...Cal held out the small box with the pendant. “Here. It’s a thank you gift from me and Tory.”

“You didn’t have to—”

“Shut up, Jin. Just be gracious and accept our thanks. What you’ve done… Well, you won’t let us make much out of it, but it does mean a lot to me, to us both.”

Jin nodded and opened up the plain box. “A jade dragon?” Picking up the pendant, he let it dangle from his fingers. “Very pretty.”

The way the light danced off the green stones made it look far more expensive than it had in the dusty pawn shop. Now it gleamed almost alive with the shine of the jade.

Jin draped the chain around his neck and the pendant landed perfectly at the dip between his collarbones. “Ah! What the hell?”

“What’s wrong?”

“It burns!” He pried at the pendant but it didn’t budge. “Help me get this thing off.”

Cal leaned in close and tugged at the loose chain. That much still moved freely, but the pendant itself might as well have become part of Jin’s flesh. And when his fingers hit the now hot stone, it sizzled with what felt like damn near electric shock. “Hey!”

“Cal!” Jin’s body bucked back into the sofa cushions, his spine arched painfully. After a long moment the shaking started.