Page 129 of How to Entice a Fiend

“Definitely closer to friend than enemy,” Finn says. “Even if you threw me off a bridge. You know… like friends do.”

“I have no friends,” Marcus states, which makes Alexei glower at him while Finn gives him a light smack.

“You do too!”

“You can be my friend!” Claude says. “Because you didn’t laugh at my hair like that monster did.”

“Uh… thanks.” Ender seems uncertain about that… and maybe we all do.

Marcus gives him a look of disbelief. “I’m the monster? That man tried killing you, but I’m the monster because I laughed?”

It is… kind of sketchy, but I just smile at Ender. “See? You made some friends. We’ll just skip asking Alexei.”

Alexei must feel left out because he says, “He threw his body in front of a sword for me, so I would say we’re no longer enemies but instead are foes.”

“Isthat better?” Finn asks.

“Yes,” Alexei says. “By a very minimal amount.”

“See?” I ask Ender.

“You sound so excited about that,” Ender says. “And then one day I’ll turn my back and he’ll have stabbed it.”

“Yeah but… you’re well on your way! You’ll be best friends before you know it!”

“Great, I only have to throw my body in front of his—what? Eight more times?”

Alexei doesn’t agree with that, judging by the look on his face. “At least twelve.”

“Twelve more times. Perfect,” Ender says.

I grin and squeeze him to me again.

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

ENDER

“Why haven’t you told Rylee we’re staying here?” Mads asks as he rolls into the bed and into my arms. I didn’t have my arms open and ready for him so instead, he simply rolls onto them.

“Because they’re going to bust through the door and drag me off to hell any minute,” I say as I catch his eyes.

“It’s been a week.”

“Correct. They’re waiting for me to lower my defenses.”

“You don’t think that maybe they’re being honest?” Mads asks as he reaches out and pushes my hair out of my face.

“No.”

“No? You sure?” Mads asks with a playful smile. He really seems to think I’m being dramatic when I’m merely being sensible.

“They’re trying to get me when I least expect it.”

“I’m positive they’re not going to just come in and go, ‘Ha, we were joking. Off to prison with you.’”

“Why wouldn’t they?”

“You’re so difficult. They’ve needed your help multiple times this week because they understand that now that you’re not so standoffish and chucking people off bridges, you’re a good guy. You just have to let yourself understand that and stop pushing them away. It’s okay to be scared that things might change. But don’t let it ruin things for you. I will Soup away all of your problems if I have to.”

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