“The fucking Sarasota Shrew,” mumbled Grim, his gaze going distant and hollow, like he happened to be recalling a nightmare. “You’re going to have to watch out for her. She’s still pissed as hell over the cat incident.”
“Um. Cat incident?” I couldn’t help asking. “What happened? Did the cat… die?”
“No,” said Grim. “But that witch’s boyfriend did—and I got there just in time to keep her from stashing his soul in the neighbor’s Siberian. I sort of get it now why she didn’t want me to take him.”
“You mentioned she was still angry,” said Cedric, his tone now unmistakably daunted.
“Maybe don’t go to the Keys alone,” warned Grim.
“Mm,” said Cedric with a frown. “Noted.”
“Something tells me we should probably have a conversation about these… acquaintances of yours… later,” I muttered to myself more than Grim. “Over some… drinks.”
“Point is,” said Cedric, “adversaries don’t go away even when you get fired.”
“Can’t we just say he was laid off?” I asked.
“For my own sake,” said Cedric, “let’s go with ‘deposed’ since, to a certain degree, I’m inheriting Grim’s track record with said enemies. Makes me sound formidable while also suggesting Grim himself won’t be a satisfying target any longer—and it’s true-ish. Anyway, what I was saying is that you’ve got the means to protect yourself—and this Fated—from harm. I mean… that’s what those powers you have are for, right?”
Grim’s gaze shot to mine, and I blushed even as I tried to look oblivious.
“I’m so sad I’m happy,” whimpered Flora, her tears freely rolling down her cheeks now.
“I knew there was more to you than what you pretended to be,” said Johann, speaking to Cedric. “Both of you,” he added, turning to address Grim.
“Cedric’s done pretending,” said Pluto, “happy couple, happy ending.”
“Invite me to the wedding?” asked Cedric through another surly, self-satisfied smirk.
“You could come to dinner, too,” I said, my response drawing Grim’s shocked gaze. But I just winked at him. “Flora and Johann as well. And Pluto, of course. Surely one of The Few could babysit the Hallowed Halls for a few hours. I make a mean lasagna.”
“I could bring pastries from Paris,” said Flora.
“I have an appetite I could bring,” said Johann, patting his belly. “And I suppose I could pop out of hiding for a short spell so long as we’re not in public. If it’s cold, I’ll wear the ushanka Flora got me from Siberia.”
“Dinner at the Grims’,” called Pluto.
“It’s a date,” said Cedric. “So long as Loxley agrees, of course.”
Grim remained quiet, still processing the emotions that had to be warring for his attention, his mind, his heart—that dark soul that still needed to learn what it was like to fully embrace the light.
But then, I still had things to learn, too.
From and about myself as well as him.
Thanks to Grim, I now had the promise of a full life in which to do that.
“Yeah, fine,” said Grim at last. “Just… don’t touch my shit until I have a place to put it.”
“I’m turning the furniture green at first opportunity,” said Cedric.
“Prick,” growled Grim.
To this, Cedric grinned, and stepping forward, he looped an arm around Grim’s shoulders, guiding him—and by proxy me—toward the hall leading out of the Hallowed Halls.
“As the Americans say,” replied Cedric, “I love you, too, man.”
“Grim won’t say it,” said Pluto. “He won’t use his breath. But I think it can be said, he loves you to death.”
