Jacque and Sally’s heads whipped around at Jen’s words and they busted out laughing. Jen shrugged. “I know, I know, I’m freaking hilarious.” She looked up at Peri and grinned when she saw the fae smothering her own laugh with her hand.

“Okay, pull it together you perverts,” Peri finally told them as she collected herself. “I went and saw your males during their meeting with Cypher,”

“What happened?”

“Are they alright?”

Sally and Jacque asked at the same time.

“Pipe down you two. Your men are fine. Although, after I told them they were all idiots, they might have been less than happy with me.”

“You told Decebel he was an idiot?” Jen asked in awe.

“Sort of, I actually told him he was the queen of the idiots.”

“Nice,” Jen grinned.

“Um Peri, I’m totally in agreement with penises and idiots, but if Costin is alright then why has he not used our bond to contact me and why is he not responding to me when I try to contact him?” Sally asked.

“Yeah,” Jacque agreed, “what she said, only with Fane’s name in his place.”

Peri gave both girls a dry look. “You both know that I love you right? But do I look like a couples’ counselor to you? I don’t know why they won’t get their heads out of their asses and talk to you. What I do know is they’re idiots.”

“And they have penises,” Jen added.

“Thanks for the clarification, Jennifer,” Peri rolled her eyes.

“Just want to make sure we stay on the same penis, I mean page.”

Jacque and Sally were laughing again as Peri glared at Jen who shrugged. “I told you. I’m freaking hilarious.”

“Actually,” Jacque said as she wiped the tears from her eyes, “I think we are just so tired that you could add the word penis to anything and we would laugh.”

“But don’t,” Peri said quickly, “we don’t need a verbal vomit of your favorite P word.”

Jacque and Sally groaned as Jen’s smile widened.

“Oh fairy Peri, who told you penis was my favorite P word? They were mistaken. My favorite P word is by far p—,”

“Fire!” Sally yelled interrupting Jen.

Jacque jerked around and looked her. “What?”

Sally shrugged. “I was just trying to keep Jen from saying her favorite P word. You know how I hate that word.”

Jen laughed. “It’s just a word Sal.”

“Not the way you use it,” Sally said with a pointed look.

“You are correct Sally dear. It ceases to be just a word when I use it.” Jen laughed at her blushing friend. “Married, mated, no longer a virgin... and she still blushes.”

“Okay, I realize that the change in time, location, altitude, longitude or whatever has messed with your little brains, but could we please focus?” Peri nearly snarled.

The three girls stared up at Peri in shock. Peri looked down at herself and noticed she was floating off of the ground. She took a deep breath and released it and then her feet were planted firmly on the ground again.

“Now, as I was saying,” she started, “I saw the males. They were making no progress in putting together a plan and when I pushed them on it, Vasile had the brilliant idea that he is going to go see Reyaz face to face.”

“What?” The three gasped at the same time.

Peri nodded. “I know right.” She shook her head and began to pace. “I don’t know why they think Reyaz is going to play nice, or why they thing he is going to leave Lilly alone.”

“If you didn’t think he was going to leave her alone, then why didn’t you speak up before we all left?” Jacque asked her.

Jen let out an exasperated sigh. “Because they have penises. Haven’t you been listening?”

“Thank you Jen.” Peri nodded her approval. “I didn’t say anything because I was hoping they were right.”

“And in the nearly twenty-four hours that have passed since we left, what has changed that made you see that they were wrong?” Sally asked.

“I saw Reyaz,” she said too nonchalantly.

“What do you mean you saw Reyaz? Where?” Jacque asked as she slowly stood from the couch.

Peri shrugged. “In your front yard.”

“Well crap,” Sally retorted.

“You’re sure it was Reyaz?” Alina asked Peri.

Jacque called a house meeting after Peri had made her little announcement. Now, after midnight, nine tired and worried females sat in Lilly’s living room waiting to hear about the crazy warlock who might have been in the front yard.

“It was Reyaz, but it wasn’t Reyaz,” said the fae.

“Explain.” Alina crossed her legs and leaned forward on the edge of the couch where she was perched.

“It was a projection of himself,” Peri told them. “That part I understand. Its dark magic. What I don’t understand is how he accomplished it.”

“What do you mean?” Elle asked.

“In order for something like that to work so specifically he would have to have something personal of Lilly’s or Jacque’s. He knew exactly whose house he was in front of, so it wasn’t a blind projection of himself, or a vague projection. It was very specific.”

“Okay, so this is new to us,” Sally spoke up. “Is this something he can do simply because he uses dark magic?”

Peri nodded. “Yes, like many who crave power but don’t have it, they seek it out and care not how they obtain it or who it hurts or kills in the process. Black magic is fueled by blood and death. So whatever he had to conjure to make that little trick work, something had to die.”

“Life just gets cheerier and cheerier,” Jen muttered as she rubbed her swollen stomach.

“Did he say anything?” Cynthia asked.

Peri snorted. “He said he’d see us soon.”

“Oh snap,” Jacque muttered.

“I think we’re beyond being snapped, Jac. We have moved on to being well and truly screwed,” Jen said as she stood and yawned. “I know that we basically just found out that a crazy warlock dude is planning a visit, but I’m tired so wake me when he gets here.” She waved at the group as she turned and headed back up the stairs to Jacque’s room.