Page 46 of Perfectly Perplexing Zombie

Trinket scuttled down from his head, looping her tail around his bicep and snuggling against his neck in what I took as an attempt at comfort.

Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined enjoying a human cuddling up at my side, and yet that’s exactly how I felt with Wendall snuggled in beside me. It felt right in ways I never could have expected.

What I’d said earlier was painfully true. I would truly miss him if I couldn’t convince Wendall to accept my bond. Wendall calmed my fire in ways little else had been capable of over the years, yet he also lit a fire within me. It was the fire of protection. It was the fire of want. It was the flickering, unsteady flame of desire.

Inhaling, my senses took in Wendall’s unique scent. Antibiotic ointment was at the fore of that scent, the tell-tale stench of decay resting just underneath. It wasn’t the perfumed roses that romantic tales were based on, but it was real. It spoke the truth and held no secrets. It reminded me of what Wendall was and what was at stake. It was both calming and anxiety-inducing.

Settling my mind, I brought my attention back to Aurelia. “If you are not here on the behest of your master”—Aurelia cringed at the word—“then why are you here?”

With oceanic eyes narrowing, Aurelia fisted her hands. The words tattooed on her skin flared and glowed. “He’s getting worse,” Aurelia finally stated.

“Arthur?” I needlessly clarified.

“Who else? That human is convinced Wendall knows about my object, and he’s also convinced he’s told another.”

I nodded, more pleased than dismayed by the admission. “That is not entirely unwelcome news. May I ask whom he believes Wendall told?”

“My guess is you already know.”

“Muriel?” Wendall gasped. “But I don’t want her involved. I told you that I—”

“And I spoke with the priestess, and she asked me to propagate the lie,” I answered. “Do you truly believe any could convince Muriel to do differently? I might be a fairy, but even my powers are limited.”

I could almost hear Wendall’s teeth grinding before he begrudgingly said, “No. I know she’s stubborn.”

Muriel was more than stubborn. She was a mamma bear protecting her cub, and few creatures, no matter the species, were more dangerous than a mother protecting her offspring. Wendall might not be genetically related to Muriel, but she’d reanimated him and thought of him as her own child. Nothing I could have said or done would have swayed her to do any less than what was best for Wendall. And, what was currently best was keeping Arthur Stover mentally wrapped up in his conspiracy theory that Wendall had shared his knowledge with another.

There was no convincing Arthur Stover that Wendall knew nothing. In fact, I wasn’t certain that was the case. I thought it likely Wendall had seen Aurelia’s object of attachment, and perhaps, with time, he might have figured it out. With time, he might still. But as Muriel and I had discussed, in this case, time was not a limitless commodity.

“So, the priestess knows?” Aurelia asked.

“She is well aware,” I confirmed, “and more than happy to assist in the subterfuge.”

Aurelia cocked an eyebrow but remained silent, leaving her obvious question unasked.

“It seemed prudent,” I offered. “If Arthur believes Wendall has retained the knowledge and kept it to himself—”

“Then he’ll be more likely to eliminate Wendall quicker.” Aurelia caught on quickly. “It is a decent plan but has flaws. Arthur’s paranoid psychosis grows by the minute. He will not allow a perceived threat to stand for long. He…” Aurelia glanced off to the side, her face twisted with what appeared to be disgust.

“Aurelia, what has happened?” She was a beautiful creature, and Arthur Stover was an unattached, possessive, and mentally fragile human male. I didn’t like the sudden swoop of my stomach or the worries my mind conjured.

Again, Aurelia caught on quick. A little too quick for my peace of mind. “He can’t do what you think.” She barked out a pain-filled laugh. “Oh, he ogles me, and his imagined thoughts turn my stomach, but he’s too afraid of me to be turned on enough to do what you’re thinking.” Aurelia placed her hand on her lower abdomen and ran her fingers over a string of hidden words. “My creator witch was devious, but she wasn’t completely without care. Perhaps a part of her wondered if she would inevitably lose control of her creation. She placed safeguards for me. Being forced into sexual situations that are not my choosing is one of my restrictions. Even if that was one of his wishes, Arthur could not force me.”

“Oh god, I think I’m going to be sick.” Wendall slapped a hand over his mouth. As long as he stuck to a diet of brain and body tissue, Wendall’s constitution should be stable. However, diet alone didn’t take into account other types of disgust.

“We have to get her away from him,” Wendall pleaded, his own reasons long forgotten and his only concern for the djinn herself. “I don’t care if he can’t do anything or even if he’s too scared to. Just the fact that Aurelia has to put up with that kind of thing is… It’s unthinkable.”

“We will,” I said with confidence. I still wasn’t certain how that might happen, but I couldn’t accept any other outcome.

“I have no sway over his actions.” Aurelia was matter-of-fact and unapologetic. “Arthur knows I despise him. At this point, he takes any suggestion I make as an attempt to escape his grasp. Most likely, I’ve made the situation worse. Arthur told me he believes I’d rather have Wendall as my master.” Something softened in her eyes. “He is not wrong.”

Wendall jerked, taking my clasped hand with him. I wondered if he was even aware of the contact. I liked to think that our connected hands brought him the same level of comfort it brought me.

“I don’t want to be anyone’s master,” Wendall vehemently protested.

“And that is why you would be infinitely better than Arthur Stover,” I easily answered, saving Aurelia the trouble.

“The fairy is correct. I cannot tell you what you saw or even if you truly saw it. What I can tell you is that you must try to remember. Arthur is a clever human. He’s surrounded himself with both truly ancient objects and fake replicas that easily confuse the eye. Any number of these things will look like a good possibility. I wish I could be more illuminating, but—”

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