Read Up From the Grave: A Night Huntress Novel for Free Online

is when the motherfucker beat me with a car, had his accomplice shoot my best friend, and, oh yeah, set fire to me,” I said acidly.
    Kramer had done more, but listing all his evil deeds would take too long. He’d been a murdering prick in life, and becoming a ghost didn’t stop him. It only enabled him to continue his reign of terror for centuries. We’d nearly died trapping Kramer, and now Marie wanted the address of his cell? If she ever let him out, Kramer would come straight for me. At best, one day I’d look down to see a silver knife sticking out of my chest. At worst . . . well, I’d rather the silver knife.
    From the gleam in Marie’s gaze, she knew all of the above though her ghostly spies hadn’t found Kramer’s cell, obviously.
    “Your price is too high,” Bones said in a flat tone.
    “Your need for answers from this other ghost must exceed it or you wouldn’t have come,” was Marie’s immediate reply.
    Memories of the last time I saw Kramer made me want to argue. Giving one lethal adversary possession of another was akin to always having a loaded gun pointed at your heart.
    Still, what my friends were facing right now could be worse.
    “Done.”
    Bones’s gaze swung to me. I held out a hand. “She’s right. We need what Don knows more than we need to keep Kramer’s location a secret.”
    “Don?” A small smile touched Marie’s lips. “Your uncle is the ghost who keeps disappearing on you?”
    “You know family.” My tone was clipped. “Always a pain in the ass.”
    Bones stared at Marie. His expression revealed nothing, and his emotions were locked down, so unless I stood in front of him, I couldn’t determine what he was silently telling her. Marie seemed to know, however. She stared back in the same unwavering manner before inclining her head in a slight nod. Then their wordless exchange was over.
    “Kramer’s cell is buried in the underground trunk sewer beneath the old combined overflow facility in Ottumwa, Iowa,” Bones stated. “If it’s breached in any manner, Kramer will be able to escape.”
    A satisfied expression flashed over Marie’s features. Once again, I worried over what she wanted with the ghost. With luck, the voodoo queen merely wanted to own one of the world’s most infamous witch hunters—an irony I could appreciate considering Kramer’s hatred of all things female and magical. Then again, when was the last time I believed in something as simple as luck?
    “We’ve held up our end, Majestic,” Bones said in an even tone. “Your turn.”
    B ones’s knock boomed on the door. After a moment, Tyler’s “Who’s there?” could be heard over the sound of Dexter’s barking.
    “The owner of the bloody house.”
    The door flung open to reveal a grinning Tyler. “Your place actually has style. And it’s right in the heart of the French Quarter! Tell me again why you live in that shack in the woods—”
    He stopped speaking when he saw that we weren’t alone. Bones pushed Tyler aside enough to allow Marie and me to enter. We could have done this back at the cemetery, but I didn’t think Tyler would forgive me if I cheated him out of his chance to meet his idol. Now that we’d agreed on terms, he would be safe.
    “Majestic, this is our friend, Tyler. Tyler, meet Madame Laveau.”
    Marie’s gaze flicked over Tyler with polite disinterest. “ Bonjour. ”
    Tyler stared at her, his mouth opening and closing. For a few seconds, he didn’t even breathe. The only time I’d seen him close to this enraptured was when he met Ian.
    “Madame,” he finally choked out. “It is an honor. ”
    Marie’s mouth quirked, and she threw me a look that, had she been anyone else, I would’ve sworn was a humorous version of, At last, someone who appreciates me.
    Then she held out her hand. Tyler grasped it but didn’t shake it. He bowed over it with more formality than I’d thought him capable of.
    My queen, his thoughts said reverently.
    My ass, I didn’t reply