by Lisa Oliver
Garrick hopped from his arm, to Stefan’s bag which was sitting on the dresser. “I pack. Is that what you’re telling me? I pack, and then what?”
The ruffle of Garrick’s feathers was his version of a shrug. “Great,” Stefan grumbled as he went over to the dresser. “You don’t know what I’m meant to do either, do you? Dead bodies, heart removal and a mate. I haven’t had nearly enough sleep to deal with all this.”
Garrick started cleaning his feathers. It was clear he didn’t think Stefan had anything to worry about. In fact, Stefan would go so far as to suggest the raven looked positively smug.
/~/~/~/~/
He ran from me. The action stunned Lucifer that much he stood like a statue for a full minute staring at the partially open bedroom door. He knows about our connection and he ran. Huh. Lucifer shook his head. Am I losing my touch? Have I lost my sex appeal? He looked down at his broad chest and chiseled abs. Nah. I don’t think that’s it. Lucifer wasn’t vain but he knew he looked good even if he had bed hair.
Huh. Shit. Oh well. Shoving his sleep pants down his legs, Lucifer walked slowly over to the dresser, finding a clean pair of jeans and briefs in his bag. He went through the motions of dressing automatically. With everything in his wardrobe black he never had to worry if his clothes matched. Sitting on the edge of the bed to pull on his boots, Lucifer pondered the mystery that was his mate.
My attitude towards young magic users before we met probably didn’t help. Lucifer knew he wasn’t perfect, even if he gave the impression he was, to everyone else.
And then I dismissed his concerns about Brutus – for his own safety – but still dismissed him.
Held him like a football – carried him like a toddler actually.
Called his ass skinny.
Lucifer winced. That last one was unfair and untrue. But being a man of action, he decided he would make things up to his young mate in his own way. Soon. When they were safe. And in the meantime, he’d find out a bit more about the sexy Stefan through good old-fashioned communication. Yep. Lucifer was feeling quite pleased with himself as he arranged for a rental car to meet them a block down from the hotel.
/~/~/~/~/
Somehow, seeing Lucifer dressed in his customary black made things easier when Stefan met him as arranged. Lucifer took his bag so he could hide them with magic, but apart from keeping his hand firmly on Stefan’s back (middle not lower), they looked like two business colleagues heading out for an extremely early morning meeting. Stefan had Garrick under his coat – a familiar would mark him as a magic user instantly. But the man at reception was playing with his phone as they walked through the lobby and the doorman barely gave them a glance as he opened the door for them.
“Do you have a plan?” Stefan whispered once they were out of earshot from anyone at the hotel.
“Getting to safety for now. Hold onto Garrick,” Lucifer said, his eyes scanning the near empty streets.
Lucifer’s tension was infectious. Stefan found himself noting his surroundings more acutely than normal. The only thing out of the ordinary were two cars parked directly ahead: two drivers leaning against the bonnet of one of them chatting in Arabic. The men were dressed in casual European clothes and they seemed engrossed in their conversation, but Stefan felt a prickle of unease run across the back of his neck.
“Lucifer, something’s not right.”
“I feel it too.” Lucifer kept his voice low as they approached the cars. “Be prepared to run if I tell you to.” Then in Arabic, he called out, “Hello? Car for Fireborn?”
“You’re Mr. Fireborn?” The men straightened – there were no smiles and Stefan tensed.
“Yes.” Stefan noticed Lucifer had stepped forward, blocking Stefan’s view. “I ordered a car, which one is mine?”
The two men looked at each other and then one of them reached into the open window of the car closest to them. “This one is yours. There’s some paperwork, if you could…”
“Run!” Lucifer yelled as Stefan heard the explosive crack of a gunshot. Lucifer stumbled, their bags dropping to the ground, suddenly visible as his glamor on them disappeared. Garrick flew out of Stefan’s coat, straight for the man Stefan could now see was holding the gun, but Stefan’s concern was for Lucifer. Dim light and dark clothing made seeing any wounds impossible, but as Stefan grabbed Lucifer around his chest, struggling to keep him upright, he could feel a dampness seeping through Lucifer’s shirt.
The two attackers were cursing, flailing their arms as Garrick divebombed them time and time again. But one of them, the one holding the gun, had crouched down so he was sheltering by the car, and as Stefan glanced up, the eye of the barrel was staring straight at him.
I’m not dying today and nor is Lucifer. Stefan pulled on the magic crackling between him and the bigger man, causing a huge fireball to rise above them. “Expel,” he yelled, causing the fireball to change, splitting into two fiery dragons that hurtled like missiles towards the two men. The gun went off and Stefan winced as the bullet grazed his ear, but the two men were running now, leaving their cars behind, and Garrick and the two fire dragons pursuing them.
Shit. Think. The bottom half of Lucifer’s legs had collapsed and the only thing keeping the rest of him off the ground was Stefan’s grip. The man weighed a ton, but Stefan knew he had to get them to the car. The shot had been loud, someone at the hotel could have heard them. His sense of urgency increased as he heard the distant wail of a siren.
“It would help, if you helped me,” Stefan muttered, trying to drag Lucifer in the direction of the nearest car. But the man just flopped about on his knees like a drunk puppet and Stefan didn’t want to cause him anymore damage.
I’m going to jail if anyone sees me do this. That point was moot – two men screaming about fire shaped dragons was enough to get him killed in Egypt. With the sirens getting closer, that possibility was getting closer too. Thinking back to the lessons Gaston taught him, Stefan called on his magic once more, levitating the unconscious Lucifer two feet into the air. “Okay, just stay there a minute.” Dancing around the floating man, Stefan waved at the car door so it would open, holding Lucifer aloft with the other. “Gently now, gently now.” Stefan eased Lucifer into the back seat. Of course, Lucifer’s legs were too damn long and wouldn’t fit, but as the siren’s got ever closer, Stefan didn’t have time to care, folding Lucifer’s long legs in half and slamming the car door shut on them.
There was no sign of Garrick – he was probably still chasing the running men, but Stefan couldn’t wait for him either. Grabbing the bags, he shoved them in the front passenger seat and ran around to the driver’s side, praying the keys were still in the ignition.
They were. It’d been years since Stefan had driven anything, but vehicle basics didn’t change. The car was a manual, and it jolted forward when Stefan let out the clutch, but they were moving. Twisting the steering wheel hard, Stefan ran the car up the curb doing a U-turn, but when the car was straight and on the road again, he crashed through the gears and pushed the accelerator down as far as it would go. He didn’t have a clue where they were going, but anywhere was better than where they were. Now all Stefan had to do was find a safe place to park, so he could see how badly his passenger had been hurt. After that…? One thing at a time.
Chapter Nine
Lucifer came to, conscious of excruciating pain in his left shoulder. The bastard shot me, he thought grimly as his mind kicked into gear. Shit. Stefan. And what the hell has happened to my legs? He had pins and needles in them and as he forced his eyes open, a quick glance around told him why.
In a car. Driven by a man in a black hat with white blond hair. That answered the question about where Stefan was. As for his legs, they were scrunched against the other door. Using his elbows, Lucifer tried to shuffle himself up so he could move his lower body, but the pain in his shoulder spiked and he couldn’t hide his moan.
“Lucifer?” Stefan glanced quickly over his shoulder. “You’re awake. Thank the Fates
. Don’t move, okay. I have absolutely no idea where we are, but Garrick’s leading us somewhere safe. Hang on.”
“My legs. Shit.”
“Yeah, well that’s what comes of ordering a small car when you’ve got uber-long legs.” Stefan kept his focus on the road.
“I was aiming for inconspicuous.” Lucifer tried turning on his uninjured side while patting the area in his shoulder where the bullet went in. He had no idea if it’d come out the back and with being cramped in the back seat of a tiny car, there wasn’t much he could do about it either. “How long?” He croaked. Shit, he could do with a drink or three as well.
“Since you got shot?” Lucifer caught Stefan eying him in the rear vision mirror. “About twenty minutes. I wasn’t sure what you wanted me to do, but someone had called the police and you were in no position to talk to them. The guy got another shot off, so I chased them away and took the car. I couldn’t carry you, I’m sorry.”
“What the hell are you apologizing for?” Grabbing hold of the arm rest on the door, Lucifer managed to sit up. At least now his legs could straighten out a little bit. “You did bloody brilliantly, and yes, I realize you had to use magic, but you got us out of a sticky situation even after I told you to run.”
“It’s not as though I could run very far, keeping you from falling to the ground.” Stefan chopped the car down a gear. “What the heck, Garrick? Oh brilliant, that’s what every horror story needs – an abandoned warehouse. Let’s hope it has water connected.” The car lurched to a stop and Lucifer bit back a second moan as his shoulder hit the seat.
“Sorry.” Stefan turned off the engine. “I haven’t driven in a while.” He opened the driver’s door and from the interior light of the car, Lucifer could see they were in what looked like a large workshop… with only part of a roof. The stars were dimming as the sun was slowly making its way up to the horizon. “Don’t try and move. I’ll come around and get your door open.”
Lucifer wasn’t sure he could move, even if he wanted to. His head was woozy, and a headache was forming. That was without the burning pain in his shoulder that seemed to be spreading. He’d been shot before, he knew if the bullet was out, his body and magic would combine, speeding up the healing process at an unnatural rate. But for now, the bullet was seriously upsetting his body’s natural harmony with his magical powers, which sucked.
The car door opened by his feet and Lucifer stretched out more fully. His legs were not designed to be screwed up like a pretzel. Leaning in, Stefan held out his hand. “Do you think you can shuffle this way a bit so I can see where you’ve been hit?”
No. Lucifer didn’t feel like moving at all, but a glance at Stefan’s face made him rethink his position. His mate’s face was whiter than normal with pinched lines around his eyes and mouth. Taking the hand offered, Lucifer bum-walked his way across the thankfully flat seat, every jolt causing the pain in his shoulder to spread further.
“The bullet must still be in you.” Stefan wasn’t looking at him. “Our magic… I’m barely getting a connection from you, so the bullet is seriously interfering with your natural energies. Are you comfortable with me using my magic on you? With some first aid of course. I have supplies in my bag.”
“You’re very resourceful.” Lucifer nodded his consent, and then, because Stefan wasn’t looking at him, he added, “Do what you must. This isn’t my first time being shot.”
“Your coat. Your shirt.” Stefan bit his lower lip. “Sorry. I promise not to drool.” He waved his hands, and Lucifer found himself topless. Flicking his hair down his back, Lucifer looked down at the angry mess in his shoulder. The bullet had missed the joint, thank goodness, but there was a definite hole. The area around the hole was bruised and smeared blood completed the picture.
“Can you lean forward?” Stefan suggested. “I need to check… to feel…” His hands fluttered uselessly in the air. “I don’t want to hurt you further.”
“I’m okay.” Lucifer ran his tongue around his teeth trying to ease the dryness in his mouth. “Find some water if you can. Drinkable. Then I can talk you through getting the bullet out. I’ll be healed within an hour once it’s gone.”
Stefan lingered for a moment, and then his jaw tightened, and he let go of Lucifer’s hand. “I’ll be quick.” A bottle appeared in his hand and he disappeared around the car.
He didn’t want to let go. Without Stefan’s innate magic bolstering him, Lucifer was struggling to stay conscious. Leaning against the back of the front passenger seat, he realized how scary the whole situation must be for his young mate. But the man hadn’t left him – he’d coped with two thugs and got Lucifer to safety. The flutter of wings let Lucifer know Garrick was near.
“Thank you,” he croaked. “Watch over him,” he added as his eyelids fluttered closed.
/~/~/~/~/
The next time Lucifer woke up, he was a lot more comfortable, stretched out on his uninjured side on a cot, his shoulder wrapped in a clean bandage. The tingle in his fingers let him know his magic had returned – Stefan had got the bullet out – and when Lucifer gently rolled his shoulder, there was no pain. I’m healing, thank fuck. Looking around, the room was now fully lit, the sun streaming through the open roof. Lucifer was in the shade, the car was still where Stefan parked it, but of the young mage there was no sign.
Pushing himself up, Lucifer waited a moment for the dizziness to pass. His body would cope with the blood loss – he just needed food and water. Planting his boots firmly on the ground, he stood up and waited again. When he was confident he could walk without making a fool of himself, Lucifer made his way to the wide door the car had been driven through. Stefan was sitting outside in front of a fire, which had a pot of something savory bubbling over it. He jumped up as soon as he saw Lucifer approaching.
“Should you even be up?” Stefan took his arm, leading him to a second chair he’d conjured from somewhere. “How are you feeling? I have been checking on you. I just… I didn’t want you to think… It might have been weird if you’d woken up and found me hovering over you, so I made a meal instead.”
“Can we just get something straight right now?” Lucifer resisted Stefan’s efforts to get him to sit down and turned him, so they were facing each other. “Firstly, don’t keep apologizing, or making excuses for what you’re doing – you’ve been amazing. What I said, back in the office the other day, about young magic users and the way they fall all over me, was rude, ignorant and uncalled for. I was being petty. I was used to Darwin’s presence and I took it for granted. When he mated, I took my anger out on you; I’m the one who’s sorry. And for the record, I’d be severely upset if my own mate didn’t drool over me once in a while. What’s the point in being a sex symbol if my mate doesn’t notice?”
“I noticed,” Stefan mumbled, refusing to meet his eyes. “But you need to eat, and Garrick found a reasonably clean source of water too. If you sit down…”
“Can I just get a hug first?” Lucifer was not a hugger as a rule, but he could see Stefan was ready to break apart. “It’s been a trying time for both of us… oomph.” Lucifer rocked on his feet for a moment as Stefan’s body was suddenly plastered against him. But his arms knew what to do even if his brain suddenly clocked out. Wrapping them around his slender mate’s body, Lucifer rocked on his feet deliberately this time, staring out at the barren landscape and soothing his mate as best he could while Stefan broke down against his chest.
Chapter Ten
For Stefan, every minute waiting for Lucifer to wake up had seemed like an hour. He’d alternated between scavenging for food and hurrying back to Lucifer’s bedside every time he heard a twitch or moan. He hadn’t slept. He hadn’t eaten and if it hadn’t been for Garrick’s feathery presence, he’d have collapsed in a heap and cried.
Which, okay, was what he was doing now, but Lucifer’s embrace was solid and there wasn’t anything judgmental about it. Stefan hadn’t had time to think about the implications of being a true mate to the big man, but he’
d take the hug. Hugs were precious and hugging a solid man like Lucifer was like finding a rare diamond in the desert sands.
But the mating aspect could also be a curse – the Fates determining sex was the easiest way to bring two people together, even though it was their magic that would bind them. It wasn’t long before Stefan’s body started to betray him. He pulled back, not harshly, but their safety and him having to have “the talk” with Lucifer were more important than meeting baser needs.
“You need to eat,” he said, encouraging Lucifer to sit again. This time Lucifer did. “I boiled the water, but there’s no refrigeration or anything anywhere, so it won’t be very cold, but at least it will quench your thirst.” Reaching over, Stefan pulled the bottle from where he’d partially buried it, assuming the sand deeper down would be cooler. “There’s more if you need it,” he said brushing the bottle off and handing it over. “I’ll get you something to eat.”
“Where did all this come from?” Lucifer asked, waving his hand at the fire and plates Stefan was laying out on a plank he’d found. Stefan glanced up to see half the bottle of water was now empty, and then went back to what he was doing.
“A little bit of luck, a little bit of magic, and a couple of things from my bag,” he said, scooping out a bowlful of stew with his coffee mug. “The men who owned the car were clearly planning to camp out for a while. That’s where your bed came from, and the canned foods. I found the extra bottles for the water in an office out the back, and there was a running tap outside. There’s a concrete tank for water around the other side of the building. The coffee mug is mine, and we only have one fork I’m afraid, but that’s okay, I’ll slurp mine out of the mug. I haven’t got a clue what this will taste like as I couldn’t read the labels on the tins and had to guess the contents from the pictures, but food is food.”