“Hey, hey, no.”I hold him close and rub his back.“I’m not staying away from you, you hear me, Taz?”
“But I was too tempted?”
“But you didn’t.You didn’t use it, which means you’re so much stronger than you think.I’m honored to work with you every day.And I’m even more grateful to get to be your boyfriend.”
I pull back and blink away my own tears.Taz wipes his eyes, and I gently kiss his forehead.When I hug him tight again, the shivers subside.His pain and vulnerability make my heart ache, and if I could, I’d never let anything bad happen to him ever.
“Thank you, Luther,” he says against my shoulder.
I love you, Taz.The words almost escape my lips, but I’m not sure if it’s too soon.Instead, I pull back and then gently kiss him again, my lips giving him all the affection I’m holding back.
Taz agrees with me to go to the chief with the gauntlet piece, so that’s what we do the following morning.We decide on a small lie to not make it seem like Taz was tempted at all.The Other Side is nefarious in mysterious ways, so who’s to say we’re lying?
“Fascinating,” Chief Tuttle says, gazing at the piece of gauntlet.When he looks up at Taz and me, his expression is inquisitive.“It just…manifested?”
Taz tucks his hands in his pockets.“Last night,” he lies.They don’t need to know he’s been holding it for eight days.I’ve never lied to the chief before, but it’s only a half-lie, which is basically a half-truth.It won’t sound good to know Taz kept it for days.Our little secret it is.
“There is a historical precedent of objects being enchanted to appear and disappear,” I remark.
“That is true.”The chief ponders my words for a moment, then shrugs.“We have it now.Good work!”
Girish and Cleo approach with another glass box.
“This is great.We’ve stopped the dark cult in its tracks,” Cleo remarks.
“Precisely,” Girish adds.He touches the gauntlet, and his head shoots up.We all turn our attention to him as he gasps out loud.
“We should split up all three pieces of the gauntlet!”he shouts, his eyes rolling back in his head.
The four of us stare in stunned silence as he regains consciousness.He’s still holding the gauntlet piece, and after a moment, he places it into Cleo’s glass box, as if he didn’t just yell to the heavens.
After a moment, Girish looks at each of us.“What?”
When Taz and I crouch closer to the glass box, I notice something peculiar?the wrist area of the gauntlet has a massive divot.Every ancient image of le gantelet des ténèbres showed a band of red gems over the hand piece.
Taz and I stand up straight and share a fearful stare, then look at the chief and Cleo.
“What’s up?”Girish asks, blissfully unaware of the vision he shared with us.The rest of us come to the conclusion without saying a word.
The mission isn’t over; there’s another piece of the gauntlet out there.
CHAPTER 17- LUTHER
ONE WEEK OFresearch and tirelessly monitoring the ley lines has led to this.Our team is in some woodsy area in upstate New York, ready to take on any cultists and hopefully find the last of these gauntlet pieces.
And by my team, I mean Necia, Max, and Taz.My boyfriend and I have been going strong during our off time, going on dates, occasionally having sex, and sleeping with each other every night.I’m growing addicted to waking up next to Taz; I wonder if it’s too soon to ask to move in with him.When he shoots me an adorable grin and bounces his eyebrows at me, my cheeks warm.I’m trying not to flirt with him mid-mission, but it’s not like I don’t notice the funny looks Max and Necia are also sharing during work hours.
If we weren’t fighting homicidal cultists, this might constitute as a double date.
“About a half-mile ahead,” Necia says, pointing forward.I’m not sure if it’s better or worse that the threat of the week is walking distance from our Upstate New York portal.It’s annoying to have to rent a car every time we’re on a mission.
We trek through the woods, far away from any roads or villages.While I’m glad to be away from innocent bystanders, the evening twilight once again feels like we’re walking into a horror movie.Fortunately, I’m charged up with geo arcanum in my pocket, but anything goes with these warlocks.
Fifteen minutes later, Max stops and points through the trees.Lo and behold, we spot a faint orange glow, contrasting the darkening sky.When I wave my hand, I sense the undeniable pulse of dark energy.We trek closer, looking around at all sides for any cultists.
When we reach the clearing, it’s an ominous sight; four seven-feet-tall torches are lit aflame.Each of the wooden poles, several yards apart, has a body tied to it.It’s a grotesque display, and I pray we got here on time.
“Cauldrons,” I mutter.“Max!”
