Chapter 24
Chapter
Twenty-Four
CIARAN
Sawyer had had a bit of a day. With everything going on around him and everything he’d endured since he’d arrived in Tenebrae, Ciaran wanted to be cautious so as not to overwhelm him. He’d taken all the weirdness in stride so far, but Ciaran had to wonder if there would be a line one step too far.
Sawyer had spent the afternoon trying to get his head around what he now knew about Mr Brown.
Cephamorphs weren’t the only other kinds of creatures in the world. Humans were not the superior species, and the histories Sawyer had taken as fact were not as they seemed.
The old gods existed, and they existed still.
But Ciaran could only divulge so much.
He knew if he gave enough pieces of the Mr Brown puzzle, Sawyer would put the picture together.
Ciaran’s hands were tied; even though he was Ciaran’s mate, he couldn’t tell him.
Not exactly, anyway. He couldn’t tell of the secret pact that had been put into place long before Sawyer ever arrived in Tenebrae Cove.
Sawyer hadn’t got it exactly right, but he was close.
When they got back to the police station, Ciaran put another piece of puzzle down for him.
“Cern’s an unusual name, isn’t it?” he asked, tone casual.
“I just assumed it was one of those weird old names, long gone out of fashion,” Sawyer replied. “Like Auberon, or Bateson. I thought he said his name was Colonel at first.”
“Hm. I mean it’s an old name, sure. But it’s Celtic, I think,” Ciaran had added, like he was discussing the weather. “Shortened, too, for something, I believe.”
Sawyer stopped and stared at Ciaran for a knowing beat, clocking what Ciaran was trying to tell him—that he was giving him information—before sitting at his desk and typing out a quick internet search.
Ciaran watched as he tapped away and read the screen, his heart rate rising with his eyebrows.
“Holy shit. Cernunnos, the god of wild places,” Sawyer’s gaze met Ciaran’s, sharp but with a hint of disbelief. “Are you fucking kidding me?”
Ciaran laughed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. But yeah, how about them apples?”
Sawyer stared at him, unblinking, for a long, drawn-out moment.
And then, of course, he went back to the screen to read all he could find.
“Well,” he declared after a while. “Looks like I won’t be adding Mr Brown to the list of names I give Hadeom.
Jesus. There’s no explaining that. Not even when I thought he was just a normal, albeit very old, human. ”
Ciaran wondered how long Sawyer could keep up the professional charade that nothing was out of the ordinary here. Well, Sawyer could do it indefinitely... but Hadeom would only accept nonanswers for so long.
Then Sawyer opened his email and replied to Hadeom. He typed with no hesitation, no second-guessing, as if he’d made up his mind, and there was no going back.
Update, as requested.
Tenebrae Cove and outlying district: exact population undetermined. No more than twenty, no fewer than ten, myself now included. Inhabitants here are friendly and productive. Crime rate: zero.
Previous accounts of unusual activity unfounded at this time. Will update as new information comes to light.
He hit Send and sat back in his chair, letting out a slow puff of air. “Well, he’s not gonna like that.”
“The ‘myself now included’ was a nice touch,” Ciaran said.
“I do include myself as a permanent resident. I’m not leaving, no matter what he says or tries to imply. I will protect everyone here the best I can.”
Ciaran’s hearts grew warm and full. “And that’s why we’ll be okay,” Ciaran said. He took Sawyer’s hand, pulled him to his feet, and placed a soft kiss on his lips. “I have something I need to grab from my place before we head over to Fray’s. If you’re done here?”
Fray was having a few beers at his place with the boys tonight, and Ciaran figured it would be a good time to tell them about his conversation with Mr Brown.
In fact, it had been Sawyer who’d said yes, they’d go.
He really wanted Ciaran to be the good leader he’d been before Sawyer arrived, to prove he hadn’t changed that much.
When, in reality, everything was different.
But Sawyer was adamant Ciaran could be both a great leader and his mate. He didn’t have to choose.
“I am. Hadeom’s pissy reply can wait.” He turned his computer off, grabbed his beanie, pulled it on his head, and smiled at Ciaran in such a way that it made his blood sing.
It made all three of his hearts happy.
He held out his hand. Sawyer was quick to take it, and they walked out the front door of the police station.
“If someone had told me when I took this job that I wouldn’t even be locking the station when I leave it, I’d never have believed them.”
Ciaran laughed and, holding up his free hand, let his fingers morph into a tentacle. “We have very talented appendages.”
Sawyer burst out laughing and stopped walking so he could grab the tentacle.
“You don’t have to tell me that because, lord, do I know it,” he said, then lifted it to his face, and Ciaran couldn’t help but caress his jaw and his neck before slipping in under the collar of his sweater, and Sawyer’s breath hitched.
This man, this very human man who accepted him so completely... made Ciaran more determined to do what he had planned.
“I have something for you,” Ciaran murmured.
“Yes, please,” Sawyer whispered, his desire wrapping around them both like tentacles of his own.
Ciaran groaned out a pained sound. “Mind out of the gutter. I need to do this first.” Taking Sawyer’s hand, he pulled him into his store. “Give me a couple minutes. Don’t go anywhere.”
“Okay,” he said, looking around the store. “I’ll just look at all the cool stuff without leaving finger marks on the glass, I promise.”
Ciaran went to the back room, but not to the catalogued items all stored neatly. He went to his personal items, the few trinkets he’d kept just for himself, and found what he was after.
He went back to the shop, expecting to see Sawyer peering at some artefact or the map on the wall he liked, but no.
Sawyer stood in his store, staring out across the cove to the water.
The night was eerily dark, the wind biting cold, but at least the rain had eased up.
Ciaran’s store was warm, of course, but as he stood looking out at the inky black night and the even darker water, Ciaran didn’t miss the way Sawyer shivered.
Ciaran came up behind him and slid his arms around him, pressing his lips to the back of Sawyer’s neck. “Are you cold?”
“No, I....”
“You’re not scared,” Ciaran noted, because he’d be able to feel that. “But I can feel your trepidation. You’re wary?”
Sawyer sighed. “There’s no hiding anything between us, is there.”
Ciaran chuckled. “Nope.” Then he turned Sawyer around and put his hand on Sawyer’s cheek. “What are you wary of?”
“The water. I don’t want to fall back in. When I get too close, the pull I feel to go in....”
“Hey,” he whispered.
“It’s too real, and I can’t ignore it. I hear nothing else. Not even you.”
“I won’t let that happen,” Ciaran said, his eyes darting to each of Sawyer’s. “I won’t let you out of my sight.”
“What if that’s not enough?”
“Then I won’t let go of your hand,” Ciaran said and slid his hand into Sawyer’s, entwining their fingers and holding on tight. It was such an innocent thing to do, a sweet thing.
They smiled at each other, and Ciaran’s hearts all felt a whole size too big. “I cannot believe how happy it makes me to even hold your hand.”
Sawyer laughed. “Same. Feels like the first time. And we will have a lot of firsts, I think.”
Ciaran couldn’t believe how truly happy he felt. And how happy Sawyer felt, because Ciaran could feel that too. The love between them was so pure, and what he was about to do suddenly felt very right.
“So,” Ciaran hedged. “Before, earlier, you mentioned something...”
Sawyer pressed his palm to Ciaran’s chest. “You’re nervous.”
Ciaran let out a laugh. “Yes, but I don’t know why.”
Sawyer’s eyes were imploring, the clearest blue. “What is it?”
Ciaran licked his lips, his mouth dry. “Before, when you talked about human laws and how getting married was something not to be taken for granted, I could feel how much it meant to you, and I’m sorry for not understanding earlier. It’s your human custom, and I wasn’t respectful of that.”
“It’s okay,” he murmured. “We’re learning, remember?”
Ciaran nodded. “Yeah. But then I got to thinking....” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a simple gold ring, holding it on his palm between them. “This is old. Like, old. I’ve had it for many years. Found it on a dive once, and I didn’t know why I kept it all this time. Until now.”
Sawyer’s heartbeat was thumping and there was a whole barrage of emotions pouring out of him. “Ciaran...”
“I want to call you my husband, and I want to be yours,” Ciaran said.
“I want you to never doubt what we are, and I know now how much it would mean for you to wear this. We can have a ceremony if you want. We can do it for real if that’s what you want.
Whatever you need, Sawyer, just name it.
But please, say you’ll take this ring as a token of my eternal love and wear it, always. ”
Sawyer’s eyes were glassy, and his chin did the cutest wobble. And he nodded. “Yes. Of course I will.”
Ciaran slid the ring onto Sawyer’s left ring finger, then brought it to his lips. “I love you,” he murmured.
“I love you too.” Sawyer leaned in and kissed Ciaran softly. “But we’re not having Fray dress up as a priest.”
Ciaran laughed. “He’ll be so disappointed.”
Sawyer studied the ring for a moment, then Ciaran’s eyes. Ciaran could feel the overwhelming love Sawyer felt for him. “I don’t need a ceremony or a certificate. This is enough. You are enough, Ciaran.”
“I was going to give you three rings,” Ciaran said softly. “One for each heart.”