Chapter 40
They’d barely pulled their clothes on before Leviathan had drawn him into one of those pools of shadows.
The darkness wrapped around them, but it didn’t frighten him much anymore.
Even the feeling of being nowhere and nothing, with that whipping wind around him…
it wasn’t so bad. And with his hand firm on Leviathan’s arm, somewhere in that darkness where he could not see him, he did not feel afraid.
And when the world finally came back to him, he gasped at what he saw.
A long valley stretched out before them, a quick flowing stream running over a rocky creek bed stretched down the center of it, curving like a snake along the ground.
Tall pine trees were sprinkled on either side of the valley, the scent of them drifting on the breeze.
The grass around them was brown and dead but overhead…
Overhead was a stunning swirl of colors. Pinks and green and blues flickering and waving…
“Is that the northern lights?!” He demanded, his eyes widening in shock.
Leviathan chuckled. “I know you’ve always wanted to see them so…
” He let the thought trail off. Something warm bloomed in Cullen’s chest. He allowed himself a tiny smile and then hesitantly dropped to the ground, laying back to watch the beautiful rainbow swirl above him.
Less than a heartbeat later, Leviathan was laying beside him, his hands tucked behind his head.
Minutes passed but neither of them spoke, not even when the space around them, which had been chilled and hard, filled with warmth, a blanket appearing under their bodies as if it had been there the entire time. Cullen smiled again, choking a bit on the gratitude that swelled his chest.
“Have you seen them before?” He asked after another quiet moment.
“No.” Leviathan murmured. “I don’t take much interest in these types of things.”
“You took me to Mount Fuji for our first date.” He laughed. “I think you do.”
Leviathan said nothing, but when Cullen risked a glance to the side, he saw that his cheek was lifted in a smile.
Silence fell again, and it was nice. A very nice change from Walker, who had always been talking. A nice change from the dramas of his life that had hounded him since he was young.
I will make you forget that you were ever human.
The words had upset him at first, had made him want to scream that he didn’t want to forget that part of himself. But he hadn’t said a word, had done nothing but follow Leviathan’s lead, and now he was here and it was so beautiful and peaceful and it definitely had made him forget about…all of it.
Hesitantly, he reached out in his mind, searching for that presence that often came with Leviathan’s voice. He found nothing, but he spoke the words in his thoughts anyway.
You’re kind of good at the whole distraction thing.
A heartbeat passed and then, before he had a moment to doubt himself, Leviathan’s mental voice spoke quietly back.
Am I?
You are. It was the truth. Though why Cullen had felt the need to voice it, he wasn’t sure.
Perhaps you’re just easily distracted.
His lips twitched. I don’t think so. Though he had forgotten about everything that had happened in the past few hours rather quickly…
Don’t think on it too hard, pet. The voice softened and Leviathan moved beside him, his hand lowering to the ground, palm up in an offering. I’ve had many years of practice.
I do not want to hear about your many years of practice. Slowly, he slid his hand down to his, intertwining their fingers. Leviathan smiled again.
Jealous?
No, it’s just disgusting that you’re such a slut.
Leviathan barked a laugh and rolled until he was perched over him, Cullen’s legs forced apart by his body and his hand pinned to the ground beside his head. His face heated as he looked up at him, but he forced a scowl.
“Your face is blocking my pretty view.”
“Am I not pretty enough for you?” He grinned.
Cullen’s heart gave an odd throb. “You? Pretty? Maybe you should invest in a mirror.”
Leviathan lowered over him, bringing his mouth down to his for a split second before drawing away again. “Tell me where you would like to go.”
“What do you mean?” His voice was little more than a whisper.
“I could take you anywhere.” He whispered, shifting closer. Cullen gasped as his body rubbed against his, his body reacting despite the hours and hours of sex. “Anywhere in the world. Name a place and I will take you.”
He hesitated, swallowing hard. “I…uh…I don’t really have anywhere…”
“You can tell me.”
The words pierced something in him, something harsh and emotional that threatened to spring to the surface. But he fought it back and smiled playfully.
“Aren’t you supposed to be making me forget I was human? Do you think humans don’t travel?”
Not that he would have ever traveled to a place like this, of course, but still. It wasn’t too far out of the ordinary for humanity.
Leviathan was watching him thoughtfully. “I think we’ll take ourselves a nice long trip.” He lowered himself to kiss him again. Little fireworks exploded in Cullen at the gentle brush. He tried not to overthink it.
“A few human places…” Leviathan murmured. “A few demonic ones…” He smiled against his lips. “I will make you forget about those wasted years.”
Cullen said nothing, only slid his hands into his hair as he closed the distance between them.