Fatal Ties: An Urban Fantasy Novel (The Lillim Callina Chronicles Book 7) by J.A. Cipriano

some guy. He was the Dioscuri’s boogieman. That kind of power had responsibility.
    “I am an idiot,” Connor replied, examining the scuff marks on his Chuck Taylors like they were the most interesting shoes in the world.
    “Yeah, why else would you wear shoes with patented nineteen fifties’ technology for a walk to the underworld?” Thes shook his head. “You’ll have blisters the size of mountains by the time we get there.”
    “Firstly, I make these look good.” Connor clicked his heels together like there was no place like home. Unfortunately, he remained put. “Secondly, why don’t you put on a shirt or some pants?” Connor put one hand over his mouth, and the next bit came out in a startlingly clear rendition of Darth Vader. “I find your lack of pants disturbing.”
    Before Thes could reply, I socked Connor hard in the shoulder. He winced and let out a yowl as his eyes fixed on me.
    “I’m being serious,” I snapped, glaring right back at him. “If you ever do that shit again, I will cut off your balls and hang them beneath my pickup truck. I don’t even own a pickup truck, but I’ll get one just for the occasion, capiche?”
    “Yeah,” Connor said, shaking his head in a way that made me think he was blowing me off, chalking my reaction up to hormones and general bitchiness. I swear if the next thing out of his mouth was “I was on the rag,” I’d kill him. “I get it. I will never call you pretty again.” He crossed his heart.
    “Ugh!” I said, throwing my hands up as I marched past them. I had enough body issues to deal with without people thinking I was incapable.
    “I swear, Connor, it’s like you’ve never talked to a girl ever,” Thes said, shaking his head. I glanced sidelong at the werewolf to see him watching me carefully. I wasn’t sure what the gleam in his brown eyes meant, but I didn’t like it. Not one bit.
    “Admittedly, most of the girls I talk to start the conversation with ‘Ick, go away.’ There’s not a lot to say after that.” He shrugged, and as he did, I remembered something. Connor might have been joking about being unable to talk to girls, but he’d dated Thes’s sister, and the last time I’d seen her had been when a sniper had put some silver bullets into her. My heart leapt into my throat. Was she okay?
    “Speaking of girls who think you’re icky,” I said, spinning around and walking backward so I was facing the two of them. It was probably unwise since we were heading toward certain doom, but at the same time, this trek was boring. Yeah, I know, complacency kills, but you know what else kills? Boredom.
    “What?” Connor asked a lot more hesitantly than I thought he would.
    “How’s your sister, Thes?” I said, ready to put on my best apologetic face. I mean, I hoped she was okay, but I hadn’t seen her out there. Was she dead? I hoped not. I mean that too. I really, really wanted Charity to be alive, and not just because it’d make me feel less guilty.
    “She’s fine. She’s with Halcyon on the other front.” Thes shrugged. “I didn’t know you cared.”
    “I care,” I sighed. “I mean, I was right there when she got shot.”
    “Yeah,” Thes said, but didn’t elaborate. Was that why he’d been so pissed at me? It made sense. I’d be angry at me if were him. After all, I’d gotten his sister involved. If I hadn’t, she wouldn’t have gotten shot.
    “Sorry,” I said because I didn’t know what else to say.
    “It isn’t your fault.” Thes shrugged, and I realized he really needed to stop with the whole shirtless werewolf thing. He was way too hot to go around bare-chested, and not the good kind of hot. No, he was the bad kind of hot. The kind of hot that made me want to hook up with him just so I could feel him pressed against me.
    I wasn’t even that kind of girl, and I had a boyfriend, who while he wasn’t there when I woke up, was pretty damned hot himself, and yet I still wanted Thes on an intrinsically human