And Obie is frankly enjoying the shift in their dynamic from fraught and snippy to cautiously cordial. He doesn’t want that to backslide if Chester doesn’t believe him.
But if all goes as planned with requesting this spell from the Deep and creating the counterspell, then Obie is going to have to make a final decision about that before they break the bond.
He’ll see how Chester feels about their situation then.
Chester’s voice—soundproofed to everyone but Obie—breaks through the silence as they approach the Courtyard. “Obie?”
Obie determinedly ignores how they’ve apparently moved from last-name basis to first-name basis, only checking that no one is around before speaking. “Yeah?”
“Can we get some food?” Chester sounds unsure. “I’ll, um. I’ll buy.”
Obie shoots his invisible companion a bewildered look. “We could’ve stayed for lunch at the Sanctum. It wouldn’t have been a problem.”
A hint of impatience creeps into Chester’s voice. “Yeah, but then I wouldn’t have had a reason to come into Redwater two days in a row. I can’t just leave the Sanctum without a cover story anymore, not since—” He cuts himself off abruptly. “Not since JJ.”
Obie winces. “Yeah. We can get food. What do you want?”
“Does Tacos Near Me sound good?”
“Sure. And I’ll buy,” Obie adds, feeling oddly self-conscious. “The Sanctum barely gives you any spending money, Locke. I own a full third of Redwater. We’re not the same.”
To Obie’s surprise, Chester doesn’t argue. “I’ll never say no to free food. Thanks, Obie.”
That’s strange. Obie expected Chester to get defensive about the potshot at his financial situation. Maybe Chester actually agrees with him?
Or maybe he’s viewing today’s excursion—and the promise he made last night—as a “favor” to Obie, so he’s willing to accept a favor in return. Honestly, Obie thinks he might go cross-eyed trying to dissect how Chester’s brain works. It’s like he constantly monitors deals and favors and requests for help, keeping a mental tally to track who he’s in debt to—and how he can reverse it.
He probably had to create that elaborate system just to survive as a neophyte hunter in the Sanctum. Obie is trying not to think about that too hard, though.
It’s not long before the Courtyard looms large ahead of them. Obie makes a beeline for Tacos Near Me, only slowing when he sees Nick,one of the food truck operators from Falafel Express, chatting animatedly with Esteban. Pitching his voice low, he says, “Do we want to be nice and let them keep flirting? Or should we interrupt?”
Chester sounds stunned. “Esteban and Nick areflirting?”
Obie sighs. “You’re hopeless,” he says, and he strolls over to Tacos Near Me. “Good afternoon, gentlemen.”
“Obadiah!” Nick says, beaming at Obie. He’s wearing a rainbow crop top and what just might be the most bedazzled pants Obie has ever seen. “Just the demon I wanted to see. Esteban and I actually have a question for you.”
“It is notjustus,” Esteban stresses, looking a bit flustered. “We’re not creeps or anything.”
“Oh, we totally are,” Nick says seriously, “but that’s beside the point. Anyway, Obie, we saw you yesterday with?—”
“Yesterday?” Obie interrupts. “I wasn’t in the Courtyard yesterday. And even if I was, youshouldn’t have been able to tell,Nick.”
Esteban scoffs. “Oh, please. Your glamours might fool the cult on the hill and the bureaucrats on the highway, but you cannot fool the Redwater Food Truck Association.”
“I hate all of you,” Obie says.
“Anyway,”Nick cuts in, giving Esteban a meaningful look, “we wanted to discuss the fact that we saw you yesterday with amanon your lap.”
Chester snorts indelicately. Obie fights back a groan. “Oh. That.”
“Yes.That,”Nick singsongs, and he leans forward with a smirk. “Spill, Obie. What’s the tea on your cutie with the nice smile?”
“Aw,” Chester says, sounding sincerely touched. “He likes my smile. Can I date him instead of you?”
“There’s—” Obie lets out his breath in a hiss, trying to ignore Chester’s running commentary next to him. “There’s no tea, okay?His name is Kyle. We met at bowling. He’s, like, my new boy toy or something. It’s whatever.”
“Wow,” Chester says. “I’m insulted on Kyle’s behalf, and he doesn’t even exist.”
