“Did you feel there was something missing? When it was just us on the couch?”
Someone you mean, not something.“Are you speaking about the bars, and the stink, and the roar of other creatures in pain?” Teilo teased, but he quickly relented when a look of confusion crossed Nico’s face. “Yes. I felt complete when Ben’s cat came and helped us clean each other. Did you feel like that?”
“Yes.” Nico nodded. “Very much so. But how can that be? He… this Ben is an old soul. My animal told me.”
“He is, but then…” Teilo’s eyes widened as he had an idea. “Maybe that’s why Ben was sent to us by some higher power…”
“Science, you mean?”
“Not science.” Teilo struggled to remember. It was so difficult to form thoughts when most of his information about life stemmed from overhearing other people’s conversations. “That thing that can’t be seen… like the life essence that’s in all things. The being that must govern everything.”
“I’m not even sure what you mean, and yet I do know, too. Now I do sound crazy.” The bark of laughter from Nico’s lips took them both by surprise. “Just finish your thought, and I won’t interrupt again.”
Nico would. Teilo knew that, and it comforted him in a way he didn’t expect. He could count on his two hands the number of times he and Nico had been alone long enough to actually talk to each other about something that wasn’t a job or a form of training. And every time, Nico had to interrupt. It was his way. “Maybe Ben was sent to look after us. Maybe he is meant to be with us. Maybe he can show us where the freedom we’ve dreamed of actually is—that magical place with sand and huge waters.”
“The sea.” Nico hummed. “It’s called the sea, and it’s so vast it covers all the land as far as the eye can see. I want to see that sea. I want to sit on the sand. If that’s what freedom looks like, then I want that with you…”
“And Ben?” Teilo prompted.
“And Ben.” Nico’s nod was firm and decisive.
“We won’t kidnap him. We should perhaps go with him. See where people get houses, clothes and…”
“See if we can find the sand. Maybe we can ask Ben to take us to the sand and where the water covers the land as far as anyone can see.”
“We could see that from the plane, maybe?” Teilo could feel a strange sensation in his belly that wasn’t the nerves he used to get just before he had to go and kill someone. It was more joyful somehow. Like something happy or even wonderful might happen. “Do you think Ben knows where that dream place might be, or how to get to it?”
“He’s older. He might. I think…”
Teilo never had time to find out what Nico thought because at that moment, there was a noise from down the hallway. Turning, he could see Ben looking at them both, his eyes wide and his mouth dropped open.
“Holy Mother of Fates, you’re twins.”
Teilo looked at Nico, who was looking back at him. “We’re not twins,” Nico said slowly. “I do know that. Twins are people born from the same man and woman. We didn’t have either. Twins are people with parents. We were made in a tube, grown in a bubble, hatched like a being out of an egg. Two eggs. I think. I don’t know exactly, but Teilo and I are souls from the same experiments, not twins.”
“Thank fuck for that,” Ben said as he came towards them. “Do you think I could get in on this hugging action of yours, or would you rather we go and find some clothes so we can get on that plane? I thought I heard you saying something about wanting to go to a beach. Would an island do?”
“With sand and the sea.” Nico would want to know the specifics.
“An island is land that is completely surrounded by sea, and I’m fairly sure there is sand all around it, too. A private island, owned by friends of mine that want to help you, too.”
“There are other people on this island?” Teilo wasn’t so sure about that. He wanted to curl up with Nico and learn about being with Ben. He wanted a lot of things, and they didn’t involve other people.
Ben shook his head. “No, I will make sure of that. It will just be you two…” he paused a moment, “and me.”
“If he wants to come with us, it’s not kidnapping,” Teilo said to Nico. “We won’t get into trouble doing that.”
“We’ll need boots,” Nico said firmly, meeting Ben’s eyes. “Both of us. Clothes and boots.”
“I’ll make sure of it.” And Ben’s words sounded like a promise. Even if it wasn’t, they made Teilo feel good inside. A new feeling, one he would hang onto.
Chapter Seven
Ben
Ben kept his chuckle to himself at the seriousness when the slightly shorter cat mentioned kidnapping him. “Can I ask what your names are?” He didn’t mention the numbers in the files they used to refer to them. It hurt his heart too much.
“I’m Nico, and this is Teilo,” the slightly taller one said. On closer inspection Ben noted the slight differences between them. Nico’s muscles were a little more defined, and the angle of his jaw was squarer, otherwise they were identical in their coloring.
