“Language!”
“Calm yourselves. I am fine,” Sariel soothed, steering them toward the couch. “I am resting. I am healing.” He sat them down so that he could sit beside Seymour with Day between them. “Are you two all right?”
“We’re fine!” Day meowed. “We met a big scary man who had an empty universe in his head!”
“Ah. Q.”
“Yeah, he’s a real treat.” Seymour slouched so he could lean against Sariel’s shoulder. “Really liked the part where he bitched out everybody. That was fun.”
“I liked that part too,” Day said with a purr.
“And hey, Shiloh’s okay too?” Seymour nudged Sariel’s arm. “Q. said you two were both restin’ or whatever.”
“Yes,” Sariel confirmed. “Shiloh is all right. He is at his home, also healing. I believe he will make a full recovery. He asked after Izba though, and I did not know what to tell him.”
“Izba is still shakin’ off whatever Faerie did to him. He was with us with the monster mob crowd, but then he left. Said he was lookin’ for Shiloh.”
Day pulled out the Rolodex from her kimono. “Does this mean he is not in here?” She shook it. “Hello?”
The entries on the Rolodex remained as they were, and there was no sign of movement.
Not even a single twitch of a vowel.
“Huh.” Seymour shrugged. “Maybe he got, uh, disconnected?”
“Oh. I hope he is all right.” Day frowned but put the Rolodex away. “What do we do now?”
“I guess we sit on our fuckin’ ass and hope that some stupid magical song ain’t gonna kill every monster in the city. Q. sent Flopsy and Mopsy after the brain, Lou and Mr. Heiss are doing what the hell ever they’re doing, and yeah. We’re here,” Seymour grumbled. “Kinda feels silly.”
“Silly?” Sariel tilted his head. “Why?”
“Because we could be out there helpin’. Doin’ somethin’. Hell, the damn twins are doin’ the damn thing I’m supposed to be doin’. I don’t get why I got put in fuckin’ timeout.”
Sariel arched his brows. “Q. may be concerned for your safety and lack faith in your abilities. I also desperately need to heal, and?—”
“No, no, I get that.” Seymour reached for Sariel’s hand. “Sorry. I guess it was rhetoric, theoretical, or whatever. I just…” He sighed. “If this really is that bad and everybody else is outthere, feels like we should be doin’ more to help too.” He dug his heel into the floor. “I can’t stop thinkin’…”
“What?”
“I’m scared.” Seymour squeezed Sariel’s hand and hugged Day closer. “I don’t wanna lose y’all. And yeah, I know Day is safe?—”
“Because I am already dead,” she chimed in cheerfully.
“Yeah, but Sariel ain’t.”
“Oh.” Day frowned. “Right.”
“Currently, I may be the safest monster of all,” Sariel said softly. “This house exists within a separate dimension that Mr. Heiss created. His own home is also somewhere within this realm. Therefore, I do not believe I can be affected by what will be happening in Somerstown.”
“Wow.” Seymour snorted. “You mean Mr. Heiss actually did something nice? Holy shit.”
“I am appreciative of his kindness.”
“Is it really a fuckin’ kindness? Or just him protectin’ his property?”
Sariel’s frown deepened. “I do not wish to think of these things. Whatever his intentions, I have no choice but to accept his orders. Even as I long to be out there, helping, searching, doingsomething—” He sagged. “Please know my frustrations mirror your own, but I do not have the privilege to rebel.”
Seymour could see the collar glimmering at Sariel’s throat. “I’m sorry.”
