Chapter 23
Chapter
Twenty-Three
Erasmus
I’d been staring at my phone for a good twenty minutes while I debated the merit of calling Pops before or after asking Aurelia if she was willing to wear a contact charm. I suppose she didn’t have to wear it—as long as she had it nearby, that was good enough. Most chose to place them on some type of jewelry. From what I understood, they were fairly simple charms, or at least well within the purview of most warlocks. Pops was better than most . The charm would be easy. The request wouldn’t be.
He'd made one for me and Momma when I was younger. When activated, he was the one alerted. The problem was that he was all the way in California and unlike fairies, brownies, and evidently djinn, warlocks couldn’t cross vast distances by thought alone. Like nearly every other species, their travel was limited by physical transportation.
“I should probably ask Aurelia first,” I said aloud, believing I was alone. Aurelia had a sneaky way of proving me wrong.
“Ask me what?”
Despite my jolted heart rate, my body barely twitched. Without thought, I answered, “If you’ll wear a damn bell.”
“A bell? To what end?”
I choked on a laugh. “To a hopeful lengthening of my life, because one of these days you’re going to give me a damn heart attack popping up out of nowhere.”
“That is a very dramatic description,” Aurelia argued.
“Not as dramatic as I wish it were.” Dropping my phone on the coffee table, Aurelia’s appearance solved my dilemma. Patting the couch cushion beside me, I said, “Have a seat and take a load off.”
“You wish for me to sit beside you?”
I cringed at the word. I wasn’t Aurelia’s master, so even if I used that particular phrasing, it wouldn’t make her comply. Still, I answered, “I’d like it if you did, but the choice is yours.”
Proving she wasn’t used to being offered choices, Aurelia stood for a moment before shaking her head and answering, “I prefer to stand. I do not tire like you.”
“That’s convenient.”
“Doubtful. Djinn would not have been useful if we exhausted ourselves. Our witch creators made certain that would not happen.”
My cringe was automatic. Speaking with Aurelia was a veritable minefield of unintended slights. “Sorry.”
Aurelia cocked her head. “I do not see why you should apologize. However, I have begun noting that is a common practice among those with empathy. Peaches apologizes constantly for events that were not of his making. At first, I found it irritating. Now I simply ignore it.”
I made a mental note to put a lid on apologies Aurelia might find irritating . “Fair enough,” I answered after some thought. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
“You may do as you want. Just as I may.” A touch of pleasured zeal licked the edges of those words.
Clearing my throat, I wondered again how Peaches could be comfortable giving Aurelia so much autonomy. Then again, so far, it was working out well. One could only hope that streak continued for as long as possible. I didn’t envy Peaches the day he had to rein Aurelia back in. I’m not sure who it would hurt more.
“You said you wanted to ask me something,” Aurelia prompted, pulling me from my dark musings.
“Yeah. I’m not sure how you’ll feel about it, and I want you to know that I understand if you say no.”
Aurelia’s eyes momentarily lit from within as her attention became more focused. “Indeed, you have my attention, necromancer Boone.”
Drawing in a deep breath, I related today’s earlier happenings and Franklin’s thoughts on the matter, as well as his idea about the contact charm. Aurelia stood there, face impassive, giving no hint regarding her thoughts.
After laying it all out, I spread my hands wide and said, “So there you have it. What do you think?”
Aurelia remained stubbornly silent. My palms began sweating and my foot jiggled with nerves. I wasn’t certain why I was nervous. I didn’t think Aurelia would react violently to the request, just… Well, I suddenly realized how much I wanted her to agree. Not because I was that frightened, but more because I knew what a relief it would be to Franklin. I wanted to give him that.
After an insanely long amount of time, Aurelia tilted her head to the side and answered, “I will consider it,” before she blinked away.
I sat there, mouth hanging open. It wasn’t a no, at least not yet. Doing some quick calculations in my head, I decided it would be worth calling Pops and seeing if he could send me a charm. It would take at least a day to get here. No reason not to be ready just in case Aurelia agreed.
I waited for my heart to steady and my nerves to relax enough that when I picked my phone back up I wasn’t shaking. The phone rang five times before going to voicemail. Pops must be very busy if he wasn’t picking up.
I left a brief message, asking him to call back at his convenience. Pops would call when he could—probably sooner than was convenient, knowing him.
Tossing my phone on the couch cushion I’d offered Aurelia, I allowed the soft fabric to lull me into sleep. I was at least thirty minutes into a much-needed nap when Pops’s ringtone woke me.
“’Ello?” I answered on a yawn.
“Are you well, Erasmus? You sound tired,” Pops answered by way of greeting.
“Sorry, just napping. I had a job earlier today.”
“So soon?” There was more concern than condescension. “Are you sure that is wise?”
“It was fine.” I waved a dismissive hand in the air. “It was kind of nice in a way, feeling a normal soul. Some of the family members were total asshats, but that’s not unusual.”
Pops scoffed. “I have met several individuals with similar personality flaws.”
I laughed silently. Most considered Pops one of those questionable individuals. My humor fled when I relayed the rest of the events. Pops was understandably upset. He was even more upset when I told him Franklin’s idea.
“Have you lost your mind? I had thought this detective might be a more stabilizing influence on your life. I find my confidence fading.”
While I understood Pops’s point of view, he wasn’t working with all the facts. While he knew about the car chase and the gunfire, Pops didn’t know that Aurelia had stopped the bullets that would have pierced Franklin and me. I made a split-second decision to fill him in. When I finished, there was nothing but silence on the other end.
“Pops, you still there?” I pulled the phone away from my ear and checked to make certain the call hadn’t been dropped. I still had a signal and the timer was still racking up seconds. “Pops, are you—”
“Give me a moment,” Pops answered, voice scratchy. I could hear his deep breaths and stuttered exhales.
I did as he asked, sitting there in the silence of my home as I waited for Pops to say something. Anything. Finally, he said, “You promised me you were unharmed.”
“I didn’t lie. I wasn’t hurt. I mean, I’m a little bruised from the seat belt and airbags, but nothing a little time won’t heal. I might need a few more pain charms. I kind of gave a couple to Franklin to use. That gash on his forehead looked rough.” It was healing nicely, but that wasn’t my doing. Captain Cicely was a witch, and they made far better healing charms. She had them on standby at the precinct.
“But that outcome could have been very different were it not for the djinn.”
“Aurelia,” I corrected. It was important others called her by her name, not her species.
“Aurelia,” Pops fired back. “It will take me time to process this, Erasmus. You should have informed me sooner.”
I scratched the back of my head absently. “I didn’t want to worry you.”
Pops sighed. “That is an impossible desire.”
I started to say something inane, but Pops stopped me by saying, “I will send the charm immediately. In fact, I will send several. The activation device will be singular, but there will be three receptors. I will keep one, Detective O’Hare will wear one, and if Aurelia is willing, then she will have the third. This is getting serious, Erasmus. I am afraid I can no longer heed your desires. I will be on a plane shortly. End of discussion.”
I wanted to argue, but I knew better. Pops was at the end of his rope. Still, I offered, “I don’t think that’s necessary. I—”
“I will contact you when I have more details on my arrival. I have a few small issues to secure here, but I do not anticipate they will take long. You may expect me within the next three to four days. You will take care in the meantime. Promise me this, Erasmus.”
I swallowed past the lump in my throat. “I promise I’ll try.” It was the best I could do.
“You will not take any further contracts before I arrive.”
That was taking things a bit far. “I’ve already committed to two jobs.” I didn’t go back on my word unless I was passed out on the ground or praying to the porcelain god. “I won’t bail on them, Pops. You taught me better than that.” I was hitting below the belt with that one, but didn’t pull the punch before it landed.
“Fine,” Pops gritted out. “But you will inform me and your detective where you are going, when you leave, and how long you anticipate the job taking. Do not underestimate others’s desire to inflict harm.”
Pops had been alive a lot longer than me. He’d seen more and had the jaded emotional scars to show for it. While it was intrusive telling others my every little movement, I figured I could concede and answered, “I can do that.”
“Good. I will contact you with my plans as soon as they are finalized.” I thought that was the end of the conversation and almost said goodbye, but Pops stopped me when his voice softened and he said, “I love you. Our time together is far too short. Do not hasten death’s arrival.” Before I could utter a single word, Pops ended the call.