He reached for the fluffy hospital socks.“Just curious as to how casual your dancing is.”
She kicked her feet, and Etienne snickered.The first sock came off and then the second, and Tosh held her feet in one hand.“Aw, they are so cute.Pretty tough.Lovely shape.No corns or bunions.”
She blushed and covered her face.“Weirdo.”
“You know how fun it is to compare feet.”
“No.I don’t.I sneak off to a studio across town to practice under an assumed name.”
Tosh wrapped his hands around her feet.“Well, you don’t need to do that anymore.”
“The dipshit is probably out on bail, and I can tell you he holds a grudge.”
Etienne said, “We are not going to leave you alone until he’s in custody.Permanently.”
“Don’t worry about it.If he comes for me again and I am not surrounded by electrical equipment, his heart is just going to stop.”
Etienne said, “What if you are seen?”
“No one sees my lightning unless I want them to see it.It is more like an excited static charge.My half-sister has the full array of charges to use and some other stuff.”
The heat from Tosh’s hands was working into her soul when he said, “What other stuff?”
“Green stuff.”
“Oh, my.That is very interesting.”
She opened her eyes and looked at him.“Is it?”
“Yes.She sounds like a druid, but they are very, very rare.”
“Why?”
Tosh shrugged.“They don’t normally survive the making.Where is she now?”
“Safe.She’s safe.”
“She was not safe before?”
“She was not.The divorce just came through, but I don’t think he’s going to let go.”
Etienne asked, “Divorce?”
“She’s a beta on paper.Neither of us had any changes until we went to a competition across the country.There was someone there.The lightning started after that.She got married after high school and had a husband for a while.Then she found out he was collecting other women, and then he started to do it in front of her.And then he used his fists.She left and has been hiding for nearly a year.Now, she has to figure out her next steps.”
Etienne asked, “You are in regular contact?”
“Yes.My brothers aren’t, but that’s fine.She has her own brother, and he’s taking care of her as much as he can.”
Etienne asked, “Is there more to the story?”
“Yeah.”
Silence stretched.
Tosh chuckled.“Tell us.”
“In a minute.They are coming to change my IV.”
