Page 67 of Purrfectly Peculiar Pixie

Phlox took another drink of juice before nodding. “It’s not something any of us knew. The way Vander and Erasmus talked, it’s something only a necromancer would be able to determine.” Phlox cringed. “I swear, the witches of old were some twisted women. I don’t mean to be species-ist and condemn a whole generation, but those ladies needed a serious reboot of their moral compasses.”

Curiosity is a precious gift vampires do not take for granted. “Do tell.”

“Did you ever wonder how djinn were created?” Phlox asked. “I mean, we know they were created by witches and a shit ton of twisted magic, but where did they get the raw materials?”

I blinked, my mind blank.

“The bodies, Leon. Where did they get the bodies? I mean, they had to come from somewhere. It’s not like they threw a bunch of ingredients together, popped it in the oven, and out came a djinn.” Phlox shook his head. “Honestly, I’m kind of embarrassed I never thought about it before. I think Vander and Ray were more pissed at themselves than the rest of us.” With a huff of irritation, Phlox said, “They killed them. The witches… They murdered perfectly healthy humans. But worse than that, they used that soul, that human’s very life essence, to create their object of attachment.”

My body stilled as I made zero attempt to feign life. The implications were… I could not fathom the words.

Phlox took my silence for the unholy disbelief it was. “Erasmus figured it out. I’m not entirely certain how necromancer’s abilities work, but Erasmus dumbed it down for us. Necromancers can find the detached spirit. They zero in on the lifeforce and drag it back to the body. It’s a very specific specialty and Erasmus could tell there was something hinky about Aurelia’s object of attachment. Goddess, Leon, Erasmus could literally feel Aurelia’s soul in it. Can you believe that shit?”

I wasn’t certain which part Phlox found unbelievable. The fact witches might be capable of such atrocities or the fact that Aurelia’s soul was well and truly bound to an earthly object. Which made me wonder, “What was Aurelia’s reaction? Was she aware?”

Phlox violently shook his head, scattering his hair. “She had no idea. I mean, she knew the object is special and specific to her, but she didn’t know it contained her soul. Aurelia doesn’t remember a life before becoming a djinn. Vander and Erasmus aren’t certain, but the best guess is that djinn creators found a body—a living human, and essentially hollowed it out, leaving little more than a shell behind. Vander described it like stripping a house down to the studs and redecorating it to suit your needs and tastes. Vander didn’t seem one hundred percent certain, but he thought the analogy was close enough. Erasmus agreed.”

If I’d required breath, I would have inhaled deeply. As it was, I maintained my stillness. “Earlier, you mentioned that Erasmus believes djinn aren’t as indestructible as we imagined. I assume it has something to do with this latest revelation.”

“Oh yeah.” Phlox’s eyes widened, his earlier tiredness temporarily gone. “Erasmus isn’t certain, but he thinks a djinn’s object of attachment is their Achilles’ heel. It’s something witches back in the day never would have considered because necromancers didn’t exist when they created djinn. That soul, that lifeforce that’s trapped within the weave of Aurelia’s amphora has the power to break every single spell held within Aurelia’s body”—Phlox snapped his fingers—“just like that.”

Few situations truly stunned me. I’d thought finding my beloved would be the culmination of unexpected revelations. By far, it still held the spot of most joyous. However, this newest piece of information attempted to rise to a similar occasion.

“Before, when Professor Arthur Stover controlled Aurelia, Vander and Matilda attempted to unravel her magical bindings. I believe they described it as a layered onion. The deepest connection was to Aurelia’s object of attachment. Vander and Matilda both said it would take days, perhaps weeks, to sift through all the layers.”

“Maybe for them, but Erasmus seems convinced that it can be done a hell of a lot quicker. While he can’t be certain, Erasmus believes all it would take is releasing a djinn’s soul and returning it to their body. According to Erasmus, there’s no stronger magic than the soul. Souls trump any twisted witch spell. Pulling that soul out and placing it back in the djinn body will unravel everything, essentially making them powerless.”

I sat there, staring into my beloved’s generous blue eyes. “Could it truly be that simple?”

Phlox cocked his head. “I’m not sure, but if it is, that’s a game changer. Ray and Vander convinced Erasmus to hang around a little longer. He’s staying with Peaches and Lucroy for the time being. Besides Phil’s home, it’s the safest place, and at least this way, Erasmus has a whole orchard he can get out and explore.”

“They are concerned for his safety?”

“Wouldn’t you be? If this gets out, whoever’s got a hard-on for a djinn of their own is going to be royally pissed off. They’ve put themselves at a lot of risk in search of a djinn and spent loads of money in the pursuit. If they find out a necromancer can upend their plans…” Phlox’s words faded.

I didn’t need him to finish. I could easily see the bloody road that information led to. Necromancers had human lifespans. They suffered from human ailments and shared their mother’s fragility. I had not considered that disadvantageous. Given my current knowledge, I saw it for the flaw it truly was.

ChapterTwenty-Two

Phlox

Leon was quiet the rest of the evening. He watched me eat my burger and fries, making certain I finished the entire meal before allowing me out of our corner booth. When finished, I managed to beg off so I could help Wendall in the washroom and cleaning up the tables. While I was tired, the busywork helped keep my mind off today’s batshit-crazy revelations.

My mind was full to overflowing. I was still unpacking Leon’s declaration. I was a vampire’s beloved. I didn’t doubt his belief. That wasn’t a word vamps threw around willy-nilly. If Leon thought I was his beloved, then I was. Simple as that.

What wasn’t so simple was how I felt about it. The idea was growing on me, but I needed to make certain that growth was fruitful and not akin to mold on stale bread. So far, Leon was being exceedingly generous. He wasn’t pushing the point, and I appreciated his consideration.

“Are you nearly finished?” Ray suddenly seemed to pop out of nowhere, asking Wendall if he was ready to leave. When I jumped and dropped a glass, Wendall and Ray looked at me. Trinket’s eyes widened and the way she chittered made me think she was laughing at me. Wendall didn’t so much as flinch when Ray spoke.

“Don’t worry,” Wendall soothed. “I reacted the same way the first few times Rayappeared. I don’t think he means to do it.” Wendall casually shrugged, as if he wasn’t certain and cared even less.

“Apologies, Frost. It is as Wendall says.” Ray barely flicked his gaze in my direction before honing in on Wendall. Softness filled those crimson ringed irises. “Do you require more time or perhaps more help?”

“No. I think we’re about done. Did you get Aunt Silvidia filled in?”

“I did. I also had an interesting meeting with Hamish.” Ray didn’t elaborate and I didn’t ask. Fairies weren’t known for their altruistically sharing ways. When he deemed the information important enough to share, Ray would do so then and no sooner.

“Go on.” I made a shooing motion with my hand. “There’s just half a bin left. I can take care of it.”

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