“Am I supposed to hold you?” I ask.
“Hold me, choke me, whatever strikes your fancy,” he says as his finger pushes my sleeve up a little. Why is he so fascinated by them? They’re…
I stare down at my arm where he’s managed to push the sleeve up to show a hint of my tattoo.
I decide to go for a headlock and pin him down. “We are all criminals now,” I declare. “You guys have made me a criminal.”
“Welcome to the dark side,” Landon says.
August nods approvingly. “I like it here.”
“The funds from Superheroes United should not go toward your family’s fuckups. The funds are supplied by tax?—”
“Deus, please, his rambling about legalities is making me feel uncomfortable, make him stop,” Landon whines.
Asmodeus leans back and beams at me. “I refuse to tamp down any of my husband’s joys in life.”
“We are not married,” I say.
“You two are so sweet!” Brandon exclaims. “You should have invited me to the wedding!”
“We aren’t married,” I repeat.
Asmodeus isnotdeterred. “We are at heart.”
“That’s how I met my wife,” Baker says. “In the arms of another man.”
I look at him, not quite sure what this has to do with anything, but he’s not done as he continues, “She told me she’d only consider a date with me if I showed my strength. I beat that little fucker up. Made him cry… those were the good ol’ days.”
“Doesn’t have to be in the past,” Asmodeus says. “I would happily beat up some random stranger for you to bring a smile to your face.”
“No, you wouldn’t!” I haul him down so he’s forced to look at me. “You are now a superhero of this city. People look up to you, they watch you, and they need to know that you are the good guy.”
His blue eyes fixate on mine and I’m reminded of Henrik claiming they’re his sister’s eyes. I have so many questions, but I know Asmodeus will tell me when he feels ready to.
“I’m not here to be a hero,” Asmodeus says, “and I’m not here to have others look at me in any way. I wouldn’t give a shit if the whole world hated me; I only care about keeping the people safe who drew me out of that hell.”
I think everyone is startled by this. So I release the choke hold and pat him on the head, making him look absolutely thrilled. He tilts his head back and beams at me while I question what the fuck I’m doing.
Because whenever I close my eyes, I see death, and I know that I can’t let it happen again.
“It’s weird how far you’ve come, NoTouchy. At first, all I saw was a slaughterer of books,” Landon says.
August’s eyes narrow. “You like… fully skim over all the people he actually killed in that forest the day he joined us. It’s strange how the only life you seem to remember is?—”
“My book. My beloved book. I mourn his loss daily. I have built a shrine where his replacement sits untouched and never as loved as the first version.”
“Y’all say I’m the weird one,” Asmodeus comments.
“I’m the normal one,” Lex says. “Landon… I think… we should… probably like… practice my fire at the Superheroes United facility tomorrow…”
“Where Nolan is, you mean?” Landon asks.
Lex glares at him. “No. I want to practice with my fire.”
“With Nolan watching. Do you think it’d help if he held you like Jack held Rose on the Titanic? Do you think your fire would listen then?”
“I’m burning your clothes off again tomorrow.”
