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come to think of it, she’d looked plenty flashy out at the pool.
    He hadn’t cut his link with Telos soon enough because Telos gave him a shit-eating grin, and said, “Right. You just tell yourself that.”
    “What?” Maddy said.
    “Nothing.”
    Telos laughed. “You are doomed, friend. Doomed.”
    So what if Wallace was good looking? Nothing was going to happen. He wasn’t going to sleep with her because he only fucked humans who wouldn’t complicate his life. Wallace Jackson was nothing but a complication. “Anyone want a beer? Do you mind, Maddy?”
    “We could use a break, I think.”
    “Sure,” Telos said.
    He could feel himself disassociating. When he linked with the kin the way he had with Telos, in tight like that, he always ended up worse off. Feeling the loss of Avitas like it was yesterday.
    “I have Lagunitas IPA,” Maddy said to Telos. “And Bear Republic Hop Rod Rye. Any preference?”
    “I’ll have the Hop Rod,” Wallace said. Palla snorted, and she returned his look. “Don’t. Okay? I am not in the mood.”
    “I’m not curing your hangover later.” He pushed away from the wall where he’d been about to pound Telos into a pulp.
    “Did I ask you to?”
    He shifted his attention to Maddy. “That’s some serious sucking up there. Stocking Kynan Aijan’s favorite.”
    Maddy’s mouth tensed. “I know you like the IPA, and I’m sure as hell not sucking up to you. Telos?”
    “Lagunitas,” he said.
    When Maddy came back with the beers, Telos reached for his and Wallace’s and handed hers to her like they were best friends. Palla sat across from the couch after taking one of the IPAs from Maddy. He tuned out the conversation, but if he wasn’t feeling the screaming horror of his loss, then he was fixated on Wallace and her magic. She had to learn. Had to. Had to. He was fucked if she didn’t.
    She had power. He knew it like he knew his own name. She’d managed to dead drop him twice more since Maddy had started working with her like this. It wasn’t a fluke. But he needed her to be reliable. Maybe someone like Kynan should come in. That mofo would crack her right open and tell them what she was. The problem with that idea was they might never get her put together again.
    “Palla?”
    He looked up and died a little from the desolation of being alone. Maddy stood before him, hands on her hips. “What?”
    She shook her head. “Nothing.”
    He lifted his beer and found he hadn’t touched it. Alone. Alone. No one but him. Without Avitas, half of him was missing. “Why are you bothering me about nothing?”
    “I’m walking Telos to the door. I need to talk with him about taking your place with Wallace.”
    “You do that.”
    “It doesn’t work with you two.” She let out a long breath. “You know it doesn’t.”
    Fuck this shit.
    “Can I trust you to behave while I’m gone?”
    He leaned to one side so he could stare at Wallace. He got a rise out of her and Maddy both. “No.”
    “Ten minutes. That’s all I ask.”
    “I’ll try not to kill her.”
    “Really, Palla.”
    He stood and gathered the empties. This did not include Wallace’s Hop Rod since she wasn’t done with hers. He took the rest into the kitchen and set his untouched IPA on the counter and the empties in the recycling. He concentrated on getting himself straightened out. He could hear Maddy and Telos talking. Friendly but serious. Working out the details of doing extra duty with Maddy and Wallace. Maybe Telos would do better.
    He put his hands on the counter and leaned over and fought–everything. Everything back to the way it was when he just didn’t care. He could deal with being alone. He had to, so he would.
    “Hey.”
    “What?” He didn’t look up.
    “Can we talk?”
    “No.”
    Wallace joined him at the counter and reached for his untouched Lagunitas.
    “That’s mine.” He liked women in dresses. Fucking Randi loved to wear dresses. Lots of women did. Wallace never wore dresses.