Takes place early January 2026 after: Recap (Effie, Mary, Sess, Alastor)
Atticus still felt like his head was wrapped in fog. The medicine helped. Mostly. But there was still a faint, stubborn pulse of pain behind his left temple that throbbed in time with his heartbeat. It wasn’t bad enough to stop him. Especially not tonight.
Not when Julian had already texted him, asking how he was. Asking if he was able to meet up. It would be a good distraction, at least. Because he’d already talked to his dads and Elliot about not going with them that night when they returned to the building where the attack happened.
Elliot had smiled at him, of course. Tired and warm, with that steady patience that made Atticus feel worse for worrying so much. There’d been so much blood that night, and even though the magic bone had done most of the work, he could still see how Elliot seemed paler than usual. And the wince he thought he was hiding every time he moved wrong.
“Just… please be careful,” Atticus had said. “Promise me you’ll be careful.”
He’d said it to all of them. To Elliot, to Devyn, to Michael, to Lucien. Michael had smiled in a way that looked like he was trying not to look worried himself. Devyn had kissed the top of his head, careful of the healing gash there, and told him they’d be fine.
He believed them. Or tried to.
He left first, with Elliot beside him, casually swinging their hands together as they walked to the meeting place they’d agreed on with Riker. It was a couple blocks away, and from the shadows, Atticus was certain he could see the outline of a large, fluffy cat, ready to mask their auras.
Atticus watched as a car pulled up, and he saw Riker lift a hand in greeting from the driver’s seat. Julian climbed out from the passenger side.
The sight of them made something in Atticus relax slightly. Julian looked better -- or at least less pale and haunted since he last saw him at the Celestial Theatre the previous night. Riker looked tired, but in one piece.
Elliot had walked him closer, and when it was time to part ways, Atticus turned to wrap his arms around him and pressed a kiss to his lips. His heart was racing, but he would trust them. What choice did he have?
Then he made Elliot and Riker promise to be safe and come back in one piece, before gently taking hold of Julian’s hand so they could walk a little further.
Hidden behind trees and bushes, Atticus drew in a breath and tried to smile at Julian. “Ready?”
The transformation came easy. Familiar warmth filled his chest and his warm sweater was replaced with a sheer cape of flowers, pale like the moonlight.
He waited for Julian to transform into Dering before nodding to him.
“Okay,” Ephesus said, voice a little too gentle, a little too close to breaking.
And for a moment, before they left the Earth behind, he pressed his fingers tighter around Dering’s, afraid that if he didn’t hold on, he might start crying after all.
