Page 18 of Perfectly Perplexing Zombie

“Beloved, I do not believe it is a common fairy practice. I doubt Ray has ever encountered this issue before,” Lucroy defended me.

“Oh.” Peaches cocked his head, and his ombre golden-yellow hair shifted over a shoulder. “Well, then… I guess it’s important to know who so we can offer the best advice. I mean, the species would be really important. Every species has different rituals and desires, so that would have to be number one. And after that, it comes down to their personality. What makes them tick. What lights their fire and makes their heart beat faster.”

“As usual, my beloved is correct.” It was difficult to believe Lucroy uttered those painfully sappy words with a straight face. The absolute devotion shimmering in his black-as-night eyes said he meant every word.

Peaches’s flushed cheeks and equally lit gaze spoke volumes. While this conversation was bound to be painful, I’d obviously come to the correct place. I would have gone to Sedrick and Philodendron but thought Lucroy and Peaches would know my prey better.

“I do not believe his heart rate is of any concern considering it no longer beats.”

My answer brought Peaches up short, and Lucroy’s body went deathly still the way only a vampire’s can.

“No heartbeat?” Peaches’s lips twisted in confusion. “Everyone has a heartbeat, even vampires. It might be a little slow and—”

“A zombie has no heartbeat,” Lucroy coolly interrupted Peaches’s denial.

“Azombie?” Peaches recoiled, clearly unsettled. “But they’re just mindless, brain-eating, reanimated corpses. They don’t even… Oh!” Realization hit Peaches, and his eyes flew wide. “Wendall,” Peaches said on an exhale.

“That would seem most plausible,” Lucroy agreed.

When I nodded, Lucroy’s shoulders slightly tensed. It was too early for a crowd to form, and Wendall hadn’t shown up yet. I’d chosen this time specifically, and since Lucroy was now reachable in the daylight, our meeting time seemed the most logical.

“Really?” Peaches leaned forward again, half his body over the table, wings madly twittering and filling the air with dust. As discretely as possible, I covered my nose with my sleeve, attempting to shield my respiratory tract.

Gripping the back of Peaches’s shirt, Lucroy gently pulled his excited pixie back into his seat. The backrest limited Peaches’s ability to flap his wings, but he couldn’t control his excitement, and he bounced in his seat.

“Sorry about that.” Peaches apologized for all the dust. “Sedrick says it’s instinct.”

“I believe Alpha Voss is correct,” I agreed.

“Does this have anything to do with the areas of degeneration on Wendall’s skin?” Lucroy asked, voice typically flat.

“What?” Peaches stared, eyes wide. “What do you mean? Degenerative flesh? Is something wrong with Wendall?”

Lucroy gave a slow nod. “Unfortunately. I did not wish to upset you prematurely. I know you’ve grown fond of Wendall. However, he told us last evening that his reanimated body is deteriorating. It is not something Priestess Muriel is able to rectify. Eventually, his flesh will degrade to the point where his body is no longer viable.”

Peaches sucked in a pained breath, and tears filled his eyes. “But…but surely there is something that can be done.”

Lucroy’s gaze lasered in on me. “I believe that could be the reason Ray is sitting across from us, seeking advice.”

“You can do something?” Peaches asked hopefully.

“Possibly.”

While I didn’t enjoy sharing information, especially information that painted me in a less-than-capable light, I relayed Queen Silvidia’s request, leaving out that Wendall was a descendant of her brother. No one needed to know exactly where Wendall’s fairy DNA came from. I discussed my less-than-successful conversation with the zombie yesterday and the fact that I would not force a bond upon Wendall. I needed to somehow convince him that I did not view bonding with him as distasteful. I wasn’t completely certain how to sell that story when I wasn’t convinced of its truth.

I did not find Wendall unattractive. In point of fact, he was physically very appealing. Wendall’s wavy blond hair bordered on curly. His large blue eyes and a smattering of light freckles across his pert nose were engaging and made for a satisfying package. I was not averse to bonding with Wendall due to his looks or the fact he was mostly human, or in this case, a zombified human.

I simply didn’tknowWendall. I did not know his personality, his likes or dislikes, his temperament, or any other thing. My knowledge began and ended with the few interactions we’d had, and all I’d learned was that he was a stubborn little thing who was easily startled.

“Well, shit,” Peaches properly summed the situation up when I’d finished. “That sucks.” He shook his head in dismay. “How long have you got?”

“Before Wendall’s body degenerates too much?” I guessed, and Peaches nodded. “That is unclear. The situation is unprecedented. Fairies cannot be turned into zombies. The reanimation cannot compete with our latent magic, even when deceased. Wendall’s fairy blood is minuscule enough that the reanimation was successful and allowed him to keep his mental facilities. However, it appears that speck of fairy blood is now fighting the reanimation process, breaking down Muriel’s magic. Neither of us knows if this situation will continue at the current slow rate or if it will speed up with time. As I said, there is no precedent.”

“Again, that sucks,” Peaches repeated. Chin resting on his fist, Peaches appeared to be deep in thought.

I had no idea what the expressionless mask covering Lucroy’s face meant.

“Wooing was the right word,” Peaches finally decided. “We need to figure out something that will knock Wendall’s socks off. Figuratively speaking.”

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