There’s an immediate and predictable uproar from around the table. JJ drops his head into his hands, groaning; Roma massages her fingers against her temples like she regrets ever agreeing to lunch today?—
Chester, of course, asks the million-dollar question. “But why would youwantto get hitched to Kenneth Long?” he says, wrinkling his nose in distaste. “He’s a dick.”
Bryant scoffs.“Wantto? Who said anything aboutwantingto, Locke? I’m pretty sure no one actuallywantsthe political marriages that the Council arranges for us, but we just gotta make the best of them.” She spears another piece of tuna and pops it into her mouth before continuing, “In any case, he’s the only other single purebred left at the Redwater Sanctum. If the Council wants to keep the bloodlines pure, they’ll either have to marry me off to Long or ship me away to another Sanctum entirely. And if they didthat,then poor Strike Team Kappa would be Bryant-less, and we couldn’t have that, could we?”
“I mean, I could stand for a bit of Bryant-less-ness sometimes,” Roma says diplomatically.
Bryant punches her arm. “Shut up.”
Chester snorts out a laugh when Roma punches her back, and JJ shakes his head in amusement, popping a piece of sweet potato roll into his mouth. It’s one of the rare occasions when the four of them were scheduled for the same day off, and they’re taking full advantage of it with the lunch special at Yamamoto Sushi Restaurant, one of their favorite spots a few minutes away from Lakeside.
Although JJ is starting to think that their little quartet isn’t management’s favorite. His smile wavers when he spots Ms. Yamamoto watching them with an air of suspicion from the sushi counter. All these years, he just thought that she and her husband were a bit reserved by nature, just a little standoffish, maybe even too busy to make nice with their customers?—
But when JJ brought Desi and Cass here last week, both Yamamotos were engaging and charming, doting on Desi and bringing JJ and Cass a free sample of their newest appetizer. Since JJ, Roma, and Bryant are usually here at least once a month and—as far as the Yamamotos knew—it was JJ, Cass, and Desi’s first time, the difference was startling.
He’s trying not to think about that too hard, though. It’s been just over two weeks since his first field trip with Desi—and Cass—and the four other days he’s spent glamoured with them since then have been illuminating.
Desi, of course, is always his constant, excited to spend time with him no matter the occasion. She loves riding on his shoulders and trying the new foods he buys her in the Courtyard and making admittedly mediocre sandcastles with him at Lakeside. Whether they’re playing tag, reading a picture book from the library, or watching episodes ofWyvern Academyon JJ’s cell phone, she’s always bubbly and enthusiastic, and JJ’s heart melts into a puddle every time she races to Cass’s door to hug him.
And Cass is also a constant, in that he’s constantly stiff and abrupt. Even though they’ve thankfully toned down the overt hostility since their post-crepe conversation earlier this week, their short conversations still feel awkward and their default setting is still to ignore each other.
Nowadays, though, it feels less like Cass dislikes JJ and more like he just doesn’t know how to act around him. JJ is cautiously taking it as a sign of progress.
And he can readily admit that Cass is a surprisingly good co-parent. He clearly adores Desi, always cooking her unique meals and introducing her to new experiences, and he hangs backjustenough during their field trips to make JJ think he’s doing it on purpose.
Like Cass is trying to make sure JJ gets his time with Desi, too. It’s a strangely sweet gesture, and one that JJ is actively trying not to think about.
In any case, Desi and Cass are the same in every scenario. It’s therestof the town that treats JJ exponentially differently whenever he’s wearing the glamour. People actually make eye contact with him, actually smile at him, actually engage him in conversation?—
Actually seem happy to see him, his semi-adopted daughter, and his fake boyfriend.
JJ knows that Redwater’s civilians don’t always trust the cult on the hill. He just didn’t realize how deep that mistrust went until he was able to spend a few precious hours each week without the burden of that identity.
Roma is talking again. JJ forces himself to tune back in. “And the Council already paired off all your older siblings with other purebreds,” she says, an edge creeping into her voice. “They might want to use you to raise a mixed hunter’s status.”
Instantly, Bryant’s expression sours. “Don’t even joke, Gutierrez.”
“She’s got a point,” Chester says. “They’ve already guaranteed the Nehemiah bloodline for another generation, so they might want to play politics with you.” He waggles his eyebrows. “Who knows? Maybe they’ll even marry you off to me or JJ.”
JJ chokes on his sweet potato roll. Roma thumps him firmly on the back, and Bryant gapes at Chester, appalled. “Don’t evenjoke!Do you have any idea how much of a disgrace it would be if I got matched with anoutsider?”
JJ fights back a wince when Chester’s smile falters. “We’re not outsiders, Bryant,” he says quietly, giving her a meaningful look. “Remember?”
She waves her chopsticks around impatiently. “Yeah, yeah, I know. And it’s nothing personal against either of you—Chester is a whole snack, and JJ, you and I would makebeautifulbabies,” she says, and she leans forward. “But if the Council tried to pair a purebred like me with a neophyte like one of you, it would be a huge scandal. Their goal is always to keep the original hunting bloodlines as clean as possible, so a match like that would be political suicide. Most of the Sanctum doesn’t even consider you tworealhunters, so?—”
“Yeah, we get that,” Chester cuts in, giving her a flat smile. “Trust me.”
The atmosphere at the table is rapidly shifting from friendly to hostile. JJ bites back a grimace, quickly running through his options to defuse it. Much as he loves Bryant, her status as a purebred effectively insulates her from consequences, so she often doesn’t realize how condescending her comments can sound. JJ knows she doesn’t mean it as an insult, Roma knows she doesn’t mean it as an insult?—
JJ thinks that Chester knows, too, but he’s always been more sensitive about the bloodlines hierarchy than JJ. Chester always wants to prove his worth, to be recognized for his abilities, to be considered the absolutebestat his craft.
To earn the respect that’s always been denied to him as a neophyte hunter. And JJ loves him like a brother, but sometimes, hereallywishes Chester would just keep his head down.
Apparently, Roma also senses the danger and is as keen to avoid it as JJ is, because she clears her throat noticeably. “Anyway, I’m hoping the Council will pairmewith Long,” she says, carefully coating a piece of salmon with wasabi. “Bring some honor back to the Gutierrez name, you know?”
Bryant’s expression turns thoughtful. “That’s a valid point. The Gutierrez lineage might be mixed blood, but it’s still generally respected. Matching you with a purebred would erase some of the stain your sister left behind.”
Roma’s jaw twitches. Naomi Gutierrez’s disappearance is still a sore spot with their group—after all, she trained all four of them at various points during their teenage years—but the sting is especially potent for Roma. Not just because Naomi basically raised her, not just because she left Roma without so much as a goodbye, not just because her defection cost Roma’s father a possible position on the Council?—
