She puts her arms around me and pulls me close for a hug. This one doesn’t feel like it’s burning me alive. It feels fragile. But that doesn’t make it weak. It makes it precious. “What if I have to leave again?” she whispers. “What if I can’t find myself here?”
“Then I’ll let you. I’ll even let you take your favorite coat. But no more books from the library. Those are off-limits.” I say it like I’m joking, but she incurred a lifetime ban from both Rhys and a fully recovered Ruth. “And as many times as you leave, you can come back.”
“Thank you.” She relaxes a little more into the hug. I luxuriate in the closeness, in knowing that we can’t ever lose each other. Not really. Until she speaks again and ruins the moment. “You really do need a Watcher, though. I can’t believe Imogen almost beat you.”
“Hey now! She’s been secretly evil for years! That’s a lot of training!”
“Exactly. Next time—”
“Oh gods, no next time. None of our other friends have been plotting our deaths for the last decade. Unless you steal another book, and then I don’t know if I can stop Rhys from destroying you.”
“Okay, okay, not next time. Next threat, you’ll be ready. We know what goes bump in the night. We’re going to be ready, together.”
“Together.” I release her as Honora bounds up the steps.
“They’re playing football,” Honora says, “and no one is there to critique their terrible form. Come down to heckle and fill out these college applications with me.” She helps Artemis up and puts an arm around her as they navigate the stairs. She also flips me off behind Artemis’s back.
“I hear America has good colleges!” I shout. “Or Australia! Maybe you could do an exchange program in Antarctica?” This time Artemis flips me off too.
I laugh, then lean back and observe the castle grounds. Ruth is helping Jessi push the Littles on the swings while the tiny purple demons chase each other in circles. Pelly is dozing in a patch of sun next to them. Cillian and Rhys are playing Doug, Tsip, and Jade in the aforementioned game of football, which seems to be more about arguing with one another than actually trying to score. Maricruz and Taylor are working on a patch to grow a garden next to the makeshift football field. Honora guides Artemis to a chair and tucks a blanket around her, cuddling in next to her as they watch the game and shout commentary. My mother opens the door behind me. She pauses, and I can tell she’s looking at Artemis too. They’re working on their relationship. It’s weird to be the one who’s closer to Mom now. But I don’t mind it. “Can we go over some logistics for this month’s schedule? We’ll have to shift things now that Chao-Ahn is going home.”
“Schedule meeting in ten minutes!” I shout. “Be there or be on bathroom cleaning duty!”
“I call babysitting on Jessi’s days off!” Maricruz shouts.
“I don’t take days off!” Jessi shouts back, violence in her tone. Maricruz laughs brightly, and I’m not dreading the schedule, or talking with my mom, or any of it. I don’t feel like I have to avoid anyone, or pretend to feel anything I’m not. I’m okay with feeling everything I am. The happy parts, the dark parts, and everything in between.
“I’ll be right there.” I stand, stretching. “Just let me help Chao-Ahn load the car.”
At the bottom of the stairs, a hand shoots out of the shadows and grabs my wrist, spinning me off the path and into Leo’s arms.
“Hey,” he says.
“Hey,” I say.
He looks good. Better than good. He looks amazing. Cillian sometimes gets a little jumpy—buzzing, he calls it—and Leo drains the excess. It might not be a permanent solution, but it’s working for now.
“Seems like you need more training.” He frowns thoughtfully down at me, his hands around my waist.
“Excuse me?”
“You should have sensed I was there and blocked my attack.”
“You’re assuming I wanted to.” I go on my tiptoes and press my lips to his. We had a lot of talks. So you’re part demon talks, and so you thought you could die instead of having a fight about all your lies talks. Painful talks, but good talks. And now Leo and I both have someone who knows exactly what it feels like to worry you’re going to hurt the people around you. Who understands having to work to keep the angry and predatory parts of yourself under control. We don’t have to be ashamed. We can be proud. Because it’s hard, but we do it. Together.
A few moments—or minutes—luxuriating in the feel of his mouth on mine pass before I pull away, remembering I came down here for a reason. I twist free of Leo’s grasp with a laugh, then hurry to where Cillian’s mother is helping Chao-Ahn load everything. She’ll take the Slayer to an airport and help her get on her way back home. One of these days I’ll go to London to meet Faith in person. Maybe even San Francisco to meet Buffy. But for now, dreams are enough. I have plenty of Slayers in my real life too.
“I am ready.” Chao-Ahn loads her small pack into the car. Then she turns to me. “I was afraid to face the monsters of my home—my past—for too many years. Thank you for helping me find my strength again.”
“And thank you for helping me face my storm.”
“See you in dreams?”
“No more ice cream, okay?”
She laughs and hugs me, then climbs into the car. Taylor waves forlornly, but everyone else has already said their good-byes. Sanctuary might be permanent for some of us, but it makes me happy to see someone take what they need and then go back out into the world.
I’m surprised as another car pulls up just after Esther’s car disappears. A young woman, maybe a couple of years older than me, her nose pierced and her expression intense but haunted, leans out the window.
“I hear you help Slayers.” Her fierce tone is belied by the slight tremble in her hands as she grips the steering wheel. “Take them in.”
Prophecies and ancient forces have tried to claim me. Generations of tradition have tried to steer me. Trauma and fear have tried to stop me. But today, right now? I’m exactly who I’m supposed to be. I smile. “Welcome home, Slayer.”