Chapter 27
Chapter
Twenty-Seven
Erasmus
“You need to eat something,” Pops told me. “We have no idea when the other shoe will drop. You need to be ready for anything.”
I knew he was right, but all I could do was pace. I tried sitting down, but I’d been far to fidgety and couldn’t stop my leg from bouncing. If I’d been a pixie, I would have been flying all over the house.
As for the pixie that was in the house… He’d been on the phone nearly all evening.
I heard his voice rise and fall. I don’t think he ever outright yelled at anyone, but I suspected there were some heated discussions.
From what Leon told us, Phlox was on the phone with other members of the Magical Usage Council.
What he’d found out so far wasn’t encouraging.
Within the past twelve hours, multiple members had gone missing.
Two had been found—deceased. That didn’t bode well for the remaining unaccounted.
“At least drink some tea.” Pops placed a glass of sweet tea in front of me, stopping my forward motion. Tears stung my eyes.
“Momma.” It was Momma’s recipe. Her tea that was typically a comfort. Now it was a reminder of what I could lose.
“Drink it,” Pops ordered. “It’s got enough sugar to make a dent in the hypoglycemic hole you’re digging.”
I took the glass, reverently holding it between my hands. “It’s the best.”
“Of course it is. Your momma tweaked the recipe just for you. We quickly learned how depleted you became when you used your necromancer abilities. When you were young, your control was questionable. This was a way your momma and I could keep you upright.” Pops gave a wistful grin.
“Momma always takes care of me.”
“That she does. As soon as she found out she was pregnant, that woman loved you. When the doctors apologetically told her you’d been born a necromancer…
” Pops stared off into the distance, a smile on his lips and a chuckle rumbling from his chest. “I think the whole damn hospital heard Lydia dress the nurse and doctor down. Gaia, I can still remember the fire in her eyes when she looked at me, daring me to reject you.” Pops’s humor dissipated.
“As if I could have turned away from my son.”
So many other warlock fathers did. Momma had reason to doubt mine. “You didn’t.”
“No. I took one look at you and knew I couldn’t abandon you. I have no idea how other warlocks manage to walk away.”
Pops envisioned himself weak for standing by me. I disagreed but knew I’d never convince him. “I don’t either. I love you, Pops.”
“I love you too. I love your Momma as well. We’ll get her and Franklin back.” Pops and Momma weren’t in love with each other, but they did love each other. That had always been clear.
The rapid beat of wings grew louder as Phlox flew down the hall. He looked as drained as I felt. “I’ve contacted everyone I can think of, and they’re checking on others as well.” Leon walked behind Phlox and wrapped his arm around him when Phlox landed on the ground. “I got ahold of Leander also.”
“How is he?”
“Besides being a grumpy asshole? He seems okay. I told him to hunker down behind his wards and to keep all his dogs with him for the foreseeable future.”
I cringed. “I’ll bet that made him happy.”
Phlox rubbed his ear. “Yeah, not so much. I think my ear’s still ringing from the tirade he let loose.”
“Thank you for calling and checking on him. I know you’re busy. I should have done it, but I can’t get my hands to stop shaking and—”
“It was no problem,” Phlox reassured me.
I hesitated with my next question. “Did you… Is Tabitha and—”
“Tabitha and Navarre are fine. At least, so far. She’s aware of what’s happening. We considered gathering those who are left of the council but aren’t certain that’s such a good idea.”
“My beloved is concerned that will make them easier targets.”
Phlox shrugged. “I’m not sure if that’s true or not. I think Director Huxley can get to us no matter where we are—gathered or not. The ones that are missing… It’s confusing. You’d think Director Huxley would have gone after the most powerful of us, but that’s not really the case.”
“Do you still think he’s the director?” I asked. “After what he’s done.”
“Good point.” Phlox lowered his head, exposing two rounded Pallas’s cat ears. A thick, bushy tail twitched behind him, peeking around his hip every now and again. I’d noticed when he was upset that he lost control and some of his other form slipped through.
“He is no leader of mine.” A hissed voice drifted into the room, the sound coming from everywhere and nowhere at once.
I stepped back, bumping into Pops. His arm rounded my chest, pulling me back and behind him. Pops’s blackened fingertips sparked with magic, its buzz crackling in the air.
“Wait!” Phlox shouted, stepping in front of Pops. “Hikaru is a friend.” Phlox turned, giving us his back and staring into a coalescing ball of green mist. “At least most of the time. Stop being a showoff and get your tails in here, Hikaru.”
“Such disrespect.” The amusement lacing those words negated their harshness. “You have always been such a disappointment, Agent Frost.”
“Only because I didn’t bow down and kiss your tails.” Leon growled, and Phlox waved him off. “That was a figure of speech. Only an idiot would truly fall for Hikaru’s charms.”
“You wound me to the core.” The mist became increasingly dense, swirling and coalescing into a figure that stood barely a few inches above my own height.
Fisted hands on hips, the smaller male proudly stood.
His skin was a light brown, his hair a mix of fiery reds, oranges, and golds.
The tails swaying behind him were similar colored.
Hikaru and I appeared to have the same no-nonsense fashion sensibilities.
Dressed in a comfortable dark gray graphic tee with cargo pants and worn tennis shoes, Hikaru’s fisted hands slid into his pants pockets.
Head tilted, his gaze scanned the room. When those eyes focused on me, I was astonished by their golden-green hue.
Little tufts of fur crowned his pointed ear tips and were exposed when he pushed his thick hair behind an ear.
“So, you’re what all the fuss and muss is about.” Hikaru’s assessing gaze analyzed me from top to bottom. “Not all that impressive, but I suppose the packaging is often deceiving.” Hikaru’s lips quirked at the corner, exposing a slightly sharper than average canine tooth.
“Are you insulting my son?” Pops was quick to defend me.
Hikaru’s eyes widened before his lids seductively lowered. “Well now, Agent Frost, looks like you’ve been keeping warlock secrets. Shame on you. This one is a dish.” Hikaru’s tails danced a little faster. “I’ve always liked them big and brutish.”
“W-what?” Pops flinched back as if he’d been slapped. Recovering quickly, Pops fell back on his tried-and-true arrogance. “Who is this menace?”
Hikaru threw his head back, laughing like a loon. “Menace! How fitting.”
Phlox rolled his eyes. “Goddess, he’ll never let that go now.
” Tossing a hand Hikaru’s direction, Phlox made the introductions.
“Everyone, this is Hikaru. In case the tails didn’t tip you off, he’s a kitsune.
Hikaru, this is my mate, Leon. I believe you’ve already figured out who Necromancer Erasmus Boone is.
And that is his warlock father, Nikodemus Holland. ”
“Kitsune,” Pops all but hissed. “Menace is right.”
I glanced from Pops to Hikaru. I’d heard of a kitsune but wasn’t certain I understood. “He’s a shifter.”
Hikaru’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t insult me. I’m no mere shifter.”
“Goddess, you’re so dramatic.” Phlox threw up his hands. “Why couldn’t Huxley have gotten you while he was at it? At least then we’d be rid of your foolishness.”
Hikaru’s grin held a feral quality. “He’d have to catch me first.” Power radiated through those few words. No, Hikaru wasn’t just a shifter.
As if reading my mind, Pops said, “Kitsunes aren’t shifters. They’re spirits.”
I reached out with my necromancer powers and felt nothing. “Not spirit in the dead sense.”
“No.” Pops fought a smirk. “Not that kind of spirit.”
Phlox muttered, “I wish,” before crossing his arms and clarifying. “Kitsunes are more like lesser demons.”
“There is nothing lesser about me,” Hikaru growled. “And some would call me a god, not demon.”
“Semantics,” Phlox said with a careless shrug. “Lesser either way.”
The air crackled, and the scent of ozone filled my nose. “You would do well to remember your place, mortal creature.” That ozone scent faded, as did the crackling threat surrounding Hikaru.
Was Hikaru really immortal? I had no idea, never having met a lesser demon or god. Was Hikaru as old as Huxley? Was Huxley considered a demon or god? All these questions were making my head spin.
Phlox dramatically sighed. “Are you here for a reason or…?”
“Tabitha sent me. As you know, Elvira cannot leave the compound. Otherwise, I am certain she would have sent that nosy ghost.” Hikaru raised his hand, seemingly examining his nails, which, just like his teeth, were a little pointier than average.
“Did Elvira find something?” I asked. Tabitha had mentioned Elvira when we’d been helping Navarre.
As a medium, Tabitha could speak with the ghostly Elvira from hundreds, if not thousands, of miles away.
It was how she’d informed the council that we were in need of assistance.
Not that they’d gotten there in time to do anything.
Honestly, I don’t think they planned on helping at all.
They just showed up in time to help Tabitha get Navarre to Minnesota.
“Sadly, no.” All humor and teasing fled Hikaru’s tone and posture. His tails flicked a little faster and with far more agitation. I tried counting them but found the task impossible given their frantic motion. “I am very irritated by this turn of events.”
Phlox raised an eyebrow. “Just irritated?”
“Depending on the outcome of upcoming events, that emotion may intensify.”