Matteo gave them a shy smile. “Oh. Okay.”
He turned around and disappeared again.
Yeah, he and Cooper were bound to be the best of friends.
Cooper cleared his throat in the resulting silence. “If it’s all right, I was thinking I’d show Chaos the beach before it gets dark.”
“Of course!” Sascha told him, making a little “shoo” gesture with his hands. “Go explore. The town’s pretty small. You’re not going to get lost.”
Cooper reached into his back pocket. “I brought you something,” he said, his throat suddenly tight with nerves. “As a thank-you for having us.”
“Oh!” Sascha’s eyes widened in surprise. “You didn’t have to—”
“I meant to get you a copy a long time ago.”
Cooper held out his offering—the two photos he had of his father and Sascha’s mother together. In one, they were laughing quietly together, looking like they were sharing a secret. In the other, they were standing side by side, staring solemnly at the camera.
“Oh.” To Cooper’s immense alarm, Sascha’s eyes immediately watered, tears spilling over. “Oh, Cooper. My father didn’t—I don’t have any—”
“I have duplicates,” Cooper said quickly, hoping to stave off any full-out sobbing. “So you can keep these.”
And then he was being pulled into the tightest hug of his life. “Thankyou.”
Sascha released him quickly, possibly because Chaos was sparking little flames next to them. Sascha waved his hands toward the door again, sniffing back more tears. “Go. Enjoy the walk. It’ll be cold but—but gorgeous.”
Kai and Chaos switched back to human form, and Kai walked them out the door, giving Cooper an alarming, forceful clap on the back that was maybe supposed to be his version of gratitude. He pointed them to a path that would lead along the cliffs and down to the beach.
Cooper and Chaos walked along it, hands clasped and arms swinging. Chaos eyed the few people they came across with avid interest, but he didn’t start any trouble.
For his part, Cooper ignored everyone, choosing to look at the scenery instead. He breathed in the winter air, noticing that the cold didn’t bite into him the way it should have. Maybe that was the demon bond working in his favor, or maybe it was just having Chaos at his side.
Dad would like him, Cooper thought suddenly, and he knew it immediately to be true. Cooper didn’t have many memories of his mother, but his dad had told Cooper she was brave and bright and beautiful. Maybe it was the fate of the Zaitsev men, to be drawn to their opposites.
“You’re pensive,” Chaos finally said, when the path started dipping down toward the shore.
“I was just thinking my dad would like you.”
“Really? How odd. Not many do.”
Cooper frowned. “That’s not true. Your demon friends like you, I can tell. Or the two I’ve met, at least. Anyone would get sick of each other a little bit, after being stuck together for so long like that. I wouldn’t use that as proof of anything.”
Chaos was grinning at him. “So protective of me.” He kissed Cooper’s clasped hand. “My puppy has grown.”
Cooper was saved from having to respond by their reaching the beach. It was a small, sandy cove, surrounded by rocky cliffs on either side. The water was dark in the late afternoon but not rough.
It was beautiful.
Next to him, Chaos let out a happy sigh. “Oh, it’s lovely. Lovely, lovely, lovely.”
“You like it?” Cooper asked, not sure why he was surprised. “The ocean?”
“Mm.” Chaos nodded happily. “It’s different seeing it in person. I can feel—” He held out a hand toward the water. “There’s the rhythm of the waves, so steady. But underneath, in the depths, it’s turmoil. Struggles of survival. Storms and massive waves way out deep. A very interesting energy,” he said with approval.
“We could see more beaches,” Cooper offered. “We could even do some traveling by boat. Or by plane. Just…” He hesitated but then kept going, spilling out a plan he’d only half come up with. “I can work remotely, you know. We could travel. For the next year, even. Get away. We can come visit regularly so you can see Nix and Kai.”
Chaos gave him a look. “And so you can see your kin.”
“Yeah, sure. But—would you want to? To do that with me?”
