I’d missed him so much.
Sure, he could be a handful sometimes—okay, most of the time. His short stay with me had turned into more of a permanent roommate situation, unbeknownst to me. I was constantly tripping over the numerous boxes shipped from Amazon, he almost always left some sort of mess behind, and on more than one occasion, he’d given me a minor heart attack by hiding while in brownie-sized form under the covers or in cabinets. But I’d missed him.
Slowly, he lowered me to my feet and pulled back, keeping his arms around me. His gaze searched my face in the waning light. “I didn’t know.”
“Tink—”
“I was lounging on the beach, drinking super fruity cocktails, getting my suntan on, and enjoying being treated like the last brownie in this world and any other. And I had no idea.” His eyes glistened. “I had no idea this was being done to you.”
My chest ached. “It’s okay.”
“No, it’s not,” he replied softly. “Each time I called and either Ivy or Ren or the King answered, my super-brownie senses told me something was up. But they assured me you were fine, and that the Order had you working on a special project or some shit. I should’ve known better. The Order hardly uses you for anything.”
“Well, that’s not necessarily true…”
“But Fabian told me I shouldn’t worry, and he suggested that we stay longer,” he continued as if I hadn’t spoken. “I believed him. I wanted to believe him, even though I knew something was wrong. I was living my best life, and you were fighting for yours.”
“That’s not your fault.” I gripped the front of his shirt. “They didn’t want you to worry when there was nothing to be done.”
“I get that. I do. That’s the only reason I haven’t killed any of them, including Fabian. And trust me,” he said, voice hardening, “I am more than capable of killing each and every one of them.”
I blinked. Sometimes it was easy to forget that Tink wasn’t just an amusing Otherworlder able to change sizes. He was one of the most powerful Otherworld beings alive, who happened to have an addiction to Amazon Prime, Harry Potter, and Twilight.
“I could’ve done something. I could’ve looked for you. I could’ve found—”
“No one was able to find me. Not even the King until…until he did,” I said, tugging on Tink’s shirt. “You would’ve just been worrying and—”
“And that’s what I should’ve been doing. You’re my Lite Bright. I’m your Tink. I should’ve known. And I may or may not punch Ivy when I see her.”
“Don’t punch Ivy.”
“Not even a little?”
“No.”
“How about a love tap?”
A sob settled in the back of my throat as I shook my head no.
“What about when I’m tiny Tink-sized with teeny, tiny fists?”
I choked on a laugh. “Ren would still skewer you with a toothpick.”
“I’d punch him first. He’s had it coming since I had to unexpectedly see his junk in Ivy’s kitchen.”
Another laugh left me. “I’ve missed you,” I said, face-planting against his chest.
“Of course, you did. I’m awesome.” He cleared his throat. There was a pause, and I felt his lips brush the top of my head. “Fabian told me what really happened when we were about an hour out from here. I almost caused a massive pileup on the interstate.”
My lips twitched.
His hands settled on my shoulders and he guided me back. “He said you killed him. Aric?”
“I did,” I whispered.
“Is there anything left of his body?”
“Um, no. He sort of just disintegrated, like most Ancients.”
“Not even ashes?”
“I don’t think so.”
“I’ll ask the King.”
I frowned. “Why?”
“Because I want to take a shit on his remains.”
“Oh my God.” I laughed again. “That is so disgusting.”
“I know. It’s the most disrespectful thing I can think of,” he explained and then led me toward a loveseat that often reminded me of a birdcage sliced open. “Tell me, Bri. Tell me everything you can.”
As we sat on the thick cushions, and the gauzy curtain draped over the chair rippled in the breeze, I told him everything I could remember. It wasn’t the first time, but there was a sense that the weight was lifting, just a little this time around. It was like letting out a breath.
“The King is most likely right,” Tink said after I told him about the hallucination I’d had earlier. “Your mind is stronger.”
“I hope so.”
“It could have nothing to do with the feedings.” He was toying with my hair. Somehow, it had come out of its ponytail. “It could be that post-traumatic syndrome thing that sometimes causes people to hoard things in their houses.”
I arched a brow. “You watch way too much television.”
“But I could be right. You experienced some trauma. Hearing voices, reliving the events is pretty common afterwards, according to Dr. Phil.”
I stared at him.
“After I saw Ren’s junk, I kept seeing it. Sometimes, it would talk to me—”
“You’re a mess.”
He grinned at me. “Fabian told me something else.”
“What?”
“He told me how the King nearly tore the city apart looking for you,” he said, and every muscle in my body tensed. “Wouldn’t give up on finding you. He also said that Ivy told him he’s barely left your side since he found you.”
I looked away. “You know that I helped him when he was wounded. He felt like he owed me—”
“Are you forgetting that I saw him kiss you like you were a snack?”
My cheeks heated. “No, I’m not forgetting that, but you know he’s the King and I’m…it doesn’t matter. Tell me about your hair. Please?”
Momentarily distracted, he ran his hand through his locks. It wasn’t spiky but fell over his forehead. “Do you like it?”
“I …I do.” The color matched his brows now, and somehow made him appear more adult. Which was weird, but the darker color suited him. In all honesty, any color fit him. Tink was gorgeous. “It’s just a shock.”
“I didn’t recognize myself when I saw my reflection. It was strange.” He lifted a shoulder. “I sort of got bored with it, you know? Fabian suggested I should color it, and since I was bored, I thought YOLO, bitches. Fabian did it for me.” His voice lowered. “He didn’t wear gloves. It took days for the dye to fade from his hands.”
“Oh no.” I grinned. “But he did a good job.”
“He does a good job at everything. It’s annoying, and I mean that in the best way.” The smile on his face faded. “Lite Bright…”
“I’m okay. I really am. I know I don’t look it, but I’m fine.” I changed the subject once more. “Where’s Dixon?”
“Fabian has him. Carrying him around in the sling.”
I sort of wished I could see that.