Page 7 of Gray

“Hey, I’m right here,” Kyo said, coming down the hall with a steaming cup of coffee. “Don’t steal my job.”

He rooted himself behind the front counter and pulled out his laptop. When it wasn’t busy, he designed graphics for the shop and posted on social media. He’d been working for Simon for a few years now.

“Earth to Gray.” Simon waved his hand in front of my face. “Did you fall asleep with your eyes open?”

“Huh? No.” I blinked at him. “I was just thinking.”

“Brainstorming your next case, detective?” Galen asked, carrying a box of new inventory over to the shelf along the wall and setting out a few old books.

“Maybe.” I walked over to the fancy armchair near the storefront window and curled up in it. The chair had been there ever since I’d met Simon the year before. No one wanted it. Probably because it was too hard. Felt like I was sitting on a rock. I wiggled around and changed position.

The bell above the door jingled, and Clara walked in. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a high ponytail, and smoky eyeshadow covered her lids. She was bundled up in a sweater, thick leggings, and fuzzy winter boots.

The witch had become a good friend, coming into our lives around the same time Simon had. When her grandmother passed away last year, Clara’s dad had sold all of her belongings. A ring housing the soul of Asa, the son of Lucifer, had come into Simon’s shop. It’s what had brought all of us together.

“There’s my sleepy boy.” Clara patted my hair. “Why don’t you nap in the break room? Or in the loft? It’d be more comfortable.”

“I don’t want to be alone,” I said before yawning. “And the sun’s out today for once. I don’t wanna miss it.” The February air was chilly, but from inside the shop, sitting in my chair, the sun shone brightly. Nothing but blue skies. Areas of the grass still had snow, but spring would be here before we knew it.

I couldn’t wait. Cold, cloudy weather was depressing.

“You excited to visit your family?” Clara asked Kyo. “You and Castor are leaving tomorrow morning, right?”

“Yeah.” Kyo smiled, though he seemed a bit tense too. “Tatsuya wants me to help with war preparation. Hearing about the attack in Hoia Baciu shook him up a little. He knew Asa was a threat, but I don’t think he realized just how much until then.”

There were five dragon clans, all separated based on their elemental power. Kyo’s brother, Tatsuya, was the king of the water dragons. Daman was married to Warrin, a prince of the ice dragon kingdom. Having two of the five clans as allies in the war against Asa was pretty good. We also had other Nephilim on our side. One army in Athens, Greece, and another in the Caribbean.

“I wanna go with you guys to Japan,” I said. “The island is warm and sunny.”

“If Alastair says it’s okay, that’s fine with me,” Kyo responded.

My hope vanished. Alastair treated me too much like a child. There was no way he’d let me go.

I sighed.

Conversation halted when more customers strolled in. They browsed the shelves and laughed when I tried to sell things to them. The Wednesday afternoon dragged on, and I slept on and off—some in the chair before eventually moving up to Simon’s loft. He used to live up there before meeting Galen. Then, he was attacked by demons and nearly torn apart and eventually moved into the mansion with us. He kept the loft for me, mostly.

“I need you to come home,”Alastair projected into my head, using telepathy. All of my brothers could communicate that way.“Galen too.”

Lying on Simon’s couch upstairs, nice and warm in a beam of sunlight coming through the tall window, I opened my eyes.“Why?”

“Lazarus is here.”

I shot upward.“An update about my dad?”

“We’ll talk when you get here.”

With my heart in my throat, I left the loft and went back downstairs. Why did Alastair have to be so secretive? I hated waiting. Patience was definitely not one of my virtues. I tapped into my connection to Galen to track him down. It led me to the storage room, where he had Simon pressed against the wall, kissing his neck.

Simon clawed the back of Galen’s shirt, right over his wing slits. Galen growled low in his throat.

“Al wants both of us home,” I said. “Lazarus is there.”

“Wonder what that asshole angel wants now,” Galen grumbled, pulling away from his mate.

“Don’t know.” I looked down at my Converse. They were pink with blue laces. “Al wouldn’t tell me anything.”

“Alastair likes building suspense, huh?” Clara said from the doorway. “Sorry. I eavesdropped.”