All at once, Chester’s voice winds through Obie’s head. It sounds somehow stronger and weaker at the same time—stronger, like Chester is putting all of his strength into pushing the words through their telepathic link?—
But weaker, like he barely has the energy left to do even that.Baby—baby, look at me.
Obie immediately turns his gaze to Chester, smoothing his hair away from his forehead. Chester’s eyes are dazed, but he’s clearly trying to focus on Obie’s face.Talk to me, puppy.
Is it—?Chester’s voice wavers.Is it dangerous? Is it going to hurt you?
Obie’s chestaches.Even after everything that’s happened today, even after being tortured and having his soul ripped apart, even while he’s lying here dying in Obie’s arms?—
Even after all that, his first concern is still for Obie.No, sweetheart,Obie murmurs back.It’s a gift. One I can freely give.
Gradually, Chester relaxes.Okay. Okay, I trust you.
Obie’s heart squeezes. “Thank you,” he whispers out loud, leaning down to press his lips against Chester’s forehead. “I don’t think this’ll be painful for you, but it might be a shock to your system, okay? It might just… feel loud.”
Chester shifts his head to one side, burying his face in Obie’s shirt. Bracing himself.Okay. I’m ready.
Obie glances up at Cass, Ez, JJ, Roma, and Bryant. “You… might want to back up,” he hedges. “I’ve never done anything like this before, so I don’t know how, ah, explosive it might be.”
Bryant immediately retreats to the farthest corner of the room. At the same time, JJ takes Cass’s arm and Roma grabs Ez’s. “Come on, love,” JJ whispers, trying to tug Cass away.
Cass doesn’t move. “Andyou’regoing to be okay?” he asks, his voice faltering the slightest bit. “You’re—you’re going to be okay, Obie?”
Obie.Not “Nostringvadha.” Obie gives him a small smile. “I’m going to be just fine, Cass.”
“Come on, Chin,” Ez says, grabbing Cass’s other arm. Her voice is confident, but her eyes betray just how worried she really is. “Obie’s got this. You know that.”
Eventually, Cass lets them pull him away. Obie waits until they’re all out of range before fitting his hand against Chester’s cheek, taking a deep breath, and closing his eyes.
In principle, it should actually be fairly simple. Obie has always been able to feel the separation between demon and god within himself, always been able to sense that connection. It’s one of the reasons he managed to stay hidden for fifteen thousand years: he doesn’t normally use his god powers, not unless he really needs them.
One of those times was with Chester six months ago, back when they broke Cass out of the Sanctum’s prison. Obie used his god powers to dig through Chester’s head, and in the end, that was Obie’s downfall—the moment that made Chester realize who Obie really was.
But, in hindsight, itwasn’tObie’s downfall. It was the beginning of something beautiful. Gently, as gently as possible, he reaches into the part of himself that’s purely Nostringvadha, gathers up all the energy and power within him, and lets it pour into Chester’s damaged soul. For a few blissful seconds, Obie can sense Chester’s soul healing itself, see the color flooding back into his face, feel his labored breathing starting to ease?—
And then it goes wrong, of course.
It always does.
42
Chester wakes up to the sound of Obie screaming.
“Obie?Obie!”Chester jerks upright on the bed, the sudden motion making his head spin and his stomach turn over. “Obie?—”
Cass and Ez are already on either side of Obie, trying to hold him down as he seizes in pain.“What—?”Cass begins, his accusing eyes snapping to Chester. “What did you do to him?”
“Me?”Chester sputters, aghast. “I didn’t do anything! I didn’t?—”
Obie should be fine. Chester asked if it would hurt him, and Obie said no, and they can’t lie to each other telepathically, they can’t?—
What the hell is happening?
Ez presses her hand to Obie’s forehead, squeezing her eyes shut. “It’s—it’s a curse. I can feel it just underneath his skin. It—” Her eyes cinch tighter. “It was put on averylong time ago, but it didn’t take effect until now—why wouldn’t it?—?”
All at once, Chester’s stomach plummets.
They laid a curse upon him that would’ve destroyed a lesser demon on the spot.
