Page 160 of Stone Temptation

“No.”

“Tom is.”

“This is new, Luke. Everything will work out.”

For once, his reassurances were fluff.

Damn. What if I’d become something to be feared, loved, and worshipped? What if I was about to tumble into megalomania?

I got up, popping two more strawberry creams.

Someone hammered on the door.

Asher answered it to a hassled-looking Carissa, Seth, and Asher’s friend Dane.

Here we go.

THIRTY-EIGHT

Asher

If looks could kill, Luke would’ve slaughtered Seth several times over. He watched the weaver like a tiger poised to strike, his finger constantly tracing the rim of his glass of water.

Seth, Carissa, and Luke sat around the table, with Luke’s friends in the living room. Dane stood next to me in the kitchen, listening in.

Man, it was good to have my buddy here.

Seth went over every detail again, reaching the same conclusion—we had to find the king.

“You’re a fool,” Carissa aimed at Seth. “Why didn’t you report this at the time? What made you think you could…” She stopped, sipping her tea before turning to Luke. “I’m so sorry.”

Luke wasn’t impressed. “You’re considering the positives in having me around, though.”

“Sorry?”

“About how I can end the motes and the monsters. Then you can all go home.”

“Luke, don’t,” I interjected.

He rolled his eyes, saying nothing because he’d already dropped the mic. I’d had those exact thoughts. Seth might be a knob, but he’d been smart to keep Luke around and suppressed.

This was the real possibility of completely liberating Earth. But at what cost? What if it killed Luke?

My insides rejected the idea of his death.

Never. Never. Never.

Carissa got to her feet, smoothing down the front of her wrinkled gray hoody. “Going forward, at least for the time being, we have agreed that Luke’s power must continue to be suppressed.”

I dropped my folded arms, glancing at Dane.

Unexpected. I thought they might wanna train him up to join us in the good fight.

“Who decided this?” Luke responded.

“We did,” Seth answered, pointing between him and Carissa. “You’re too dangerous.”

Luke smirked, danger flashing in his eyes. “Jealous?”

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