Chapter Twenty-Five
Elliot
The castle shifted as soon as we entered. And I mean shifted. One second, it was gray brick, and the next, it looked like a countertop on a home improvement show. It might have been marble. Probably.
The landscaping also shifted. Neat little decorative shrubs were shaped into animals along a walking path.
I chuckled when I saw a perfectly formed green, shrubby turtle.
Cael sighed, shaking his head. “Dad is redecorating.”
Was this how a god redecorated? By wishing the changes into existence? That must be nice, but it could also get boring after a while.
“He went this way.” Cael turned onto the path, and I followed him.
“I’m nervous. I’ve never met a god before. Well, except for you.”
“I’m only half.” Did Cael dislike being a god?
“Dad is... I wanted to say harmless, but that’s not true at all. He’s not easygoing either. But he’s friendly, at least until he decides he doesn’t like something. If he doesn’t like you, then we’ll need to worry.”
No pressure to be likable or anything. How bad could a god who made animal bushes be, right?
“Do you think he’ll like me?” I’d never had a problem with that , but then I’d never had to talk the love god into fighting Donnie Death before.
I could almost hear Morgana in my head saying, “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that. No one wants violence, Elliot Coyne.”
Cael shrugged. He seemed very unbothered.
The path led to a large garden full of flowers. The colors were fantastic. A man sat on a bench. He wore white pants and a white shirt. No shoes or socks. He seemed to wiggle his toes as he stepped onto the grass. He smiled as he looked at it.
“Make your feet bare. Feel the grass.” He looked younger than Cael, but he definitely had the same vibe.
The mob hitman thing was alive and well, but Aengus looked like a hitman on vacation.
He was also attractive in a more traditional sense.
The resemblance was there in the strong jawline and sharp green eyes.
Cael stood there, unfazed by the request. I immediately took off my shoes and socks, then stepped onto the grass.
“Enjoy the moment, Cael.” The man shook his head as he met my gaze. “My son doesn’t know how to savor every moment. Life is about the little things. Wouldn’t you agree?”
I nodded. “Definitely.”
“Introduce me to your friend, Cael.”
Cael sighed. “This is Elliot Coyne. I told you about him and my reaper brother, Grym.”
“Nice to meet you, sir.”
He smiled. “Call me Aengus.”
I turned to Cael for help on how to ask a god for a favor. Cael rolled his eyes. “I told you we needed your help before. That’s why Elliot is here.”
Aengus met my gaze. “You fell in love with a reaper. That makes you very special. Love can do great things. Don’t you agree?”
“The realm-walking thing and immortality are nice perks, but Grym is what makes me feel special.”
“What a lovely response, but I’m afraid Grym is beyond your reach now.
” Aengus shook his head. “Donn has sent hellhounds into Tech Duinn. It will take the three of us to save him.” He tilted his head and scowled.
His jaw muscles twitched. “Oh, that will not do. Not. At. All. Donn has gone a step too far by taking the beloveds.”
Aengus stood, holding out his hands, one to me and one to Cael. He smiled at me as if he knew the panic had set in and was taking hold the more he spoke.
I took his hand with my own shaky one. I couldn’t speak with the emotions lodged in my throat.
“I told you this would get worse,” Cael growled. His expression hardened. “We should have done something days ago.”
“My stepping in wasn’t an option until now. Love, not war. You know that’s what we are about, my son.”
Cael sighed. “We’re at least going to rescue Grym and the beloveds, right?”
Aengus nodded. “I will do that much.”
“How... how do you...” I wasn’t sure what I was asking. I didn’t want to believe something bad was happening to Grym, but a thousand scenarios kept running through my head, each worse than the last.
“How do I know a reaper is in Tech Duinn? I can sense the tether binding you. It’s stretched too far, out of your reach, but it only just happened.”
The ache in my chest worsened.
“It makes me very sad, too.”
Cael huffed. “Which is the only reason he’s helping us, by the way.”
I didn’t care why he was helping. I was just glad he was.
As we walked, the garden turned black. Aengus and Cael glowed as though they were giant flashlights.
It took me a minute to realize their auras were the only light in the dark.
Aengus’s light was brighter than Cael’s.
The light should have been a blessing, and in some ways it was, but it illuminated their surroundings.
There was nothing but dense forests for miles, and things with glowing eyes watched them from their hiding spots in the brush.
“Fucking light.” Cael drew his sword from its sheath. “I’m like a damn beacon for whatever Donn cooks up in that messed-up brain of his.”
“You know him, Cael.”
“Sometimes I wish I had never met him,” Cael mumbled.
“I’m sure you do, and I’m sorry for your pain. I didn’t mean to bring up the past.”
“This whole thing with him brings it to the surface.” Cael stayed vigilant, scanning the area to make sure nothing lurked nearby.
Aengus sighed. “Do you think his imagination goes beyond demons and hellhounds?”
“Isn’t that enough?” I asked. I hoped we wouldn’t find out. I hoped Grym wouldn’t find out either.