Apprehensively, I look around, uncertain what’s happening but most of all fearful about what this means for Riley. Whatifthe curse doesn’t stop? What happens when it consumes him?
Kit is anxiously pawing at Riley, but nothing manages to wake him. The door to the palace opens and I look over as Mickey hurries out.
“I’ve sent my undead out and called to alert Lt. Lindsey, but so far no one has felt anything. He’s still not awake?”
“No.”
“Was he ever awake?” Mickey asks.
“Briefly. He shoved me back and fell off the bed, and then the magic seemed to hit a peak before he passed out. I have no idea what happened or why. I’m still not convinced a Door hasn’t opened somewhere that I just can’t feel. I should pass through the Door to your realm and see if I feel anything on the other side.”
“I’ll stay here and watch him,” Mickey offers, but I don’t like that idea either.
Seeing my hesitation, he asks, “You’re just going to carry the unconscious man around?”
“Yes.”
Mickey shrugs. “If that’s what you want. I need to find a man like you who’s willing to carry me everywhere. I mean… you’re muscular enough you could probably carry us both.”
“I could, but then Riley would be jealous.”
“He’s unconscious.”
I ignore him and pick up Riley before passing through the Door, but as soon as I’m in Mickey’s house, it’s clear I don’t sense anything here either. I still set Riley on the couch and step outside to feel the earth with nothing manmade between it and me. Still nothing.
That doesn’t mean the Door hasn’t opened so far from here that I can’t feel it, but the horseman who Mickey thinks is Conquest has picked this city again and again, telling me he likely doesn’t know how to open a Door somewhere we won’t expect, which isn’t surprising. A Door often appears where it wants to appear. The creator can influence it some, but making the Door appear on the opposite side of the world would be difficult or even impossible.
“Are you satisfied?” Mickey asks, peeking out at me through the Door.
“I’ll be satisfied once I find out what’s going on,” I say as I slide my arms under Riley’s legs and back, wishing to erase the curse from his body. If I had all of my power, could I do it? The problem is that I don’t even understand it or what caused it. Mickey trails after me while I carry Riley back to my room and lay him in bed.
“Well, this has been fun… you know… with you naked this whole time. But I guess I’m going to head to bed. Let me know when Riley wakes up.” His eyes dart down to my dick and he gives me two thumbs up before fucking off.
I glance down and discover that I am quite naked. Riley did slip some underwear on when he wandered off last night to grab something he forgot downstairs, but I was freeballing it when I crawled into bed.
Ah well.
I climb into bed and pull Riley up until he’s half on me so I can hold him in case this happens again, which is how we remain until he wakes up hours later.
He yawns and kind of presses harder into me before noticing me beneath him. “Are you holding me? Is this a sex move? Because you feel very naked.” Then he grimaces and I see him flex his hands, but he must not have seen the damage yet because he doesn’t react to it. Kit has remained awake with methis entire time, but she’s so focused on Riley’s face that he’s not being allowed to see much else. She’s anxious and cries while she burrows up against him.
“What’s… going on?”
I pull him closer. “I’m so sorry I left you to fret over me for six days. I nearly died after three hours.”
“Three hours? What are you talking about?” Riley asks, sounding reasonably confused.
My hands tighten on him as I tug him up until I can rest my face in his hair.
“Torin, you’re freaking me out. What happened?”
“I don’t know,” I admit. “You… your magic woke me up. You were unresponsive but still able to interact with me since you shoved me off the bed, and your magic seemed to escalate to the point that I was afraid you were going to level the place. Then you passed out and have been unconscious since.”
Riley tenses in my hold, his shaking fingers running over the stains on his arms that he’s finally noticed. “Did the Door open?”
“Not that we’ve found, but they have many people still looking, including Mickey’s undead. We’re searching this realm and yours, but so far, no one has felt or sensed anything.”
Riley seems uncertain as he looks down, and I realize he’s seeing through Kit’s eyes and taking in the fact that the curse has spread so much. He clenches his trembling hand and turns to me.
