“Please don’t tell MERS about Hecate,” Ezra urged them both. “I can’t stress how bad of an idea that is right now. I trust Grendel and the sergeants not to do something to me, but it’s their superiors I worry about. I don’t trust a government authority not to try and grab me for testing or some crazy shit. And I especially don’t want any US government agencies finding out, either.”
Saemund reached out across the island and touched Ezra’s hand where it lay on the island counter. His touch was warm, gentle, and brief. He hummed thoughtfully, then pulled away. “You carry a divine blessing. I’ve not seen a mortal carry the blessing of a deity in centuries. It’s subtle and hard to see, but there are traces I can recognize.”
“Do you think other people will be able to tell?” Ezra asked, worried. He feared what people would do or how they would react if they knew he was blessed by Hecate and carried the gift of Her power.
“Only if they’ve seen a divine blessing before will someone notice the signs,” Saemund reassured him, shaking his head. “Hecate was subtle. You’re no saint or paladin burdened by a blessing so bright it shines to mortal eyes. I think you’re safe to go about your normal routine. Just don’t tell people if you don’t want it getting out.”
“I have no plan on sharing it with anyone other than the two of you, and maybe my mentor,” Ezra breathed out. “The fewer who know, the safer I am.”
“And on that note, I’m going to leave the two of you alone,” Saemund offered with a wry twist of his lips. “I have a son and daughter-in-law to visit.” He turned to Raum. “Call your mother sometime today before you go to bed. That’ll save you from a scolding tomorrow.”
“Will do,” Raum said. “I’ll talk to you later.”
“Goodbye,” Saemund said to them both, and within the blink of an eye, Saemund was gone.
There wasn’t even a puff of smoke or a ripple in the ambient magical fields. Not a sign that Saemund had teleported aside from his absence.
“That’s so cool,” Ezra sighed out, suddenly quite tired. He was drained mentally and emotionally, and physically ready for a nap. He needed some quiet time.
He was afraid to look at Raum, though. Afraid of what Raum felt. Maybe the incident with Morana and Hecate was enough to scare Raum away from Ezra or maybe his career was too much for the professor.
Raum shifted and slid an arm around Ezra’s shoulders, pulling him closer to his side. “I’m not going anywhere,” Raum said into his ear before pressing a kiss to Ezra’s temple.
Ezra forgot about Raum’s empathy. He turned his head enough to catch Raum’s lips in a soft, brief kiss. “You’re not?”
“I want you, and nothing you said or did today has made me want you less,” Raum said with all the seriousness of a vow.
“I still live several thousand miles away,” Ezra reminded Raum, and himself. That was a big hurdle to a relationship. Ezra was comfortable financially, but he could not afford the amount of international flights needed to maintain a healthy relationship. Maybe Raum was willing to travel, too, to help share the load. “This is going to be an expensive relationship if we choose to do this.”
“Come with me,” Raum said instead of addressing Ezra’s statement. He slid off his stool and tugged Ezra after him.
They walked into the main room of the apartment and Raum led him to a door beside the hallway that led deeper into the apartment. They walked past the couch where Lilith lay curled up in a ball, fast asleep. Raum opened the door, and Ezra looked straight into Raum’s office. The same office that was at the university.
The underhill.
Raum gently tugged him inside and Raum shut the door. Raum took their joined hands and placed Ezra’s palm on the inside of the door, holding it firmly in place.
“Think of your place,” Raum instructed. “How the afternoon light comes through the windows, the smell of the kitchen, how the furniture is arranged in the living room. Familiar soundsfrom the street outside, or perhaps neighbors above or below you. The path you take when you come inside, where you place your keys and your wallet, your phone. Where does Lilith like to sleep, her favorite spots? Think of your home: the sounds, smells, temperature, the way it feels to walk through the front door and be home.”
Ezra closed his eyes and did as Raum said, thinking of every detail of his home, from the mess he left his bed in, to the dishes in the dishwasher, and the way the light from the streetlamp outside would cut through the evening gloom in his living room.
There was a brief shiver in the magic of the world, and then nothing. Ezra opened his eyes, and Raum let go of his hand and grabbed the doorknob, opening the door.
He was shocked to see his living room. Even expecting it, he was still shocked down to his toes. Ezra gaped as he walked across the threshold and into the main room of his apartment, which served as both living and dining room, the kitchen separated by a bar and island seating off to the right. The walls were a bright white with wood trim, and the early evening light ran across the floor and lit up the space. There was an hour’s difference between Edmonton and San Francisco, just enough to have the light be at noticeably different angles.
Raum followed him into the apartment, leaving the office door open. Ezra spun to see that the office door now sat in the wall that separated the living room from the bathroom, and he walked just far enough down the hall to see into the bathroom, which was intact. He walked back to the main room and squinted at Raum, who chuckled.
“It takes some getting used to,” Raum admitted, hands in his pockets. He looked around, smiling when he spotted cat toys on the floor, a blanket askew on the couch, and an empty mug on a side table. “I figured showing you was easier than telling you.”
“That distance isn’t an obstacle and that we have no excuse not to try this relationship thing? Yeah, showing me helped a lot,” Ezra agreed. He went to Raum, and put his hands on Raum’s hips, looking up at him. “Can we do this?”
Raum put a hand on Ezra’s face, cupping his jaw, and he leaned down and kissed Ezra, slow and sweet. He pulled back after a moment, Ezra humming in delight. “Ezra, will you please date me? I had this epic speech planned, but I figure we’re both too tired right now. I really like you, I don’t want this to end, and I want to get to know you better.”
Ezra didn’t have to think about it. “I will absolutely date you. Please and thank you.”
Raum burst out laughing, and Ezra chuckled, going eagerly when Raum tugged him into a hug. He buried his face in Raum’s shoulder and held on tightly.
Raum
