Chapter 12
By the time the sun rose, neither had slept and Theo realized Lucian had used a lot of magic to maintain his Onari form and keep warm during the night. Which meant their trip home would be delayed, even if Theo had gotten any rest to feed him up.
“Sorry,” Theo said again. The sky changed to orange and red, the trees unfurled their branches, letting them fall open.
The movement startling, and Theo realized they were likely still as carnivorous as they had been when Lucian had been here.
Theo continued to shiver in the shade of the trees, his stomach grumbling in protest at the lack of food.
“I didn’t think to grab food,” Lucian cursed.
Lucian rarely needed to eat, his Onari ability to feed on emotion keeping him charged, and Theo suspected he preferred food they couldn’t readily make like the sweet desserts he highlighted in one of Yuri’s books that he kept in his room.
“I’m okay,” Theo said, putting on a brave face. “Do you need me to feed you to create a portal?”
“You’re not strong enough to feed me right now, angel. I want you whole, not withered on death’s bed.” He tucked Theo under his arm, trying to keep him warm and guided them through the trees, his gaze wary for movement.
“Nothing attacked me yesterday,” Theo offered, but let Lucian guide him.
“Rather be safe than sorry.” He paused to send up a flare of light. The flash peaked the tops of the trees and glowed, pausing and then turning in a direction before vanishing.
“What was that?” Theo wondered.
“Guiding bulb. It’s telling us which direction to go for a change in environment, which may mean mountains, an opening in the woods or even a cliff to fall off the world. But it gives us some direction. This world doesn’t have enough magic for me to use the bulb as eyes.”
It sounded impressive to Theo and he clung to Lucian, happy to not be alone, and hope that they had a direction stirring in his chest.
Lucian sighed. “You stir brightness so easily. It’s like the honey cream filling Yuri used to make, on the back of my tongue. Don’t tempt me. I don’t want to have to carry you.”
Theo tried to swallow his happiness at Lucian’s touch, but failed miserably.
He couldn’t help it, and was mildly thankful he continued to shiver, which killed his body’s constant response to Lucian’s proximity.
The man could throw him on the ground and ravish him right then and there and Theo would gladly submit.
Lucian sighed and shifted Theo’s body further away from his groin. “Should call you devil instead of angel.” They walked in silence for a spell longer.
“What?” Lucian exclaimed as they broke through the trees to find a sprawl of rock dwellings in the distance. “If this was here before, I never encountered it.”
“Do you think it’s safe?”
“As safe as staying in the woods while the trees are watching us and contemplating how we taste,” Lucian said.
“How do you know what they are thinking?”
“I can feel their hunger,” Lucian admitted.
Theo gasped, and clung to Lucian’s side. He glared warily at the urban sprawl ahead. It didn’t look like a place traversed by humans or most mortal species Theo knew of, more a spread of squares with large cutouts for doors. Tunnels, perhaps.
The opening between the forest and the rock abodes left them vulnerable. Twice Lucian paused, stilling to stare upward as things neither of them could identify flew overhead. Theo kept his wings hidden in the ether; uncertain he had enough energy to pull them if the need arose.
Lucian cursed, pulling Theo suddenly back as a slash of magic ripped through the space in front of them and out popped a giant cat. “So much for going unnoticed…”
The magic closed behind the beast, and the sheer size of it reminded Theo of the human world’s tigers, large, sleek beasts striped and deadly.
This thing, while a bit leaner, stretched nearly as long as Lucian’s Onari form was tall, and the bright purple fur, etched with rosettes and stripes in dark purple.
“Pretty,” Theo marveled.
“You and Yuri, wanting to pet the deadly kitty…” Lucian grumbled and froze as the cat focused on him. “What?”
“What, what?” Theo asked.
Lucian swallowed and took a half step forward. “Barney?”
The beast snorted.
“Well, yes, it is a ridiculous name, but the way you clung to my shoulder fit…”
Theo’s gaze darted from the cat back to Lucian. “Is it talking to you?”
“Mind to mind, yes. You can’t hear him?”
Theo stared at the cat, and it turned its head to stare back, but he heard nothing. “No.” Theo frowned. Why was all this magic stuff so much easier for Lucian? “I wonder if Uriel and Raphael gave us minimal magic because they ran out, or because they wanted to annoy us.”
Lucian laughed and held out his hand to Barney, the now giant cat. “You’ve changed, my friend. It’s a good look for you. I’ve missed you, but I won’t make you return with me. If the changes in this world are your doing, you’ve been doing amazing work.”
Barney licked his hand, then slid his giant body along Lucian’s as though scent marking him.
He slinked around and did the same with Theo, nearly knocking Theo off his feet as the cat pressed himself into Theo’s side, seeking pets.
Theo obliged, sinking his hands into the beast’s fur and stroking down his back.
“You’re so beautiful,” Theo said. “Majestic.”
Barney whipped his head around at something behind him and snarled.
Lucian grabbed Theo and took a step back as a dozen more cats of different colors, but similar sizes popped out of the ether in the clearing.
Wings appeared on Barney’s back, glistening in rainbow array not unlike Theo’s, and he flapped them twice before leaping into the air and gliding to face off with the others.
“Can you hear them?” Theo whispered to Lucian.
“Only sort of?” Lucian frowned. “It’s like they aren’t speaking a language I know, but my mind is translating it slowly? It sounds like they are fighting over whether or not we belong here.”
“We don’t… I’m sorry. It’s my fault.”
“Hush, angel.”
Theo worried at his lower lip with his teeth, fearing Barney would have to fight a dozen others because Theo made the mistake of searching for him.
But one by one, the other cats turned and vanished into the ether again.
Only when the last disappeared did Barney put away his wings and stalk back to them.
“Your wings are amazing,” Theo told him. “I’m sorry I caused trouble.”
Barney huffed, glanced at Lucian and a portal appeared beside them.
“Thank you,” Lucian said. He tugged Theo toward the portal. “He’s sending us home.”
“Oh,” Theo said. “Thank you, Barney. I’m sorry for disturbing you. We just missed you. If you ever want to see us, please come visit. You’ll always have a place with us.” Theo stretched out his hand to scratch Barney’s ears.
Lucian dragged him through the portal, which closed behind them and left them standing in front of the cottage in the world between. Theo smiled up at Lucian, though his gaze turned blurry.
“Why are you crying, angel?”
“I miss him,” Theo said. “You miss him… and he’s amazing. More than I could imagine him ever being. It’s why he’s a creator and I’m not.”
Lucian sighed and wrapped Theo in a hug, lifting him as though he weighed nothing and carried him toward the front door, which opened to reveal Star standing there.
“Is he okay?”
“He’s fine,” Lucian assured Star. “Tired, cold, and hungry, but fine.”
“Violet dropped off some fruit jam,” Star said.
“I made bread…” They didn’t discuss that Star’s bread was hardly palatable most days.
None of them cooked that well. Lucian’s minimal campfire cook skills where about all they used these days.
It meant a lot of strange stews unless Raphael appeared to offer other solutions, which happened a few times a month.
“I’ve stoked the fire,” Radu offered and held up a blanket. “Come here, little one.”
Theo sighed and released Lucian to slide into Radu’s waiting embrace.
Theo admitted he liked the attention. Star fed him the cracker-like bread covered in sweet jam of some dark blue berry.
Radu snuggled him in a blanket and Lucian hovered nearby until Theo closed his eyes, too tired to care about anything other than dreams.