The Shaman of Kupa Piti

by A. Nybo

  Sergei raised an eyebrow. “I did appreciate it, but I am wondering how does something like that happen? Did you fall asleep midthrow and fall onto the bed?”

  Leon smiled. It did sound ridiculous. “After I put the blanket on you, I was lying thinking about a dream that woke me, and I guess I fell asleep.”

  “Oh? What was the dream about?” Sergei’s eating had become a little more sedate. He’d started chewing his food.

  “I was sitting on a bench in the middle of nowhere eating ice creams with a little girl.”

  “And?”

  “She asked me if I wanted some of hers.” Sergei was nodding as he ate. Leon chuckled. “Her ice cream tasted like life.”

  Sergei froze.

  His intense stare made Leon feel that hunted way again.

  “It what?” Sergei asked finally.

  Leon felt as though he’d done something wrong. “It… it tasted like life.”

  Sergei broke into a broad grin and, reaching across the table, tapped Leon on the upper arm. “You had a visit with the spirits. You have strong blood—most people do, but they don’t listen to it. What did she tell you?” Sergei did a strange nodding thing as he smiled with satisfaction.

  Leon frowned. “It was a dream. The spirits didn’t visit me.”

  “How did you expect them to appear? Walk through a wall like the ghost stories on TV?”

  “That’s how they appear to you? In your dreams?”

  Sergei tilted his head from side to side. “Sometimes, but sometimes they come to me as animals or people.”

  “What, like they possess someone?”

  “No, like they are a real person.” He dismissed it in favour of hearing about Leon’s dream. “Now, what did she tell you?”

  Leon hesitated, his cheeks heating. “She said I had made my decision twice.” Leon rubbed his face. “But I haven’t made a decision.”

  “Yes, you have. You just keep choosing to ignore it or revoke it.”

  “If you’re so sure, why don’t you tell me what it is, then?”

  “I told you before—you have to walk yourself through the process so you can know it.”

  “I don’t know how. And all this cryptic shit is just pissing me off.”

  “It’s not that cryptic. It’s pretty straightforward. You’re just choosing to make it difficult for some reason. Because you don’t want to accept it, or… I don’t know.”

  “Okay, well how do I get myself there?”

  “Didn’t the little girl tell you?”

  “No.”

  Disapproval flashed in Sergei’s eyes, as though he were accusing Leon of lying. “Tell me about the dream. What happened?”

  “We were eating ice cream. I licked it, and she told me I had made my decision, like I couldn’t return it now or something. It was melting, and it started to drip, and I licked up the drips, and she said I had made my decision twice. I—”

  “There you go. She told you how to apply the principle.” Sergei rose and collected up the plates. He offered Leon a stupid smile and widened his eyes. “Do you not think I am cool and sweet?”

  Leon gaped at him. Sergei was both those things and so much more, but an ice cream in an analogy? “I don’t understand.”

  Sergei set the plates back on the table, pulled out the chair next to Leon, and sat. “Stop tying yourself in knots. It is a simple equation.” Sergei settled himself as though about to go into a lengthy explanation. “How many times have you tasted me?”

  The unusual question came as a shock. “What?”

  Sergei didn’t repeat himself. He waited expectantly. So Leon considered the question in a literal context. There was the time at the claim and then again at the safe house. Twice. Leon’s brain locked up, and he stared at the table trying to kick it into gear again. “But they weren’t decisions. They were….”

  “What, Leon? Accidents? Like when you accidentally fell asleep in my bed after putting a blanket over me?” Rising, Sergei picked up the plates and took them to the sink, where he began running the water to wash them.

  Leon wanted to run, but since Sergei already knew, he would only be trying to escape himself. No matter how much he ran, he would always be right there—with himself. His elbow propped on the table, Leon bent his head to rest on his fingertips.

  It was clear now that Sergei had known the very first time Leon had kissed him at the claim. Kissed him at the claim? Was that some sort of sign? Had he claimed him? No, he couldn’t make abstract connections. It would drive him mad.

  But the kiss had been a moment separated from the lust and excitement of their wrestling. Something within him had purposely made a decision, but both times he had considered it like it was some kind of temporary decision. Maybe subconsciously he thought if he didn’t acknowledge it, the need to make it again would magically disappear.

  He could now see Sergei’s lack of pressure and seeming apathy towards him at times for what it really was—patience. The question was, what was he going to do about it now that he knew he’d made his decision and if he didn’t accept it, he was doomed to keep making it over and over again? Unless, of course, he left Coober Pedy and never returned.

  Sergei slid a coffee around Leon’s elbow and onto the table. He gave Leon’s back a brief rub before returning to the dishes. Meant to be comforting, it only made Leon feel more pathetic. But there was something else there too. Sergei was giving him connection, kindness, understanding, and affection.

  For long moments Leon tried to suppress his feelings of stupidity but finally caved. “You must think I’m a moron.”

  Sergei returned to the chair next to Leon, drying his hands on a tea towel. “No. It is always easier to see our way through other people’s problems than our own because we don’t feel the emotions attached to the potential pathways.”

  “I don’t really have the right to ask, but is it possible to keep this under wraps until this case is over?”

  Sergei’s brow furrowed. “You have every right to ask, just as I have every right to any decision I make. But knowing your situation, I would have it no other way. Why risk a career on a man who may not be alive at the end of this?”

  Leon cupped the back of Sergei’s neck and brought their foreheads together. “Don’t even think it,” he whispered.

  As he’d done twice before, Leon kissed him with that softness that allowed him to know the sheer depth to which he could sink into those sensual lips. Since Sergei could better judge how much his mouth could withstand, Leon passed the lead to him, and Sergei deepened the kiss but kept it slow. They explored each other with a gentleness Leon suspected he would rarely experience with Sergei if not for the injuries.

  Sergei finally broke the kiss. His mouth twisted into a wicked smile. “As much as I’d like to take you to bed right now, the threat of Big Doris turning up is as heavy as my need for sleep.”

  “I’m not sure he would appreciate being called Big Doris.”

  Sergei’s eyes widened, and he spoke with humorous conviction. “He is big.”

  Leon dismissed the topic with a nod. “Have you slept at all since we left Adelaide?”

  “No.”

  Leon waggled his eyebrows. “Want me to tuck you in?”

  “When you accept your decision, you’re suddenly all in, aren’t you?” Sergei teased. He grasped Leon’s chin. The whispered “Da” against Leon’s lips led into another kiss.

  A knock on the door had the two of them jumping apart. A guilty chuckle escaped Leon as he rose.

  Sergei rose too and threw the tea towel onto the table. “Since that will be Doris, I will leave you to finish the dishes. I’m going to bed.”

  AFTER THE massive feed he’d had before sleeping most of the day away, Sergei was feeling better than he had since being attacked by Evgeni. Using his towel, he wiped the steam off the bathroom mirror and looked at the bruising, which although still colourful was no longer painful.

  He guessed it had something to do with the vicious craving he’
d had for eggs this morning. If the shadowlanders had taught him anything, it was how to care for his body, and one of those care factors was to listen to what it was telling him. His craving for eggs had been so bad that at dawn he’d snuck off to Lillie’s a few streets over and played the fox to her henhouse. He’d stolen nearly a dozen eggs, so he’d have to organise to pay her for them. But Leon would have a conniption if he knew Sergei had been out roaming while Evgeni was on the loose, so it would have to wait.

  When Leon had emerged from the bedroom this morning, Sergei had deliberately diverted his attention away from what they were eating so he wouldn’t question where the eggs had come from—an easy task considering Leon had been so preoccupied with his dilemma.

  Despite knowing he and Leon were meant to be together, and that it would come eventually, Leon had held steadfast longer than Sergei would have hoped. Together they might be able to beat Evgeni, but Sergei seriously doubted that he alone had the ability. He now understood Leon needed to allow them to connect properly, something Leon hadn’t been capable of while battling his conscience.

  Out in the lounge room, Sergei found Leon on the couch with his laptop open on legs extended so his socked feet could rest on the coffee table. Unable to help himself, Sergei ran his fingers through Leon’s silky soft hair as he walked past.

  “Hey.” Leon took his feet from the table and set his laptop on it. “How are you feeling?”

  “Very good.” Sergei continued to the kitchen, separated from the lounge by a breakfast counter. “How are you?”

  “Ugh. Nearly caught up on the paperwork I’ve been neglecting.”

  “You’ve been doing paperwork all day and you’re still not caught up? How much can there be?”

  “Well, between findings, interviews, orders, reports, travelling, expenditures….”

  Sergei held up a hand. “I like mining for a reason.” He searched for a source of natural light, but the dugout was completely lit by artificial lighting. “What time is it? Have you eaten?”

  “Um.” Leon checked his phone screen. “6:40 pm. And yes I have. There’s a plate of rigatoni in the fridge.”

  “You cooked it?”

  “Don’t sound so surprised,” Leon joked. “Nah, actually Charlie brought it around.” Leon came to stand at the breakfast counter. “Your theory about, ah, changing you into a kangaroo—would that explain why Evgeni took Miro’s bones and put them into the kangaroo we found at Goodwin’s mine?”

  “What kangaroo? Who’s Goodwin?” Sergei took the plate from the fridge, set it in the microwave, and started it heating.

  “Sorry, I forgot you weren’t privy to that information. The first guy we found in the open grave with the kangaroo was a bloke called Goodwin.” He spoke with such intense interest that Sergei barely heard the words as he became mesmerised by the enthusiasm sparking Leon’s features. “We went to his claim, which he was living in illegally, and there was a big red kangaroo in his bed with its leg bones removed, but human bones had been set in their place, and it turns out those bones belonged to Miro.”

  “The bones at my claim weren’t Miro’s?”

  “No, they belonged to a kangaroo. I don’t know why Evgeni is changing all the bones around.”

  “I told you, he is changing the bear to a kangaroo, and the bear is me, a human.”

  Evgeni and his machinations took a distant second to haunting images of Leon lying breathless beneath him, but the intervening hours could have seen Leon once again turn his back on the decision he’d made.

  Sergei didn’t know how to go about raising the subject without pressuring Leon, but fuck, if Leon kept using the breakfast counter as some sort of exercise bench to lift himself on, Sergei was going to see if all the muscles in his arms that flexed as he rocked the bulk of his weight between hands and feet were strong enough to keep Sergei from stripping him bare.

  “The weird thing is that Evgeni would have had to return to Goodwin’s claim with Miro’s bones. That was weeks after Goodwin was found.”

  “Maybe that’s where he was staying.”

  “Doubt it.” Leon once again went on his toes, using his arms to take his weight, narrow hips lifting above the countertop between widespread hands. “The place was pretty rank. And I don’t think he would have enjoyed sharing a bed with the kangaroo.”

  So preoccupied with Leon’s exercises, Sergei would have completely missed that Leon was joking if he hadn’t heard the sarcasm in his tone. “Was the kangaroo there long?”

  The microwave pinged, and Sergei took the plate from it, deciding to eat it regardless of whether it was heated through or not. If he had to watch Leon flexing his muscles on the breakfast counter too much longer, there would be no accounting for him joining in with his own version of the exercise. He grabbed a fork and went to sit in the lounge.

  Leon followed. “Difficult to tell. Forensics couldn’t really pin anything down for us on that since the circumstances were so unique.”

  “Unique in what way?”

  “Inability to determine how long it was dead before it was put down there, restricted ventilation, lack of flies—”

  “Lack of flies?”

  “Hm. That’s a forensic indicator, how long a body has been in situ, or even if it’s been moved a great distance, depending on the type of fly larvae. Don’t you watch all those crime-scene investigation shows on TV?” Leon teased.

  Sergei grunted. Conversation was difficult, and the closer he got to the end of his meal, the more anxious he became that he would make a pass at Leon only to be told after thinking about it throughout the day, Leon had decided they couldn’t be together after all.

  Remonstrating with himself for his uncharacteristic lack of confidence, he finished his meal and took his plate to the sink. Just because they belonged together didn’t necessarily mean now. He needed time to plan the best way to approach Leon.

  “Coffee?” he asked.

  “Yeah, thanks.”

  Leon was back on the couch with his laptop settled on long legs that bent at the knee so his feet could rest on the coffee table. While he waited for the kettle to boil, Sergei wondered what it would be like to have those legs wrapped around him as he fucked Leon—knowing it wasn’t going to happen anytime soon didn’t keep the invasive images at bay.

  As Leon’s head began to move, Sergei snapped his gaze away in case Leon caught him leering. He mentally faltered. When had he become as insecure as a virgin? If he let his gaze linger, it would clue Leon in to what was on his mind, but for some reason he couldn’t. An immaculate gremlin had taken control of his eyes, his body.

  The click of the automatic switch on the kettle turning off drew Sergei back to the coffee making. His hand shook as he poured the boiling water, and he hoped he didn’t end up giving himself third-degree burns. Knowing it was going to be a tricky exercise traversing the great expanse of the room, he made sure to skimp on the water to minimise spillage.

  With low tide in both cups, he managed to make it to the coffee table, and it was only when he bent to put Leon’s cup down that the gremlin really took hold, but the spill was so small it could go unnoticed.

  Sergei consumed half his coffee without awareness, as he was completely focussed on Leon’s hands as he typed, and when his hands stilled, Sergei refocussed on his legs.

  A flicker of insight ground Sergei to a halt when it occurred to him that his bout of youthful uncertainty was a sign of his readiness to open to that profound state where sex was no longer merely physical, but a readiness to truly connect with Leon.

  He set his nearly empty cup on the table, and no sooner had he turned his eyes to Leon than Leon glanced up from the computer. Sergei had no idea what expression he was displaying, but Leon did a double take, and when Sergei smiled, Leon blushed. Oh fuck yes, Leon was ready too.

  Rising, Sergei went to Leon and held out his hand. The time it took for Leon to take it caused Sergei a momentary waver of resolve, but then Leon set his laptop on the table and closed the
lid. Standing, he slid his hand into Sergei’s, and wordlessly, Sergei led them to his room.

  Keen to relish Leon, Sergei left kisses on Leon’s neck and cheek, punctuated only by the removal of his T-shirt. Leon moved his head around as he offered himself up to Sergei’s affections.

  They joined in a kiss, and Sergei tried not to smile at Leon’s restrained urgency. From the moment Sergei had cautioned Leon to be gentle with him, their passion had been bridled. Now Sergei was feeling better, they would be able to let loose—but in order to truly delight in him, Sergei was going to keep Leon checked for as long as he could.

  Leon’s fingers wandered over Sergei’s skin, leaving trails of burning need. They moved up to grip his hair and pull his head back. Leon’s hot tongue left a cool wake all the way up his neck. Sergei groaned with delight.

  As clothes came off, bodies were kissed, nipples sucked, backs and bottoms caressed, hard-ons rubbed against each other, against hips, but neither put a hand to an erection. Sergei moved Leon to the bed and went to one of his bags.

  After locating the bottle of lube and a towel, he returned to Leon’s embrace. He clicked the lid of the gel and squirted a line up Leon’s hard-on. The sharp intake of breath and following chuckle from Leon hinted at the coolness of the lube in comparison to Leon’s heat. Just thinking about how fucking messy they were going to get caused Sergei’s cock to flex.

  He rolled onto Leon, and as their slippery cocks rubbed against each other’s, their synchronous groans of pleasurable relief prompted them to exchange smiles. Sergei raised himself on his elbows to clearly see Leon. Joy danced in his arousal-darkened eyes, causing Sergei’s heart to sing.

  “Kraseevyi,” whispered Sergei as he ran fingers through Leon’s hair and bent to kiss him.

  “Hmm?” Leon uttered against Sergei’s lips.

  Sergei lowered his mouth by Leon’s ear and repeated it in English. “Beautiful.”

  They kissed as they rutted against each other, the slide slow and sensual. Leon licked a line up Sergei’s neck, and when he used his teeth to massage deep, the previously unexperienced sensation went straight to Sergei’s balls. He groaned his pleasure and began a downward exploration before things got too hot to linger.