“I’m not sure why you would have.”
Phlox barked out a laugh. “True enough.” His laughter turned into a heavy sigh. “This has clusterfuck written all over it, and yet even knowing that, I think it’s our best option.”
I gripped the fabric over my pounding heart. “You think we should—”
“I think we should wait and discuss things in person.”
“Oh.” I wasn’t really sure that would be better but deferred to the pro. I wasn’t certain how long Phlox had been an agent for the Magical Usage Council, but he had a lot more experience with covert operations than me. Gaia, even referring to what was currently going on as acovert operationsounded ridiculous.
“See you in a few hours.” The line went silent, and I was left looking at a darkened phone screen.
Phlox hadn’t asked permission. I don’t know what I would have said if he had. That wasn’t true; I would have told him to head this way if he thought that best. Chewing my bottom lip, I considered calling Franklin and letting him know. My finger hovered over his contact information before I slid it away and lowered my phone to the seat beside me. Franklin had enough on his mind without worrying about our incoming guests. I’d tell him tonight when he dragged his ass home from work.
“Do you have a basement I’m unaware of?” Franklin asked. Gaia, he looked even more exhausted than last night. Regardless, Franklin listened to my news, blinked a couple of times while he remained silent for thirty, maybe forty seconds, and then got down to practicalities. “We could always put some dark sheets over the windows in the spare bedroom. Do you have something like that, or do I need to head out to the store?” Franklin was already reaching for his car keys.
“I’ve got some dark green sheets that should work. I bought them and then didn’t like the color. They’re shoved somewhere in the back of the linen closet.” I reached for Franklin’s wrists and tugged him into the living room, pushing him onto the couch. “You need to sit down before you fall down.” I sat beside him, one knee tucked up under me as I faced Franklin. “I love you, honey boo, but this one-foot-in-the-grave look isn’t doing you any favors.”
Franklin’s thirty-second delay was still active, and it took him that long to offer up a grunt…or maybe it was an aborted version of a laugh. Honestly, I wasn’t sure. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry. I’m just concerned, and now we’ve got guests coming and—” Franklin shushed me with a finger pressed against my lips.
“Doesn’t sound like Agent Frost gave you much choice in the matter.”
“No, but I didn’t really argue either. I was kind of stuck in some type of weird fugue state.” My lips twisted with thought. “It was weird.”
“Did you call your pops and let him know?”
“I texted him an abbreviated version.” Gaia bless Franklin. He never questioned the need to keep Pops in the loop.
“What did he have to say?”
“Not much. It’s difficult to get emotion out of texts, but I get the feeling Pops is concerned but also a little eager. He’s just as frustrated as the rest of us. The waiting is…” Saying waiting was killing me seemed a bit over dramatic, and yet that’s how I felt. In a way, it was taking little bits and pieces at a time, stealing away my sense of safety.
“And your momma?”
I leaned against the back of the couch, one fisted hand supporting my head. “I texted Momma too. She told me to let her know if we needed anything. She’s also excited about Phlox being a pixie and a Pallas’s cat shifter. I think it will be difficult keeping the woman out of our house.”
Franklin’s chuckle rumbled through his chest. “Is it rude to ask Phlox to shift while he’s here?”
I shrugged, unsure of shifter etiquette. “I’m not sure.”
“Hmm… I wonder if Aurelia has seen Agent Frost’s shifted form. When you first told me what he shifts into, I did some digging into Pallas’s cats. They’re cute and fluffy but far from tame.”
“You think that’s the nextpetAurelia will want?”
“As dangerous as a Pallas’s cat is, I think it would still be better than a scuttlebutt. I haven’t seen one, but if your description is even halfway accurate, a scuttlebutt is not something I want in Aurelia’s possession.”
“Agreed. I—”
“The two of you are exceedingly boring.”
I whipped my head around only to find Aurelia standing between the kitchen entrance and living room. I had no idea how long she’d been standing there and hoped she hadn’t heard our discussion about scuttlebutts.
Franklin eased his head against the couch, his bloodshot eyes fixated on the ceiling as he whispered, “If only that were true.”
Clearing my throat, I motioned Aurelia forward and into our magical bubble of hopeful silence. “How are you?” I asked, earning me a quizzical stare.
“You have never asked that before.”
