This time, Niki’s lips twitched. His fingers were looser upon the steering wheel, and his posture was far more relaxed as we drove down the highway. I threw Niki a wink and my chest warmed when his cheeks pinked.
“You make me want to pull my leaves out.” I started to reiterate that it wasn’t me who’d called, but Martin. Before I could utter a word, Martin said, “Keir wants you back here.”
“As I said before, we all want something. We simply can’t have it all the time.”
“Hikaru.” Martin twisted my name into something curse like. “Listen, I don’t have time for this. Last I knew, you were still part of the Magical Usage Council. Is that true or not?”
“I’m not sure.” I wanted to keep my options open. Being a part of the council might be…entertaining, but right now it was a chaotic mess. I didn’t like messes that weren’t of my making.
I could practically hear Martin’s molars grinding. “You aren’t sure?”
“No.” It seemed a simple enough concept.
“I see. Well, let me make something clear then. You’d better get sure, and get sure quick. We need all the help we can get.Tenzen really…” Martin sighed, long and deep. “We’re still trying to figure out who’s still in hiding and who didn’t make it. We need the help, but I’m not going to beg you to come back. While we need the assistance, after what happened with Huxley, Keir only wants those who believe in the council and truly want to work to make the council relevant and helpful again. If you can’t or won’t do that, then do us all a favor and don’t come back.”
Martin ended the call without so much as a goodbye. “Rude,” I huffed, arms crossed and tails madly twitching.
“You think that was rude?” Niki asked.
I shrugged. “They’re asking a lot.” I stared out the window. It wasn’t simply agreeing to be a part of the Magical Usage Council again. The compound had been my home for centuries. It was the place I’d grown up, the place Tenzen kept me safe, the place he’d honed my magic to one day harvest and destroy me. Was it any wonder my emotions were at war when it came to thoughts of the council?
Niki was quiet for a moment, his fingers tapping along the steering wheel. Without looking my direction and voice barely audible, he said, “Perhaps they are.”
The pressure in my chest eased, allowing me to nap the rest of the way to my new home.
Five
Nikodemus
Unsurprisingly, my call to Erasmus went to voicemail. I’d stayed up most of the night debating what to do. After the hell Erasmus and Franklin had been through, I was loath to introduce fresh cause for concern into their honeymoon. However, should the Warlock Council choose to do something immensely foolish, I did not want my son to be caught off guard. Should something happen because Erasmus was not informed of the danger beforehand, I would never be able to forgive myself.
My unwelcome houseguest was still blissfully asleep. I’d been half surprised he hadn’t attempted to crawl into bed with me last night instead of remaining in the guest room.
Coffee in hand, I sat on my back porch watching the darkened sky lighten into shades of pink. Sunsets were spectacular looking out over the Pacific Ocean. Sunrises were a quieter, less splashy affair but no less beautiful. I sent a silent prayer to Gaia, thanking her for all her blessings. I was never certain if she heard me or not. Perhaps it didn’t matter. Perhaps it was the belief that she heard, that I had her blessing, that gave me the added confidence and strength that allowed me to do what needed done.
I’d never been much of a philosopher. Most species left that kind of thing up to the humans. They seemed to like wasting what little time they had on the planet by pondering such things. If I cared to understand humans more, I’d most likely ask Lydia to explain it to me. But I didn’t care so I’d never asked.
My fingertips danced along the edge of my coffee mug, warming my skin. I’d had a lot to think over last night. Unfortunately, the sunrise didn’t bring answers dancing along its rays. What it did do was make my concerns a little more palatable and not so overwhelming. I’d spent most of the night pondering what the Warlock Council’s objective was. They could be coming after me because I was pushing to help Erasmus find other necromancers. What I’d told Hikaru yesterday was true enough. But was that it? I had a nagging feeling it wasn’t. My pestering could be an excuse, and it might have lit the match, but I doubted it had built the bonfire.
I wasn’t the only one who’d challenged the council lately. My jaw ached from clenching so hard. Against my better judgment, I’d requested Vander’s assistance. Such a lapse in judgment was proof what lengths I would go to for my son.
I stared at my phone. I’d brought Vander’s contact information up countless times, finger hovering over the send button. I’d wiped the screen clear just as many times. Given the time difference, it was well into late morning on the East Coast. Most likely Vander would be up, not that I truly cared if I woke him. There was a chance he was off filming with his one and only, Parsnip. If that were the case, then Vander could be anywhere in the world at any given time of day or night.
I needed to make a decision soon, before Hikaru woke and began causing mischief. I didn’t relish the idea of the kitsune listening in on my conversation with Vander.
Coffee cool and nearly gone, I finished the remainder, pulled up Vander’s number again and hit the send button before I could reconsider—again.
The phone rang long enough that my heart settled and I began thinking my call would go to voicemail. I was so convinced that I wasn’t prepared for Vander’s sleepy voice to answer a muffled, “’Ello?”
I checked my watch. It should be well after eleven a.m. in Virginia. Perhaps Vander and Parsnip were on location filming another episode ofInterspecies Habitat.
When I didn’t say anything, Vander grumbled, “I’m hangin’ up.”
“That would be unwise, Kines.” There was no true threat behind the statement. I simply found it unwise for anyone to hang up on me.
“Shit. Holland, is that you?” Vander groaned. “It’s too damn early in the morning for this.”
A lighter voice in the background said, “It’s after eleven for goddess sake.”
