by Leta Blake
“Don’t be ridiculous. I’ve had a long journey, so please leave.”
Adair’s eyes gleamed, hard as diamonds. “When you disappeared, I sent a runner to the checkpoints. You didn’t pass. So I installed a guard in the trees near the stalk. He saw you climb back down. Then you paid the butcher your debt. I know you found the treasure—don’t try to convince me otherwise. And you’re in one piece. Hardly a scratch on you. Did you vanquish the giant? Is he dead?”
The mere thought of Rion’s death made Jack’s stomach lurch. “No!” He took a breath to gather himself. “Even if I did find the treasure, what’s it to you? You have more money than you know what to do with.”
Adair’s cheek twitched and his gaze skittered away.
Suddenly Jack understood. “My God. You’ve lost it. You haven’t moved home to please your father. You’ve done it because you have no choice.” He laughed hollowly. “And my mother knows. The price of her new accommodation.”
Adair’s thunderous expression transformed his pretty features. He growled, “It wasn’t my fault. The bet was meant to be a sure thing. My father can’t know. I need to get the money back before he discovers my coffers are empty.” His scowl melted away, and he reached out his hand. “Tell me where the treasure is. You don’t need it all! Please.”
Jack sidestepped. “I don’t have it. I told you.”
“You lie!” Adair bellowed, his face reddening.
Jack’s own anger bloomed hot in his chest. “I’m not the liar. You want to see the treasure?” He yanked out the small velvet purse. “This is all I have.”
Adair’s eyes lit on the purse. “So the rest is still up there?”
Jack gave himself a mental slap for his slip-up. “No. This was all of it. All these years we’ve believed a fantasy. The treasure doesn’t exist. I managed to steal a few coins and escaped by the skin of my teeth. It was a fool’s errand. The giant will kill anyone else who climbs that damn stalk.”
Adair took this in, clenching his fingers into fists over and over. “It can’t be. The treasure must be real. It must! I’ve counted on it.”
“If it was real, someone would have claimed it long ago. Forget it, Adair. Throw yourself on your father’s mercy. He loves you. He’ll understand.” Perhaps when Hades ices over.
Adair turned, his broad shoulders hunched. He exhaled slowly. “Perhaps you’re right. It just feels so…hopeless.”
Despite everything, Jack felt a flicker of sympathy for him. He touched Adair’s back briefly. “Your father truly does love you, and is a good man. It’ll be all right.”
At the door, Adair paused and looked back. “Thank you.” He swallowed thickly. “And for what it’s worth, which I realize is very little, I am sorry about how it ended between us all those years ago. Perhaps one day you shall forgive me.”
Jack didn’t answer, and stood in the silence long after Adair had gone.
* * * * *
The waning moon left Rion’s chamber cloaked in shadow, which was for the best, since in his mind he saw Jack everywhere he looked. He stood at the window, the night breeze raising gooseflesh on his skin. His chamber had been his sanctuary all his days, but now it felt as cold and lonely as the rest of the castle.
He’d tried reading in the library. After perusing the same paragraph over and over, he abandoned the task. Rion knew he had to return to his normal routine, but it seemed hopeless. Granted, it had only been hours since Jack left. Since I let him leave. He’d remained at the stalk, watching long after the fiery flash of Jack’s hair had disappeared.
“It’s for the best.”
His own voice sounded discordant to Rion’s ears. He’d been alone for so long. He should welcome this return to routine. Return to peace. Yet the ache for Jack hollowed out his chest. It was ludicrous! He’d known this man—this Outsider—for what, a few weeks? Not yet a month? It was just the rutting he would miss. Nothing more.
Then why was it Jack’s shy smile that haunted his mind’s eye? Jack’s laughter ricocheting through his head? The missing warmth of Jack’s body curled around Rion’s that left him so chilled?
“It could be anyone. He can be replaced. He will be replaced.”
As he said the words aloud, Rion felt galvanized. Yes. He would prove to himself that Jack—no, the Outsider—was nothing to him. A tight arse and a willing mouth. Nothing more. Even if Rion would never take a wife, he could go find someone to slake his desire. Rid him of this ridiculous melancholy.
And perhaps along with a man, he could find some orphans to bring to the castle. Surely there were unwanted, suffering children across the sea? Why, he could help them. Give them food and shelter. Teach them to carry on his familial duty. He would keep his promise to his father. And condemn these children to my own misery? Trapped here forever?
No! He wouldn’t force any to stay. But surely at least one would choose to. It wasn’t such a bad life. It wasn’t! Rion’s pulse thrummed. Yes. This was the solution. There was no time to waste.
The kite was as he’d left it, and it unfurled for him as obediently as a hound kneeling for its master. Although it was strong and secure, it hardly weighed a thing and Rion easily stood with it before him on the terrace edge, its ties wrapping him up like a cocoon. His parents and siblings had all flown their kites safely. There was no danger—all he needed to do was step off the ledge and take flight.
So why did his heart thump so painfully against his rib cage?
Go! Leap!
Yet he remained frozen in place, feeling more alone than he ever had. He shouldn’t leave the castle now. He couldn’t! The stalk was strong enough to bear Jack here and back, and anyone could follow. Unless it wasn’t strong enough after all. A foot placed wrong for a split second. A weak spot on the stalk. A stiff wind…
Rion’s chest tightened and he gasped for air. In his mind he saw Jack tumbling to his doom, little more than a bloody gash in the earth at the end. He stumbled back, crashing off the ledge onto the terrace, the kite on top of him. He thrashed, finally freeing himself and sending the kite clattering away. Sweat gathered on his brow and he panted desperately, his lungs seizing as he willed them to work.
Not dead. Not dead. Not dead.
This mantra repeated in a loop in Rion’s mind, and finally he was able to catch his breath. Lying there on the hard stone he thought of that morning and Jack atop him, so beautiful in his ecstasy. A sob escaped Rion’s lips as his mind whirled in a hurly-burly of confusion. How could he love Jack so quickly?
Yet he did. He truly did.
As he admitted the truth in his heart, a strange peace settled into his very being. He didn’t want to go over the sea alone, to find some willing man. To find poor, desperate orphans he would doom to his sorry fate. No. He wanted to go with Jack. He wanted a new life.
“I don’t want to stay here forever.”
The words scraped his throat like sandpaper as they clawed out. This truth was a betrayal of his parents, of his ancestors. Yet it was truth nonetheless. He’d denied it far too long. What was the good of this treasure? Why should his life and his happiness be forfeit to it? His parents were ashes on the wind. Long gone.
He was here. Jack was here. How could he have let him go?
A distant thud registered, and Rion held his breath, listening carefully. After a few moments he exhaled. It was surely nothing. The castle settling itself in for another long night. Then on the wind, there was a snatch of sound, a mere whisper.
A voice.
Rion scrambled to his feet, joy bubbling up. His smile felt as if it might split his face as he raced inside toward the great hall.
Jack had returned to him.
* * * * *
After waiting several hours, Jack hoisted his small sack onto his shoulder. He’d thought perhaps his mother and Damara might come after all once they heard of his return. He shook his head scornfully at his own folly. It was time to leave, once and for all.
Although it was late, the lights in the baron’s h
ouse shone brightly across the meadow. He imagined Damara and their mother inside, safe and warm and being catered to by an endless array of servants. He paused for a moment on the crest of the hill above the village. He bid them a silent goodbye and wished them well.
As he walked on, the dark silhouette of the beanstalk came into sight. Jack had considered taking the other road out of the village, but had chided himself for his foolishness. Surely he could walk past the stalk without giving in to the urge to clamber back up it and throw himself into Rion’s arms.
But as he neared it, he had to admit the urge was overwhelming. He didn’t quite understand how he’d fallen so hard and so fast for Rion. When he thought back to how he’d felt for Adair in their youth, he knew that his nature was to fall hard and fast. What had started as lust had transformed in a matter of weeks into a blaze of emotions—affection, caring and…yes, love.
Although Jack knew it was not to be, he couldn’t help but let his fantasies unspool in his mind as he neared the stalk. He and Rion, traveling to distant lands. Discovering new things by day, sharing their bed and passion by night. It was all Jack had ever dreamed of, and so much more now that he’d met Rion. He couldn’t imagine anyone else by his side.
Movement at the base of the stalk made Jack halt in his tracks. The moon was but a sliver, and clouds made the night even darker. He peered carefully and approached the stalk. There was a person there, he was sure of it. For a wonderful moment, his heart leapt. Had Rion come for him after all? His footsteps quickened and he called out. “Rion?”
From the shadows at the base of the stalk stepped a young man, little more than a boy. He glanced about. “Where’s the cart?”
Jack stopped. In the darkness he was far enough away that the boy clearly thought he was someone else. The hair on Jack’s arms stood up. Something wasn’t right here. He improvised. “Can’t find it.”
“What? How are we supposed to carry the treasure without a cart? Just take one from the village! Everyone should be sleeping by now.”
Heart thumping, Jack kept his voice even. “How long have they been gone now?”
The boy gazed up. “Hours. I’m still not sure how they’re going to carry it all back down.”
“How do they know they can get it? No one’s ever bested the giant.”
“Didn’t you hear? That freak did it! Brought back gold and everything. Adair says if he can do it, anyone can.”
Fury boiled in Jack’s veins, quickly supplanted by gnawing worry. “How many went up again?”
“Five of ’em counting Adair. That giant’s finally going to get what’s coming to him. Greedy bastard.”
The boy was still laughing as Jack’s fist smashed his face. He was unconscious, and Jack quickly dragged him off into the trees, binding and gagging him with strips from one of his tunics. He rifled through the rest of his sack. He had a folding knife that was barely sharp enough to peel an apple, but it was better than nothing. He tossed the sack deeper into the forest.
There was only one thing he could do.
As Jack climbed, he didn’t look down. The cold, thin air as he clambered higher and higher seemed like an old friend this time. The hours passed, but he didn’t falter or grow tired, desperation fuelling him. He had to get to Rion. His stomach churned as he thought of how outnumbered Rion would be. His giant act might fool them at first, but he was just a man. The odds were not in his favor.
The stalk began to waver in the wind as it narrowed, and Jack knew he was almost at the top. The dark hulk of the castle loomed, but this time a rope dangled from the portal. Jack reached for it and gave it a tentative tug. It held fast. He tugged harder. It didn’t give an inch.
Listening carefully, Jack heard only the whistle of the wind. With a deep breath, he shimmied up the rope and pulled himself over the ledge. The rope was tied onto a nearby pillar. Likely one of the lackeys had had the unenviable task of leaping up and then making the passage easier for Adair and the others.
There was no sign of them in the great hall. Although the faint rays of morning had begun to lighten the clouds outside just a touch, inside was still dark and gloomy as ever. Jack’s boots were silent on the dusty stone as he left the portal behind. Aside from the rope, nothing was different. He could almost believe he’d find Rion upstairs in his chamber, fast asleep.
Perhaps he is. Perhaps he’s safe.
Tiptoeing up the stairs, Jack’s breath came shallowly. Halfway up, his heart skipped a beat. Something was different at the top of the stairs. As he neared, he realized it was one of the statues of Rion’s ancestors smashed on the floor. There was something else too. Dark stains amid the rubble.
Blood.
Heart thumping, Jack crept down the hall, following the dark splashes. Voices reached his ears, first a low murmur, then growing louder. A door stood open further down the passageway, faint light spilling out. A moment later Adair’s shout rang out.
“Tell me where it is!”
This was punctuated by the sound of something lashing through the air. Stomach knotted, Jack crept near as Adair demanded again to be told where the treasure was hidden. Again another lashing noise, this one followed by a faint groan. Carefully, Jack peeked through the space between the wooden door and its hinges.
He had to bite his tongue to stop his cry from escaping. Strung up by his wrists from the tall posters on the end of the bed, Rion hung, feet barely scraping the floor. His bare back was marred by welts. Adair stood with legs spread, that damn belt gripped in one hand, the eagle’s ruby eye now bloody.
“Tell me!” Adair bellowed as he lashed out again with the belt.
Rion jerked as the blow split his skin, but he didn’t cry out. Adair’s minions were nowhere to be found, and were likely searching the castle. Jack’s mind whirled as he tried to formulate a plan. He jumped as a vase shattered.
“To the devil with you. We’ll find it. Mark my words!”
Jack barely had time to flatten himself against the wall as Adair stormed out and down the passageway, thankfully not paying attention as he muttered about liars and gold. Jack ducked inside the room, taking his knife from his pocket.
As he neared, Rion tensed and lifted his head from where it had lolled against his chest. “I told you bastards you’ll have to kill me. It shall never be yours.”
Lips at Rion’s ear, Jack whispered. “But will you be mine?”
Rion jerked his head, eyes wide. A swollen gash marred his forehead, and he blinked away blood. “Jack?”
Jack kissed him softly. “Hold on. I’ll get you down.”
It was some work sawing at the ropes binding Rion’s wrists, which were bloodied and torn. Jack stood on the bed, keeping an ear out for Adair and the others, but they didn’t appear. As he freed Rion’s second wrist, Rion dropped to his knees on the floor, breathing hard.
All Jack wanted was to pull him into his arms and soothe his wounds, but he had to stay focused. At Rion’s side, he smoothed back Rion’s hair from his forehead. “It’ll all right. It’ll be all right.” He was about to ask Rion what they should do when he had a thought. “The cloak and mask. Where are they?”
“In my chamber. I wasn’t wearing them. I thought it was…”
Jack swallowed hard. “You thought it was me coming back.”
Rion nodded, and Jack wound his arm around Rion’s waist and hauled him to his feet. The passageway was clear and they hurried as best they could, Rion grimacing and biting back moans as he leaned into Jack.
When they reached Rion’s chamber, Jack was relieved to see it had already been ransacked. He lowered Rion to the bed and then clawed through the scattered piles of Rion’s belongings. He found the cloak and frame in the corner by the window, where daylight glowed softly. The mask he found discarded with a chess set under the bed.
On his stomach, Rion breathed heavily. Blood still leaked from the wounds on his back, and his eyes fluttered. With makeshift bandages torn from the sheets, Jack stopped the worst of the bleeding. “Have t
o clean the wounds later, but this will have to do for now.” He froze as a crash echoed from downstairs. “Does the door bolt from the inside?”
“Yes, but I’m fine. We’ll face them together.” Rion pushed himself up on one arm, grimacing as he gasped.
“Oh, yes. Quite fine, I can see.” Jack pushed him back down with a firm hand on his shoulder. “Bolt the door after me and get back into bed. I’ll see to these villains.”
“No. There are too many. I can’t let you go.” Rion reached for Jack’s hand, his grip tight. “I should never have let you go. I’m sorry.”
Warmth bloomed in Jack’s chest, and he knelt by the bed and pressed their lips together. “I should never have left. I so love you, Rion. It’s madness, but it’s true.”
Tears shone in Rion’s eyes, and he managed to smile. “And I love you. Truly. I’ll travel the world with you if you’ll still have me.”
Blinking rapidly, Jack nodded and kissed him. “Stay here. I’ll return, I promise.”
He helped Rion to the door, kissing him a last time before stepping out into the passageway. He fit the leather mask over his head and heaved the cloak and extended frame over his shoulders. Before he went in search of Adair, he waited to hear the bolt thudding home.
Chapter Eight
Slumped on the floor against his chamber door, Rion decided it was best to wait a few minutes before following, or Jack would just drag him back. He closed his eyes, breathing deeply. He must marshal his strength. Jack needed him.
From a distance, a bellow thundered. Rion jerked his head up, blinking rapidly. Had he fallen asleep? The sun seemed brighter and his stiff muscles burned. With considerable effort, he made it to his feet, where he swayed dangerously. His eyelids faltered, and for a moment the urge to collapse on his bed was great.
No! Move!