Page 46 of Purrfectly Peculiar Pixie

“Well then, looks like I need to pick up the pace, Sassy Pants.”

“Ohh, I like that one.” Peaches bounced in his seat, wings twittering and spreading dust around the table. Vander and Sedrick covered their noses but neither said a word of reprimand.

When Peaches calmed, Vander uncovered his nose and leaned back. Arm thrown around Parsnip’s shoulders, he causally took another sip of burnt rum before returning to the topic of interest. “As I was saying, Nikodemus didn’t abandon his son. He’s been an integral part of Erasmus’s life.”

“Are Nikodemus and Erasmus’s mother still together?” I asked, wondering if that was part of the reason he’d remained in touch.

“Not that I’m aware of,” Vander answered with a shrug. “She’s not his one and only, that much I know.”

“So, besides being apompous asshat,” Sedrick said, and Parsnip raised his cup of honeysuckle mead in the air, saluting Sedrick’s wording, “was this Nikodemus helpful?”

Vander sighed while running his black tipped fingers through his graying temples. “I think so. At the very least, he’s going to ask Erasmus if he’ll help. There’ll be a fee.”

“Naturally,” Lucroy said.

“It will exorbitant,” Vander assured us with a hint of embarrassment. “Nick made that fact very clear.”

Lucroy sounded nonplussed. “Whatever the amount, I am certain I can cover the cost.”

“Wecan cover the cost,” Sedrick corrected. “We’re in this together, Lucroy. I’ve got the means and the will.”

“I did not mean to offend,” Lucroy offered.

“I didn’t think you did,” Sedrick reassured. “And, to be truthful, I appreciate your willingness. Not so long ago, I wouldn’t have been able to offer.”

Lucroy and Sedrick shared a glance, and both grew quiet with unstated understanding.

“When will we know if Erasmus is willing to help?” Phil leaned forward and asked.

“Nick said he’d get back to me by tomorrow. He might be an ass, but Nick wouldn’t lead me on about something like this. Plus, from what I understand, he’s got a good relationship with his son. They speak on the regular, so I don’t have any reason to doubt Nick’s word.”

The table grew quiet. Peaches’s soft voice cut through that silence as he asked Vander what was most likely on all our collective minds. “Have you been around a necromancer before?”

Vander’s jaw worked and his lips twisted before he gave a slow, solemn nod. “I have. Twice. The first time was with Georgiana.”

“Byx’s mother,” Parsnip added while looking at me. “Georgiana helped Vander hone his warlock skills and when she passed, she left her daughter in his care.”

I touched my meerkat hair clips. They might not work exactly like Byx hoped, but they’d at least led to my general direction. Plus, I’d kind of grown fond of the little fellas. Parsnip saw the motion and grinned. “I’ve got a few pairs myself. Byx is very creative.”

“That she is,” Vander agreed. “But as to your question. I’m glad Georgiana was with me the first time. Seeing a necromancer in action is…disturbing.” Vander swallowed hard before turning his attention to Lucroy. “No offense, Lucroy, but seeing a dead body come back tolifeis creepy as fuck.” Vander shivered dramatically.

“I do not take offense. While I have not witnessed a necromancer raise the dead, I do not believe it is similar to my second awakening. No one was in control of my consciousness and once I awoke to my second life, it was mine to live as I pleased. That is not so when a necromancer is in charge.”

“No, that’s true,” Vander said. “Necromancers are akin to puppet masters, pulling the strings of a dead corpse’s consciousness. And once they’re done”—Vander snapped his fingers—“they cut the cord and the body falls to the ground, little more than an empty shell, its soul and consciousness sent back to wherever the necromancer pulled it from. It’s all very…undignified.”

“From the way my grandmother told it, the one brought back is confused too,” Sedrick said, his tone low and raked across thick gravel. “Let’s just say the process left an impression on her.”

“Hmm, I don’t doubt it,” Vander agreed. “I do not relish the thought of repeating the experience. However, I agree this is the best course of action.”

I suddenly felt the need to apologize again. “I’m sorry. Leon and I should have kept Oxley alive. And Sylvie…” I shook my head. “I don’t blame Leon for killing her. She was a threat and he thought she’d hurt me.” While I was frustrated Sylvie was dead, I wasn’t angry with Leon. I’d gotten over that emotion quickly.

Vander leaned in, elbows planted on the table and gaze fixed on me. “Listen, I haven’t gotten the complete lowdown on what happened, but trust me, whatever actions you and Leon took were justifiable. I’ve been on the end of the captured stick. It sucks ass and sometimes you just gotta do what you’ve gotta do. Hindsight’s great and all, but not real useful while you’re in the moment trying to make snap decisions and fighting for your life. Nikodemus will come through, as will his son, Erasmus. We’ll pony up whatever insane payment they want and see if Sylvie and Oxley can be more useful in their deaths than in their lives.”

“Here, here,” Parsnip cheered. Holding up his cup of honeysuckle mead, Parsnip leaned across the table. Peaches, Phil, and I all raised our own cups, clinking them together and hoping against hope that Erasmus could get something more out of Sylvie or Oxley.

We all swallowed, hoping the goddess heard our toasted prayer.

ChapterSixteen

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