Chapter Twenty-Four.

The smell of coffee and leftover chicken filled the kitchen as Sage and Harlow sat across from each other at the table, their plates half-empty, the morning sunlight casting a warm glow through the window. Harlow stretched her legs out, nudging Sage's foot playfully beneath the table.

"I was thinking," Harlow began, sipping her coffee, "maybe we could take a little trip today. I wanna show you where I grew up."

Sage looked up from poking at her mashed potatoes. "Oh yeah?"

"Yeah." Harlow smiled. "There's this tiny town about an hour away. You could meet some of my family, my friends. I think you'd like it."

Sage's brows knit together. "I don't know, Harlow… what if they don't like me?"

Harlow frowned. "Why wouldn't they?"

"I mean…" Sage trailed off, glancing down. "If they find out I'm a demon—"

"They won't care," Harlow cut in firmly. "Lyric's a demon, and they love him. And they'll love you too."

Sage chewed on her lip. "Lyric?"

"My cousin," Harlow explained. "He's tall, blue eyes, black hair—tattoos all over his arms. You'll see. He's chill. I'll call him now."

She pulled out her phone and dialed. After a couple of rings, a deep, familiar voice answered. "Sup, little angel?"

Harlow rolled her eyes. "You know I'm not an angel anymore."

Lyric chuckled. "Yeah, yeah. What's up?"

"I want you to meet someone. My girlfriend, Sage."

There was a pause, then an interested hum. "Oh? Alright. You wanna meet at the park?"

"Yeah, that works. Also, I was thinking…" Harlow smirked. "Maybe we could stop by your shop? Take Sage to get her first tattoo?"

Sage choked on her drink. "Wait, what?"

Lyric laughed. "We're off today, but I got you! Val and I got openings next week. Bring her by, we'll ink her up."

Sage shook her head as Harlow hung up, looking at her girlfriend with an exasperated smile. "You set me up."

"You'll love it," Harlow teased, standing up to rinse her plate. "Come on, finish eating. We've got a little road trip to take."

Sage sighed, but she couldn't help the small smile forming on her lips. She had no idea what to expect from today, but with Harlow by her side, maybe it wouldn't be so bad.

The drive to Harlow's childhood town was filled with music and soft laughter, the windows rolled down just enough to let the fresh air swirl around them.

 Sage tapped her fingers against the steering wheel, humming along to the classic hip hop playlist Harlow had thrown on. Every now and then, she'd glance over, catching Harlow watching her with that soft, love-drunk smile.

"What?" Sage smirked, flicking her eyes back to the road.

"Nothing," Harlow mused, her fingers brushing Sage's thigh. "Just thinking about how lucky I am."

Sage rolled her eyes but felt her face heat up. "You're such a simp."

"You love it."

Sage couldn't argue with that.

By the time they pulled into the tiny park on the outskirts of town, Lyric was already there, leaning against his car with his arms crossed. He was exactly as Harlow had described—tall, with piercing blue eyes and jet-black hair, the sleeves of his hoodie pushed up to reveal his tattooed arms. His ink was a mixture of anime characters and scenic designs, a carefully crafted work of art.

He lifted his chin in greeting as the girls stepped out of the car. "So, this is the infamous Sage, huh?"

Sage hesitated, sizing him up before flashing a cocky smirk. "That depends. What have you heard?"

Lyric let out a low chuckle, shaking his head. "I like her," he told Harlow. Then, turning back to Sage, he said, "Welcome to the family, I guess."

The tension Sage hadn't even realized she'd been holding melted away. She liked him too.

The three of them hung out at the park for a while, Harlow and Lyric catching up as Sage listened in, getting a better feel for Harlow's past. Eventually, Lyric pulled out his phone and showed off pictures of his son, Bailey.

"He's cute as hell," Sage admitted, scrolling through the photos.

Harlow leaned in, resting her chin on Sage's shoulder. "I love that little dude."

"Maybe one day, we'll—" Sage caught herself, clearing her throat as she handed the phone back.

Harlow didn't miss the implication, but she just squeezed Sage's hand, her lips twitching up in a knowing smile.

After a while, they headed over to Harlow's grandma's house. Sage was more nervous about this introduction, but Harlow reassured her as they knocked on the door.

An older woman answered, sharp-eyed but warm. She looked Sage up and down, then asked, "So, you're the one my granddaughter's all crazy about?"

"That'd be me," Sage said, standing up straighter.

Harlow's grandma narrowed her eyes playfully. "You gonna break her heart?"

"Never." Sage's voice was firm.

Harlow beamed, and even Lyric smirked. "Alright," the older woman said, nodding. "Good answer."

They spent a little time inside, chatting and drinking coffee, before making their way out. As they stood by the car, Lyric leaned against the hood, arms crossed.

"We should all hang out next week," he said. "Come by the shop. We'll get you both tatted up."

Sage smirked. "We'll see."

Lyric chuckled. "You'll be there."

After saying their goodbyes, Harlow and Sage got back in the car, and as they drove off, Sage hesitated before speaking.

"There's something I wanna do for you," she admitted, gripping the wheel a little tighter.

Harlow turned to her, curiosity dancing in her eyes. "Yeah?"

Sage nodded. "I need to go to the demonic temple for it. And I think I'm gonna need Draven's help."

Harlow sat up straighter, intrigued. "What are you up to?"

Sage just smirked, eyes gleaming. "You'll see."