There’s a sharp intake of breath from behind him. “Obie?” Cass says uneasily. “Obie, is—is that you?”
“I’m sorry,” Roma says. “Am I hallucinating, or does Obie have tentacles?”
“Obie?” The voice is softer than it should be,fainterthan it should be, but it makes all the anger drain from Obie at once. “Obie…”
“Chester,” he whispers, letting his human façade bleed back into place as he drops Nostrand’s remains and races over to the interrogation table. Chester’s entire face—his entirebody—is sliced open and cut apart, lacerations and bruises and burns covering every inch of him, but his dazed eyes still try to find Obie’s. Gently, Obie fits his palm against Chester’s cheek. “Chester, puppy, I’m here.”
Chester’s eyes are bloodshot and shining with tears. “You came back,” he croaks.
Obie’s chest caves in. “I never should’ve left you in the first place,” he murmurs, pressing a kiss to Chester’s forehead and casting one of Ez and Roma’s neutral-base healing spells as he does. Chester lets out a shuddering breath as his body knits itself back together. “I’m so sorry, Chester.”
“It’s okay,” Chester says haltingly. “I would’ve left me after that fight, too.” Abruptly, he stiffens. “Obie—Obie, they have Maggie. Maggie and?—”
“We know they have Maggie,” Roma says, quickly unstrapping Chester’s restraints. Obie is itching to help, but his hands are already burned raw from touching Nostrand’s skin, and right now, Roma is the only one who isn’t affected by the corrosion spell. “The Conspiracy Fam is getting her out now, and?—”
“AndBryant,”Chester chokes out. Obie’s heart drops. “They—they have Bryant, too.”
“What?”In a flash, JJ is on Chester’s other side, looking down at him with wide eyes. “Bryant defected, too?’
Chester smiles weakly. “Hey, JJ.”
JJ’s shoulders relax minutely. “Hey, man. You look like shit.”
“I feel like shit.” Chester’s face crumples. “I’m sorry. I did this to you. I did this to youtwice,and?—”
“Focus!”Roma snaps. “Focus now, apologies later.” She grabs Chester’s hand, squeezing tightly. “Chester, where’s Bryant?”
“I don’t know. I don’t—” Chester’s breath rattles in his chest, and fear spikes through Obie. Why does he still sound like death? Obie healed him already! “Nasir said that—that they’re going to do a soul bond between her and Maggie?”
The words don’t make any sense. “A soul bond?” Obie repeats,running a hand over Chester’s hair. “But soul bonds are usually used to keep demonsalive—why would the Sanctum?—?”
“She—” Chester sucks in a ragged breath, struggling to push himself up to sitting. Hastily, Obie and JJ help to pull him upright, and Obie tugs him forward, letting Chester’s head rest against Obie’s chest. Chester relaxes the slightest bit. “She said they would—would rip apartbothof their souls. Not just Maggie’s.”
“Bothof them?” Ez asks sharply, her eyes flashing to Cass. “Have you ever heard of anything like that?”
Cass’s face is bloodless. “No. And JJ and I have been researching everything we can find about soul bonds since March. It’s dangerous even when one person’s soul is fully intact, much less when they’re both damaged.”
Cursing, Roma whips around to face Ez, pure fury in her eyes. “I’m getting Bryant. Come with me?”
“Always.” Ez nods at the rest of them. “Meet you outside.”
“Stay safe,” Cass orders, and Ez and Roma race out the door. “Locke, do you think you can walk?”
“I…” A tremor runs through Chester. “I don’t know.”
Obie’s stomach lurches. JJ stiffens. “But—but Obie healed you. Why can’t?—?”
“JJ.” Cass’s voice is quiet. “Look at him the way I taught you a few weeks ago—reallylook at him. You, too, Obie. Look at his soul.”
Obie’s blood runs cold. Slowly, shakily, he pulls away from Chester, letting his physical form drift out of focus and the warm glow of his soul come into view.
The usually smooth, sedate surface is shredded and torn even worse than Cass’s was. A horrified noise chokes its way out of Obie’s throat.“No.”
Chester’s eyes are wide with fear. He looks so small in Obie’sarms, small and vulnerable and younger than his twenty-two years. “What?” he stammers. “Am I dying?”
“Not if I have anything to say about it,” Obie says curtly. “You’re not leaving me that easily, Locke. We still need to finish our argument from earlier.”
A weak smile twitches on Chester’s lips. “Aw, baby. Our love language.”
