“How, exactly?” Cas asked, one eyebrow raised in that particular way that meant he knew he had her cornered.
“I— Well— That is…” She shifted in her seat, her cheeks pinking. “It justwas!”
“Bulletproof argument,” Ko said solemnly.
“Fine.” Seri pulled her hand out of Cas’ as she reached for her teacup. “I’ll accept that you don’t need to be handled with kid gloves so much.”
The loss of contact seemed to physically pain Cas, which would have been funny if it weren’t so damn heartbreaking.
“But,” she pointed her butter knife at him, “thisdoesmean you’ve found out what it feels like to be overly cosseted. So the next time all of you are hovering over me like I’m made of glass, I’ll be sure to remind you.”
“Hovering?Us?” I pressed a hand to my chest in feigned offense. “I think the word you’re looking for is ‘adoring.’ Or possibly ‘worshipping.’ Both apply.”
Brumous barked, either in agreement with Seri or to request more sausage. Based on the way his tail thumped against my shin, I was betting on the latter.
More food? Good food? Alpha Fun gives?
“Traitor,” I muttered, but still slipped him another piece. “He’s only agreeing with you because you sneak him extra treats.”
“I would never.” Seri’s eyes widened in mock innocence.
“Liar,” all three of us said in unison, which made her giggle.
Cruor, that sound! Shimmering like silver bells. I’d raze cities to keep it safe. I’d missed it more than I’d realized. For the past week, her laughter had been muted, careful, as if she were afraid too much joymight somehow jinx Cas’ recovery. Now it bubbled up freely, brightening the room more effectively than the morning sun.
“You know,” Cas mused, leaning back in his chair, “I think I might be ready for a run today.”
“Start slow.” Ko nodded thoughtfully. “Just around the perimeter. I’ll go with you.”
“We’llallgo,” I said because the truth was, none of us were quite ready to let each other out of sight for long. Amabel’s illusion might have targeted Cas directly, but it had screwed with all our heads. “We can show Seri the fox den in the orchard. Little fuzzers should be coming out any time now.”
“I’d like that.” Her eyes met mine as she smiled.
Woo-hoo! Victory!
Brumous scrambled up, his nails clicking on the floor. His blue eyes darted between us as his tail became a blur of motion.
Outside, Alpha Fun? Run-run-run? All pack run?
“Yes, you, too, furball.” I reached down to scratch behind his ears. “But if you try to use me as a chew toy again, we’re gonna have words.”
His response was a jumble of happy images: Running through tall grass, chasing butterflies, all of us together under an open sky. Simple joys from a simple mind. Sometimes I envied the pup’s uncomplicated outlook.
“We could take lunch.” Seri was clearly warming to the idea. “Another picnic sounds—”
And Brumous vomited half a boot, a moon-damnedboot, on my bare foot.
Seri’s ear-piercing shriek sounded like a klaxon at a gulag. Ko choked on his coffee, silent laughter creasing the corners of his eyes. Cas snorted into his orange juice. And me? I stared at the warm slurry between my toes and contemplated the universe’s sense of humor.
But, hey, that’s the thing about three monsters living with a lunar witch and a dire wolf. Normal was never really on the menu to begin with.
#
When Kaori called just after breakfast, I’d half expected another lecture about “considering a visit, just to say hello.” Instead, she’d bypassed all that bullshit to remind Seri that tonight was a full moon, apparently the perfect time for “moon bathing.”
I’d snorted so hard that I choked, but Seri’s eyes had lit up like the Fourth of July.
Kaori, being a nephilim archivist and therefore a walking supernatural encyclopedia, had theorized that a lunar witch might recharge faster under direct moonlight. Even Cas, our resident skeptic, perked up at that, mumbling about solar witches and fire witches who could power up in the sun.
