Page 64 of Deadly Deception
“There is no need for honorifics. You may call me Lucroy.”
“Same on my account. Erasmus is fine.”
“Excellent. Now, what can I do for you, Erasmus?”
Boone reiterated that Henson and I were listening in, which King Moony seemed okay with, before he asked, “What can you tell us about the Midwestern Vampire Queen, Millicent?”
The pause was telling. “May I inquire why you desire this information?”
Boone gave me a slightly worried glance. “Long story short, Franklin and I are in the Chicago area and the local sheriff in a nearby county needs to speak with her. We were just wondering what we could expect and if there’s anything that will, uh…trigger her, I suppose. I’m not sure if I’m phrasing that correctly.”
“It is appropriate enough.” King Moony paused again before answering, “Queen Millicent and I have very different ideas of how to care for a nest. I have not spoken directly with her for one, maybe two, centuries.” King Moony threw out those dates as if time were meaningless. I suppose to a several-centuries-old vamp, that was accurate. “From my limited interactions, I would recommend extreme caution. Millicent is beyond vain, so it may be wise to play into this personality flaw. She will seem kind.Do not be fooled. Millicent is nearly as old as me and twice as vicious. There is a reason she has retained control of her nest for this long.”
I swallowed hard, and when I glanced Henson’s direction, the man’s complexion had a sickly green quality to it.
“Erasmus.” King Moony’s tone deepened, drawing all our attention. “Should you become entangled in Millicent’s mechanicians, I cannot guarantee my intervention will help. Vampires respect others’ rule and their territory. If we did not, there would be chaos. Vampire wars are bloody affairs that lead to prosperity for few and damage many. Do you understand?”
Boone’s smile was grim. “In other words, if I get into trouble, I’m on my own.”
“You have always struck me as an intelligent creature, Erasmus Boone. I am pleased you have not disappointed me this day. Is there anything further you wish to discuss?”
“With you? No. But would you mind placing Peaches back on the phone?”
“Of course not. My beloved enjoys hearing your voice.” The intention was clear. If Peaches didn’t like speaking with Boone, then King Moony would have ended the call.
“I’m back, Erasmus,” Peaches said happily, nearly negating the heaviness surrounding King Moony’s discussion.
“Hey, I just wanted to know how it was going with, uh…Little Fang.” Boone shot me a questioning glance and I nodded. Sure, now might not be the best time, but I was just as curious.
“Oh! She’s doing well. I’m not sure the sprites would agree, but I do think she’s starting to get the idea that they aren’t toys or food.” Peaches huffed. “Honestly, it’s not as if she’s starved now. Fang doesn’tneedto hunt for her food. Aurelia’s being very diligent feeding Fang at the appropriate times and keeping her tummy full.”
Boone chuckled. “Peaches, I think you just might be a genius.”
I could practically hear the blush in Peaches voice as he stammered, “W-well, I don’t kn-know about that. I—”
“Take the compliment,” Boone teased. “Thank you for your help and please thank your beloved as well.”
“It’s no problem. Please don’t hesitate to call if you need anything else. Be careful. I heard what Lucroy said, and this Millicent vampire sounds like bad news. She’s nothing like my Lucroy.”
“That’s a fair statement. Thanks again. We’ll talk soon.”
“And FaceTime!” Peaches reminded us.
“And FaceTime,” Boone unfortunately agreed.
They both said their goodbyes, and Boone hit the end button. With a heavy sigh, Boone leaned back into his chair and said, “Not very encouraging, but also not unexpected.”
Henson didn’t really answer. He simply stared at something on his desk. I imagine he was more staring through the desk.
“It might not be so bad,” Boone tried to console. “Like you said, Queen Millicent might not even—”
“The other necromancer is gone.” I jumped half a mile, but it was nothing compared to Henson’s response.
“Jesus Christ.” Henson leaped from his chair and immediately reached for his gun. I could relate. It was my instinct the first time Aurelia popped into my world.
Standing, Boone raised a halting hand in Henson’s direction and foolishly placed his body between Henson and Aurelia. “What do you mean?” Boone asked Aurelia, fear leaking into his tone.
Aurelia didn’t so much as glance Henson’s direction. “You were very dull. I had hoped the other necromancer might be more entertaining.” Aurelia didn’t sound nearly as alarmed as I was beginning to feel.
