If anything, I’d been annoying before he was released into the department’s custody. I’d visited him in his windowless room and awkwardly asked him questions he had no way of answering because of his geas.
Orrin laughed—a surprisingly mellow sound that sparkled with magic and had me wondering just how strong he was when he didn’t have cuffs on. “That’s why I’m loyal to you,” he said, as if it explained his amusement. “Because you don’t think your actions are special.”
We passed through the torn hinges that marked where the gate dividing the lobby and loading station had once stood.
“What actions?” I asked.
“It’s the way you operate without any hidden agenda. The kindnesses you show—giving me tea leaves, taking the time to make sure I am taught correctly—are done without any expectation of a return favor.”
“That’s called being a decent person,” I said.
“Is it?” Orrin’s smile was tinged with a hint of cynicism. “Why, then, don’t more supernaturals act the way you do?”
“But they do,” I argued as we reached the center of the lobby and stopped at the fringe of the cluster our team had made. “April and Juggernaut taught Tetiana human card games and have slowly invited the team to join. Grove was the one who told me how fae value tea, or I never would have known to give you some, and Sarge is not only approachable as our superior, but he listens to us and values us as a team.”
I glanced down at my phone, just to make sure Sunshine hadn’t called and somehow I hadn’t heard it. My phone indicated I had a strong signal, so I would receive the call when she reached out. Hopefully that would be any moment…
“Yeah, but all of that team stuff is only possible because of you,” Grove said, both entering the conversation and dragging me back into it with his statement.
Brody nosed Grove in the leg.
“What?” Grove fussily folded his arms across his chest. “I’m a fae. I can’t pretend I’m not hearing this conversation unlike the lot of you liars!”
“What are you talking about?” I asked.
“It’s only possible because of your strength,” Grove said.
I frowned. “I’m aware I am respected because of my battle prowess, but we just saw Sarge drop a pond on Gisila and April and Juggernaut fried her with so much magic they immobilized her. I don’t think anyone could argue I’mthe strongeston the team.”
“You continue to underestimate your strength. No one else on the team besides your partner could have gone toe-to-toe with Gisila for as long as you did,” Medium-Sized Robert rumbled.
“The big guy is right,” Grove chirped. “But that doesn’t matter—I wasn’t referring to your physical strength. Or at least, Iwasn’t referring onlyto your physical strength. It’s…hmm…how can we even explain it to you when you don’t get what it’s like to live without it?”
“It’s your strength of character,” Tetiana said. “Backed by your competence as a slayer. From the moment you joined the night shift, you took responsibility to help whoever was assigned to your team. You’d cover our backs, make up for any accident or mistake, and ask for us to use our individual strengths without any sign of hesitation that you couldn’t trust us. It’s that…” she trailed off, and one of her fang teeth poked out past her lips as she thoughtfully nibbled on her lip.
“It’s that you believed in us,” April said. “Without any proof that you could trust us. Supernaturals don’t give that kind of trust to others outside of their own kind. That’s why we stuck to our own groups, until your strength of character meant we could trust you to catch us if we messed up so wecouldreach out to each other.”
“Exactly!” Tetiana triumphantly said. “I knew I could join the card game, because if I screwed up and said something to rile up Juggernaut, you were there in the room and would save me.”
“Hey, why were you only worried about riling me up?” Juggernaut frowned.
“Because you’re an impulsive hot head,” April said.
Juggernaut looked scandalized. “Am not!”
“Don’t even bother arguing this one, you’re not gonna win,” Grove advised him.
Sarge cleared his throat, startling all of us. “What they’re trying to say, I believe, is that you were a reassurance to the team. A safety net in many different ways, which perhaps made you feel larger than life to them.”
“Heck yeah!” Juggernaut said.
Sarge had been busy tapping away on his phone—likely texting the higher ups back at the Cloisters to update themon the Gisila situation. “It is my failing as a leader that I didn’t explain this to you sooner,” Sarge added. “I think you interpreted that space around you as dislike, when in fact it was something closer to reverence.”
“Don’t feel too bad, Sarge,” Grove drawled. “You tried, but Blood is so self-conscious of her failings she wasn’t gonna believe you. The only reason she’s listening right now is because we broke protocol for her.”
The team chuckled at that, and Binx stalked up to me, leaning against my leg before purring—a peaceful noise that was so loud and heartfelt it felt like she was rattling my bones.
I slowly extended my hand, and Binx pushed her head into my palm, inviting me to pet her.
