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Because New Orleans was so far below sea level that buried bodies had a nasty way of returning to the land of the living, the city had been forced to find another way to deal with the departed Above ground tombs and mausoleu referred to as the cities of the dead The grossest thing was that le faroups such as the massive Italian monument in the center Once someone died, their remains were put on top of someone else who’d decomposed It hy the city had a law that no to the bodies enough time to fully decay before the next one was added He didn’t knohat they did with someone if they needed a tomb before that time elapsed, and he didn’t want to know

So, and that was definitely one of theh the black iron gate that was opened so that tourists and tour groups as well as loved ones could access the ceht hours

Honestly, the cemetery was beautiful in a creepy kind of way The elaborate to hihtly colored, and all ht iron decorations had been used to add flavor and beauty to the crypts

"Boo"

Nick cursed as Grim appeared behind him and startled the crap out of him "Don’t do that!"

"Juhed "Of course I know It’s one of my favorite places"

"Yeah, well, nota lot of tiure since one day I’ll be a permanent resident, there’s no need to rush and visit it while I’s, kid Now follow le shadow

He had three

"What the--?"

Grim paused to look at him over his shoulder "What?"

Nick pointed to the shadows "What’s up with you?"

"You know ated them to shadow status for the day" He continued forward

Nick wasn’t sure he liked that, but he knew better than to argue Picking up the pace, he closed the distance between theain until he reached the far back end, where one of the sarcophagi reels were carved all over the intricate stonework

"I think this will do for our next lesson" Gri it A cloth appeared, shielding the blackened surface "Much better" He held his hand out to Nick "Have you been practicing?"

"For all the good it hasn’t done me Yeah" He handed the pendulum and book to Grim

"Have you made friends with the pendulum?"

"Kind of one-sided if you ask hed irritably "Fine Today I wanted to show you how you can locate so them be easier?"

He passed a droll stare at him "What if the phone doesn’t work, Nick? Or you don’t have their number Better yet, what if you don’t really knoho you’re hunting, but you still need to find the for someone I don’t know?"

Gri senseless video games for hours on end?"

"’Cause that’s fun"

"And this can be lifesaving"

Yeah, okay, thatMario

Maybe

As Grie, a tourist caasped, then quickly retreated A devilish grin lit his face "Hold that thought"

Nick frowned as Death turned into a dark gray vapor and made a quick exit A few seconds later, he heard a loud screa feet

When Gri in satisfaction "Aw, fear How I love the fragrance"

"You are so sick, Grim"

"And one day, you will learn to take pleasure in the ss as well"

Yeah, but after what he’d learned about hi others Even s"

"Yes, yes" Grim returned, and a et it to do that for you? Whenever I try so like that, it back-talks et aith back-talking you I have no love or tolerance for it If it annoys me, I will burn it without reservation"

Ah, inti his attention back to the map "Tell me someone you’d like to find"

Problem was, he knehere everyone lived as important to him

Everyone except Kody

"Nekoda," he said to the pendulum "Shohere Nekoda is"

Grim handed hi happened "This is a waste"

"No Learning is never a waste What you’re doing right now is discovering how not to htbulb"

"Huh?"

Griain Educate yourself, kid All right, the pendulu Soasoline?"

"Yes, Nick We’re going to set the book and your penduluent"<ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>