1 Chapter 1

I groaned as I felt smooth legs brush against mine. I slowly blinked my eyes open, shifting to encounter a peaceful face with drool escaping the side of her mouth. I looked her over, thin eyebrows with an eyebrow piercing that glows from the rising sunlight on her left brow. A somewhat crooked nose and small full lips. I moved her arms from around my waist and got up out of bed. I stretched and loudly groaned as I felt and heard my bones pop, I swear that's one of the best feelings. I looked back to see if she's up, but she barely stirred. She needs to go, I have work in a few, I thought after looking at my phone. I walked out of my bedroom and down the steps to my kitchen.

"You finally up." Kaliah greeted me, I groaned and flipped her off while walking over to my coffee machine. She knows I don't deal well with sarcasm before my coffee.

" So who's the hottie upstairs, sounded like she knew what she was doing." She said as she propped herself up on my island. I smiled over my cup enjoying the warm vapors that embraced my face.

" That's Riley," I said keeping it short. I took a sip and moaned as the flavors rushed against my taste buds, I opened the freezer and pulled out one of my breakfast burritos, and popped it into the microwave.

" Amana, I need more details than a freaking name." She deadpanned and rolled her eyes, Someone's in a mood this morning.

" We met at a bar a few nights ago, and have been texting back and forth, last night I invited her over. " I said giving her a summary of Riley and I's " relationship".

" Are you gonna see her again?" She folded her arms and arched her right brow, she knows me so well. She should, we've been best friends for 18 years, at this point we're basically married.

" You know that I don't so relationships," I said and took a big bite of my burrito, immediately regretting it and had to quickly chew it with my mouth open. Kaliah laughed at my misery, then suddenly went quiet when I called her a bitch. I raised my eyebrow and slowly turned my head when her eyes were focused behind me. I slowly turned to see Riley. I gave a tight-lipped smile, wanting to just melt away.

" Everything okay?" She asked, I nodded and explained that my burrito was too hot. She nodded with a chuckle.

" I know you said you don't do commitment and all that and I totally get that but I like your company." She said, oh no not this again. I thought she was different, why is it so hard for people to understand that some people aren't searching for anything but a good time.

" I-" before I can finish my sentence she held up her hand, I stopped and arched my eyebrow waiting for her to speak.

" I'm not asking you to be my girlfriend Amana, just that we maybe have a rerun of last night." That I can work with, normally when they start talking about my commitment it goes off into how they can change that, or worst ask me on a date. She isn't asking me out, is she?

" It's not a date or anything." She clarifies, I looked her over. I wouldn't mind having her around a little while longer as long as she knew her boundaries.

" Fine," I said with a smile, she smiled with a nod then made her way to the front door of my loft.

" Oh, you like her," Kal said, I rolled my eyes and grabbed my burrito making my way upstairs to get ready.

" It's not that I like her, but she is a cool company, and as you said before she knows what she's doing," I said as I entered my bedroom. Kal looked me up and down then smirked.

" Kaliah, it's really just sex, and if she tries to take it any further I'm gonna set it straight and move on," I said, Kal sighed and plopped down on my bed before horror ran across her face and she jumps up screaming and shaking her body.

" Ewww, get it off." She said being dramatic, I rolled my eyes and started getting ready for work.

" How do I look?" I asked Kal who chose to sit on the bench at the end of my bed. I looked in the mirror at my black wide-legged pants that hugged my waist and a yellow bow-tie long-sleeved top, with some black heels. I think I looked cute.

" You look less ugly that's for sure," I grunted then grabbed my briefcase and handbag. I made my way to the parking lot, checking my watch I realize that I'm barely on time. I sighed knowing I'm going to have to break a few laws.

*******

" Good morning class, sorry for the delay," I said as I walked into the classroom, I wasn't that late, just by five minutes but I expect them to respect my time so I try to do the same to them. I dropped my briefcase on my desk then started to set up my projector and lesson.

" He was adopted into the tribe." One of the female students at the front blurted out. I don't try to know their names by heart, it's not that I'm a mean or bad professor I have way too many students to even try to remember everyone.

" Why is that?" I questioned with a raised brow. He was adopted into their tribe but I wanted to hear her reasoning behind it, the different evidence that jumped out at her to make her draw that conclusion. After she explained herself I smiled and nodded.

" Ok, next class we will be having a test on the topics we've been covering recently," I said waiting for that one student to ask for specifics.

" Dr. Kole." I timid male voice said with a raised hand for identification.

" It will be on chapters 12-15," I said answering his question before he asked, I hear some small groans, I should be the one groaning I have to mark their wrong or incomplete answers. Don't get me wrong I have wonderful students but honestly, sometimes I wonder if all of them are in the right major. I smiled and nodded to some that said goodbye as they exited.

I turned around to get my stuff ready when I heard someone cleared their throat. I turned around expecting to see a student but instead, it was a well-dressed, stern-faced woman. By her mien, you could see that she was in charge, that she means business.

" Dr.Kole?" She made it sound like a question but it really wasn't. she knew who I was.

I nodded while trying to get a read on her. She wore a nice outfit, easy to move around quickly in but also professional. She's definitely not a professor or student from my department. I mentally groaned, this is the last thing I need right now.

"How may I help you agent?" I questioned extending the word agent signaling that I didn't know her name. You could see the glance of shock that brushed her face, I mentally smiled at my minute victory. I've worked with enough of you bastards to spot you in a crowded room.

"Farhad," she stated then approached my desk that I was now sitting on, showing me her badge, " Your help is needed on a case that-"

" I don't do consultations anymore, but I can recommend a few of my colleagues from the Athanasius that would be more than willing to cooperate with your investigation," I started cutting her off and getting off my desk to finish packing up my stuff.

" That's funny, I called the Museum before I came here and your director said where I could find you." She said with a smug smirk. Why the fuck would Heather do that, there are like six other people she could have named. This is why I don't like her, I don't hate her, but if I had a water bottle and she was on the brink of passing out due to dehydration; I would direct her to a water fountain and keep it stepping.

I know my face expressed my displeasure and quite frankly I don't care, working with the FBI has never been beneficial for me and I don't feel like taking a fucking stroll down memory lane.

" I think we have some confusion-"

" No, I asked for you, you're pertinent to the case." She said with a smug look on her face, I rolled my eyes and grabbed my briefcase.

" Keep up." That was all I said before walking off. I was hoping my long legs would be an advantage today but boy was I wrong. We eventually reached my office, every time she tried discussing the case I would cut her off and wave to a colleague, student, or just some random person. I must say she has a lot more patience than most of her counterparts, that or she really needs me which is scary enough. I don't wanna hear what this is about, that way I won't feel obligated to help. I can't go back down that road, no I refuse to.

" Are you finish?" She asked as she sat down in the chair in front of my desk. Conflicted, that would be the perfect word to describe me right now. I know the reason she's here is that someone died, why else would you need a forensic pathologist. I know that someone was killed and they need me to stop that person from killing again, to bring that victim justice, but part of me just wants to tell her to leave than move to an island and change my name and lead a new life. The more time I spend avoiding the inevitable the longer that killer is out there, probably even trying to find the next victim.

" Why am I so important to this investigation?" I blurted out already hating myself for asking, I hate having a moral compass sometimes. She nodded, shaking away the annoyance she had plastered on her face.

" You wrote a book called " The Necromancer" -"

"Yes, what about it," I asked getting worried, please don't tell me my book played a major role in this investigation. Maybe it was just found at the crime site, I thought trying to ease my mind.

" You and I both know that's not the case Mana," Kal said making me sigh and internally cry out. I sighed and tried to focus on what Agent Farhad was mumbling but I couldn't, not really with my mind racing at the speed of light.

" It would be nice if you stop cutting me off, it tends to speed the process along." She said her tone expressing what her face didn't. I exhaled trying to get myself together.

" I'm sorry, but I wrote that book when I was a junior in undergrad," I said trying to explain my confusion.

" Well, it seems as if you still have fans, the killer did us the favor of carving the book title and page number in the victim's skull, it's just that they were two different crimes."She said before gesturing to me, " that's where you come in to play." I think I'm going to be sick I thought as I listened to her.

" I told you not to write such descriptive killings." Kal voiced, pushing me over the edge of breaking.

"You are not helping!" I yelled and turned to look in her general direction, she rolled her eyes before facepalming. I bit my lip and closed my eyes, enjoying the temporary darkness.

" Excuse me?" Farhad said as she glanced in the direction I just yelled, and of course, seeing no one.

" I - nothing, where did you find it?" I asked hoping she'll just ignore that outbreak.

" You'd think that after all these years you'd know not to vocally yell at me," Kal said but I chose to ignore her and pay attention to the task at hand.

" It was on a rowboat, washed up on Cannon River ." She said that's not what happened in my book, in my book the skull was found in the sand at a popular beach after children dug it up while trying to build a castle, but I guess with the lack of popular beaches around here, the killer made some adjustments.

I grabbed my purse and started to move towards my office door, " are you coming?" I called to Farhad as I exited.

" I hope you know what you're doing Amana," Kal said before disappearing.