Antonio let Declan’s words wash over him, eyes half closed.A tear in the world.That sounded about right.Still there, though maybe finally on the right scale.There was no undoing the damage Calloway had left.A life spent chasing and running all at once.
“Yeah.”
“You argued for it, told your tale.He listened.You won a battle you thought lost from the start.”
“Did it for you.Had me scared, Murderpunk.Thought I’d lost you.”
“I promised you centuries, not a handful of weeks.”
“Gonna hold you to that.”Which would be easier without the fucking assassins.“Don’t think this is over, even with Calloway out of it.”
“I'm inclined to agree.Aultyr said Calloway couldn't afford the price offered; losing him may be losing an easy way to track us, but he's not at the top.I wish I bloody knew whowas.”
Right, Aultyr.The one whose advice they’d ignored when they headed to Zyr’s, then went for a walk in unclaimed land.
“No kidding.Think maybe we should do like he said?Head for my world?”
“That seems wise.At least it will be decent timing.Your family dinner is in a few days.”Declan shifted, tilting his head up so Antonio could see those pale blue eyes.
“Already canceled dinner.Told Elaine I was busy taking care of my hot new boyfriend.”Antonio could feel the fresh flicker of warmth at the word boyfriend, Declan tucking in that little bit closer.
“Have I met him?”Declan asked, his smile showing those pointed, sluagh teeth.
“You’d remember if you had.He’s a little unforgettable.”Antonio squeezed Declan carefully, and leaned to kiss his hair.“If it’s safer, we should go.Just not sure where.My place isn’t fae friendly.Haven’t been working, so I can’t book us a room somewhere.Crashing at one of my sisters is out.They’d ask questions, and if the bastards do find us, we gotta be nowhere near the girls.”
“Would you be comfortable staying with Bo and Everil?Talia will likely be willing to take you to your home in exchange for some random human tidbit when you wish to return.You may have seen her on Bo’s … show?Videos.”
Of course he wouldn’t be comfortable staying with the fucking kelpie.The guy had a hair-trigger temper and a habit of cursing people who irritated him.And yeah, he’d been polite enough when he’d removed Antonio’s curse.But that was as a favor to Declan, not because he’d warmed up to Antonio.
Still, Bo was a good dude.And it used to beexcept for the fae fucking, but Antonio didn’t have a leg to stand on there, not with Declan pressed against him, real and solid andalive.
He’d almostlosthim.He’d stay with Declan in a damned cell if it meant he could keep him safe.The kelpie had teeth.They needed teeth.
“Long as they don’t mind,” he said, shrugging with the shoulder Declan wasn’t lying on.“I’m not exactly on the kelpie’s ‘favorite people’ list.But I can keep my head down, stay out of his way.”
Declan snorted and shifted closer again, no longer looking up to meet Antonio’s eye.
“Few are.Everil is not the most open of fae.However, he's far more prone to forgiving than many.Easily bruised, should you know where to aim.”Declan’s tone was quieter now, caught between fondness and apology.“When you first met, his bond to Bo was fresh, and the man was very upset.Personally?I think he was falling for our foul-mouthed friend already.”
“Who could resist?”Antonio asked, mostly just for the thrill of Declan’s amusement through the bond.
“Indeed.I suspect Everil also takes in feral cats.”A near laugh, before Declan’s voice went serious again.“I’m not asking you to forgive what happened.Only offering context, should there not have been it before.Nor will I try to make it sound as if he's not dangerous.He is, as I am.”
All said with that mingled hurt and affection that always touched the bond when Declan spoke of Everil.Flowers left to fade in the too-hot sun.The kelpie wasn’t ‘the kelpie’ to Declan.He was a friend, one he’d known for over a century.One who had hurt him and been forgiven for it.
Well, if Antonio was going to leave space in the world for sluagh, banshee, and barghests to be alright, there was probably room for flesh-eating horses with a fondness for vloggers.The bastard had cursed and threatened to eat him though.Plus the whole abandoning Declan thing, which was worse.Antonio wasn’t just going to forget all that.
“Yeah, alright.Don’t worry about it, okay?Me and Everil’ll be fine.Think we both agree on wanting you alive.”
Declan sighed quietly, his hurt fading into smoke, all warmth and content and nearness and Antonio wanted to never let him go.
“Is it decided, then?Let Aultyr hunt while I convalesce as instructed in your world, and you need not be concerned over invisible fire, with plenty of iron in reach.”
Antonio slid his hand up from Declan’s side, letting it stroke through fine, pale hair instead.Bizarre, to lie like this with anyone.Unbelievable, to have it be Declan, a fucking fae.
A sluagh with still raw hurts beneath a smooth surface.An easy smile and wings he tried to hide.The guy who’d showed up in the middle of the night just because Antonio had needed him.Who’d met Antonio’s fumbling confession with heat instead of rejection.
“I can work with that,” he said, reaching further, to trace a line of coiling gray at Declan’s temple.“Long as Everil handles ‘fucking in the guest room’ better than ‘warning a guy not to go skipping into a kelpie’s house.’”
