Lennox gives her a thoughtful look and smiles. “I never thought of that, but I don’t see why not.” He shrugs, and Moni lets out a whoop and does a little dance in mid-air. “All you need is coffee,” she sings in a high-pitched melody. “Coffee is the nectar of life. All you need is coffee! It’s better than sugar and spice!” She does a little twirl in the air as she continues singing to the tune that sounds suspiciously likeEverything is Awesomefrom that movie. She does a little shimmy before suddenly jerking to a stop, her brown eyes going wide, and JP and Chesterreact immediately. Chester catches Moni as she passes out while JP dives to save her nectar of life.
Lennox’s jaw drops, and before he can ask, I lightly grab his arm and turn his attention back to the hall. “So, you were saying,” I prompt, and he takes the hint with an awkward smile.
We continue down the hall, which curves around before an open archway reveals a small gym. We come to another archway, and Lennox steps inside indicating for us to follow. The room turns out to be a library with multiple bookshelves that cover the back three walls. There’s a fireplace, a desk, and a few sofas and lounge chairs scattered around. There’s a familiar picture over the mantel, but I can’t place where I have seen it before.
“This is our library, and we often come here in the evenings to sit and read before bed,” Lennox explains.
“It’s a nice setup,” Levi comments as he browses a few of the books closest to him.
The shelves hold a vast array of subjects. If I had more time down here, I would love to get my hands on some of these books.
Continuing down the hall, we end up where we started in the living room, where a delicious aroma filters out from the kitchen.
“Ready for some food?” Sierra calls as she pulls something from the oven and beckons us over. She walks around the kitchen island and through a door I didn’t see.
Following her, we walk into a dining room, and I spot Tempest in a highchair, playing with some food. Reaper is doing a great job making sure she’s not making a complete mess of the floor. He’s evidently been eating whatever she’s dropping, and I just hope it all agrees with his stomach. I didn’t notice when Lennox had her, but she’s not a small infant; she’s a toddler. My guess is she’s small for her age.
“Come on in, grab a seat, and help yourself,” Sierra calls cheerily, placing down the casserole dish and making a smaller plate for her daughter.
The table is a simple, light wooden design, and already set with plates, silverware, and wine glasses. Beside the filled wine glasses, there appears to be water on the table as well. We all grab a seat, and I find myself between Knots and Lynx.
I lay a hand on Knot’s forearm to get his attention. “How are you feeling?” I ask, full of hope. “And don’t lie.” I hate having to say that, but he’s kept enough shit from me that now my trust in him has been shaken.
He purses his lips as he thinks of his answer and then gives me a slight smile. “I’m feeling better than before. I can tell I’m healing, but it’s slower than I’d like.” Leaning in to whisper in my ear, he adds, “And I have this killer headache from where I have these stitches.”
Despite his pain, his answer gets the biggest smile from me. I know it wasn’t easy, but he told me the truth and didn’t hide any of the pain that he was feeling…finally!
‘Thank you!’I tell him through our link, not trusting that my voice won’t crack.
‘Only for you.’
“Drink some water,” I tell him, handing him his glass once I get control of my emotions. “Hydration helps with headaches.” He smiles before taking it, finishing it in three big gulps and refilling it before taking another smaller sip.
I feel another poke at the barrier around my mind as if it’s testing for any weakness once again and my theory falters. I’m not sure if it’s Lynx’s dad.
Lennox sits at the head of the table and smiles at each of us as we get settled. “Sierra and I are beyond relieved that our son…Lynx is back with us, even if it’s in passing. So let’s celebratethis occasion and get to know our new family.” He raises a glass before him, and we all toast, taking a sip of sweet drink.
The serving trays, filled with chicken, tullë strips, salad, and an assortment of fruit, pass around the table sans magic, and it reminds me of growing up. A jolt of homesickness hits me, remembering how my mother’s family would all come together for special occasions. I wish I knew what was happening back there and why I was so suddenly cut off when I reached out to my grandmother when I first got to purgatory.
“So, how did you all meet?” Sierra asks flippantly as she focuses on helping Tempest to eat some fruit.
If that isn’t a loaded question.
“Well, I guess that starts with me,” I start, and throughout dinner, the entire room shares our story with Lynx’s family. I tell them about my father disappearing, my mother’s murder, Lynx being with me throughout my entire life, and how we came to be in Purgatory. I weave the stories of how I came to meet each of my friends and my first impressions, although I do sensor my first meeting with Chester. I don’t want to traumatize the entire table
The boys take turns filling in the pieces about how the Council wanted them to spy on me since the Sulks coincided with me coming back. Also how we’ve uncovered a few spies in high positions that are Rebels or at least working for them. Lynx’s parents ask a lot of questions that we can’t answer as to how we freed Knots from his prison or how we even pulled him here in the first place.
When I bring up how I was threatened and Lynx was taken, Lennox and Sierra are extremely disturbed. Yet, they didn’t seem too shocked about him dying and coming back to life. Hell, they don’t even ask any questions except how we fell into Hell without a paddle. Naturally, I tuck that piece of information away to bring up at a later time.
As we explain our short stint in Hell, I leave out the fact that JP and Moni are the heirs of Hell and leave it up to them to share their secrets. Since they don’t, I figure they don’t want everyone to know and keep it to our close family.
Family.
That’s what I’ve found in this new world. I look around the table and watch as myfamilyfinishes up and laughs at Lynx’s antics when he had no memory of himself.
“That must have been a hoot,” Lennox chuckles as he collects the serving bowls and heads into the kitchen.
I start gathering up plates when Sierra stops me. “Sweetie, you don’t need to do that. Lennox has it handled.” She looks over my shoulder to speak to the rest of the group. “Why don’t you all go straighten out your room, and we can meet later in the library for some post-dinner education,” she suggests.
