“I’m getting better with wards,” I announce. “I even did my own today. Can you believe it?” I ask, sitting up and spreading out my hands so they can take my wingless form in. “I still can’t make my hair any other color aside from purple, but the way the world is these days, nobody cares about my purple hair. I get asked about what salon I use, but I just tell people I do it myself and then bask in their envy.” I flick my hair over my shoulder dramatically and chuckle.
“Ooh, Dad, I finally got a new electrical box sorted at the house! Crux helped me. He only electrocuted himself a couple times. I know, you’d be so proud of him figuring it out on his own. Turns out my washer and dryer issues were because of the connections. Of course, I had already bought new ones before we figured that out, hence the new box and wiring, but hey, I’m looking at it like we killed two birds with one stone.”
I check my watch and realize I have about five minutes before the guys get here.
I brush off my dad’s headstone and then my mom’s. “I really miss you guys. I keep thinking it will get easier, but I’m learning that it never does,” I say on a sad little sigh. “I have so much now in my life, though. The guys are amazing. Training is, well, it’s happening, so I guess there’s that. Tazreel is still an entity in his own right, but he’s really been making an effort, which I appreciate. I wish you could meet everyone,” I admit not for the first time.
“I mean, yeah, you know the guys, but I just wish you could be taking in the craziness of this world right alongside me. Dad, I know you’d be laughing your ass off, and Mom, you’d be getting recipes from the kitchen and putting people in their places. You’d definitely be better at training with Nefta than I’ll ever be. I think you two would actually like each other.”
I smile wistfully and sigh.
“I asked her to look you two up in Heaven, but she said it didn’t work like that. Crux and I tried to sneak in once, but we got busted in Purgatory and sent packing. Guess Heaven can only be earned or portaled into for select angels, but don’t worry, I’m not giving up.”
I laugh because I can just see my mom shaking her head and trying to hide her smile. She’d disapprove, but she’d be amused nonetheless. My dad would just high five me behind her back.
“Anyway, the guys will be here soon. We’re trying out date night again. We’re starting it already out of the house this time, since the last five times we tried, we never made it out of the mansion. You won’t hear me complaining, but still.” I cringe and look at my dad’s headstone. “Crap. Sorry, Dad, I forgot to tell you to put earmuffs on.”
Oopsie.
“I’ll be back next week though. No word about the Ophidian. We’re trying to take that as a good sign. The Gates have been doing awesome, though. The guys say they can’t even feel a pull anymore, which is a really good sign. The Eden garden is still alive and well on that one part of Hell’s Embrace, and a family of pixies moved in and have been taking care of it, so that’s been cute.”
A cool breeze reaches out to me, followed by a lick of heat, and I smile, knowing the guys are letting me know they’re about to pop in.
At the next blink, my four demons appear, and I look up at them from the ground. Jerif reaches down and grasps my outstretched hand, helping me to my feet.
“Ready to go?” Iceman asks, looking me over with a soft smile.
I nod, but a car pulling up snags my attention. I watch the Cadillac park, and then Mrs. Lee gets out, demon antlers and all. “Hi, Mrs. Lee!” I call as soon as she’s within hearing distance. She lifts an arm covered in her signature mink fur coat before heading to the gravestone of her late husband...mate...demon...human...who knows?
“Like clockwork,” Echo muses as he also sends a wave her way. The only thing his ward does to make him look human is to make it appear like he has immobile tattoos rather than constantly moving shadows on his skin. Jerif’s ward just makes his hair and eyes a deep brown. Iceman has to work the wards the most to appear not to be blue...or have horns, but although I can see the haze of those wards, I’m able to see past them to how they really look. Nihil perk.
“Okay, Mom and Dad, I gotta go. Date night,” I remind them before kissing the tips of my fingers and pressing my hand against both headstones one after the other.
“Yep, go date night!” Crux says enthusiastically before he mimics my gesture, kissing his fingers and tapping the gravestones.
“She’s gonna have a blast,” Echo adds before he sends them a wave. His warded shadows do this cute hug thing that only we can see, the black tendrils wrapping around the stones before slipping back onto his skin.
“We’ll get her home at a respectable time,” Iceman assures them, making a huge grin spread across my face.
I reach up and plop a kiss on his cheek. “My dad likes that you’re so respectful.”
“I’m aiming to be their favorite,” he says with a wink.
Crux and Echo start talking shit about how they’re definitely the favorites, and the three of them start walking off so that we can head to the road and act like we’re driving away, for Mrs. Lee’s sake and anyone else who might’ve seen us visiting.
Jerif hangs back, and I look at him curiously. Out of all the guys, he’s the most reticent, and he’s always been a bit awkward here at my parents’ resting place, like
