Chapter 3
Chapter
Three
Erasmus
I’d lost count of the number of times I’d sighed. For some reason, I couldn’t stop. What I also couldn’t stop doing was looking at my phone. I’d pulled up Tenzen Huxley’s contact information probably as many times as I’d sighed. It was a repetitive pattern that seemed to have no end.
“How long will you continue staring at that device?”
I counted it as a win that I only jerked and didn’t leap from my chair. My heart hammered for thirty, maybe forty seconds before quieting. I didn’t even glance Aurelia’s way. I simply continued staring at my now darkened phone screen. Tenzen’s information once more faded from view.
With yet another sigh, I answered, “I’m not sure. If recent events are anything to go by, then it might be another hour or two.”
Aurelia wasn’t impressed. “You are becoming increasingly boring.”
I softly chuckled. “Yeah, well, you won’t hear me complaining. Boring isn’t always bad, Aurelia.” Sometimes, boring was blissful.
I heard the soft thump of Aurelia’s combat boots as she walked across the kitchen floor. I was surprised when she pulled out a nearby chair and sat. Aurelia never did that. Raising my head I stared, blinking and wide eyed. If Aurelia noticed my surprise, she didn’t say. Instead, she wiggled out of a pair of familiar backpack straps and set the odd backpack, plastic bubble and all, on the table.
That backpack used to house a kitten, Little Fang. But as far as I knew, Little Fang was happily living in Minnesota with Navarre.
I started to ask about Little Fang, but the words never made it out of my mouth. Wood chip shavings could be seen through the clear plastic. They shuffled around until a tiny, furry face revealed itself.
This time, my blink was slow. I think my mouth fell open as I stared at the small rodent residing in Aurelia’s backpack. Pointing a finger, I asked, “Is that a mouse?”
Aurelia huffed. “Hamster. Or so Peaches tells me. It is a ridiculous creature. Completely useless.” Aurelia flicked a finger at the plastic bubble. The hamster didn’t seem too chuffed by the sound or movement. It simply moved toward that finger, its nose twitching and whiskers dancing back and forth.
I leaned forward, staring through the plastic. “A hamster. Why?” Aurelia’s current master , a pixie named Peaches, found Aurelia’s previous pet, Little Fang, on his orchard chasing and attempting to eat the colony of sprites Peaches cared for. I could kind of understand Peaches giving Aurelia the kitten to care for, but this… I was at a loss.
Aurelia shifted and the move displayed her unease. Arms crossed under her generous breasts, Aurelia’s flannel slipped from one shoulder, showing off the tank top below. Her large ears hugged her head and were pierced along their edges with metallic rings. Aurelia’s plump lips pushed out in what I could only describe as a pout. An annoyed pout.
“Peaches believes the loss of Little Fang bothers me.”
I’d been staring at the hamster, lightly tapping the plastic bubble as the little fella placed his paws on the plastic and chased my finger. Glancing up, I raised an eyebrow and questioned, “Is that so?”
Aurelia’s pout turned into a sneer. “It is a ridiculous notion.”
Tilting my head, I considered those words before glancing back at the hamster. It did sounds ridiculous, and yet, here was the hamster. If Aurelia truly didn’t want to cart the thing around, she wouldn’t. Peaches would never wish Aurelia to do something she didn’t want. That’s how I knew this was her choice. Aurelia was all about choice and she’d made hers where the hamster was concerned.
Waving a hand at the backpack, Aurelia said, “I do not understand why I cannot have a scuttlebutt. Why must these pets be such useless creatures?”
I swallowed hard. This wasn’t the first time Aurelia had brought up wanting a scuttlebutt. Scuttlebutts were of Fairy, and they were dangerous creatures. I’d met Wendall’s scuttlebutt, Trinket. While loving to those Trinket liked, she was deadly to those she found offensive. Scuttlebutts had a double row of razor-sharp teeth and their mouths opened to near a 180-degree angle. They had prehensile tails that could wrap around someone’s neck like a boa constrictor and suffocate them, maybe even snap their neck.
I shivered at the thought of such a creature in Aurelia’s already dangerous hands. That’s just what the world needed—an all-powerful djinn with a pet that could either take a chunk out of your carotid artery or strangle you with their tail. Yeah, that sounded like a great idea.
“Yeah, I…uh… Maybe Peaches is working up to a scuttlebutt.” I had no idea what else to say. Honestly, Peaches probably wouldn’t see the problem with Aurelia having one. Most likely Peaches’s bonded and beloved, the vampire king of the Southeast, Lucroy Moony, had put the kibosh on Aurelia having a scuttlebutt. Assuming that was the case, King Moony and I were, once again, in agreement when it came to Aurelia.
“Perhaps,” Aurelia absently agreed. “May the insignificant creature run around in its ball? I have no idea why, but it seems to enjoy the activity.”
I nodded. “Sure, that shouldn’t be a problem.”
It was surreal, watching Aurelia dig into her backpack, pull out one of those clear plastic balls, reach into the outer pouch and grab the hamster, place it into the ball, and then allow it to run around. The sound of the ball rolling across my hardwood floors was a little grating, but I didn’t mind so much. The little hamster took off. It rolled into a wall or two but seemed to get its bearings and then was off again.
I heard the ball rolling down the hall, the sound becoming increasingly distant. I had a disturbing thought and said, “You are not leaving that thing here.” Aurelia came and went as she pleased. Popping up here and there and leaving just as quickly and rarely with so much as a by your leave.
Aurelia’s Caribbean blue eyes glowed with increased intensity as she stared at me. “Fucking hell, that’s exactly what you were planning on doing.” Pointing a foolish finger Aurelia’s direction, I said, “Don’t even think about it. I do not want a hamster.” I would have rather taken in Little Fang. I had this disturbing notion that my home would become a kind of shelter for all the pets Peaches foisted on Aurelia that she didn’t want. It was a bad precedent to start. “I mean it, Aurelia. When you leave, the little rodent goes with you.” I didn’t necessarily have a beef with hamsters, or rodents in general; I simply didn’t want this one.
Aurelia’s stare was intense and if it was anyone else, I might have backed down. I didn’t. This was an important line to draw in the sand. With an annoyed huff, Aurelia’s eyes dimmed, and she turned her head, gaze staring off into the kitchen. “Fine,” she answered. “It is your choice. I will not force it upon you.”
“Thank you.” The way Aurelia phrased her response eased my concerns. Choice . That word was sacrosanct to Aurelia. She wouldn’t take choice away from anyone just as she valued her choices above all else.
Aurelia shrugged by way of agreement before changing the subject. “Why have you been staring at that electronic device? It is not even showing any pictures.”
Aurelia wasn’t all that up-to-date on today’s modern amenities. When you could pop up wherever you wanted, whenever you wanted, a cell phone wasn’t really all that necessary.
“I’m debating on making a call,” I answered.
Tilting her bald, tattooed head to the side, Aurelia’s eyes narrowed. “Why?”
“Why am I debating, or why am I calling?”
“Yes.”
I inhaled and considered my answer, finally settling on “it’s complicated.”
“Is it interesting?” Aurelia asked, a hint of anticipation in her voice.
Was it? I wasn’t sure. Aurelia’s interest concerned me. As far as any of us knew, I was the only true threat to Aurelia’s existence. I was the only known necromancer that could retrieve her soul from her object of attachment, shove it back into her body, and undo all the magical manipulation that had been used to create the being Aurelia had become—a djinn. The million- dollar question was if I was the only necromancer out there capable of doing that. For whatever reason, Aurelia found me more interesting than threatening and, so far, wasn’t a threat. She’d even saved my life a time or two. Would she feel the same if we found another necromancer that could be as much of a threat as me? Would she allow them to live, or would she find a creative way to end their life?
I had no idea. None of us did. I liked to think Aurelia wouldn’t do that, but at the end of the day, she was an unpredictable force that did as she wanted. Peaches was technically Aurelia’s master, but he held her by a very, very loose leash. I was still trying to figure out if Peaches was a genius or fool. Time would tell. It always did.
Clearing my throat, I decided to give Aurelia the short version and said, “I’m thinking of asking the Director of the Magical Usage Council for help with something necromancer related.”
Aurelia was a master at “blank face.” I was either getting better at reading her concealed emotions or she was becoming comfortable enough with me to show more emotion. Either way, I found I could typically glean something of her thoughts by the look on her face. Now was not one of those instances.
Finally, she asked, “What kind of assistance?”
I squirmed and fiddled with my phone. Opening my mouth, I started to say something, but there was a knock at the door followed by Momma’s gentle voice. “Erasmus, honey, are you home? Is it okay if I come in?”
Leaning back in my chair I yelled, “Come on in, Momma. We’re in the kitchen.”
The clack of Momma’s heels sounded as she crossed the living room and into the kitchen. Given her professional dress, she’d either just shown a house or was on her way to a showing. Momma was a real estate agent and a proud Southern woman. Her charcoal slacks were complimented by a matching jacket and a cream-colored blouse. Her auburn hair was down, hints of gray lightening it here and there. Make-up light but done to perfection, Momma was the type of woman who drew appreciative gazes.
“Erasmus, I—oh, Aurelia, how are you dear?” Momma immediately walked past me and leaned over to give Aurelia a side hug. My eyes widened. Momma hadn’t asked for permission. I wasn’t sure what Aurelia’s response would be. As far as I knew, Aurelia wasn’t the touchy-feely type. I held my breath.
Aurelia didn’t physically reach up to reciprocate, but she didn’t react poorly either. It probably helped that Momma immediately let Aurelia go and gave me the same show of affection. It was Momma’s way. She knew what Aurelia was. She just didn’t see the use in fretting over it. Momma said that Aurelia would do what she wanted whether Momma worried over it or not, so it was best not to waste the energy. It was a very healthy view on life, one I struggled to share.
“Erasmus, would you like me to get you some tea?” Momma asked while going to the fridge. “I know I could use a glass. Aurelia, would you like me to get you anything while I’m up?” Aurelia wasn’t a fan of my or Momma’s sweet tea, so she hadn’t offered that.
“I would like a glass of water,” Aurelia surprised me by asking. “If you do not mind.”
Momma waved her off. “It’s no trouble at all. Erasmus should have offered you a glass earlier.” Momma gave me a look that indicated she was disappointed in my manners.
“She just showed up a few minutes ago.” I attempted to defend myself.
“Still enough time to offer a lady a drink,” Momma scolded. I saw she poured me a glass of tea even though I hadn’t answered her yet.
Setting the drinks down, Momma patted my hand, giving my wrist a warm squeeze before pulling out one of the kitchen chairs and joining in. “I spoke with your pops,” Momma said after taking a long drink of her sweet tea. “I’ll pick him up from the airport, so you don’t need to—”
“Pops is coming?” My head snapped up. This was news to me. Momma looked at me like I’d lost my mind.
“Of course Nikodemus is coming. Harvest Day is next week.”
Shit. I smacked my forehead as Aurelia asked, “What is Harvest Day?”
Momma’s attention immediately shifted from my unforgivable forgetfulness to Aurelia. “It’s a celebration of thanks to the Earth for giving us what we need to not only survive but thrive. It’s one of the few holidays observed across multiple species, including humans, warlocks, and witches.”
What Momma so politely didn’t say was that it conveniently took the place of Thanksgiving, a holiday the US used to observe. It was well loved but didn’t come from an especially thankful place if you were Native American. Like many festivals and celebrations, their names were changed and the meaning tweaked to suit modern religions or sensibilities. Thanksgiving had become Harvest Day, and Momma, Pops, and I’d celebrated it together since the day I was born. I couldn’t believe I’d forgotten.
Stewing in my own mental self-flagellations, I nearly missed Momma’s next words. “We’d love to have you there too, Aurelia.”
Dear Gaia, my eyes must have been huge. “Momma, I—”
“I’m afraid I’m not much of a cook.” Momma laughed. “None of us are. Most of what we have is store bought and reheated, but it’s nice being together and partaking in a decent meal.”
I was near speechless. Momma barely noticed. Reaching across the table, Momma’s fingers pressed against the bottom of my chin, closing my mouth. “You’ll catch flies like that, Erasmus. Now, I assume since you and Franklin just got back from Chicago that he’s staying for Harvest Day. Assuming he’s not working, then I expect him to be there as well. Naturally, I understand if he can’t come due to work reasons.”
Swallowing hard, I did the only thing I could—I nodded. I had a vague memory of asking Franklin and him saying he’d be there assuming things were calm at work. Murderers didn’t always observe Harvest Day. “Yeah, uh… I already spoke with him. He’ll be in town.”
“Excellent.” Momma clapped her hands before turning her attention back to Aurelia. “I’m not sure what traditions pixies and… What is Mr. Moony again?”
“Vampire,” I choked out.
“Yes, well, I’m not certain if pixies or vampires celebrate Harvest Day. If so, then I understand if you want to stay with them. Just know that you are more than welcome in my home. Harvest Day is a time to celebrate family, after all.” Momma beamed at Aurelia.
As for our wayward djinn… Aurelia blinked once, then twice, before nodding and surprising the hell out of me by saying, “I will come. I am interested to see what this Harvest Day is about.”
“Sweet Gaia,” I murmured. Without a doubt, Momma had not run this past Pops.
“Wonderful.” And Momma did sound like it was the greatest thing in the world. “Harvest Day will be extra special this year.”
I took another long drink of sweet tea, wishing it were alcohol instead. “It certainly will,” I agreed.
Momma smiled, obviously pleased with herself. The quiet filling the room was interrupted by the sound of a hamster ball rolling across the floor. I saw Momma’s eyes widen over the rim of her sweet tea glass.
Momma’s eyes tracked the ball as it moved into the kitchen, rolling around before it hit one of the table legs and finally coming to rest by Momma’s foot. Staring down at the little fluffball inside, Momma’s lips dropped open. She closed them once before finally managing a quick, “Is that… What exactly is that?”
“A completely useless creature,” Aurelia answered.
“Otherwise known as a hamster.” I didn’t think Momma could translate Aurelia’s distaste into an actual animal.
“ Hamster? What in the world is it doing here?”
I pointed a finger in Aurelia’s direction. “Ask the djinn.”
A urelia left about fifteen or so minutes before Momma. Thankfully, she took the hamster with her when she left. Momma hung around and we chatted about her latest house showing and a difficult customer she was working with. The man wanted it all on a very narrow budget. Mississippi had one of the lowest costs of living of anywhere in the nation, but that didn’t mean houses and amenities were free.
I didn’t tell Momma about the necromancer killed in New York. There was nothing she could do, and I knew it would wound her generous heart and bring up fears concerning me. Momma and Pops frequently spoke to each other. I wasn’t sure if Pops would bring up the Warlock Council’s refusal to help or not. Again, there was nothing Momma could do, and I didn’t want to burden her with that particular failure.
All alone, sitting in my kitchen and staring at my phone again, I went back to sighing. I pulled up Tenzen Huxley’s contact information, and before I could sigh again, I hit the send button. He was a busy guy. What were the chances of him answering anyways. I mean, I was practically a nobody and—
“Necromancer Boone, it’s good to hear from you.” Tenzen Huxley’s voice slithered down my spine. I had no idea why it made me shiver, and not in the good way. I was probably being prejudiced, and I didn’t like the idea.
Clearing my throat, I sat up straighter and answered, “Director Huxley, thank you for answering. I know you must be terribly busy and—”
“Nonsense. I will never be too busy to answer your call. Now, assuming this is not a social call, how can I be of service?”
I was flabbergasted. Tenzen’s words were everything I wanted to hear and yet never expected. “I, uh… When you called earlier, you said you might be willing to help me locate other necromancers.”
“I did indeed.”
“Did you mean that?”
There was a small pause before Tenzen said, “I realize you do not know me well, Necromancer Boone, but I assure you, I do not say things I do not mean, especially when the offer of aid is made.”
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to offend.”
“No offense taken. I simply wanted to clarify the situation for future reference. Now, what can I do to help?”
I wasn’t entirely certain. I still thought getting the list of necromancer mothers was our best shot and asked, “Does the Magical Usage Council have any pull with the Warlock Council?”
Tenzen hummed and the sound was both harmonious and grating. “To a degree. We mostly allow the other councils to govern themselves. As you know, some of our larger groups of species have their own governing bodies.”
I did know that. Witches had their own council as well as vampires. Shifters were a hodgepodge. Some of the larger groups had banded together, but mostly they governed themselves in packs, pods, clans, clowders, or whatever their individual species referred to groups of themselves as.
When I was silent, Tenzen added, “However, I believe I personally might have some influence. Why do you ask?”
I gave Tenzen my spiel, finishing with why I needed the names of recent necromancer mothers.
“I see. And how far back would you like to go?” Tenzen asked.
I’d been considering that and said, “Thirty years. Anyone older than thirty and I figure they’ve managed to stay alive this long that they’ve got shit figured out well enough. Eventually I’d like to find them, but they’re not priority. It’s the younger ones I’m after.” The sad truth was that an unstable necromancer would be lucky to live past the age of thirty. If they hadn’t figured it out, then they were dead.
“Sensible,” Tenzen easily agreed. “I will see what I can do and get back with you soon. In the interim, is there anything else I can do for you?”
I shook my head before realizing Tenzen couldn’t see it. “No, thank you.”
“It is my pleasure. That is what the council is here for. We are at your disposal. Please do not forget that.”
I swallowed hard and answered a hesitant “th-thanks.”
“Again, it is my pleasure. Please stay safe, Necromancer Boone. It is possible that you truly are one of a kind. We would hate to lose you. I will contact you when I have the information you require.”
I barely had the time to utter a brief goodbye before the line went silent and I was once more staring at my darkened phone. The sigh that escaped this time was the heaviest of all.