“I hear you. Besides, it sounds like Huxley was already searching for djinn before Phlox let your little secret out of the bag. Phlox didn’t plant the seed of desire; he just gave Huxley a viable way to survive when his djinn eventually turn on him.”
I shivered, and Franklin pulled me a little closer, mistaking my shiver for cold as he tucked our sheets and blanket around me a little tighter. “And they will. You know they will. You’ve heard Aurelia. No creature can tolerate slavery for long. Even if he uses me as a threat…it’s no guarantee.” While it didn’t take long to return a soul, it wasn’t instantaneous either. That gave the djinn time, and time was an unaffordable luxury where djinn were concerned.
“I can’t argue that. Huxley’s playing with fire.”
“He’s been around longer than I can comprehend and hasn’t succumbed to the same type of slumber Ajita mentioned. If he’s been around that long, what changed? Why now?” Something had to have triggered this desire for the power only a djinn can wield.
Franklin remained quiet, his fingers continuing their gentle ministrations along my scalp. That soothing motion typically put me to sleep. There was no such reprieve on the horizon tonight. For a moment, I thought maybe Franklin had succumbed to his exhaustion. I almost wished he would. Franklin needed sleep far more than me. I should have known better.
“Fairy,” Franklin whispered. “Phlox told you that Huxley started the Magical Usage Council, that he used to leave the building, but not after Fairy took over.”
“But that was decades ago.”
“Anger festers, and Huxley’s had eternity to feed the flame. Maybe it has nothing to do with that, or maybe that was the trigger. Alone, even Huxley’s not powerful enough to go against Fairy.”
I pushed my body up, leaning on Franklin’s chest so I could look into his eyes. “You think he plans on challenging Fairy?”
“Could be. If he’s jonesing for more power and control, he’ll have to confront Fairy eventually.”
“Fuck.” I flopped back down on Franklin’s chest. “I’ll ask Phlox if we should contact Ray and Wendall. They’ve got direct contact with Queen Silvidia.”
“Hmm, speaking of Queen Silvidia… Do you think she’d be willing to answer a question for me?”
Another shiver ran through me as memories of how easily Queen Silvidia dispatched Alpha Arie Belview. He’d been the bane of too many lives and managed to slither his way out of the consequences of his heinous actions for far too many years. That streak came to a deadly end when he met the Queen of Fairy.
“I don’t know,” I finally answered. “I suppose it might depend on the question.”
“That’s fair. It pertains to the cases I’m working.”
I didn’t need to ask which ones. “You think a fairy might be involved?”
“I don’t know. I’d be surprised if that were the case. Regardless, I need to explore every avenue, and the condition the remains were found in doesn’t gel with natural decomp. Dr. Stowe’s exploring the scientific avenues while I take on the magical possibilities.”
“We can ask Phlox tomorrow. He’s had more contact with Hellfire Rayburn and Wendall. Ray might be able to answer the questions you have.” While Ray was dangerous, he was a far better option than the queen. Ray’s reputation was well earned, but he wasn’t indiscriminately violent. At least not that I knew of.
“Let me know when you call your pops. I need to ask him the same questions.”
“Joy.” My quip was anything but joyous.
Franklin’s chuckle shook my body. “Yeah. He’s probably getting sick and tired of answering all my foolish human questions. To Holland’s credit, he’s never refused to do so.”
“No, but I’ll bet his answers are laced with sarcasm and a heavy dose of derision.”
“I can handle sarcasm and anything else Holland verbally throws my way.” Franklin’s lips ghosted across my forehead. “I’ve stopped nearly pissing myself when we speak, so I think I’m starting to get ahead of the game.”
It was my turn to chuckle. “Is that the bar we’re aiming for now? Not pissing yourself?”
“Don’t laugh. It’s an important milestone.”
I hadn’t thought myself capable of laughing so hard. That was Franklin’s superpower, and it was a far greater power than anything Fairy had to offer.
Laughter subsiding, my fingers slid through the hairs on Franklin’s chest as my mood turned somber once more. “Are we going to be okay?” I hated the frailty fueling that question.
“We will. I don’t know how, but we will. We have to be.”
Franklin rose and left for work far too early. I doubt he got more than two hours of sleep. I barely woke when he brushed his lips against my cheek, kissing me goodbye. I slept longer, but my slumber wasn’t restful. Anxiety-laden nightmares dogged my dreams, and I woke feeling worse than when I’d crawled into bed with Franklin.
Lying there, I stared at the sunlight filtering through my curtains. Shadows played on the walls. They should have caused me unease, but they didn’t. My skin didn’t crawl when I saw them. Nothing triggered that lizard part of my brain that screamed danger. I should have picked up on the change sooner, but I’d missed it. The others were right. Tenzen could no longer get into my home. It was my safe zone. Now all I had to do was never leave the property. That would put an even larger dent into my livelihood than the current situation already had. My income had been drastically reduced the past few months as I took on fewer jobs in an effort to avoid placing myself within Tenzen’s easy reach.
