Page 36 of Hybrid Heroics

Plenty of kids had grown up to become complete fucking assholes. But my point still stood. How many of those kids lived in the ocean, able to regenerate arms?

None.

Though their parents had said something along the lines of, “You can be whatever you want.”

Which was a fucking lie.

Someone had told Alric that same lie.

Now he thought he could dominate the world and control everyone… And I had to be the bitch who told him he couldn’t grow up to be a starfish.

“So, this battle between you and me…” I began, keeping my voice light. “Is it just going to be us two fighting, or are you bringing friends?”

“Why does that matter?” Alric counted.

I shrugged. “It doesn’t. I’m simply curious to see who stands on your side.”

“So you know who took part in your defeat?”

“No.” I grinned at him. “To see who’s really on my side. Alliances change, you know?”

He chuckled. “Not these alliances.”

“Oh, I don’t know. I got to Palmer pretty easily,” I taunted. “Had him telling you lies about me for years before I ever met him. It wasn’t difficult to sway his loyalty. Doesn’t that make you wonder who else I’ve gotten to that you’ve simply overlooked? I mean, it’s not like you would catch them now, but it will be funny to watch them cross sides right before you make your big move.”

“Palmer was an oversight,” he snapped. “I should have kept a tighter leash on him.”

“A tighter leash wouldn’t have helped,” I informed him.

“Who is it you think has switched sides?” he mused, but his nostrils flared in a telling way.

So, I kept pushing. Just a little.

I tapped my chin. “Can’t say for sure, not until the day comes... But people get wishy-washy over time. Especially when their leader doesn’t prove that he or she can lead them. Or when said leader promises things that they can’t deliver. Shit happens.”

Alric regarded me coldly. “You have swayed no one other than the lowly mage who ended up as your mate.”

Palmer was far from lowly, but I kept my face a mask of pleasantries as I tipped my head. “Maybe. Maybe not.”

“You keep saying that…” He trailed off as I walked away from the mirrors.

The door to the funhouse opened for me, and I stepped into the comforting chaos of my circus. Alric stayed slightly behind me, tension rolling off him in palpable waves as his magic soared around us.

“How about I show you what your mates are up to right now?” he suggested.

“Like you did in the mirrors?” I queried. “Twisting images to be something that you hoped would break me? It won’t work.”

“No. I have eyes on them.” He waved his hand in front of us. “See through the dryad’s eyes. He’s with them now.”

As we stood on the stoop of the old Victorian funhouse, the imagery before us changed. My mates were in a homely dining room, plates of nearly untouched food scattered across the tabletop. A terrified woman was crumpled on the floor at Briggs’ feet.

Novak massaged his temples with a frown on his face before he glared at Stone. “You will not kill her. This is the only warning you get, Demon.”

“What are you going to do to stop me?” Stone smirked, agitation making his features appear darker than normal.

He dropped to his knees, reaching for his head as pain filled his expression. I wondered who the woman was, why they were arguing about her… Why she looked so scared and miserable. It wasn’t like my guys to kill innocents. That was more of a me thing.

If they were arguing over her death, then she had done something that was bad, but not my level bad, which piqued my interest.