Page 95 of Deadly Lineage
“He is underground,” she answered.
“Underground where?”
She held up a hand and motioned to the west. “That direction.”
If Boone’s life hadn’t been on the line, I might find this amusing. “Anything more specific?”
“No. I am unaware how to describe it so you will understand.” Before I could answer, Aurelia looked to Holland and said, “I informed Erasmus you would not listen and would come anyway. Choice is important, and this one is yours.”
Within one blink and the next, Aurelia was gone.
My hands gripped the steering wheel, white knuckles gleaming in the fading sun. Silence filled the vehicle until I finally said, “So, that was Aurelia.”
Holland looked at me as if I’d lost my mind. Perhaps he didn’t appreciate the casual way I spoke of an all-powerful being.
Eyebrows pinched, Holland asked, “Is she always so cryptic?”
“According to Boone, yeah. Although I get the feeling she doesn’t mean to be. I think it’s just hard for her to talk to us mere mortals.”
Holland settled back into his seat, eyes staring straight ahead and shoulders squared but relaxed.
“So, I assume you’re not going to listen to Boone’s warning.”
“I will listen to it, but that will not stop me from going to my son.”
“Yeah, I figured. You also know I’m going with you, right?”
“I would be disappointed if you did not, Detective O’Hare. And I believe we can both agree that disappointing me is not a good life choice.”
Nervous laughter erupted like a volcano trapped within my chest. The situation wasn’t funny, not by a long shot. But it was either laugh or cry, and I refused to shed a tear in front of Boone’s father.
“I got that impression,” I answered when my inappropriate laughter had finally subsided.
“My son implied you were intelligent. I have had my doubts, but perhaps I should give Erasmus’s opinion more weight. My son is generally an excellent judge of character. It is a trait I am certain he inherited from me.”
Dear God, the ego on this warlock. “Yeah,” I managed. “Sounds about right.”
The rest of the trip to Boone’s house was made in silence. Assuming Boone came out of this in one piece, I just might murder him myself for sticking me in this situation. Alone, in a vehicle with his father, part of that ride taken with a cryptic djinn sitting in the back seat. Yeah, Boone owed me, and I was going to make damned sure he survived to pay me back.
Chapter
Thirty
Erasmus
Selfishly, I wanted Aurelia back, if only for a little company. But it wasn’t safe here. Maybe McCallister could hurt Aurelia, or maybe he couldn’t. To even consider it seemed ludicrous. The thought that McCallister might be able to damage a being that fairies and brownies feared… It sounded ridiculous. For reasons unknown, I’d never considered myself a threat to Aurelia. I could be, but I’d made a choice not to. Sometimes I wondered if that’s what fascinated her so much about me. Aurelia had said it herself—choice. It was the ultimate goal for most. and especially for a djinn. It was their holy grail, their pipe dream, their own personal wish.
I’d had a choice when it came to Aurelia and I’d made it.
My body had long gone from slumped in pain to frigidly numb. I needed food, or more precisely, I needed sugar. The signs were steadily growing stronger. Using my necromancer abilities always dropped my blood glucose levels. If I overexerted myself, they’d remain problematic for days. I hadn’t had nearly enough time to recover from all the stress I’d placed on my system the last few days, let alone weeks. I was in a downwardspiral and my body wouldn’t be able to pull me out of the fire without a little outside assistance.
Eyes fluttering, I didn’t know if I should wish my low blood sugar levels would take me out or not. It would be a lot easier way to go than what I figured McCallister had in store for me. I had no idea what he considered beinggoodentailed. If it was sitting on your ass, unable to move and barely able to comprehend what was going on around you, then I was all set to begood. At this point, I didn’t really have a choice.
My eyes burned with tears I absolutely refused to shed. I wouldn’t give McCallister the satisfaction, not that I really knew if he cared if I cried or not. Thinking of that asshole made me furious. He wasn’t just psychotic—he was prejudiced too. He’d practically wet himself when he thought of taking my abilities. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t relish the thought of McCallister shredding my soul like he did to the others. But it grated, knowing that he didn’t want todirtyhimself with further necromancer abilities like mine. He found what I could do horrific and distasteful, as if he had a leg to stand on.
“Jackass,” I mumbled to absolutely no one. Regardless, saying the word out loud made me feel a little better. Just a teeny, tiny bit.
I gave a little cry as my body fell to the side, hands still tied behind my back and my cheek now pressing against the freezing bricks. Weren’t basements supposed to be warm? Or at least not feel like an icebox? I didn’t want to take the time to consider it might not really be that cold and that it was just my failing body.
