“If she feels strong enough,” I said reluctantly. “Concealed weapons. Guard protocol.”
“Yes!” Zane punched the air as Ko gave me a curt nod.
Giving him one back, I turned and headed for the showers. Maybe I could drown this brick of pain out of my chest.
18. Defective at Emoting
Koa
I frowned, my gaze drifting toward the staircase as I finished off a pack of cookies. Seri was upstairs, resting after Cas reset her dislocated ankle. The memory of her wincing in pain made my chest tighten, and it tightened even more at the knowledge of what her stepmother had been doing.
Arabesque had taken everything from her. Her magic, her strength, her confidence, her papa, her home. Killing the bitch wouldn’tget any of that back for Seri, but it would at least be some kind of justice for her.
“I feel a lot better with the wards up and running.” I forced myself to focus, leaning forward in the chair. “But once we get other security measures in place, I’ll be even happier.”
“Agreed. Wards track magical signatures. Surveillance tracks physical ones.” Cas’ voice carried the clipped precision of a man clinging to control by his fingernails.
His gaze was locked on the tablet balanced on his knee. Even from here, I could see a list full of bullet points and bracketed question marks. He flipped to a fresh tab, diagrams of camera angles, then a third one, specs for thermal sensors.
“Koa, you find a room to convert into your workshop. Zane, a room to become the armory. I’ll see what we can do for a security monitoring hub, just the basics for now—”
“Uh-oh, Cas’ got his spreadsheets out. Stand by for color-coded panic, Koko.”
Air rushed from my lungs in a startled huff. Zane’s smirk widened as he flung himself sideways to avoid the pillow I chucked at his head. Cas stiffened, blond ponytail slipping over his shoulder, but ignored us both to keep working.
“That’s for Seri only, shithead,” I rumbled. “Just like Simmy for Cas.”
“Can’t believe you tolerate it,” Zane chuckled. “Two of the biggest badasses in the monster-hunting world answering to kiddie nicknames.”
“Jelly, brother?” I lobbed another cushion, grinning when Zane’s dramatic faux-flinch sent him sprawling onto the rug. “Give Seri time. She’ll brand you with something suitably mortifying.”
Cas didn’t look up from his tablet, but his mouth twitched as if he were fighting a smirk.
“Oh, come on!” Zane lay spread-eagle on the floor. “You’re not seriously okay with being called Simmy, are you? Sounds like a moon-damn cartoon character.”
“And Koko is any better?” Cas finally lifted his gaze, his green eyes sharp and unamused.
“At least it’s catchy,” I shot back, grinning. “Besides, I think it’s sweet. Shows she’s comfortable with us.”
“Yeah, yeah, rub it in. Meanwhile, I’m just Zane. Plain old Zane. No nickname, no love, no—”
“Maybe if you stopped acting like a hyperactive squirrel, she’d bestow a pet name,” I suggested.
“Better a squirrel than Captain Charmless over here. She looks at Cas like he’s about to assign push-ups.” Zane’s knee bounced to a rhythm only he could hear as he let out an exaggerated groan. “Arrrgh! It’s been two hours! Why’s she still sleeping? I wanna see her!”
“Because magic isn’t a light switch, dumbass.” I rolled my eyes. “Arabesque didn’t just siphon her power. She scraped Seri’s well dry. You think that will refill overnight?”
“She needs time,” Cas murmured. “We have no idea when Arabesque last siphoned from her. For all we know, it could have been the day she arrived here—” His mouth snapped closed, all our eyes darting toward the doorway as we heard movement upstairs. “She’s not going to try the stairs, is she? Why doesn’t she ask—”
Before he could finish, Brumous trotted into the room. He paused, his head swiveling as he took in the scene, then turned back toward the stairs and let out a softwoof. It was almost comical, like he was some kind of canine security detail clearing the room for a VIP.
Sure enough, Seri appeared in the doorway moments later, leaning heavily against the frame. Her honey-gold hair fell over her shoulders in soft waves, and her gray eyes were wide and slightly unfocused. She looked weak, like a strong breeze might knock her over, but there was a quiet determination in her face that made my chest hurt.
Casimir was on his feet in an instant, his tablet forgotten on the chair, as Brumous made a beeline for Zane.
“Are you actively trying to undo my work?” His hands hovered inches from her waist, torn between touching and respecting boundaries. “Stairs. Unassisted. With a dislocated—”
She flinched at his tone, which was sharp enough to flay paint from walls, and his throat worked soundlessly for three heartbeats.
