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“I trust you.”
Nox smiled at Nelson as they climbed the stairs. “That means a lot to me. I’ll never take that for granted.” He hoped that Nelson understood how deeply he wanted to care for and protect him too. Nelson may have placed himself in the role of bodyguard and servant the day they met at Georgetown. But in Nox’s mind, they were equal partners and shared a responsibility to care for each other. Nelson was trained to use his gun and vigilance against physical threats while Nox could cleanse, strengthen, and protect his heart and his soul with love and magick.
They turned down the hall and Nox was nervous as he let Nelson into his room and watched his reaction. “Make yourself at home,” he said, following a few paces behind Nelson.
“This is…beautiful.” Nelson’s voice had cracked and he looked surprised when he swung back to Nox.
He chuckled softly and nodded, taking in the soothing comfort around them. When he was a child and his parents were still alive, this room had felt like a haven with its overlapping woven Donegal rugs, the great iron tree bed, its many, many books, and the crystal chandelier. He used to scurry down the hall to their room and under the covers with his parents when he had nightmares or he’d leap onto the high mattresses like a pirate on weekend mornings.
Now, he hoped it would help him heal a friend. “Finish your tea and make yourself at home while I grab a quick shower. It’s always Step 1 of the bedtime ritual,” he explained.
“I’ll wait here.” Nelson took a sip from his tea as he drifted toward the bed and a finger extended and reached for one of the wrought iron branches.
The canopy had been crafted to look like a twisting, winding ancient tree and glowing green leaves made from shards of malachite had been suspended from the branches along with amethyst and rose quartz petals. It was a bed designed to protect, nurture, and inspire while healing and restoring.
Nox acted cool as he calmly closed the bathroom doors, leaving Nelson to admire the craftsmanship. Alone, Nox frantically hopped and stripped off his clothes, then kicked them at the hamper and started the shower. It only took him a few minutes to bathe and pull on a robe.
Nelson was under the unique chandelier, studying the rustic, woven copper and the bits of ancient stained glass and crystals suspended from the center of the ceiling. It didn’t light up with electricity like a typical chandelier, but it would cast the room in a glorious pastel rainbow glow when the sun’s rays hit it in the morning.
“Your turn,” Nox told Nelson, taking his empty tea cup. “There’s a very large jar on the floor in the corner of the shower,” he began as he guided Nelson into the bathroom and the airy glass stall, pointing at the jar and the antique ladle that had belonged to his mother’s grandmother. “It’s spring water that’s been charged by the moon. It has sea salt in it and I want you to dump some over your head, chest, and arms and just let it pour down you for a few minutes. After that, take a long shower—as hot as you please—and use whichever body wash you want. I recommend the bedtime blend. I make it with Castile soap, lavender, valerian, poppy, and other calming oils.”
“Okay,” Nelson said with an anxious exhale, nodding at the bathroom as he clutched at his tie. “I’ll try that.”
“Hey!” Nox laughed softly and gathered Nelson’s hands in his, giving them a tender squeeze. “Trust me, remember? You’re going to take a shower while I line the windowsills and doors with salt, spray the bed with more moon water, and burn some herbs and frankincense to cleanse the room. Then, we’re going to sleep. That’s it,” he stated.
“That’s it? Showering and cleansing. That sounds fine,” Nelson mumbled, making Nox bite down on his lips. He’d meant to make the process simpler and less intimidating, but Nox wanted so badly to kiss away the worried frown furrowing Nelson’s brow. “You’re sure it will help?”
“I’m not,” Nox confessed as he released Nelson and turned him toward the large ottoman in the middle of the bathroom so he could undress. “But there are runes and sigils carved into the floors under the bed and the rugs. This is the safest place I know and I’ll say some incantations while I’m going around the room with the smudge stick to give it a little more of a protective boost.”
“My solution was sleeping outside. This has to be better than that,” Nelson said wearily.
“Anything’s better than you sleeping out in the cold,” Nox agreed as he backed out of the bathroom and shut the doors behind him, leaving Nelson to undress and bathe.
Nox wasn’t in a humorous mood, though, as he pushed back the sleeves of his robe and went to work. He was humbled and focused as he set his intentions, driving out any negativity that might have followed them upstairs and into Nox’s chamber. His heart was engaged as Nox opened the curtains, welcoming in the moonlight and channeling as much healing, protective energy as he could into the space. He turned on the selenite lamp and found a long, thin shard of the goddess stone and slipped it between the mattress where Nelson would lay. Its super healing and calming properties were potent, but it would also help open Nelson’s soul for deep spiritual work.
Most importantly, Nox was centered and grounded—ready for a night of intense warding—when the shower stopped and Nelson peeked around the door in a fresh pair of boxers. He looked relaxed as Nox took Nelson by the hand and led him around the bed and lifted the quilt.
“This is the kind of magick you do?” Nelson asked, sniffing as he lowered and sat on his side of the bed.
“This is my kind of magick,” Nox confirmed and went around to his nightstand. He lit a rose, vetiver, and juniper beeswax candle resting in a shallow bowl of moon water. “Goddess of the moon, bless this day and protect the night. Heal our souls and make them whole with your sacred light.” Nox pinched the end of the match, capturing the flame between his fingers and keeping it for later. He dropped the extinguished match in the bowl and gave the belt around his waist a firm tug before joining Nelson under the covers. “This is what it’s like, sleeping with a druid.”
Nelson laid back and crossed his arms over his chest. He closed his eyes, letting out a long, slow breath. “I think it’s working. I feel like I can sleep now.”
“Good. Follow that feeling and let it fill you as your thoughts get quieter,” Nox whispered, carefully scooting closer. He set a hand on top of Nelson’s and kissed his shoulder lightly. “I’m here and I’ll watch over you.”
Fifteen
Nox’s magick had worked.
Instead of spending the night in a mist-shrouded forest, Nelson was cocooned in loving warmth. It was a safe, peaceful void and Nelson heard the soft echo of a harp playing when he opened his eyes and found himself wrapped around Nox. They were blissfully intertwined as the sun came up and filled the room with soft pink, green, and yellow beams as they reflected off the crystals and stained glass in the strange chandelier.
He stared at the crystal leaves and petals overhead, in awe of the delicate details and craftsmanship and the devotion in the massive, ornate bed’s design. Like the bed, nearly every element around them seemed ancient but loved, from the shards of colored glass and crystals hanging from the ceiling and iron branches overhead to the patchwork quilt tucked around their waists.
Nelson wasn’t sure what he was expecting—maybe spiderwebs, bats, and pentacles—but Nox’s bedroom was more of a chamber, devoted to healing and memory. It was a whimsical, sacred place and Nelson was humbled to have passed a night there in Nox’s loving care.
“Thank you,” he breathed into Nox’s hair and kissed it. Nox had wiggled out of his robe and it was sliding off the other end of the bed, but Nelson didn’t mind. They felt good, skin-to-skin with Nox’s chest pressing against Nelson’s. One of Nox’s legs was curled possessively around Nelson’s hip and he found that he did not object.
His hand skimmed Nox’s shoulder and back, careful not to disturb him as Nelson accepted that this was where he belonged and reveled in how right he felt. Tears muddled his vision as Nelson’s chest began to heave. It wasn’t empty and aching, Nox had filled that cold cavern, and Nelson wasn’t lost anymore. Nor was he weak and useless. Nelson had a purpose and a direction now.
