Chapter 31
Chapter
Thirty-One
Erasmus
Helios. Aurelia knew this djinn. That wasn’t the surprising part.
No, that was the softness that crept into her voice when she spoke his name.
I’d always gotten the impression that djinn didn’t care for each other.
That they were a species forged to do battle, at first against each other and then against whoever their current master wished them to harm.
But from the way Aurelia stared at Helios and the way he stared back at her I had to wonder if that was strictly true.
“I have never seen your object of attachment,” Aurelia said, making me realize she’d been truthful when she’d told me she didn’t know who the djinn were.
Helios scoffed. “It is an idiotic thing. My witch creator was fascinated with the written word. She—”
“Helios. A powerful name for a powerful creature.” Tenzen sounded even more enamored with Helios than Aurelia. His praise didn’t elicit the same fond reaction.
Helios’s body stilled and his oceanic eyes glowed from within. Lips thinned, he turned to the one controlling his object of attachment. The hate-filled glare he sent Tenzen’s way made me shiver.
“I do not believe Helios is pleased,” Leon all but whispered. Phlox hissed his agreement.
“Tenzen doesn’t seem fazed.” If anything, Tenzen appeared smug. His grip on the inkpot tightened to the point I was afraid it might break. Objects of attachment were damn near indestructible. I didn’t know if that theory held true in a shadow borne’s hands.
Helios’s lips pulled into a grimace. “Master.”
“Correct.”
Helios’s gaze tracked up and down Tenzen before he turned his attention back to Aurelia. “I had not realized a shadow borne was still active.”
“It is unfortunate but true,” Aurelia answered. “Although he will not be so for long.”
Helios’s eyes widened, and his hardened features relaxed ever so slightly. “Oh? Do tell.”
Aurelia squared her shoulders. “He has taken something I value.”
That seemed to take Helios by surprise. “Something you value? Not your master?”
Aurelia’s head tilted up, and pride tinged her words. “I have been given the option of choice. What I value is now up to me.”
Helios’s confusion saddened me. Now that he was out of his object, I could feel his soul a little more clearly. It reminded me of Aurelia. There was light there. Helios’s soul felt nothing like Janus’s had.
Head jerking my direction, Helios’s deep blue eyes looked right through me, expression an indecipherable mask. “What is he? He’s doing something. I can feel him. It is uncomfortable.”
I immediately pulled my necromancer abilities back. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know it was uncomfortable.” I turned concerned eyes on Aurelia. “You never told me it was unpleasant.”
Aurelia merely shrugged. “You did not do it intentionally.”
Her words surprised me. We’d come a long way since first meeting. The question was, had we come far enough?
“He’s a necromancer,” Tenzen answered before Aurelia or I had a chance. “You should pay attention to that uncomfortable feeling.” Tenzen sounded so damn pleased. He also sounded arrogant.
“Oh?” Helios turned those stunning blue eyes back on me. “Is this your master, Aurelia?” he asked while looking straight at me.
“No. My master is not currently present.”
“I see. They have sent you on a mission.”
“My mission is my own,” Aurelia responded. When Helios gave her another puzzled look, she explained, “This master seems different than the others.”
Helios scoffed. “They are all the same.”
“As I once thought.” Aurelia didn’t look at me, but the scuttlebutt cradled within my arms. I’d been scared shitless when she asked me to hold onto Fuzzy Britches for her.
I had no idea if the scuttlebutt would like me or not.
If my brain wasn’t so scattered, I would have remembered that while wearing Pops’s warding ring, if the scuttlebutt had meant me harm, she wouldn’t have been able to get near me.
As it was, Fuzzy Britches seemed content lying in my arms. She was heavier than I thought she’d be, and I’d quickly realized she wasn’t as relaxed as I’d originally thought. Fuzzy Britches was very alert. Her tail was wrapped around my forearm but not tightly enough to cause discomfort.
“My current master is not one who desired to be so. He is a nature pixie, and his last wish was for me to do as I willed.” Aurelia’s Caribbean blue eyes flared as she turned her attention from Fuzzy Britches to Tenzen. “What I will is to remove Lydia Boone from this shadow borne’s reach.”
Tenzen’s laugh billowed smoke. “And what I wish is for Lydia Boone to stay exactly where she is. Helios, I wish for you to keep Aurelia from freeing my captives.”
Helios’s expression blanked, making me realize how expressive Aurelia had become. “And what captives would those be? You must be more specific.”
“The humans.”
Helios crossed his arms and leaned back into his dirty boots.
“All the humans? Last I was awakened, this planet was infested with them.” Helios fingered the dog tags hanging around his neck.
“Though things could have changed since then. They are a violently reckless species who do little more than—”
“Lydia Boone and Franklin O’Hare,” Tenzen growled. “Is that specific enough for you?”
Helios shrugged. “I am uncertain. Is there only one Lydia Boone in the world? What about Franklin O’Hare? If there are still as many humans as I remember, then—”
“There!” Tenzen pointed to Momma and Franklin, still on their knees. “That Lydia Boone and Franklin O’Hare.”
“Ah. I see.”
I did too. This was what djinn excelled at. They were slaves to their masters, but they found ways to rebel, and one of those ways was exactly what Helios was doing. It was brilliant and exhausting all at the same time.
“In the future, you will need to be as specific as possible. I would hate for you to misspeak. Such things can lead to unintended consequences.” Helios smiled wide with obvious intent.
Tenzen didn’t even look my way when he said, “If you attempt to do me harm, I will have Necromancer Boone shove your ancient soul back into your body. Do you know what that will do?”
Glancing from me to Tenzen, Helios answered, “I do not.”
Tenzen’s greedy grin took over his entire face. “It means you become mortal again. Fragile and easily killed.”
Helios blinked, his expression once more unreadable. “Aurelia, is what he says true?”
Aurelia didn’t hesitate. “It is. Janus found this out the hard way.”
“He is dead?”
“The return of his soul did not kill him, but Janus’s ensuing actions led to his demise.”
“Hmm. That is not a great loss.” It seemed Helios’s opinion of Janus didn’t stray far from Aurelia’s. “And yet you are still djinn.”
I spoke up. “Aurelia doesn’t want her soul returned. I won’t return it without her permission.”
“A luxury you do not have, Helios,” Tenzen said. “And one I doubt Aurelia can depend on if Necromancer Boone wants to keep his humans alive.”
Helios’s attention fell on Momma and Franklin. “Lydia Boone and Franklin O’Hare, I presume.”
“You presume correctly,” Tenzen answered.
“Tedious.” Helios already sounded tired. “This master will force me to fight you, Aurelia.”
“I am aware. It is a pointless endeavor. We cannot truly harm one another.” Aurelia didn’t sound upset, so I was willing to take her word on that one.
“Maybe he can’t alone, but what if it’s two on one?
” Tenzen turned and reached toward the mantel, but his hand came up short.
“Where…?” Tenzen’s taloned fingers swept over the wooden surface.
When nothing fell to the floor, he gripped the mantel, splintering the old wood and crumbling it to the floor.
His talons scraped bricks, sending dust into the air along with his smoke and ash.
“Where is it?” Hands still gripping the brickwork, Tenzen’s head twisted in an angle no neck should bend and still be alive. “You took it,” Tenzen accused Aurelia. “You took the other djinn.”
I was shocked. I hadn’t seen anyone take the other object of attachment, and it was there when Tenzen grabbed the inkpot. Aurelia hadn’t moved since then. She’d been standing in the same position the entire time. I had no idea who or what had taken it.
Crossing her arms, Aurelia’s eyes narrowed. “I am djinn. I cannot touch my own object of attachment, nor can I touch another’s. It is a hard and deeply seated restriction.”
“She cannot, but I can. I was the first—witch born and witch made.” Ajita stood there, the rock-shaped object of attachment in her hand. Eyelids slipping closed and head tilted back, Ajita’s eyelids fluttered before she opened them and pronounced, “Asha will remain where she is, quietly sleeping.”
“She is mine!” Tenzen railed. The shadows encasing Momma and Franklin leached away, coalescing into a more solid form before its tendrils shot toward Ajita. As fast as Shadow was, Ajita was quicker, manifesting on the opposite side of the room.
“Asha is not yours,” Ajita spat. Dismissing Tenzen, Ajita spoke to Aurelia. “Djinn do not belong in the hands of shadow borne. Bury him. Take him deep within the earth and leave him there to slumber.” And then Ajita was gone, leaving deathly silence in her wake.
The flash of fear in Tenzen’s eyes was there and gone before I was certain I’d seen it at all. Ajita’s words hit their mark, and I prayed she was right. Shadow borne couldn’t be killed, but they could be contained. Deep and dark with no hope of escape. I had no idea where such a prison might exist.
“Erasmus.” My name scratched through Momma’s throat. “Sweetie, are you okay?” Free of her bonds, Momma stood on shaky legs, intent on closing the distance.
“Helios, follow my wishes,” Tenzen bellowed.
Helios flinched and offered an apologetic “forgive me, Aurelia.”
“There is nothing to forgive,” she answered before they launched at one another, their movements too fast and furious for me to follow. Aurelia said Helios couldn’t hurt her, and I had to take her at her word.
Momma took another step toward me. Franklin and I saw the shadows move at the same time. Fuzzy Britches did too. Leaping from my arms, the scuttlebutt tore across the ground toward Momma. “Fuzzy, no!”
Franklin and I shouted our warnings, one of us too late.
Even if it would have worked, there was no time to throw one of Pops’s barrier charms at Momma.
Franklin was closer to Momma and reached her before Fuzzy or I could.
A tendrilled shadow narrowed, forming a javelin that pierced through Franklin’s chest like a knife slicing through warm butter.
I stumbled as a scream tore through my throat.
Scrambling on all fours, I crawled my way to Franklin, catching his body as the shadow spike retreated.
Blood poured from the wound, instantly soaking Franklin’s chest and back.
Its warmth seeped through my own clothing, cooling and sticking to my skin.
Words caught in my throat, my arms wrapped around Franklin as we sank to our knees, his body leaning heavily on mine as his wheezed gasps blew the hair from my neck.
“B-Boone,” Franklin coughed.
“I’ve got you. I’ve got you.” I repeated that phrase, wishing I’d been able to get to him sooner. Wishing I’d been able to slip Franklin’s wedding ring over his finger, protecting him from any and all harm.
Franklin’s weight increased as he leaned further into my body.
He listed to the side, taking me with him.
Now lying on his back, I was able to see the damage better.
A choked sob rattled through me. The amount of blood was staggering.
It was… My mind couldn’t accept what I saw, what I knew it meant.
My eyes were glued to that bloody spot as it grew larger and darker.
“No.” That singular word started as a whisper and grew until it burned a raw trail up my throat.
Ripping off my jacket, I pulled out the ring Pops made before shoving the fabric over his wound.
I grabbed his left hand and slid the ring down his finger.
“Don’t you fucking die on me. You hear me? I won’t—”
“Boone. Erasmus.” My name on Franklin’s lips sounded scraped across concrete. His hand found mine, our wedding rings finding their way to each other. Something wet traced its way across Franklin’s cheek, and it took me a moment to realize it was my tears.
Franklin’s eyes fluttered. “I’m so tired.” I had to lean down to hear his words beyond the chaos around us. “So very tired.”
My tears fell faster, raining down on Franklin’s skin. “Don’t. Just…”
“L-love you. Always loved you.”
I choked on the river of misery consuming me.
This couldn’t be happening. It wasn’t right.
I’d found someone to love. Someone who didn’t just tolerate touching me but craved it.
Someone who didn’t think I was an abomination but a gift from Gaia.
Someone who didn’t question what I was but was thankful for every breath I took.
There was no way I was losing that. No way I was letting Franklin go.
If it was a fight the ever after wanted, then I’d bring the war to them.
If Death wanted to play, then they’d picked the wrong necromancer to challenge.
I was going to teach Death a very important lesson, one they would never forget.