Chapter Twenty-One
Phin
Breakfast was the most chaotic experience I’d ever had. The reapers had written the book on chaos, which wasn’t surprising, even a little. I sat next to Ossy at one of the two tables in the dining room.
Azriel and Elliot cooked. Miles managed the schedule. He seemed to be the household's Morgana, and he seemed anal but pretty good at it, considering how many people lived there.
The house was big enough to hold a large family. Not reaper larger, but a normal family size. It worked, but barely. The living situation had to change at some point. The chaos would become overwhelming if they didn’t figure something out soon.
There were four bathrooms, two of which were upstairs. Ossy and I had one to ourselves. I wasn’t sure how we lucked into that. The downstairs bathroom had a small shower stall, but the others had bathtubs as well.
The dining room was large enough to fit two long tables.
A cabinet stood at the back, holding antique dining plates.
One of the beloveds, Joel, set the table, and a rough-around-the-edges hellhound followed Joel with his gaze, growling at anyone who got too close.
Joel rolled his eyes at the hellhound, but he seemed unbothered.
The kitchen was big, too. A table sat in the far corner. They mostly used it to hold dishes before bringing them to the dining room. No one sat at it during mealtimes.
The woodwork around the dining room gave the house a timeless look. The wainscoting was perfect, and the ceiling was coffered. Someone had recently renovated it while honoring the home's historic value. The home was beautiful.
Sunlight streamed into the room through the window above the kitchen sink.
Ossy rested his arm along the back of my chair. I leaned into him.
As one of the beloved came around distributing plates to everyone, I asked, “Is there anything I can do to help?”
“We’re on a rotation. Your name is on the sign-up sheet on the refrigerator,” he answered without stopping what he was doing.
I nodded. I’d seen the sheets. There were more than one, which made them a little overwhelming. “I’ll look. Thanks.”
“The rules are simple. There’s no switching unless it’s an emergency, like if you’re in Tech Duinn or the afterlife or something like that. And keep track of your own schedule.”
“Got it.”
“The only other rule is that you can’t partner with your beloved slash reaper for chores.”
“Why is that?”
“Elliot and Grym are always all over each other, and it takes them half a day to accomplish anything.”
I chuckled. “Got it. I could see how that could be a problem.”
The front door opened, then closed. Cael entered, followed by Ezul.
Ossy huffed when he saw Ezul and drew closer. I rested my hand on his thigh and patted him to calm him down.
Cael sat at the table while Ezul seemed less certain of his welcome. It wasn’t until Morgana gestured to the seat beside her that he sat. I knew Morgana well enough to know she wouldn’t let him off the hook easily.
“Where have you been?” Her tone was conversational, as if she were asking about the weather.
“I found him commiserating with two HR demons and Donn,” Cael answered instead of Ezul.
It was clear Ezul did not appreciate the accusation hidden in Cael’s words. His expression tightened. “Hazel is a reaper sympathizer, like me. Unlike me, she’s choosing to stay at the Bureau, for now. Together, we made a good team, convincing Donn to go easy on Phin and Ossy.”
Ezul’s self-defense was convincing, at least to my mind. While he was good at lying, I didn’t sense dishonesty.
Everyone seemed to hold their breath as the tension mounted. Even Elliot, standing at the stove, flipping sausages on a griddle, stiffened. His shoulders rose to his ears.
Grym stood and closed the distance between them, putting an arm around Elliot’s waist. I didn’t know what he said, but whatever it was, it seemed to calm Elliot.
I scooted a little closer.
Had I not figured out Cael was a demigod, I might have assumed Ezul was the most dangerous one in the room. But it was clear something had upset Cael.
Ezul met my gaze, then Ossy’s. “Your reprieve won’t last much longer, not for any of you. So I suggest that, whatever you’re planning, you prioritize protection. Ward the property.”
Morgana nodded.
Azriel set a platter of pancakes in the middle of the table, followed by another platter filled with sausages.
Morgana leaned forward, grabbed the plate of pancakes, put two on her plate, then passed it to Ezul. “We’ve already thought of that. I’ve determined that we need a witch.”
Azriel’s gaze fell on Hale in an almost accusatory way. “Yes, a witch would do nicely. I know of one.”
Hale’s cheeks turned a dark pink. He grabbed the plate of sausages, put one on his plate, and passed the plate to Francis. “I guess I can help, but I’m not very good. I’ve never been good at using my magic.”
“Most likely, you just didn’t have a good teacher,” Ezul said with a shrug. “I know someone if you’d like to learn.”
Hale nodded.
It was Ossy who spoke next. His gaze fell on Morgana. “How do we know we can trust him?”
Ezul huffed. His lips thinned. He didn’t speak, not even to defend himself.
Morgana cut in before the argument could start. She met my gaze. “After breakfast, do some research to see if you can find a witch who can both ward the property and teach Hale to use his magic.”
I nodded. “How does one go about finding a witch? It’s not like they advertise on the internet.”
Ezul waved his hand. “I’d look for witches showcasing their paraphernalia. Social media is filled with them.”
“Good idea. Thanks.” I smiled.
Ezul nodded.
It seemed I had a job to do at the reaper headquarters. The environment might have changed, and might change again, but the job was still the same. It was a bit of a relief.