Free The Necromancer's Betrayal (The Final Formula Series, Book 2.5) by Becca Andre Page A

across her tongue.
    His breath came quicker, already anticipating the aroma, the flavor. He had warned her that he wouldn’t walk away the next time she offered her blood, and here she was, deliberately planning to cut herself. He wanted to speak, to make certain she remembered his words.
    She lifted her light-brown eyes to his once more. The hand on his stomach slid down to grip the waistband of his jeans, her knuckles brushing against his stomach.
    His breath caught, and he was keenly aware of the bed only a few paces away.
    A knock on his door caused them both to jump. Fortunately, Elysia opened her mouth before pulling away.
    “Hey, dead man,” Doug shouted through the door. “Have you seen Elysia?”
    “Your fiancé is knocking,” James whispered.
    She held his gaze. “I still think you’re selling yourself short. Some women just want a good man.”
    He blinked. She hadn’t agreed?
    She turned and walked away. He watched her go, not sure what had just happened.
    She stopped before the door, and took a deep breath before she pulled it open. “I’m here,” she said to Doug.
    He frowned, eyeing her before his attention turned to James.
    “What is it?” Elysia asked, drawing Doug’s gaze to her.
    “I might have found a solution.” He gestured with his phone. “A family member has agreed to help.”
    “Which one?”
    “You’ve never met him.”
    “It’s not your father, is it?”
    “No.” Doug gave her a frown before continuing. “I could drive you down this morning. Maybe we can have this resolved by this afternoon.”
    “Seriously? He can free James?” Elysia gripped his forearm. “Where does he live?”
    “Cincinnati. Shall we go?”
    James watched the exchange, unease crawling along his spine. Cincinnati, where the Deacon lived… and the Elements.
    “Yes, let’s go.” Elysia looked over her shoulder and gave James a big grin.
    Chapter
9
    T he ride was uneventful, and the back seat of Doug’s Mercedes was considerably roomier than the front seat of Elysia’s compact. Even so, James would have preferred to be sitting with his knees beneath his chin than going anywhere with the Deacon’s son.
    Doug and Elysia entertained themselves reminiscing about their collective past. If she hadn’t told James that they had once been engaged, he suspected he would have figured it out. Especially after Doug’s detailed recollection of a hot tub he and Elysia once shared. She had smacked his arm on that one, her cheeks flushing. James didn’t miss the smirk Doug gave him in the rearview mirror. James wasn’t sure why the guy saw him as competition. As far as Doug was concerned, Elysia hadn’t shown any interest in James aside from wanting to free him.
    The drive took them to downtown Cincinnati where Doug parked outside a large brick building. A sign mounted on the wall proclaimed it the City Morgue.
    “You work here, right?” Elysia asked when Doug shut off the engine.
    “On a part-time basis. It has a nice lab.”
    “A lab?” James asked.
    Elysia twisted around to look at him. “Doug is a forensic pathologist.” She returned her attention to her fellow necromancer. “Your family member works here, too?”
    “He’s been here a few weeks.” Doug opened his door. “Let’s go see what he’s come up with.”
    They all climbed out and followed Doug into the building. The lady at the front desk looked up and gave Doug a smile before waving them through. James wondered at the lax security until the girl’s faded blue eyes settled on him, and he felt the light brush of her touch. Necromancer. He chided himself for not considering it. Any business that dealt with the dead—even those run by the city—was probably under the Deacon’s control.
    Doug led them down an unadorned hall to a pair of double doors. James hesitated. Something felt… off. He called the hound in an attempt to better understand the feeling.
    “Stop that, dead man.” Doug’s power slammed into him and the hound