Persie Merlin and the Witch Hunters - Bella Forrest Page 0,73
can’t be… I remembered the pixies talking about their former Necromancy abilities, flashing purple cuttlefish spots at me so I’d understand what they were referring to. The ability was frowned upon in magical society, though it couldn’t be banned outright thanks to the executive order that Davin had drawn up during the Atlantis conflict. But it was also a rare enough ability that most magicals went their whole lives without ever meeting a Necromancer. My mom had told me many years ago that there were only a handful left in the world, and they tended to keep to themselves for fear of being stigmatized.
Suddenly, an explosion of purple and black erupted from Genie’s chest. Her body heaved upward, like Nathan had charged her with 300 volts on a defibrillator. And then… a sound that would stay with me for the rest of my natural life. A sharp, gasping intake of breath. My jaw dropped as Genie blinked rapidly, the purple light fading slowly from her eyes and body, retreating down the veins it had invaded.
“G-Genie?” I struggled to find my voice, shock and awe overwhelming my senses.
She sat bolt upright, confusion and horror written across her face. “What… just happened?” She stared at Nathan, who swayed slightly. He managed to reach out for her, taking hold of her hand with shaky fingertips for a moment, before he dragged himself to his feet.
“I need to excuse myself,” he apologized, taking a puzzle box from his jacket pocket. “I feel a Purge coming on.”
As he wandered off into the nearby trees, I launched myself at my best friend, wrapping her up in the tightest embrace I could muster. I had never known relief and gratitude like this. Here she was, in my arms, blinking and panting and struggling to figure out what was going on. Her chest rose and fell against mine. Such a small movement, yet more impactful than an earthquake.
“You’re alive,” I gasped. “Thank Chaos, you’re alive! I thought you were gone… I thought you were never coming back.”
“Gone?” Genie pulled back slightly. “Did I… die?”
I nodded, tears of joy replacing the sad ones. “You don’t remember?”
“I remember that misty bastard. And I know he hit me with something that burned like a biatch, but then… I don’t know what happened. Everything went black for a while and I was, sort of… floating around somewhere. I don’t know where.” She knitted her brows together in concern. “But… if I died, how am I alive again?” She shook her limbs out. “My body feels all weird and tingly.”
Just then, Nathan re-emerged from the trees, clutching a glowing puzzle box. Whatever he’d Purged, he’d caught it, but I could tell that what he’d done had taken a serious toll on him. He looked pale and weak, wobbling a bit as he walked toward us. Evidently, resurrection required a truckload of power, and Nathan was now running on fumes. But, as he lifted his gaze toward us, his face crumpled with relief. A gasp escaped his throat and I thought he might collapse under the weight of what he’d managed to do, but he kept his balance and staggered closer, his eyes never leaving Genie.
“You should ask him.” I nodded toward him.
Genie frowned. “What do you mean?”
“I think there’s something you need to tell us.” I tried to meet Nathan’s overwhelmed gaze, to point out the obvious, but his focus was unwavering on Genie. Thanks to him, I had a very confused, but very much alive best friend back in my arms. And, while I would be eternally grateful for that, there was one almighty question that needed answering. Why had he kept this a secret from us? If I’d known he was capable of bringing people back from the dead, he might’ve spared my knuckles and a whole reservoir of tears. Clearly, there was something else going on. But what? What could be so bad that he couldn’t reveal the truth to the woman he adored, and someone I hoped he thought of as a good friend?
Whatever it is, he risked it all to save Genie… Realization dawned and my heart swelled for this man, almost enough to forgive him for putting me through hell without an explanation. When it came down to it, he’d had to make a choice between keeping his secret and saving her. If news got out that he was a Necromancer, everyone would look at him differently, hitting him with the social stigma that came with that