Chapter 15
Chapter Fifteen
Damn you, whoever you are, and your exceptional taste in quality wood furnishings.
Nelson was beginning to wonder if someone was healing the chair he was sitting in.
No matter how many times it had been knocked onto its back or its side with the full weight of a man in it, the thing had yet to snap or even offer an encouraging jiggle.
And Nelson was not a small man. He was six-foot-two and had weighed approximately one-hundred-and-eighty-five pounds before Dùbhghlas abducted him.
He was in the best shape of his life because he’d been eating well and you couldn’t find a better full-body workout routine than satisfying a living god.
But no matter how many times Nelson bucked against the back or pushed and pulled at the armrests, nothing budged.
He had even hopped and twisted as hard as he could, only to end up winded and sweating profusely under the hood.
“Seriously? What are you made of?” he asked it, throwing himself back in disgust.
The chair was his primary focus because it was the only tangible thing he could use to defend and free himself, and he wasn’t going anywhere until he defeated it.
“Why. Won’t. You. Break?” he slammed against the back of the chair with each word, then paused to catch his breath and considered tipping onto his side again.
The downside was that he’d be stuck on his side until someone came to feed or beat him.
Nelson reasoned that he had nothing better to do and he might learn something new while he was on the floor.
His mind made up, Nelson began to rock from side to side, building up momentum.
It took several moments and Nelson was panting by the time the chair’s feet started to lift.
Encouraged, Nelson threw more of his weight into each swing of his body, picturing a pendulum and ignoring his burning wrists and aching ribs.
Eventually, the chair started rocking in earnest and Nelson was thrilled at the soft creaks he heard.
They were new and the first sign that the joints were beginning to loosen from the repeated strain.
He swayed harder and faster and let out a surprised “Ha!” when he felt it tip and crashed onto his side.
“Fuck!” he mouthed once the pain in his right arm and ribs subsided.
Now what?
He tried to use his right hand and foot to scoot him closer to…
anything but the weight of his body and the chair were too much.
Momentarily defeated, he brushed his pinkie against the wooden floor and tried to see if he could discern anything from the texture or the temperature.
It was real wood and had been recently stained, the finish was consistent and smooth, and the board was cool to the touch.
This wasn’t a rustic cabin with worn-out furniture and neglected floors.
Nelson closed his eyes and rested his cheek against the wood and sniffed slowly, searching for the cabin’s native scents beneath the death and sulfur fumes.
He caught a whiff of orange oil and a sweeter smoke and felt homesick.
Orange oil was so ubiquitous in homes with lots of wood and antiques and so were scented candles, but for a moment Nelson cherished how much it smelled like his home.
Another pleasant memory was triggered, lulling Nelson into a hazy, lazy morning with Nox at the cabin.
“Looks like we have to stay in bed. It’s really starting to rain and I don’t foresee it stopping for hours.” Nox patted the bed next to him, summoning Nelson from the window. “I know how to keep you entertained.”
Nelson wasn’t sure why he kept returning to the guest room in the cabin at Coudersport.
They had shared a few magickal mornings there because the weather wasn’t right for glamping but they preferred having a tent to themselves by the lake.
Why the guest room instead of their bed in the townhouse?
He treasured every morning with Nox but their bed chamber there was Nelson’s idea of Heaven on Earth.
So far, their conversations hadn’t yielded any clues as to why this morning and this room were so important but Nelson was paying close attention as he slid under the quilt next to Nox.
“Is that your doing?” Nelson accused playfully but leaned back when Nox hesitated. “Is it?”
“Probably not?” Nox grimaced sheepishly. “I was thinking about how nice it would be if it did rain and we had nothing to do but stay in bed all morning. But I would never do that on purpose. I think… That would have to have consequences, right?” Nox asked and looked sincerely uncertain.
“It was probably a coincidence but to be safe, just ask me to stay in bed with you next time. We don’t want to flood some poor farmer’s crops just because you wanted to get off again.”
Nox pretended to be offended, pressing a hand against his chest and letting his jaw hang.
“That is not what I had in mind,” he said and ducked when Nelson gave him a flat, dubious look.
“It’s not the only thing I had in mind,” Nox amended and offered his lips.
He cheered when Nelson leaned in and they shared a slow, soft kiss.
“What else did you have in mind?”
“There is something I wanted to talk to you about.”
“Uh oh.” Nelson tried to pull away but Nox grabbed his face and kissed him loudly.
“It’s nothing bad! Relax,” Nox whispered and patted Nelson’s left cheek.
“That isn’t helping. What is it?”
“What if we…took a long break after this thing with Dùbhghlas is settled? We’ve gone on a few little trips but we haven’t been able to really get away like we talked about when we were chasing Walt.”
“Oh!” Nelson liked this topic. Being able to travel more than a few states away or overseas meant that it was safe to leave the townhouse for an extended amount of time and there was no reason to look over their shoulders. “What were you thinking?”
“We talked about Alaska but I think you’d love Iceland too and I’ve always wanted to visit New Zealand.”
“You’ve never been?”
“Not yet! It’s on my bucket list.”
Nelson squinted at him. “Why would you have a bucket list? You’re a god. You have infinite time to go anywhere you want now.”
“You’re missing the point,” Nox said with a dismissive swat.
“I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately.
Imagine just the two of us: somewhere totally different, where we could be totally different.
No one would know who we were or really care about us and we could forget about who we used to be for a few weeks or a month or two. ”
“A month or two?” Nelson didn’t hate the idea but… “Is this about us or is there something you want to put off or get away from?” That sounded more like Nox than stepping away from his students for a hiatus or leaving Merlin to his own devious devices for two whole months.
“That’s a little hurtful, but fair given my track record,” Nox conceded, then bit his lip as he tapped Nelson’s chin thoughtfully. “We never…had any kind of ceremony or went on a honeymoon or anything and I have been wondering if maybe we should.”
Nelson frowned, suddenly worried. Should he have proposed or suggested a honeymoon somewhere along the way? “You said you didn’t need a church or a government document to—”
“I don’t!” Nox insisted, cutting Nelson off.
“I know that we are committed forever and that what we have is already so much deeper and more intense than a typical marriage ever could be. I’m happier than I’ve ever dreamed possible and I’ve never felt so much peace, aside from all of the drama and tragedy Walt and Dùbhghlas have caused. ”
“Me too,” Nelson answered and hunted for more romantic words. “I’m happy, Nox. Happier than I’ve ever been and there is nothing I would change about us, aside from all the drama and tragedy, obviously.”
“Great!” Nox hummed contentedly as he kissed him, then rested his forehead against Nelson’s.
“But I can’t help but wonder if you would feel like we mattered more if we had done something…
less private. I’m afraid I inadvertently made you believe that you aren’t worthy of a big, beautiful celebration. ”
Nelson shook his head. “I don’t.”
“Are you sure?” Nox didn’t look sure at all as he searched Nelson’s eyes.
“It’s always been your nature to avoid attention and you hate being praised in public.
I might have been too quick to agree that skipping the traditional engagement and wedding was the way to go because I’m pagan and I was in a hurry to get to the domestic bliss part of our relationship. ”
“So…you want to get married and go on a honeymoon?” Nelson guessed. It didn’t matter to him, one way or the other. Did it?
“No!” Nox laughed. “Probably not… Or maybe…a little?” he confessed.
“All I know is that we rushed before because we had to and it made sense to skip ahead, but it may have left the wrong impression on you on a subconscious level. We could do something about that once we’ve put Dùbhghlas behind us.
And it might be…nice.” He looked at Nelson bashfully and his cheeks had turned pink.
Nelson was so touched and proud that Nox would want to celebrate them and realized that he might have been missing that recognition as well on a subconscious level. “I want to celebrate too and for everyone to know how proud I am that you’re mine.”
“I love you so much!” Nox was crying as he pushed Nelson onto his back and covered his face in loud, wet kisses.
“I know I make it hard to love me and that our lives are so much more complicated because of what I am. But you didn’t run away and you still love me, no matter how wild and messy our lives get. ”
Nelson snorted wryly. “It isn’t hard to love you, Nox.
It’s the easiest thing in the world, actually, and I would suffer a hell of a lot worse to keep you.
” He meant that then, and Nelson always would.
“Was there anything else you wanted to talk about?” he asked but Nox shook his head, beaming at Nelson.