Page 108 of In Your Light

“I remember treating him for hypothermia four times in as many days,” Kellan said.

Fray laughed. “He’s gonna be so much fun.”

“Fewer attempts at dying is all I ask,” Kellan said.

“And we won’t have to listen to Ciaran banging on about stupid human lungs ever again,” Hendrix added.

“And the flaws of internal skeletons,” Hudson added. “Even I’ve heard that one a few times.”

“If Sawyer survives,” Fray murmured.

Because if he didn’t, it meant certain death for Ciaran as well. Something Fray couldn’t bear thinking about.

“Trust them,” Fyn said. “Hadeom said to trust them, and I do. I trust that Hadeom will come back to me.”

Everyone fell silent again for a long moment.

And Fray got to thinking...

He probably shouldn’t ask this, but good manners were overrated.

“So, Fyn, what’s sex with Hades like?”

Tobin gasped. “You can’t ask that!”

“I can, and I did,” Fray said. He grinned at Fyn. “I gotta know, are his shadow friends active participants? How does that work?”

“Oh my god,” Kellan said with a groan. “Fyn, don’t answer that.”

But Hendrix snorted. “No, please answer that.”

Fyn smiled awkwardly, his cheeks pink. “Well, it was... the best thing I’ve ever done. Especially because I’d never done it before, but I just let my faun instincts take over, and I mounted him many times. I’m not sure if him being Hades made it any different because I’ve nothing to compare it to⁠—”

Fray and Tobin both gawped.

“You were a virgin?” Tobin asked at the same time Fray said, “You topped him?”

Fyn blinked. “Yes,” Fray said to Tobin, then he looked at Fray. “I don’t know what that means.”

“Oh my fucking god,” Fray said, gripping Tobin’s shirt. “This is the best day ever.” Then he stopped. “Oh, except for the whole Sawyer might be dying thing.”

But then bubbles appeared in the water, and Cern reappeared first, and he was holding Hadeom. Still in his full faun glory, he climbed up the ladder using one hand while holding Hadeom with his other arm.

Kellan and Fyn pulled Hadeom up onto the jetty.

“He’ll be okay,” Cern said to them. Then he shook out his long grey hair, his horns shimmering away and his hooves becoming feet once more.

Hadeom coughed and spluttered, shivering violently. He was breathless and exhausted, but he smiled up at Fyn. “Hey, you,” he said.

Fyn leaned down and kissed him. “You’re so cold.”

“Speaking of hypothermia,” Kellan said, “we need to get him warm.”

Cern looked over at the vacant grass. “Where’s the bonfire?” He clapped his hands a few times. “I said I wanted a party!”

Fray looked at Cern, then at Hadeom. “What about Sawyer?”

“It is done,” Cern declared with a flourish. “Hadeom forfeited his godhood to give Sawyer the life he prayed for.”