BOTS 2: Kelly Meding

 Kelly Meding

Hello, hotness!

When I was asked to participate in the Battle of the Sexies: Sidekicks, my first instinct was to pick a sidekick from someone else's book. I was sure I could think up a list of at least half a dozen yummy choices, and then narrow that down. Unfortunately, one of my own characters kicked me in the shin and decided he wanted a little attention.

So I present my choice for fiction's sexiest sidekick: Phineas el Chimal.

Phin is a Therian, aka a shapeshifter, aka a were-osprey. His first appearance in the Dreg City series is in book two, AS LIE THE DEAD. (Okay, technically, he was kind of in THREE DAYS TO DEAD, but only in an off-the-cuff, mentioned-in-conversation kind of way.) And I think Phin makes quite the entrance, if I do say so myself: dropping from the sky to land on a parked car and scaring the crap out of my series protagonists Evy and Wyatt.

You know right away that Phin's sexy as all get out. He's tall, lean, and shirtless, with just the right amount of muscles and piercing blue eyes. Plus, the guy has wings! Pretty brown angel- style wings on his back that he can make appear and disappear at will. And don't forget he's a shapeshifter! We all know that werewolves are hot, but other shifters never seem to get their fair share of attention—especially birds-of-prey.

We also know that sexy is more than just good looks and ripped abs. Sexy is also in personality and in actions. Phin comes from a race of warriors (stay tuned for book 4), and he's fiercely loyal to his Clan and to his allies. It's this loyalty that makes him so much like Evy, and why they initially find it hard to trust each other. Each one has a goal, each will do whatever it takes to achieve that goal, and each has an honorable streak that keeps them from outright betraying the other.

Phin also speaks his mind. He has no time for bullshit and no patience for it from others. And what's sexier than honesty? Granted, sometimes too much honesty can be problematic, but you can always count on straight talk from a Therian—which occasionally leads to a pretty funny one-liner.

There's also a lot of heartbreaking tragedy in Phin's past, and the right amount of angst just adds sexy to any character. He's seen his entire Clan, except for three members, murdered by humans. He's lost his own immediate family (stay tuned for book 4), but that never stops him from trying to help others. And he's in the unique and tragic position of protecting a three-member Clan whose immediate future is very, very shaky. If they truly are the last of the Coni Clan, will their kind die out with the newborn Ava? It's a question Phin has to address very soon.

So to recap: wings, loyalty, and angst. Really, what more do you need in a sexy sidekick?

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