Page 110 of Hybrid Heroics

“Then why didn’t you ask for it?” he snapped, though there was no real heat behind it.

Hyde shrugged. “Because it doesn’t have Jolly Ranchers in it, and that’s what she wanted. I brought chocolate as the first peace offering.”

“You can have the candy after I set your nose,” I told Sloane.

“Fine.” She sighed. “I swear, my nose has been broken so many times in the last few weeks, it’s going to stop healing straight and stay crooked.”

She closed her eyes as I touched her face. There was no reaction, no emotions, no movement when I re-broke her nose, setting it to its natural position. I had seen this several times now, but I couldn’t understand why there was no flinching or watery eyes from her.

Until last week.

This pain was probably the equivalent of eating a handful of cereal. It took the edge off hunger for a few minutes, maybe an hour, though it wasn’t enough to fill her up.

“If I have to keep setting breaks, I’m going to need a medical degree,” I teased. “Why isn’t the demon doing this shit? At least he has a better understanding of anatomy.”

“Tell him, Stone,” she jeered. “Tell him why you wouldn’t set my nose.”

“You didn’t ask,” he responded flatly.

“If someone else asked?” she prompted.

He prowled closer, leaning over her to look into her eyes. “I’m just a dentist. I don’t know how to fix that.”

“You’re a fucking liar,” I accused, though I heard the sarcasm in his words. “I know what classes you had to take to get that degree.”

“Grim used to be a doctor,” Hyde mentioned absently. “He’s my go-to when something needs resetting.”

I searched for the reaper, finding him tending to Jack’s broken arm. “He does balance the scales of life and death well.”

“There’s blood all over my shoes,” Jack complained to him. “Why did I wear these?”

“Don’t get me started,” Palmer warned as he walked by the hellsteed. “This is the second pair of khakis I’ve ruined in two days. I’m going to have to start buying them in bulk.”

After Grim finished with Jack, he trotted over, presenting his hand to Sloane. Resting in his palm were three glass balls of rolling energy. She examined them before turning to Novak and Palmer.

“Do you want to send them to Hell?” she inquired. “Or do you want to keep them here? I’m sure Dolyn has some smaller boxes to display them in.”

“Send them to Hell, Love,” Palmer answered. “Make them suffer through something creative.”

She turned to Novak, her eyes asking the same questions and more.

“Yes, Trouble,” he confirmed, replying to something we hadn’t heard before tipping his head. “I’m good with that.”

Sloane climbed to her feet, closing Grim’s fingers over the three souls. “We’ll settle on a punishment later. For now, leave them in the nothingness.”

“What do you want to do with all the other souls?” the reaper asked, pocketing the large marbles.

“Recycle them.” She shrugged. “Hopefully, they’ll choose better with their next life.”

The two most dangerous pieces on the board walked away, their arms intertwined as they whispered and cackled. I wondered if they were spinning outrageous tales or concocting devious plans… Both were valid options when they laughed like that.

“I wasn’t expecting that answer,” Briggs rumbled, his gaze trained on our mate’s retreating form.

“I thought she would hold on to all of them,” Novak admitted, frowning.

“You guys haven’t known her long enough to see all the facets,” Jack confessed. “That bitch has more cuts than a gold-rated diamond.”

I shook my head, not understanding his analogy. But Palmer and Novak chuckled, so there was merit in his words somewhere. I’d take their reactions as proof and skip researching diamond facets and ratings.