Chapter 14 Vesper
Vesper
I head upstairs, my feet moving quietly on the hardwood as I make my way to Esme's room.
The house is quiet, the kind of quiet that settles in after chaos, and I can feel the tension that's been coiled in my chest finally starting to ease.
Duske handled Liora, Esme made it through another heat spike, and now we just need to figure out what the fuck comes next.
I push open the door to her room, and the sight that greets me makes my heart clench in the best way.
Duske and Esme are wrapped around each other, tangled together on the bed like they were made to fit.
Esme is visible again, her orange hair splayed across the dark blue sheets, her face peaceful in sleep.
Duske's arms are wrapped around her, holding her close, his black eyes closed, his expression soft in a way I've never seen before.
Duske looks so sweet when he's sleeping.
It's weird to think about Death, the Grim Reaper himself, looking sweet, but there's no other word for it.
The sharp edges of his usual demeanor are gone, replaced by something tender and vulnerable.
His tail is curled around Esme's thigh, his chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm.
Milo walks around me, his shoulder brushing against mine, and he presses a kiss to my cheek before moving toward the bed.
He's grinning, that quirky smile of his lighting up his face, and I watch as he carefully climbs onto the bed, settling in behind Esme.
He wraps an arm around her waist, his body pressing against her back, and she shifts slightly in her sleep, a soft sigh escaping her lips.
I move to lay at the foot of the bed, my body settling into the space near her feet. I reach out, taking one of her feet in my hands, and start to massage it gently. Her skin is warm beneath my touch, the tension in her muscles as I work my thumbs along her arch loosening.
She stirs, her eyes fluttering open, and she looks down at me with a weary smile. "Vesper," she murmurs, her voice still thick with sleep.
"Hey, princess," I say softly, my hands continuing their gentle movements. "How are you feeling?"
She hums, her eyes drifting closed again. "Better. Tired, but better."
Duske pulls her closer, his arms tightening around her, and she melts into him. I watch as his black eyes open, meeting mine, and there's something heavy in his gaze. He's been holding onto something, something he needs to say, and I can see the weight of it pressing down on him.
"We need to talk because there's a choice you have to make and it won't be easy, Esme.”
Esme nods, her eyes opening fully now. "Okay."
Duske takes a deep breath, his hand coming up to cup her cheek.
"Our demonic nature is really only the surface.
While we do have power, we can't bring people back from the dead.
Not fully. You'd still be here, but you'd never be human again.
And you couldn't stay here in this city because people would recognize you. You're technically dead."
Esme's expression doesn't change, but I can see the way her throat works as she swallows. "Okay."
Duske's thumb brushes across her cheek. "You'd have to leave everything behind.
Your life here, this city, anyone who knew you.
You'd have to disappear completely and start over somewhere new.
And even then, you wouldn't be fully human.
You'd be something in between, something that exists because we're holding you here. "
Esme nods slowly. "I understand."
I shift at the foot of the bed, my hands still working her foot, and I clear my throat. "And what you'd be getting with us is a lifetime of devotion and love, but we're demons, princess. There's no getting around that. We're not necessarily the good guys."
Esme's gaze shifts to me, something fierce in her blue eyes. "No, but you are my guys, and I need you. I want you. You're mine."
The words settle over me like a warm blanket, the tension in my chest easing even more. She's choosing us. She's choosing this life, this existence, even knowing what it means.
Milo shifts behind her, his arm tightening around her waist. "You're sure, dove? Because once we do this, there's no going back."
Esme nods, her hand reaching back to cover Milo's. "I'm sure. And I think my heat will be here tomorrow."
There's a beat of silence, and then we all start laughing. It's absurd, the timing of it all, and yet it makes perfect sense in the most fucked-up way.
"Fate really did fuck with us," I say, shaking my head. "Bringing your heat in on the same day your body is to be buried."
Duske's expression goes serious again, his hand still cupping Esme's cheek. "Once again, you'll never really be human. Are you really okay with that?"
Esme meets his gaze, her expression so full of love and understanding. I'm not sure what stroke of luck we hit to have this woman. "As long as Liora suffers and I get you three, I don't care at this point."
I can really scent her now, her vanilla and honey wrapping around me, and it's perfect. It's everything I ever needed, everything I didn't know I was missing until she came into my life. She's ours, and we're hers, and nothing else matters.
"Do we need to do anything, or can we just all cuddle like this?" Esme asks, her voice softening. "I really like this. I didn't realize how much I would like it."
I smile, my hands still working her foot, before crawling up the bed and settling in behind Milo. My body presses against his back, the demon shuddering between me and Esme. "You're hard."
I laugh, leaning down to press a kiss to his shoulder. "It's hard not to be when I'm next to the two sexiest people I know. Sorry, Death."
Duske laughs. "It's fine. I'm not offended."
More laughter fills the room as I press another kiss to Milo's ear, my lips brushing against the sensitive skin. "I'll fuck you later, hmm?"
Milo grins, twisting his head to look at me. "Bet!"
I settle back against him, my arm draping over his waist, my hand falling to Esme's hip. We're all tangled together, a mess of limbs and warmth, and it's perfect.
Duske's hand is still on her cheek, his thumb brushing gentle circles against her skin. "We'll figure this out," he says quietly. "We'll find a way to keep you here, to keep you with us."
Esme nods, her eyes drifting closed again. "I know."
I watch as her breathing evens out, her body relaxing completely. Milo shifts slightly, his hand reaching forward to tangle with mine on Esme's hip. "We're really doing this, aren't we?"
I squeeze his hand, my lips curving into a smile. "Yeah. We are."
Duske's black eyes meet mine over Esme's head, something resolute in his gaze. "The funeral is tomorrow. We need to be ready. Once her body goes in the ground, we won't have a lot of time."
“We will be."
The room falls quiet again, the only sound the steady breathing of the people I love. Esme is safe between us, the emotional bond between us strengthening with every passing moment.
And in two days, she'll be all ours, starting a new life right by our sides.
Right after we bury her and somehow torture her sister so that she experiences everything Esme did during her death.