“But I was up late working on?—”
“Get up before Byx comes in and zaps you.” Louder, the voice I now recognized as Parsnip spoke into the phone. “Give him a few seconds, Nikodemus. Vander really was up late working on a commission.”
“I will take that into consideration, Parsnip.” Gaia knew I often kept odd hours when I worked on a project.
I heard a decidedly loud yawn before Vander came back on the phone. “What can I do for you?” Vander’s greeting was better than mine would have been. I’d have simply asked what he wanted.
I hedged, wondering if I was making the correct decision. My silence lasted long enough that Vander evidently thought the callhad dropped. “Damn phones. Pay a mint for their service and then they?—”
“I’m still here.”
“Oh. It was kind of silent for a bit. I’m assuming this isn’t a social call.” A touch of humor laced those words.
“You assume correctly.” Deciding to bite the proverbial bullet, I laid my cards on the table. “Have you heard from the Warlock Council recently?”
“The council? No. I’m happy to say I haven’t heard squat from those douchebags. Why do you ask?” Genuine curiosity whispered through Vander’s voice. “What have those asshats done now?”
Vander’s colorful descriptors aside, he wasn’t wrong. “It seems they’ve decided my recent actions bear investigation.”
“Your recent…what the hell have you been up to?” Vander sounded fully awake now.
“Nothing nefarious and nothing you are unaware of.” I didn’t exactly bristle at the accusation, but I wasn’t unaffected either.
“Okay.” Vander sounded as confused as I felt. “What are they threatening?”
“What makes you assume a threat is involved?”
Vander huffed. “It’s the fucking Warlock Council. Of course there’s a threat.”
Again, Vander wasn’t wrong. “If I am found guilty of their presumed concerns, then binding my abilities has already been referenced.”
I pulled the phone away from my ear as a litany of curse words spilled from Vander’s mouth. He finally settled on, “I’d like to see them try and pull that shit with you.”
I smirked. “That is what I said as well.”
“Good. Honest to Gaia, what are they thinking? Is this about pushing them for the names of necromancers’ mothers? Seems pretty extreme if that’s the case. And if so, why are they singlingyou out? Maybe my letter just got lost in the mail.” Before I had time to answer, Vander yelled, “Byx!”
“What?” I heard the young brownie spat back. “You’re so damn loud.”
“Have we gotten anything in the mail from the Warlock Council?”
Byx’s voice got a little louder. “Like what?”
“Not sure. Probably some fancy, over the top card or letter.” Again, Vander wasn’t wrong.
“Nope. Nothing like that. You want me to light it on fire if I do see it?” Byx sounded all too ready to do so.
“Maybe after I get a chance to read it.”
“Promise?” I was beginning to hope Byx and Hikaru stayed far away from each other.
“Promise.”
“Need anything else?”
“Nope. Thanks, kid.”
If Byx responded, I didn’t hear it. “Looks like I’m not in their crosshairs, or they’re coming after you first.” Vander hesitated before asking, “Is there anything we need to worry about?”
