“We were just talking about what’s next,” Death said.
Daria sat between them, and Hope pulled up another chair to complete their circle.
Complete? No. It felt… wrong, without the others.
Bringing his thoughts back to the present, back to the ones that were there with him, he cleared his throat. “According to Cadmon, the blade is in the Brighton Museum of History. We should do some research and see what security is like. I’m sure between the four of us we can—”
“In the park, I could control the chaos. I think if I trust it, it can get us in. I don’t know for certain what will happen since it’s a bit unpredictable, but I think it’ll help. And if not? Then we just grab the blade and run as fast as possible. We have to get the weapon,” Daria said. Her tone was as serious as he’d ever heard it, and his worry returned.
“We’ll get it, don’t worry,” Betrayal responded, his tone just as vacant.
“I still wonder why the three of you didn’t get taken too?” Daria finally murmured, her expression filled with frustration. That question had probably been on her mind all morning, just like his. She stared up at the sky, cloudy and pink with the sunset.
“Maybe the ritual got interrupted by something?” he guessed.
She sighed. “Or someone?”
Hope’s mind began racing, wondering if there were other demons, possibly ones who hadn’t agreed with Pandora’s plan, who were—
“It doesn’t matter,” Daria muttered, lowering her head and facing them. Her gaze bounced between all three of them. “It doesn’t matter why you weren’t taken. I’m just glad you’re still here,” she admitted. Her voice grew scratchy on the last few words, and she cleared her throat before waving her hand through the air. “I guess we need to do some research. I don’t know any of Persy’s passwords, so we can just use my laptop. I don’t know how to use her tech anyway, so it’s probably best that we don’t mess with it. She’d be pissed,” Daria continued with a chuckle.
A frown tugged at Hope’s lips, and he shared a look with Death. That chuckle was so out of character from her mood so far.
“What do we need to know to get inside?” Daria mused aloud, ignoring their worried glances. “The busiest and calmest times of the day? We probably need to visit during the busiest time to blend in, and we can scope the place out.” She chuckled. “I sound like a cat burglar, don’t I?”
“Uhm, Daria. I think the best thing we can do for now is get some sleep. It’s been a long day, and we need to rest,” Hope suggested.
She was quiet for a long time, her gaze dropping to the ground. “A part of me knows you’re right, but I couldn’t sleep if I tried. I just feel like there’s something we can be doing, you know? I mean, Misery and Truth and everyone else is trapped. While we, what, snuggle up and go to sleep? That doesn’t feel right.”
Death’s voice took on a commanding tone. “The last thing they would want is you exhausting yourself. And you know they wouldn’t want you sleeping alone, so yes. That’s what we’re going to do. I’ll take first watch of the hostage, and you two can work out who’s sleeping where.”
“But I—”
“Don’t argue. We’re all worried, we’re all upset over what happened today, but we have to keep ourselves healthy if we want to get them back.”
Daria swallowed back whatever response she held on the tip of her tongue and nodded. “Fine.”
If Death detected the same attitude Hope did in that one word, he chose to ignore it. “I’ll set up to watch now, but you guys go get some sleep.”
With that, he stood, squeezed Daria’s shoulder comfortingly, and left for the garage. Hope wanted to fucking squeeze the guy in a hug for taking care of her so sternly. It was what she needed right then.
“So…” Betrayal started, glancing between the three of them. “I think Daria needs some lightness right now, and we all know between the two of us, Hope, you’re better suited for that.”
“Who are you to tell me what I need?” Daria asked.
Betrayal just arched a brow at her, and she shrugged. “Okay, fine. So maybe you’re right.”
“Don’t worry, I still like you,” he retorted, and leaned over to plant a kiss on the top of her head.
Her eyes widened at the affectionate gesture, and as he left, Daria only stared open-mouthed at his back.
“Did he just—” She muttered, after the door closed behind him.
Her shock made his lips twitch as amusement drifted through him. “I think he did. Are you ready to sleep?”
Her gaze, a little brighter than the moments before, sought his and she shrugged. “I guess?”
Hope stood, his chair scraping lightly across the deck wood, and he held his hand out. Hesitantly, she placed her hand in his, and he tugged her up, squeezing tight. She squeezed back, and he led them through the house to his room. Walking through the house only emphasized the silence, the quiet that, under any other circumstances, would have been comforting. Instead, it was just depressing.
Neither of them spoke again until Hope shut the door to his room behind them.
“Daria, are you okay?” he asked cautiously.
Wringing her hands together, she turned to stare at him, and did just that—stared. Her gaze drifted from his face to his hands and back up again. As if she was searching for something.
“Aren’t you… mad? Don’t you get upset?” she questioned, running her hands through her hair. “You’re just so… calm and collected all the time, and I feel silly being so upset around you that I—”
Hope crossed the distance between them and grabbed her hands, removing them from her hair and clasping them between his own. “Daria, I’m furious that Pandora has gotten this far,” he admitted. “It’s only been a few hours, but I miss them. Even Misery, cracking his sad, depressing jokes that still somehow manage to be funny. But I can’t let it rule me. You, better than anyone, know what kind of double-edged sword hope can be, and if I give into it, it’ll cleave me in half. So yes, I appear calm and collected, but trust me when I say I am just as upset as you are.”
Her gaze widened the longer he talked, her fingers squeezing and releasing between his own. Then she nodded, her lips quivering.
It broke Hope’s heart to see her upset, but before he could say anything, she trapped her bottom lip between her teeth and sucked in an audible breath.
“I’m sorry you’re upset, but I’m glad too, if that makes sense? It makes you seem more…”
“Human?” he guessed.
Her cheeks flushed as she nodded, and Hope wanted nothing more than to pull her into his arms and kiss her, but he refrained.
Wrong time.
“I don’t want to lie down,” she said, her gaze falling to the bed. “I’m afraid that if I lie down, that if I… stop, it’ll leave room for everything to catch up with me.”
“So let it,” Hope told her.
He tugged her closer, wrapping her in his arms and resting his cheek against the top of her head. Her breaths warmed his chest. “Let it out. You know I’m here for you.”