A laugh burst from Luc. “That’s a low bar, Onyx. Doing better than our parents was the bare minimum I expected to accomplish in life.”
“Right?” Onyx’s lips quirked.
Luc scooped Dex into his arms. “Come on. It’s time to go home.”
31
DEX
Dex clung to Luc as he flew through the strange gateway realm. They sailed over the vast field until the mist swallowed them completely.
Dex’s skin prickled. Air seemed to press in around him and a bright light stole his vision. When it cleared, they were flying over the ocean. On Earth.
Dex couldn’t explain how he knew they were in the Human Realm, other than it felt fundamentally different than being in the gateway. Almost like someone had turned gravity back on, but not Earth’s gravity, something deeper. A gravity within his soul?
Luc flew on, leading the group over the expanse of blue until Shearwater Landing came into view on the horizon.
A large containership sailed into the port, with other boats milling around the outer harbor. Dex had never seen his home from this angle, city sparkling under the setting sun. The sight soothed him as much as Luc’s embrace.
“We’re going to Rowan’s,” Valac announced, carrying the vampire in question.
“All right,” Luc agreed. “We’re headed to Dante’s. Thank you for your help.”
“There’s no need to thank me, Lucifer. I’m grateful I could assist. It seems we’re on the same side. Who’d have thought?”
“Not me,” Luc said with a hint of surprise. “See you around.”
Valac nodded and veered off, his demon friends following with the other vampires and a woman Dex hadn’t seen before.
Ren picked up speed toward the city, calling, “I’m off,” over her shoulder.
“We’ll be going too,” Pamala said, gesturing to Lillian and Maxwell. “I’m sure we’ll see some of you at Ellie’s birthday party if you accompany your mates.”
“You will.” Dante’s expression turned sheepish. “I’m sorry, Pamala. I?—”
“Don’t worry about it. Thank the realms I listened to Dex.” She flew away before Dante could say anything else, her companions following.
Onyx brushed the tip of his wing along Dex’s arm. “We’re all thankful she listened to you.”
Luc gripped Dex tighter, gathering speed. “More than thankful. How did you know?”
Dex’s chest erupted with latent butterflies. “I’m not entirely sure. The sense that I should have gone with you overwhelmed me until it started to physically hurt, and I couldn’t think beyond getting to you. You shouldn’t have had to go without me.”
Luc growled low. “Yes, I should have. It’s good you weren’t there any sooner. Catalina almost died. It took all of us to save her.”
Dex’s stomach lurched. “It’s almost as if it was meant to happen this way.”
Luc hummed thoughtfully. “It seems so.”
They’d reached the cliffs, and Luc swooped past the trees to land on Dante’s deck. As if they’d been waiting on the threshold, Ollie, Harper, and Nico burst from inside.
“You’re okay! Oh my god, Dex. Dante!” Ollie rushed forward, his eyes red and puffy.
“He saved us.” Dante scooped Ollie into his arms and buried his face in Ollie’s curls.
Ash and Harper were wrapped around each other, and Onyx seemed to have collapsed into Nico.
“What happened? Did they let witches in? Where’s everyone else?” Ollie asked, wiggling in Dante’s hold as he looked around.
