Chapter 17
Chapter
Seventeen
Erasmus
Gaia, people were horrid. I couldn’t shake the ick-factor that coated my insides. It wasn’t Opal’s soul that caused the foul feeling. It was knowing what her loving husband and stepson had done.
“I still think you should have let Leon rip their heads off,” Phlox said as we pulled into my drive and got out of the vehicle. “At the very least I could have clawed their faces.” Phlox’s fingers transformed into claws, and he swiped the air. “Mauling those two would have been beyond cathartic.”
While I understood the sentiment, that wasn’t my job. “The police can take it from here.”
“The human police.” Leon didn’t sound terribly confident.
“Sheriff Andrews worked hard to get to the truth. She won’t let Jackson and Devon Alcott off easy.”
Phlox lifted off the ground, spreading his wings and dust. “The wheels of human justice are incredibly slow. Mauling or decapitation would have been much quicker and far less costly.”
Again, I couldn’t really disagree.
Fatigue pulled at me as I trudged up the stairs, my footfalls heavier than typical as I strode across the porch.
I was reaching for the door when it opened.
Franklin stood there. Dark circles discolored the skin beneath his eyes.
His features were drawn and his skin paler than usual.
He still took my breath away and settled the ache in my chest.
“You’re home,” Franklin greeted as his thick arms wrapped around me, pulling me in close. I inhaled his freshly showered scent.
“I’m home,” I echoed, relaxing into his strength.
“I missed you,” Franklin said before pressing his lips against the crown of my head. “God, how I’ve missed you.” His arms tightened, and I squeezed him back with just as much need.
“I’ve missed you too.” Both of us knew we weren’t just talking about the last few hours. While I loved bathing in Franklin’s affection, the desperation he clung to me with was concerning. “What’s wrong?” I softly asked.
“Nothing,” Franklin answered a little too quickly. A few seconds later, he followed that sentiment with a more honest “everything.”
I swallowed hard, fear infiltrating my heart. “Did something happen with Ten—”
“No, not that I know of.” Franklin briefly squeezed me tighter before releasing me. “Come inside, and I’ll tell you about it.” Looking over my shoulder, Franklin offered a polite, if a bit forced smile. “Agent Frost. Leon. Thank you for accompanying Boone today.”
Phlox waved Franklin off. “It was no trouble. It’s creepy cool watching Erasmus do his thing.”
“Indeed,” Leon agreed.
Warmth heated my cheeks. At least Phlox and Leon thought what I did was cool.
I didn’t hold the creepy part against them.
“Let’s get inside.” The evening was chilly.
We definitely weren’t to the time of year where two a.m. was balmy.
“I’m sorry, Phlox. I should have offered you a warmer coat.
” Or maybe shawl? Pixie wings certainly made outer wear more challenging.
“No worries. I like the cool weather,” Phlox surprisingly answered.
“You do?” I asked.
Phlox’s fingernails grew into claws. “Pallas’s cat shifter. We’re made for the cold, not heat.”
Huh. I’d only ever heard that pixies loved the heat. Then again, a pixie wasn’t all Phlox was.
We shuffled inside. It was either late or early depending on one’s point of view.
I immediately headed for the fridge, asking everyone if they’d like something to drink or maybe a snack.
Franklin declined, but Phlox and I opted for a glass of sweet tea, all of us settling around the kitchen table.
By far, Phlox and Leon appeared to be the liveliest members of our impromptu group.
“Any problems tonight?” Franklin asked as he heavily leaned back into his chair. The wooden frame creaked alarmingly, not that Franklin seemed to notice or mind.
“None,” I answered.
Phlox huffed. “Oh, there was a problem all right. That human male and his son are despicable.” Arms crossed, Phlox slumped.
He was too short for his feet to hit the ground, but I’d bet tonight’s pay that he was tapping his bare foot, connecting with little more than air.
“I still say you should have let Leon and me dispatch them.”
Franklin’s eyes widened in alarm. “Dispatch as in—”
Phlox made a slicing motion across his neck. “The world would be far better off without those two in it.”
I coughed, covering my grin with my hand. Franklin’s eyebrows nearly met his hairline. “It’s pretty clear Opal was murdered by her husband and stepson.”
Franklin’s eyebrows lowered, now scrunching in thought. “Any evidence beyond Opal’s returned soul’s word?” Franklin knew as well as I did that human courts didn’t always accept the testimony of the decedent. It was a rather tricky area of the law.
“Sheriff Andrews thinks so. Opal gave specifics—items Sheriff Andrews can follow up on and find concrete evidence to support her claims. I don’t think even a fairy lawyer could get Jackson and Devon Alcott off.”
“Good to hear,” Franklin answered before turning his attention to Phlox. Clearing his throat, Franklin said, “I don’t think dispatching them will be necessary.”
“Who said anything about necessary?” Phlox protested. “I’d call it a community service.”
“My beloved is correct.”
I wondered if Leon ever thought Phlox wasn’t correct.
Was love truly that blind? I glanced Franklin’s direction.
Was I blind to Franklin’s faults? Possibly.
Then again, part of the reason I loved him so much was that we were often on the same page regarding a myriad of different issues.
Was it possible to truly fall in love with someone that you disagreed with all the time?
I wasn’t sure. What I was certain of was that I didn’t have the mental wherewithal to contemplate it right now.
“I’m glad nothing else happened,” Franklin said, pulling me from my circular musings. “I hated that I was too busy for you to ask me to go with you.”
I reached for Franklin’s hand, wrapping our fingers together and squeezing tight. “I should have called you earlier. I just—”
“I understand. I hate that I understand, but I do.”
Something in my chest eased. “You’re not upset with me then?”
Franklin’s answering smile was soft. “No. I’m upset with the situation, but not you.”
“You will make excellent mates for each other,” Leon said, his voice cool but oddly filled with emotion. “It is soothing being in such close quarters with others as equally settled as my beloved and myself.”
Phlox leaned into Leon, placing a smacking kiss on his cheek.
“You’re such a romantic.” Phlox winked before settling back in his chair.
When he turned his attention to Franklin, any hint of warmth dissipated as he became all business again.
“So, what’s putting those dark circles under your eyes, Mr. Homicide Detective? ”
Franklin’s shoulders tensed before sagging, his expression twisted and pensive. Scrubbing his hands over his face, Franklin heaved a loud sigh before he delved into the case he was currently working, along with his suspicions.
I sat there, silently listening, my mouth parting with increased incredulousness. When Franklin was finished, I hesitantly asked, “You really think the two different dump sites are related to each other?”
Franklin reluctantly nodded. “I do.”
“That’s fucking bizarre,” Phlox said. He’d moved closer as Franklin spoke until Phlox’s elbows were planted on the table, his chin settled in his cupped hands. “I’ve never heard of something like that. What about you, Leon?”
“No. Never.”
“I didn’t think so.” Phlox tilted his head, his long hair pillowing on the table. “What do you make of it, Franklin?”
Franklin’s bark of laughter made me jump. “God, I wish I knew. First thing’s first. We need to verify that I’m right. Now that we’ve got possible IDs, I can get dental records. That’ll be faster than DNA.”
His answer puzzled me. “You know what would be even faster? Asking me to bring back their souls.” I raised a challenging eyebrow, wondering why Franklin hadn’t asked me yet.
Head dropping so his chin nearly touched his chest, Franklin took a deep breath. “There’s just been so much going on. We’ve got company and—”
“You mean Leon and me?” Phlox sounded two parts incredulous and one part incensed. “We don’t need babysitting.”
Franklin grimaced. “I know, but it didn’t seem polite.”
“It is refreshing to see some manners have survived in this day and age.” I was beginning to get used to Leon’s cool, calm voice. It was almost soothing.
“And completely unnecessary in this case,” Phlox assured. “Leon and I will be just fine here on our own.”
I leaned over, cupping Franklin’s tired cheek.
“I appreciate your thoughtfulness. Why don’t I go into work with you in the morning?
I’m sure Captain Cicely will be okay with it.
” For potentially legal purposes, I hadn’t completely stopped charging the captain for my services, but I did offer one hell of a discount.
“Let me speak with Captain Cicely first. You stay home for a bit and get some sleep.”
I gave Franklin’s weary eyes a good once-over. “No offense, but you look like you could use the rest more than me.”
“Not gonna argue that, but a good night’s sleep doesn’t appear to be in the cards right now.”
I hated how right Franklin was. “Yeah, I know. But—” My words cut off as my cell rang. I checked the clock. It was almost a quarter to three in the morning. Given the time difference, Pops made the most sense, but he rarely called at this time. Not unless it was an emergency.
Scrambling for my phone, I checked the caller ID, my confusion mounting.
“It’s Leander,” I said before pushing the accept button.
“You okay?” I immediately asked. Leander rarely called me during normal hours.
I couldn’t imagine why he was doing so now.
The barking in the background made it difficult to hear Leander’s voice.
His raised voice telling the dogs to settle was all that came through at first.
“Leander?” Worry made me sit up straighter. Franklin’s tired eyes sharpened with interest.
“Whose Leander?” Phlox asked.
“Necromancer,” Franklin quickly answered just as Leander’s voice came across the line.
“Erasmus?” Leander said, sounding mostly exasperated. I didn’t like the touch of anxiety and possibly fear tinging my name. “Is that you?”
“It’s me. What’s wrong? Why are the dogs upset?” They wouldn’t stop barking. I could even hear some deep growls in the mix.
“No idea,” Leander answered. “Princess started it. She’s been a bit twitchy the past couple of days.
Not sure if the other dogs are picking up on that or if their upset is independent of her concern.
Tonight, her hackles went up. She’s been starin’ at a corner of the house.
The rest of the kids are upset about the same thing.
They’ve been barkin’ like this for the last twenty minutes or so.
Nothin’ I say settles them and—” The barking quieted, leaving behind confused whimpers and grumbled growls.
“Thank Gaia,” Leander muttered. “My ears are ringin’. ”
I shifted, holding the phone out so Franklin could hear. I should have placed it on speaker, but wasn’t sure if Leander would be okay with Phlox and Leon listening in. While I was concerned about Leander, I was still confused why he called me. I didn’t have to wait long.
“What did you say that council jackass can do?” Leander asked, tension leaking through the connection.
Franklin and I shared a concerned look. “We’re not entirely certain. There’s a lot of speculation and—”
“No shit. I don’t need to know everything. If I remember right, you said this guy can manipulate shadows. Is that right?”
“As far as we know. Why do you ask?” My heart pounded. It was a question I had to ask but dreaded the answer to.
“Because I’ve seen some weird ass shadows creepin’ around my house.
I thought I was just bein’ paranoid but tonight, when the dogs got upset…
I coulda sworn I saw something dark dart out toward Jet.
It swiped at his paw, and he yelped somethin’ fierce.
I have no idea what this jackass wants with me, but you know how I feel about my dogs, Boone.
If he does anything to hurt them…” Leander didn’t finish that sentence.
Maybe he didn’t know how to finish it. After all, that seemed to be the universal problem… What could any of us do?
I swallowed against the lump in my throat. “I’m sorry, Leander. I don’t know wh—”
“I know you don’t. All I’m sayin’ is that you need to figure this shit out and do it damn fast. I don’t care if I’m bein’ fair or not. This asshole is messin’ with my dogs, my family. I can’t… Nothin’ can happen to them. You hear me?”
I heard loud and clear. “We’ll figure this out.”
Leander huffed. “You’re a shit liar. You know that?”
“I—” The line quieted as Leander ended the call. My phone screen darkened, my horrified reflection staring back at me.
“Boone? Erasmus?” Franklin’s voice was soft and cajoling. His hand on my thigh should have been a comforting weight. Neither his presence nor his touch could ease the nausea creeping up my throat.
“What is he after?” I had no idea who I was asking. “Leander can’t… I mean, Leander isn’t really all that powerful. He’s just trying to fly under the radar. He’s carved out not just an existence, but a life. I…” I had no idea what to say.
“Come on.” Franklin stood, pulling me up with him. “Neither one of us is going to solve anything more at this hour. We’re both exhausted.” Franklin’s palm was warm against mine. “Leon. Agent Frost, I—”
“Phlox. Please, call me Phlox.”
Franklin hesitated but finally relented. “I hate to be a poor host, but—”
“Rest,” Leon said. “Phlox and I will keep watch.”
Leon’s words should have reassured me. They didn’t. Somehow, I doubted their vigilance would do a lot good. It was like having a security system that only warned you of a break-in but didn’t have the ability to do anything to the intruders.
I mindlessly followed Franklin down the hall.
He stripped me and settled me under the covers, his strong arms pulling me tight, spooning my back to his front.
Franklin’s fingers combed through my hair, teasing out the tangles.
“We’ll figure this out,” Franklin tried to reassure me.
In that moment, I realized Franklin wasn’t any better of a liar than I was.