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“It broke completely after we did,” Appius added nervously. “We were the last people who will ever be able to come from the other side of the mountains.”
I noted the way Flora burst into silent tears at that statement. Mara moved to try to comfort her, but she shrugged her off, like she didn’t want comfort.
“You crossed that bridge?” Dushka asked, astounded. “How?”
“That’s another long story,” I said, brushing Aurora’s head to calm her. “We never would have made it without Appius’s climbing experience.”
I turned to look at Appius with all the affection I felt for him, even reaching out for his hand.
The look and gesture weren’t lost on Dushka. His expression shifted to curiosity. That had my heart thundering against my ribs with worry and hope. Dushka didn’t scowl at Appius or immediately get defensive. He swept Appius with an assessing look that managed to reassure me that we would all be able to come to an understanding.
“I think introductions are in order,” Dushka said, “but come home first. You all look shattered.” He turned to the increasing audience around us. “Pasha, Rik, bring food and drink to my house. Enough for all of my beloved’s friends. We’ll need more cushions and comforts for these people as well.”
As expected for his own settlement, people rushed to do Dushka’s bidding. Dushka gestured for me and Appius, and the rest of our group, to follow him down the street. I knew the path home so well, and it made me cry again to walk through familiar buildings to the quieter end of Kettering.
“So,” Dushka said as we walked. “Who do we have here?”
I introduced all of my friends, explaining that we had all shared a house at the college. Except for Appius. I told Dushka who Flora and her son were first and why they were with us, and then I introduced my other love.
“Dushka, this is Appius,” I said as we all piled into Dushka’s house. My house again too, I hoped. “I…I don’t know how to explain him except to say he kind of snuck up on me and…and I love him.” I grinned fondly at Appius as I spoke, still holding his hand, my earlier tears drying on my face as it heated with affection for Appius.
Appius burst into a grateful look of affection for me, then peeked anxiously at Dushka, almost as if he expected Dushka to bring out a knife and cut his throat.
“I’m sorry,” Appius said in a rush. “I…Conrad is right. He snuck up on me too. I knew he was taken. I didn’t mean to fall in love with him, but I…I couldn’t help it. He’s just so wonderful, and he showed me things.” He stopped and swallowed, looking deeply self-conscious.
Dushka blinked, studying Appius. All of my friends looked on with bated breath, like they were witnessing a drama that they’d been waiting to see for months. My own gut wobbled. I had been avoiding thinking about what I would do if Dushka rejected Appius or made me choose between the two of them.
But Dushka burst into a wide smile.
“Well, I did tell you to go to the Old Realm and fuck as many people as you could,” he said, laughing a bit. “I didn’t specify whether you should fall in love with them or bring them back here or not.”
“Er, he fucked us too,” Leander added, pure mischief in his eyes.
“But we didn’t fall in love with him,” Darius added.
“That would have been ridiculous,” Leander followed.
Dushka glanced to them. He seemed to notice the twins for the first time. His eyes went wide, he swept them with a look from head to toe, then he burst into laughter.
“I always knew my Conrad had exceptional taste, but this is brilliant,” he said. I flushed hot with embarrassment—and more than a little joy. “What about the rest of them?” Dushka asked, all smiles. “Did you fuck with these two?” He gestured to Mara and Lucius.
“Absolutely not,” Lucius said, his expression fierce with offense.
“Almost,” Mara admitted with a shrug. “But we were drunk at the time.”
That made Dushka laugh harder. It was a wonderful sound. I’d missed his laughter so much. If not for Aurora squirming in my arms, I would have thrown myself against him again and probably asked him to fuck me right then and there.
“Well,” Dushka said, his eyes bright with amusement and happiness. “I can see we have a lot to talk about. But I will spare you the pain of wondering whether I will kick you out of my home and rip you asunder from my dear boy here, Appius. You are welcome in my house and in the bed I share with Conrad. If he loves you, then I will honor and respect that love. I have never forbidden my boy what he wants before, and I will not start now. As long as you agree to respect my prior claim.” He stopped and considered for a second, turning to me. “That is, provided Conrad wishes to continue on with me.”
“Yes,” I said, putting my whole heart and soul into it. “I’ve missed you so much, Dushka. I love you, I want you, and I don’t ever want to be without you again.”
Dushka got all teary again. “My dear boy,” he said, shifting closer to me and hugging and kissing me as best he could while being mindful of Aurora in my arms.
It was, perhaps, lucky that Pasha and Rik arrived with baskets full of food and a tray of drinks at just that moment. It gave us all a chance to settle, to remove our packs and coats—which Pasha and Rik promised to take care of for us—and to sit in a warm, comfortable home. Flora took Aurora from me to feed her, and I took full advantage of the freedom to straddle Dushka’s lap and to wrap myself around him so that I could kiss him shamelessly, even though my friends and Appius were all there.
“You don’t know what we’ve all been through,” I said when I’d had my fill of Dushka. Conscious of Appius’s continued discomfort, even though Dushka had accepted him, I shifted to Dushka’s side and pulled Appius against me as I sat between the two of them. “You have no idea what’s going on in the Old Realm right now,” I continued in a grim voice.
“We’ve heard nothing at all since before the snows started,” Pasha said as he finished gathering up packs and moving them to the side of the main room of Dushka’s and my house. “All contact ended abruptly when General Rufus destroyed the pass.”
