“Sweet Goddess above.” Phlox pinched the bridge of his nose. “I suppose there’s not much to be done on that count.”
“Not really.”
Phlox rose, stretching his arms high above his head and showing off his midriff. Lifting into the air, Phlox hovered a foot or two above the floor. “I’ll go curl up with Leon for a bit.”
“Okay. Let me know if you need anything.” Phlox was near the hall when I said, “I don’t want Aurelia hurt.” The thought had been weighing on my mind.
Phlox stopped and turned, his feet landing on the ground again. “Pardon?”
“I’m just saying, I don’t want our actions to negatively affect Aurelia.”
Phlox’s blink was slow. “Aurelia’s a djinn. I’m quite certain she can take care of herself.”
“Physically, that’s true. Emotionally…she’s more fragile than you think. Aurelia’s almost childlike with a huge case of trust issues. And rightfully so. I just… I don’t want to forget about her feelings or wellbeing.”
Head tilted to the side, Phlox stared at me, and I tried not to squirm under that intense gaze. “I will take your words into consideration, Necromancer Boone.” Raising into the air once more, Phlox disappeared down the hallway, leaving me alone in my kitchen with my troubled thoughts as a poor excuse for company.
Chapter
Twelve
Franklin
Five bodies. That was the grand total so far. I’d considered calling Boone out to ask him to walk the area but held back after getting the text that our guests had arrived. I knew Boone would be reluctant to leave them alone. Not that he worried what Agent Frost and Leon might get up to while alone in the house. To him, leaving guests alone was the height of poor manners.
I’d put in a request for a cadaver-sniffing dog and gotten approval. Tomorrow would see me back out at the body dump site, silently praying the dog didn’t find anyone else below the dirt.
Unlike our female victims, the males found were varying ages, hair color, and possibly race. Species-wise, Dr. Stowe had quickly determined them all to be human. The exception was if there was a shifter or two in the mix. Shifters reverted to their humanoid forms when dead. Their bone density was different than the average human, so Dr. Stowe would know soon enough, but upon initial examination she suspected all would be human.
“You look like shit,” Officer Ebony Beckskindlysaid while setting a can of soda and a package of cheese crackers on mydesk. “When was the last time you ate? Or maybe slept? Or took a shower?” Her nose distastefully scrunched at the last.
I checked my watch. “It’s been a while. For all three. Thanks for this,” I said while tilting the soda in a grateful salute.
“It was the best I could do with the current vending machine options.” Despite my displeasing stench, Becks pulled up a chair and sat down. “I heard you got called out this morning.”
I grunted. “Morning implies the sun was above the horizon. I assure you, the ungodly hour I was pulled from bed did not qualify.”
Becks cringed. “Sorry to hear that.”
I inhaled, pulling that breath deep into my lungs before letting it out slowly. “I am too, but not as sorry as I am about the bodies found.”
“More than one?” Becks leaned forward. “You’re kidding me.”
“I wish.” I held up a hand, five fingers raised and splayed apart.
Becks’s eyes widened with disbelief. “Are you sure that’s all?”
“Five isn’t enough?”
“That’s not what I meant, and you know it.”
I sighed. “Sorry. I’m tired and cranky.”
“Perfectly understandable. That’s why you’re forgiven.” Becks’s grin quickly fell. “Seriously though, have you called that handsome fiancé of yours out?”
I shook my head. “We have company at the house. I put in a request for a cadaver-sniffing dog. We’ll be heading out tomorrow.”
Becks nodded before blowing out a disbelieving breath. “Five more women.”
