Chapter 31
Dylan needed to clear his head after talking to Johnny. Walking through the woods behind Homer’s house was the only thing he could think to do. Squirrels barked overhead, and the rain crows in the distance warned of a brewing storm.
Dylan chuckled under his breath, because a storm was coming, but not one the crows would know anything about—at least he assumed they wouldn’t.
He could hear water bubbling to his right, so he turned toward it.
It wasn’t long before the air cooled and became more humid. Moss and ferns spread where before only dried leaves crackled under his feet. He came to a small stream bubbling through the woods. He thought it must come from a spring that fed into the river.
Dylan found a mossy area and sat beside the stream, listening to the water bubble as the sounds of the surrounding forest faded away.
The wards had adjusted to let Johnny in. They trusted him, but Dylan still lacked an understanding of how magic worked. Homer had said it was rooted in intent. Had they responded to his desire to trust Johnny? Were they in some way sentient? He wished he could ask his dad. Or Homer.
Johnny told him he needed to learn more about the way the worlds worked. About how they connected, and especially how things had been before the war had started. The Tiresians were losing the war. They were losing hope. They needed someone to inspire them. That was Dylan’s job.
He sighed. The gate was too dangerous to use. Gabriel’s power was too much of an unknown. He’d never tried to open a rift between the worlds. He didn’t know how to direct his power, and Dylan worried that could mean they dropped into the middle of a trap, if not by accident, then by Johnny’s treachery.
If they didn’t open themselves to attack, Gabriel was to try to keep the rift open enough for Johnny to find and bring back a Tiresian elder who could teach Dylan more about his magic, and perhaps even Gabriel. Johnny wasn’t sure how much Liminan knowledge was available, as they were a secretive society, and the purge at the hands of the Vurdalan army had wiped much of their history from existence.
He picked up a small stone and tossed it in the stream. He sighed, wondering how he was supposed to protect everyone when they were going to have to work on this together. How was he supposed to keep Gabriel safe if they needed to use his powers? How was he supposed to keep his family safe if they brought back someone from the other side?
The sound of a twig snapping and the rustling of leaves brought Dylan back to reality. He spun around, readying himself to attack. Gabriel appeared between the trees.
Gabriel smiled as he approached. “Hey. I thought you might want some company.”
Dylan relaxed. He nodded, not trusting his voice.
Gabriel wrapped his arms around him. “Are you okay?”
Dylan sighed. “Yeah. I just…”
Gabriel pulled him tighter. “You just thought you were going to be able to fix all of this by yourself. That letting anyone help would be a sign of weakness, and that it was your job to protect everybody? And now you’re having to come to terms with the fact that it’s going to take all of us working together to end this?”
Dylan pulled back, his brow furrowed.
Gabriel smirked. “What? Don’t think I don’t know you would sacrifice yourself in a heartbeat to protect them. To protect me. You’re not as slick as you think.”
Dylan opened his mouth to argue, but Gabriel kept going.
“No, just listen. I’ve been in love with you since we were kids. I know you just went through a shitty breakup, and I’ve tried to give you your space. God knows I just wanted to throw myself at you, but somehow I’ve managed to avoid that so far, but it feels like you’re keeping me at arm’s length. You said that you thought there could be something between us, but it might take a little time. I’m willing to give you all the time it takes, but not if that time means you get taken away from me. Not when we’re just getting started. Not when I think…” Tears trickled down his cheek.
Dylan’s heart ached. He brushed a tear from Gabriel’s cheek. “Not when you think what?”
“That I’m in love with you. That I could spend the rest of my life with you if you’d just let me in. Make up your mind, Dylan. It’s not fair to me if you don’t. It’s not fair to you. You can’t keep punishing yourself for what your ex did.” He sighed. “It wasn’t your fault. He cheated on you, that sucks. But you’ve been playing our friendship or our relationship or whatever you want to call it like you’re playing this entire game. You go off and brood or come up with a plan of action for you to do, while everyone else stays a safe distance away. Not anymore. I can’t speak for Johnny, but your family wants to help you. I want to help you. I want to stand by your side when we kick those wolfy motherfuckers’ asses. I want to see the look on their faces when your mother figures out which one killed your dad and either rips his throat out with her bare hands or pisses on his dead body. She’s a cold bitch, and I’ve always loved that about her. You used to be stronger. I know my family fucked up when it came to you, and guess what? They did the same shit to me. You’re stronger than this, Dylan, and I’m not talking about the fact that you can turn into a Pomeranian.”
Dylan’s face burned. “Gabe, you know…”
Gabriel’s eyes narrowed. “Enlighten me. What do I know? How would I know?”
Dylan’s stomach dropped. Gabriel wouldn’t let him speak, to explain himself. He wasn’t angry with him for it. He thought about how he had felt when he first saw Gabriel after all these years. How the way Gabriel smiled at him made him feel a small shiver running down his spine. Gabriel was right. He was hiding, trying not to get hurt, and was hurting the people he was trying to protect by pushing them away. He huffed, and instead of trying to explain everything, knowing he wouldn’t have the words, he decided to let go.
There in the forest, Dylan kissed Gabriel. He filled it with passion, trying to communicate what he had failed to do with words.