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“I’ve always thought so,” Merlin said with a smug eye roll. “But it will crush Nox if he learns that Clancy’s involved in this.”
“He’s going to find out!” Nelson whispered, his fear mounting. “He has to, but this could hurt worse than that curse.”
Merlin made a sad, knowing sound. “That’s my fear as well. But as much as I distrust the man, I cannot believe that Clancy is capable of that and it could still turn out to be a coincidence.”
“I can’t believe it either, but it’ll be a hell of a coincidence.”
“Weirder and worse things have happened,” Merlin observed. “And I’m afraid that we’re going to have to let this play out.”
“Let this play out?” Nelson was appalled. “What’s going to happen to him?” he asked, pointing at Nox’s supine body. “He just wants to teach and find answers for those girls. He doesn’t want the rest of this!”
“We don’t know what will happen,” Merlin confessed, looking just as upset. “I never wanted this for him and I would stop him from changing if I could, but it’s coming whether we want it to or not. All we can do is make him as strong as we can and protect him from what we can.”
“Okay…” Nelson nodded slowly. “Good, actionable advice, there,” he said, throwing Merlin a hard look. “What am I supposed to do with that? Make him strong and protect him from what I can?”
Merlin chuckled as he rose, using Nelson’s knee to push himself up. “Do you know any magick, young man?”
“No, sir.”
“Know any walking, woken demigods whose brains we can pick for advice?”
“No, sir.” Nelson stood and swept a hand through his hair. “You didn’t pick up any tricks in the court of some ancient emperor that might help us?”
“I’m afraid not,” Merlin replied with a chuckle. “We’ve left the realm of sacred recipes and moon magick behind and are venturing into the unknown with Nox. Although…” He held up a hand and turned and stared at Nox, letting the moment and Nelson’s anticipation stretch. “We never truly leave the past behind, do we?” he said distantly. “And what is this, if not the past catching up with the future?”
“No more riddles, Merlin!” Nelson begged as he scrubbed his face with his hands. “It’s been a long night and I just want to take him inside where it’s warm and get some sleep.”
“I think that’s a lovely idea,” Merlin said, surprising Nelson.
His head canted and his brow jumped. “Really?”
“Yes!” Merlin said, nodding up at the sky. “The moon has done its magick and the sun will be up soon. Take him in and get as much rest as he’ll allow.”
Nelson didn’t have to be told twice. He gently scooped Nox off the paving stones and into his arms. “I’ll make sure we get plenty of rest before he faces Julian,” he said, but Merlin stopped him at the kitchen door.
“He’ll rest for about as long as I can hold my breath,” he said with a weary shake of his head. “Make sure you rest because gods knows you’ll need your strength. But, love him as well. He needs that as much as he needs magick right now. And I suggest that if you want to hold onto the man within Nox, appeal to that aspect of his nature and his dedication to you. Give him something to hold onto and stay with him, Nelson.”
“I can do that,” he stated, happy to have something resembling a directive. It wasn’t as good as having a plan or even a clue, but Nelson could love Nox and give him something to hold onto. “And there’s no way I’m letting him out of my sight again.”
1 Tuatha Dé Danann (Too-WAH-day don-an): Acknowledged as the early gods of Ireland. An earlier form of their name, Tuatha Dé, means “tribe of gods.”
Five
“Ilove you.”
Nelson had kissed the words onto Nox’s eyelids and whispered them against his lips. He fucked them deep and hard into Nox’s ass, growled through gritted teeth, and in hot bites on the back of his neck and the insides of his thighs. They were scratched into Nox’s skin and tattooed on his heart as he watched his man sleep.
A sacred piece of Nox’s soul had been stolen and desecrated, leaving a burning wound in its place. But Nelson had planted something beautiful and strong to grow over it. Nox refused to darken their bed chamber with suspicious, vengeful thoughts and undo the hard work Nelson and Merlin had done. He would have his answers soon enough and Nox wasn’t done expressing his gratitude.
He had donned a pair of flannel pajama pants for a leisurely bowl of oatmeal on the kitchen steps in the sunshine. Merlin had left a pot on the stove with a note for Nox to rest, please! Nox accepted that Merlin would hover even closer and cling a little bit tighter for the time being. And Nox wasn’t at all surprised to see Clancy’s Mercedes parked out front and hear a knock on the door.
“Are you alright?” Clancy demanded, pulling Nox into a tight embrace as soon as he had answered the door.
“I’m okay!” he promised and then promised again as Clancy snatched his arm. He unwound the medical tape and peeled back the gauze to inspect the cut.
“Was that much necessary?” he groaned as he rewrapped it and cupped Nox’s cheek so he could get a better look at his eyes. “Tell me he’s burned the blood, at least, and knows something.”
“No clue. I’m heading up to wake Nelson. We’ve got work to do,” he stated, but Clancy made a frustrated sound as he halted him.
