Chapter 6 #4
“I get why you did it,” Ciaran said. “Like you said, it was to protect Salem, and I can admit that when it happened, I was mad. But I was mad at a lot of things. At Lusca for hurting Sawyer, mostly. And yes, it stung that you hid the truth about Salem from me. But what you said about Mimics being hunted....” He gave Salem a sad smile.
“That put it into perspective. It’s truly awful what happened to your kind, Salem.
I can’t imagine what you’ve been through.
” He put a protective arm around Sawyer and met Aurin’s gaze once more.
“I understand the need to protect the one you love. I’d be a hypocrite if I was mad at you over that, and I’d never ask you to leave.
But please, if you ever have something you want to tell me, my door is open, always. For both of you.”
“Thank you,” Aurin said, his chin wobbling. “It means a lot.”
Ciaran smiled. “And maybe when you’re both rested and recovered, you can tell me more about your time in the mountains and the folk you met there.”
Aurin sniffed and wiped his eye, nodding. “Yeah. I’d like that.”
Sawyer reached out and lightly touched Aurin’s arm. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
He nodded, a little mad at himself for being so emotional. “I’m just really tired and glad to be home. And relieved Ciaran’s not mad at me.”
Sawyer’s face softened, and he gave Aurin’s arm a squeeze.
“You should go get some sleep. We cleared out Tobin’s place.
Figured you wouldn’t want to be sharing with the newly bonded throuple.
” He made a face. “We can help move your things over tomorrow. Get you both set up in there. It’s a cute little place, right on the water.
Or there’s an old place behind the police station.
We can look at it tomorrow, if you’d prefer something a bit bigger—”
“Tobin’s old place will be perfect,” Aurin said.
Sawyer smiled. “It’s super cute. We can help you make it more your own tomorrow.” Before Aurin could tell him that wasn’t necessary, he added, “It’s your first place together on your own. Playing house is fun.”
“You can’t lift anything,” Ciaran reminded him, holding up Sawyer’s casted arm. “You’re supposed to be resting it.”
“I can supervise while you lift all the heavy stuff,” Sawyer told him. “I’ll be fine.”
Then Sawyer studied Aurin’s face again before he looked at Salem. “He needs some sleep. Take him home. We’ll see you both tomorrow.”
Salem nodded. “We shall look forward to it. Hopefully some normalcy has returned to life in Tenebrae.”
Ciaran chuckled. “As normal as it can be here.”
“Thank you, both,” Aurin mumbled, barely able to keep his eyes open. He really was exhausted.
“Okay, my love,” Salem said, his arm around Aurin. “That’s our cue, I’m afraid. Sleep can wait no longer.”
CIARAN
Ciaran and Sawyer watched as Salem led Aurin outside and across to the pier and Tobin’s old place.
“Aurin thought you were going to ask him to leave,” Sawyer said with a frown. “He must have been so worried.”
“Hmm.” Ciaran sighed. “What does it say about me as a leader that he thought that? I would never ask him to leave.”
“He’s exhausted,” Sawyer explained. “He’s had a dreadful few weeks, sitting bedside vigil for days when he thought Salem was going to die. I doubt he slept at all.”
“Then he partied last night,” Ciaran allowed. It did make sense....
Sawyer’s eyes lit up. “Did you see those forest people Tobin showed us from Salem’s memory? The sprites and the fauns? Like holy shit.”
“Incredible,” Ciaran agreed. “And seeing Cern in full form.”
Sawyer gasped, eyes wide. “Yesssss! With his hooves and horns. Like, wow. Ho. Lee. Shit. He was in full old god mode.”
“And Salem,” Ciaran whispered. “The son of an old god.” He shook his head in disbelief. “Crazy stuff.”
“No crazier than octo-shifters.”
“Cephamorphs.”
“Same thing.”
Ciaran growled.
Sawyer ignored him. “Human Salem still has cat Salem’s eyes. Kind of. They’re so cool. Not quite full cat eyes when he’s human, but definitely not fully human. Yellowish with vertical irises. Whereas yours are horizontal. Like a—”
“If you say a goat, I’ll be mad for real.”
Sawyer chuckled, but then his smile faded.
“We need to tell them about Hadeom. That he asked for intel on him.” He shrugged.
“That he knows he’s here, at least. I don’t know if he knows what Salem is, exactly.
He asked for all the information I had on him, but does he mean the old god part, or the Mimic part—”
“I think we can assume Hadeom knows everything.”
Sawyer frowned again before he gave a nod. “Yeah. I think you’re right.”
Ciaran slid his hand up to Sawyer’s neck. “It’s okay, Sawyer. I meant what I said about protecting him. Aurin has chosen him, so that makes Salem part of this consortium, and I will protect them both. We protect anyone who calls Tenebrae home. This consortium, this town, are mine.”
Sawyer smiled at him. “That’s what makes you a good leader, Ciaran.” Then he made a thoughtful face. “Though just between you and me, given Salem has lived here since before Jesus played fullback for Jerusalem High, I think this town is Salem’s.”
Ciaran snorted. “Jerusalem High. Really?”
“I just meant a really long time.”
“Yeah, I got that.” He looked around the café and at Otis and Pania sitting at the far table talking with Hudson and Beau. He nodded to the empty plates and trays on the tables. “Come on, I’ll wash and you dry.”
So that’s what they did. Ciaran washed up and tried really hard not to think about what Sawyer had said. That Tenebrae was Salem’s town.
And he tried even harder not to think that Sawyer might be right.