Logan exclaimed through a mouthful of drool, “Grab a plate and dig in!” Kelda picked up a piece of bacon and crushed it in her palm and said. “This flesh is weak.” Logan explained, “Exactly. That’s what makes it so good. The last thing he wanted was rubbery bacon.” Abina didn’t share her sister’s sentiments. She picked up a handful of bacon and shoved it into her mouth happily. The dark-haired elve crunched them around for a few seconds, swallowed, and rolled her eyes back in her head. “It tastes almost as good as Logan’s meat, Kelda,” Abina giggled. The fit elves shoveled four pieces into her mouth at once. Kelda let the flavor wash over her before she gulped down her meal. She looked at Logan in satisfaction. “It gives him a run for his money, but I think I still prefer Logan.” She winked. Rafe shook his head back and forth in dismay, saying, “Welp, that’s it. I’m never going to be able to eat bacon again, guys. Thanks for that.” Th

“Jokes? Now?” Logan asked as he rushed over, jumped through the hole in the wall, into the bedroom suite, and found Kelda laid unconscious on the floor. The blonde woman’s robe was completely burnt off from Gallu’s attack, and her naked body looked so vulnerable. He didn’t have time to check her pulse, so he picked up the elve’ body and tossed her over his other shoulder. Then he returned to the main suite room and put Abina’s still-unconscious body over his other shoulder. The Logan from three days ago wouldn’t have been able to lift both women as easily as he was, but he was at one thousand percent adrenaline right now, and they both seemed to weigh as much as blankets. “How are they gonna get out of here?” Rafe’s panicked voice came from the other room as Logan turned towards the front door. “This whole place is going up like dry tinder,” Logan yelled back. “I don’t even think the fire escape is safe at this point.” “Logan, I think this might be it for us,” R

Logan asked Rafe, “Sidekick?” “Shhhh, bro,” Rafe whispered. “I would never, ever, ever say that to your face. Even if it’s true. You are my friend, and all. I like to think we are equals in this story.” A few hours of driving later, they passed through the Rockies in Colorado and were on the plains of the eastern part of the state. As much as Logan loved the desert, he couldn’t help but marvel at the natural wonders that acted as a divide between the Great Plains and the Southwest. He would be lying if he said that he hadn’t been horrified at the thought of Lola traveling along mountain passes that were just big enough for their car to fit through. But Rafe had assured them that his baby could make it through anything, and she had done well. Now it was nothing but an open road and cornfields between them and their destination. Unless they decided to take another detour. “I think I’ve got it, guys!” Rafe exclaimed as he jumped up and down in the seat

The four of them walked over to the restaurant side of the truck stop, and Logan was hit with the aroma of buttery homemade mashed potatoes mixed with freshly seared steak and a hint of hoppy light beer. Kelda and Abina plopped happily into a booth halfway down the restaurant. Logan sat down across from them and slid across the vinyl seat toward the window. As he slid, his hip crashed into an unseen force, and Rafe let out a yelp. “Hands off the merchandise, bro,” Rafe’s disembodied voice laughed. “Good evening, folks!” an overly excited waitress greeted them. The woman in front of them had to have been in her late twenties or early thirties at the latest. She wore her strawberry red hair back in a ponytail, and her hair stuck out from the clasp of her black baseball cap. She wore a tight red v-neck underneath the apron that hung off her torso and carried a handful of straws and her notepad. The server’s jeans clung to her wide hips, and Logan could nea

Logan spoke up, “I’ll do it,” as ice began to kill his stomach. Kelda nodded and then stepped away from the man. His eyes grew wide as Logan raised his hand, but then a red flash of Magicfire emerged from his palm and burned the man’s head off his shoulders. Then the smoking body fell to the pavement of the highway. “I'm not going to let anyone attack them without paying the price,” Logan said, smiling at his two beautiful girlfriends. “That includes humans, demons, elves, or gods.” “He deserved it,” Abina said. “You did the right thing.” “That’s right,” Rafe said, smiling at Logan. “No one fucks with the Rafester and his crew, or Logan will fucking melt their faces off!” “Let’s get going,” Logan laughed, and then they all turned and walked back toward Lola. “That was a close one,” Rafe patted his broken horn as the four of them slid back to the car. “Thankfully, the ‘ol dynamic duo of Rafe and Logan were here to kick ass and take names.” “Rafe an