Nate could feel the power of her soul; it was cool and hard to grasp. He let her into his spirit house, this time he appeared with her inside. She was fully transformed here, her forelimbs covered in thick scales. She blushed at Nate, her face still a bit puffy from crying.

  “Karah, before we make the deal I need to take responsibility. I shouldn’t have ordered you to leave, it wasn’t fair of me to do. I know at that time you would do whatever I ordered you too. I should have thought of your feelings.”

  She stepped closer to him, slipping her fingers into his own. Standing there she gazed into his eyes, he could feel her emotions through her soul. Always being a hurricane he imagined it would be the same. Destructive and dangerous, but that wasn’t the case. It was a small bird fighting against the storm trying to find its place.

  “It wasn’t just that. The police threatened me. Said I could end up in jail this time. They caught me when I burned this place down. It was my fault.”

  He felt her soften here. They were alone and the rest of the world couldn’t harm her. It was the first time that she felt truly safe, that raging storm of a world stopped at the door. It's how she saw him, a man who could conquer the world just to calm it for her.

  “It’s ok. I figured it had to be one of us. You do understand that I can’t do what you asked. I can’t control how I’ll feel nor do I think I can take over the world. So I’m asking you now, will you give me your power, and follow me? What do you want in return?”

  “My first thought was to take you for myself. The second was that if you conquer the world you have to take me in. I think I know now what I want. This place, how our souls touch, everything between us. My request is that you never throw me away. I want my contract to be that you’ll never order me to leave you like that again. The rest of our lives will be together. You can love who you love but I get to be here.”

  “So you just want to be by my side, no matter what?”

  “Any added bonus would be nice. But can I be honest with you?”

  Karah’s normal asshole demeanor which flipflopped with her acting cutesy crumbled away. Nate didn’t think it was the magic of their souls touching. She had been all alone. Trying to grasp some part of the world they once had.

  “Of course, Back then and now. I’ll always be here for you.”

  “I knew you’d say that. I uh, don’t know who I am. Am I the girly girl, the punk, battle maniac, or whatever it is. With my new gang nothing feels right. Not since I left you, it's like you cleared my head when I was near you. I know it's weird but I do love you. I thought, what I wanted was to be seen by someone. In the end I just wanted to be seen by you.”

  “Karah, Why didn’t you just tell me? When we were together, well I can understand why you didn’t say anything. I wasn’t all there. I should have been better to you.”

  “No, I should have reigned you in. Mandy tried to, but I used that against her. You weren’t in the right head space and I was the one who took you further. So even if you don’t love me back it's ok. I’ll win your heart the fair way.”

  “Then on the agreement that I never get rid of you of my own volition you shall serve me for the rest of your existence.”

  “I agree to these terms. Forever and always.”

  Nate led her upstairs, this time they weren’t sucked up to any certain room. Instead Nate knew where to take her. They passed his fathers office as they went up. He was sleeping on the desk, as he was often to do before he died. Karah saw him but didn’t say anything understanding she would know in time.

  The master bedroom was spacious. It was the most decent room in the whole house. The floors were the least damaged and the door was in place. The wallpaper was gone but the walls still stood intact. Except for the few holes that Nate and Karah had made during their tryst.

  “I want you to have this room, it is mine as well so you’ll need to take care of it.”

  She looked at him with a questioning look. It didn’t get her any answers. What he meant by it being his was still yet to come. Stepping inside it transformed for her. The bed which was in half-way decent shape reformed. The walls took on color and a mirror formed off to the side.

  Nate could now feel that he could place Karah here whenever he wanted, and call her out as needed. They had in a way become closer than they ever had. She walked back to him, leaned up on her tip toes and kissed him on the cheek.

  ***

  Wayne was growing bored of waiting for the two to come out of the soul space. What they did within was their business. His time being wasted, now that was his business. Still he wouldn’t force anything. Even if he knew they were long since finished with the process.

  He could feel an odd presence in the area. Sniffing the air it was the smell of catnip. It would be best to see where this came from. Just as he took to standing his student came back to reality. The long half hour of waiting came to an end as the two stirred.

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  “Teacher. We’re all set now.”

  “Yes, Teachy Weachy he’s all set.”

  The two were slightly blushing. Wayne got the sense something had happened. He once had a succubus as a temporary contract so he understood if they were settling debts already. Though he was surprised that's all she would ask of his student. It was for the best that he didn’t broach the topic.

  “So now that is out of the way. I would like to get you in the field. Though most places I can think of are too far or too deadly. There is also the market. It's only a town over. We could make it there and back in a day.”

  “You mentioned getting out in the field before. Why the urgency?”

  Wayne pondered lying to his student. Twisting the truth further and further out of shape. He could do it with ease, the boy practically hung on his every word. Yet, yet, he still couldn’t bring himself to do so. That coldness he was trying to keep wanted to melt away. How stubborn.

  “I will tell you. Despite my better judgement. The Grandmaster, your benefactor, has determined that the rogue in town must be dealt with. This Necro must be dealt with as soon as possible. For some reason that means we need you.”

  Nate had practically forgotten about the murders. Except when he found out about Williams Wells home nothing had really crossed his mind. He felt guilty that he hadn’t done anything, now he was being given the chance. It wasn’t the effect of the contract, though he could feel it energize his body, he would solve this case. The murder and Paladins fell into the threats to his family, they would be eliminated with prejudice.

  Now linked together some of what he felt impacted Karah. She licked her pink lips with excitement. A fight was to come and it would be perfect for her to grow stronger. It was still an odd feeling for them, a welcome one.

  “I have two questions, Teachy Weachy.”

  “Go on.”

  “The first is how the fuck is this broken body going to pull his weight? The second is what the hell are you talking about?”

  Both Nate and Wayne looked at each other in exasperation. They were mostly on the same wavelength; it seemed that Karah was not. Wayne also did not like his new nickname.

  “Well, Girl. There is a Necro, an unethical necromancer in town. Have you seen the hand from the sky? That would be his doing. We need to stop that. As for him pulling his weight, isn't he healed enough for you to protect him? Unless you can’t even manage that?”

  “Who in the damn hell do you think I am? Of course I can take care of him. But you're talking about a hand that comes out of the sky and grabs up souls?”

  “Yes. It showed up probably six months ago, we have been watching it for three now.”

  “Teacher, I saw it over a year ago. I didn’t know people were dying but I definitely saw the storms around then.”

  “Really? Neither of us get out much. The Grandmaster says watching the people is placing them into super-positions. Don’t really know what he means but that's good to know. We can narrow down some of our searches.”

  “What's the arm look like?”

  Karah asked while pondering deeply. Nate could feel her grasping for something. It was both a happy and sad memory. Twisted up and knotted in roots. A stray thought passed in his mind. Why could he feel things from her but not his dad?

  “Like this before, but like that now.”

  Wayne summoned a skeletal arm from the ceiling over Nate’s head. Its white bones were covered in a layer of browning and yellowing muck. It smelled slightly of salt water. Muscles then wrapped it wiping clean the decay and rot in the bone. The meaty wetness of pulsing muscle dripped with blood and a sticky wet fluid.

  “I’ve seen that before. Oh, oh, no. I’ve seen that before.”

  Karah’s voice, normally full of energy, shrunk away. Quieter and quieter till it was inaudible. Nate could feel her soul shaking. It was fear, anger, and regret. Tears plopped from her eyes as she looked at Nate. His own stomach tying into knots.

  “Where did you see it, Karah? Where did you see it?”

  “I if I knew that… But I never knew that's what it meant. I would have brought you home if I knew. Your father, that night after you came back. I went to check your place in the morning. Tell them you were ok. Mandy told me not to, that it was a bad idea to meet them. You told me to stay away. But I saw it.”

  “Don’t. Please. Stop. I don’t want to know.”

  Tears ran down Nate's face. He’d just got his father back. There hadn’t been a chance to talk about how his father died. The secret he kept of his sickness, why he wouldn’t seek help. Was this what it truly was?

  “That's the same kind of hand that I saw the day your dad died. Over two years ago.”

  One could hear a pin drop in the room. Wayne shifted uncomfortably in his seat. What the Grandmaster said must have been true. As much as he wished that it would not be. How long had the Grandmaster known of the boy? Two years of a Necro in town and he supposedly saw nothing? Doubt festered in him.

  “I’m going inside for a bit. Got to make somewhere to blow off steam.”

  Karah spoke despondently. She blamed herself for his fathers death. The self-destruction of the crew had come from that one incident. Nate tried to not blame her, it would take some time for him to not feel the sting. She disappeared into his soul hiding away from the world.

  “I’m sorry.”

  Wayne meant it from his heart. The town was under their command. Deaths from wandering Necromancers was common, acceptable even, this had clearly been their problem to solve long ago. He wasn’t a few days into being a teacher and had failed his student over two years ago.

  “It will be fine. I have my father now, here in my soul. What is it that we need to do?”

  Before Wayne could start two men reached the door. Their badges were a shimmering silver color. The policemen smiled politely but without any mirth. Glancing around the room their eyes fell pointedly on Nate. He was in no mood for guests but the last few days had prepared him for such an incident.

  “Excuse me. Have the two of you seen a girl here? She is wanted on felony, arson and manslaughter. Reports have her placed in this room.”