Page 137 of Take You Home

Or is Chester dead already? “No,” Obie croaks, desperate tears finally burning their way out of his eyes. “No‍—please‍?—‍”

Instantly, Ez is at his side, smoothing his hair back. “He’ll be okay,” she says, but it doesn’t sound like even she believes the words. “The Fount of Blessings was close to the rift‍—I saw it right there. He’ll just run over and come straight back. He’ll‍?—‍”

“Everythingmoves in Tamaros, Ez,” Cass hisses, his voice strained. “Nothing stays in the same place for more than a minute or so, and there are thousands of rifts that could transport him halfway across the dimension. What if he can’t find the Fount? What if he getslost?What if he‍?—‍?”

“Let’s shut up with the worst-case scenarios, please,” Sawyer snaps. She looks visibly nauseous. “He’ll‍—he’ll be fine. He’s a quick learner. He’ll figure out how to survive.”

Naomi slips her hand into Sawyer’s, squeezing once. Cass and Ez don’t look the slightest bit convinced, avoiding Obie’s eyes even as they stay close by his side. JJ and Roma are standing shoulder to shoulder, shaky and scared and struggling to process everything that just happened; Micah and Gregorio are off to the side, unsubtly trying to catch a glimpse of Chester through the rift; Maggie is hovering just next to the bed with her arms folded over her chest, like she wants to help but doesn’t know how; and Bryant‍?—

Bryant looks from JJ’s right arm‍—hisunburnedright arm, Obie realizes with a jolt‍—to the rift and back again. Her eyes flicker back and forth, back and forth, for a long few seconds before finally coming to a rest on Obie.

Sizing him up.

Calculating her odds.

Figuring out exactly how much she’s willing to risk‍—and who she’s willing to risk it for.

Eventually, she heaves a sigh. “Goddamn it, Locke,” she says, and before anyone can react, she sprints through the rift after Chester.

“Bryant!”Roma screams, jerking forward. “Bry‍?—‍”

“Oh, this issonot good.” Micah presses his hand against his mouth, horrified. “This is so,sonot good‍?—‍”

“How did she‍—‍?” Gregorio’s eyes snap to Maggie. “Doesn’t she have half of your soul?”

Maggie’s jaw works. “Yes. So I guess a demon with a half-human soul can’t go back to Tamaros, but a human with a half-demon soul… can?”

Without a moment of hesitation, JJ looks at Roma.

Roma looks back at JJ.

And Cass and Ez seem to realize what’s about to happen a split second before Obie does. In unison, they bolt forward.

“Julian,don’t‍?—‍!”

“Roma, Iswear‍?—‍!”

Roma grabs JJ’s hand. “We’re not leaving them behind again,” she says, her voice low and vicious, and before anyone can stop them, she and JJ race into Tamaros.

In a flash, Micah is standing in front of the rift, blocking anyone else from going through‍—blocking, Obie suddenly realizes, the two remaining hunters from going through. “Don’t eventhinkabout it,” he snarls at Sawyer and Naomi, harder and angrier than Obie has ever seen him. “We’re not losing any more humans today. Not happening.”

Sawyer looks both taken aback and sincerely touched. “Aw. You really do care.”

“Shut up. You know we do,” Gregorio says grudgingly.

“And we’re not losing any humans at all today.” Naomi’s shoulders are hunched, but her voice is firm. “Strike Team Kappa is the best there is. If anyone can find the Fount of Blessings and bring Chester home alive, it’s them.”

Silence falls. Micah moves away from the rift, still eyeing Sawyer and Naomi suspiciously. Gregorio leans against the side wall, his eyes fixed on the glimpse of Tamaros just out of reach. Maggie starts pacing.

“Ez.” Cass’s voice is smaller and more scared than Obie has ever heard it. “Ez, what if they don’t come back?”

“Don’t think about it.”

Don’t think about it.The words reverberate through Obie’s head, bending and twisting and spiraling into a mantra, becoming the only thing that exists, the only thing that’s real‍?—

Don’t think about it.

Flying through Tamaros, everything vibrant colors and gleaming light and ringing sound, spending time among his people because he’s their god and only wants what’s best for them‍?—