Chapter 1 #2
Merlin appeared from behind the giant and had taken a handful of something from a pouch at his waist. He gave the Formorian a hard whack with his staff, then held up his palm and blew a cloud of green dust at it when it turned around.
The monster dropped Nox and shrieked in terror as it clawed and slapped at its own face.
It flopped onto its back, gouging one of its eyes out, and was quickly pounced upon by Ingrid.
“Fuck!” Nelson muttered as he went to help Nox but was once again blown back out of the fight. “Stop doing that!”
No.
Nelson heard and felt Nox’s will and was furious until Nox was tackled and hit with several brutal punches.
“Someone help Nox!” Nelson urged and Clancy raced in but was swept off of his feet and pulled into a headlock.
A loud, birdlike cry echoed across the clearing as Ingrid dove at the giant holding Clancy but she only succeeded in knocking them to the ground.
They tumbled and Clancy was turning purple as the Fomorian fended off her blows with one hand.
Suddenly, Nox broke free and held up his palm.
It was bleeding and blood dripped down Nox’s chin as he produced a flame from his fingertips and ignited it.
He shouted something in Gaelic, then tried to avoid an oncoming attack but was rushed by three Fomorians who wasted no time pummeling and stomping on Nox.
Merlin was on them but spun around and pointed his staff at the sky when it turned pitch black and the night was filled with the cries of birds.
Thousands of crows swooped into the clearing, their blood-chilling screams drowning out the startled shouts of the Fomorians.
Glowing red eyes darted past and circled Nelson, leaving him untouched as the giants were pummeled, pecked, and ripped to sticky shreds.
Nelson covered his eyes, already haunted by the sight of gleaming, bloody talons and beaks.
The tearing and shrieking didn’t last long. Nelson was grateful when he heard the sound of wings flapping and they faded. He opened his eyes and looked around, quickly finding Nox and doing a headcount. Everyone was there and alive. All was quiet as they took stock of the scene around them.
“S’everyone alright?” Nox slurred, looking battered and woozy before he crumpled and dropped to the ground.
“Nox!” Nelson ran to him, hissing and groaning as he carefully gathered Nox in his arms. So much of him was covered in bloody gashes and raw, ragged scratches and Nelson could feel waves of pain radiating from Nox.
He stifled his grunts and tried to smile, but Nox was broken.
His right arm was limp as if it had come out of its socket and the left leg of his jeans was ripped and the tibia was protruding from his shin.
“I’ll be fine. I still have my locket, Nelson.” Nox opened his hand. The chain was a tangled clump and the wooden clasp that had held the halves of the heart together had broken but Nox had managed to hold onto it. “I was right: it’s magick and it worked.”
Nelson’s throat was tight as he took Nox’s hand and the locket in his, holding them carefully. “I’ll fix it as soon as we get you taken care of.”
Merlin had his staff aimed at the woods when he joined them. “We must move him now. That might have been the first wave of the attack. Dùbhghlas could be waiting and may strike again if he realizes that Nox has been gravely wounded.”
Nelson’s head swung as he searched around them. “Fuck. He needs time to recover. We won’t be able to defend him if there are more of those Fomorians or worse,” he noted and Clancy and Ingrid looked equally concerned as they lowered next to Nox.
Clancy groaned as he stroked Nox’s cheek. “You were so brave but so reckless,” he scolded. “Let us lead next time.”
Nox attempted a cocky snort. “You’re just jealous because I took out more of them than you did.”
“Says the boy with a chest full of broken ribs and a definite concussion,” Clancy muttered, then looked at Merlin. “He can’t stay here but it’ll take hours to get him back to Georgetown and we’ll be vulnerable the entire way without better protection.”
“Get Smoak,” Nox said weakly, his lips curving into another sly smile but Nelson frowned at Merlin.
“Do you think he’ll come?” he asked and the older man hummed dubiously.
“We can try to summon him but I doubt the demon will feel inclined to answer.”
Nox chuckled but it turned into an agonized wheeze. “You don’t have to summon him, just text Niall. Smoak will do whatever Niall tells him to do.”
He was right. Nelson used Nox’s phone to send Niall an S.O.S. and Smoak appeared within moments, extremely harassed until he noticed all the giant, burned and picked-over corpses and Nox’s condition.
“What the fuck happened here?” he demanded angrily.
“Dùbhghlas sent me a dozen Fomorians for my birthday,” Nox said and Smoak let out a string of expletives as he paced away.
He kicked one of the severed heads, sending it flying into the woods before turning back to them.
Nox shushed and gestured for Smoak to relax.
“It’s okay if you forgot. There’s still time to get me a gift card. ”
“What the fuck am I supposed to do about this?” Smoak yelled as he waved at what was left of the Fomorians and at Nox.
“I warned you! I told you Dùbhghlas would strike while your back was turned and what did you do? You turned your back in the middle of fucking nowhere without your hellhounds or your mutant changeling to protect you.”
“We have to move him. Now,” Merlin ground out and Smoak threw up his hands.
“Sure! I’ll teleport you back to Georgetown. Fuck my reputation and the rest of my existence, right? Demote me to MacIlwraith’s mystical über so I’ll be marked for eternity as a pawn and a traitor,” he said with a sneer.
Nox rolled his eyes. “Eternity will be a lot shorter if Dùbhghlas takes me out. You’ll be his next target and he knows Niall is your weakness.”
“Fuck you and Dùbhghlas for dragging me into this!” Smoak growled but he hunkered down next to Nox, nodding. “I’ll help you and get word out to your friends so they know it’s time. But you end this with Dùbhghlas now, sun god, so I can be done with you.”
“You don’t mean that,” Nox said, his voice fading as he struggled to keep his eyes open. “I still think we’d make a really good team.”
“I’d rather die,” Smoak replied but Nelson thought he saw a hint of a smile before he addressed the rest of them.
“Let’s get him loaded into the Continental.
Oglethorpe will ride with us so he can tend to the patient and the rest of you can drive back with Clancy. You’re of no interest to Dùbhghlas.”
With that, Nox was carefully lifted and eased into the backseat of the car with Merlin. Nelson got behind the wheel with Smoak in the passenger seat, unsure of what he was supposed to do next.
“Should I start the car?” he asked, earning an amused snicker from Smoak.
“Go ahead. Peel out like we’re in a DeLorean if you want.”
“You’re the worst.”
“Yes…” Smoak nodded slowly and pointed at himself.
“I’m the Lord and Father of all Demons, it’s literally in my title.
” Nelson pinched the bridge of his nose, sick to the depths of his soul with Smoak but when he opened his eyes they were parked in front of Nox’s townhouse. “But I’m adding über to my resume.”
“Thank you!” Nelson didn’t hide his relief as he got out and hurried to help Merlin move Nox into the house.
He almost cried when they cleared the front gate, knowing that Dùbhghlas and his monsters couldn’t touch Nox.
The entire lot and the townhouse had been warded against Dùbhghlas and was protected by decades of white magick.
“It’s so good to be home,” Nox sighed when he was laid on the shower floor and they began to peel away his tattered clothes.
Smoak had left them and was already notifying anyone who couldn’t be reached by phone.
With Clancy on the way with Ingrid and the girls and Arawn, Bryn, Fletcher, and Everly en route, Nelson and Merlin were able to focus on cleaning Nox and tending to his wounds.
He was rapidly healing himself now that he was home, but Nox was still pale and weak when Nelson tucked him into bed.
“Howard will be here soon with soup and more quartz and black tourmaline. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s packed up every shard and pillar he could get his hands on,” Nelson said quietly, earning a soft chuckle from Nox.
“It can’t hurt and it’ll make him feel better.”
“Probably.”
The older man had been through hell but was back on his feet after losing his son and a beloved employee to a twisted cult.
Much of that was due to Nox’s grace and kindness and Howard was keen to return the favor.
Nelson snuck away for a shower while Merlin and Howard doted on Nox.
He reappeared in his robe and waited patiently in the corner until they were done.
Once they were alone, Nelson dropped the robe and slipped under the covers.
He carefully gathered Nox in his arms, grateful to the depths of his soul to be able to hold him again.
Nox pressed his forehead against Nelson’s sternum and wound an arm around his middle. “Are you okay?”
“Me? I’m fine.” Nelson kissed Nox’s hair and strummed his back from the nape of his neck to the base of his spine.
He kept his touch light and soothing, lulling Nox to sleep so he could continue healing.
“I’ve never been so scared in my life, which is saying a lot, but I’m fine.
All that matters now is that you’re safe. ”
“Not to me. Dùbhghlas is lucky you weren’t hurt. I’d incinerate him with my bare hands if anything happened to you.”
“Shhh! Nothing’s going to happen to me.”
“I mean it, Nelson. There would be nothing left but ashes,” Nox said and yawned, as if he had shared a light, passing thought.
“Thank you for putting that into my head right before I fall asleep.”
“Sorry.” Nox shushed and pecked at Nelson’s lips. “We’re fine and he’ll be behind us soon.”
“Please be right. I don’t know if I can take seeing you hurt like that again, Nox.
” So many terrible moments from the fight were seared into his memory but seeing Nox collapse—bloodied, broken, and mangled—was more painful than any amount of injury Nelson could have sustained. “I wish it had been me.”
“No way, Nelson. You can die and when something in you breaks, it takes a long time for it to heal or it might not heal completely. But me? I’ll be right as rain in the morning.”
That was probably true but it didn’t make it easier to watch and Nelson might not take that long to heal. “About that… I—”
“Did you break something?” Nox tried to sit up but Nelson pulled him closer and cradled his jaw.
“I. Am. Fine.” He punctuated each word with a kiss. “And exhausted. Let’s test this rain theory.”
“Okay. We’ll rest and we’ll both be right as rain in the morning.” Nox whispered and murmured something in Gaelic as he snuggled closer. “I love you and you’re all that matters. We’re all that matters and I’ll burn anyone who tries to keep us apart or hurts you.”
“I love you too but let’s not get crazy, alright?”