“Whoa, hang on. No. No no no. Look, you want the truth?” Letitia freezes, eyes growing wide as I keep talking.

“Magic. It’s simple. I’m a necromancer. Letitia just saved my ass from a hit squad for some pissed off mages that were trying to kill me because they think I’ve been murdering people by lighting magical fires. People trying to kill me isn’t actually all that unusual. Kind of par for the course, really. In fact, Letitia tried it in high school. That’s how we know each other. High school. She stuck a big old butcher knife right in my back. Skimmed off a rib, so it wasn’t too bad.

“I probably deserved it. I’d been drinking and raising dead squirrels to run up girls’ skirts. I was an asshole back then. Anyway, she’s brought me here to prove to me why I should trust her now after all this time, and I think the reason might be you.” I stick my hand out to shake. “Hi, Annie, my name’s Eric.”

Annie stares at me, that scowl never leaving her face. “You think you’re pretty fucking funny, don’t you?”

“Frequently,” I say.

She turns her attention back to Letitia. “This guy’s an asshole. I don’t like being made fun of. Now I got an Uber coming to pick me up in two minutes and I’m going to meet it at the end of the block. Because I don’t want to fucking see you right now. Tonight. We talk. And if I don’t like your answers I am out the door. You understand me?”

“Yes,” Letitia says, voice quiet.

“You know I love you, but I can’t do the secrets.” She pushes past us, stalking out of the house.

I turn and wave at her. “Ta!” She answers me with two immaculately manicured middle fingers.

“I don’t think she likes me much,” I say.

“I am going to fucking kill you.” She stalks inside the house and I follow, closing the door behind me. I notice discreet wards carved into the threshold, the door jamb, next to the windows. The magic coming off them is surprisingly loud. I felt them a little from the street, but now that I’m inside it’s like a constant hum of white noise. She’s got this place locked up tight, and the wards very well hidden.

“You’re with a normal.”

“I almost wasn’t thanks to you.”

“You live with this woman and you’ve managed to keep magic a secret from her? I’m impressed. There are plenty of normals who know about us. Why not just tell her?”

“That’s a stupid question,” she says.