Chapter 5
Ludo and Alexis are jogging towards us.
I run to meet them. “Are you both OK?”
—I am. I am now—
I reach up to Ludo but the expression on his face shifts, at first towards something almost peaceful, then a frown creases his brow and his nostrils flare as he inhales deeply. Ludo’s fists clench and he closes his eyes.
—That scent—want—want—
Gods. My face heats up. “You can tell I had sex with Donovan, can’t you?”
His eyes open and I can see he is aiming to calm himself. Shit.
—Yes, I can—
“Are you angry? I love Donovan but...”
—Not angry, Nymph. Never angry with you—
Our conversation is interrupted as Cosmo lets out a shout. He’s back, fully clothed, in arsehole human form. “What the fuck happened to you, Donovan?” he yells. “Why do you look completely different?”
“Theo’s got the most magical pussy in the world,” Donovan calls back, completely oblivious to my embarrassment. I love him to bits, but come on.
Alexis ignores him and starts questioning Cosmo about his dragon power, while Ludo walks silently beside me.
—Nymph?—
“Yes, Lu?”
—You look tired. Need rest, Nymph?—
He’s not wrong, I am super sleepy now. I sink down onto the sand. “I think I’ll take five, maybe have a nap.”
Ludo joins me, and to my joy, pulls me into him so my head is resting on his lap.
As Alexis, Cosmo and Donovan are discussing the shadow-portal, I close my eyes and revel in the closeness of Ludo. There are so many emotions pumping around my body at the moment, that the stillness and peace he brings me is just perfect.
How have I managed to live nineteen years without Ludo in my life?
“Never leave me, Lu,” I murmur, closing my eyes.
—Never—
I think I only sleep for a few minutes, but it does restore my flagging energy. Snuggling back against my giant, his arm moves until it is cradling me.
“You good, pulu?” Alexis’s voice pulls my eyes open. I turn and focus on him. He’s lying on the ground as well, but propping his head up on one elbow, staring at me.
“Yep, I’m awake. Did you shift into anything magical while I was sleeping?”
“Nope, still boring old Alexis from Kormovia. Anyway, you were only out for a few minutes.”
He freezes.
I immediately understand why. “A few minutes here could be days back home, right?”
“I’m afraid so.”
“That’s why we need to keep fucking moving,” Cosmo snaps. He’s standing off to one side, looking into the distance. Shit, he’s completely right.
Donovan goes into peacekeeper mode and puts a hand on his shoulder, but Cosmo shakes it off. “No, Dono. I wanted to head out after Wes hours straight away, but we had to let Little Miss No Spark have her naptime.”
“Calm the fuck down.” Donovan looks at Cosmo with a mixture of exasperation and worry. “This place is draining, and the only thing that kept me sane was taking enough rest—and we don’t even know how much of her energy was taken up...” he gestures to his own body, “...fixing up my mess.”
Cosmo continues to grumble while knocking the dust off his Harry Styles pleat-front pants. “Whatever. It’s time to go.” He frowns at the dusty state of his loafers, then crosses his arms.
Donovan throws me an apologetic look. “He’s a twat, but he’s been like my brother since we were kids, and I guess I still love him. Sorry, Tee-Tee.”
“You can’t help who you love,” I reply, getting to my feet. “But I’d be amazed if Cosmo has love for anyone apart from himself.”
“Fuck you.” Cosmo turns his back and looks into the distance.
“No, fuck you, dickhead,” Donovan responds. “I hate the way you treat Tee.” He takes my hand. “Gods, babe. I can’t imagine the shit you’ve had to hear from his mind over the years.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?” Cosmo snaps.
I’m shaking my head, but Donovan doesn’t understand. I guess in the grand scheme of things, it doesn’t really matter if I’m outed.
“Her telepathy, dingbat,” Donovan answers.
Cosmo swivels in my direction. “Telepathy? You’re telepathic?” I watch his face change from surprise to suspicion. “Hmm, and you could fight my Elite commands.” He moves closer, pointing a finger at me. “What the fuck are you, dud?”
Alexis and Ludo are instantly flanking either side of me, bristling at his aggression. I put a hand out to each of them.
“Let it go, he’s just worked up because he’s out of the loop.” I cock my head to one side and raise my voice. “Cosmo Drakeward can’t handle having to play catch-up. Nor does he like having his stereotyping shattered.”
I mentally give myself a high-five. It’s so marvelous to be free of Cosmo-induced fear.
Donovan gives a tired smile. “You tell him, baby. Now, shall we head to the shadow patch?” For a second, Donovan’s eyes turn bleak as he looks around his ‘home’ of many years, then he mutters something under his breath.
“What was that?” I ask.
He looks a little bashful and points to the cairns. “I spent a lot of time with my rock friends, I guess I was just saying bye.”
None of us knows what to say, but Cosmo strides over and slaps Donovan on the back. “Fuck that shit, Hart. Get your head in the game.”
Donovan sighs, “Yeah you’re right. Maybe you should shift, Cos? You can circle around and let off some smoke while the rest of us walk. You seem a little stressed.”
I swear, Cosmo’s eyes flash red, and then, in a series of groans and snaps, he morphs into his dragon form. We watch as he launches himself into the sky.
“Elvis has left the building,” Donovan murmurs.
Alexis turns to me and grins, looking a decade younger as his worries fall away for a second. “Or, as we would say in Kormovia, when the cock leaves the coop, the chickens relax.”
—Dragon boy is not the biggest cockerel in this coop—
Ludo’s dry comment has me chuckling as we set off to the shadow-portal.
Our destination is by the distant low hills. I understand what Donovan means about this place being draining. Every step feels heavier than the last. “Is it the same when you’re in centaur-form?” Alexis asks him, his voice sounding weary with fatigue.
“No, when I’m shifted, I feel like I can go for a thousand miles, or a thousand days without stopping. It’s our human forms that don’t really belong here. I would have spent all my time shifted, but the centaur got so strong, I had to keep shifting back to make sure human-me still existed.”
Finally, we get within spitting distance of our target. The dark patch of shadow is an obvious blot of pure night against the white rock. Shadows swirl and dance on a patch of ground that is maybe twelve feet across. I edge closer, trying to make sense of the absolute void.
I feel a strong, primitive impulse to dive in headfirst.
—Be careful, nymph. Let me hold you.—
“Keep back, Theo. Remember what happened last time you got near a portal,” Alexis warns, reaching out a hand.
“Oh, yeah. Fair point.” I step back, closer to Ludo as Donovan calls out, “Incoming.” Behind us, a muffled thud and a faint tremor of the ground lets us know Cosmo has landed.
He joins us as we circle around the blackness. “So, they jumped into this and disappeared?”
“Yep, and when I tried to follow, my centaur erupted and stopped me. It’s stopped me every single time I’ve tried since.
” Donovan runs a hand through his hair. "I’ve a Gods-awful feeling that you all are going to dive through this, and I’m going to be left here again.
” The raw fear of more lonely years etches on his face.
“That’s not going to happen,” I tell him, firmly. “If you can’t cross the shadow-portal, then I’ll stay here with you.”
Alexis makes a pained noise. “Pulu…”
Cosmo takes a step back from the group, his eyes fixed on the blank sky above, then lets out a single, soundless exhale. “I’ll stay here with him,” Cosmo says.
His loyalty and sacrifice surprise me. But then, Cosmo, being Cosmo, spoils it all with insults.
“If I’m going to be stuck somewhere for eternity, I’d rather it be with Donovan than a dud, a failed professor, and…
" he glances at Ludo, "...an unsettlingly large, silent facilities man. Besides, I've got dragon power now—we’d figure something out.”
“Give me a minute,” Alexis says. We watch him throw a rock. It’s immediately spat out again. After a few seconds of concentration, he then pulls out a leather wallet, performs some kind of spell on it, then launches it into the darkness.
It doesn’t reappear.
“Hmm, the void rejects inert matter but accepts the enchanted organic sample,” Alexis mutters. “So why did it continually reject Donovan? He should attempt to go first. If he fails to pass through, we’ll know whether that’s a problem that needs dealing with.”
“Sure,” Donovan replies.
I blink away tears that have suddenly sprung into my eyes. “Is it safe, though? I’m not risking him; he’s been through enough.”
“Thanks, Tee-Tee,” he says, giving a weary sigh. “But don’t worry about me. What’s another few years here if you can find Wes?”
“Enough talk. Are we going to stand around all day, or actually do this?” Cosmo barks. “I’ll jump with Dono, even hold his fucking hand. Where he ends up, I’ll be there too.”
Donovan nods. “You OK if I try this, baby?"
“NO! I’ll go with you.”
“Listen,” Donovan says, giving me that tired, loving smile, “going through with Cos is the right move. And if it doesn’t work, I’ll be spat out in a couple of seconds anyway—trust me, babe. Please?”
I’m terrified, but I nod. I can’t hold him back. Not when he’s been waiting years for this moment.
“Wait.” Alexis performs a quick cast on Donovan. “I’ve put a tracer spell on you. If it works, we’ll be able to follow you.”
“Not bad thinking,” Cosmo says, then grabs Donovan’s arm. “Let’s go.”
My gaze is glued to Donovan. “See you on the other side,” I whisper.
Donovan blows me a kiss, then he and Cosmo jump into the swirling darkness.
They vanish. Instantly.
Leaving Ludo, Alexis and I standing silently next to the blackness. I’m suddenly acutely aware of my own body—the ache between my legs, the lingering buzz on my skin, the scent of Donovan still clinging to me. Just minutes ago, I was screaming his name, completely lost in him.
Now, he’s gone again. Probably to another dimension. And I’m standing here with two other men who, Gods, who I think I need just as much as Donovan. How is this reality?
I glance at Alexis. He’s studying the portal, but as if he can sense my gaze, his eyes flick my way and he smiles. “He’ll be alright, pulu.”
I nod. Grateful for his words. Ludo stands on my other side, scanning the horizon. I know he’s looking out for any trouble. He’s trying to keep me safe.
A flush creeps up my neck when I think about how he smelled me. Inhaled the scent of wild, desperate sex.
It feels…improper, for sure, but also, OK? Like, in this place regular societal rules go out the window.
With Donovan’s cum damp between my thighs, Ludo on one side of me, and Alexis on the other, I feel anchored.
“And now it’s us,” Alexis says, turning to me. He holds out a hand.
I take it. His grip is firm, warm.
Ludo steps up on my other side, his large hand enveloping my free one.
—Ready?— his voice rumbles in my head.
“Ready,” I say, squeezing both their hands. My heart is pounding, but not with fear anymore.
I have my team. “Let’s go find Wes and Maximus.”
One.
Two.
We jump.
And everything stops.