Back at the house, Zeth woke to the smell of meat and spices sizzling in a pan. For one blessed moment he forgot everything. No Reapers. No universal laws. Just the warm, unmistakable scent of something being cooked with actual effort. He stretched with a long yawn, rubbed his eyes, and stumbled down the stairs in his socks like a teenager dragged out of bed on a weekend.
In the kitchen, Zoe stood over the stove, sleeves pushed up, hair a little wild, moving with the brisk confidence of someone who considered a knife a friend and a schedule a suggestion. A pot bubbled. A pan hissed. Zeth dropped into a chair and let his forehead thunk onto the table.
"Do you know what time it is?" he groaned. "How do you have the energy to do so much, Zoe?"
Zoe glanced over her shoulder with a grin. "I like to be needed."
"Gross," Zeth mumbled into the wood. "That's a personality disorder with a cute coat of paint."
Zoe giggled and flipped something in the pan. "My power comes from how much I'm needed. The more people rely on me, the stronger I get."
Zeth lifted his head slowly, eyes narrowing as he processed that. "Oh." He sat up straighter. "So that's why Aamon always has you prepare the houses for our visits."
Zeth grinned anyway. "And here I thought it was just because you had empty homes." A noodle hit him in the forehead. Zeth blinked, looked down as the noodle slid off his brow and flopped onto the floor.
He made a wounded face. "Hey. Don't waste food."
Zoe pointed her spoon at him like a weapon. "Then stop provoking me." Zeth sighed theatrically, then glanced up at the clock. The hands crept forward with maddening calm.
"It's getting late," he muttered. "Where is everyone?"
Zoe followed his gaze to the clock. "It's only eight. Maybe they stopped for a drink."
Zeth's unease didn't lift. It sat in his chest like a stone.
"Why not call them?" Zoe said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
Zeth blinked. Then perked up, remembering the phones with the kind of sudden joy only someone who'd forgotten technology existed could experience.
"Oh!" He fumbled for the device he'd left on the table earlier, swiped the screen, and jabbed at Aamon's contact.
It rang. And rang. And rang.
Zeth's face fell. "No answer."
He let his head drop back onto the table with a soft thud. "Where could they be?"
Zoe's expression softened a fraction. Even she could tell this wasn't Zeth's usual dramatic laziness. This was worry. Then the front door clicked. Zeth's head snapped up.
Luke entered first, his suit rumpled, his hair slightly out of place. Levi followed, looking irritated and unsettled, which was frankly more alarming than Luke's dishevelment. Aamon came last, carrying Jade in his arms. Zeth shot to his feet, relief flashing bright, then dying instantly when he saw Jade's limp body.
His breath caught. "Is she—"
Aamon's gaze flicked to him, steady, but deadly serious. "She's fine."
Levi added grimly, "But she's going to need rest."
Zeth's shoulders sagged as if his bones had briefly forgotten how to hold him up.
Aamon didn't waste time. He carried Jade upstairs without a word, the rest of the kitchen fading into background noise. He moved with a strange, careful purpose, like the act of placing her somewhere safe was the most important goal he had ever had.
Zeth followed to the foot of the stairs, helpless. Zoe hovered behind him, suddenly quiet.
Upstairs, Aamon laid Jade on the bed and drew the covers over her. He brushed his fingers softly over her cheek, his deep brown eyes fixed on her face like he was afraid she might vanish again if he looked away. His thumb paused at the edge of her jaw.
The faintest smile touched his mouth. Like something in the world had finally returned to where it belonged. Then he forced himself away and went back downstairs.
The kitchen felt smaller with all of them in it. Zeth sat down slowly. Zoe slid a plate toward him out of habit, but he didn't touch it. Luke leaned against the counter as though he didn't trust himself to sit. Levi remained standing for a moment, arms folded, eyes darting to the ceiling as if he could sense Jade's breathing through the floorboards.
Aamon took his seat at the table like he was returning to a throne he didn't want. Everyone looked to Levi. Levi hated that, and his expression made it obvious. He always hated being the center of attention unless the attention was fear. With a long exhale, he began to explain.
He told them about Interstice in broad strokes. About the Reaper taking Jade. About the gray land and the fog. About reaching Grimm. He spoke up to the point where he'd found Jade in front of Grimm, and then his voice tightened, the words shifting subtly.
Levi paused.
Because Grimm had asked questions. Questions that didn't belong to anyone else. Questions that were part of something older than any of them. Something he was not meant to know. None of them were. And Grimm had made it clear: Jade had to find her own answer.
If Levi revealed too much, he might interfere without meaning too and Grimm had warned what happened when anyone interfered with the Shift.
Levi's gaze slid across their faces. Zeth listened with tense concern. Zoe's brow furrowed, protective instinct simmering. Luke's eyes were sharp, hungry for detail. Aamon sat too still, as if movement might ignite him again. Levi chose his words carefully.
"Grimm speaks in riddles," Levi said. "We all know this. From what I could understand, he warned Jade not to do us any free favors again." Levi's lips tightened. "He said he would let the favor I owed her go."
Zeth frowned. "That's it?"
Levi shrugged with forced indifference. "Then Grimm forced her out and that's when I finally got hold of her and pulled her out of Interstice."
The group exchanged glances.
"Was that really all Grimm wanted?" Zeth asked. "Seems a little excessive to drag her down there just to forgive her and let her go."
Luke lifted his chin, thoughtful. "If Grimm wanted to warn her, it would be easier to take her somewhere we couldn't interfere."
Zoe nodded slowly. "Makes sense if you put it that way."
Aamon said nothing, but he watched Levi like he was memorizing him. Aamon knew there was more. Levi's entire demeanor toward Jade had changed. He'd come back with her cradled like something fragile rather than something edible. Levi didn't do fragile. Not unless something had frightened him. Aamon filed it away. He would get the full story later. One way or another.
Luke, who had been quiet for all of five seconds, spoke up with a wounded sigh. "I still don't quite understand things."
Everyone turned toward him. Luke gestured with elegant irritation. "Jade freed Zeth and Levi of her own free will, forcing them into favor-debt to rebalance, yes?"
Everyone nods.
"And you brought her here," Luke continued, "but none of you have made a contract with her."
More nods.
Luke spread his hands. "Then for what purpose is she still here? Yes, yes I know she must rest. But she is mortal. She does not belong here. Let us erase her memory and she can go back to work and we can move on. All will be right again."
A beat passed. All eyes turned to Aamon.
Aamon's expression remained unreadable. He gave Luke the same answer he'd given Levi earlier, because it was the closest thing to truth he could say without bleeding his own confusion into the room.
"Because," Aamon said quietly, "she's important."
Zeth added, with less restraint, "She's our friend."
"I hate to admit it," Levi said with a heavy sigh, "but even though I no longer owe her anything, I don't mind her being around her."
Zoe smiled, pleased. "It's fun having a mortal around. Think about it, Luke. You finally have someone to brag to."
Luke's eyes lit up, instantly offended and delighted at the same time. "I do not brag."
Zoe snorted. "Sure."
Luke cleared his throat, composing himself. "Fine. If she's your friend..."
Zeth brightened. "Exactly. Besides, if we take her memory," Zeth glanced at Aamon. "If Grimm himself warned her about making mistakes, we can't risk her accidentally stumbling into another favor situation. We need to keep her away from that lab."
Aamon nodded once, fixing his gaze on Luke. "You're already familiar with her. She's been bringing you things from the lab. You should know better than any of us that something is different about her."
Luke's gaze sharpened. "Yes. And that something different brings me to the point everyone is politely avoiding."
He looked straight at Aamon. "How are you touching her?"
Levi's eyes slid away. Zeth dropped his gaze.
Aamon shrugged, almost like it bored him. "We don't know."
Luke's brows rose. "You. Don't. Know?"
"At first," Aamon admitted. "I did burn her. A few times." He stared at his own hand like it was a strange artifact. "Then… I just didn't."
Luke's eyes widened slightly. "Interesting. I thought something looked different."
That pulled everyone's attention.
Luke leaned forward, fingertips together. "The samples in my museum." He spoke like a professor delivering a lecture. "Aamon's blood."
Zeth, Levi, and Aamon exchanged a glance. Jade's earlier comment about the "microbes" flashed in all their minds.
Luke continued. "They changed. Only slightly, but I of course noticed."
Zoe frowned, looking towards Aamon. "Your blood changes?"
Luke smiled, smug. "Of course it does. It's alive."
Zeth muttered, "That's disgusting."
Luke ignored him. "It's strange. The change suggests Aamon's power is increasing. Yet you claim he has less effect on Jade."
Luke tapped the table once. "According to the data, she shouldn't even be able to stand near you without burning."
Luke's eyes bright with obsession. "We should test this."
Aamon sighed like this was the most annoying thing he'd heard all day. "If you must."
Luke smiled, satisfied. "Good."
Zoe finally moved again, sliding plates onto the table, but her gaze kept drifting toward the stairs. Toward Jade's room.
"Should we wake her to eat?" Zoe asked softly.
Levi shook his head. "She won't have the energy."
Levi's voice turned grim, reluctant to give Jade credit but unable to deny what he'd seen. "Traveling to Interstice drains mortals. Meeting Grimm should have shattered her mind. She was conscious when I found her, still holding onto herself." Levi's eyes flicked toward the ceiling. "Under any other circumstance, she'd be empty of everything that made Jade, Jade."
Zeth swallowed. Zoe went still.
Levi continued, quieter. "She woke briefly at the museum. She called out to Aamon. That shouldn't have been possible."
Zoe's face tightened with worry. "When do you think she'll wake up?"
Levi stared down at his plate, jaw set.
He wanted to say she'll wake because she's not purely mortal.
"I don't know," Levi said finally. "A day at least. Probably longer."
Silence settled over the table as they ate. Zeth pushed food around his plate, mind churning. He kept thinking about Jade's emotions, the ones he'd seen in her head. The ones she didn't understand yet. The ones Aamon pretended not to have. Zeth glanced around, considering whether to speak.
Then he noticed Levi. Levi looked tense in a different way. Like he was carrying something heavy and refusing to set it down. Zeth's lips twitched. Maybe he wasn't the only one who'd figured out the emotions growing between Aamon and Jade.
After the meal, Zoe gathered dishes and announced she'd be leaving soon.
"I'll be back at the foster home," she said, stacking plates briskly. "Call me if Jade wakes up."
Aamon rose and went to the balcony for a smoke. Luke followed immediately, voice low and whining.
"I hope you realize," Luke said as he stepped outside, "my museum is currently—"
Aamon didn't even glance at him. "Unimportant."
Luke made a sound of pure offended disbelief. "Unimportant? Sovereign, it was beautiful. It was pristine. It was—"
Aamon exhaled smoke. "It was flammable."
Luke's expression twisted like he'd been personally attacked.
Inside, Levi started toward the stairs. Zeth caught his sleeve. Levi turned, ready to snarl. Zeth held a finger to his lips and jerked his head toward the front door. Levi hesitated, then followed, curiosity and irritation warring. Outside, once the door clicked shut, Zeth relaxed his shoulders and faced Levi.
"What's gotten into you?" Levi demanded. "You've been staring at me for the last ten minutes."
Zeth's eyes narrowed. "You know, don't you. About Jade."
Levi blinked. "What?"
Zeth leaned closer, voice dropping. "Don't play dumb. I was in her head. I know."
Levi's expression shifted, uncertain. "Wait. How do you know?"
Zeth frowned. "How do I—? Levi, it's not subtle. Jade and Aamon—"
Levi rubbed the back of his neck. "Never mind. The point is I saw it and the thing is, Aamon has it too."
Levi stared at him. Then slowly, his mouth twisted. "Yeah. We all have it."
Zeth blinked, thrown completely off. "What?"
Levi scowled. "How did you figure it out if Jade didn't even know until tonight?"
They stared at each other. A slow, humiliating realization crept over them both. They were talking about two different secrets.
Zeth's face tightened. "Wait. What are you referring to?"
Levi hesitated, weighing Grimm's words in his mind. Jade must find her own answers. But Grimm hadn't implicitly forbidden Levi from revealing her bloodline. And Zeth clearly wasn't the type to blab if he'd held onto his own knowledge this long.
Levi exhaled. "Fine." He leaned closer. "Do you recall the war over the Nephilim bloodline?"
Zeth nodded slowly, eyes widening. "Centuries ago."
Levi nodded. "Back when mortals still carried traces of immortal blood. Angelic blood. Nephilim descent."
Zeth's mouth went dry. "That bloodline was wiped out."
Levi's eyes narrowed. "Apparently not."
Zeth swallowed. Levi paused. He chose his words carefully, because prophecy was a sharp thing. The wrong nudge in the wrong direction could change the outcome of the entire universe.
"Centuries ago," Levi began, "Aamon crossed paths with a mortal named Jason."
Zeth nodded. "The one who challenged his mortal father for a kingdom."
Levi continued. "That's right; Aamon had been impressed by Jason's courage when he challenged his father for the kingdom, so Aamon sent a witch to give him a prophecy. But Jason would only get it if Jason had the compassion to help the witch from drowning."
Zeth nods "I remember. The witch told Jason to bare as many children as possible because he had immortal blood and his children would be the ultimate army. But Aamon just wanted souls with undetectable immortal blood."
Zeth's brow furrowed, struggling to connect it. "But what does that have to do with Jade not burning?"
Levi's jaw tightened. "It created a loophole."
Zeth went still.
Levi's voice dropped lower. "Originally, Grimm decreed Aamon could never touch a mortal without burning them."
Zeth nodded. "A restriction. To protect balance."
Levi nodded slowly. "But when Jason's descendants spread, Grimm announced a new prophecy."
Zeth's gaze lit up with recognition, and he recited it under his breath like a line he'd heard long ago and never forgotten.
"If a human with immortal blood, pure of heart despite countless trials, accepts Aamon despite his demonic form and finds love… then that mortal will assume a place by his side in the Dark Realm."
Levi nodded once. Zeth stared at Levi, stunned. "And then Grimm declared the immortal blood was removed."
Levi's mouth tightened. "Yes."
Zeth swallowed. "And Aamon swore off using his sight through time because he feared seeing the missed chance."
Levi nodded. "Exactly."
Zeth's voice came out barely above a whisper. "So Jade is, a descendant?"
Levi shrugged. "Grimm didn't say it outright. But he kept asking her about falling. Her choice. The prophecy."
Zeth's mind raced. Jade's past. The abuse. The loneliness. The way she still cared anyway. The way she didn't fear Aamon. The way she reached for him despite his rampage.
"It fits," Zeth breathed. "Trials of pain. Pure heart. Acceptance."
Levi's mouth twisted. "Maybe."
Zeth lifted his gaze, suddenly serious. "So, the love part."
Zeth exhaled slowly. "That's what I was talking about."
Levi stared at him for a beat, then huffed a quiet laugh. "Of course you were."
Zeth leaned in, voice firm. "If Jade is the prophecy, then we can't interfere."
Levi's eyes narrowed. "Obviously."
They stood in silence for a moment, both staring at the closed front door like the house itself might overhear them.