Page 5 of Deadly Avarice
Another pause. “The Director of the Magical Usage Council?”
“Yes.”
There was an even longer pause. “Why would you believe he can help?”
I realized I hadn’t spoken to Pops about the unusual phone call and filled him in on the brief conversation I’d had and that Tenzen Huxley had offered the support of the Magical Usage Council, so I quickly filled him in. “I haven’t called him back,” I finished. “What do you think?”
Pops’s low chuckle was anything but happy. “I think you should use caution.”
“Pops?” There was more there, hidden in his deep voice, something that I doubted others could pick up on. “What do you know?”
“Know? Very little and that is the problem. Very few, if any, trulyknowmuch regarding Tenzen Huxley. Including his origins. It has been rumored that he is shadow borne.”
Ice trickled down my spine, and I considered pulling the car over again. “Shadow borne are myth.”
“So are djinn,” Pops countered. “Yet I believe Aurelia’s presence soundly denounces this theory.”
Stupidly, I glanced around the car, looking for the all-powerful djinn who’d attached herself to me. Aurelia was a wild card no one could figure out. Despite that fact, I liked her. What I didn’t like was when she popped up unexpectedly and scared the shit out of me. Turns out, right now was not one of those times.
I heard talking in the background and realized Pops was no longer alone. His next words confirmed that. “Erasmus, I need to go. I am uncertain what further advice I can offer you. While I understand your need to locate and assist those of your species, selfishly, I do not want to risk you in such an endeavor. Please call me if you need anything. You know I won’t hesitate to come to your aid.”
I knew that down to the core of my being. “Thanks, Pops. I’ll be careful.”
Pops scoffed. “Your history does not support such a claim.”
Arguing would be pointless. “I love you, Pops.”
“As I love you. Always.” Pops ended the call. The tears filling my eyes were different from the ones earlier and yet they were no less potent. At this rate, I was never getting back to Mississippi.
Chapter
Two
Franklin
“Did you see the news?” Becks asked. Not waiting for my answer, she pushed me out of the way, closed out what I was working on on my computer, and pulled up the internet. She turned up the sound loud enough for me to hear, not that I wanted to.
Breaking news of a shootout in Albany, New York. The sound filtered through my ears as the headlines flashed across the bottom of the screen.Necromancer shot and killed… Police claim he drew a weapon… No weapon was found on the body. He did, however, have a bottled drink in his coat pocket and was acting erratically. Local business owners say the necromancer was screaming at the air and flailing his arms. They feared for their lives and the local police were called to the scene. The necromancer was ordered to raise his hands and drop to his knees, but he did not comply. When the necromancer placed his hand into his pocket, on the suspicious object bulging there, the police opened fire and…The rest played out like a Hollywood script. The film footage on the internet was graphic. It looked like the entire police force opened fire at the same time. The poor necromancer’s body wasriddled with bullets. I could only hope and pray the first one was the kill shot.
Nausea swept through me. Pushing away from my desk, I hung my head and breathed in through my nose and out through my mouth. I became vaguely aware of the hand making soothing circles along my upper back.
“I’m so sorry, Franklin.” Officer Ebony Becks’s voice was whisper quiet. “I should have given you some type of warning before I played the footage. I just saw it myself and I thought of Erasmus and was afraid he’d seen it… And if so, then he’d be upset and you’d want to be there for him, so I—”
“It’s okay,” I finally managed while fighting down the acidic bile creeping up my throat. “I don’t think Boone knows about this. He’s working a case today in Louisiana.” I checked my watch. I knew he was contracted for an hour, but that could easily go longer depending on what happened with the soul he’d been contracted to bring back. If it were an hour or two, Boone should be on his way back to Mississippi by now. I checked my phone, and so far, there weren’t any text messages. Boone had promised to call or text when he was on his way back.
Becks leaned over and closed out the video feed. “I don’t know anything more than what you just saw. Do you want me to look into it some more?” Becks was our resident computer whiz. I didn’t think this fit into her general purview but was grateful for the offer.
“Only if you’re not busy working on something else.”
Becks squeezed my shoulder. “Nothing that can’t wait an hour or so. I’ll see what I can dig up.” With a final squeeze, Becks headed back to her workstation.
Leaning my elbows on my desk, I cradled my face in my palms and inhaled deeply. I didn’t want Boone to see this, but he’d want to know. I needed to be there with him when he found out. While neither one of us knew this now deceasednecromancer, it would still hurt. It was also another horrid example of why Boone wanted to find his fellow necromancers.
I forced myself to watch the video again, this time paying attention to what was said along with the scroll across the bottom. My disgust and rage grew. The necromancer’s name was never given. He was simply referred to by his species. It was a way to dehumanize the man. Not that he was human, but the word still fit. Sympathy was clearly on the side of the responding officers and not on the necromancer who’d been needlessly shot down. The guy hadn’t even had a weapon on him. Christ, what was the world coming to? The sad fact was there would barely be an investigation and no disciplinary action would be taken. Had it been practically anyone but a necromancer who’d died, the shit would already be hitting the fan. As it was, this dustup would simply be swept under the rug. Many would think the officers did the world a favor.
Captain Cicely walked out of her office and made her way to me. A ring on each finger, necklaces draped around her neck, and more than a few charms hidden in her pockets, Captain Cicely looked every bit the powerful witch she was. As far as I was concerned, we were damn lucky to have a capable witch as our captain. A lot of other humans might not feel that way, but I wasn’t one of them.
“You okay, O’Hare?” Captain Cicely asked. “I felt…” She shook her head. “I’m not exactly sure, but the emotion was strong and unpleasant.” Not all witches could do that and while I knew Captain Cicely was capable, she rarely called anyone out on their emotions. The fact she came to me indicated just how powerful a reaction I’d had.
