In Black 8: Penultimate Chapter

Noir put a coin in Xia's mouth, waited a moment, then spoke quiet words to himself.  "Zer moduz?"

Xia's eyes closed.  "Now spit out the coin," Noir commanded.

Xia did as she bid.  Noir flicked the coin in the air.  As it moved in the air, he let energy flow from him.  He cast the spell, and a black fog bellowed out from the coin.  Light seemed to avoid the fog, like it were unnatural.  It flowed thick and oily.

Noir breathed deep.  He inhaled all of the black fog.  He hacked, then coughed.  Noir bent over from his coughing, hitting the ground.

The necromancer felt hands helping him up.  Black droplets dripped from his mouth.

"Ugh."  Noir coughed.  "A foreign land is a land full of wolves, ugh."

"What's wrong?"

"I saw what she doesn't remember.  Ugh."  Noir straightened.  "Damn it."

Noir stood up.  He pushed hands off of himself.  The necromancer gave Ghede a nod as he exited.  The loa returned the nod, the two of them sharing an understanding.  Noir would take care of the problem, and the Ghede would watch and see what happened.

Then he walked out Xia's front door, into the rain.

Kyle followed him, shouting at him.  "Hey!  Wait!"

A black sedan pulled up to Noir.  Bert nodded at him.  Noir looked back over his shoulder.

He looked passed Kyle, dressed in his ridiculous Dragon Mask.  Noir stretched out his feelings, his connection with Xia vibrated.  He felt her confusion, then the bond between them opened, and he let a thought pass through.

Yours will be a hard path.  I will be back.  Noir tried to keep his message fresh, trying to keep his anger from coloring it.

What did you see?  Xia's thoughts replied, a bit of confusion tainting them.  I still don't understand.  And you keep repeating a word in your thoughts.  I can hear it- who was she?

I need to face him alone.

Noir who was she?  You loved her so much, but what does she have to do with all this?  Xia's thoughts were colored with concern.  I don't know why, but I feel compelled to worry about you-

Noir poured irritation into his thoughts, hoping that the tone of his thoughts might stop the conversation sooner.  I don't talk about that.  This is my own problem.  Your brother is a curiosity, and this isn't something the Ghede can handle.  I will return after I take care of the man who wronged you.  If I can, I will bring him back her for you to at least face.

Xia didn't reply.

Noir opened the door to the car.  Bert glanced back at him over his shoulder.  "Make some friends, N?"

"Ugh."

"That bad?"

"Ugggh."

"Gotcha.  Movin' on."

Thump.  Screech.  Grunt.

Kyle stood at the front of the Black Sedan.  He held up the front end of the car with one arm.  That one arm bulged with supernatural musclature.  Noir sensed another one of Kyle's strange body spells involved again.

"Who's this clown?"  Bert frowned.

"Kyle.  Thinks he's helping, I think."

"Tell him not to scratch the paint, then."

Noir grumbled and rolled down his window.  "What now?"

"I'm going with you, Necromancer."

"How many times do I have to tell you that isn't my name, Kyle?"  Noir shook his head.  "Put it down or I'll make you put it down."

"Necromancer, I'd like to see you try."

"Oh, geez, N.  Take the kid with you."  Bert said, trying to mollify Noir.  "Clearly, with that mask he needs some sort of reality kicked into him."

Noir sighed.  "Fine.  Get in, but stay out of my way."