by T. A. Chase
“Don’t worry, honey. You’ll adjust quickly, plus you just got out of the hospital. You need to get back into the swing of things. Don’t push too hard. This call is probably costing you a fortune. I love you and give us a call at some point to let us know you’re still alive.”
Russell smiled. “I will. Tell Dad I love him, and I’ll send you a postcard.”
He hung up and tucked the phone into his back pocket. Staring, he studied the city around him. While it had a modern feel to it, he also caught an old-country vibe. Not like the European cities, but in an older, more rural way. He couldn’t wait to get out and explore, yet he knew Lam was right. He should wait until the morning before he went out.
The door slid open and he glanced over his shoulder to watch Lam stroll out. The blond grinned as he joined Russell at the railing. The odd scent wafting past his nose reminded him of Christmas, causing him to frown. Why would Lam smell like Christmas?
Of course, War smelt like a Kansas summer day on the plains. Yet Russell liked the fact it made him think of home and feel safe. Those scents might have been one of the reasons he hadn’t gone ballistic when he’d realised War had followed him to Mongolia.
He asked, “Why are your eyes like that?”
“Occupational hazard.” Lam’s tone informed Russell he wasn’t joking.
“What kind of job makes your eyes all weird? Do you guys have something to do with nuclear waste or stuff like that?” Russell stopped and thought for a moment. “Though if you did, I’m not sure it would do anything to you. Probably your kids would be mutants. Did your parents work in the nuclear field?”
Lam chuckled. “Man, I’m pretty sure War’s parents had nothing to do with nuclear anything. And I don’t have parents, so I guess it’ll have to remain a mystery.”
Russell wanted to ask more, but the tension in Lam’s shoulders told him Lam wasn’t going to discuss it further. He racked his brain to think of something else to talk about.
“Where do you live? I’m assuming some big city since you don’t seem thrilled to be here.”
Lam shrugged. “I don’t have a home anywhere. I’m constantly moving because of work. No sense in paying rent on a place I’d never see.”
“Wow. Don’t you get tired of travelling?”
“Not really. I don’t have friends or people to miss, so being in a new city every day doesn’t bother me.” Lam pushed away from the railing. “Enough about me. Why not tell me your life story? I want to know what makes you so special War would risk getting in trouble to stay with you.”
Russell blushed. “I don’t think there is anything special about me. I’m just a farm boy from Kansas. Getting sent to Afghanistan was the first time I’d ever been out of the States. Hell, going away to boot camp was the first time I’d been out of Kansas.”
“Really?” Lam headed back inside and Russell followed him. “In this day and age? I find that hard to believe.”
“I did want to leave, but never had the opportunity to do so. It’s not like my parents are rich or anything. We didn’t have a lot of extras while I was growing up, but we didn’t necessarily go without or anything like that. There wasn’t any reason for me to travel when I was younger.” Russell studied his fingers for a moment.
Lam grunted. “Sounds like you lived in Mayberry or something the equivalent of. Was it hard to be gay in a little town? Oh, and how did you cope while in the military? All that ‘Don’t ask, don’t tell’ bullshit.”
Russell wasn’t sure he wanted to get into all that, but they were stuck together, and Lam had been nice enough to hang out with him while War was gone. Not that Russell didn’t hate the fact War thought he needed a babysitter.
“He didn’t think you needed a babysitter, Russ. War wanted to make sure you knew he’d be back. He hated the idea of you waking up and him being gone. Thought you might get a little weirded out or maybe think your brain had caused you to imagine him being here with you.”
He whirled around and stared at Lam. “How did you know what I was thinking?”
The blond blinked and it was like Russell could see his thought process as Lam tried to figure out what to say.
“It’s how I’d have felt if I were you. You’re an adult, yet War leaves someone else here to watch over you.”
Lam was lying, Russell could tell.
“You shouldn’t lie. You’re not very good at it.” Russell strolled over to the bed and sat, falling back to look up at the ceiling. “I’ll let you get away with it for now. Just don’t do it again.”
“What? Lie or read your mind?”
“Both. Either.” Russell waved his hand in a vague gesture. He went back to what Lam had asked him earlier. “How did I handle being gay in small town America? The same way I handled being gay in the army. I didn’t do anything that would out me to anyone. I was a virgin until I went to boot camp. After that, it was easier to find guys to mess around with, and they were like me. Hiding who they really were to make sure they didn’t get discharged under DADT. I’m not saying it was fun or anything like that. In fact it was pretty lonely, but not much I could do about it if I wanted to keep serving.”
He listened to Lam wander around the room, picking things up or maybe moving things.
“I don’t have to worry about it now. A medical discharge is better than a dishonourable one any day.” He sighed. “See? There’s nothing special about me. I have no idea why he keeps helping me.”
Lam laughed. “I’m sure there’s more to you than a small town hick hiding in a closet. War’s been around too long to fall for that kind of guy.”
Russell frowned. “Too long? How long is too long? And fall for a guy? I don’t think he’s interested in me like that.”
Then he thought about the kisses they’d shared. His cheeks burned with embarrassment and desire. Lam snorted, letting Russell know Lam had seen the blush and knew what caused it.
“Oh yeah, I do believe War has fallen for you. We’ve been around long enough to realise it’s the person, not the body, we find fascinating. I’m sure he wants your body, but it doesn’t matter to him whether you’re a guy or a girl.”
“Doesn’t matter,” Russell mumbled. “How old is he? Or you for that matter?”
“War isn’t as old as I am, and that’s all you’re getting from me.” Lam sat on the bed next to Russell. “I think you should get some sleep. It’ll help with the jet lag and when you wake up War will be back.”
Russell opened his mouth to say he wasn’t tired, but a yawn surprised him. Blinking, he met Lam’s steady gaze. The blue seemed like it was starting to swirl. Russell fell into those eyes and the last thought to cross his mind was that Lam couldn’t be human.
Whispering woke Russell up, but he kept his eyes closed as he worked on figuring out who was in the room with him. When the voices rose, he recognised both Lam and War.
“Did you tell him anything about where I was?”
“Do you think I’m an idiot? What could I have told him? You were off starting another war in some third-world country. Do you really think he’d have believed me?” Lam sounded outraged.
War grunted as if Lam had hit him. “I’m not sure you want me to answer that. I wouldn’t put it past you to make some comment like that.”
“Of course I didn’t say anything. I’m not a complete fuck-up who’s risking everything by falling in love with a mortal.”
“What? I’m not falling in love with him. I just see a lot of myself in Russell, that’s all.”
“Right. And I’m really Morningstar.”
“Don’t joke about him, Lam. You know he has ears everywhere and he’d love to get his hands on you.” War’s voice held fear.
Who was Morningstar? Why would he want to get hold of Lam? Who were they? Russell had the oddest feeling that none of them was human. Maybe it was their weird eyes, or the comments they’d made while talking to him, yet he found he wasn’t worried about them not being human. Stupid, but he felt safe with all of them.
> “Don’t worry about Morningstar. He hasn’t left his cave since He threw them out. Getting back to the real topic of conversation, if you don’t love him now, you will soon enough.”
“Now you can see the future?” Annoyance coloured War’s words.
“Only when it comes to obnoxious Horsemen. Now I have to get back to what I was doing before Death interrupted me. I hope he doesn’t make it a regular habit. Of course, there’s only two of you left who haven’t found your redemption. Is Famine next?”
“Get out of here. I know I won’t bother you again. You’ll have to talk to Death about what his plans are.”
A door opened and shut. Russell couldn’t make up his mind whether he should continue pretending to be asleep or act like he’d just woke up. His bladder made the decision for him. He jumped to his feet and rushed to the bathroom.
After taking care of business and cleaning up, he stepped from the other room and met War’s curious gaze.
“How long were you really awake?”
“Ummm…not very long.” He eased over to the bed and sat on the edge, fidgeting with the frayed hem of his T-shirt.
War’s low hum told Russell War didn’t believe him. He took a breath and looked up, meeting those black eyes.
“What are you? I mean, Lam mentioned Horsemen, and other guys named Death and Famine. I assume Pestilence is out there as well. Are you like the Horsemen of the Apocalypse? Are the end times coming?”
Russell watched as War rubbed his jaw for a moment while studying him. He didn’t know what War was thinking, but he couldn’t help the fact that his body found War extremely attractive. His cock perked up, tenting his pyjama pants.
War’s eyebrows went up and lust flared in his eyes, but War seemed to keep his desire in check.
“Why don’t we check you out of the hotel? You can go out on the steppes with me. We can talk out there.”
He opened his mouth to protest. War might have helped Russell out and not done anything to him yet, but what was to stop War from chopping him up into little pieces once they were away from civilisation?
War raised his hand. “Look, you don’t know me really and it might be crazy to ask you this, but, please, trust me. I won’t hurt you. There are things about me it’s best no one else knows. I can get away with telling one person. Any more than that, and I could get my ass handed to me.”
“Lam knows,” Russell pointed out as he pushed to his feet and started packing the few items he’d taken out of his bag.
War moved to stand by the sliding door, staring out. “Lam is one of us. He wouldn’t say anything. He knows the risks we take and what could happen if mortals find out about us.”
“So you’re not human?”
“Not any more.”
Russell zipped his bag closed and tucked his wallet in his pocket. “I’m ready.”
War turned and smiled. “Good. Let’s check out, get some breakfast, and I can show you around my land.”
Russell stuffed any misgivings deep inside. He’d come to Mongolia to find a place he fit in. He knew Kansas would never be home again. Mongolia might not be either, but he had come to the other side of the world to find out for sure. The best way to see a country was to travel with a native and War was as close as Russell was going to get at the moment.
“All right.”
He tensed slightly as War walked up to him, cupped the back of his head and brought their mouths together. Russell rested his hands on War’s hips, not pulling him close, but not pushing him away either. He opened his lips, allowing War to slip his tongue in.
War took his time learning every nook of Russell’s mouth, teasing along his teeth and sucking on Russell’s tongue. His knees shook and Russell wanted nothing more than to let War lower him to the bed and fuck him senseless.
Moans filled the room when War broke the kiss and stepped back. Russell blinked, trying to get his bearings back and not wanting to beg War for more. War rubbed a rough thumb over Russell’s swollen bottom lip. Russell’s pulse stuttered.
“I don’t want our first time to be here. I want to take you under the open sky where we can feel the sun, hear the wind, and know we’re part of something much bigger than just our lives.”
Russell’s heart melted a little. He nodded and snatched up his bag, following War out of the room. They made their way down to the front desk, where he checked out. War flagged down a taxi.
“Where are we going?”
“I have a friend who lives on the outskirts of the city. I always leave my Land Rover with him when I come into town.” War gave the cabbie the address after they’d slid into the backseat.
“Who watches your horses? Do you have a hawk? Was that dream real or fake?”
He tapped his fingers on his thighs, not sure what to do. He really wanted to lean against War, letting the man support him on those broad shoulders.
“Well, I do have a hawk. Actually, Singqor is a gyrfalcon. In a way it was a dream because your body wasn’t really there, but your spirit was.” War frowned. “I’m not sure I can explain how that happened in any way that would make sense to you. I have some friends who take my horses into their herd to keep an eye on them while I’m gone.”
“Makes sense,” Russell muttered.
“I have one stallion and they have him cover some of their mares. They keep the foals and I don’t have to actually pay them. It’s a win-win situation for both of us.” War reached and laid his hand on top of Russell’s. “Don’t worry. Everything will work out.”
“It’s not that I’m scared or anything like that. Just nervous because this isn’t like me. I don’t take off with strangers out into the wilds of a foreign county. I’ve watched shows about people who do that and nothing good ever comes of it.”
War chuckled. “Those people did stupid things, Russell. You didn’t. Don’t you think anyone seeing us leave the hotel would remember you walking out with a man with blood red hair? It’s not like I can blend into a crowd.”
Russell thought about it for a moment. “Good point.”
They arrived at a small one-storey ranch house. It really was in the outskirts of the city. There wasn’t anything else beyond except for grass and one dirt road. He climbed out and caught the bag War tossed at him. He wandered off a little way while War paid the driver. He didn’t know how long he stood staring out over the vast land before War came to join him.
“Let’s go. “
He jumped when War grabbed his shoulder in a tight grip. Turning, he spied a beat-up Land Rover idling on the road.
“You don’t have to say anything to your friend?”
“No. He’s at work anyway. He’ll know I’m back when he sees the Rover’s gone.” War pointed at the vehicle. “Get in. We’ve got a good distance to travel before we get to my place.”
Russell glanced at him as he climbed in and buckled up. “I thought you lived in a tent.”
“At times, but I do have a very ramshackle hut in the middle of the land I usually roam with my herd.” War shrugged as he put the Rover in gear and headed out into the steppes.
Gripping the door handle tightly, Russell tried to keep from bouncing his head into the roof. The road smoothed farther out and he relaxed enough to look out of his window at the scenery. He smiled at the fact that it really didn’t look much different from the plains of Kansas.
“You live out here because it reminds you of your native home?” He shot a glance over at War.
“Sort of. My homeland has way more sand in it. I’m Bedouin and used to live in Saudi Arabia, or what is now known as Saudi Arabia.”
“What’s now known as? It wasn’t known as that when you lived there? How long ago did you leave?”
World history and geography weren’t Russell’s strong suit, so he had no real idea when Saudi Arabia had become a country in its own right.
“It’s been a while,” War hedged.
Rolling his eyes, Russell grunted. “Is this one of those things you don’t really want to
talk to me about?”
War’s knuckles went white on the steering wheel. Should Russell tell him it wasn’t important? War could keep his secrets and Russell wouldn’t hassle him about them any more. He didn’t want to be an annoying pest, considering he didn’t like talking about himself.
Yet he wanted to know why War and Lam were different from other people. Why did they call humans ‘mortals’ like War and Lam weren’t and hadn’t been for a long time?
“It’s not that I don’t want to talk to you, but I’ve been told never to say anything to anyone about what I do and who I’ve become. My comrades and I help keep the world in balance. Maybe not in the best way, but because of us evil has less of a chance of winning the battle.”
“You mean you really are one of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse? The others are Pestilence, Famine, and Death?” Russell racked his brain, trying to dig up all the information he remembered about the Horsemen.
“Yes.”
War’s terse confirmation startled Russell. He’d expected War to deny it or laugh it off. Hearing that the man he was travelling with happened to be one of the mythological Horsemen shook him to his core.
“I thought you were just myths. Religious crap to scare people into behaving.”
Chapter Seven
War laughed, and winced inside at the slightly brittle edge to it.
Try not to scare the man. Death’s voice danced in his mind.
I’ll do my best, but how do you think he’s really going to react once the shock wears off?
You might be surprised.
“Death is the Pale Rider, right?”
He nodded. “Yes, he is. Why?”
“I think I met him. When I was injured and lying on the ledge in Afghanistan, a pale-haired man appeared to me and told me to hang on a little longer. Help was coming. He disappeared right before you showed up.”
You bastard.
Death’s chuckle rang through his head. I have no idea what you’re talking about.