Clancy groaned as he stroked Nox’s cheek. “You were so brave but so reckless,” he scolded. “Let us lead next time.”
Nox attempted a cocky snort. “You’re just jealous because I took out more of them than you did.”
“Says the boy with a chest full of broken ribs and a definite concussion,” Clancy muttered, then looked at Merlin. “He can’t stay here but it’ll take hours to get him back to Georgetown and we’ll be vulnerable the entire way without better protection.”
“Get Smoak,” Nox said weakly, his lips curving into another sly smile but Nelson frowned at Merlin.
“Do you think he’ll come?” he asked and the older man hummed dubiously.
“We can try to summon him but I doubt the demon will feel inclined to answer.”
Nox chuckled but it turned into an agonized wheeze. “You don’t have to summon him, just text Niall. Smoak will do whatever Niall tells him to do.”
He was right. Nelson used Nox’s phone to send Niall an S.O.S. and Smoak appeared within moments, extremely harassed until he noticed all the giant, burned and picked-over corpses and Nox’s condition.
“What the fuck happened here?” he demanded angrily.
“Dùbhghlas sent me a dozen Fomorians for my birthday,” Nox said and Smoak let out a string of expletives as he paced away. He kicked one of the severed heads, sending it flying into the woods before turning back to them. Nox shushed and gestured for Smoak to relax. “It’s okay if you forgot. There’s still time to get me a gift card.”
“What the fuck am I supposed to do about this?” Smoak yelled as he waved at what was left of the Fomorians and at Nox. “I warned you! I told you Dùbhghlas would strike while your back was turned and what did you do? You turned your back in the middle of fucking nowhere without your hellhounds or your mutant changeling to protect you.”
“We have to move him. Now,” Merlin ground out and Smoak threw up his hands.
“Sure! I’ll teleport you back to Georgetown. Fuck my reputation and the rest of my existence, right? Demote me to MacIlwraith’s mystical Über so I’ll be marked for eternity as a pawn and a traitor,” he said with a sneer.
Nox rolled his eyes. “Eternity will be a lot shorter if Dùbhghlas takes me out. You’ll be his next target and he knows Niall is your weakness.”
“Fuck you and Dùbhghlas for dragging me into this!” Smoak growled but he hunkered down next to Nox, nodding. “I’ll help you and get word out to your friends so they know it’s time. But you end this with Dùbhghlasnow, sun god, so I can be done with you.”
“You don’t mean that,” Nox said, his voice fading as he struggled to keep his eyes open. “I still think we’d make a really good team.”
“I’d rather die,” Smoak replied but Nelson thought he saw a hint of a smile before he addressed the rest of them. “Let’s get him loaded into the Continental. Oglethorpe will ride with us so he can tend to the patient and the rest of you can drive back with Clancy. You’re of no interest to Dùbhghlas.”
With that, Nox was carefully lifted and eased into the backseat of the car with Merlin. Nelson got behind the wheel with Smoak in the passenger seat, unsure of what he was supposed to do next.
“Should I start the car?” he asked, earning an amused snicker from Smoak.
“Go ahead. Peel out like we’re in a DeLorean if you want.”
“You’re the worst.”
“Yes…” Smoak nodded slowly and pointed at himself. “I’m the Lord and Father of all Demons, it’s literally in my title.” Nelson pinched the bridge of his nose, sick to the depths of his soul with Smoak but when he opened his eyes they were parked in front of Nox’s townhouse. “But I’m adding Über to my resume.”
“Thank you!” Nelson didn’t hide his relief as he got out and hurried to help Merlin move Nox into the house. He almost cried when they cleared the front gate, knowing thatDùbhghlas and his monsters couldn’t touch Nox. The entire lot and the townhouse had been warded against Dùbhghlas and was protected by decades of white magick.
“It’s so good to be home,” Nox sighed when he was laid on the shower floor and they began to peel away his tattered clothes.
Smoak had left them and was already notifying anyone who couldn’t be reached by phone. With Clancy on the way with Ingrid and the girls and Arawn, Bryn, Fletcher, and Everly en route, Nelson and Merlin were able to focus on cleaning Nox and tending to his wounds. He was rapidly healing himself now that he was home, but Nox was still pale and weak when Nelson tucked him into bed.
“Howard will be here soon with soup and more quartz and black tourmaline. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s packed up every shard and pillar he could get his hands on,” Nelson said quietly, earning a soft chuckle from Nox.
“It can’t hurt and it’ll make him feel better.”
“Probably.”
The older man had been through hell but was back on his feet after losing his son and a beloved employee to a twisted cult. Much of that was due to Nox’s grace and kindness and Howard was keen to return the favor. Nelson snuck away for a shower while Merlin and Howard doted on Nox. He reappeared in his robe and waited patiently in the corner until they were done. Once they were alone, Nelson dropped the robe and slipped under the covers. He carefully gathered Nox in his arms, grateful to the depths of his soul to be able to hold him again.
Nox pressed his forehead against Nelson’s sternum and wound an arm around his middle. “Are you okay?”
