Page 102 of Stone Temptation

He smiled. “I’m not unhappy. You’re a nice dude to be around.”

I sat beside him, sipping my tea. “I’m not going to be too much of downer?”

“You have every right to be sad.” He nudged me with his knee. “You feel what you need to feel. I’m not only here for breaking faces, but also for listening. I’m a good listener, remember?” He sat back, spreading his legs a little more, one arm flung over the back of the sofa. “Never forget it.”

“I won’t.”

His flip phone rang. “Excuse me a sec.” Holding it up to his mouth, he answered with an, “Asher here.”

“Report incoming,” a robotic voice said.

“Cool.”

“Patrols of Brinecrest intensified. Monster threat logged. Vigilance required. End.”

Asher lowered the device. “These things are always taken seriously.”

“That’s good.”

“Who are these masked humans?”

“I know they’re scary. The missing tongue part is?—”

His device buzzed. “Message from Carissa. Autopsy results. Says the man was bald, flame tattoos, no tongue. There was monster repellent in his system.”

“Wasn’t that proven too toxic for consumption?” A desperate attempt before the gargoyles sorted everything out.

“Yeah. Weird. But that doesn’t explain the chimera part. Why wasn’t the squished dude riding one?”

“They’re coming for me….”

We fell into silence, neither of us knowing what to say next.

I couldn’t take it.

“Listen,” I said. “What about a trip to the supermarket? We can stock up on your favorite things, clear our heads.”

He put the flip phone away. “Sounds cool to me.”

“Then we can sort out a plan. Like my schedule, the ins and outs of daily life.” I tapped the arm of the sofa. “This is your bed.”

“It’s comfy.”

“Wait until you experience it in its full glory. A fine purchase, I must say.”

He turned his body slightly, facing me. “I’ll do what I can to help with your research.”

My mood took a sharp plunge. “Oh…”

Flashes of Finn, the cove, his screams…

Not now…

I fled to the kitchen, feeling like a fool.

Where had my game face gone?

“Luke?”

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