Chapter 16

Rory

Days fade into a week, and I've grown far too comfortable with my current situation. I can't get enough of them—Cas's endearing goofiness or Amon's closed-off intensity. They're two puzzle pieces, one vibrant and colorful, the other subtle and muted, but when they come together, they somehow create a masterpiece.

It's as beautiful as it is terrifying.

My human life has come to a screeching halt, and I know I need to get it back on track. Look for a job, revert to a normal lifestyle…

Find a way to send them home.

The thought hurts more than it should.

Whenever Cas dips his head and snags me with that flirty grin, or when Amon allows me a tiny glimpse past his barriers, I lose another piece of myself.

Bit by tiny bit, I'm giving myself away.

Giving myself to them.

Goodbye is inevitable, but that doesn't make it any easier.

And so, for now, I choose to ignore the dark cloud of the end that looms over me. Pretend that it's not sand in my palms, silently slipping through my fingers.

Tell myself that it's not going to come crashing down around me before I'm ready.

A loud bang and a shout erupt from somewhere in the house, and I jump to my feet, pulled out of my head in an instant. As I charge through the hallway, the acrid smell of smoke burns my nostrils. Wisps drift from the attic door, cascading down the stairs like a fog.

"Guys!" I yell, climbing the steps as fast as my short legs will carry me, and as I reach for the handle, a foreign noise explodes from the room.

Rich and warm, it's a ray of sunshine that rolls over my skin, and I crack the door open by a sliver. Amon clutches his stomach, head thrown back, as he laughs with pure joy. It takes my breath away as I take in his crinkled eyes and giant smile. Laughter causes his whole body to shake, and his long, silky hair ripples in sync.

It's the most amazing sound I've ever heard.

An amused huff of air leaves my mouth as I shake my head, grinning despite myself, until a loud shriek pulls me out of my reverie. "You ass, don't just fucking stand there! Help me before Rory sees!"

Torn between curiosity and walking away to pretend this never happened, I push the door open. Cas's eyes are wider than I've ever seen them as they meet mine, and my mouth drops in pure shock.

He stares.

I stare.

"Too late!" Amon absolutely howls as he doubles over, clutching his sides. Shadow sits at Amon's side, tail flickering. If cats could laugh, I'm pretty sure she would be.

"Wha… wha… Cas!" He jumps as I shout his name, grimacing. "What happened?! "

"I can explain…" he starts, pushing his fingers through his hair and cringing when he touches it. Usually, his hair is raven black with a bluish hue to it, long on top with the sides short. But now? It's past his shoulders and standing on end like he stuck his finger in an electrical socket.

Oh, and did I mention it's pink?

Neon, blinding, unicorn-vomit-pink.

It's at this moment that I notice that he's hunched forward, hands cupping his crotch, and my eyebrows climb even higher on my face. Honestly, at this point, they'll probably just take flight.

Amon cackles louder, slapping his hand on his thigh. "Show him!" he hollers. "Show him the rest!"

"No!" Cas wails, but Amon swoops in and yanks his sweats to the ground. My jaw practically hits the floor as I stare at the gigantic puffball of pink pubic hair on his crotch.

Unable to control it, a giggle escapes from my mouth, and soon enough, I'm laughing uncontrollably alongside Amon, my eyes welling up with tears. "I am so glad you are enjoying yourselves!" Cas shrieks, scrambling to pull up his pants.

Wiping at the joyful streams that run down my face, I try to compose myself. "Okay, what happened?"

Cas huffs a haughty sigh, crossing his arms and looking away, like he can't tolerate us laughing at his cotton candy crotch. "We've been experimenting with magic…"

"Wait, what?" I sober in a heartbeat and storm over to see Granny's spellbook wide open on the table.

"We… uh, wanted to find some spells to help you," Cas says, and my bullshit meter is off the charts right now. He won't even meet my eyes, but interrupts before I can interrogate him.

"We thought it would be a good idea to do some simple spellwork to avoid any… mishaps." He sighs again, a tuft of pink hair flying away from his face.

"How's that going for you?" I ask dryly, and he rolls his eyes.

"Peachy," he mutters.

"A touch more pink than peach," Amon says with a snort, and I whip to stare at him. First laughing, now joking… what's gotten into him?

Cas pretends he can't hear him as he walks to the desk, his giant flamingo-colored bush peeking over the top of his pants. It makes me wheeze with another laugh as he turns to read through the page of the spellbook. Suddenly he freezes, and a very un-demon-like giggle leaves Amon while Cas twists in slow motion.

"You did this on purpose!" he hisses, eyes glowing red as he jabs a finger at the section he was reading. "You oversized, billy-goat-horned asshole! You've been planning this for days !" Amon shouts as a blast of magic fires at him, shock soon replaced with outrage as he rears back to retaliate.

"Stop!" I shout, and both of them hang suspended in time at the command. "Do not destroy my house! I cannot believe I have to say this… again! " They both look chastised as they lower their hands.

"Now, until we can figure out how to reverse this spell, we'll have to do things the old-fashioned way." Cas frowns, apprehensive as he tugs at his neon locks.

"C'mon," I wave my hand as I walk towards the stairs. "Time for a haircut."