thing?â
âYes.â
âBut you think Elysia is possessed.â
âSheâs no longer whole,â he said, his voice softening.
âYou mean, since she saved me?â
âAnd me.â
âBut she said sheâs a ghost magnet,â Era said.
âAll necromancers are,â Doug said. âThe stronger the power, the greater the attraction.â
Eraâs brow wrinkled. âBut if Elysia canât resist themâ¦â
âOh,â I said, making the connection. âThatâs where the insanity comes from.â
Doug and Era both gave me a puzzled frown.
âWhy soul reaperâs go insaneâor one reason,â I explained. âThey lose their natural defense. After Neil stunted her, Elysia said the ghosts wouldnât leave her alone. She thought she was going crazy until James chased them away.â I shook my head. âDamn, if I could just figure out how to rebuild her natural defense, maybe I could cure her.â
âHow would that even be possible?â Doug asked.
âAddieâs an alchemist.â Era said. âShe doesnât believe in impossible.â
I ignored them, running a possible formula through my mind, then discarding it. I could use the Final Formula to repair physical damage, but how did I rebuild someoneâs failing magic? In my mindâs eye, I was back in that crematorium with Neil, holding the jar of necromancer ashes. What if I could use the natural defense of anotherâ
A thump, and the elevator suddenly kicked on.
âEra?â I asked. She was standing closest to the door.
âIt wasnât me. It needs a key.â She gestured at the panel by the door, and even in the low light, I could see the keyhole.
âSo did the locked door you opened.â
âYes, but Iâm not doing this.â
The elevator slowed to a stop. Was it on our floor? None of the lights were on.
The door began to open, and I slid a hand along my ribsâwhere I usually carried my vials in a series of narrow pockets. My fingers slid over the silky fabric of my dress before I remembered that I wasnât wearing my robes. Not that alchemy would work on a ghost.
The door banged open, revealing James standing inside.
âHowââ I began.
âThe roof.â He pointed at the open hatch above him. âDid you call the elevator? The door slammed closed while I was climbing through the hatch.â
âThe door closed on us, too,â Doug said.
âAnd no, we didnât call the elevator,â Era said.
Jamesâs eyes went on full glow and he spun in a slow circle. âThereâs no one here.â
âSpirits use energy to interact with our world,â Era said. âI bet this one used it all.â She glanced at Doug and frowned. He looked like he was trying not to laugh.
âWhat? Am I wrong?â Era asked.
âNo.â Doug continued to smile. âIâm just impressed with your knowledge.â
âWell, what I didnât learn from the usual channels, James taught me.â She shrugged.
âI found Elysia,â James cut in. He was staring at the floor on the far side of the elevator.
âWhere?â I asked.
âThe basement.â
âWhy would she be in the basement?â I rubbed at the goosebumps that pebbled my arms. Was she down there alone?
James moved to the wall of the elevator beside the open door. âEra, can you operate this? It takes a key.â
âI can try.â She stepped onto the elevator, and Doug and I followed.
A dim safety light lit the space, and I had to force myself not to study the shadowed corners.
âIf you canât get it,â James said to Era, âIâll change and go after her.â
âWhat if sheâs not alone?â Doug asked. âWe still donât know if it was Elysia who opened that portal.â
The elevator motor kicked on and we were descending.
âI hope