settled around my heart and tried to tighten my throat. Nope, I would not cry. Instead, I focused on Penny.
“I’d guess that was our necromancer,” she said. “The kind of power required to animate something like that is no small thing. Necromancer for sure. Heaven help us.”
“What about the tonton macoutes?” I asked. “Could those have been his too?”
“Not the right kind of undead,” Penny said. “It’s possible, but he or she would need help, I think.”
I looked over my shoulder, but the necromancer had disappeared after leaving us with his statue buddy. Why though? Had he done it just to show off? I frowned, thinking about the only real necromancer I knew well enough to say I knew him. Louis was not a showoff. If anything, he hid what he was to some degree, probably because he had nothing much to show. That other necromancer, the one from the council, had real talent. I’d seen him put Alan in his place at the council meeting.
What was his name? Jacob.
Except the council apparently had it out for me, so I couldn’t risk going to him. For all I knew, he was the hooded figure.
“That frown says you are thinking hard about something,” Crash said. “If you tell us, maybe we can figure it out together.”
The words tumbled out of my mouth. “I’m going to call Louis. He might be able to help us find the necromancer.” After all, he’d given Eammon a way to stay safe. I reached up and touched the ring on my necklace, the silver cool beneath my fingers.
Crash pulled a phone from his back pocket and handed it to me. “My phone’s safe to use. It can’t be traced.”
I took it from him and dialed through to Louis. Or really, through to Eammon. If he and Louis were pally enough that Louis had given him that ring, presumably he’d also left him with a phone number.
The phone rang twice and then a gruff voice answered, “Eammon here.”
“Eammon, it’s Bree,” I said.
“Bree, you be alive?” he roared.
I frowned. “Why would I not be alive?”
A whoosh of air slid out of him. “Tom was attacked by wraiths. So was I. We barely got to Missy in time. She said if you were attacked too, you’d be dead, seeing as she don’t think much of you.”
I flipped the phone to speaker so Crash and Penny could hear. “You and Tom were attacked by wraiths? Why? When?”
“My guess? Whatever trouble you’ve found is spreading, lass.” He sighed, and I was sure I heard a feminine snort in the background.
“Is that Missy?”
“It’s where we be staying,” he said.
“Not for long!” Missy snapped. “And I want that spell book, Breena O’Rylee. You did not hold up your end of the bargain. You gave me a dud!”
I looked at Penny, who shrugged. “Well,” I said, “you could come and get it.”
Penny grinned and nodded her approval. “That is a good idea, Missy. We could use you here.”
There was silence for a beat. “Penny? What are you . . . never mind. You’re helping that brat, aren’t you? You always loved a lost soul.”
“Of course, I am. It’s what Celia would have wanted.” Penny paused. “And the task is still unfulfilled.”
Task? Was she talking about me, or the spell Gran had died to protect?
Missy let out a rather unladylike curse. I decided to cut to the chase.
“Eammon, do you know how to get in touch with Louis?” I asked.
He spluttered. “You didn’t even want to ask me how me and Tom be?”
I sighed. “You’re alive. That’s awesome. Now, where is Louis? I need to talk to him.”
“I don’t know,” he said. Missy snorted, and I could just imagine her face twisting up in her trademark grimace.
I rubbed my face. “Okay, look, can you tell me where to find a nice necromancer to talk to in . . .” I hesitated to tell him where we were.
A soft sigh slid out of him. “You don’t trust me?”
“It’s Missy I don’t trust, and you already know where I am.” I lowered my voice as I brought the phone closer to my mouth. “Do you blame me? Someone tried to pin Alan’s death on me in order to have me killed. I’ve been attacked by four wraiths, and I’m no closer to finding my gran.” I didn’t feel like telling him about the statue that had just come to life and tried to run away with me. Or my run in with the whipping ghost in the