Poe had taken to his new house almost immediately. When my mother got there, she set down the cage and immediately ran to me, and he loudly meowed behind the bars until Caitlin was generous enough to let him out. He immediately repaid her by running over to the couch and running his claws down the side. Caitlin had chased after him, talking about how she was going to get rid of him in the morning. The next day, I walked into the living room to find him sleeping on her lap. Oh, how the tide turns.


    My mother had spent four days with me, babying me significantly more than was necessary, and making sure that I had everything I could ever possibly need. Liam tried to do the same thing for a while, but I ultimately sent him away, because the major thing I did not need was him and my mom battling over who got to take care of me. But on the fourth evening, we arranged a flight back for my mom because there wasn’t that much that she could even do to help me out anymore. I hadn’t had any more seizures, and while the long scab with the staples still looked nasty, it was healed to the point that there wasn’t a danger of me ripping it open. My hair even started to grow back, but Liam helped me shave it off into a better approximation of a side cut.


    Finally, after nearly a week of having someone hovering over me around the clock, I laid back in my bed, joyously alone, and fell into a gentle sleep with no nightmares. I hadn’t had a dream at all since the incident, and I wasn’t sure if that was because of the heavy pain meds, or because I wasn’t hardly around Luke at all. He’d come into my room a couple of times, apparently mostly at Liam’s bidding when he thought my mom had gotten sick of him hanging around, but other than that, he’d been staying as far away from me as possible.


    I’d ended up telling Liam and my mother about the dream at the same time, not long after she arrived. She scooped Poe out of his carrier and handed him to me, and when he curled up in my lap, it all came pouring out. My mom looked more surprised than Liam did - he just stood there, shaking his head and muttering “fucking demons” over and over. I had to assume that was why Luke hadn’t been to visit me much - a collective group decision to try to keep any prospective demons away.


    I was already starting to wake up when I heard a light tap on my door. “Come in,” I said, stretching so much that I would be surprised if they understood what I was saying, but Liam slowly opened the door anyway.


    “Hey,” he whispered, stepping inside when he noticed that I was awake. “I hope you’re not just awake because of me?” I shook my head in response. “Oh good.” He closed the door lightly behind him, then came to sit on the edge of my bed. “Is there anything you need? Water, a snack?”


    I started to shake my head, then stopped myself. “I don’t need anything, but I’d love for you to stay for a while. I haven’t gotten a chance to see any of you for a while.”This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    Liam chucked. “Yeah, your mom really went into mama bear mode when you were injured. We were all terrified to come to visit for fear that your mom would maul us.”


    I lightly swatted his arm. “In fairness to her, I spend a little bit of time with you and I’m knocked out cold by the first demon I encountered.”


    “Don’t blame me, blame the demon,” he said with a shrug.


    “Speaking of,” I said, sitting up more in bed so that I was closer to face-to-face with Liam, “is the demon gone? Obviously, the end of the exorcism is a little fuzzy for me.”


    He shrugged, which didn’t instill me with much confidence. “It’s hard to say, with our resident ghost-seer out of commission. Circe said she was positive that it was gone this time, and that she felt the spirit of the demon move through her. Granted, after her last performance, I, at least, think that she’s great for the cameras, but otherwise is pretty much total bullshit.”


    I raised my eyebrows - of course, I’d been thinking that, but I’d done my best to keep my opinions to myself. “So you still think he’s possessed, then?”


    He shrugged again. “He’s looking better, so maybe not? He said he’s been able to sleep a bit more at night, so that seems like he’s turning the corner. But he says he doesn’t feel any different except maybe less tired, so we decided that it was best to keep him away from you, at least until you’re healed.”


    “You specifically sent him in here a couple of times,” I argued.


    “Well, yeah, but he was miserable not getting to see you, and if the demon is going to count ‘bringing you a glass of water’ as close interaction, we’re all screwed anyway.” I nodded - he had a fair point. “But, as soon as you’re back to normal and your head wound has healed, we’re willing to let you two in close proximity again. Until that time, he’s on a strict regime of holy water and rosemary and oregano oil, which he hates.”


    I rolled my eyes. “That part is definitely bullshit.”


    “You say that, and yet what actually got the demon to full on attack you? Tons of probably unsanitary holy water and a disgusting concoction of some oils that Circe got off the internet,” Liam joked, lightly knocking me on my shoulder. Then his face grew more serious, as though touching me brought something out in him. “In seriousness, I’m glad you’re feeling better. I was scared that you were going to die in my arms for a second. I saw you falling, and I caught you as well as I could, but it’s hard to catch a falling body,” he said with a shrug. “You were so pale and lifeless that I thought you were dead right then, at least until you started convulsing.”


    “Thank you for that wonderful compliment,” I joked. “And thank you for catching me. This,” I said, pointing to my head wound, “would have probably been way worse if I had fallen to the floor first. Probably the demon’s attempt to take me out.”


    Liam reached up and touched my head, running his fingers right next to my wound, and I felt a shiver run down my back. His hand moved down from my hair until it was resting on my cheek. “I’ll always catch you,” he said, his voice nearly at a whisper.


    I had lived through a near death experience. I’d felt a barbed hook tear through my chest. I’d been stuck in the hospital, and then stuck in a bed with my mother for far too long. I was tired of waiting. So, instead, I reached up and grabbed the front of his black sweater with my hand and pulled him forward until his lips finally crashed into mine.