My phone rings, the sound cutting through the silence of the room, and I pull it out of my pocket. Liora's name flashes on the screen, and I grimace. Of course it's her.
I answer, bringing the phone to my ear. "What?"
"Where the fuck are you?" Liora's voice shouts through the speaker. "The reservation is in fifteen minutes! You guys were supposed to meet me here!"
I glance at the time on my phone, frowning. "It's not even time for dinner."
"Yes, it is!" she snaps. "I made the reservation for five, and it's four forty-five now. So where are you?"
I close my eyes, forcing myself to take a deep breath. I realize that I can't fight this. If I don't go, or at least if someone doesn't show up, Liora will come back to the house. And if she comes back, she'll see Esme. And that's the last thing we need right now.
"I'll be there in ten," I say, my voice flat. "The other two are a little busy."
"Busy with what?" she asks, her tone suspicious.
"Packing," I lie. "We're almost done with Esme's room."
There's a pause on the other end of the line, and then Liora sighs. "Fine. Just hurry up, okay? I'm starving."
I hang up without responding, shoving the phone back into my pocket. I need to get this over with, need to tell Liora to fuck off and make it clear that whatever she thought was going to happen between us isn't going to work. And while I'm at it, I need to find out why she killed her sister.
I head downstairs, the living room coming into view, and I see Vesper and Milo gathered around Esme on the couch. She's curled up between them, her head resting on Vesper's shoulder, and she looks like she's falling asleep. She looks up as I approach, sitting up a little, her blue eyes meeting mine. Vesper pauses the movie, the screen freezing on some explosion, and Esme frowns.
"Why does it look like you're going somewhere?" she asks, her voice softer than usual.
I move closer, sitting down on the coffee table across from them. I fold my hands over my thighs, hating the uncertain look on Esme's face and the worried expressions on Vesper and Milo. This isn't how I wanted this to go, but I don't have a choice.
"Liora just called," I push out. "And she's either going to show up at the door, or one of us is going to have to show up to dinner. I'm just going to let her know that whatever she thought was going to happen isn't going to work. And then I'm going to try and find out why she killed you."
Esme's expression hardens as she crosses her arms over her chest. "Just report her ass to the police."
"There is that option, but if the legal system handles it, we don't."
I watch as understanding dawns on her face, the shift in her expression almost palpable. And then she grins, something almost feral about the way her lips curl up, a wildness in her blue eyes that reminds me she's not the same innocent human she was before. She sits up a little straighter, her orange hair falling around her shoulders in waves as she tilts her head to the side, studying me with an intensity that wasn’t there a few moments ago. "How are you going to handle it?"
Vesper shifts beside her, his body tensing as he processes what we're discussing. His hazel eyes narrow, concern flickering across his features. "As much as I like the idea of making Liora hurt a bit, isn't this going to fuck with the balance and shit?"
I meet his gaze across the space, my jaw tightening as I consider his words. He's not wrong to be concerned. The balance between planes is delicate, maintained by rules that exist for good reasons. But right now, with Esme sitting here, caught between life and death because of her sister's jealousy and malice, I find it hard to give a damn about the rules. "I'm not sure I care at this point. Why the fuck would Liora kill her sister?"
Esme shrugs, her expression shifting to something more thoughtful, almost distant as she tries to make sense of her sister's actions. "I have no idea. I stayed out of her way for the most part."
Milo snorts, shaking his head with enough force that his wavy hair falls into his eyes. "Not really. She wanted us."
Esme frowns, her brows furrowing in genuine confusion as she looks between us. "So? What does that have to do with me?"
Milo leans forward, his green eyes growing serious in a way they rarely do. He's usually all smiles and quips, but right now there's something heavier in his expression. "Esme, we were always going to be yours, human or otherwise. I think she knew that. Do you know the vile things she said to Vesper when—"
Vesper clears his throat, cutting him off before he can finish that sentence. Milo falls silent immediately, but I can see the tension in his shoulders, the way his hands clench briefly before he forces them to relax. Esme's frown deepens, her gaze darting between them, curiosity and concern warring in her expression, but she doesn't press.
"We're getting distracted," I say, pushing back from the table and standing up. I need to redirect this conversation before we spiral into discussing things that will only upset Esme more. "I'm going to tell your sister to fuck off and bring back dinner. Pasta okay?"
Esme grins, the darkness from moments before melting away as her expression lights up with simple pleasure. "Spaghetti with extra meatballs, please."
Vesper chimes in, his voice taking on that lazy, satisfied tone he gets when he's content. "Alfredo."
Milo bounces a little in his seat, his enthusiasm returning in full force as his eyes brighten. "Do they have the pumpkin soup?"
I raise an eyebrow, my lips twitching despite myself as I look at him. The demon never changes. "I doubt it, but I'll ask. You're a disgrace for asking for that at an Italian restaurant."
