AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He frowned at the ground, noting that he’d stepped over the triskelion burned into the grass. Nelson found Nox in the center, swaying to the music and surrounded by flailing limbs. There wasn’t any sign of a band or large speakers, but a techno beat blared as violins and flutes whipped the dancers into a frenzy. The bodies around them grew denser as if everyone was dancing in a circle and moving closer to the center. Closer to Nox.
“I don’t like this,” Nelson ground out, but Nox couldn’t hear him. He was too caught up in the music and the music kept getting louder. Nox’s hair swung around his face and clung to his forehead as he popped his shoulders and pounded his fists in time with the music and the crowd around them. Nelson caught Nox’s wrist and pulled him closer. “I don’t know what this is, but I don’t like it,” he said loudly, over the music, but Nox grabbed his face and laughed.
“Don’t you feel it?” He shouted, throwing his arms wide as he hopped with the beat. “It’s happening! He hears them and he’s waking!” He shouted, pointing at the ground and the symbol beneath their feet. Then, his arms went up and his head fell back. “He feels the moon and he hears them calling to him!”
“Great,” Nelson said, reaching for Nox so he could pull them out.
“Not yet!” Nox was giddy as he caught Nelson’s tie and reeled him in.
“I’m not dancing,” he shouted, making Nox giggle. He continued to bounce and sway with the music as they were caught in the current of undulating bodies. His skin glistened with sweat and Nox was beautiful, wrapped in moon and torchlight. The symbols and sigils tattooed on Nox’s skin flared, looking raw and freshly burned into his flesh, and seemed to shift with his movements and the beat. Nelson was momentarily hypnotized and was even more disoriented when he pulled his gaze to Nox’s face. He recognized the mischievous grin curving Nox’s lips from his dreams. Nox’s eyes glowed, golden and burning as they locked with Nelson’s, mesmerizing and taunting him to let go and give into the moment and the night.
Nope. Not doing it.
“I don’t like this,” Nelson said, gathering his wits and his bearings. He mentally located the Continental as he reached for Nox.
“Not yet!” He pleaded as he snatched Nelson’s hand. Their fingers interlocked and their palms pressed just before Nelson felt a hard pulse of heat and energy. Bright, blinding light flooded the clearing and a high-pitched whine of feedback bounced around the woods, momentarily halting the dancers as they cupped their ears in confusion. Nelson felt Nox’s hand rising, like a string attached to a balloon. He looked down and Nelson saw that Nox’s feet had come off the ground.
“Nox!” Nelson yanked, pulling as Nox dropped and the music and gyrating around them continued. Nox fell into Nelson, limp and his eyes rolling. “What the hell was that?” Nelson held onto Nox, looking for the quickest way out.
“I… What?” Nox asked groggily and blinked up at Nelson. His head bobbled and Nox gave it a shake, attempting to clear it. “S’nothing. I just… I don’ feel good.”
“We’re leaving,” Nelson said and Nox nodded weakly, content to hold on as they stumbled back the way they came. Nox’s feet dragged and he could barely hold his head up, slurring his words as he protested. He drunkenly insisted that he’d be fine if he could just have a minute. They tripped through the woods with Nelson steering them around wandering bodies and trees and picking Nox up whenever he lost his footing. Nelson nodded at the officers and agents rushing past them and toward the music, relieved to his core when he saw red and blue lights reflecting off the mist and filling the forest.
Nox was still struggling and mumbling when they reached the Continental. “Is it over? Did we stop them?” He babbled as Nelson eased him into the passenger seat.
“I think so.” Nelson checked his watch and prayed they weren’t too late as he headed around to the driver’s side. It was ten minutes to midnight. He dropped into his seat with a weary groan and found Nox curled up against the door, snoring softly. “It’s over for us. You need someplace to hide and rest.”
The way down the mountain and back through town had been cleared significantly. Nelson was able to navigate through the various checkpoints with ease, flashing his badge and lights so no one felt the need to detain them. He powered off their phones when he reached Minnie’s Motor Court and reflected on the strange turn his life had taken if he was grateful to find the vacancy sign on.
“You’re back,” Minnie observed, waving to clear the cloud of smoke between her and the Plexiglass. She looked behind Nelson expectantly, then made a knowing sound when she spotted Nox, his unconscious face pressed against the Continental’s passenger window. “All I’ve got is the honeymoon suite,” she warned Nelson with a wheezing cackle and he grunted and nodded.
“We just need a place to rest.”
She made another knowing, suggestive sound as she pushed the key through the slot and went back to her romance novel. It took a few hard nudges and Nelson had to shake Nox to get him sentient enough to move.
“There’s no place like home,” Nox said through a yawn as Nelson dragged him into the stale-smelling room and kicked the door shut behind them.
He picked up a hint of juniper from Nox’s last visit amongst the feet and nicotine odors and did feel oddly comforted to be back. Nelson helped Nox out of his shoes and clothes, then noticed the packets of plastic-wrapped utensils next to the dusty ice bucket. He quickly fished out the little packs of salt and added them to a plastic cup of water from the sink. In the shower, Nelson pinned Nox to the wall as he poured it over their heads and did his best to rinse them off in the tight space.
“I’m really sorry, Nelson,” Nox mumbled into a pillow when Nelson eased him onto the bed.
“We’ll talk about it in the morning.” Nelson carefully swept the hair away from Nox’s face, touching the back of a hand to his forehead. It was cool and Nox seemed like he was fine, just exhausted so Nelson went to check the window. He peeked behind the curtain and the lot was empty, save for the Continental and a handful of parked cars as the occasional headlight winked from the highway. Nelson waited there for close to a quarter of an hour, listening and watching, but the night remained still and quiet so he decided it was safe to turn in.
He wasn’t sure who or what he was looking for. There was no telling what else Nox had been withholding after what had happened in the woods. All Nelson knew was that something had happened while they were in the middle of all those dancing bodies. It had…emanated from Nox when their hands touched. For Nelson, it had been like standing downwind from a blast when he felt the heat. It pulsed from Nox and had rushed up Nelson’s arm.
Nelson knew that when morning came, Nox would deny that he’d been the epicenter of that burst—the little supernova in the woods. While Nelson understood why Nox had been reticent before, it hurt to know that he was still hiding some crucial facts from him. How else could Nelson prove he was worthy of Nox’s trust? He went through every excuse, gave Nox the benefit of every doubt, but Nelson couldn’t shake his disappointment as he slipped beneath the covers to find whatever rest he could.
Twenty
The smell of filthy, ancient carpet and mildew was comforting as Nox’s eyes adjusted to the weak light slanting through the heavy, rust-colored curtains. It cast a hot glow on the little table by the air conditioner while the rest of the room was dark, silent, and waiting.
Nelson was there, awake and probably using his shoulder to prop up the bathroom wall. Nox was facing the window, but Nelson’s coat was neatly folded over the back of one of the chairs. And Nox could feel a solid, stoic force behind him. He rolled over and Nelson was dressed and leaning against the bathroom door, ankles crossed and pensive as he watched Nox.
“Good morning,” Nox said, attempting a cheerful smile. But Nelson’s mood was heavy and turbulent, rising between them.
“Morning,” he replied flatly, earning a pained grunt from Nox.
“I know. I knew…” He made an exploding sound as he ruffled his hair and floundered. “I don’t know…”
