Page 39 of Perfectly Perplexing Zombie

I jerked, and my eyes flew wide. “He wouldn’t… He couldn’t… We have to warn Muriel. I couldn’t bear it if something happened to her because of me.”

“I doubt you would be aware. Muriel’s death would instantly disconnect her reanimation, and you would cease to exist.”

I stared, eyes wide and mouth open in shocked awe. Was Ray even aware of how callous his words were? He said them with practical ease and sounded more thoughtful than disturbed.

Floundering, I searched for something to say until I finally managed, “That is not the point! I don’t want Muriel to die. Period.”

“Of course you don’t.” Ray sounded confused. “I did not mean to imply otherwise. I realize you’re fond of the priestess. I am not completely heartless.”

Now I sort of felt like an ass. “Sorry,” I managed. “I just…I don’t like even thinking of someone harming her, and with a djinn involved, it’s entirely possible that could happen.”

“Unfortunately, your concerns are valid. I will not sugarcoat the truth.”

“I don’t want you to do that. Just…” How did you tell a fairy to be a little less like a fairy? Was that even fair? I didn’t think so. Ray was what he was, just like the rest of us. “Never mind.”

Ray arched an eyebrow but thankfully left our awkward conversation to die on the verbal battlefield.

“So, Professor Stover hasn’t wished for my second death yet because he thinks I might have spilled the djinn beans to someone else, and he wants to know that before he offs me a second time. Is that about right?”

“Essentially,” Ray agreed, sounding oddly pleased with my summation.

Knowing he was pleased made me feel all warm and tingly inside. I think both feelings were more imagined remembrances than true feelings.

I sighed, long and tired. “But I don’t know anything. Honestly, I have no idea what he even thinks I saw. Well, I know he thinks I saw Aurelia’s object of attachment, but if I did, I have no idea that’s what my eyes landed on. Professor Stover’s office is packed to overflowing with stuff. I didn’t get far enough in my studies to truly know what was important and what wasn’t, let alone figure out a djinn-related object.” Leaning over Trinket, I planted my elbows on my knees and placed my chin in my cupped hands. I couldn’t figure out why Professor Stover thought I knew anything. Why would I? What exactly had been different when I’d walked through that door that made him think I saw anything out of place?

I searched my memory but came up with squat. I’d gone into Professor Stover’s office so often I didn’t even know what specific occasion had warranted my death.

Ray shifted a little closer, and his knee brushed against mine. His warmth seeped through his pant fabric and into my cooler skin. It felt good.

“While that may be true,” Ray said, “Arthur does not know that, and I believe, for the time being, that it would be wise to reinforce the idea that you do actually know something. Furthermore, it would be best to insinuate you’ve shared your story with others. The longer Arthur believes you hold information he requires, the longer we have to figure out Aurelia’s true object of attachment and retrieve it.”

“You think that’s possible?” I twisted my head to stare into Ray’s eyes.

They were really pretty eyes. Crimson ringed his large, black pupils. I’d seen that crimson expand, lighting with inner fire. I’d only caught glimpses of it, and Johnny told me I was glad it wasn’t longer. According to Johnny, I didn’t want to get a full glimpse of Hellfire Rayburn in his true form.

When I’d first met Ray, I figured Johnny was right. Each interaction with him made me question Johnny’s advice. I had a feeling there wasn’t anything in the world more amazingly glorious than Hellfire Rayburn in his full fairy wonder.

“I believe it is very possible. I do not believe it will be easy.”

“Few things are,” I said with a sigh.

“Debatable,” Ray answered with deadpan sincerity. “We should relay our latest information to Muriel and Lucroy. According to Aurelia, Arthur’s sanity is dwindling. I am not certain how much longer he will retain his logic, but if he still has that capacity, then logic would suggest Muriel as your most likely confidant. As the priestess who reanimated you, she could even have ordered you to tell her all you knew.”

“Yeah, but that would assume that Muriel thought I knew something to begin with. She didn’t even know me before my aunt and uncle sold her my body.”

“That is correct, but Arthur does not know that. The human sees conspiracies where there are none. It is not a stretch to believe his mind would wander down similar roads. It may be fruitful to foster those ideals.”

I shook my head. “I don’t want to endanger Muriel.”

“Nor do I. I have my own fondness for the priestess.”

I wasn’t necessarily surprised to hear that. I’d had little experience with any fairy before Ray and had honestly been too afraid of them to go near. That probably spoke more to my intelligence than suggesting I was a coward. Even though I didn’t have a lot of personal experience, Johnny had made more than one comment regarding how much more personable Ray was. The very fact that he came into Dusk to socialize spoke volumes.

“Muriel will no doubt have her own opinions,” Ray went on. “I would not presume to put words into the priestess’s mouth. As for Lucroy, should we achieve our goal and obtain Aurelia’s object of attachment, I believe he and his beloved, Peaches, could be very useful.”

“Why?” I asked. “What do you intend to do with it?”

“I intend to honor Aurelia’s wish. Her object needs to be kept somewhere safe and away from greedy hands. She desires peace. She desires rest and sleep. It is convenient that her wish coincides with my own. It is difficult to destroy a djinn. The best outcome for all of us is eternal rest. Thankfully, that is exactly what Aurelia desires, and I intend to grant her wish.”

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