Page 51 of Deadly Lineage
“It is my understanding these can be important to the human judicial system.”
Recognition hit me. “You collected the bullets?” I thought I’d heard more shots than the four now lying on the car hood. My memory could be wrong. Thinking straight wasn’t always possible when you were being shot at.
Aurelia turned enough for me to see one Caribbean-blue eye, her eyebrow slightly hitched. “Catching them was not difficult.”
Wait. What?“Catching them?”
She gave me a pointed look. “Peaches wished me to do as I will. It seems mywillwishes for you and your mate to remain alive a little longer.”
Between one astounded blink and the next, Aurelia was gone. The bullets remained.
“Did she just save our lives?” Franklin asked, his disbelief mirroring mine.
“Possibly?” My gaze trained on those bullets, shimmering in the sun, their metal devoid of blood. Pops was right—djinn weren’t kind and fluffy. But they also weren’t the monsters they were portrayed as either. At least Aurelia wasn’t. Then again, what road would Aurelia’swilllead her down the next time?
Chapter
Sixteen
Franklin
“I’ll get these bullets to the lab. The crime scene techs are taking casts of the shoe prints around the house,” Officer Ganz said. “I’m not sure if they’ll amount to much or not. Right now, that’s about all we’ve got. There’s a neighbor across the street with one of those video doorbell cameras. They’re not home currently, but when they do arrive we’ll ask for the footage.”
I stared up at Boone’s home. Nothing looked amiss. Warlock Holland’s protective wards worked like a charm, and no one got through. While that was reassuring, it was also frustrating. I couldn’t pull prints or DNA off the magical warding.
“Thanks, Ganz. Did you tell Boone your findings?”
I was staring at Boone’s back as he leaned over his neighbor’s fence. The elderly woman he’d been concerned about, Mrs. Hart, seemed perfectly fine. If the aggressive barks and yips coming from the white ball of fluff in her arms were any indication, Miss Pattycakes was just fine also.
I dragged my eyes away from Boone’s backside when Ganz didn’t automatically answer me. He stood there shuffling his feet while his fingers fisted before relaxing, only to repeat the pattern.
“Ganz?”
“Could you talk to him?”
“Boone? Why?” I had a sneaking suspicion I knew exactly why. Unfortunately, Ganz didn’t disappoint.
“He’s a necromancer.” Ganz lowered his head, his fisted hands now sitting heavily on his hips. “It’s unnatural.”
I bristled. “I’m not certain what your definition ofunnaturalis, but I assure you, Boone is just as much an inhabitant of this earth as you are.”
Ganz grimaced. “That’s what they say, but I’m not so certain. I’ll go talk to him if I have to, but—”
“I’ll do it. God knows he’s been through enough today without dealing with your speciesist bullshit.” I’d tell the captain that Ganz needed to be put through a few more cultural species sensitivity classes, but doubted it’d make much of an impact. Prejudice was hardwired. It was like an invasive weed. You could cut off the part everyone saw, but the roots were insidiously deep and traveled far through the dark underground.
Stomping away, I pushed down my negative energy. Boone didn’t need me coming at him while carrying the weight of my anger. His light laughter and gentle voice went a long way to disseminating my ire.
Miss Pattycakes growled low when I approached, and her lips pulled back in a snarl. She was tiny enough that she’d never do a lot of damage. Still, I didn’t relish the thought of another wound, especially a dog bite. My head injury felt shitty enough.
“Hush, Miss Patty,” Mrs. Hart admonished. “That’s Erasmus’s young man.”
Boone let out an embarrassed whine while I wondered if everyone thought we were an item. I didn’t always go with the crowd, but in this case, I wondered if the mob didn’t have it right. Interestingly enough, I also noticed that Boone didn’t immediately negate Mrs. Hart’s assumption.
“Mrs. Hart,” I said, “I hear you’re doing well.”
“Right as rain,” she replied happily. “Miss Patty here got her nose out of joint earlier when those men showed up. I could see them sneaking around. They tried being coy about it, but that’s difficult to do when you run into a warlock-made ward.” Mrs. Hart grinned wide enough for me to see her false teeth. “Miss Patty had a field day with that,” she cackled. “My baby will be hoarse come this time tomorrow. She made quite the ruckus.”
“I’ll let Pops know,” Erasmus said while reaching over and scratching Miss Patty on the head. The little dog leaned into this touch and wagged its tail. “He’ll be happy to know I’ve got another layer of security.”
