“None of us are, darlin’, but that don’t mean we let him eat away at himself down there.”

Bentley stood and stretched his back and neck. “Squishy, Albert, and Olli . . . wanna go back to bed?”

All three of them jumped up and hurried to the stairs after him.

Then Bentley paused and frowned at Cooper. “Talk to Myrtle about . . . this.” He gestured to Deacon, then went upstairs.

Emersyn yawned. “I’m going down to sleep⁠—”

“Up. You’re going up⁠—”

“I’m not sleeping in our bed until you are⁠—”

“Butterberry, you need rest⁠—”

“Which is why I’m going to sleep⁠—”

“Emersyn—”

“Deacon.” She stood, then looked down at him with those flames in her eyes. “If my father gets to sleep on a bed next to Mom’s bed, then I get to sleep down there with you too. There’s plenty of space on that bed for me to be the little spoon. You ain’t that big.”

Deacon smiled lovingly at her. “At least move me over a little?”

“Don’t stay up like this.” She gestured between him and Cooper. “It’s not safe for Cooper. I have enough family members unconscious at the moment, thanks. Also, I better see you in my dreams, Mr. English.”

“Then I guess you better go to bed, Ms. Bishop.” He waited until Emersyn had gone down the stairs and it was just the three of us, then he grinned. “I’m just sayin’, I bet Savannah’s got wicked brilliant ideas.”

There was my segue. I cleared my throat. “Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that.”

Cooper scowled. “About Savannah’s ideas?”

Deacon shook his head. “Nah, she’s got her own idea.”

“I was wondering, Cooper, if you could, I don’t know, maybe somehow check out my dreams?” I rubbed my hands together as nerves took seat in my gut. Now that I was asking it, I was doubting my idea. But too late to back out now. “Because . . . I’m not really sure what’s happening in there. Am I astral projecting? Are they psychic visions? I don’t know and it’s honestly unsettling. Also, I’m not sure if my body and mind are both actually resting, you know?”

“Yeah, I can do that.” He put his hands on his hips and watched me closely. “I definitely think there’s more to learn with the way Sweyn and Asmodeus liked to play in your head.”

Deacon nodded. “And Everest.”

Cooper glared at him.

Deacon grinned. “I plan to be an absolute menace, yes.”

Cooper shook his head, then turned back to me. “Look, Frankie, that soulmate of yours is something else. He’s terrifying, like even more so than Tenn, and that’s saying a lot. But Deacon isn’t wrong, even if I was hoping to avoid him. Everest talks to you in your mind, right?”

I bit my bottom lip and nodded.