Page 35 of Hybrid Heroics

“I wouldn’t call them lucky,” Stone mumbled.

“I’m just saying,” the vampire drawled. “They were lucky it took so long to catch them.”

“Back to the point,” Vaughn urged.

I pursed my lips. “Which one?”

“Steven’s,” the fae deadpanned.

“Right. Sloane is testing Alric.”

“Okay.” Brigg stared at me, waiting for more.

“But while that’s happening, Alric has already set his next plan into motion.” I shrugged. “Which is what brings me back to the druids’ realm. That virus-curse thing is magic that he’s spread. Based on what we saw from Talia, it’s highly likely that he was peeking through her eyes. That’s why they changed colors and had that milky tint to them. Although, I think the milky tint comes from him being stuck in Sloane’s mind until she releases him.”

Stone sat down, his gaze shrewd, while his voice was skeptical. “So we should leave?”

“What?” I snapped. “No.”

“Why?” Briggs argued. “If it spreads that quickly and easily—”

“I’ll tell you why,” I interrupted. “Alric may have people in the realm, but he hasn’t been here yet. He can’t cross through the portal. Do you know where he has been?”

I waited a beat for them to respond, and when they didn’t, I huffed out a humorless laugh. “The estate in Nashville. We can’t go back there until she’s awake and ready. It’s safer to stay here, because this is the only place we know he hasn’t set foot in. If we leave this realm before she’s awake, then we’re fucked.”

Novak blew out a long breath. “Okay. Fine. We stay until she’s awake. But do we know how long that’s going to be?”

“No idea,” I answered, feeling the frustration build between us.

We all turned to gaze at our mate, so fucking motionless, oblivious to the turmoil surrounding her.

“She’s fighting Alric, but she looks so peaceful,” Vaughn murmured.

“She’s probably fucking with him more than fighting him.” York chuckled, though he didn’t find any of this funny. “There’s an entire amusement park in her head, something she’s mixed with a circus and a country fair.”

Briggs snorted. “What?”

“I don’t know, man.” The druid held his hands out, as if he had nothing else to offer. “She’s seen some weird shit, and she held onto it.”

“I can’t unpack that right now,” Stone whispered.

“I would avoid it, if you can,” York advised. “Curiosity will kill you in a place like Sloane’s head.”

Novak studied her for another minute before he tipped his head in agreement. “So we’re staying. What next?”

Probably Friday, June 26th

Time Still Undetermined

The thing about kudzu was that it grew rapidly, overtaking a field in a single season. Those roots were hell to destroy.

And I had planted the seed of doubt so deeply in Alric’s mind that it would tear away his confidence in a matter of hours. If I played it right, he would look at the people around him, the people on his side, and wonder if they were really there for him. When he couldn’t decide, he would assume they were going to double-cross him.

I just had to get him thinking about it while also showing him he didn’t have the power over me he sought. He wanted to control me, but that was an impossible feat. Someone had been too nice to explain that to him.

It was kind of like those situations when kids told their parents they wanted to grow up and become a starfish.

Okay. That was a terrible example.