“Perhaps,” Wulf said. “Time will tell.”
Diesel let that hang for a beat. “Give my love to Aunt Sophie,” he told Wulf.
Wulf gave a curt nod to Diesel, and his eyes locked onto mine, sending a shot of adrenaline sizzling through me. He stepped back, there was a flash of light, smoke swirled through the room, and when the smoke cleared, Wulf was gone.
Diesel put the Stone into my hand. “Is this the real deal?”
The power buzzed up my arm and spread through my body. The Stone glowed like the sun, and I suddenly wanted everything. Not power, like Hatchet, but babies and cupcakes and kisses and peace everlasting. I wanted perfect breasts and pretty shoes and Thanksgiving dinner. And I wanted it all bad.
“Whoa,” Diesel said. “Your eyes just totally dilated, and you’re drooling. Maybe you should give me the Stone.”
“Never,” I said.
Diesel pried my fingers open and took the Stone. “Wulf must not have touched you. You haven’t lost your Unmentionable ability after all. And if this is what happens to you with the Gluttony Stone, I can’t wait until we go after Lust.”
I glanced at Hatchet, still on the floor but moving, flopping around a little.
“What about Hatchet?” I asked Diesel.
We all walked over and stared down at him.
“He’s coming around,” Diesel said. “He’ll have a headache, but he’ll be fine.”
“You should do something. Arrest him. Or unempower him.”
“I’m not authorized,” Diesel said. “Besides, he’ll go back to being only moderately crazy now that he’s lost the Stone.”
Hatchet opened an eye and looked up at me. “Wench,” he said.
Cat hissed at Hatchet, Carl gave him the finger, and I accidentally kicked him. I accidentally kicked him hard. Twice. And then we left.
A half hour later, we were back on Weatherby Street. I was trying to keep it together, but I was sweating from the effort. Images of birthday cakes, pot roasts, baby blankets, Hershey bars, Cheez Doodles, cases of wine, new towels, frilly undies, and rooms filled with kittens were clogging my brain. I wanted them all.
Diesel walked me into my living room, along with Carl and Cat.
“I have to take the Stone to the BUM,” Diesel said. “Do not go out of the house until I return. It’s going to take a while for the Stone’s effects to wear off.”
“But I need strawberry ice cream, a DustBuster, and lots of new socks,” I told him. “Isn’t there anything you need?”
“Yes,” he said. And he pulled me to him and kissed me.