Page 2 of How to Woo the Undead

“Yes, actually. I think she’ll do nicely. She’s fae, so she’ll take a little bit of detangling, but outside of that bludgeoning to her sternum, she’s perfectly intact. I’ll need to replace her heart, and the bones will need to be mended. I think I have just the thing! You’re a genius, my boy.”

“Thank you sir.” Austin beamed only to have his face fall immediately after. “Why am I genius?”

“Come, come, scoop her up. Best to get most of the work done while she’s still fresh!” Sebastian clapped his gloves together, striding back up to his steed. Austin, not one to ever question his creator’s instructions, hesitated for only a moment. Then his limbs moved of their own accord. First, he closed her eyes, letting her lay there as if she were sleeping and not brutally murdered. He cradled the back of her head as tenderly as he could. Tucking her limp arms into her lap, he scooped up her legs with his other arm. Holding her was the priority, so he took the reins of Remmy and tucked the leather loops onto his belt.A mere suggestion, as Remmy could easily break free if he wants.But his steed was more interested in sniffing the thick, silky tresses of the dead woman in his arms.

And thus, he carried the corpse they found in the woods with him back to Rosemont Manor…which honestly wasn’t all that strange for the assistant to the Lich of King’s Fall. It was, however, the first time, Austin ever looked down at a woman and felt a stir in his torso. Something fluttered deep in the crater of his chest.

Chapter One:

No Name

Therewasnobefore…therewas only the light. Slowly creeping through the cracks till it was the only thing visible. A piercing light that engulfed the oblivion. Nothing to be hidden, nothing to be seen; just a soft, pearlescent glow from a floating wisp. Up and down, it bobbed overhead and twirled in a happy little dance until suddenly it went still. Only then did the world clear up.

Only then did the pressure of sentience come crashing over the body and it screamed.

“Dragon’s breath, I’ve broken her, sir.”

“She’s not broken; this is common.”

Screaming felt good, like vibrating a long, dusty hallway with the curtains drawn. Suddenly the curtains were pulled back, and that pearlescent beam of moonlight broke through the crystal panes. Fractals of light made rainbows everywhere and illuminated all the cobwebs. The walls trembled in excitement and fear.Worry. I am worried. I am so very worried.Something wasn’t right and yet everything was very…very…alive.

I am…alive.

The screaming stopped as the voice cut out and there was no more oxygen in the lungs. Gasping, choking, sputtering, gasping again, inhaling too deep and wheezing, it happened in quick succession. Then the world clicked into crisp focus. Eyes that were once milky and distant come to focus on a face looming over them. A rectangular face with a strong jawline, high cheekbones, and tusks made out of narwhal horns. The horns were embedded in the gums like they were always meant to be there. Red glowing orbs, thick eyebrows, mint skin and stitching that ran across the throat up behind the ears.This head has been reattached. Has my head been reattached?

Information, abundant and unending, bubbled up to the surface as the corpse sat up sharply. All the joints stiffened in displeasure with the action. Pain awakened in the system and the dead creature screamed…again. A high pitched, sharp sound, vibrating as the room suddenly grew too big then too small. The wisps of light darted away. Hands wildly swatted at them but fell to the table beneath the flesh.I can move. I can scream. I can...I’m not breathing again.Every function to control a body became available like the access to a mind was unlocked.

I am.

I was?

No, I merely am.

The corpse screamed again. Body deflating, muscles failing, eyes burning, the corpse shrieked again and again until the lungs stopped working.

Thenshefell back against the slab with a sharp crack, and everything went dark.

“Sir!”

“Do not panic, Austin, she’ll wake up when she’s ready.”

Who am I?

“Now,let’strythisagain,” the soft voice coaxed her forward till she opened her eyes again. A softer room, a single wisp of light loomed over her. The voice came from a person in a long beaked mask. Sitting at her side with gloved hands cupping her face, the bird person inspected her with unfeeling circular lenses. With each twirl of the wisp over her head, the lenses flashed like an eye blinking. But they weren’t eyes. And hers stung.

Blink!

“That’s better. It seems your bodily autonomy is kicking in. Good. Can you open your mouth for me?” The bird person’s voice circled her head before finally sinking in her ears. She dropped open her mouth without thinking about it.Which, I guess, is progress.A scream would be nice, she considered doing it, then the bird person stuck a glass probe in her mouth and she gagged.Rude.She was forced to close her mouth around the intrusion and stare at the bird person with a twitch in her left eye.Is this fury? Or frustration? Is this confusion?

She felt something in her lap and looked down. A soft, velvety texture brushed her fingers.Flower petals?She picked them up to inspect them.

“Hyacinth flowers. They’re abundant in the woods. Outside of dahlias and roses, they’re one of the most common flowers on the property. Austin likes how they smell and thought it might be a wonderful first thing for you to wake up to…” the bird person trailed off as she brought the flower to her nose. She let itlinger near her nostrils, the scent cleaning out the nothing that existed in her system prior. A sweet, floral scent for a delicate bunch of flowers that nearly crumbled as she held them up in front of her.Maybe my grip’s a little tight?

There was a plethora of information lobbed at her at once with little clarification.

Things she did know:

I am a person.