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Tired, yet feeling unbelievably relieved, he looked around at his team—at his friends and family. He couldn’t help but feel overwhelmingly happy. Dayan was finally dead, and they had all survived. How could he not be happy about that? Smile brightening, loudly he said, “Let’s go home.”
“How?” Turney asked. “Ugh, we are going to have to walk to the nearest town, aren’t we?”
Octavius chuckled. “I’m not actually sure.”
“We have signal again,” Henry announced, his phone in hand.
“Oh, thank fuck.” Turney sagged further in Octavius’ arms. He slowly lowered the zombie so he could sit, plopping down right next to the male.
“I suppose I should call that blasted fashion criminal and get him to help us out… The reapers will have to clean up this mess anyway. Get rid of whatever remains there are. And who knows if any humans saw the explosion.” Octavius reached into his pocket and pulled out his cellphone.
“Think he’ll do that poofing transportation thingy to us?” Turney asked.
Octavius chuckled, and then winced as it irritated some of his wounds. “That ‘poofing transportation thingy’ is really just them moving through visible shadows. And no, he won’t. Reapers are limited to shadows within a certain distance from them, and they can’t do it between continents. I’m afraid, if he wants to come here, he will have to hop on a plane. But no worries, I’m sure there are closer reapers than him.”
Octavius was shocked that his screen was still intact when he opened his phone—lucky. Just as he went to search for Alexander’s number…a wayward thought sprung to the front of his mind. He gasped, blurting out in horror, “There’s a guy in a barrel locked in one of the rooms of my house!”
“There’s a WHAT?!” Turney barked out.
“I forgot, okay!” Octavius whined defensively.
And he really had. He’d intended to do something about the witch when he’d woken up after the party…but then the invite came…and well, he forgot!
“FORGOT WHAT?!”
“It’s only been like two…three days! I’m sure he’s fine!”
Scarlett burst into a fit giggles, Min-ji soon after.
“Why are you laughing?!” Turney cried out. “How is this funny?! Octavius, who did you kidnap?!”
There was a deep groan. “Why are you guys so loud?!” Cormac growled out. “Can’t a guy die in peace?!”
“You aren’t dying, you brat,” Theo said with a chuckle as Henry also started laughing.
It was all so infectious that he began to giggle as well. Eventually, even Turney was laughing, even if he did still look worried and confused.
Their group sat and laid there injured and bleeding, probably even with a few broken bones, but all laughing. They had survived. This humor, this joy, even if odd and misplaced, was well deserved in Octavius’ book.
It had taken two days, but they were finally home. Octavius smiled as Turney snuggled into his chest. He ran his hand through the zombie’s hair. After two long and tiring days…they were home…but were mostly just existing and recovering still.
“Octavius?”
“Mm?” He looked down at his zombie.
“I love you.”
Octavius beamed. Bending forward, he kissed him on the lips. “And I love you.”
“Do…do you think Scarlett…everyone…is going to be okay?”
He frowned. “Scarlett will need some time to adjust. Both her and Min-ji will need time. There are some things that have happened in Scarlett’s past, things I can’t tell you about without her permission, that will make this very stressful for her. The best thing you can do is just be there. Try to support her decision. It was not an easy one for her to make.”
“She’s…kept the connection closed ever since it happened,” Turney said, his eyes sad. “It feels…wrong to me. I feel like I’m adrift, if that makes sense. I just wish I could help.”
Octavius winced. He felt slightly stuck. Scarlett had a right to her privacy, and her creating a bond with Min-ji was not a small thing, after the forced bond she had lived with for all those years. Worse still, the bond she had created was not a normal familiar bond.
She had connected their very souls, their lives. It had been the only way Min-ji would have survived. The witch had given her life, sacrificed her very soul to save them all, and so Scarlett had sliced hers in half, winding them forever together to bring Min-ji back. It was not a bond one could break. To even attempt to break it would end in both of their deaths.
