I didn’t see Phin roll his eyes, but I knew he had.
“Popping a squat.” He settled onto my lap, his back against my chest.
“It means sit.” I wrapped my arms around him and rested my cheek against his.
“I’ve figured that out. Did the kids say that back in the day, old man?” Phin lost some of the tension as he rested more fully against me.
“I’ve used an ancient tongue. Very few know the language.” The goal was to make Phin laugh, and it worked. All I wanted was to take his mind off things for a few minutes and give him a break from the stress. My poor baby needed a breather.
We slipped into a comfortable silence. Phin pulled my arms tighter around him and snuggled into me. “This is nice.”
“Yeah. It is.” Maybe we both needed a break. It had been a stressful day. Running from Death wasn’t for the faint of heart.
He took my hand and played with my fingers. “Thank you for coming to get me.”
“You’re welcome, baby.”
“I’m sorry I was such an asshole before. I didn’t realize we were beloveds.”
I stayed silent for a moment, considering my choices. I needed to be honest, not just with Phin but with myself. That was the harder part. Admitting the truth was scary. “It’s not the only reason I came. I didn’t want to admit, even to myself, that I loved you. It felt too big.”
“I think I understand,” he whispered. Maybe it had felt big for him, too.
How did I explain the rest without sounding like an immature ass? It was impossible, mostly because I had been exactly that. Immature and an asshole. “I just didn’t want to deal with something that big. Even if it was good, it would change everything, and I didn’t want it to. But being separated from youthese past few days... that feeling of dread? Of missing you? The possibility of never seeing you again... that was much worse. So I’m done with running from how I feel.”
“Do you think we’ll be okay?”
I wasn’t sure whether Phin meant our situation or our relationship. Maybe both. Either way, I answered honestly. “I don’t know, but I’m ready to fight for us, and I’ll never let you go.”
“I love you, too.” As soon as he said it, Phin stiffened, then leaned forward as if wanting to get a closer look at something. It was an odd thing to do, considering where we were. “What is that?”
I blinked, confused. “What?”
“That.” He must have pointed at whatever he saw. Of course, I couldn’t see him.
That was when I saw it. Up ahead, a light appeared and grew closer. As it approached, I realized it was shaped like a person. I held my breath, not understanding what I was seeing. Every part of me went on alert. I tightened my grip on Phin and prepared for a quick getaway.
Then Cael appeared. Still at a distance, but close enough to make out his features.
The tension left my body. The relief was palpable.
As he drew closer, I saw his scowl. “What the hell are you two doing? You’re just sitting on your ass instead of getting the hell out of here?”
I frowned. “We were taking a breather. I have a better question. Why do you glow in the dark?”
“I’m a demigod,” he said, as if that explained everything.
I was so confused by Cael that I couldn’t even express how much. “Do all demigods glow?”
Cael shrugged. “The god of love and his son do. When in Tech Duinn.”
It took my brain a moment to process what he had just said. “You’re the son of the god of love?”
“Yes. And my beloved is the god of death.” That sounded like an awkward situation. Strangely, I felt much better about my own fuck-ups.
“By the gods, that’s complicated, isn’t it?” Phin shook his head.
“The most complicated situation I’ve ever been in. And I’ve been dealing with it for years with no clear answer.”
