Page 75 of Take You Home (Redwater Demons #3)

L ittle four-year-old Desi is fussing over Obie. It’s probably the cutest thing Chester has ever seen. “And make sure you drink all your hot cocoa,” she instructs him firmly, closing his fingers around the steaming mug. “It’ll make you feel better. Okay, Uncle Obie?”

“Okay, Desi,” Obie says dutifully, pretending to take a sip of the still-too-hot beverage. Chester’s heart warms a little at the sight, and it absolutely melts into a puddle when Obie nudges Chester’s side. “But can I share some with my boyfriend, too?”

Desi pouts. “But it’s for you, Uncle Obie.” Her eyes brighten. “But I can make another mug for Mr. Chester!”

She dashes off before either of them can respond, busily climbing up on a chair to grab another packet of hot cocoa mix.

JJ hustles over to make sure she doesn’t fall off the aforementioned chair, and Chester fights back a laugh, resting his temple on Obie’s shoulder and letting his gaze drift around Obie’s safe house.

Honestly, Chester would describe it as more of a safe mansion. It might not be ostentatious?—that’s not Obie’s style?—but Obie casually mentioned that it has eight bedrooms and four bathrooms between the two levels, plus a common area on each floor and a massive kitchen on the ground floor.

A safe house where Obie can protect all the people he cares about under one roof.

And it doesn’t even feel crowded, even though it’s currently housing Bryant, Maggie, and the Conspiracy Fam in addition to Obie’s usual fugitive besties.

Plus, Cass rifted back to his own safe house to grab Desi shortly after they confirmed that no one would be dying today?—although JJ tried to coax Roma into opening a human-magic rift for him, because that’s apparently a thing she can do now.

Chester wouldn’t trade his ridiculous friends for the world. Obie, either. Contentedly, he shifts closer to Obie’s side. “So it’s back to ‘Mr. Chester’ with Desi, huh?” he mumbles. “Not ‘Uncle’?”

Obie cards his fingers through Chester’s hair. “Give her time. I don’t think we’ve actually explained to her that you’re the same person as Kyle yet. She probably thinks you’re my side piece or something.”

Chester snorts indelicately. “Why does the toddler know what a side piece is?”

“That Wyvern Academy cartoon got pretty weird sometimes,” Obie says. “And handled some relatively mature themes for a show aimed at elementary schoolers.”

“Huh,” Chester says. “And, uh. And what happened to the side piece in this dragon-themed cartoon?”

“Wyvern-themed cartoon,” Obie corrects, giving Chester a sidelong glance. “And I… think it was fine? Polyamory was a topic under discussion.”

“Huh,” Chester repeats awkwardly. “Always nice to see good representation in kids’ shows. ”

“It is,” Obie agrees casually.

And, in the next moment, his smooth voice winds through Chester’s head. Hey. You know that’s never going to happen, right? I mean, it took me fifteen damn millennia to find you. I’m officially off the market until further notice.

Contentment swirls through Chester. I know, he pushes back, snuggling unabashedly against Obie’s side. But my sleep-deprived brain appreciates the reassurance.

You can probably take a quick nap now. Who even knows how long it’s going to take Desi to find enough marshmallows for your hot cocoa?

Chester obediently lets his eyes slide shut, hugging Obie’s arm to his chest. You know, I’m really going to miss this part of the binding spell when we finally break it.

Me, too. Obie’s voice turns considering. But maybe Ez could jury-rig a telepathic link for us? Maybe even one where we don’t have to be touching?

Chester fights back a grin. That could be dangerous, Obie. You don’t know what scandalous things I’ll say to you if you leave me unattended.

Obie’s warm, rich laugh rings through Chester’s mind. I suppose I’ll just have to never leave you unattended. Doesn’t seem like too much of a hardship.

Chester is just about to respond when Bryant’s faintly appalled voice makes his eyes snap open. “Okay, stop. Stop. You two are gross.”

Chester sputters indignantly at her. “What did we do? We’re just sitting here!”

“I gotta agree with Bry on this one,” Roma says, and she and Bryant high-five over it. “You both get this look on your faces whenever you’re talking dirty to each other through your telepathic link. It’s disturbing.”

“We’re not talking dirty!” Chester protests.

“In Roma’s defense,” Obie says dutifully, “we were discussing the ability to talk dirty. So you’re partly right. ”

Chester groans, dropping his head back against the couch. “Traitor.”

“Please. You love it.”

“No, I love you.”

The words are both strangely spontaneous and carefully premeditated, and Chester chances a quick glance at Obie, gauging how they landed.

Obie’s eyes are soft. “I love you, too, puppy,” he murmurs, pressing a kiss against Chester’s hair.

“They’re nauseatingly cute,” Naomi says to Sawyer. “Why aren’t we that cute?”

Sawyer doesn’t miss a beat. “Because you refuse to talk dirty to me in public, much as I ask you to.”

Chester chokes on a laugh. Cass strides into the living room with Chester’s mug of hot cocoa, looking wholly disapproving.

“Can we please table the discussion about talking dirty until a later date?” he asks pointedly, gesturing at where Desi is cheerfully adding an obscene number of marshmallows to her own hot cocoa while a long-suffering but fond JJ supervises. “There are minors present.”

“If you insist,” Chester says, gratefully taking the mug from him. “Thanks, Cass.”

Cass’s smile is tighter than it was with “Kyle,” but his shoulders are relaxed. “Of course,” he says, and he collapses onto the armchair, looking like he hasn’t slept in a week. “Well, that was a harrowing few hours.”

Ez snorts. “Understatement of the century. Let’s try to avoid the existential threats to life and limb in the future, shall we?”

“Doubtful,” Maggie says, and awkwardly, she steps away from the group. “For now, though, I?—I should get out of here. Need to make sure everything is in order at my safe house and refresh the anti-tracking spell work. ”

Chester’s chest hurts. “I’m sorry I couldn’t help you sooner,” he whispers. “That?—that you got hurt.”

Maggie’s smile is faint, but at least it’s there. “You called in the cavalry. That’s really all I could ask for,” she says, and she lifts one hand, snaps her fingers??—

Nothing happens. Instantly, her expression goes blank. “What??—??”

“That’s normal,” Cass says quickly, leaning forward in his chair.

“Demon magic isn’t a fan of half-human souls, and human magic isn’t a fan of half-demon souls.

You and Nehemiah will both have to relearn a lot of the basics from scratch.

I can help you flatten the learning curve, though?—I went through a lot of trial and error to recover my spellcasting, so I can show you what worked and what didn’t. ”

“In the meantime,” Ez says, raising one hand, “what’s your safe house’s address? I can open a rift for you, and??—?”

Abruptly, Obie straightens next to Chester. “Stay,” he orders, and Chester hears three thousand years’ worth of affection bleeding into the word. “Come on, Maggie. You’re not overstaying your welcome.”

After a long moment, Maggie nods. “Okay. Sure,” she says, gingerly settling herself into the armchair on the far side of the room?—as far away from Bryant as physically possible, Chester realizes with a pang. “Thanks, Obie.”

“On that note, though,” Naomi says, casting a sideways glance at Sawyer, “we should probably get out of here. I actually want to reanalyze some of our data points tonight.”

Gregorio sighs. “I was afraid you’d say that.”

“Data points?” JJ asks, frowning at them from the kitchen. “What data points?”

“The power signatures,” Sawyer says, and Chester starts with surprise, his heart thudding unsteadily. “I think we all have some nagging hypotheses about today’s revelations that we want to test. We’ll update you if they amount to anything.”

“As long as Smith is okay with us leaving?” Naomi asks, raising her eyebrows at Obie.

“No, that’s fine,” Obie says. “You four are perpetually closer to overstaying your welcome, anyway.”

“Rude,” Micah says.

Sawyer’s eyes find Chester’s. “You good, bud?”

The words are so reminiscent of his years as her student that Chester’s eyes sting. “Yeah,” he says hoarsely. “Yeah, I’m good.”

Her lips twitch. “I’m proud of you, kiddo. All of you,” she adds, her eyes sweeping around to find JJ, Roma, and Bryant in turn. “You all grew up to be incredible hunters and even better people.”

“That’s really all Sawyer and I ever wanted,” Naomi says softly. “Especially after we defected. We hoped you’d grow up well, and?—and you did. You really did.”

Roma gives her a small smile. “Thanks for your help today. It’s good to have you back around.”

“Keep practicing that human-magic rift,” Gregorio orders, snapping open his own demon-magic rift. “I have a feeling we’ll be needing it.”

“I will,” she says, and with one last wave, the four members of the Conspiracy Fam disappear in a whirl of purple-gold mist.

Without further ado, JJ carries Desi back into the living room and plops her directly in Bryant’s lap. “Bryant, this is my daughter, Desi,” he says. “Desi, this is Miss Bryant.”

“Hi, Miss Bryant!” Desi chirps, and she immediately sets about climbing up onto Bryant’s shoulders.

Bryant looks faintly unnerved. “Hi, um, Desi,” she says, scrunching her nose unsurely as Desi snuggles herself into place. “Is this, uh, normal behavior? ”

“It is,” Cass confirms wearily, and his eyebrows pull together. “So how are you, Nehemiah? After?—?” He gestures vaguely. “After everything.”

“I…” Bryant looks disconcerted. Chester doesn’t blame her. He knows that, in Bryant’s mind, every decision she made today was for Chester and Strike Team Kappa, no one else.