Cael’s light illuminated our surroundings. We were, in fact, off the path, but only by a few inches. A foot away from us was the door.
Chapter Eighteen
Phin
We landed in the yard of an older but well-kept farmhouse. As we approached, Ossy held my hand. I hadn’t noticed the tension in him until it wasn’t there anymore. He was much more relaxed. He drew me closer, wrapping an arm around me.
“We’re home,” he murmured, kissing my temple.
As we walked up to the house, I saw Grym snuggled up with a dark-haired man. They sat on a porch swing, with colorful pillows on either side. Grym kept the swing swaying with a foot on the porch boards.
To our right stood a big red barn. The roof shingles spelled out Coyne. The door was open, but all I could see was part of the concrete floor.
The house was two stories tall and looked like a typical farmhouse, complete with a quaint front porch and an old door painted sage green.
Grym stood and closed the distance. For the first time in our entire working lives, he hugged me. I was too stunned to hug him back.
Where was Mr. Workaholic?
Even odder was the moment Grym hugged Ossy. “I’m glad you made it through, man.”
Cael, who had walked with us, went straight into the house as if he owned it, not even giving it a second thought.
The man on the swing stood and stepped up beside Grym. Grym wrapped an arm around him. “Phin, this is my beloved, Elliott. Elliott, this is our assistant, Phin.”
I held out my hand and smiled. “Nice to meet you.”
Instead of shaking my hand, Elliott grabbed mine and pulled me toward the door. “I’ll introduce you to all the other beloveds.”
“Later,” Ossy said, wrapping an arm around my waist. It pulled me away from Elliot.
Poor Elliot was stunned by Ossy’s behavior, but it didn’t last long. He seemed to know where Ossy was headed when he pulled me into the house.
I wish someone would clue me in.
“We need to bond properly.” Yeah, I wanted that, too.
“So, not sucking your dick like in Tech Duinn, then?”
A staircase greeted us. To the left was an open kitchen, complete with a table against the wall. To the right was a living area with an older couch covered in a well-loved afghan. In the kitchen, a dark-haired guy sat at the table while someone else stood at the counter.
Azriel leaned against the counter with a cup of coffee in his hand, even though it was mid-afternoon. For Azriel, coffee wasn’t just a morning drink. It was an all-day love affair. I didn’t recall ever seeing him drink anything else. Azriel was the type who loved his immortality and took full advantage of it. He pushed the limits of what his body could handle. But I didn’t have time to admonish him as I normally would.
“You fucked in Tech Duinn?” Azriel asked as he closed the gap.
I wiggled out of Ossy’s grip. “No, but we came close.”
Getting a hug from Azriel didn’t surprise me. It was on-brand for him.
“Too bad.” Azriel slapped Ossy’s hands away when Ossy tried to reach for me, all without taking his gaze off me. Azriel had a way of making a person feel seen. I wasn’t sure how he did it, but I liked that about him. “Maybe next time.”
“Give me back my beloved.” When Ossy tried to pull me to him, Azriel let him the second time.
Azriel grinned. “I’m glad you’re finally here, Phin. You’re right where you belong.”
“Thanks, Az.” I was glad to be back with the reapers. I’d felt a little lost and purposeless without them.
I didn’t get to meet the stranger in the kitchen. Ossy pulled me up the stairs.
