Seri’s eyes remained closed, but her lips moved. Color was slowly returning to her cheeks, the blue tinge fading from her lips as the fiery glow died down and oily shadows stopped leaking from her pores.
“We’re here.” I bent closer to Seri. “You’re here. You brought us home, you magnificent, infuriating woman.”
I gathered her in my arms and held her against my chest. She was still so cold, but warming gradually, like dawn pushing back the night. She cracked her eyes open, fatigue pulling her face tight.
“There you are,” I crooned. “There’s our beloved.”
Cas flashed out of the room, and I knew he needed a moment to cage the beast before the leash snapped. Zane, his clawed arms and chest already healed, came closer and peered down at her.
“Hey, darling.” He brushed his lips against her forehead. “You with us?”
“More… or less.”
I reached into the pocket of my coveralls and pulled out a pack of cookies. The blue wrapper was burned, a piece of marshmallow goop clinging to one corner, but they were still cookies.
“Here, baby. These will make you feel better.” I held them up. “Sugar improves the general mood. Your Zoodle says it’s a scientific fact.”
“Bro! You’re giving herburntones? ” Zane howled. “She just saved all our lives, you bastard! She deserves thegoodones. The kind you stash in your ammo!”
“You carry … cookies … with your … ammo?” Seri rasped.
“That is classified intel.” I gave Zane a murderous look.
“Not anymore,” he smirked, rocking back on his heels.
Seri let out a little sigh, and her eyelids fluttered down. Our poor girl was wiped out.
“Rest, beloved. We’ve got you.” Zane kissed Seri’s forehead again, and setting the cookies aside for now, I exhaled in relief as Brumous sniffed all over her.
Then Cas stalked back into the kitchen like a storm gathering speed. His hair was a wild mess, half in and half out of the braid Seri had done for him this morning, every line of his face carved from ice. In one hand, he clutched her bedazzled rulebook with a single-minded determination that would have been comical if I hadn’t seen the lingering shadow of the monster in his eyes.
This was his way of processing fear. Where Zane deflected with humor and I went quiet and intense, Cas created order from chaos. Rules from fear. Structure from the terrifying reminder that we’d almost lost her.
“Later, Cas—”
“No,now.” His voice cracked slightly on the last word.
“Relax, mother hen,” Zane cackled, scratching behind Brumous’ ears. “She just needs, like, five years of sleep.”
Cas ignored him, finding the page he wanted and holding the book up like a holy text.
“Rule Number Twenty,” he read, voice clipped. “Seri will not use her magic unless given explicit permission or in life-threatening situations.”
“It was.” Seri stirred against my chest.
The stubborn set of Cas’ shoulders said he wasn’t buying it. He flipped to another page, finger tracing down until he found what he was looking for.
“Rule Number Nine: Seri will follow all instructions immediately and without question during emergency situations.”
“No one eversaidit was an emergency,” she mumbled weakly.
My chest shook as Zane giggled, causing Brumous to follow suit with a cheerful, confused yip. Even Mrs. Wentzel smirked as she salvaged what remained of her dinner preparations.
Cas’ nostrils flared, and he turned to yet another page.
“Rule Number Four. Under no circumstances does Seri engage in combat.”
“I formally request an amendment—”
