Kit chucked the last few stones from his pocket into the sea. They plopped in one by one. Quin picked up a rock the size of a brick and lobbed it into the sea. Kit laughed, a bright, joyful sound that warmed Quin’s insides. So, he picked up an even bigger rock and threw that in, too. He’d never been so grateful for his strength. Far from that of a vampire’s in his current form, but stronger than a human’s.
The act was primitive—throwing rocks to impress someone—but Quin would admit he was a simple man, with simple pursuits. Besides, Kit appeared to enjoy Quin’s attempts at lobbing bigger and bigger rocks, until he got to one that was more like a small boulder.
“You don’t think you’re going to be able to lift that up?” Kit asked.
“I can think it. It’s just whether my muscles will comply with my brain.”
“Far be it from me to tell you what your muscles can and can’t do.”
Quin pretended to flex. “These babies can rise to the challenge.”
“Don’t do your back in.”
“Out of the two of us, I’m not the old man,” Quin quipped.
“Excuse me?” Kit asked in pure disbelief.
“Oh no, is your hearing going too?”
Kit pressed his lips together. “Your generation has no respect for its elders.”
“Okay, boomer.”
Kit made a noise that was halfway between a squeal and a gasp. “You didnotjust say that to me.”
“Totally did. Did I get your age right?”
“Absolutely not. Now, go try to pick up that big rock. I want to see you fail.”
“You’ll be disappointed.” Quin braced himself, spreading his legs as he put his arms around the boulder. Lifting it, he found the biggest difficulty in keeping it aloft wasn’t the weight, but the awkward shape. He groaned as he lumbered towards the sea.
Kit hovered close, but Quin couldn’t risk sparing him a glance as he attempted to heft the boulder into the water. It fell straight down into the shallows and missed his toes by a matter of inches.
“Shit, that was stupid,” Quin said.
“Kinda,” Kit agreed.
Quin snorted. “On-brand for me.”
Kit’s brows drew together. “You’re not stupid, Quin.”
Quin gestured down to the small boulder. “My actions prove otherwise.”
“I mean, sure, it was a bit silly,” Kit conceded. “But you’re not stupid.”
“What’s the dumbest thing you’ve ever done?” Quin asked, rather than consider why Kit’s words affected him so much.
Quin could practically see the cogs turning in Kit’s brain. “It would be the time I had to run away from a rampaging bull.”
“Were you a matador in a previous life?” For all Quin knew, it might have been the case.
“I was an idiot teenager who saw multiple signs saying, ‘Private property: keep out’ and ignored them. In my defence, it was the first time I’d gone to the countryside.”
“So you thought cutting across a field was a good idea?”
“Yep. The bull chased me and my sister right up to the fence. I had to stop to boost her over first—she was even shorter than me—so I made it out with seconds to spare. It caught sight of us from a bloody mile away as well.”
“You have a sister?” Quin asked.
