The Necromancer

Prologue

May 3rd , 2015

The funny thing about death is you never really expect it when it happens. Most people go their whole lives believing nothing bad can ever happen to them, which is stupid because in the end no one gets out alive. Yet most idiots still live in ignorant bliss.

Until today, I was one of those idiots.

It was raining hard. The big, fat drops kept hitting my face, my eyes, and every inch of my body. Lilah and Jen ran beside me, the three of us trying to cover our heads.

"The rain is messing up my mascara!" Jen cried, as we ran down Massachusetts Street, the busiest road in town. Of course it didn't matter that it appeared as if we'd jumped fully clothed into a pool. The only important thing was her mascara.

Lilah pointed to Joe's Joe. "We have to get out of the rain!"

I nodded, making a fresh layer of raindrops fall from the tips of my honey blonde hair. Jen ripped open the door and we bolted into the little coffee shop. We glanced at one another, taking in the soggy clothes, wet hair, and running make-up.

"We look like drowned rats," Jen whined, swiping at the black under her eyes.

I shivered and wrapped my arms around myself for warmth. Glancing at Lilah, I said, "I told you it was going to rain."

Lilah rolled her eyes at me. There were strands of frizzy black hair sticking out of her braided pigtails. "There hasn't been a cloud in the sky all day, how the hell did you know it was gonna rain?"

I shrugged. "I could feel it."

"You know what they say," Jen began, using the inside of her shirt to wipe her face. "It's Kansas—if you don't like the weather, just wait five minutes."

This was true. The weather in Kansas was quite fickle. We were very likely to experience several different types of weather in one day.

We giggled and took three empty seats at the table just behind the glass. I watched, mesmerized, as the water cascaded down the window in beautifully crafted pathways. Two thin streams of rain flowed down the glass and collided into one thick stream. There was something so beautiful about it, that I smiled. I'd always loved the rain.

"Hello, ladies, what can I get you?"

I pulled my attention to the man standing by our table—Joe DeLuca, the owner of the coffee shop.

"Hey, Joe," I responded happily. "Can I get the usual?"

"Sure thing, Sweetheart. And the usual for you two?" Joe asked them, holding his pen to his notepad.

They both nodded.

Joe took down the orders and turned around to walk back behind the counter, dancing to the music that played on the radio. Joe had always been a happy guy. He was a people person, so owning a coffee shop and connecting with his customers was the right fit for him. He was the happiest guy I knew.

"I'm so glad we ditched Yearbook," Jen said to Lilah. "We're graduating in two weeks. There's nothing left to do, anyway."

"Easy for you to say," I told them. "I had to ditch Trig, and let me tell you, that was not easy. Mrs. Lang doesn't let kids out of her class. I had to fake getting sick—it was the best acting I've done in my life."

A few minutes later, Joe came back holding a tray of drinks. Joe handed over mine. "One macchiato for Juliette."

Then he handed Jen her cup. "One tall, non-fat latte with a caramel drizzle." Jennifer smiled excitedly and quickly shoved her face into the creamy top layer.