Page 118 of Hybrid Heroics

“There won’t be a next time.”

“You don’t know that. There’s always a chance, no matter how slim you think it is…”

I tipped my head, conceding, “That’s true.”

“How about a deal?” he offered.

“You want to negotiate with me?” I inquired, a brow raised.

“Not at all,” he stated, his tone teasing. “I want a warning if you ever have to close our bonds again. Even if it’s a last resort. So, pick a word. We’ll use that in case we’re ever in another situation like we were on Monday.”

“I say the word and you know what’s coming?” I asked for clarification.

He nodded.

“I don’t expect to be in another situation like I was with Alric, but I’ll humor you.”

“What’s the word, Barbie?”

“Ken.”

Briggs tilted head, giving me an unimpressed look. “Really?”

“Really,” I assured him. “I’ll call you Ken. People who don’t know us won’t think anything about it. They’ll assume it’s a nickname, that you’re my dream guy.”

“You made that sound like I’m not your dream guy.”

“I didn’t have one for a while, let alone six,” I confessed. “Don’t get your feelings hurt, but that Audi R8 Coupe in the garage is the star of my wet dreams.”

He rubbed his forehead with his middle finger. “That’s the weirdest thing I’ve heard you say so far. I still love you, but I can’t get the image of you trying to fuck a car out of my mind.”

I snickered. “I would absolutely fuck you in that car, but I’m not convinced you’ll fit it in, much less with me in your lap.”

Friday, June 26th

Noon

York lounged on the wrap-around sofa in the movie room, quietly contemplating the box in his lap. He hadn’t yet noticed me observing him as I leaned against the trim of the doorway. Or maybe he had, opting to stay silent until I came inside.

“What’s in the box?” I asked softly, sitting on his left.

“It’s a family heirloom,” he explained. “The box, not the contents. What’s inside it is something precious, invaluable.”

The rest of my guys made their way down the stairs, bags of snacks crinkling in their arms and ice faintly rattling in our drinks. We were going to watch a movie, but I hadn’t expected to find my druid here alone. When I saw him half an hour ago, he was in the greenhouse, tending his plants in peace.

“Are you going to open it?” I inquired, curious as to why he was simply staring at it. “Or is there a message on the lid?”

The side of his mouth quirked up. “Alric was looking for this. He must have given up, though. There would have been no way for him to open it.”

“Maybe he hadn’t. He couldn’t get into the druids’ realm, so I’m betting he thought it was there.”

“It wasn’t.”

I rested my head on his shoulder. “I know.”

“Stone has had it.”

“I know,” I repeated.