finally tracked them down.â
âAnd gave them to Terric?â
He nodded again. âI might have scanned copies for myself.â
I grinned and slid him a sideways look. âI forget how underhanded you can be. You make me proud. Going to give me a peek?â
âIâll send them over later today.â
âGood. So, when are you going to ask Terric out?â
âWhat? Did he say something about me?â
âNo,â I said. âYou like him. He likes you. Ask him out. Worst he can say is no.â
âHe did.â
âWhat?â
âHe said no.â
I glanced back at the house. âRecently?â
âCouple months back. He says heâs not interested in a relationship. That he likes me as a friend.â He winced. âSo thatâs that.â
âReally?â I was tied to Terricâs emotions. I knew he most certainly didnât only like Dash as a friend. I wondered why he was lying to him. âMy bad, then. Sorry. I donât mean to meddle.â
Dash chuckled. âYou always mean to meddle.â
âNot
always
.â
He just raised an eyebrow. âThink weâll find Davy alive?â
âI donât think heâs dead. Eli was having too much fun with him. Davyâs
useful
to Eli or his bosses in some way.â
âYouâd think things would be different,â he said. âMagic gets healed so people canât use it to destroy. And instead of considering that a blessing, or a warning, people just find a new way to use magic to destroy.â
âWe are determined little bastards, arenât we?â
Terric stepped out of the house and Dash pushed away from the car. âThatâs my cue. You take care of yourself, Shame. Go kill something, okay? Youâre not looking so hot.â
âIs it that obvious?â
âTo me it is. You were practically salivating over Allie back there.â He glanced over at me. âLots of terminally ill who wouldnât mind an end to their contract.â
âIâll keep that in mind. Also, you are a twisted, twisted man, Dashiell Spade.â
He looked away to Terric, then back at me again. âIâm a pragmatist, Shame. You have a need for death. Thereâs a merciful way to deal with that.â
âSure,â I said. âIâll get right on it.â
âOne of these days, youâll listen to me. See you.â
I watched him stride off to his car, watched him not turn to look at Terric, who was headed our way, watched him get in and drive off as if he couldnât feel Terricâs eyes following him.
âYou told him no?â I asked when Terric was close enough.
âAbout what?â
âDating.â
Terric paused with his hand on the door handle of the driverâs side. âOf all the things to pay attention to, itâs my love life? You seriously need a hobby, Shamus.â
âIâm just saying, you like Dash.â
âCrocheting, stamp collecting.â He snapped his fingers. âPorn.â
âWhat?â
âHobby. Get one.â
âHave one. Itâs bothering you. So, why shouldnât you date Dash?â
âWhy do you think he deserves that?â
âWhy doesnât he?â
Terric stared at me. The warmth and humanity drained away like a wave receding, revealing the stone cold inhumanity beneath. Apparently he had about as much control over the magic inside him as I did.
Death pushed so hard I could feel the cold of it behind my teeth. It wanted that. Wanted the magic roiling inside him. I took a deep, steadying breath, but the corners of my vision went shady and my heart thumped hard enough it was a bass drum in my ears.
Weâd just used together too much. I wasnât going to do that to Terric again. Not so soon. Not ever, if I could help it.
This was getting ridiculous. My control was in the sewer today. Okay, lately.
âBecause he doesnât