Page 98 of What We Become

“I used the corner,” Milo says. “And Odin is a billionaire. This is barely vandalism at his tax bracket.”

“You made me a cock-handled knife,” I say.

His grin nearly splits his face. “Your fucking knife. You can use it for murder, and then, after following the clearly marked sanitation procedure, you can use it to get off. It’s practical, it’s personal, and it celebrates all your interests.”

I stare at the knife. “I love it.”

Holden looks resigned. Eli looks tired. Micah bites the inside of his cheek, and Knox studies the knife as if he’s deciding whether Milo should ever be allowed near wood again.

“What?” I look between them. “He thought about my interests.”

“Exactly.” Milo grabs the hem of his shirt. “And because the gift is really for everyone, I have planned what could be the best group session we’ve ever had. Knox holds the knife, Holden gives directions, Eli handles positioning, Micah monitors⁠—”

He whips the shirt over his head, and a gasp tears out of my throat.

Not the good kind.

Red welts stripe his chest and stomach, disappearing beneath the waistband of his jeans and spreading over both arms in angry, raised patches. Some have been scratched open. Others cluster beneath the edges of the bandages around his hands, where the skin looks hot and swollen.

Micah is moving before Milo finishes pulling the shirt free.

“Don’t touch him,” he says, catching my wrist as I reach forward. “Not yet.”

Milo looks down at himself as if he’s only just remembered the rash is there. “There has been a minor complication.”

“That’s not from cutting yourself.” Micah takes his wrist carefully and starts peeling away one of the dressings. “How long has it looked like this?”

“Define looked.”

“Milo.”

“It got dramatic this afternoon.”

Micah exposes the skin beneath the bandage, and his expression changes. “What wood did you use?”

“Tree of heaven.” Milo smiles at me, proud all over again. “It’s called the tree of heaven, so I thought I’d show you God with it.”

For one long moment, nobody speaks.

Then Micah looks up. “You fucking idiot. That sap causes skin irritation.”

Holden drags a hand down his face. “I thought you knew wood.”

Milo frowns. “Why would I know wood?”

“You work at a hardware store,” Eli says.

“Work is such a broad term.”

Knox pushes away from the fireplace. “How did you know what the tree was called?”

“It had a sign with a hand on it.”

Knox stops beside the bed. “Did the hand have a cross over it?”

“Yeah, like a treasure map.”

“God save me.”