Made to Suffer (Journeyman Book 3)

by Golden Czermak

Quileth sputtered at what he saw, “That's… um… quite masculine, isn't it?”

  Just then, there was a knock at the door and everyone hushed; the time had come.

  Drogir was closest to the door so opened it, his imposing body towering over the courier.

  “Jane,” Drogir called, “he has a message for you.”

  Drogir settled back out of the way as the others drew closer together. They couldn’t make out what was being said, which further led to the air getting thick with anxiety, particularly when the conversation went on for at least ten minutes.

  “Thank you, Vagran,” Jane said as the courier bowed and took his leave. She closed the door behind him. Turning, she held in her hand a small leather box, black with a gold leaf floral design.

  “From the elves?” asked Quileth, his voice a touch jittery.

  “Yes,” she replied; they all had their suspicions as to what was inside the box. “It would seem that Meriden was indeed successful in thwarting Fenran’s plan of holding the Ring of Dispel. She is now ruler of the Otherworld, taking over from her deceased father, King Danann. They are working diligently to amend the situation amongst themselves for the time being and have asked no Journeymen cross over to their realm until more stability returns. As such, the fight to collect the remaining artifacts will be ours to see through, but Meriden has sent her assurances that they will be there for us should the time come – the end of all things.”

  “So Fenran is dead?” asked Marcus, earnest in his question.

  “Yes,” Jane answered, equally sincere in her regret for his loss. She noticed everyone starting to whisper. “I know that Fenran was treacherous in his deeds, of that there is no doubt, but I believe that he wasn’t so much in his heart. After all he had his own people in his mind and were confident they were strong enough to stand against the oncoming darkness. Doesn’t sound all too different from us.”

  “Doesn’t change the fact that he needed a good ass kicking,” Gage chimed in, folding his arms. He wasn’t a huge fan of namby-pamby sentiments.

  Jane nodded in subtle agreement, reaching down to open the tiny case at last. As the lid rose, the circlet of gold and platinum inside glistened like dew in the morning light. It was unpretentious yet stunning.

  “Is it supposed to be doing that?” Joey asked, having moved up close to get a better view.

  The ring was vibrating, starting to emit a high-pitched song before leaping out of its case. It soared through the air right at Gage, narrowly missing Joey as it hurtled by. With quick reflexes, he caught the speeding object and it stung, somehow already affixed to his finger.

  Amazed, he slowly lifted his hands and looked at them intently. He was reminded of the vision from back in the cellar at Denver: there on one hand was a barely held together band of rust and on the other, a circle of platinum entangled gold.

  “Dreams coming true,” he muttered gloomily.

  Adrienne looked his way with wonderment and worry, sad to see the same echoed in his expression. There was an aura about him now, seeming to rise up from the treasures themselves. It seemed powerful yet unpredictable – like that nervous feeling when something was about to go terribly wrong.

  Yet she shouldn’t have felt that way at all, the collective faces of the others gathered that afternoon all showed happiness, especially for the progress that had made collecting the treasures, the alliances that had been forged where none had ever been contemplated before, and for simply annoying the Noctis with each of their subsequent successes. However, she knew that with all happy things there were concealed moments on the other end of the spectrum.

  It was like that for Gage, a greater darkness growing than the night they fought to keep at bay. It was a blackness within himself, struggling harder to escape with each new treasure that adorned his body. He was unsure of what he was becoming, unsure if his soul was changing, or even tainted. He just knew that he felt lost, even as he looked to the faces around him. Everyone there had become family when not two years ago he had nothing at all. The world could change in an instant, he was proof enough of that, but the nature of that change is what always worried him. No matter what he did the future was always present, just waiting to be revealed.

  He happened to glance back at Adrienne, teasing her hair with her fingers, looking as gorgeous as the day he first laid eyes on her and thought wow. There was someone he could see a future with and Hell or high water, that was a future he couldn’t wait to be discovered, together.

  “Gage,” Jane asked, breaking his concentration. She was soon joined by Allete and the both of them looked at him with concern. “Are you holding up okay?”

  “Yeah I’m doin’ alright I suppose,” he said lowly, voice a touch more gravely than normal. “For someone y’all keep loading up with demon trinkets.” He gave his biggest Cheshire grin but there was an underlying vibe that seemed forced; he wouldn’t look either of them in the eyes.

  “It sounds like you’re coming down with something,” Allete observed, connecting with him. She thought they looked dimmer than usual, shades of yellow peering through his normally verdant eyes. “You should head to the hospital wing and get things checked out then –”

  “Take some time,” Jane cut in, smiling to Allete, “to relax for a bit while you can. Gage, nobody deserves that more than you right now. I have a feeling the Noctis are none too pleased with us and we will need all the energy we can spare in the fight ahead.”

  THE COURTYARD WAS busy that late afternoon, Joey and Marcus deciding that a stroll was much needed to clear the fog in their minds. Despite far more people present than they hoped for, it was much better than the last few days had been – or quite possibly a week, it was all mashing together. Nonstop discussions were churning about the recent Elvish war and the many ramifications thereof, all in such excruciating great detail even Marcus was losing interest.

  “If I ever hear one more thing about elves…” Marcus said through thin lips.

  “Or leprechauns…” Joey cut in.

  “Or any of the Celtic worlds,” Marcus finished with utmost seriousness, “it'll be far too soon.”

  Joey grinned in agreement. Before all this, he was a Celtic virgin, now more versed in that lore than he ever wanted to be.

  The two of them carried on, moving under the closest row of nearly naked trees. They took the outermost path that would eventually meander to the overlook of Central Park.

  Marcus peeked at Joey fondly as they strolled, his black-haired cohort looking down at their entwined arms, deep in thought. Marcus had finally extended the offer he debated about back in Houston, suggesting Joey use the lab spaces at HQ for his personal projects and tinkering with artifacts they might find along the way.

  “So…” Marcus prodded, “what’s your answer?”

  Joey sighed, unsure. “I dunno,” he replied boyishly, a look of doubt in his eyes. “I don’t want to be an inconvenience to anybody.”

  “You’re not,” Marcus replied while resisting the urge to clench his fists, “and trust me, you won’t be.”

  “I don't want to be given special treatment…” Joey stubbornly continued.

  Marcus wanted to shake him, but after a few more back and forths Joey agreed.

  “Alright! Alright, I’ll do it,” he said, lifting his free hand and swiping it through his hair.

  Marcus knew deep down that it was a pale substitute for Joey’s workshop back at what used to be the Lodge. There was no doubt about the capabilities and potential within the walls of Order HQ, but the memories and feel of the old place were gone and those arguably carried far more weight.

  “To think we didn’t know each other that long ago,” Marcus stated, a subtle note of flowers drifting past his nose from the nearby beds. “Whatever was I doing with my life?”

  “Paperwork,” Joey replied instantly. “But thank goodness I came along and took your mind off of those endless notes and reports; for a little while at least.” Joey looked ahead for a few steps. “It really is ama
zing though. I mean things seems to be going really well… perfectly if I can say that without jinxing it all.”

  Marcus chuckled. “Yeah way to go, you’ve done it now,” he replied, look changing into a more serious one. “But sincerely, I do hope that once all this apocalypse shit is out of the way, you and I can focus on the future.”

  “Well preferably we eliminate the threat of a painful death,” Joey said, his arm wrapping itself a little tighter around Marcus, “and when that day comes, I definitely look forward to our future together.”

  They finally reached the railing, passing by another couple who were locked in an embrace. Joey noticed his shoe lace was loose, bending over to tie it. While down on one knee, he studied Marcus from toes to head and back down again, smiling from what he was viewing. Actually talking about a potential future together was like a dream he didn’t want to wake up from and that desire manifested on his face as a primed set of cheeks, made redder the instant Marcus glanced down.

  He couldn’t help but notice a glimmer in Joey’s eyes, one of happiness no doubt, but there was an underlying sadness in there too. It looked as if it were about to take over with the fairly obvious buildup of tears. “Oh no, no, no,” he told Joey, lifting his chin with a gentle push of his hand, “don't you dare go there.”

  Joey stood up then tried to shift his eyes away, but found himself looking right back at Marcus. His eyes started to overflow once again. “Gosh, I'm not trying to. I’m just so happy… but also sad, I suppose. Hell, I’ll just throw in scared, too. I don't want this… us… to end, Markey.” Joey had been speaking sheepishly, but didn’t give a fuck. “God knows why I've grown to like you around so much in such a short time, but because of that I'm afraid of bad things coming to ruin it. The people that mean the most to me are always taken away, for one reason or another.” He thought of his dad and even Gage, sighing heavily.

  Marcus found himself touched by what he was hearing, having cultivated those same feelings inside himself. All of this was something growing well beyond lust or a fling; maybe it had been that way since the beginning. Sure, it was also fast, but it also felt right. Not in a fleeting way either, but down to the core. Regardless, his feelings – their feelings – couldn't be ignored.

  Marcus reached into his jeans pocket and pulled out a wooden necklace similar to a rosary. Etched on the back of the cross was the Fourth Pentacle of Venus.

  “What’s this?” Joey asked.

  “First and foremost, consider it a gift from me to you. Secondly, and arguably more important, it’s a symbol of my love for you J.” Marcus placed the charm in Joey’s palm and closed his hand around it. “I don’t know if you’re a religious type of guy, but I spoke to Adrienne about her time in the Astral Plane and how her love for Gage was able to make the connection across the void. The Seal of Solomon aside, that symbol right there, Number Forty-Three, saw to it that her loved one was brought back to her from far away. I would like to think our situation, if not already there, will grow into a similar one.”

  Joey was speechless, saying the only thing he could think of at the time. “Thank you.”

  “You’re more than welcome,” Marcus replied, nearly losing himself in emotions. “Sorry, I just… relationships haven’t been my forte and I’m hoping to do right by you. I haven’t had much luck with family, mom and dad of course being gone and my relationship with my brother Ty a bit… strained. Guess that is another thing I’ll need to check off this list once things settled down.”

  Joey moved to put the chain on and Marcus reached around his neck, helping to latch the chain. Marcus then dropped his hands, using them to gently press Joey to the railing. “It looks good on you and now, we can be together even when we are worlds apart.”

  Joey’s eyes welled up with joy.

  “Oh, don't you dare cry, J,” Marcus charged, tipping up his cap to get a better look at his tormented companion. “You can't live in constant fear of what might be or what might end up changing out of the ordinary. What we need to focus on is enjoying what we have: our friendship, our bond, dare I say our love for each other, all in the brief time we have together. We are mortals, after all.”

  His deep voice lingered, acting like a comforting blanket that Joey latched onto. He grabbed Marcus’ cockeyed hat, flinging the damn thing off into the flowerbeds before looking him squarely in the eyes. What he saw was beautiful, strong, and at that moment in time, his.

  Joey rested his arms around Marcus’ back and with a set of thumping hearts they both leaned in for a hug. It was one of those embraces that felt like the tightest one of both their lives, pulling away after a time to let their lips unite. It was an amazing feeling as they kissed: the feel, the taste, the smells so full of passion and –

  Joey’s belly griped.

  “Goddammit!” he exclaimed as they both burst into a fit of laughter.

  “OJ or food this time?” Marcus asked, not upset in the least bit.

  “Both,” Joey replied embarrassedly, his face like a boy caught with his hand in a cookie jar. “Sorry about that… ruining the moment.”

  The smirk on Marcus’ face then rolled up into a smile. “You didn’t ruin a thing and I wouldn't change a second of it.”

  They both set off for the café arm in arm, Marcus leaning in close to Joey's ear. “You know I'm always going to be around to get your Joey juice…”

  Joey thought that sounded so corny, but couldn’t deny it was fitting. “Good thing too, because you know it always makes things better,” he replied with the sneakiest of winks.

  DUSK TRANSFORMED THE sky as Gage and Adrienne dined in the open air of the promenade. The table where they sat was barely big enough for two average people, Gage’s hulking body looming intimidatingly over one side of the bright white linens. If a small tabletop was the only issue, things might have been easier to endure, but this restaurant took “intimate” dining to a whole other level. Much to their surprise, customers weren’t required to share seats or sit in each other’s laps, though it certainly felt like they were already doing that with how tightly packed the tables were.

  Their food was nearly gone, yet Gage was still hungry, eyeing the last bite of crusty baked potato on her plate.

  “Go ahead,” Adrienne said as he snatched it up between his fingers. “I nearly forgot how elegantly you eat.” She clasped her glass of wine, swirling it as she looked at the ridiculousness in front of her. “My God, Gage I swear that I can’t take you anywhere.”

  “I know, right?” he said with feigned disbelief. “You just can’t get enough of this big bastard.”

  She laughed as one of his hands pointed downward. “Touché!” she replied with a sip.

  Gage’s hand disappeared beneath the table and Adrienne was tempted to laugh as he wriggled around hysterically in his pockets. Shortly after, his hand yanked back up from the darkness, nearly sending what was in it flying across the restaurant. Thankfully he didn’t let go, the toy truck his dad had given him nestled safely in his fist.

  Adrienne wondered what was going on as he put it on the tablecloth, rolling it nervously back and forth. She then noticed something shining in the bed of the minuscule toy.

  Once Gage saw her take notice, he reached in and pinched the object, pulling out a ring between his beefy fingers. Astonishingly, it wasn’t made out of plastic, elastic, or pulled from a Cracker Jack box. Yet, it was still pretty far from traditional.

  Adrienne thought this had to be a joke as she looked at the makeshift ring, forged from two hex nuts – one with a finger sized opening while the other sat atop it like some defunct diamond.

  “Ady, I know I should probably be on one knee to ask ya this…” Gage rumbled, scratching at an apparent itch in his beard. “But as ya can see, room’s quite tight.”

  Yes, this has to be a joke. Right?

  He looked her right in the eyes, expression unwavering and quite strong. “Would ya marry me, gorgeous?”

  She melted at the end there.

  Bu
r Gage Crosse is a loner. Right?

  Hidden cameras were surely recording her reaction live, broadcasting it online for the world to see. There was no way was he, Gage fucking Crosse, was proposing in this inappropriately intimate restaurant in the middle of Order HQ. A breeze blew by, its temperature notably cooler than it had been and she shivered slightly in her sleeveless black top.

  Ah yes, that had to be the reason: Hell had frozen over!

  Ady… shut up for a second, another voice ordered. He hasn’t been a loner for quite some time, ever since he set those green eyes on that brunette damsel in distress. You may know her – the one he just so happened to rescue in Texas.

  Fuck, that voice was right; why was it always right?

  “Gage… I…” she started, then stopped almost right away. “I…”

  “Ya dunno what to say, eh?” he replied with a Cheshire grin. “Darlin’, I’m honestly at a loss here myself.”

  He reached his large hand across the table and wrenched hers free of the wine glass. It notably dwarfed hers as he brought it over to his side of the table. There, he slid the ring gracefully over her finger as far as it could go and it caught the warm candlelight as soon as he let go.

  She simply stared at it.

  As did he.

  “This one is only temporary, ya know,” he clarified, afraid that she might be a little offended. “It's just, I got this crazy idea and only had the cash in my wallet on hand.”

  An errant tear moved down her cheek and sniffling, she went to wipe it away. Gage was quick on the draw and beat her, swiping across it with his thumb.

  “Dammit,” she said, unable to hold back, fanning her face. “Why’d you have to go and do this to me?”

  Gage sunk back a little, unsure if this was a good move on his part. “So, it’s a no then?”

  She kicked his shin under the table.

  “Ouch!” Gage shouted, so loudly other patrons spun around to see what was going on.

  “It’s yes you grizzly, hung, motherfucker!” she shouted just as loudly. “Jesus Christ, yes!”