The house was quiet.
The twins were safely at school.
For once, the chaos had taken the day off, leaving him to enjoy the day in the arms of Hisashi and Kaimana.
Naturally, that’s when it all went wrong.
When Hisashi senses their fourteen-year-old children slipping into the in-between—and then loses them completely—Oisin is left with a very serious problem.
The magical trackers aren’t working.
Hisashi’s connection is gone.
And no one knows where the trouble-prone kids have disappeared to.
Gesa cannot find out.
What follows is a desperate scramble that spirals far beyond anything Oisin expected—to another country, into demon territory, future bargains, and a retrieval mission that depends on allies who are powerful, unpredictable… and far too amused by his situation.
Through it all, Oisin does what he does best—smiles, jokes, and pretends everything is perfectly under control.
Even when it absolutely isn’t. Especially when it comes to the family he would burn the world to protect.
This short story features chaotic parenting, demon politics, found family, and one very dangerous truth: they lost the kids, and Gesa is going to find out.
A Gesa’s Menagerie short story.
Kaye Draper writes character-focused paranormal romance with found family, inclusive relationships, and plenty of snark. Her stories often feature poly romances, LGBTQIA+ representation, unconventional heroes, and characters who refuse to fit neatly into anyone else’s expectations—but still find a place where they truly belong.
She lives in Michigan with a houseful of demonic furballs and is still waiting for her own personal call to adventure, or a fae abduction. (The hot kind of fae, not the dance-’til-you-die sort.)
She also writes dark fantasy romance as Julia K. Wolf, if you enjoy darker, more emotionally intense stories focused on survival, healing, and transformation.