Aurelia’s odd grin faded into a mask of indifference. The expression didn’t match her next words. “You consider me a friend. You told Ajita this.”
That shouldn’t be news to Aurelia. I’d told her something similar in the past. “I do. I would be saddened if something happened to you.”
Aurelia stared. Her eyes remained calm, and her muscles were lax. She was statue still as she evaluated me, and I had no idea what could be going on in her head. Only her lips moved when she said, “Tenzen Huxley is no longer where he should be.”
It was such an abrupt departure from what we’d been discussing that it took me an embarrassingly long time to mumble a confused “what?”
“Just as I said. He is not where he should be.”
“We already know that,” Phlox stated, and when I turned, he was standing in the opening to the hall leading to the bedrooms. I didn’t see Leon behind him, but it would be a couple hours before sunset. Leon could be woken now, but he much preferred the dark.
Head tilted, Phlox’s hair shifted over his shoulder. Hands fisted on his hips, Phlox’s eyes narrowed. The angle of his head showed off a recent bite mark. Looked like Leon had a good meal before heading to bed earlier this morning.
“What the fuck’s on your head?” Phlox asked. Wings fluttering to life, Phlox moved closer, his eyes widening as realization hit him. “Sweet Goddess above. Do not tell me Peaches caved and convinced Ray to get you a scuttlebutt.”
Aurelia’s stoic mask slipped back into place as she silently stared at Phlox.
“Well?” he asked, tapping a foot that hit nothing but air.
“You told me not to tell you.”
Hands thrown into the air, Phlox twirled. “Unbelievable. Leon is going to lose his shit when he hears about this.” Twirling back around, Phlox leaned closer and asked, “Does Lucroy know?”
“Of course,” Aurelia answered. The scuttlebutt on her head still hadn’t so much as twitched.
For lack of a better word, Phlox’s body slumped midair. “As if we don’t have enough shit to deal with.” Flying off to the kitchen, I barely heard Phlox mutter, “I need food.”
Casually lifting another spoonful of Jell-O to her lips, Aurelia stated, “He is very dramatic.”
I nearly choked on my own spit. “Yeah… A lot of pixies seem that way.”
“Hmm.” Aurelia took another bite, nearly finishing off the bowl.
Leaning forward, I kept a wary eye on the scuttlebutt. “What did you mean when you said Tenzen Huxley isn’t where he’s supposed to be? How do you know that?”
“I checked.” Aurelia said it so matter-of-factly.
“You checked? What does that mean?” I was afraid I knew.
“I went to where he lives.”
I placed my head in my hands and counted backward from ten. “That’s dangerous.”
Aurelia shrugged. “He was not aware of my presence.”
My head snapped up. “Of course not. You said he wasn’t there.”
“He has been there before.”
I sat up straighter. “You’ve been around him before?”
“Numerous times.” Aurelia ate her final bite of Jell-O
“Numerous times?” I think I might have repeated the phrase again just to make sure. “And you’re certain he hasn’t been aware of your presence?”
“If he was, he did not mention it.”
My mouth slipped open. Words were there, I was certain of it. “I…I’m not sure what to say.”
