Karl jumped up from the counter
next to me and charged toward the blender.
"And don't kill it,” I warned him.
"Crud.” The Goblin skidded to a stop and sighed. Stuffing his hands in his pockets, he kicked the blender.
Scooting off the edge of the counter, I paused to make sure I was still strong enough to keep my balance. Turning back toward the living room, I frowned. I caught sight of my partner standing in the dark staring out the window. He was sulking.Fantastic. That's all I needed tonight, a morose Werewolf. "Toby,” I said, announcing my presence. I knew how he hated it when I snuck up on him. The Werewolf glanced over his shoulder to acknowledge me but returned his gaze to the window. I moved closer. “What's the matter?"
Toby shook his head as if to say,Nothing . "Come on,” I pushed playfully.
He spun and faced me. His face was a mixture of anger and frustration. “I was interrogating that stupid Sprite for almost forty minutes before you woke up and it wouldn't tell me a thing!" Was that really his problem? That I had gotten the Sprite to talk when he couldn't?“Are you
serious?"
"It just proves why you're one of Brimstone's top Seekers.” He paused uncomfortably. He stepped away from the window and closer to me. His face seemed stern in the low light, harder than I could ever recall seeing it. “You're willing to take chances, and my gut instinct is to run." I knew this would come up again. His comments to me at Chithula's compound were haunting him. “You're a good Seeker,” I offered. “You just wanted to protect me." I could hear Karl razzing the Sprite again; his strident voice was slowly boring into my brain. "I can't do this,” Toby said in defeat. "What are you talking about?” I lowered my voice. “Toby, I need you." "You don't need anyone,” the Werewolf growled. “I'm just getting in the way." He was angry and I didn't understand why. “Toby,” I said, reaching for him, “wait. Please?" "I don't know what I'm doing,” he lashed out. “First it's information that says Matthew Sumner, a Brimstone Overseer, may be connected to some kind of plot to sabotage the Syndicate, and now Lucas Nash the Warlock, a known Brimstone freelancer, is trying to kill you? None of this makes sense.” He sank down onto my couch. “This is all too much." It suddenly clicked in my mind. He was scared, for himself and for me and he simply didn't know how to handle it. My face softened. I sat down on the couch next to him and lowered my gaze. “I can't do this
"And don't kill it,” I warned him.
"Crud.” The Goblin skidded to a stop and sighed. Stuffing his hands in his pockets, he kicked the blender.
Scooting off the edge of the counter, I paused to make sure I was still strong enough to keep my balance. Turning back toward the living room, I frowned. I caught sight of my partner standing in the dark staring out the window. He was sulking.Fantastic. That's all I needed tonight, a morose Werewolf. "Toby,” I said, announcing my presence. I knew how he hated it when I snuck up on him. The Werewolf glanced over his shoulder to acknowledge me but returned his gaze to the window. I moved closer. “What's the matter?"
Toby shook his head as if to say,Nothing . "Come on,” I pushed playfully.
He spun and faced me. His face was a mixture of anger and frustration. “I was interrogating that stupid Sprite for almost forty minutes before you woke up and it wouldn't tell me a thing!" Was that really his problem? That I had gotten the Sprite to talk when he couldn't?“Are you
serious?"
"It just proves why you're one of Brimstone's top Seekers.” He paused uncomfortably. He stepped away from the window and closer to me. His face seemed stern in the low light, harder than I could ever recall seeing it. “You're willing to take chances, and my gut instinct is to run." I knew this would come up again. His comments to me at Chithula's compound were haunting him. “You're a good Seeker,” I offered. “You just wanted to protect me." I could hear Karl razzing the Sprite again; his strident voice was slowly boring into my brain. "I can't do this,” Toby said in defeat. "What are you talking about?” I lowered my voice. “Toby, I need you." "You don't need anyone,” the Werewolf growled. “I'm just getting in the way." He was angry and I didn't understand why. “Toby,” I said, reaching for him, “wait. Please?" "I don't know what I'm doing,” he lashed out. “First it's information that says Matthew Sumner, a Brimstone Overseer, may be connected to some kind of plot to sabotage the Syndicate, and now Lucas Nash the Warlock, a known Brimstone freelancer, is trying to kill you? None of this makes sense.” He sank down onto my couch. “This is all too much." It suddenly clicked in my mind. He was scared, for himself and for me and he simply didn't know how to handle it. My face softened. I sat down on the couch next to him and lowered my gaze. “I can't do this