Nightfall

by Elizabeth Hartwell

  “We’re on the run from Hunters,” Tym points out, totally avoiding the subject. Seriously, I get the whole needing to stay away from negative emotions, but Tym takes it too far sometimes. He’s like Mr. Stoicism, and the more emotional he is, the less he shows the world. “They could be only a mile or so away. The less sign, the better.”

  I shrug and find a comfortable spot in a little bend in the bushes to watch the forest around us. We’re in a shallow hill in the mountains, giving us a good view in most directions while at the same time giving us plenty of options for escape if we have to.

  Tym settles in, looking in another direction so that we have a full view of the approaches on our little hideout, the sun dappled forest bright for us. Anyone trying to approach at this time of day would be suicidal. There’s just no way to get close without being seen.

  Then again, the Hunters have Gauss rifles. All they need is a single view of us. You don’t need to get that close to kill with a Gauss. Hit one of the trees near us, and we’re going to be turned into pincushions by the wooden shrapnel almost before we can even tell what’s happening.

  Even in the post-Apocalypse, death can strike without your knowing it.

  “Hey, Tym?”

  “Yeah?” he asks, his back still turned. “See something?”

  “No . . . just wondered, have you had any talks with the old man recently?”

  Both Tym and I have occasional visits from our immortal progenitors, although for most of our lives, they’ve been more common for him than for me. I guess that comes with the territory of being Loki’s grandson. It’s not like he’s known for his family man lifestyle.

  But Tym shakes his head, and somehow, I’m relieved that he does. “I haven’t heard from him in awhile, actually. I suspect that whatever rules are keeping him from interfering with Earth too much are stopping him right now.”

  His words reassure me some, and I nod, chuckling a little. “So . . . what was it like for you?”

  “What?” Tym asks before realizing what I’m talking about and sighing. “You just can’t wait to compare notes, can you?”

  “Come on, it’ll keep us from getting bored, at least,” I cajole him. “Besides, it’s not like we didn’t all have a reaction from it. And I’ve seen you naked, remember?”

  That last line finally gets Tym to chuckle, and he nods. “You have, and I’ve seen you. By the way, you shouldn’t be embarrassed by your size. I mean, I’m bigger, but not that much bigger.”

  “Why, thank you,” I deadpan before laughing softly. “But seriously . . . I mean, no offense, but I didn’t see you in that mind meld or whatever we want to call it.”

  “I didn’t see you either,” Tym reminds me. “And while I don’t have a problem sharing Cerena with you, it was very nice having her to myself in my mind. Okay . . . well, first off, Cerena and I were in what I think was her apartment in Solace. At least the bedroom had a mattress that was unlike anything I’ve ever lain on before, even more so than the night in the embassy in Bane.”

  “Really?” I reply, surprised and laughing inside. It would be Tym who would notice the type of bed he’s on when he’s got the most beautiful woman in the world in his arms. I’m surprised he doesn’t comment on the type of sheets on the bed or the color of the walls.

  It’s not that he wasn’t focused on Cerena at the same time, it’s just . . . that’s Tym.

  “What was your setting like?” Tym asks, and I chuckle. “You didn’t notice.”

  “Not quite. It’s just . . . quite different,” I admit. “Remember the fire station where we got to fight the zombie horde? We were there, in the upstairs bathing area. By some miracle, actually, the water worked and the shower was gloriously hot and steamy. Nearly as hot as Cerena.”

  “Hmm . . . interesting,” Tym says, nodding. “Anyway, Cerena was dressed as I’ve never seen her in real life. She was . . . an angel is the only way I can describe her. She was wearing these wispy garments, almost see-through but not quite, pure white and so enticing as she looked at me with the desire in her eyes.”

  “See-through clothes?” I ask, curious. “Only time I’ve seen that is when you’re too damn poor to buy new ones.”

  “Yes, well, these . . . weren’t that,” Tym says, shifting around a little, and I wonder if he’s actually getting aroused by the memory. I know I am, my cock thick and pulsing down the leg of my pants. “These were fresh . . . new. Like the fabric was intended to be this miracle blend of see-through and strong, something I never thought possible. And when she turned over, I could see . . . there was a slit in her underwear, but it was there on purpose, framing her . . . you know.”

  I chuckle, nodding. “I know. If she’s an angel, those are the glistening gates of heaven right there. It was very different for me.”

  “Oh?”

  I nod, looking down as sudden embarrassment fills me. “Listen, Tym . . . you gotta promise that this stays between us? I mean, I’m sure Cerena remembers, but I can’t let Blender Boy know about it.”

  “I can promise, but I can’t guarantee anything. Remember, he was probably the conduit of what happened. He might have a memory of it as well.”

  Shit. Shit, shit, fuck!

  “You serious?” I ask, looking over my shoulder toward Tym. He shrugs, and I can read that shrug very well. With so many different kinds of paranormal out there, and so many of them having various levels of their abilities, you can never know. I’ve met a third-generation offspring of Loki who can’t do time stop at all but can use entanglement like it’s nothing, even keeping it attached to his hands to use like it’s a rope.

  “Damn . . . well, guess I can’t help that,” I reply, biting my lip. “I . . . Cerena tied me up. I mean, we didn’t get kinkier than that, really, but I was tied spread-eagle to the floor and she . . . well, took advantage of me in a very good way.”

  I expect Tym to laugh or to make some wiseass comment, but instead, he nods. “I’m not surprised.”

  “Really?” I ask, biting my lip. “You mean, you don’t think I’m fucked up?”

  “No, I totally think you’re fucked up,” Tym says, and I can hear the humor in his voice. “But not on that. Lance, we are who we are. Let me ask you, did you enjoy it?”

  “Damn straight.”

  “Did Cerena? I mean, in the dream?”

  “I hope so. I mean, I hope at least a little of the orgasm she felt was because of me.”

  Tym gets up and comes over, sitting back to back with me so he can keep a view of the forest but can still talk quietly with me. “She needs you. She knows it. I can see it in the way she looks at you.”

  I take a deep breath, hope filling my body. “I never thought I’d be like this over a woman, you know? I mean, I’m Lance, grandson of Loki. Long-term attachments and consistency go against every immortal fiber in my being. What about you?”

  “What about me?” Tym asks. “I’m still trying to figure out what this shared link means. Is part of me in your mind? Are you in my mind?”

  “If you’re asking if I can read your thoughts, no way . . . not that I’m looking,” I joke lightly. “There are crevices and avenues in my mind that I happen to like keeping to myself. And do you think I would want to poke around in that dreadlocked skull of yours if I didn’t have to? Now that’s a question worth a few holochips.”

  Tym snorts, shaking his head. “It might be boring.”

  “I seriously doubt that. The philosophical warrior who’s the one Cerena turns to every time she needs some sort of practical advice? You’re the most educated of us . . . well, except for Cerena, perhaps.”

  “I spent my money searching out more than the next adventure,” Tym agrees. “But she turns to you as well. This is all very new territory for us.”

  “So, what do you plan on doing?”

  Tym stops and half turns to look at me, his amber eyes narrowing curiously. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean about . . . this. This situation,” I whisper, keeping my voice lo
w. “Busting her out of jail is one thing. I’ve broken out of custody more than once. But this is different. Some people would say that we’re idiots for sticking around with her, making ourselves targets for being hunted down by a team of . . . how many Hunters did you say?”

  “Ten . . . twelve, if you count the headmistress and the Elder,” Tym says softly. “The odds facing us are long, indeed. Although their fieldcraft isn’t as good as ours, it’s only a matter of degree. I spotted them once. I’m sure I can spot them again if need be.”

  “Still, a dozen Hunters. That’s a lot,” I urge him. “What’s running around in your head on that?”

  “What are your thoughts?” Tym asks quietly, curious. “Are you going to stay?”

  “I am,” I declare softly but determinedly. “I’ll be the first to admit, whenever I gave myself the two minutes to daydream about finding a woman, this was not the situation I expected. Not that I ever really expected a woman to want to keep me around for more than a hot minute or a quick little down low fuck buddy. I’m . . .” I look down, laughing lightly. “I’m not exactly the type of guy women want relationships with. I’m Mr. Right Now, not Mr. Right. And I sure as fuck never expected to be fine with sharing her with two other guys. Or I guess it’d be more correct to say that she’s the one who rules us. We all sort of know who runs this team.”

  “That we do,” Tym admits, nodding. “She made it clear that first night, right after the fight at Defcon Whoops. She’s the leader. Not a dictator though.”

  I hum, nodding. Tym always had a talent for summing things up quickly. “She’s a queen, but not a Queen. Maybe that’s why I’m sticking. I know I’m not everything for her, but she wants to keep me around, which I can appreciate. And I guess if I have to play second-fiddle, there are worse people to play second-fiddle to than you or Blender Boy. I mean, it’s a hell of a lot better than I would have ever had anyway.”

  “Even if it’s just for the rest of this chase?”

  I nod, picking up a pebble and thinking about tossing it before setting it back down. Too much of a chance of making noise. “Yeah. A month with Cerena beats the shit out of a lifetime alone.”

  Tym nods and jostles me with his massive shoulder. “You are, once again, right and wrong, Trickster. You are right, a month with Cerena is greater than even my dream of having that little apartment in Ringtown, running a shop in Solace. I’d rather die tomorrow, in these mountains, with Cerena by my side than have spent a lifetime running that shop. But you’re wrong.”

  “How?”

  Tym chuckles and looks over again. “Because you’re not second-fiddle. Or third. You’re equal with me, with Brandon . . . and I suspect if we look into Cerena’s heart, you’re equal with her as well, in your way. You’re our smile, Lance. You’re . . . you’re the sunshine on the gloomy days. You give Cerena her light and with it the courage to go on. I could not imagine the future without you involved as well.”

  It’s perhaps the most touching thing Tym’s ever said to me, considering we’ve been at best tense allies for most of the time I’ve worked with him. What a difference two months can make, I guess.

  “Yeah, well,” I reply, laughing lightly, “I’m not giving you the same treatment I give her. So don’t expect any thank you blowjobs.”

  Tym chuckles back. “What if I just want some backdoor action?”

  I wince, seeing that he’s joking. “See . . . you keep working on that sense of humor. It’s drier than the southern deserts sometimes, but it’s a good thing to see from time to time. Besides, we know the truth.”

  “What’s that?”

  “You’d end up bottoming for me, big man.”

  Tym snorts. “You and your jokes.”

  Chapter 7

  Cerena

  It’s a merry chase, or at least if I were watching this on a holovid back at the Hunter Academy it would probably be written that way. There’d be lots of music, some special effects, and during the periods between them, some lighthearted banter and shit talking from Lance and Brandon as we foil our pursuers again and again.

  But the reality is that over the past thirty-six hours, since waking up from our nap, it’s been a tense game of cat and mouse. There’s no special effects, no music, and precious few lighthearted comments. Also, unfortunately, we’re the mouse and my former compatriots are the cat.

  We’ve diverted and cut back, trying to find a way around them, but Lily’s good . . . too good. She’s divided up her team and brought in others, working in three man groups that have herded us, slowly but surely, into a portion of the mountains that acts as a hard wall.

  I’ve done what I can, cutting back, assessing, and cutting back again. Lance, Tym, and Brandon have been incredible, working together without any arguing, or at least no serious disagreements. Using Tym’s woodcraft skills, Lance’s sneakiness, and whatever else we can pull out of our heads, we try and force a hole in the line coming after us.

  It’s all to no avail. Lily’s the best of the best for a reason, and each time, even when our traps have gotten the best of one team, she redeploys her forces so quickly and efficiently that I can’t take advantage.

  So I fall back again, looking for a way past her before we’re forced up the mountains and into the freezing cold, when I make a mistake. I’m so worried about the cold catching us unprepared that I take a risk, and what at first looks like a pass through two of the mountains turns out to be a large box canyon.

  By the time I realize my mistake and send Tym and Brandon to look futilely for a pass up and over the towering walls, I can hear the Hunter teams approaching.

  “Time for the last stand?” Lance asks, pulling his Gauss pistol. “I can’t touch a rifle, but I’ll make damn sure anyone who gets close isn’t happy with their choices in life before I’m done.”

  “No,” I reply, knowing that it might just be the case. We’re huddled behind a trio of large boulders, not so much to hide as to keep ourselves concealed from the Hunter team, now once again at full strength, that’s at the other end.

  “No?”

  I shake my head. Lance is so courageous, willing to sacrifice his life for me, but at the same time, I won’t sacrifice him, no matter what. “First, if you can hit them with your pistol, their rifle’s already got you dead to rights a long time before. Secondly, I know Lily Highmoon. She’ll outdraw you on a pistol even if you use your abilities. She’s that fast. I promise you, Lance, that even if this is the end of the world, I want you to try and live.”

  “But they’re going to—”

  “No matter what,” I growl, emphasizing the last word as I stare into Lance’s eyes intensely. “You do what you can to get you and the others out of here, Lance. I didn’t ask Tym or Brandon because I know them. You’ll do the hard thing if it comes to it. Okay?”

  Lance bites his lip but nods. He’s not happy with what I’ve told him. He wants to stay by my side no matter what. But he understands, I think. There’s no point to pressing the issue, however. All I can do is wait as Lance and Tym return, Tym’s eyes telling me the situation even before he opens his mouth. “The draw’s a false trail. It peters out halfway up the side.”

  “Unless you suddenly gained the ability to fly or have the grip of a gecko, the only direction you’re coming off that trail is down,” Brandon grumbles. “So what—”

  “Cerena Lightmoon!”

  I look over the edge of the boulder and see Lily at the head of a team of eight Hunters, all of them damn good ones whom I know by name and reputation. I wave the guys down and clear my throat to work up enough spit to talk through the fear that suddenly grips me. “I see you brought the All-Star team to track me down, Lily. How’re you liking getting out from behind the walls?”

  “I’d rather be in a comfortable bed!” Lily calls back, her voice stern but not harsh. “I’d like to avoid violence, if we can!”

  “Hard to believe, considering you’ve got . . . what is that, four Gauss rifles pointed at us?” I ask, stalling for tim
e. Besides, this is Lily . . . maybe she’s telling the truth. “We both know they’ll punch a hole through these rocks without even slowing down all that much!”

  “I’ve come to parlay,” Lily declares. “On my word.”

  I don’t reply immediately, lowering my head back behind the boulder to look at Tym, Brandon, and Lance. “You walk out there, you’re a jelly bag,” Brandon says, his eyes flaring for a fight. Somehow, I can see dark energy crackling between his fingertips, and I know that he’s on the edge of tapping his power again. “Don’t.”

  “I agree,” Tym says. “We cannot trust the Hunters.”

  Lance says nothing, but I can see it in his eyes. He knows what I’m going to do even before I open my mouth, and he’ll do his best to save the other two if he has to.

  “You’re right, Tym, but I can trust Lily,” I whisper, patting him and Brandon on the shoulder. I doubt I can get him from using his powers, but maybe I can delay the situation long enough that he’ll choose not to use them. “Still . . . stay down for a bit.”

  Before anyone can protest, I stick my head out again. “I don’t trust your crew, Lily. And where’s Elizabeth?”

  Lily looks surprised but recovers quickly. “It’s an interesting story, that one. You do know we’ve got other things to deal with?”

  “I’m sure . . . but you’ve got a big team out here looking for us, and it got you out of the Academy. So forgive me if I don’t trust the situation, considering what I’ve seen.”

  Lily holds up a hand, and the Hunters with her start to back off. “I’m here to see if what the reports said about you are true. This isn’t a hit squad, Cerena.”

  “Tell you what then . . . your boys back up about a hundred yards, my boys stay where they are, and you and I talk in the middle. One-on-one. Deal?”

  Lily can’t help but bark a short laugh. “You didn’t ask me to be unarmed?”

  “Didn’t think it would be worth my time,” I joke back. “You know that you don’t need much more than a toothpick to kill someone. What do you say, Lily?”