Page 65 of Take You Home

And he’ll have Obie by his side every step of the way. Chester isn’t going to analyze too deeply why that feels like the best part of the entire deal, but somewhere along the line, the spellbound demon god becamehisspellbound demon god.

And that’s worth everything. “Together,” Chester blurts out, impulsively sticking out a hand. “You and me, Nostringvadha. We burn them down together.”

Obie’s smile is feral. “Together,” he agrees, shaking Chester’s hand firmly, and somehow‍?—

Somehow, that one word makes Chester feel more alive than he has in months.

Maybe even years.

21

Sawyer Solomon is paging slowly through the stack of files that Obie unceremoniously dumped on her living room’s coffee table, her eyebrows climbing higher and higher. “Obie,” she says, “and I mean this with all the respect and affection in my heart: what thehelldid you do?”

Predictably enough, Gregorio is much more direct. “Who’s your source?” he demands, his eyes snapping up to meet Obie’s. “Where’d you even find all this intel?”

“A gentleman never tells,” Obie says loftily.

Chester’s answering snicker wafts through Obie’s head. He’s unfortunately the only one who laughs at Obie’s joke, and since the hunter in question is currently invisible and soundproofed next to him, Obie doesn’t think it counts.

“No, really,” Micah says, leaning forward. “We’ve been working on this conspiracy for over six years, and in that time, we’ve never been able to get anything evencloseto‍—‍” He squints down at the folder in his hands. “Complete transport logs to and from Redwater’sprison for the past six months? Obie, this isliterallygame-changing intelligence.”

“But are we sure it’s legit?” Naomi asks, fixing Obie with a steely gaze. “If we don’t know your source, then we can’t verify anything.”

Chester’s scoff winds through Obie’s head.Yep. That’s the Naomi Gutierrez I remember.

“I’m positive,” Obie says. “I have a source adjacent to the Redwater Sanctum. They’re the one pulling all these records for me.”

Gregorio’s eyes sharpen. “And what are you giving them in exchange?”

“The gift of my scintillating personality.”

This time, Chester’s hand shakes around Obie’s shoulder as he laughs. Obie fights back a smile.

Sawyer looks much less amused. “Seriously, Obie. You’re not selling out anything about our side, are you?”

Obie scowls. “Of course not. Plus, what do I even know besides people’s locations? You’re the ones with the actual Wall of Crazy.”

He gestures at the wall in question for emphasis. It looks even more deranged than the last time he visited, with Maggie’s discovery about “Teresa Roz” wedged into a corner and a few open lines of inquiry leading to the next wall. Given enough time, Obie thinks they’ll have the entire living room covered.

Especially if Chester keeps stealing documents at the fast clip he’s picked up since last week.

Micah doesn’t look happy. “You say ‘locations’ like they’re nothing. If the Sanctum or the Chain finds us‍?—‍”

“Theywon’t,”Obie stresses. “I’m not stupid, okay? I’m not giving my contact anything that would compromise our side. Is that good enough for you?”

“No,” Naomi says shortly. “The only way you could’ve gottenthese records is from an actual hunter, Smith. Not someone ‘adjacent to’ the Sanctum. Anactual hunter.”

“My contact has connections to ‘actual hunters,’” Obie says, mimicking her air quotes around the words. “Obviously. They wouldn’t be of any use otherwise.”

Naomi doesn’t back down. “Give us a name. Sawyer and I combined knew most of the Redwater Sanctum. If your contact is playing you, we’ll be able to tell.”

“No.”

Naomi stares at him. “What?”

“Did I stutter?No,”Obie repeats. “I’m not putting them at risk. Not happening.”

Gregorio’s eyes narrow. “Not for nothing, Smith, but you’re asking us to take a lot on faith here.”