The Downs (13 page)

“It’s a good house. The walls are thick, so it stays cool inside even when the weather is hot. Every room has carved stone figures near the ceiling and around the windows. Animals, people, monsters. We have—
they
have a bathing room with a tub big enough for a crowd, and there’s a small library, and if you climb to the roof you can lie on your back and watch the night sky. There’s—” His voice broke; he cleared his throat. “There’s a garden in the back. It even has a few trees.”

Rig nodded. “It was a good home.”

“I’d rather live in your hut,” Enitan replied honestly. But gods, this
had
been his home, and he’d loved it, and Minna had stolen it away.

A small sound escaped Enitan’s throat. Not quite a sob— a whimper, perhaps. And although it had been very quiet, Rig heard it and grabbed Enitan’s shoulders. “I love you,” Rig said gruffly before giving him a hard, demanding kiss.

Enitan was still breathless and shaky from the kiss when the front door to the family house opened. A woman appeared. She closed the door and slowly descended the steps, placing each foot carefully and holding her body stiffly.

It was Minna.

The mourning period had ended, so instead of funereal brown, her tunic and trousers were a dazzling array of yellow, orange, and red. He knew the suit must have come from one of the city’s most fashionable tailors and was undoubtedly cut in the latest style. Gold and red beads glittered in her long hair, and more beads hung at her neck and wrists.

But Minna looked old. Her face— always on the thin side, with a too-long chin and too-prominent nose— was drawn and lined, and she had dark circles beneath her eyes. She had the same blue eyes as Enitan, but hers looked dull, watery, and red-rimmed. When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she paused for a moment as if to catch her breath, then set off with shuffled steps and bowed shoulders.

She was alone and looked miserable.

Enitan, with Rig’s hand on his shoulder, thought of a little girl who’d lost her mother and was given heavy responsibilities at too young an age. When other young women of her social class were dancing, drinking, taking lovers, she was managing the household and supervising her younger sibling. She was plain and serious, so unlike her handsome, carefree brother. He found it easy to get along with other people, while she struggled through everyday conversations. Although she worked hard and her brother didn’t, their father favored his son. When she’d fought for respectability and a position in society, her brother had taunted her with his tawdry bedmates, his crude fighting, his dissolute habits. She had built her bitterness and anger into a thick wall; no love would ever penetrate it.

Minna Javed had murdered or driven away her only family. She had nothing left but money and servants, and she would always be alone.

But Enitan? He never had to be alone again.

He waited for her to reach the end of the block and turn the corner. Then he looked into his beloved’s warm, puzzled eyes. “Rig? Let’s go home.”

****

Chapter Thirteen

Dany stood on the balcony, looking out at the lake. “You could almost dive right in from here.”

“And get eaten by dragonfish,” Rig reminded him.

“Yes, there’s that.” Dany turned around to grin at Enitan and Rig.

Rig’s arm rested comfortably across Enitan’s shoulders, while Enitan had wrapped his arm around Rig’s waist. Part of Enitan’s mind was following the conversation, but another part— perhaps a larger part— was speculating whether he wanted to top Rig that night or bottom for him. Well, perhaps he could do both. It would be a celebration evening, after all: their first night in their new house.

Judging by the long looks Rig kept sending him, his thoughts were running in the same direction.

Dany looked at them both and shook his head. “I should get back to the cabin before nightfall.”

“You can stay here,” Enitan offered.

“And listen to you two scream and howl half the night? I don’t think so. You’re worse than the nighties.” Dany winked. “It’s fine. If I’m very persuasive, sometimes I can get Sar and Kef to share their mat with me. I’m feeling persuasive today.”

Chuckling, Rig and Enitan accompanied Dany through the big upstairs bedroom, down the stairs, and out the front door. He picked up a waiting bag of dragonfish filets but paused before beginning the walk to the cabin. “I’m glad you two found each other. You’ve remade yourselves into something beautiful.” He winked again and went on his way.

Enitan sat on the doorstep and patted the space next to him, and Rig plopped down. He took Enitan’s hand in his larger one, but for a while neither of them said anything. Finally Enitan toppled slightly to lean on Rig’s shoulder. “Remade?” Enitan said.

“Healed.”

“Both of us.”

Rig kissed his head. “Both of us.”

Only a few stray clouds dirtied the afternoon sky. Perhaps they’d be able to sit on their deck and look at the stars tonight— between bouts of making love. Or even better, perhaps they could make love under the stars. Enitan was about to suggest this when a blue bird flapped over from the trees, landed near their feet, and squawked balefully.

“Our secret hideaway has been discovered,” said Rig. He looked pleased about it. Enitan smiled; he’d been hoping their bird would find them. He ducked inside the house, hurried to the kitchen, and grabbed a piece of flatbread. It was supposed to be for their dinner, but they could spare some. He reclaimed his seat and handed Rig half the bread.

“You’re an easy mark,” Rig said. Then he tore off a piece and tossed it to the bird.

“Yes, I’m not mean and tough like you.”

“Hmm.” Rig threw another piece, which the bird caught in midair. “I was thinking. Maybe soon you’d like to go to the village.”

“Trying to get rid of me already?”

“Go
with
me, I mean. Just for a day or two. Everyone’s heard all about you, and I’m sure they’re eager to meet you. We don’t get new blood often.”

A trip to the village sounded interesting. Enitan smiled at him. “I’ll go wherever you lead me.”

Rig looked at him solemnly. “What if I lead you into fog?”

“Then we’ll die together.”

“You don’t seem upset at the idea.”

“I don’t want to die. But if I have the choice between a few minutes with you or an eternity without, well…” Smiling, he threw his entire chunk of bread at the bird, pulled the other piece from Rig’s hand, and flung it as well. Let the bird puzzle out how to bring all that bounty back to its nest. Enitan had better things to do.

He launched himself at Rig hard enough to send him sprawling onto his back. Then Enitan used a few of his wrestling moves to keep Rig captive beneath him. “I choose you,” he whispered in Rig’s ear. “I will always choose you.”

And of course they kissed.

They were still kissing, hands fumbling at each other’s clothes, when a terrible noise echoed from the trees.

“What’s that?” Enitan demanded.

But Rig was already pushing him off and scrambling to his feet. He grabbed a blanket that hung on a hook just inside the door, and he took off at a sprint toward the woods.

Enitan sped after him. “What is it?”

Rig stopped and whirled around. “That’s the scream a man makes when he falls. Go back, Eni. Go wait for me at the house.”

Although Enitan’s heart raced, he shook his head. “No.”

“Eni—”

“No fog today, Rig. But anyway, it doesn’t matter. I choose
you
. Now let me help, dammit.”

Rig gave him a searching look. Then he shook his head slightly, but a hint of a smile quirked his lips. “Stubborn.”

Keeping pace, they ran through the trees. The fog might come. The newly fallen man might die. But gods willing, the sun would remain. And perhaps together, Enitan and Rig would work to help another man heal.

The End

Author Bio

Kim Fielding is the bestselling author of numerous m/m romance novels, novellas, and short stories. Like Kim herself, her work is eclectic, spanning genres such as contemporary, fantasy, paranormal, and historical. Her stories are set in alternate worlds, in 15th century Bosnia, in modern-day Oregon. Her heroes are hipster architect werewolves, housekeepers, maimed giants, and conflicted graduate students. They’re usually flawed, they often encounter terrible obstacles, but they always find love.

After having migrated back and forth across the western two-thirds of the United States, Kim calls the boring part of California home. She lives there with her husband, her two daughters, and her day job as a university professor, but escapes as often as possible via car, train, plane, or boat. This may explain why her characters often seem to be in transit as well. She dreams of traveling and writing full-time.

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