Chapter 27 #2
Arms crossed, Phlox’s Pallas’s cat tail flicked nearly as quickly as Hikaru’s tails. “He came for you, didn’t he?”
Hikaru looked away. “As I said, I am difficult to catch. That does not mean our disgraced director didn’t try.”
“I’m sorry,” Phlox said, his tone much softer than before.
“Why? As I said, I am fine.”
“Physically. But he betrayed you. He betrayed us all, but I think…I think you maybe the most.” Phlox sounded genuinely aggrieved.
Hikaru shrugged as if it weren’t important. I had the feeling it was quite the opposite, and there was a deeper story I wasn’t privy to. “I should have expected it. I let my guard down, which is a mistake I will not repeat.”
Leon placed a comforting hand on Phlox’s shoulder. I wasn’t sure if he understood the deeper meaning or if he was simply acting like a good mate. It made me miss Franklin even more.
The silence enveloping the room was interrupted by my phone.
I’d left it in the kitchen and dashed after it.
I didn’t recognize the number but answered anyway.
I didn’t even get a chance to say my name when Tenzen Huxley’s smokey voice drifted across the line.
“Necromancer Boone, would you please do me the courtesy of coming out of your home so we might speak face-to-face?”
Phone to my ear, my eyes connected with Pops. My palms were sweaty, and I would have dropped my phone if I hadn’t had a death grip on it. “You’re welcome to come knock on my door if you want to see me, Huxley.” That single name grabbed everyone’s attention, all eyes now firmly locked on me.
Tenzen’s laughter felt like ants crawling under my skin. “I believe you know that is not possible. Now, be a good necromancer and come outside. We both know you’ll eventually do as I ask, and we both know why.”
“If you’ve hurt Momma or Franklin, I’ll—”
“Foolishly idle threats. Regardless, your fragile humans are well enough. I mean them no harm.”
I nearly choked on a bark of laughter. “We both know that’s not true. If it were, you wouldn’t need to ask me to come outside. You’d be able to get past Pops’s wards.”
Tenzen hummed, so low it was almost a growl. “It is unfortunate that Warlock Holland adapted his wards to include Detective O’Hare. I must say, I’ve rarely encountered a ward I haven’t been able to get past. Your father is to be commended by the quality of his casting.”
Considering the source, I didn’t think Pops would think much of the compliment. While I wanted to tell Huxley to go to hell, he was right. If I wanted to get Momma and Franklin back, I didn’t have that luxury.
“I’m coming out,” I said. “But I won’t be alone.
” I didn’t wait for Tenzen to answer. I hit the end button and stared at those gathered.
“Aurelia, are you here?” She’d told me she wouldn’t linger without showing herself, but I wanted to be certain.
The ensuing silence was my answer. In typical Aurelia style, one minute she’d been standing in the living room and the next she was gone.
“Looks like it’s just us,” Phlox said, his chin jutting out and hands fisted on his hips. Wings picking up speed, Phlox hovered beside Leon.
I gave a quick nod. “I didn’t say exactly who is coming out with me.
Should we all go or…?” I had no idea what the game plan was.
Not that I really thought any of us had even a loose plan.
At this point, all we had was a goal—get Momma and Franklin back.
I wouldn’t complain if we managed to neutralize Tenzen Huxley in the process. Talk about fantasies.
“I will go with you,” Pops answered, just as I knew he would.
“That may not be the best idea.” Phlox’s head was tilted down, his finger tapping his chin. When Pops started to protest, Phlox held up a halting hand. “He probably doesn’t know you’re here. You weren’t expected, right?”
I shook my head. “No. I had no idea Pops was coming.” Our wedding rings were currently sitting in one of my many pockets, their weight soothing. My fingers kept wandering to that pocket. I could feel the leashed magic radiating off them. They were visually lovely. That beauty hid a magical kick.
“I do not see what concealing my presence will do,” Pops argued.
“I’m not entirely certain either, but right now, we need every advantage we can scrape together.” Phlox glanced toward Hikaru. “What about you?”
Hikaru’s form dissipated, reverting to a thick green mist. “My revenge will come in good time. I will be there when needed, Agent Frost. I will see you again soon, handsome warlock.” With those cryptic words, Hikaru continued dissipating until nothing was left but Pops’s crimson stained cheeks.
“Is he reliable, beloved?” Leon asked.
Phlox took a moment to consider his answer. “In this case, I would say yes, although Hikaru isn’t what I would call a team player. He’ll help, but he’ll also have his own agenda. I’d say Aurelia’s more reliable than him.”
“Gaia save us,” Pops lamented.
“She might be the only one that can,” I countered. Pops’s solemn nod let me know we were on the same shitty ass page.
“Leon and I will go out with Erasmus,” Phlox decided. “We’ve been around long enough that Huxley has to know we’re here. He will be expecting us.”
“I don’t like this,” Pops predictably said.
Reaching for his hands, I held on tight.
“I know. I don’t either, but it is what it is.
” Sucking in a fortifying breath, I released Pops’s fingers and headed for the door.
It was time to get Momma and Franklin back, and I would do whatever it took to deliver them safely home.
Compared to Huxley, I may not have a lot of power, but all creatures were far more dangerous when cornered.
The buzz of Phlox’s wings hummed in my ears.
Leon’s footfalls were silent as we walked across my wooden floor.
Franklin had oiled the screen door months ago, and it no longer squeaked when forced to move.
Our quiet exit betrayed the pounding in my chest. My frayed nerves and desperate need for even an ounce of control triggered my necromancer side.
As I walked out onto my porch and down my steps, I could feel the restless dead, my unease feeding their own.
It would be nothing to return their souls and pull them from the ground.
I’d never felt so many before, never reached out and attempted to do so. It was a heady feeling.
The individual I assumed to be Tenzen Huxley stood on the sidewalk, just beyond my property.
He was impeccably dressed in a three-piece suit.
Taller than Pops, Tenzen towered over me.
He wasn’t nearly as broad as Pops, but he didn’t appear thin either.
While we weren’t trapped within the suffocating heat of summer, the weather certainly didn’t warrant the leather gloves covering Tenzen’s hands, and the darkness negated the need for the round, dark glasses covering his eyes.
Cheeks angular and chin sharp, Tenzen’s features looked like they could cut glass.
He held a cane, his gloved hand tightening its hold as I drew closer.
That cane landed on the sidewalk near his tidy dress shoes.
Tenzen Huxley and I appeared to be polar opposites in both body type and style.
The only thing we remotely shared was a dark crop of hair—mine wild and haphazard and Tenzen’s close-cropped and neatly combed.
“Necromancer Erasmus Boone. It is lovely to finally meet in person.” The air tasted of campfire smoke when Tenzen spoke. His voice rumbled through me, and I fought the instinctive shiver.
“Wish I could say the same.” I wasn’t sure where I mustered my courage from. Most likely, it fed from the well of rage I felt toward this shadow borne.
Tenzen’s smile faded into a falsely sympathetic frown. “Yes, well, I suppose that sentiment is understandable from your perspective. Still, I sincerely hope our…rough beginning does not color our future engagements.”
“Is he serious?” I wasn’t sure who I was asking, but Phlox was the one who answered.
“Probably. Huxley’s always been a pompous ass.” While I couldn’t see him, I imagined Phlox had his arms crossed and nose in the air.
Tenzen’s features hardened. “Agent Frost. I see you are still neglecting your duties by fraternizing with this vampire.”
Phlox flew past me, right up to the edge of Pops’s wards. I think he would have flown past them if Leon hadn’t grabbed his shirt and held him back.
“He is my mate!” Phlox all but hissed. “And I am his beloved. You should be so fortunate. If so, maybe you wouldn’t be as fucked up as you obviously are.”
Tenzen’s lips twitched before pulling into a too-wide smile that contorted his face into something ghastly. “Is that so?”
“It is very so. You came after Hikaru. Hikaru! What were you thinking? How could you do that to him?” Phlox sounded helplessly wounded. There was definitely a deeper story there.
Tenzen sighed and waved a dismissive hand in the air. “There are casualties in every world order change.”
My blood froze. “World order change? Is that what you’re planning?”
Tenzen’s attention focused back on me. “With a little help from some reluctant friends. A situation you, Necromancer Boone, are going to prove most valuable controlling.”
I opened my mouth ready to argue something that would undoubtedly sound asinine.
Tenzen beat me to it. “If you wish to keep your mother and lover from harm, you will come to this address.” My phone beeped with a text message.
“I expect you there within two hours.” Tenzen didn’t wait for my answer.
“Come alone or don’t. I’m always happy to gain further leverage. ”
Tenzen’s smokey chuckle stuck to my insides like glue. The sound quieted as he walked down the street, the clap of his cane tapping against the pavement with each step.
I checked my phone. Considering the time frame to get there, I shouldn’t have been surprised the address was fairly local.
Phlox hovered over my shoulder as he stared at my phone. “It’s a Mississippi address.”
“The coast,” I answered. A quick internet search let me know it wasn’t just near the coast, but right by the water. Focusing in on the location, I was dismayed by how remote it was. “Not a cheap piece of property.”
Leon said, “Given Huxley’s general appearance, I do not believe he is aware of the meaning of the word cheap.”
“Pretentious asshole,” Phlox grumbled.
“Pretentious or not, Tenzen’s right. He’s holding all the cards.”
“Not all of them.”
I turned toward Aurelia’s voice. Fuzzy Britches was perched on Aurelia’s left shoulder, her tail wrapped around Aurelia’s arm as she quietly slumbered.
“The situation has definitely become more interesting.” A disturbing grin lifted Aurelia’s lips.
Her fingers found their way into Fuzzy Britches’s fur, eliciting content coos from the scuttlebutt.
“You’re coming along?” I asked and then considered the weight of that question. “Did Peaches… Did Peaches make any wishes?” I needed to know what restrictions we might be dealing with.
Aurelia’s grin grew into a full-fledged smile. “Peaches wished me to do as I see fit.” Aurelia snapped her mouth, her teeth glinting in the streetlights. “I believe this will be fun.”
Fun. Yeah, this was a bouncy house full of shits and giggles. Gaia save us all.