Slowly, JJ edges around the perimeter of the room, keeping a wide berth between himself and Micah. “Cass. You good?”
The words are quiet and even, but Cass has the unerring suspicion that if he said no, JJ would jump to protect him in a heartbeat. “Fine,” Cass says briskly, and he beckons for Micah to follow him. “Come on.”
Micah practically steps on Cass’s heels as he hustles towards the back door, shooting nervous glances at JJ all the while. It’s only once Cass herds him outside underneath the awning and casts a hasty soundproofing spell around them that the demon finally speaks. “Chin,” he says, “what thehell?”
Cass pinches the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. “Listen, Micah?—”
Predictably enough, Micah isn’t listening. “That’sJulian Jackson!”he hisses, jabbing a finger towards the living room—theemptyliving room, Cass realizes with a jolt. JJ must’ve brought Desi back to her room and probably barricaded them inside. He even remembered to grab Lucy the Dragon before retreating. “He’s ahunter,Cass! One of their best! And who—who’s the kid? Is she atinyhunter?”
“She’s a tinydemon,not a tiny hunter,” Cass says, crossing his arms over his chest. “Summoned a few months ago.”
“But she’s not—” Micah cuts himself off abruptly, eyes widening. “She’s not registered, is she? The Chain doesn’t know about her.”
Cass shakes his head. “No, and I plan to keep it that way,” he says, and he takes a deep breath.Moment of truth.“Jackson found her and decided to hide her instead of handing her over to the interrogators. I ended up accidentally kidnapping her, and—and now we’re sort of co-parenting her.”
Micah looks bewildered. “You? Aparent?”
Cass forces down a stab of irritation. “Why is that so surprising?”
“I don’t know, man. Maybe because your only goal for the past two hundred fifty years has been to topple as many dictatorships as possible? You never really settled down, never had much interest in a partner—” His jaw drops. “Wait. Are you and JJ?—?”
“No,”Cass snaps, desperately hoping Micah doesn’t notice the heat creeping up his neck. “Don’t be stupid. We’re just co-parents. That’s it. And how—?” The dissonance of Micah calling him “JJ” jangles through Cass’s brain again. “How doyouknow the hunter?”
Micah’s expression flickers before smoothing over again. “I might not be in Public Safety, but I still make it a point to know our local hunters.”
Cass’s eyes narrow. “Yeah, but you called him ‘JJ.’ Only his friends call him that.”
“Youcall him that,” Micah counters.
“Because—because that’s what Desi calls him, okay?” Cass lets out his breath in a hiss. “Listen, can we just—can you just forget today ever happened? Please? I’m begging you here, Micah. Desi loves that hunter. If the Chain finds out about her—abouteitherof them—he won’t be able to visit anymore. She’ll be devastated.”
Micah hesitates. Glances towards the living room.
Cass steels himself. “Micah, I would die to keep that little girl safe, okay?”
Micah goes still. Guilt twists through Cass when he sees that Micah recognized the tacit threat beneath the words.
I would kill to keep her safe, too.
To Cass’s surprise, though, Micah just cocks his head to one side, curious. “And the hunter?”
“I—” Cass bites back his knee-jerk retort. “I would endure some mild to moderate maiming for the hunter. If the situationreallydemanded it.”
Micah holds up the manila envelope. “Are these for you and the kid? Or the kid and the hunter?”
Cass grits his teeth. “Haven’t decided yet. Micah?—”
“I have to tell Gregorio,” Micah says, and Cass’s heart plummets. “He’s my husband, okay? We don’t keep secrets from each other. But—but Iswearthat neither of us will tell another demonic being. All right?”
That’s probably as much of a concession as Cass is going to get. He nods once, looking away. “All right. Thanks. What do you want in exchange?”
Micah looks confused. “In exchange?”
Cass scowls back. “Oh, so you’re just going to hide the fact that the infamous Cassius Chin has a child and a hunter co-parent squirreled away out of the goodness of your heart? What’s the catch, Devereux?”
For a long moment, Micah considers him.
And then he says, “Someday in the future—the very near future, I think—I’m going to ask you to trust me about something. And, when that day comes, Ineedyou to trust me, okay?”
