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“You were pretty ill there for a while.”
“Ah, were you worried about me?” York jokes, his smile dropping when he sees the expression on my face, and realises that for me being able to control my emotions, which includes concern for the people I love, is something I’m still working on. “Sorry, man. I know how hard it is for you.”
“I’m just glad to see you up and about again,” I say, giving his shoulder a brief squeeze.
Even after all this time, through years of friendship and love, it’s still hard for me to keep a lid on my emotions without it coming out in a way that isn’t appropriate or what’s deemednormal. Truth be known, I’ve been battling with my concern for York and trying not to blow up in rage and frustration from my wayward emotions. The only way I’ve been able to keep a lid on it is by throwing myself into work.
“I appreciate your concern, Xeno,” he says, acknowledging my feelings but not pushing the matter further, knowing only too well that if I want to talk, I’ll do it in my own time.
“You want some coffee?” I ask, changing the subject for now.
“I’d love a coffee. Give me all the caffeine. I don’t want to see another lemon, honey and ginger drink for the rest of my goddamn life.”
“Yeah, not the same as a good cup of coffee,” I agree, pouring him a mug of the newly brewed liquid, stirring in a heaped teaspoon of sugar and topping it with full fat milk, just the way he likes it. “There you go.”
He takes a sip, then lets out a long sigh. “Fuck, now that’s what the doctor ordered, and not that disgusting shit you guys forced me to take two days ago. What the fuck was that stuff, anyway?”
“Something Cynthia made. Grim swears by it.”
“Cynthia as in theDeana-dhe’smissus?”
“The very one,” I confirm. “She sent it all the way over from Ireland when she heard how ill you’ve been.”
“How did she find out?”
“Pen told Grim. Grim told Cynthia. Well, CynthiaandChristy. You know how they love to talk.”
“Well it tasted like shit,” he complains.
“That might be so, but to be fair, your temperature started to ease off and the coughing stopped within hours of you taking that tincture. I was sceptical when I received the package and the instructions from Cynthia, but it worked. Grim thinks she’s a genius. According to her, she can cure any ailment with her herbal medicine.”
“Yeah, and what does Beast think?”
“He’s as impressed by Cynthia’s ability as The Masks are, and you know what those fuckers are like, they don’t mess around with fakes or frauds. Cynthia has known Jakub, Konrad and Leon most of her life, and you know she spent time at Ardelby castle taking care of the Numbers before Christy walked into their lives and made them free them all.”
“No wonder the Deana-dhe locked Cynthia down. Someone who’s gifted like that is a valuable asset.”
“She is, but they married her because they've been in love with her since they were kids, even though for a period of time they were shits to her,” I correct.
York pulls a face. “Of course they did. Us men can be stupid, stubborn dicks.”
“Yeah,” I agree.
We might have all loved Tiny since the moment she stepped into the basement of 15 Jackson street, but we treated her badly for a period of time too. It’s something she forgave us for years ago, but despite that it’s something I’ve never quite forgiven myself for, especially since I was the hardest on her.
“That’s why Beast teamed up with the Deana-dhe and The Masks a few years back? To fetch Cynthia back from those cunts, the Skulls, right?” York asks, taking another sip of his coffee. “It all makes sense now.”
“You know Grim and Beast, they’re always willing to help good people.”
“Good people? I thought you only tolerated the Deana-dhe?”
“Their reputation has always made me wary of them, but I respect them for gathering a small army to hunt down and annihilate the men who stole their woman. It’s nothing we wouldn’t do.”
“Agreed. Do you think Cynthia’s the one that made the drug we took that time at Tales?” York asks, remembering that night we danced with Pen under the influence of a drug the Deana-dhe manipulated us into taking.
“Without a doubt,” I reply.
“To be fair, that shit was incredible,” York muses, his attention wandering. “Dancing with you both was like a fucking dream, but super intense at the same time… And the sex. Fuck man, itwasintense.”
