“Shit,” Perri whispers, hand knuckle-white around the PTT transmitter. “Can we get there before the end of the week?” He asks us.
I nod. “We can drive for longer in the evening. I can see well enough in the dark. We can take the risk.”
“We’ll wait for you,” Helios continues. “There’s a fair number of them, and I’m not sure Griffin can take them all.”
“We wouldn’t ask you to,” Perri says.
“We’ll keep an eye on them in the meantime and we’ll try to figure out a plan to get Vex. They brought her inside the temple before we made it here. She says it’s well guarded. They’re a bunch of freaks, I can tell you that. They’re doing rituals and live like savages in huts and refuse to even use a solar lamp.”
“Be careful.”
“Don’t worry. If they see theBeetle, they’ll shit their pants,” Helios snorts. “Vex told us they think technology is the root of all evil, and the old gods are our judgement.”
They talk for a little longer before cutting the communication. Perri is fidgety and stressed, and Stellan pulls him into his arms. “She’s okay,” he says, kissing the top of his head.
“No she’s not,” Perri sobs. “They must have left her somewhere in the dark, like a sack of potatoes.”
“Yes, but she’s a robot. She doesn’t feel cold or cramps. She’ll be fine.”
“I know but… it doesn’t make it okay.”
“I know, baby. I know.”
Stellan reaches for me with a hand, and my heart is light as a feather as I let him pull me into the embrace. I tuck both their heads under my chin, marveling at the fact that they want me to be a part of this.
And I realize I’d follow both of them to the end of the world and over the edge.
The next day, we drive for a while longer after nightfall. We keep the headlights turned off, which stresses Stellan and Perri a little but I assure them I can see fine in the dark, and they eventually relax. We push it until midnight. When we finally stop to rest,we don’t bother setting up camp and just eat a quick meal before sleeping in the camper. Stellan takes the first watch, and I get in bed with Perri. We are too tired to do anything more than cuddling, and we fall asleep after a kiss.
A few hours later, Stellan wakes Perri for his watch, letting me sleep for longer, and I pull Stellan into my arms. He grumbles that it’s too warm, but his hand appears on my hip nonetheless, holding me close.
I get the two last hours before sunrise. I keep an eye on the dirt road below from our vantage point, searching for threats, but my heart is still in bed with the two men. Their scent is all over me now—all over my truck and my things. It’s intoxicating. I want to crawl under their skin and feel their beating hearts.
This mad rescue mission needs to come to an end, sooner or later, but I dread it. What will happen to us once we’re no longer on the road and we’re back at the Traveling Market? Will Perri and Stellan go back to their home and their routine, and I’ll be their king once again? Is there room for me in their private world, or am I just a short chapter in their love story?
Which brings another question. Do I want to be more to them? I’ve been fascinated by their dynamic for years now. And it’s true, I wanted a taste of what they have. Now that I’ve tasted it, I want more.
I guess that answers the question. Yes, I fucking want more. I want their devotion, their bodies, their love… I want it all, and most all I want them, with all their flaws, their needs, their smiles. The monster in me wants to possess and breed them, even though it scares me, but I can’t deny the appeal.
I sigh as I listen to their synchronized breathing in the night and wait for the sun to rise and release me from my turmoil.
Perri comes out of sleep like a flower touched by the morning sun, petals unfolding slowly and face illuminated by a tendersmile. I want to lick the sweet nectar off his lips.
Stellan wakes like a soldier on the morning of the final battle, ready to head to the frontlines. I chuckle as he surges from the sheets as soon as I call his name, eyes wide.
“I made coffee,” I say, pulling him into a kiss.
He relaxes under my touch and mumbles, “Thank you”.
Perri crawls onto my lap and I caress his hair. We can spare a few minutes before we have to leave. These are the moments that make it all worth it.
We eat some fruit Helios and Griffin gave us and get back on the road as soon as possible. Stellan takes the wheel for the first hours to let me rest. I snooze with my head on the window and my hand on Perri’s lap.
The next two days before reaching our destination pass in the same manner: we drive and we rest for as little as possible. We drive by incredible landmarks along the coast, but we can never stop and waste time. Vex is waiting for us.
We get frequent updates from theBeetle. Beet has been cataloging the inhabitants of the strange cult—278 people so far, including the elderly and children—and their habits. The good news is, they’re mostly armed with crossbows, bows, and swords. The bad news is, they’re a crazy bunch, worse even than the Highwaymen and their last leader Maeve. They bring in prisoners almost daily from the wastelands and lock them up in the temple by the sea on a small island. Vex thinks they’re still alive, she can hear them scream in the bowels of the stone structure.
By the time we finally reach the meeting point with Helios and Griffin, we have come up with a plan to release the prisoners and save Vex without facing the wrath of the zealots head-on. Apparently, Griffin has a knack for explosives. Perri told me how he brought down Oliver’s underground utopia to retrieve Heliosalmost two years ago. It brings me a perverse satisfaction to picture Jude’s mutant lover on his knees.
