Chapter 25
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Hiking to the mine and workshop—though that was a rather generous description—may have been a mistake. It was a lot further on foot than it was by wing. He’d only just arrived, and he needed to turn around and leave in a few hours if he was going to make it back in time for Cole’s arrival.
As tempting as it was to go down the mine, he could not rely on his wings to get him out of trouble, and getting stuck down the mine was not on his list of things he wanted to do this week.
He settled for getting into the workshop, which was little more than a magically hidden closet. On one wall were a series of shelves and woven baskets, and against the other was a very narrow workbench. On the back wall were a variety of hooks and a few tools.
He’d taken one of Cole’s daypacks, as he called them, so it was easier to carry his findings back, but he also didn’t want to carry too much weight…it was exhausting walking everywhere. He had no idea how humans did it all the time.
While he was able to stretch his wing fully, he wasn’t going to chance gliding yet. Maybe on Friday, after Cole arrived. Once he could glide, it would take time to get his flying strength back.
It was going to be impossible to fly his old routes for months. And at the end of solstice, he’d be on his own…
Thinking about the end made his chest hurt because Cole wouldn’t stay that long.
He needed to get back to his human job. Which meant he’d be spending solstice night on his own and leaving on his own.
He’d need to make shorter flights with more rests, so it would take him forever to get back to the cabin.
A knot formed in his throat that swallowing didn’t dissolve.
He took a drink of water and ate a couple of the bugs he’d found under the bark of the tree that marked the location of the workshop.
He crunched through their hard exoskeletons, not liking the way Cole had so easily slid under his skin.
He’d never planned his life around anyone, yet there he was, worried about getting back to the cabin in time.
About getting back to the cabin after solstice.
It was disturbing.
He’d grown up hearing stories about how when he met his mate, he’d just know.
Like breathing starlight, his mother said.
When he’d asked what she meant, because it was impossible to inhale stars, she’d laughed that she hadn’t meant literally. It was that feeling of being both tiny and the entire universe at the same time.
That’s what being with Cole was like. His phone buzzed and he was tempted to ignore it, but it might be Cole. He sighed as he saw Boone’s name in the Monster Network message.
BigFootBoone [admin]: Bob said you can’t fly
MothAkai: Don’t worry, I’ve made arrangements to get to solstice. I’ll still be there.
BigFootBoone [admin]: What arrangements?
He did not want to be talking about Cole with Boone. Boone would have opinions about him bringing Cole. Clearly Bob had not shared those details.
MothAkai: I’m getting a ride with a friend.
BigFootBoone [admin]: What happened to your wing?
He pulled down baskets, checking to see if there were precious metals or stones inside. Not sure what he was looking for, only that he wasn’t finding it. He wasn’t admitting to anyone else that he’d been shot by a human.
MothAkai: I had an accident.
BigFootBoone [admin]: Did you fall out of a tree?
MothAkai: No.
He’d walked up to a human, which was much more careless. How was it possible that their fates were so badly tangled that they were mates? He shouldn’t have started licking him…or kissing him. Fucking him had definitely been a bad idea.
Would avoiding him have made a difference?
Not that he’d ever been able to avoid Cole. Not seven years ago, and not three years ago, when Akai had first seen him on the land where he’d eventually built the cabin.
BigFootBoone [admin]: Were you drunk flying and crashed into a tree?
MothAkai: No. That happened one time.
Stupid spiked fruit punch.
BigFootBoone [admin]: Did you get into a fight with a wolf?
MothAkai: What? No.
BigFootBoone [admin]: Were you attacked by crows for stealing their shiny stuff?
MothAkai: Are you okay? Has someone hacked your account?
Did he know? Boone didn’t tease, nor was he chatty. Was he drunk? A drunk bigfoot could be messy.
BigFootBoone [admin]: I’m fine. Just wondering why you’re being so cagey.
MothAkai: It’s embarrassing, that’s why.
That wasn’t a lie.
MothAkai: I’m kind of busy, down a mine.
BigFootBoone [admin]: Copper?
MothAkai: No. But if I find some I can bring it…but you’ll owe me.
He was not giving away any more for free. Sure he wanted to keep the network running but he didn’t want to leach off Cole.
BigFootBoone [admin]: A mine collapsed and you had to dig your way out.
MothAkai: You’re enjoying my pain too much. I’m putting you on mute.
He did exactly that before Boone could reply and put the phone back in his pocket before reaching for a few more baskets to see what else was in the workshop. Two were empty, the third was full of red gems. At first glance they were either ruby or garnet. He picked one up and licked it. Ruby.
The taste of them hit hard, like his chest was collapsing.
They had been his sister’s. She’d been planning on setting them in silver, but at the time, they hadn’t had enough.
They’d been working in an old copper mine and making a lot of money.
Humans paid very well for copper. Boone said it was his contribution to keeping everything running.
He hadn’t worked a copper mine since.
He really should as it was easy money, and he had friends who passed for human which made the selling easy. And now he had Cole, who was human.
He also had plenty of silver for setting the rubies the way his sister had wanted. He gathered the baskets of silver and gold and the rubies and put them in the bag to carry back to the cabin along with a few small tools for cutting and polishing the gems.
As much as he wanted to show Cole these hidden places, he wasn’t ready yet. Which meant maybe Bob was right, and he shouldn’t be bringing his human to solstice. Even he thought of Cole as his human.