-term. “We would have to explain this to the head inspector. I imagine that conversation would end poorly. I just... I just never thought I would be one of those people who lets their heart get ahead of their head. I tried so hard to never be in this position, Gwen. I had rules. No reanimating for more than thirty minutes or for any purpose other than autopsies. No reanimating people I know. No getting attached to the dead or carrying out final wishes. Everything seemed so clearcut, and now, nothing makes sense.”
Oliver raked his fingers through his hair, tugging it sharply. Bringing people back from the dead was morally wrong. It went counter to the natural order, and people who did it were punished, swiftly and harshly. Oliver didn’t want to be punished, but he didn’t want Felipe to die more. Love was morally good. But what if love was the motivation for a bad thing? Could one cancel out the other? At the tap on his arm, Oliver turned to find Gwen looking far more serious than he had seen her in some time.
“Oliver Barlow, I love you dearly, but this is a conversation you need to have with Felipe. I know you hate breaking the rules, but people do things that are against the rules all the time, including yourself. You have had several relationships with men, and technically, that’s illegal. Yet you still do it. If two men sleep together, does it affect anyone but the people involved?”
“No,” he croaked miserably.
“This is like that. Yes, necromancy has a stigma around it, but this is between you and Felipe. You need to talk to him about what he wants.”
“I tried to last night. He seemed so hopeless.”
“Well, you don’t have to do it now. Wait until he’s feeling more himself, and I’m sure he’ll come around.”
“Yeah.” Oliver groaned and sank back against the armchair. He had to do something, had to make things right. As soon as his head hit the fabric, it dawned on him. “I know something that might cheer Felipe up, but I’ll need your help and it might not exactly be legal.”
Gwen stared at him with a raised brow before shaking her head in disbelief. “You know what, sure. It’s got to be better than cataloging books.”
“Good, so here’s what we’re going to do.”
