Maudlin's Mayhem (Bewitching Bedlam #2)(14)

“You have to be kidding. That’s sex slavery.” I pulled out my phone. “I’m calling Delia. He has to be breaking some law—”

“Nope. Because when you think about it, technically Snow White doesn’t exist, not in this form. The only reason she’s here is that he’s created an automaton, like our holeos. Only she’s a lot more substantial. If the spell’s broken, she’ll vanish back into the book. So no, he’s skirting the law in a most unsavory way.”

Sandy crossed to the fridge, where she brought out a plate filled with chicken and macaroni and cheese. “I made sure to save your favorite pieces,” she said, sliding it into the microwave. “So, tell me what happened at the bank? Who do I need to kill?”

That’s one thing about best friends. They always knew how to make you feel better.

“Thanks—I’m starved. And as to our target, well, somebody in Dubai is living it up on my money.” I told her everything that had happened. “I need access to my money. I mean, it’s not like I’m going to lose the house or starve, but that’s my money. I need reserves while we continue to keep the business running. Aegis has offered to help before, but I’m pretty sure he doesn’t have as much as most vampires accumulate. Rachel cleaned him out, for the most part. Or at least, I think she did. And while it’s a lot easier for him to make money than me, I have no desire to be a burden on him. Especially financially.”

I finally ran out of steam and sat there in silence, drinking my mocha while Sandy brought me the plate of food. “Where’s Bubba? Did you see him? I could use a good dose of that fuzzy love right now.”

“I haven’t seen him.” Sandy glanced around. “Maybe we should go look for him? By the way, I set up Snow and the boys in their rooms and got the cash from them. You’re going to have a word with Ralph about setting his creations free on the community, aren’t you?”

“You know me all too well. I’m looking for a punching bag right now.”

I began to call for Bubba. Sandy and I searched through the main floor, then ran up to the second floor. Bubba wasn’t anywhere to be found, and he wasn’t in Mr. Mosswood’s room, either. Then I dashed downstairs to see if he had somehow gotten himself locked in the basement. Sandy followed, slowly. She was leery of my basement—it still had a creepy feel to it.

There were any number of cubbyholes where he could be hiding, but I motioned for Sandy to wait while I slipped into Aegis’s lair. There, sitting in the rocking chair, was Franny, staring at his coffin. And curled on top of the coffin was Bubba. He lifted his head as I slipped in the room.

“Bubs…where have you been? How did you get locked in here? Are you okay?” I lifted him into my arms and he curled up against my shoulder. “Do you feel okay? I’ve been looking all over for you.”

Franny cleared her throat. “He was here when I got here a few minutes ago.”

I stared at her. “Do you sit and watch my boyfriend’s coffin very often?”

She shrugged. “Only when I need to think. I always leave before he wakes up because he says it freaks him out to have me watching him.”

“Then maybe you could respect his wishes and not do it.” I carried Bubba upstairs and over to the table, where I lay him down and examined him. That he was letting me turn him this way and that and prod him wasn’t a good sign.

“Is he okay?” Sandy had followed me.

“I don’t know. He’s awfully quiet. Cjinns don’t get sick very often, so I’m not entirely sure what the problem is. I need to visit the doctor.” There were several specialists in the PretCom community who took care of all variety of Supes. “Who do you take Mr. Peabody to?”

Sandy looked at me. “Really? Mr. Peabody is all skunk. I take him to a vet.”

“Okay. Then I guess…” I frowned. I hadn’t needed a doctor in years, except when Aegis’s ex-girlfriend Rachel had messed me up a few months back. “I suppose I can just call the clinic and ask.”

“Here, let me call them for you. I have them on speed dial.”

At my look, she gave me a quick shrug. “Remember, I’m taking care of Derry’s daughter, Jenna.” Derry, Sandy’s friend, was on an extended world tour. “She’s thirteen and kids are at the doctors on a perpetual basis, it seems. Two weeks ago, she fell while she was doing some wildcrafting. I got a call from a nurse at Neverfall that my ward had broken two fingers, cut her lip on her tooth, and had a badly bruised knee. It was two in the morning. I gather they were learning to harvest mandrake.”

“Oh, yeah. And mandrake always has to be harvested under the cover of night.”

She paused, then said into her phone, “My friend needs to bring her cjinn in for a checkup.… We’re not sure, but he’s lethargic and hasn’t eaten today.” She waited for a moment, then pulled a notebook out of her purse and scribbled something down. “Farrows? Dr. Jordan Farrows, at three p.m. tomorrow? All right. The name? Maudlin Gallowglass… Oh, of the cjinn? Bubba. Yes, I said Bubba. All right. Thank you.”

She dropped her phone back into her purse. “The nurse said that if he gets worse, go to Urgent Care, but if he stays like this, you have an appointment tomorrow with—”

“Let me guess. Jordan Farrows? Thanks. Where’s the place located?”