Without saying a word, Elon moves to the other side of the table and starts to clean up the shattered tea set and tray.
“I’ll go get some plywood for the window,” Cohen announces, and Prek declares that he’ll go with him.
Tad looks at me as though he’s reading my thoughts on my forehead. I meet his eyes, and he gives me his bestwell, shitlook, and I crack a small smile.
Well, shitis exactly right.
Some of the tension bleeds out of me, and Tad strides over and pulls me into a big hug. I soak up his calm affection and smile at him after he kisses the top of my head and pulls away. My smile doesn’t reach my eyes though, and Tad gives me a look that saysmeet me for wine on the bathroom floor later.
“I just want to check one thing before we leave to go research what we’ve learned here today,” Alora announces, and then she reaches for the glass container that has Rogan’s blood in it and drops it into the bowl.
I’m not sure what they’re looking for, but each of them stares down intensely, clearly waiting for something pivotal to happen. I look down and see that my blood is darker than Rogan’s. My little tornado is still going strong, and Rogan’s blood seems to swim around it as though contemplating its reaction to my blood’s volatile display. All at once, Rogan’s blood zips toward mine as though it were simply looking for the perfect opening, and then the two essences seem to dance with each other, spinning and chasing, and winding round one another until the darker blood and the lighter blood dissolve into one another and simply become one.
I look up to find colossal grins on each of the Soul Witches’ faces. Alora looks up at me, her eyes filled with so much joy and affection.
“You two are a beautiful match. I’ve never seen anything like it.” Tears fill her eyes, and she looks over to her wife and then her husband. They all reach for each other’s hands and smile lovingly at one another before turning back to me and Rogan. “We know a thing or two about tethers and bonds, and love and matches. So trust us when we say, your bond is one for the ages.”
I look at Rogan, and he turns to me. I’m floored by the look I see in his eyes, his moss-green gaze telling me loud and clear that he already knew that. Worry falls to the background as I let Alora and her mates’ words sink in. A small smile creeps across my lips, and I can’t deny, one for the ages feels about right.
Alora and the others start to pack up, and a tinge of panic moves through me. Is that it?P.S. you have demon magic, but you and your boyfriend make a cute couple, so you should be good?
“But how do we fix it?” I hurry to ask, worried they’re going to disappear before Rogan and I get the answer to the question that brought them here in the first place. “How do we repair the tether?”
Harmony grins and smooths down the front of her black V-neck sweater. “You just re-tether yourselves. It’s good to do it annually anyway; we’ve always done it on our anniversary,” she tells us before giving Alora and Dave a sweet smile.
“It’s best if you’re as connected as you can be when you recite the incantation, both emotionally and physically, if you catch my meaning,” Alora adds, and it takes me a second.
Sex?
Did Rogan’s aunt just tell us to be having sex when we try to reawaken the tether?
Alora waggles her eyebrows at me, making certain we’re on the same page, and I try so damn hard not to blush.
Oh god, never let her do that again.
“We just re-tether ourselves? That’s it?” Rogan confirms as though he too didn’t think it would be that easy.
“That’s it, just recite the incantation with purpose and commitment to it, and you’ll be all set,” his aunt chirps, placing the last of the vials in her bag.
She reaches out for Rogan’s arm, and he offers it to her and escorts her back to the front door.
“Bye, Elon, it was lovely to see you again. We’re sorry we can’t stay longer, but given the circumstances, it’s best to get as much information as we can as quickly as we can about the bonded demon magic and what Lennox can expect to deal with down the road,” Alora calls over her shoulder.
Elon sets his dust pan and hand broom down and walks over to us to disperse hugs and kisses. “Well, see you soon, I’m sure,” he reassures them, and they all nod and move to head out.
Dave offers me his arm, and I take it awkwardly. Gradually we make our way to the entryway, and Dave is silent until we’ve almost reached the door. Slowly he leans toward me. “For the record, he does look at you with all the overwhelming love and respect and affection that I look at my wife with. Oh, and Ali Wong is hilarious, I wouldn’t have minded the extra entertainment.”
His smile is wide and knowing as he straightens up, pats my hand once, and then unfolds his arm from mine and moves to his wife and her wife. It takes me a moment to realize what he said, but shock and excitement rocket through me when I do.
Holy shit. I was right. Dave can read minds.
I easily recall my plan to try and catch him reacting to my thoughts on Ali Wong’s jokes. But it takes me a minute to figure out what he meant by the first thing he told me. I watch the Soul Witches hug Rogan and wave goodbye to me. As they file out the front door, it suddenly dawns on me. When I first met them, Dave escorted Rogan and me into the gorgeous room with the night sky and constellations painted all over. I remember watching the way Dave looked at Alora and wishing I had someone who would look at me with such raw devotion and pure love. My eyes sting as I make the connection, and Dave shoots me a wink over his shoulder before the door is shut, and Rogan turns around to take me in.
And just like Dave said, it’s there.
Despite my newfound demon blood or the crazy magic that’s currently spinning in my veins. Regardless of how heinous my morning breath can be or my unhealthy addiction to coffee and grilled cheese sandwiches. My cuddle slut ways when I’m tired and the fact that I’m a nighttime farter don’t matter one little bit. Because I can see it as plain as day in Rogan’s gaze, just like I could in Dave’s when he looked at Alora.
Rogan loves the ever-loving shit out of me, and don’t I just love the ever-loving shit out of him right back.
