Page 69 of Perfectly Perplexing Zombie

“I am afraid I am deadly serious.”

Matilda’s pink cheeks paled. The watering can in her right hand shook, and when she set it down, some liquid splashed out.

“Gaia, please tell me this is some type of sick fairy joke. Or maybe a test.” She aggressively nodded. “I’d go for that right about now. You’re just testing me to see if witches are telling the truth.”

I would not put it past fairies to do that, but in this case, I was far from disingenuous. “Her name is Aurelia.”

Matilda frantically waved her hands in the air. “I don’t want to know its name. Djinns are…they’re…I don’t even know what to say beyond they are our biggest mistake. They are a blight on witch history, and it is one we do not take lightly. Djinns are our shame.”

“As they should be.” I could not argue the sentiment. “But that does not negate the fact that they still exist, and your species is responsible for that existence. You bear a responsibility in the matter.”

“I bear it?” Matilda slapped a hand on her chest. “Why me? I mean, witches are more than plentiful. I’m not the only one out there.”

It was another point I couldn’t argue. “That is true. You are, however, a very capable witch.”

“Pfft, there are plenty of capable witches out there and ones that are a lot more powerful than me.”

“While that may be true, you are the only witch I know of who has a fondness for a certain warlock.”

Matilda’s head snapped back, and her eyes momentarily widened. “Vander? What’s he got to do with this?”

I didn’t mistake the undertone of protective wariness.

“For this to work, I believe a witch and warlock will need to work together. Warlock magic to break the bonds. A witch to point out the weakness in those bonds and then to reinstate the magic.”

Matilda’s pallor turned a distinct shade of green. Her steps faltered. Thankfully, there was a stool nearby, which she heavily sat upon when her knees grew too weak to hold her.

“Sweet Gaia. You want me to… You want me to do what every witch has sworn to never do again. I…I can’t do that, Ray. Please, don’t ask me to even think of doing something like that. Enslaving djinns was beyond wrong, and you want me to do that. How can you ask that of me?”

Two steps brought me to Matilda’s side. “Do not think I ask it lightly.”

She choked on a sob. “I’d hope not.”

“Would it help if I told you the djinn herself does not believe she should be left unbound?”

Matilda’s watery eyes flicked up, their green just a little brighter. “What are you saying? That she wants to be enslaved? Who would want that? Djinns murdered their witch captors. And not just their witch creators. Eventually, all djinns manage to kill their masters. They don’t like being told what to do with absolutely no choice in the matter. No one would. I can’t believe you’ve found a djinn that just happens to think differently.”

“No, not exactly. Aurelia is like all others. However, she is remarkably sane and without the bitter animosity most hold. Aurelia is well aware of what she is and freely acknowledges that any djinn, including herself, is far too powerful to have no constraints. As Aurelia said, currently, she has no desire to destroy the world. But desires change, and she cannot claim her feelings won’t change.”

It was difficult to define Aurelia’s temperament. On the one hand, she was dismissive of the threat to Fairy. On the other hand, she seemed irritated by Stover’s wish to injure Wendall. It was an odd dichotomy I did not fully understand. I was uncertain if djinns had souls. They were created creatures. Their witch creators had argued that they were tools and should be treated as such. But there was no arguing their sentience. In the end, witches had to concede the point, and when that was accepted, their shame multiplied.

Head hanging, Matilda’s curls covered her face. The scent of her tear-filled eyes covered the fresh smell of earth and green. “Before I would ever agree to anything, I would need to speak with Aurelia herself. I won’t…I won’t do something so heinous to another creature without their permission, and even then, it will be…difficult.”

“I will not claim to understand, but I will try to respect your thoughts and feelings. Aurelia typically finds me, but I will attempt to find a way to contact her and advise her of the possible plan and also that you wish to speak with her.”

“Okay.” Matilda’s voice was soft and defeated. “Have you spoken with Vander yet?”

“No,” I admitted.

Vander Kines owed me a debt for sparing his warlock abilities. Given his willful transgression, under fairy law, I could have stripped him of his warlock gifts. It would have meant a cruel and early death. Given that Parsnip had bonded with him, that would have also killed the pixie. This little glitch introduced a gray zone in fairy law that I was willing to take advantage of. Vander had agreed to look into the illegal pixie trade and also aid Wendall. Although different from my original purpose, Vander’s skills were still necessary to protect Wendall’s existence.

“You should call him,” Matilda said. She was unaware of what Vander had already agreed to. “I think he’s out west somewhere with Parsnip. If you call Vander here, he’ll need to bring Parsnip too.” Matilda looked up, and she had a wane but warm smile. “They’re kind of a package deal now that they’re bonded in the pixie and warlock way.”

“As expected.” I hadn’t thought to ask Vander to leave Parsnip behind. Even if they weren’t bonded, I’d learned that pixies could be stubbornly firm when it came to those they claimed. Peaches would not leave Lucroy to fend off the vampire council. Philodendron would not leave Sedrick, Dillon, and Ruthie to Arie’s violence, and Parsnip would not leave Vander to Letty Fox’s deadly schemes. Many foolishly thought pixies were weak. I’d once been one of those foolish individuals. Hamish had been too.

Any and all humor fled Matilda’s face, and her shoulders sagged. “You may not believe me, but I don’t know how to create or bind a djinn. However…I think I know someone who might, and if she doesn’t, then she probably knows where to find the information. She’s old, and I’m not sure if she’s still alive or not.” Matilda gazed off to the side. “I don’t think witches intentionally lied about the knowledge being lost, but so few retained it or know where to find it that it might as well be lost. We don’t discuss it, and even the most troubled witch wouldn’t consider it.” With a disturbingly sad grin, Matilda gazed up at me and said, “The fact that all witch creators were murdered by their djinn kind of acts like a permanent deterrent.”

I didn’t thank Matilda. I hadn’t lied when I’d said, as a witch, Matilda bore a level of responsibility for our current predicament. Until the last djinn passed from the earth, witches would be held accountable. That did not mean I took any pleasure in myrequest.

---