:Who else should I talk to? Should I consult a list of those whom I am and am not allowed to converse with? Perhaps you could help me out and tell me exactly what I can and can’t do in my own realm?:
Clayton backed away from the tree as clouds rumbled and formed overhead. “I wouldn’t dream of it. Please forgive me if I have offended you. I’m just surprised to have the attention of a goddess. I’m a bit on the useless side, so I’m not sure why you would bother.”
The clouds dispersed, and the day was bright and pleasant once more.
:Oh, my dear traveller…:
Clayton waited, but Astraea said nothing more.
“If you’re finished talking to yourself, Red, come and join us. This guy here is utterly useless.” Mal called. He shoved Marshall, knocking him off course from his distracted pacing.
Marshall glared at Mal, fists balled up in anger, but he kept his mouth closed.
Clayton bristled. “Ok, one, don’t call me Red, everyone knows what color my hair is, so you don’t need to point it out. And two, would you mind not harassing the most powerful man in the Guard?”
“Pfft. If this is the best the Guard has to offer, you’re all screwed. Come at me, big guy. Let’s see what you’ve got,” Mal taunted Marshall, giving him a shove. When all he got was a glare and a snarl from Marshall, Mal laughed. “See? You’ve got nothing to worry about.”
Clayton strode up to Mal and got in his face. “I’m not worried about me, you idiot. I’m worried about what he’ll do to you after he gets his power back when we get home.”
“I knew you cared about me, Red.” Mal grabbed Clayton by the front of his shirt to reel him in and plant a kiss on his mouth.
Clayton retaliated by turning beet red and getting hard. Before he could stop himself, he leaned into Mal and barely stifled a moan. Mortified that everyone would notice, he shoved at Mal to get free because the shame and embarrassment were only turning him on more.
Wait, would mortification feed Mal as well?
“Are you feeding off of my… off of my…” Try as he might, Clayton couldn’t voice the wordssexual depravity. What if someone overheard?
Mal gave him a smirk and a wink, confirming Clayton’s suspicions.
“Is that why you’re sticking around me?”
Before Mal had a chance to answer, Marshall butt in, saying, “If the two of you are done flirting, can we get on with finding your family? I’d like to leave here as soon as possible. I don’t think we’re welcome here. I thought my magic was back and allowing me to communicate with these two, but after a few minutes, it was like the entire realm told me to go fuck myself. It was very clear about it, too.” Once again, Marshall ruffled his hair in distress and was so flustered that he didn’t fix it immediately like he normally would. He was beginning to look like he’d gotten caught in a wind tunnel.
If Clayton didn’t know any better, he would have said Marshall looked lost. But surely someone like him would be able to handle such an issue. However, instead of handling it, he went back to pacing and even began to mutter to himself.
Astraea gave a mental snort in Clayton’s head.:He’s not welcome here. You’re fine, dear heart.:
Clayton was torn between feeling warm and fuzzy and still mortified about nearly rutting against Mal in front of Marshall and some strangers.
Clayton decided to pretend like it hadn’t happened at all and jumped directly into his familiar role as a translator. He planted a hand against Mal’s face and shoved him out of the way, wincing slightly when Mal's sharp teeth nipped at his fingers, but otherwise he managed to maintain a professional facade. “Please forgive all of that. My colleagues and I are unused to this realm, so we’re having trouble adjusting.”
“Your friend managed to convey some of that before Astraea’s favor faded from him,” the woman said, giving Marshall a shrewd look. “I’m not sure how he managed to get it in the first place, considering what he is.”
Clayton put the pieces together quickly. That must have been Astraea’s distraction. She’d allowed Marshall some small ability to communicate until Mal had been fixed, but as soon as Clayton fed him, Astraea had ditched him like a fungal infection.
“Thank you for that,” Clayton told Astraea.
:You’re welcome, but don’t expect it to happen again. As I said, children must learn how to grow on their own.:
“Why are you thanking me?” the woman asked Clayton.
“Oh, it was nothing. A stray thought. Back to the matter at hand—are you still looking for your child? How long has yours been missing?” If Clayton was correct and this was the same woman from before, it would have been weeks since her child had gone missing at the very least.
“Three nightmarish hours. There’s nothing worse than not knowing where your baby is.” The beautiful woman’s eyes filled with tears, and the man beside her held her close. Clayton could tell he was on the verge of crying as well.
They must not have been the same people after all. Still, three hours was a long time to not know where your child was.
Clayton thought of Tommy’s adorable smile while he regaled Clayton about every single aspect of his day while Clayton had been at work. His eyes sparkled with excitement as he shared tiny discoveries about the world around him that meant nothing to Clayton but meant everything to him. Every discovery Tommy made allowed Clayton to rediscover something mundane and transform it into something new and magical.
