"Is this to do with Holloway's attack?"

I shook my head. "I went to the cemetery this afternoon and saw some grave robbers stealing a body."

He stalked across the room to me. "Was the grave fresh?"

"Only a day or two old."

His lips flattened. "This may not be a matter for the police."

"You're just going to let them get away with it? What if they come back?"

"I'm going to investigate myself. There are two motives for removing a body. The first is medical, to provide doctors with cadavers to use in their research. That's harmless."

"I'm sure the body's spirit would disagree, and the family members."

"The second is supernatural."

I gasped. "To create super humans like Frankenstein wanted to do?"

"Among other reasons."

I pulled a face. "I wish I'd followed them now and seen where they'd gone."

"You did the right thing. Following them would have been dangerous."

"All the more reason to begin my training immediately. Tomorrow afternoon," I said as I headed to the door. "Do not forget. You promised."

The frown he gave me as I shut the door was one that I had no trouble deciphering—resignation. It was the closest thing to an expression he'd ever shown. It would seem he didn't always wear the mask after all. That glimpse into his thoughts made me more determined than ever to see him shed the mask again, perhaps altogether.

Now that I was living at Lichfield, I could plan how to draw out more of his expressions and the emotions that underpinned them. It was fortunate that I had nothing else to do, and nowhere else to go, because I had a feeling it would take some time.

THE END

A NOTE ON TIMELINES

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus was first published in 1818, over 70 years before the events in THE LAST NECROMANCER take place. Since I haven't written Victor Frankenstein as a 90 year-old, this discrepancy may bother some readers. I hope most of you will forgive my use of artistic license in bringing him into 1889, and enjoy the story anyway.

Pre-order now:

Her Majesty's Necromancer

The 2nd book in the Ministry Of Curiosities series by C.J. Archer.

Somebody is stealing bodies from the cemetery, and it's up to Lincoln and Charlie to find out who and why. But when their investigation leads them into the bowels of Victorian London, Lincoln's protective nature brings him into conflict with the independent Charlie.

Pre-order HER MAJESTY'S NECROMANCER now. It will be released on August 24th 2015. To be notified of its release, sign up to C.J.'s newsletter via her website: http://cjarcher.com/contact-cj/newsletter/

A MESSAGE FROM THE AUTHOR

I hope you enjoyed reading THE LAST NECROMANCER as much as I enjoyed writing it. As an independent author, getting the word out about my book is vital to its success, so if you liked this book please consider telling your friends and writing a review at the store where you purchased it. If you would like to be contacted when I release a new book, subscribe to my newsletter at http://cjarcher.com/contact-cj/newsletter/. You will only be contacted when I have a new book out.