“All I can do is see the tether and bring people to the moment of discovery. After that, it’s up to them.” He smiled. “You’ve strengthened me with your love for Grym. I must thank you for that.”
“I’d say you’re welcome, but I didn’t fall for Grym on your behalf.”
Aengus chuckled. “It’s never about me, silly boy. Unless you’re talking about the love others have for me.”
“Like the love you have for Cael?”
“My love for him belongs to him. His belongs to me.”
“I think I understand.”
The forest disappeared before us. It was as if our world had shrunk between us and Cael. What appeared was a wolfman whose teeth dripped fire onto Cael. Cael strained to keep the creature from biting him. The fire didn’t burn Cael. It sizzled and turned to water when it hit his skin, then rolled off him.
Aengus waved his hand, and the beastly creature flew off him. He hit a tree, landing with a sickening thud.
The creature's hair disappeared, and its body shrank. He lay unmoving on his side, curled in the fetal position. Where the creature had been, a man with long black hair obscuring most of his face appeared. The man was naked.
A pile of folded clothes appeared beside him.
Cael huffed as he stood. “Thanks, Dad.”
What Cael was thanking him for was a mystery to me. It seemed Aengus had eyes everywhere and helped in ways I didn’t know about.
“Of course.” Aengus put his arm around Cael. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah.”
“Arnoc!” Wait. Was that Joel?
Suddenly, the darkness turned to light, as if someone had flipped a switch on the sun. The forest disappeared around us.
I let go of Aengus’s arm when I heard Joel’s voice again.
“Grym!” He was the most beautiful person I’d ever seen, even with the weariness etching lines into his face and his tired eyes.
“Elliot!” Grym dropped his arms from around Miles and Joel, then ran toward me.
My chin wobbled before I even touched him. Tears fell the instant my arms were around him.
The tightness in my chest eased, but my body shook as he held me close.
He cupped the back of my head as I pressed against his chest. “I thought I’d never see you again.”
I’d thought the same thing. Even with Aengus and Cael helping, I thought it would be impossible to find Grym. Leaving Tech Duinn would have meant leaving Grym behind. The thought was so painful that I hadn’t let it in at all. Throughout my time in the realm, I’d not given up hope. The dread of failing had been a darkness that lived in the pit of my stomach.
“I found you.”
“That you did,A stor. That you did.” Grym pulled me away but never let go of my shoulders. He searched me from head to toe with his gaze, as if looking for an injury. “Are you hurt at all?”
“I’m fine. Are you?”
“Turns out the hellhound Donn sent to harm us is very attached to Joel.”
I pointed to the guy who was just now coming to. Joel knelt beside him, holding his hand.
“Do you mean that guy?”
“Yes, that’s Arnoc. Joel is his beloved.”
