Chapter 11
Chapter
Eleven
Erasmus
The sun had been up for nearly two hours when Phlox and Leon passed through Pops’s wards and knocked on my door. Hurrying from the kitchen, I swung the door open, afraid of what I might find. Vampires and sunlight did not a friendly relationship make.
Much to my relief, Leon’s exposed skin wasn’t smoking, and he appeared to have all his appendages still intact, not even a hint of ash blowing on the wind.
“Goddess, that was a long flight.” Phlox shoved a charm in my hand. “Activate that. It’ll help with the dust.”
Doing as told, I activated the charm none too soon. Wings fluttering, Phlox flew into my house, his blue-and-tan dust following in his wake. While pixie dust typically expired quickly, it wasn’t fast enough not to cause a sneezing fit. The charm I’d been given alleviated that problem.
Mesmerized, I watched the dust inch closer only to vanish before it could be inhaled. “That’s fantastic.” I turned the charm over in my hand. “I’ve never heard of such a thing.” I had no idea why. It was incredibly useful.
Phlox waved me off. “Vander made it. He keeps all of us pixies supplied with them.”
Warlock Vander Kines was younger than Pops. They were frenemies of a sort, and it was Warlock Kines’s inquiry that first introduced me to the strange medley of individuals living on the East Coast.
I made a mental note to hold onto the charm. Pops would be interested.
While Phlox gracefully floated into my home, Leon followed at a much more subdued pace.
His expression was pinched and his lips drawn into a thin line.
Leon’s crimson hair was shockingly bright against his pallid skin.
Hands stuffed into the pockets of his jacket, Leon looked like something even the cat wouldn’t drag in.
“Are you okay?” I asked Leon as I shut the front door.
Leon’s forced smile hid his pointed teeth. “As my beloved said, it was a long flight.”
Phlox flew to Leon’s side, his fingers lightly touching Leon’s face. “Now that I’m Leon’s beloved and he feeds from me, the sun is no longer the danger it once was, but I’m afraid it’s still draining on him.”
“It’s itchy,” Leon said, utterly confusing me.
“Would feeding help?” Phlox asked.
This time, Leon’s smile wasn’t as forced. “No. I have fed enough, beloved. Resting would be appreciated. Preferably somewhere dark.” Leon sent a hopeful look my way.
“I don’t have a basement, but I tacked some dark sheets over the windows in the guest room. It’s on the north side of the house, so I don’t think the sun should be too bad. I’m sorry. It was the best I could do.”
“That is more than sufficient.”
I led Leon down the hall. Phlox followed, hovering and fussing about.
After showing them the room, I left the two of them alone to settle in.
It wasn’t long before I heard the click of the door shut.
Phlox flew into my kitchen, bare feet settling on my wooden floors.
Dressed like a typical pixie, Phlox’s lightweight, deep blue, loose pants flowed around his legs while an equally similar garment draped over his upper body.
Hands fisted on his hips, Phlox huffed and jutted out his chin.
He looked livid, and I only hoped it wasn’t due to something I’d done.
“I swear, one of these days I’m going to maul that fairy.” Phlox’s eyes shifted color, turning into whiskey gold, his pupils rounding as his Pallas’s cat shined through. To punctuate his point, Phlox snapped his feline sharp teeth.
I almost dropped the second glass I was pulling out of the cabinet. “I, uh… And what fairy would that be?” As dangerous as Phlox was, he was no match for a fairy.
“Ray,” Phlox said the name like a curse.
“He could have transported us here like that.” Phlox snapped his fingers.
“It’s nothing for a fairy.” Throwing up his hands, Phlox lifted into the air again, pacing back and forth.
“It’s nothing for them. Fairies just open up a rift, and wham, bam, there you are.
It’s like walking through a doorway. Ray could have saved us from an agonizing flight that was delayed four fucking hours.
Four!” Phlox held up four fingers, waving them my direction as if I didn’t know what the word meant and needed the visual cue.
Throwing a hand toward the hall leading to the bedroom, Phlox’s expression turned pained.
“You saw Leon. The sun might not cause instantaneous death, but it still doesn’t feel good.
He was asleep before his head hit the pillow.
It was torture for him trying to stay awake all that time. ”
I saw where the rage came from now. This wasn’t about the plane ride so much as worry for the vampire he loved.
I’d met the “Ray” Phlox spoke of. Hellfire Rayburn was the fairy queen’s most storied warrior.
I’d seen Hellfire Rayburn in action and wholeheartedly believed the tales I’d heard were far from exaggerated.
A wicked gleam entered Phlox’s eyes. “Just wait until Wendall hears about this.” Phlox slapped his hands, sinisterly rubbing them together like an ancient movie screen villain.
“Yes. That’s exactly what I’ll do. Wendall will make sure Ray understands the error of his ways.
Not a transportation service, my ass.” Phlox huffed again, and I could only guess that’s the reason Ray had given for not doing as asked.
Empty glass still in hand, I channeled Momma and asked, “Would you like something to drink? I’ve got water, lemonade, beer, or sweet tea. Word of warning, when I say sweet tea, I mean sweet.”
Phlox beamed. “Bring on the tea.”
“You’ve got it.” I poured two glasses, setting them both on the kitchen table. Phlox landed on the ground again, wings stilling as he settled in the chair. “I’m sorry. I don’t really have any backless chairs.” Understandably, pixies preferred them as they helped give their wings room.
“No worries. This is fine. I can always shift them away if it becomes tiresome.”
My glass was halfway to my mouth when those words fully sank in. “You can do that?”
Instead of verbally answering, Phlox’s wings grew smaller until they completely disappeared.
“That’s…” I wasn’t sure if I’d go for amazing or disturbing. It was a little bit of both if I were being honest. In reverse order, Phlox’s wings reappeared.
“It comes in handy sometimes. Especially on long plane rides.” Phlox took a large gulp of tea. His eyes instantly lit up, and when he pulled his glass away, a huge grin pulled at his lips. “This is fantastic.”
My cheeks heated with a strange sort of pride. “I’ll let Momma know you think so. It’s her recipe.”
Phlox drained the rest of his tea, wiping the back of his hand across his lips before setting the empty glass down.
“Would you like more?”
Phlox cocked his head to the side as if contemplating. His long, blue-and-tan striped hair slid over his shoulder. “If it’s not too much trouble.”
I stood and headed to the fridge. “It’s no trouble at all. If there was one thing Momma taught me, it was always to have plenty of sweet tea on hand.”
“I think your momma and I would get along very well.”
“I’m glad to hear that as I’m sure she’ll pop by sometime while you’re here. A word of warning, Momma’s very curious about you, and she might ask some inappropriate questions.” I cringed while thinking what those questions might be.
“As long as she doesn’t ask about my sex life, then all will be good.”
I nearly choked on my tea. “Gaia, no. Momma would not be so crass as to ask about that.” Momma would be mortified to even think it.
Phlox chuckled before his gaze ran the length of my kitchen, as if he were looking for something or someone in particular.
“Where’s your human? Is he hiding somewhere?
I promise Leon and I don’t bite unless someone asks.
Or they really deserve it.” Phlox gave another disturbing grin, carnivorous feline teeth on full display.
I chuckled, assuming (hoping) Phlox was joking. “Unfortunately, Franklin was called into work earlier this morning.”
Phlox snuck a glance at the clock on the wall. “Must have been pretty early.”
“It was,” I answered while refilling his glass.
“He’s a homicide detective, right?”
I nodded. “For better or worse.” I didn’t begrudge Franklin his job and thought the world was better for it. I just hated the emotional wear and tear it placed on the man I loved.
“Do you have a lot of homicides around here?” Phlox took a smaller drink of his tea, one eyebrow raised. “What little I’ve seen of the area appears charming enough.”
“You’d be surprised.”
“I suppose so. Guess it’s like that old saying, one should never judge a book by its cover and all that.
” Phlox set his glass back down, frowning at it.
“I’ve worked for the Magical Usage Council for years, and somehow I’m still surprised by what others do, not to mention the reasons given for such actions.
” Phlox shrugged. “Who knows if those imagined reasons are truly the driving force. Individuals can get really creative when they’re trying to justify their actions. ”
My fingers danced along the kitchen table as I sightlessly stared at my half-empty glass of tea.
“I know what you mean, only I can tell when a soul is lying. It’s weird sometimes.
Some souls know what they’re spewing is total bullshit.
It’s not so simple with others. Some souls truly believe what they’re saying.
That doesn’t make it true, only that they believe it is. Those cases are tougher.”
Phlox shivered, scattering dust into my kitchen.
“Yeah, I think I’ll pass on the whole feeling a soul schtick.
I’m more than happy leaving that up to you.
” Phlox raised his glass as if saluting me and took another drink.
When he set it back down, it was only a quarter full, and his gaze looked as distant as mine had felt mere moments ago.