Fifteen
Nikodemus
Staring at my phone, debating calling Vander Kines was becoming an unwelcome occurrence. There was no trueneedto call him. It was more of a courtesy. While I still might not understand the Warlock Council’s end game, if my suspicions were correct, they’d begun showing their hand. I might not understand how they’d done it, but I believed they were behind the tainted charm that had made Aaron Detling so ill. It was a charm that could be tied back to me and since it was in the wind, I had no way to confirm it had been tampered with. Their plans might be murky, but they’d formed enough of an outline to hazard a guess how they planned on getting to me. And if they could do such a thing to me, then it wouldn’t be long before they aimed their malice at Vander.
It was early afternoon on the West Coast, meaning it was evening on the East. The voice answering Vander’s phone was deep and resonate, but light with a distinctly feminine touch.
“Hey, Nikodemus,” Vander’s ward, Byx, answered. “Vander’s in the middle of something but I saw your name pop up and I knew he wouldn’t want to miss your call. Hang on and I’ll take the phone to him.”
Byx barely allowed me to offer a brief bit of thanks before I heard her pull the phone away. Shuffling sounds along with doors opening and closing could be heard in the background. I had no idea where Vander’s phone had been in relation to the warlock himself, but given the length of time it took, along with Byx’s hollered, “Hey, Van! Nikodemus is on the phone,” I could only assume the distance had been great.
“Tell the jackass to give me a second.” Although it came from far away, Vander’s answer was clearly audible.
“You tell him. I’ve got you on speaker.”
Vander groaned and let loose a litany of creative curse words. A few more bangs and harsh sounds came through the line before Vander’s voice filled in the silence, much louder this time.
“What’s going on, Holland?” All distraction fled Vander’s voice. “Everything okay?”
“No, it is not.” I was surprised by the honesty of my answer. “I called to update you on thesituation.”
Vander groaned before saying, “Hit me with it.”
While I didn’t fully understand the slang, I assumed Vander had given me the go ahead to regale him with recent events. As I did so, I was auditorily assaulted with a few more curse words along with huffs, sighs, and an occasional scoffing sound. When I’d finished, Vander asked, “You really think they’re trying to disgrace you?”
“Disgrace, humiliate, professionally handicap…take your pick, but yes, I believe that is their plan. To what end, I am still uncertain.”
Another sigh filled the line. “It’s fucked up, but I agree with your take on things.”
“Coming after me directly is better than the alternative.” Despite what Hikaru thought, I couldn’t see how the Warlock Council going after Erasmus was a better option. As long as theykept their focus on me, then Erasmus was safe. Or, as safe as my son typically was.
“Fuck, I don’t know what I’d do if those pricks targeted Parsnip or Byx.” Vander’s chilled laughter sent a shiver down my spine. “Scratch that, I’d like to see them come after Byx. It might do them some good to underestimate a brownie. A little humility might go a long way with these jackasses.”
While I understood the sentiment, I found it difficult to believe that Vander would truly wish a target painted on Byx’s back. Most likely he was simply posturing, spouting off such thoughts in order to try and push back his own fears. I may have a lot of issues with Vander Kines, but I respected his love and protective instincts when it came to his family.
“What can I do?” Vander asked generously.
“For me, nothing. For yourself, keep your head down and be mindful of anything that strikes you as off.” Vander and I were very different, but I imagined the Warlock Council didn’t view us as such. “Hikaru said Danzig called me too moral for what the council has in mind. It appears they view such a trait negatively. It is a trait I believe we share.”
Vander grunted his agreement. “What in Gaia’s name are they up to?”
“I don’t know, but I intend to find out. I doubt they will appreciate mymoral compassand what actions I take once I do discover their intentions.
“Damn straight. Thanks for the heads up. I’ll let Byx and Parsnip know what we discussed. Byx will be all over this shit. Out of all of us, Byx has worked the hardest to repair my… uh… questionable, youthful reputation. She’d be furious if she found out someone was trying to undo her hard work.”
Despite the situation, a grin tweaked my lips. “Indeed. I would not wish to be in her crosshairs.”
“No truer statement and all that.” Vander let loose another weighty sigh. “I know you’re capable and all that, but if there’s anything I can do to?—”
“I will be fine,” I quickly asserted.
“Yeah, that’s what I thought. Regardless, the offer still stands. You helped when I reached out. I hate to think what the outcome would have been if Erasmus hadn’t been here to stop Janus. I… we’d all be dead if not for your son. That’s no small thing, Holland.”
Pride was a dangerous thing and yet it filled me to the brim when Vander sang my son’s praises. While I hadn’t been there that night, I’d heard the stories and from what I understood, Vander wasn’t exaggerating.
“I will alert you if anything further occurs.”
“You fucking better, and I’ll do the same. So far it’s been quiet on my front. I still think the Warlock Council’s coming after you first. I’m probably somewhere on their hit list, but you’ve got the honor of the top spot.”
