Phlox flew past me, right up to the edge of Pops’s wards. I think he would have flown past them if Leon hadn’t grabbed his shirt and held him back.
“He is my mate!” Phlox all but hissed. “And I am his beloved. You should be so fortunate. If so, maybe you wouldn’t be as fucked up as you obviously are.”
Tenzen’s lips twitched before pulling into a too-wide smile that contorted his face into something ghastly. “Is that so?”
“It is veryso. You came after Hikaru. Hikaru! What were you thinking? How could you do that to him?” Phlox sounded helplessly wounded. There was definitely a deeper story there.
Tenzen sighed and waved a dismissive hand in the air. “There are casualties in every world order change.”
My blood froze. “World order change? Is that what you’re planning?”
Tenzen’s attention focused back on me. “With a little help from some reluctant friends. A situation you, Necromancer Boone, are going to prove most valuable controlling.”
I opened my mouth ready to argue something that would undoubtedly sound asinine. Tenzen beat me to it. “If you wish to keep your mother and lover from harm, you will come to this address.” My phone beeped with a text message. “I expect you there within two hours.” Tenzen didn’t wait for my answer. “Come alone or don’t. I’m always happy to gain furtherleverage.”
Tenzen’s smokey chuckle stuck to my insides like glue. The sound quieted as he walked down the street, the clap of his cane tapping against the pavement with each step.
I checked my phone. Considering the time frame to get there, I shouldn’t have been surprised the address was fairly local.
Phlox hovered over my shoulder as he stared at my phone. “It’s a Mississippi address.”
“The coast,” I answered. A quick internet search let me know it wasn’t just near the coast, but right by the water. Focusing in on the location, I was dismayed by how remote it was. “Not a cheap piece of property.”
Leon said, “Given Huxley’s general appearance, I do not believe he is aware of the meaning of the wordcheap.”
“Pretentious asshole,” Phlox grumbled.
“Pretentious or not, Tenzen’s right. He’s holding all the cards.”
“Not all of them.”
I turned toward Aurelia’s voice. Fuzzy Britches was perched on Aurelia’s left shoulder, her tail wrapped around Aurelia’s arm as she quietly slumbered. “The situation has definitely become more interesting.” A disturbing grin lifted Aurelia’s lips. Her fingers found their way into Fuzzy Britches’s fur, eliciting content coos from the scuttlebutt.
“You’re coming along?” I asked and then considered the weight of that question. “Did Peaches… Did Peaches make any wishes?” I needed to know what restrictions we might be dealing with.
Aurelia’s grin grew into a full-fledged smile. “Peaches wished me to do as I see fit.” Aurelia snapped her mouth, her teeth glinting in the streetlights. “I believe this will be fun.”
Fun. Yeah, this was a bouncy house full of shits and giggles. Gaia save us all.
Chapter
Twenty-Eight
Franklin
Lydia gasped before falling to her knees beside the brownie. Her hands fluttered around him, as if she weren’t certain where to touch or if she should. Finally, she sat back on her heels, palms planted on her thighs and asked, “Are you okay?”
Those large, brown eyes slowly blinked. “W-who are you?” His voice was soft and small.
“I’m Lydia, and this is Franklin.” She pointed at me before grabbing hold of my wrist and pulling me down too. I’d like to say it ended in a graceful landing, but my right knee took the hit worse than the rest of me, eliciting a grunt I couldn’t hide. Lydia tossed me an apologetic glance but quickly moved on. “And who are you?”
“Deni.” He shifted, pushing himself up. If the grimace on his face was anything to go by, the motion took more effort than it should.
Deni didn’t even glance at the shackles on his wrists and ankles, nor did he reach for the collar around his neck. Now that he was upright, I could easily see the dark black stone embedded in the collar. That stone briefly flared crimson, and when it did, Deni sucked in a breath and nearly doubled over.
“Careful,” Lydia cooed as she grabbed his shoulders, helping to hold him steady. When the stone faded to black again, Deni’s breathing steadied, but he appeared even weaker than before.
“What was that?” I asked while pointing at the stone.
