Jackpot.
“Cerberus, back up,” I order.
He doesn’t move a muscle.
Arianna looks like she’s trying to bite back a giggle, and I narrow my eyes at her. “Your gift is in those bushes, so unless you want your dog to eat it, you should probably call him back.”
There’s a blur of motion as she leaps forward, and Cerberus immediately abandons the bush to make room for her.
Just as I reach them, she digs into the hedge and pulls out a rancid, decomposing penis.
The smell is putrid. I try to breathe through my mouth, but only end up gagging.
“Oh god, I didn’t expect you to touch it!” I choke.
She waves the flesh rod in the air, eyeing it curiously, but seems otherwise unbothered. “But you said it was a gift.” She points it to herself and gives an authoritative nod as she emphasizes, “Forme.”
I nod, pulling my arm over my nose.
It helps. Barely.
“It’s Rydon’s,” I explain.
Her eyes light up. “You didn’t tell me you cut off his cock! Thank you!” She reaches out to hug me, but I back up, holding my hands out to stop her.
She’s still holding the penis – hard limit.
“Can you put it down now? We just had lunch,” I beg. My stomach churns.
She looks appalled and hugs the penis to her chest in a protective gesture. Something green oozes from itand gets on her fighting leathers. “Absolutely not! This is the best gift I’ve ever received. I’m going to preserve it and turn it into a lamp. I’ll sleep better knowing the reason for my nightmares is now a nightlight.”
Grimacing, I hold up my half-grown finger. “It’ll probably just grow back, sorry. But I think it takes a while.”
I don’t mention how Leon’s ear also didn’t grow back right away. It’s probably better if no one knows about my brush with cannibalism.
Arianna gives a wistful look at the mangled penis. “You’re right. If we want a permanent amputation, we’d have to–” she glances over my shoulder and raises her voice, “BORROW an immortal-killing blade. Then, we’d have the limited-edition penis.”
Tilting my head slightly, I take the bait, “An immortal-killing blade?”
“It’s exactly what it sounds like. They’re the only blades that can bypass magical healing. They can kill immortals,” Arianna explains with a dainty shrug.
“Perfect. Uhm, I’ll take two?” I respond, only half-joking.
Warm arms wrap around my waist, and I melt back against Sin’s chest. He kisses the top of my head, and it feels easier to breathe again.
It’s totally just the by-product of being separated.
We’re definitely not toxically codependent.
“Did you miss me?” He murmurs into my hair.
Arianna makes a retching sound, which is rich considering she’s the one holding the rotting penis.
“They’re super rare,” she notes after her dramatics, carrying on as though nothing just happened.
I can’t stop the slight pang of disappointment that jabs at my gut. An immortal-killing blade sounds ideal for a war.
Sin’s mouth shifts against my head as he smiles. Then, he pulls away just enough to reach behind his back and draw his sword. It looks like Leon’s, only the gem in the hilt is red.
