Page 107 of Stone Temptation

She huffed again. “I see.”

“Think I’ve taken your bed,” I said.

“I do not require the sofa bed.”

“Where will you sleep?”

“I will be back in the morning.” She swam away.

Stepping on toes? Or fins, I should say.

Right. Enough of this sogginess. Some serious thinking was required.

At the dining table, I laid out the pieces of this puzzle in my head. The ring, the gas mask humans, the attack on the London tower, the king, Luke’s visons. All of it. The ogre got put in its own folder. That might be a different situation. A monsters changing to rise up kind of thing. A freaky possibility, but a real one. After all, the motes changed the game before, and they might do it again.

Never reject any threat as bollocks.

Anyway, back to Luke.

As much as it sucked to admit, Seth’s ring tests were a good idea. The king and the ring were the keys. Unless we could get something out of the gas mask humans.

I sat for a good hour, reaching zero conclusions.

Fuck it.

Luke woke long after the movie finished. I’d flicked the TV onto an old rugby game.

He sat up bleary-eyed, hair all fluffy and adorable. “What time is it?”

“Three in the morning.”

He yawned, rubbing at his peepers. “Why are you sitting on the floor?”

“You were sleeping, and I was soggy from popping outside. All dry now.”

Luke swung his legs off the sofa. “This is your bed. Let me make it up for you.”

“No need.”

“There is. I’ve got a bed to go to. Let me…” He cut himself off with a massive yawn.

“Go back to sleep. I’m cool.”

“This is not good.” His legs were back on the sofa, his body sinking into the cushions. “I’m a bad host.”

He conked out half a minute later.

“Sweet dreams, human. Sweet dreams.”

TWENTY-FIVE

Luke

Tom: You got marked by a gargoyle?

The text came through as I prepared for my swimming session. Asher waited downstairs for me, listening to pop songs on his old-school radio—a nice addition to my kitchen.

Poor guy. He slept on the floor all night because of my sleepy arse. He would certainly be receiving the full sofa bed treatment tonight.

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