Julian shows up around five with dinner in hand, and to my immense relief, he looks just as nervous as I feel. I guess it was easier for us to feel comfortable last time when we were busy stressing over our parents and Aunt Daisy… Plus, I was drinking then, which definitely helped take the edge off. No such luck today. Lukas stands up to greet him, casual as ever, while my brother immediately thrusts out his hand for a shake. Lukas pauses, one eyebrow raised like he’s debating whether to read Julian’s mind right there on the spot. Julian just shrugs, his awkward smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
“Pretty sure all you’re gonna hear is ‘hi’ and ‘damn I’m nervous.’” Julian says, his voice just a touch higher than usual. Lukas chuckles and finally shakes his hand.
“Such weird siblings.” He mutters, more to himself than to us. But the comment does the trick, it makes both Julian and me laugh, and suddenly everything feels lighter, more relaxed. Like we’ve reset to that easy, teasing vibe we stumbled into last time. Since Julian’s mostly up to date on everything through a series of text messages I’ve sent him during the week, we don’t dive straight into necromancers, demons, or the disaster that is our family tree. Instead, we fall into talking about work, random life stuff, and, eventually, Julian FINALLY spills the story of how he met his girlfriend. Honestly? The entire thing makes zero sense. From what I can gather, there was some kind of flower related emergency. He either saved her prized orchids from certain doom, or she rescued him from an unfortunate encounter with a rogue potted plant? Maybe they both saved the same plant at the same time, reaching for it in slow motion, hands brushing as violins played in the background? I don’t know. Honestly, the whole thing is a blur because Julian spends more time complimenting her than actually explaining what happened. Half the reason his story is so completely indecipherable is because he keeps getting sidetracked with things like, ‘And then she smiled, and wow, her smile just lights up a room, you know?’ Or he’ll drift off mid sentence, clearly replaying the memory in his head with some sort of mental romantic soundtrack. What is clear, though? My brother is completely and utterly obsessed with this girl. Like, cartoon hearts floating above his head obsessed. He’s got it bad. The kind of bad where he’d probably write her poetry and not even be embarrassed about it. I NEED to meet this girl. Anyone who’s got my brother acting like the star of a bad romantic comedy movie must be worth meeting. By the time Julian finally finishes waxing poetic about his girlfriend, seriously, the man could write a sonnet… We’ve all polished off the takeout he brought. Well, WE have. Julian’s been talking the entire time we were eating, so he’s barely touched his plate.
When Julian finally takes a breath between bites, he shifts gears.
“So… How’s the whole necromancer-demon-witchcraft saga going?” He asks, like he’s asking about a project I’m working on at the office instead of, you know, potentially life threatening supernatural drama. I sigh so heavily it feels like my soul is trying to leave my body. For dramatic effect, I lean forward to thump my forehead against the table, but before I can make contact, Lukas who’s been sitting next to me with his knee pressed against mine, catches me by the shoulders. Ugh. Foiled by the mind reader. I sit back up with a groan, rubbing the back of my neck.
“For all my researching, I’ve come up with… Nothing.” I admit, feeling defeated.
“I’ve got more lists than I know what to do with, but not a single thing we can actually use.” Julian frowns, setting down his fork like this is suddenly serious business.
“Well… I guess the biggest issue you’ve got is the demon deal, right?” He reasons. I nod miserably.
“Yeah.” I throw in another heavy sigh for good measure. Julian taps his fingers against the table, thinking.
“Didn’t you say you met that human girl who got out of a deal?” He asks. I shake my head.
“Not exactly. It’s complicated. Basically, she has two deals. I don’t even know how to explain it, but I’m pretty sure whatever Rina did won’t work for Wren.” I mean, seriously, the kid is barely hanging on as it is. I doubt he’s going to sign another deal with a demon, and that’s IF we could even come up with a plan that made sense. Plus, that’s IF Torin would agree, and that’s a big, fat if. So yeah… Not happening. Julian glances at Lukas, probably hoping for some magical mind reading insight. Lukas just nods his agreement, his expression as serious as ever.
“She’s right.” He confirms. Julian isn’t convinced, though.
“Still… Isn’t it worth talking to her again? Or that demon you said was friendly, Torin, right? Maybe they’d be able to help if you actually told them what the problem was.” He says pointedly. I wince.
“Uh… This isn’t exactly something we want to advertise.” I remind him. Julian groans like I’m being slow.
“Sis… You have a guy who literally reads minds hanging out with you and you’re like the most peppy, friendly person ever. If you can’t figure out who you can trust and convince them to help, then quite frankly you’re being stupid. Because you’re seriously not taking advantage of the skills you both have.” Julian complains. I blink.
“Are you… Complimenting us or insulting us right now?” I ask, a little confused. Julian grins.
“Both.” He answers bluntly. I huff, crossing my arms over my chest.
“So… You think we should get help, then?” I sum up.
“Yes. Obviously!” Julian throws his hands up.
“You need a way to escape a demon, and you know a demon AND someone who’s managed it before. Instead of searching aimlessly, use the resources you have!” He sounds beyond frustrated. Before I can respond, Lukas, who’s been quietly listening to the whole conversation, suddenly speaks up.
“Okay, let’s do it. Now.” He says with a nod. I whip my head around to stare at him.
“Wait, what? We can’t go now!” I argue. Lukas frowns like I’m the one being unreasonable.
“Why not?” He asks.
“Because… We’re having dinner with Julian?” I remind him, gesturing toward the table like the evidence is right there in front of us. But Julian just shrugs, already starting to pack up the takeout containers.
“I don’t mind. We’ve finished eating, we caught up, and Ali told me she’d wait up. I love you, sis, but I’m not turning that down, especially if you’ve got somewhere else to be.” He grins, like the world’s most supportive brother, and stands up, brushing imaginary crumbs off his shirt.
“Hey Clare, walk me out?” He asks cheerfully, already heading toward the door.
“Sure.” I agree, mostly because I don’t know what else to do. But I make sure to shoot Lukas a ‘this isn’t over look’ as I follow Julian outside.
“I’ll go put my shoes on since we’re going out.” Lukas comments, casually strolling off like he doesn’t have a care in the world. As soon as he’s out of earshot, Julian turns to me with that mischievous grin that I know means trouble.
“So… Are you actually dating Lukas for real yet?” He asks, like it’s the most obvious question in the world. I scoff, rolling my eyes so hard I’m pretty sure I saw the back of my skull.
“No. I’m not.” I deny immediately, folding my arms over my chest for good measure. Julian raises an eyebrow, clearly not buying it.
“Why not? He’s perfect for you.” He insists. Since when does my brother care who I date? He’s starting to sound like Mum, and that is not a comparison he wants. Also, I refuse, flat out REFUSE to acknowledge the tiny, annoying voice in the back of my head that’s been thinking the same thing lately. Not that it matters. I don’t have time for dating. Not with demons, necromancers, and all the other chaos going on. And I’m pretty sure Lukas isn’t actually interested in me anyway. Sure, he flirts, a lot… But that’s just who he is. It’s not serious. He’s never said anything genuine. It’s all weird pick up lines and playful teasing.
“He’s not perfect for me, I’m not interested, and even if I was, we’re in the middle of a crisis.” I fire back, words tumbling out in a rush.
“Is this really important right now?” I demand. Julian just laughs, completely unfazed.
“That’s life, Clare. There’s always going to be a crisis or something to keep you busy. You might want to consider living your life anyway so you don’t miss it.” He pauses, giving me a pointed look.
“Besides, crises aren’t as bad when you have people to support you during them.” He adds. He sounds like a bad greeting card. Julian gives me a half hug before I can argue, then heads straight out the front door like he didn’t just drop a bomb on me and walk away. When did this conversation get so emotional? I squint suspiciously at the closed door. I blame Julian’s girlfriend. He’s all loved up, and now he wants everyone else to feel the same. I can’t decide if I’m happy for him or just straight up annoyed. Lukas taps my shoulder to get my attention.
“Ready to go?” He asks and I sigh heavily. Nope, I’m just annoyed.