“We’ll talk later.”
With a shake of his head, Oliver followed Felipe down the steps and across the library. As they passed the front desk, Mr. Turpin scowled at Felipe over his book, but Oliver couldn’t help but notice the ghost of a smile on his lips when he met Oliver’s gaze.
***
Oliver and Felipe stoodon either side of Jed’s body, staring down at the dead man in the drawer. Oliver had been surprised to find the room in some semblance of order, even if his tools needed to be sterilized and the room given a full cleaning to wash away any remaining traces of Jed or whoever came after to investigate the shooting. Swallowing hard, Oliver’s eyes trailed to the bullet hole in Jed’s chest. He had seen hundreds of them in his time at the Paranormal Society, yet knowing what came before it, how close Oliver had come to being the one on the stretcher, made it seem more real. The moments leading up to the flash and bang replayed in his mind nearly every time it quieted.
“I don’t know if I can do this,” Oliver said softly.
“Can you try? If he has information that might lead us to Newman and Father Gareth, we have to try.”
Oliver wanted to say yes so badly. What he feared most was losing Felipe. He had never tried to reanimate two people at once. The first tether could snap the moment he tried, and he wasn’t willing to sacrifice Felipe for anyone, especially not Jed Monroe. Then, there was the problem of it being Jed Monroe. The man had spent his final moments trying to kill him. Jed had been dead long enough that it should have made him more docile and far less aware than a fresh corpse, but what if he sat up and tried to murder both of them?
“Check his body for weapons,” Oliver said with a resigned sigh as he rolled the laboratory table over.
Felipe raised an eyebrow but reached into Jed’s jacket to retrieve a gun and another small knife. Moving down the body, he amassed a pile of knives, ammo, and things that Oliver was sure were dangerous but couldn’t name.
“Are you sure you found everything?”
“This is what he carried normally. Do we really have to worry if I missed one?”
“You took a swing at me with a fireplace poker the moment you were conscious, so yes.” Oliver watched as Felipe patted Jed down one more time. “Felipe, I don’t know if I can do this, physically. I’ve never tried to tether two people at once; I’ve never had to. It may not be possible to do so.”
“You might lose your powers because of me?” Felipe asked.
At the edge of pain in Felipe’s voice, Oliver wanted to object, but he might be right. He might never be able to solve a case the way he used to. The thought twisted in his gut. “I can still manipulate bones. For what it’s worth, I never liked reviving people, even if I liked the result. If I can reanimate him, I need you to be on alert. Knowing he was trying to kill us, makes me worry he’ll be hard to control.”
“Let’s tie him up.”
Oliver blinked at him. “What?”
It was exactly what it sounded like. Felipe found rope in the closet and proceeded to bind Jed’s limbs together with knots tight enough to injure a living person. Oliver was pretty certain that crossed into desecration of a corpse territory, but since Felipe and Jed were both technically dead, it felt slightly more acceptable. Hauling Jed’s corpse onto the laboratory table, Oliver made certain all the doors were locked and the sharp objects out of reach. When he returned to Felipe’s side, he found him staring down at his ex-partner with a tight expression.
“He may not be completely himself. I don’t know if you want to see him like that. It isn’t always pretty.”
“I’ll stay. I want to be the one to interrogate him. I know Jed better than— better than most.” Felipe ground his jaw. “You won’t get anything out of him.”
Drawing in a steadying breath, Oliver laid his hand on Felipe’s shoulder. The tether wobbled between them, followed by a knot of anger and sadness. Oliver didn’t want to do this, but for Felipe, he would try.
“If I feel too much strain on the tether, I’m cutting Jed loose and not trying again. I’m not risking your life for this, and nothing you say will make me do so. You have five minutes to get the information you need.”
“Understood.” Closing the distance between them, Felipe kissed Oliver, and he hated how they clung to it like a silent goodbye. “I’m ready if you are.”
Oliver took a step back and let his hand hover above Jed Monroe’s forehead. Falling into himself, Oliver focused on the fading embers of Jed’s body, the organisms trying to break free, the man he was, the sparks traveling along his nerves so far from home. As the tether caught with a gasp, Oliver was acutely aware of Felipe Galvan burning beside him. Energy flickered between Oliver and Felipe’s bodies as the connection lodged beneath the original tether. Oliver coughed at the peculiar thud of his heart. It felt wrong. Too hard. Like two hearts trying to beat at once. He wasn’t certain it truly caught, but a second later, Jed’s chest rose with a whistle and his clouded eyes flickered open. Jed tugged his arms and legs against his binds before trying to sit up.
“Where am I?”
Oliver was about to launch into his script when Felipe leaned over the table and planted a hand on either side of Jed’s head with a crack. Sweat glistened on his forehead as he stared down at his former partner with an icy grin.
“Dead, in the morgue. Bet you weren’t expecting to see me again, Jed. You thought you were so slick, getting me drunk and asking about the box, telling me you would help on the case. Was that just another opportunity to find out what I knew and kill me?”
“It was nothing personal,” he replied, his drawl looser.
Clearing his throat, Jed turned his head and spat blood in Oliver’s direction but missed. Felipe grabbed Jed by the jaw and wrenched his face back until they stared eye-to-eye. A knife glinted dangerously in Felipe’s hand as he put it to Jed’s throat. Oliver’s pulse thundered uncertainly in his ears at the energy unspooling from his body into the other men. He knew he should move or put a stop to this, but he feared if he took a step, he would pass out. Standing very still with his hands locked on the edge of the table, Oliver closed his eyes, and the dizziness abated slightly, though the strange, extra beats remained.
“Tell me what the priest is planning.”
“You can’t kill me if I’m already dead, Galvan.”
