Page 107 of My Wild Horse King

“More like watching me get destroyed,” I mutter.

“No way,” Gabe says. “If I could pick to be one superhero, I’d have picked Iron Man for sure—until I met you. Now I’d pick you.”

Grigoriy’s laugh strikes again, even louder this time. “The guy who keeps getting his butt handed to him?”

Gabe rolls his eyes. “The best ones always do at first. It’s the growth montage, duh.”

“Duh,” I say.

“I don’t remember them having to be healed three times in an hour like little bit?—”

“Language,” Abigail says.

Grigoriy snaps his mouth shut.

Kristiana laughs. “I kind of like being in the audience. It’s nice to watch my sweetheart in action.”

“You mean Dirt Dude?” I ask.

“I amnotDirt Dude,” Aleks says with a snarl.

“You prefer Mud Man?” I shrug. “I mean, I guess it’s your call.”

Gabe and Whitney are laughing so hard that I actually feel kind of bad for mocking Aleks.

“What should we call him?” Nate points at Grigoriy.

“Meathead?” I suggest.

“How about Wind Whipper?” Katerina says.

“Breeze Boy,” I say. “Hands down.”

“I like it,” Aleksandr says.

“Do you like it,Mud Man?” Grigoriy slugs him on the shoulder. “You would.”

“It’s Mister Mud Man to you.” Aleks is smiling, shockingly.

When Alexei and Adriana wander through the back door, they’re tossed into the mix as well.

“Water Wuss,” Grigoriy says. “Because he can’t even use his power.”

“Aquaman,” Adriana says. “Obviously.”

“But there’s already an aqua man,” Nate objects. “I don’t think you can take a name that’s already been taken.”

“H2O Hombre,” Steve says. “Or Lake Lad.”

Gabe’s chuckling. “You’re all horrible at this.”

“I think that’s the point.” Katerina’s smiling.

I sling an arm around her, and for just a beat, I wish we could freeze time. I know Leonid’s coming, and I know that when he gets here, things will be complicated. Probably even dangerous.

That means we’ll need to leave here soon. We can’t lead him to these nice people. It would be the worst way to repay their generosity. But I realize that, in this moment, I’m happy.

That hasn’t happened for me much.

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