Chapter 32
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Since Alistair wasn’t willing to let Elijah to release him, and Elijah’s knowledge of driving was only theoretical, Isaac and Maverick drove them to Elijah’s home.
Alistair sat in the back, and Elijah held him close, still whispering words of reassurance on a constant loop.
Alistair felt like he’d been put through the wringer.
He was covered in a layer of sweat, and he felt shaky and exhausted, despite nothing physically happening to him.
It was his emotions that had been tossed into turmoil.
Isaac opened the car door when they arrived, and Maverick helped pull him out. Alistair’s footsteps were heavy during the walk to the front door, and he didn’t take in any of his surroundings. He was too out of it to care.
“Bed or couch?” Maverick asked.
“I’d say bed, but I’m a little worried about him on the stairs right now. Couch is better, I think. Just through there.”
He was led down the narrow hallway, practically walking sideways to fit the three of them comfortably, and gently set on the couch. His grip on Elijah faltered for a second and panic swelled, but Elijah was quick to sit beside him and pull Alistair’s head into his lap.
“I’m still here,” he murmured, petting Alistair’s hair. “And even if I wasn’t touching you, my magic still works. I promise.”
He really didn’t want to test that theory. He kept his eyes closed, focusing on his other senses. The feel of Elijah’s fingers in his hair, the warmth of his magic.
A heavy weight landed on his chest, making him suck in a sharp breath, but Helios’s purr settled him again before he could panic. It vibrated against his chest, relaxing him even further.
“Helios!” Elijah hissed. “Not now!”
“No, wait,” Isaac interjected. “I read somewhere that cats purring had healing properties or something. It’s good for him. As long as he’s comfortable, I say leave him be. Al? Do you need us to move Helios?”
He shook his head slowly so as not to dislodge Elijah’s hands. He was good where he was.
For a long time, he stayed that way, his head cushioned in Elijah’s lap, and his eyes shut to block out the world.
He focused on not thinking at all, ignoring Isaac and Maverick’s whispers from the other room and the occasional phone call from one of their cells.
He hated the recovery from a flashback. It always made him feel weak.
He was embarrassed that it happened in front of Elijah but grateful at the same time.
No one else would have been able to pull him out like Elijah did.
He didn't even question how Elijah’s magic got past the blockers.
He didn’t care, as long as he didn’t stop.
A knock at the front door made him tense, but Elijah soothed him again, pressing a kiss against his forehead. “It’s Mr. Hawksley. He’s alone.”
He didn’t know the CEO well enough for that to make him feel better, but he trusted Elijah and Isaac and Maverick were nearby.
The front door opened, and he heard Maverick greet the incubus while inviting him inside. The house was quiet outside of Helios’s purrs, so he could hear them talking, despite the fact that they weren’t in the same room.
“Is there still an uproar?”
“It’s died down now that he’s gone, but I don’t think the trouble is over. Did you know?”
“Yes. He shared the information with me and Isaac when he was staying with us,” Maverick grumbled. “He’s never acted maliciously, so I didn’t feel like I needed to share.”
“Really, Maverick,” Ozen chastised. “You can’t think of one reason why you should have told me? Maybe the fact that what he’s doing is illegal?”
That made him stiffen. He wasn’t one hundred percent sure who they were talking about, but if it was Elijah, then he’d have something to say about it. He didn’t do anything wrong.
“It’s a gray area,” Maverick argued. “He wasn’t doing it with bad intentions, he was trying to make his coworkers more comfortable. And unless there’s evidence of him using his powers against anyone, it’s not relevant. It’s not illegal to live his life.”
He strained to hear Ozen’s response, but the incubus had gone quiet.
Blinking his eyes open, he looked up at Elijah.
His boyfriend obviously heard the conversation as well.
He looked shattered, the pain on his face almost palpable.
Alistair felt responsible for that expression.
If it hadn’t been for Alistair needing his help, they could have slowly introduced Elijah’s magic to the company, and maybe the response would have been different.
“Don’t,” Elijah murmured. “You aren’t to blame for this.”
He said that, but he still looked heartbroken. Like he already knew the outcome of his actions and was preparing himself for the worst.
That wouldn’t fly with Alistair. He wasn’t going to let his shitty past mess with Elijah’s future. He slowly sat up, adjusting Helios to his lap so he could move without the boulder on his chest. Elijah hovered beside him, but didn’t stop him, his expression filled with worry.
“Maverick,” he called, though his voice was anything but loud. It still felt like he’d been run over by a train.
The dragon shifter didn’t need him to be loud. His hearing was good enough he probably could hear them whispering in another room without any issue. He opened the door to the living room, studying them with a frown.
“Yes?”
“Is there a legal precedent for him suppressing his magic? Not hiding it. There’s a damn difference.”
“Suppressing it?” Ozen asked, appearing at Maverick’s side. “How?”
He felt Elijah shift uncomfortably at his back, his voice uncertain when he explained, “By using my magic on myself. It’s not a simple spell, and I’ve been told it’s affected me physically, but…”
But he was lonely and sad and willing to do just about anything to live normally. Alistair wished he would have met Elijah sooner. Maybe if Elijah knew he had allies, he wouldn’t have felt the need to hide.
“Magic suppression isn’t illegal,” Maverick replied gruffly. “A simple meeting with a druid to prove that was his intention would be all we’d need to avoid a lawsuit. He’d be more likely to be required to seek mental health assistance than face jail time.”
“Will… Will I get to keep my job if I do?” Elijah asked uncertainly.
Ozen was quiet for a moment, studying Elijah carefully. When he shook his head, Alistair could feel Elijah’s heartbreak before Ozen could say a word.
“I can’t force someone to seek medical care.
And while I don’t agree with magical suppression, I have no reason to terminate your employment.
You’ve been loyal to this company for the last five years.
We’ve avoided legal issues thanks to you, and you’re actively checking the employees to prevent another coup.
I don’t want to lose you as an employee.
I’m just worried about the fallout in the office.
There’s potential for people to refuse to work with you.
I can’t force them either.” Ozen sighed.
“I think for now, we’ll leave this for another day.
There’s obviously a lot more to this story than I’m aware, and you’ve had a rough morning already.
Take the day off and recuperate. I’ll work with Maverick and see what can be done on our end. ”
Unfortunately, nothing else could be done. Not right now anyway. Until they knew the fallout from the company, there was nothing they could do. They just had to wait and see.
Isaac came out of the kitchen, his sleeves rolled up and his jacket missing. “I’m staying here. I need to make sure Alistair’s okay.”
Maverick nodded, leaning to kiss Isaac’s cheek. “I’ll be back later, my heart. Try not to burn the kitchen down.”
The teasing eased the tension a little, and when Ozen and Maverick left, Alistair let out a breath.
Turning to face them, Isaac gave him a sympathetic look. “You look like shit. I’m gonna make you something to eat. Get some rest.”
“Thanks,” he replied with a glower.
Isaac grinned, but there was tension around his eyes, and he hovered for a moment before returning to the kitchen.
Elijah pulled Alistair back down into his lap, forcing a smile as he asked, “How are you feeling?”
He sighed. He knew he couldn’t avoid the conversation forever. He just wished he could. “Raw… That man in your group, the one with the cane standing next to Taron?”
“Tony?” Elijah guessed.
It’d always made Alistair feel like shit that he didn’t know the name of the human who saved his life. He was glad he could put a name to his face now. “Yeah. His unit accompanied mine for a mission. The last mission. The one that led to me and a few others being taken.”
Elijah sucked in a sharp breath, his fingers freezing for a second before returning to carding through his hair. The touch helped, and Alistair let his eyes fall closed as he forced the words past his throat.
“We were searching for the enemy when we somehow walked into a trap. I was so worn out, I didn't even notice. Not until later. I was talking to another member of my unit about which direction to go when he came barreling out of nowhere and shoved me out of the way, taking the blast meant for me.”
He scrunched his eyes, trying to block out the memory. Elijah’s magic swept in, easing the panic a little so he could breathe again.
“I thought he died. I mean, he was in pieces, and he–” he cut himself off, his voice choked.
“I resented him. The explosion, and the rescue helicopter that came to retrieve them, drew the attention of the enemy. They attacked while we were distracted, and I blamed him for it. If the humans weren’t so insistent on bringing every man back, alive or dead, we might have gotten away.
I kept thinking that when I was stuck in that cave.
I hated myself for it, but I still resented him.
” He swallowed around the tightness in his throat. “Knowing that he lived…”
It made the sacrifice a little more worth it to him. They didn’t sacrifice themselves for a corpse. At least by getting the help there quickly, the human survived. Maybe not whole anymore, but he survived.
He hadn’t cried when they retrieved him.
Even when his friends were killed. He went numb after a while.
He had to in order to survive. After seeing Tony, alive and smiling, the dam broke and tears spilled across his cheeks.
Elijah didn’t judge him, didn’t say anything about his thoughts while he’d been captured.
He just made a quiet shushing sound, rubbing his back when Alistair turned and buried his face against his stomach.
A steady presence of reassurance and understanding until the pain bled away, and Alistair could finally breathe.