by L Ward
The wind was deafening, the ground fast approaching. The others must have been screaming, but he daren’t look at their faces as the panic set in and Evan did the only thing he could, coated them in magic and braced himself, praying to the gods he could absorb this much damage.
They splintered the tree branches, crashed through greenery and struck the ground like a meteor.
Chapter 15
Evan was dead.
He was definitely dead.
Any second now…
Evan opened his eyes; he most definitely wasn’t dead. “I’m alive!”
“Me too,” an angel appeared before him all handsome smiles and cheek-cutting dimples. He reached out to touch his husband’s unshaven cheek.
“Me three,” said Will.
Evan snapped out of his daze and sat up slowly, amazed that the worst of their injuries was surface bruising. He healed Nath up and turned to Will. “Let me give you the once over, I don’t trust you after last time.”
Will shot him a glare but stood while Evan bathed him in healing and approved him for travel. “We’re not in the Dead Country anymore,” he frowned, gazing about the chilly pine forest. There was a little dirt path for horses and dog walkers, it smelled of springtime dewdrops and a touch of winter’s grace.
“Where are we?” Nath asked worriedly.
Evan surveyed the area with a frown. “We’re not far from Eccles.”
“Lancashire?”
“Yeah, if we go north-east and follow the path through the village we can actually get to my parents’ house in an hour or so,” said Evan, excitement rising like a welcoming sunny spell. “I mean, their old house before they got the new estate.”
“Your childhood home,” Nath smiled.
“Yeah, it’s got enchantments and spells protecting it, it’s not as safe as the palace, but it’s better than being out here, unless anyone knows a better way home,” he said, feeling as though he’d just offered the lions a few scraps of old bacon fat.
Will looked tired; Nath exhausted.
“I’ll take that as a yes,” said Evan. An hour of walking was the last thing he wanted to do right now, but if it meant a warm bath and his old bed he’d manage it. He felt Will radiating irritation as they trudged, cloaked in the darkness, his burning fist aloft.
They were dragging their feet by the time Evan spotted the familiar road. The houses were well spaced out in the magical world given the generous landscape and he grinned when the forget-me-not blue house rose before his eyes. The other two wouldn’t be able to see it, so he raised a palm and Nath stopped a couple paces in front of the garden wall. It was pretty with the swing gate and potted flowers lining the wall. Kalani’s cock-eyed flamingo was still jammed on the small patch of front lawn.
“It’s the most charming house I’ve ever seen,” Nath’s smile warmed him to the pit of his belly.
Will was tense, completely unimpressed.
“Let’s go inside. I’m freezing,” said Evan. He granted them access through the boundary and the house vanished once more. They walked up the little path and Evan drew his left ring finger down the middle of the front door. It unlocked with a click and the smell of his childhood home engulfed him. Windchimes tinkled above the door. “You first, Your Majesty,” he said.
Nath stepped into the petite hallway and the house came alive with magic. Family photos adorned the walls, stretching all the way up the stairs.
Evan paused to check himself in the mirror (which thankfully didn’t talk back to him), he was smudged with dirt, dusted with silver, and boasting a serious neck beard.
“Don’t be too quick to shave it,” Nath winked and began to peel off his outer layers.
They left their dirty clothes and armour on the doormat and Evan, wearing nothing but his shirt and underwear, gave them the grand tour.
Warmth from the merry fireplace embraced them as they stepped into the cosy living room with its fat sofas clustered around a viewing shard. Jammed bookcases and ornaments lined the dark-blue walls and Nath paused to drink it all in. He’d never been in an ordinary house before. Will, on the other hand, looked extremely uncomfortable.
The kitchen was as a house person’s haven with a vintage design and walk-in pantry, which Evan raided, and they stuffed their faces with boxes of cakes, biscuits and whatever else they could find. Will must’ve been starving because he ate without complaint. When they were full Evan took them up the carpeted stairs.
Nath paused to look at the photographs from years long gone. There was one of Evan and Kalani hugging when they were kids, a few group shots of holidays and Christmases, but he was most interested in the one of Evan grinning in front of a Pride parade with his sister dressed head-to-toe in rainbow tie-dye with glittery rainbow flags painted on his cheeks. He looked high as balls.
Nath flashed a handsome smile. “When was this?”
“Pride last summer,” said Evan. “It were brilliant.”
“I envy your freedom,” he said softly.
Will rolled his eyes. “No offence, but do you have any clean towels?”
Evan’s mouth twitched. He gestured to the pink doors at either end of the landing. “Bathrooms. There’s fresh towels in the cupboards.”
“Thanks,” he said and sloped off down the landing.
Nath was fascinated watching him draw the bath, bubbles pouring into the water and while Nath bathed, he tried to pee without hitting the ceiling. Seeing the King in his parents’ bright pink bathroom was strange, he certainly added an air of class to the place.
When he was done Evan washed himself quickly while Nath had a shave. They bundled up in towels before heading to Evan’s bedroom.
“Will?” said Evan, tapping the other bathroom door.
“Yeah?”
“Where do you want to sleep?”
“Might as well go in your sister’s room since I’ve already been inside her.”
“Why start this when he's showing such kindness?” said Nath.
“I was joking,” Will’s voice bounced back a laugh.
Evan sighed. “Kalani’s door is the purple one. Don’t do anything disgusting to her stuff.”
“Why does everyone think so little of me?”
Evan fought the urge to tell him exactly why.
“Forget about him. Show me your bedroom,” Nath’s smile was devastating.
Delight filled him to the brim as he opened the door bearing his name. His bed lay to the left with a small bookcase at its foot, a wardrobe and dresser lined the right wall and directly in front there was a large window and a writing desk beneath it with a slice of viewing crystal on top. Maps of the stars decorated the walls threaded with glistening silk and detailed personal charts of the moon covered the ceiling.
Nath’s smile could melt the universe. “It’s exactly as I expected it to be,” he said, and plopped down on Evan’s bed, towel falling open.
Evan shut the door and sank down beside him. The weight of the day closed in on him and he exhaled his grief. Their comrades were either missing or dead and there was nothing they could do about it right now. “What are we gonna do tomorrow, Nath?”
“We won’t need to do anything. The palace will know someone with granted access entered this property. If the skies are clear they could arrive by morning,” said Nath. “The Dead Country will have announced the capture of the rebels- they’re always quick to claim any sort of victory. It’ll be a matter of hours before the media find out their King and a band of his own rebels infiltrated the border HQ.”
“So we’ve a few hours to kill?” said Evan as Nath drew his lips along his collarbone.
“Mhmm.”
The amount of times he’d fantasied about having a guy in his old bed and now he had Nath naked and smiling at him with great intent. He tilted his head back as he kissed his way up his throat, and found himself flat on his back with Nath was crawling on top of him.
“How many fantasies have you had in this bed?”
“Thousands
,” he breathed.
“Let’s see if we can bring at least a few of them true,” he breathed, opening Evan’s towel.
His soft sounds earned him wonderful kisses that stole his breath and made his heart dance to Nathaniel’s beat. “I think Will’s listening. I heard something bump the wall,” he whispered against soft lips.
Nath looked up, cheeks flushed and eyes swimming. “If he is his punishment can be listening to your reaping the benefits of our marriage bed,” Nath was grinning devilishly.
Evan loved the sound of that. He also loved the sounds Nath made when halfway through sex he slipped a finger or two.
When they’d finished they lay sweating and breathless on top of the sheets.
“I needed that,” Nath’s eyes sparkled like mirrors in the candlelight..
Evan pulled him in for more kisses, cosy and relaxed. “I feel brilliant,” he whispered.
Moonlight trickled through the curtains and they watched, bathed in it for a little while. The new moon would be in a couple of days, then the full moon’s ascent would begin.
“I’ve never felt as out of control as I did in the Dead Country,” Nath said slowly.
Evan looked into his eyes. “You got ears,” he touched the tip of one, fingers grazing soft white fuzz.
“Those too, but being out there I could sense so much more. My lycanthropy helped save our lives,” he said slowly, tentatively, as though he was afraid to admit a positivity with his curse. “But being there made me feel as though my humanity slipped a little. The power was intense,” said Nath.
“Our mission was a success, much of that success is thanks to you,” said Evan.
“I can’t take that much credit,” Nath turned pink.
Chapter 16
Will
Who would’ve thought he’d end up spending a night in a peasant dwelling? Never in his life had he been in a commoner’s home before; it was beyond his comprehension how people didn’t hang themselves living in such cramped houses with cheap furnishings and no class to the décor. It was worse than the tent.
For the last half hour or so he’d pressed himself against the wall of the common girl he’d accidentally impregnated, playing with himself and listening to his ex-boyfriend quietly fuck her brother. It was better than porn and he honestly couldn’t blame Evan. If he’d been in bed with Nath he wouldn’t have kept his hands to himself either.
He flopped onto the bed, staring about the room. The walls were covered in maps and posters about saving the planet and rescuing the unicorns. There were also millions of god-awful figures of them lining every wall and stacked all over her dressers. Maps of the world were stuck to the ceiling; at least they were something to look at now they’d finished up.
“He’s been surprisingly helpful on this mission and for that I cannot fault him,” Nath said quietly, voice echoing through the thin walls. “Although, I do believe he’s hiding something.”
Will sat up a little to listen.
“He’s a pro at making people uncomfortable even when he’s helping,” Evan whispered.
He rolled his eyes.
“He’s always been like that. Rubs people up the wrong way,” he heard the laughter in Nath’s quiet voice; irritation burned inside him. “But I worry about him.”
The anger went out like a light. What?
“He doesn’t seem worried that his father’s missing. When my dad went on his mission, being kept in the dark was the worst part of all and his ended in…” Nath trailed off and there were a few moments of silence. “I know their relationship can be tense, but they’re still family.”
“Maybe he’s bottling it up. That’s what my mum says Ian does when he’s pissed about something,” said Evan.
Nath laughed softly. “Your brother’s fourteen. Will is a grown man.”
Will stared up at the map-covered ceiling. It didn’t occur to him to feign distress, as far as he was concerned, if his father was missing or worse he didn’t give a toss. That being said, he couldn’t deny his own concerns over Gerard’s behaviour. He cast the thought aside like rubbish and turned his attention to more pressing matters, wondering if his letter had reached the recipient yet. A strange anxiety bubbled in his belly. This was all vastly unfamiliar, and hiding his fears was becoming tiresome. The plans had changed and they’d be home sooner than he’d expected meaning he’d have to confront the recipient imminently, still, he couldn’t wait to return to the palace.
Soon the nation would know about the rift attack and that the King and disappeared through one. Everybody would be on the lookout for the three of them. The sooner the guards came the better and they could get out of this hut. Living here must’ve been miserable, yet when they walked in Evan didn’t seem the slightest bit embarrassed. It was an eye-opener, experiencing how common people lived first-hand. He never wanted to end up poor like this and they weren’t even that badly off for a big family with one income. They only had the basics and a few comforts, yet Evan had always been the happiest guy around. How? Maybe commoners really bought into the less is more thing because it was all they could afford.
Chapter 17
When morning came and nobody arrived, Evan woke later than planned feeling warm and thoroughly refreshed. Nath was still passed out beside him.
“Fuck!”
“What’s wrong?” Nath was wide awake.
“It’s lunchtime,” said Evan.
Nath nodded slowly. “I suspected travel may prove difficult. The rifts closing means the warlocks and beasts will have to travel by land or air which takes longer. The palace will know we’re here and safe, but they may not be able to rescue us anytime soon.”
Evan rubbed his forehead and lay back down to process it.
There was a soft knock at the door and Will walked in dressed in a pair of his dad’s jogging bottoms tied at the waist and too tight in uncomfortable places. The silence was tense. “I thought since I’ve been in your sister’s knickers, I might as well get into your dad’s trousers too,” said Will.
“He’s got better taste than you, Will,” said Evan.
Will laughed and Nath relaxed.
“What’s going to happen now?” Evan asked.
“I want to say we head straight to the labs but we need to get back to the palace. We’ve got to find Gerard and prepare for travel,” said Nath. “I must make a statement, the public need to know the truth. It’ll take a long time for the warlocks to repair the damage we caused.”
“We don’t have a pegasus, tamed dragon, carpet or any other way of flying back safely,” Will pointed out. “The skies are too dangerous.”
“It’s days on foot,” said Evan.
There was an uncomfortable silence. Will stared at Nath, expression difficult and eyes laced with secrets.
Nath didn’t flinch under the piercing gaze, but he looked hesitant, worried even. “No.”
“You can do it.”
“No, Will. It’s far too dangerous. We’d be putting our lives at risk—”
“What?” Evan asked, struck with confusion.
“A powerful lunar or solarmancer can use their powers to travel by light. Nath should be able to travel by moonlight under the right conditions,” Will said slowly.
Evan looked to him in amazement. This was something he read about during his hours in the royal library. There was a legend that said a truly gifted sovereign should be able to call upon the gods to help them in their most desperate time of need. It was immense, spellbinding magic of myth. Only twice in history had it been recorded, both times were more than a thousand years ago and riddled with hearsay.
“It’s insanity, Will. If I fail we could die, sliced in half by that kind of magic—”
“You can do it.”
“Do you understand how overwhelming using power like that for any period of time is?” Nath asked, wide-eyed. “The new moon is tomorrow, the light across the earth is weak which’ll make it twice as difficult.”
Evan understood the feeling well, the
sensation of magic tearing from his body- his weakened burned-out muscles- while his mind drifted into another universe. It wasn’t a feeling most experienced, only those with extraordinary gifts would feel such a burn. “There has to be another way back—”
“It might be hard to reach Lunara at this time of the month, but not with some extra help,” he pulled a small black jar from his pocket and passed it to Nath.
Nathaniel’s eyes widened. “You stole a jar of moonlight?”
Evan gasped. “Fucking hell, Will.”
Will shrugged. “I thought we could bathe you in it.”
Nath stared at the shadow jar; ebony smoke swirled beneath the glossy surface. It looked like the cabinets containing the rare and exotic books in the royal library. “We don’t know the effects of bottled moonlight on me.”
“Supercharge yourself tonight and we can get out of here,” said Will. “You won’t transform, it’s just moonlight.”
“Powerful moonlight,” said Nath. “Especially for a lycanthrope.”
“Do it, Nath,” Evan smiled.
“It’s dangerous, we could be ripped apart or burned alive—”
“Not with me here,” said Evan.
“The worst that’ll happen is he won’t be able to do it,” said Will with a sigh. His handsome face was washed with irritation. “You jumped into an unknown crumbling rift, but you won’t use your own god-given powers?” The judgement in his voice was harrowing. “That rift lost us three comrades. Who knows where they are now—”
“Fine,” Nath snapped. “I’ll try it when the sun goes down.”
“So we’ve got to rot here until tonight?” Will’s eyes faded with dismay.
Nath opened his mouth to say something but Evan cut straight across.
“I’m sorry my parents’ house is so disgusting to you that you’d rather have spent last night filthy and starving in the woods. You’re safe and alive because of me, you’d have died of fever in agony by now. An ordinary doctor would’ve had to sit by and wait for you to die.”