The Four Horsemen 3 - Famine (7 page)

“Ticklish?” Fami looked up and quirked an eyebrow.
Ekundayo shook his head. “Not really. Just seemed odd.”
Fami grinned, but didn’t say anything else before dipping his head and placing a kiss
on the tip of Ekundayo’s cock. A full body shudder engulfed Ekundayo, as if Fami had
shocked him with electricity. His hips shot off the ground, seeking more of Fami’s mouth. he held his breath when Fami wrapped his lips around his cock and swallowed him all
the way down. Fami let Ekundayo’s cock slide out slowly, adding more and more suction to
it until it popped out of his mouth. Ekundayo gasped as he filled his lungs again. “You need to make sure you breathe while I do this, honey, or you’ll not make it
through the experience,” Fami instructed him.
“I know that.” Ekundayo closed his eyes and breathed in again. “But what did you do
the first time someone put their mouth on you like that?”
Fami snorted. “I came the moment she was near me. Of course, it was my first time and
I was very young. Yet, in my tribe, I was old enough to be a man, and she was chosen to
bring me into adulthood.”
Ekundayo looked away for a second, and then glanced back at Fami. “You’ve been with
a woman?”
“Men and women. To me, it doesn’t matter what sex they are, as long as I’m attracted to
them.”
Such a carefree attitude, compared to Ekundayo’s. While working at the mine, he had
worried someone would notice him looking at a guy, and the next thing would be someone’s
boot connecting with his head. There was no tolerance in his world.
“No thinking, remember? It’s not important whom we’ve slept with before…or haven’t
slept with. All that matters is this moment and each other.” Fami shrugged while wiggling
further down Ekundayo’s body. “I want to get to know you, Ekundayo.”
“Then go ahead.”
Ekundayo gave himself a mental shake. No more questioning or arguing. He would
accept whatever Fami wanted to do to him. He would trust Fami not to hurt him, and maybe
he would discover something about himself.
Fami licked a line from the base of Ekundayo’s cock to its flared head. Ekundayo ran his
hand over Fami’s braids, not trying to stop him or get him to move faster. He simply wanted
to keep in contact with his lover.
He moaned low as Fami took him in again, not stopping until Ekundayo hit the back of
his throat. Ekundayo fought the urge to thrust, having the feeling it would end up choking
Fami. Gods, Fami’s mouth was hot and moist, and his tongue was amazing as Fami swirled it
around Ekundayo’s shaft.
Fami touched Ekundayo’s thigh and started bobbing up and down. The sensation
swamped Ekundayo, and he began to move, not sure if he should or not, but deciding Fami
would stop him if he wasn’t supposed to.
He entwined his fingers in Fami’s hair, and bit his tongue to keep from shouting out.
Pleasure like he’d never known before swirled through him. His balls drew close to his body,
and he grunted.
“I’m going to come,” he warned Fami.
Fami hummed, but didn’t back off. He kept up the pressure, and added in rubbing his
finger over Ekundayo’s hole. At the first touch of Fami’s finger, Ekundayo jerked away. Fami
stroked his other hand over Ekundayo’s other thigh, as if he was trying to reassure
Ekundayo. Relaxing, Ekundayo didn’t flinch the next time Fami caressed him. Soon he found himself tilting his hips, trying to encourage Fami to do more than touch
his hole. He didn’t quite understand what he wanted, but Fami did, and he pressed harder. “Fami,” Ekundayo shouted as he came, spilling his seed in Fami’s mouth. Fami continued to lick and suck Ekundayo’s cock until the last drop was out, and
Ekundayo softened. Fami used his tongue to clean Ekundayo and let him go when he was
done.
Ekundayo gasped as Fami rolled to the side and grabbed his hand, wrapping it around
Fami’s cock. He let Fami show him how much speed to use, and how tightly to grip his shaft.
Two or three hard tugs and Fami coated their hands with his own cum.
They lay there, catching their breath, and Ekundayo blinked, shocked at what had just
happened. He had another man’s cum drying on his hand for the first time in his life.
Without thinking, he brought his arm up to cover his face, and scratched his face with the
bandages on his wrist .
“Ouch.”
“Are you okay?”
He peered around his arm to see Fami braced on his elbow, leaning over him. “Yes. I’m fine. I just forgot about the bandage on my wrist.” He grunted as Fami
pushed to his feet.
“Let’s go back up the ladder. If you still want to go for a walk, you can go tomorrow in
the morning.”
Ekundayo accepted the hand Fami offered him, allowing Fami to pull him up. They
stood for a moment, and Fami encircled Ekundayo’s waist with his arm. Ekundayo leaned
against the bigger man, breathing deep of the scent of sex and sweat. It still hadn’t hit him
just what he had done under the trees of the island. Maybe it would in the morning, but all
Ekundayo wanted to do was climb up into the tree house, and go to bed.
“Will you sleep with me tonight?” he asked. Wincing, he wished he hadn’t asked that.
Just because he’d never had sex with anyone before didn’t mean he needed to be clingy with
the first man he’d had some kind of sexual encounter with.
Fami nuzzled his jaw. “I’ll lie down with you. I don’t sleep much, but I’m willing to
share your bed.”
“Thank you.” He bowed his head and blushed.
“You’re welcome.” Fami kissed his cheek before stepping back. “First, we should wash
up.”
Glancing around, Ekundayo searched for his clothes in the waning twilight. Fami took
his hand, and tugged him down a trail.
“Don’t worry about your clothes. There’s no one around here to see you walk around
naked. Besides, I like being able to check your ass out without it being hidden.” Fami leered
at him before laughing.
Ekundayo wasn’t used to walking anywhere without wearing clothes, and he worried
about the snakes and other animals that might wander the island with them. Fami led the
way towards the river that was thundering in the distance. Ekundayo couldn’t help ogling
Fami’s backside as they strolled to the water.
Firm and full, Fami’s ass was beautiful, and it was much better seeing it naked than
covered with clothes. Ekundayo could see why Fami was a fan of no clothes. They got to the
riverbank, and Fami dropped Ekundayo’s hand before stepping into the water. “Wait. Shouldn’t you be more careful? There could be crocodiles or hippos around.”
Ekundayo reached out to stop Fami from getting in.
Fami shook his head. “I’ve been swimming and washing here for several years. There
haven’t been any animals in this little bay of the river. Trust me. I wouldn’t let you get
injured if I could help it.”
Ekundayo shrugged, and followed Fami into the water. Why should he argue about
this when he’d been willing to have sex with Fami? Trusting Fami enough to have sex with
him certainly implied he trusted him enough to go swimming with him in the river. “Let it go for the rest of the night, Ekundayo,” Fami called to him.
“You’re right.”
He sank below the surface of the river, letting the cold water wash away the sweat and
the dried cum. His energy drained from him, leaving him exhausted and wanting his bed.
Ekundayo floated on his back and stared up at the stars, his mind going blank.

Famine stuck his head out of the open window and looked down to see Death standing under the tree. The Pale Rider didn’t look happy at all, his arms folded over his chest and a scowl on his face. Stepping back, Famine rolled his eyes before turning to glance over at Ekundayo.

The younger man lay curled up under the blankets, and sound asleep. Not even Death’s bellow had woken Ekundayo up, which made Famine happy. He didn’t want to explain why Death was there. He opened the trapdoor and climbed down, not worrying about the ladder or anything like that.

Death glared at him. “What the hell were you thinking?”
“What are you talking about? Thinking about what?” Famine took off down the trail, wanting to get as far away from the tree and the possibility of Ekundayo hearing them as he could.
“You slept with him,” Death reminded him.
“Not really. I sucked him off, and he jerked me off. That’s all. I didn’t have any protection, and I couldn’t very well tell him he didn’t have to worry about sexual diseases with me.” Famine frowned.
Death stalked after him with a snarl. “Semantics. You were intimate with him, and you know you’re not supposed to get that close with mortals.”
“I’ve slept with mortals before,” Famine pointed out. “Ekundayo isn’t my first.”
“He’s the first one you’ve taken care of, and have spent time with. The others you’ve fucked over the centuries were just flings. You invested none of yourself in them. Yet you seem to care for Ekundayo.”
Famine turned to look at his fellow Horseman. “And that worries you?”
They stopped by the edge of the island closest to the falls. Famine stood, watching the river cascade into the chasm. Death took a seat on a large boulder, resting an elbow on his knee before continuing their conversation.
“Yes, it does worry me. When you were having your flings, you weren’t inclined to tell your lovers anything about you. They weren’t given to asking questions either. The more time you spend with that mortal, the more likely he is to find something out about you and the Horsemen.” Death scrubbed his hand over his chin.
“His name is Ekundayo.” Famine glanced over at Death.
Death lifted an eyebrow as if Famine knowing Ekundayo’s name confirmed Death’s worst fears. Famine rolled his eyes, and went back to looking at the water.
“I’m not entirely sure what you’re worried about, Death. He’ll be strong enough in a couple of days, and I’ll take him back to Botswana, or wherever else he might want to go.” Famine touched the bag around his neck.
“Has he asked you about your eyes yet?” Death stood and stretched, his dark gaze studying Famine.
“Sure, but I’ve mostly ignored his questions. As long as I act like there’s nothing wrong, he won’t be inclined to keep asking me about things.”
Death snorted. “Are you taking a page out of the ostrich’s playbook? Burying your head in the sand because you don’t want to deal with a mortal you might care more about than you should?”
“I don’t love him, Death. I find him attractive, especially now that he’s gained weight. It’s not like I’m going to ask him to stay and marry me. He’s fun to mess around with, but I know my place. I’m not going to risk spilling anything to him about us.”
Even as he spoke the words, Famine had the feeling he might not be keeping his promise. Ekundayo had already got deeper into Famine’s soul than any other mortal had been in centuries. He’d never messed around with a virgin before, leaving them to other people who wouldn’t abandon them after a night or two. Yet something about Ekundayo called to Famine, and he found he couldn’t keep his hands off him.
Famine walked closer to the edge of the river. The mist of the water hitting the rocks below drifted up and washed over his face. Closing his eyes, he inhaled the clean air, doing his best to clear his mind of Ekundayo and what he did to him. He didn’t want Death to read his thoughts, and know that Famine planned to stay as close as possible to Ekundayo before he sent him on his way.
“It’s too late for that, you know.” Death joined him on the edge. “I don’t need to read your mind to know what you’re thinking. It’s very obvious you don’t plan to stop your seduction of Ekundayo. I just wish you’d take a step back and realise what you’re doing. You’re his first lover, and mortals develop strong emotions for their first lovers.”
Famine was about to say something, but rustling from the brush behind them caught his attention, and he turned to see Lam striding out like he was H.M. Stanley going to greet David Livingstone. Famine held up his hand when Lam opened his mouth.
“Don’t say it.”
The angel pouted. “Why not? This is the perfect spot to quote it.”
“Not really since we’re not even at the spot where they met up, and no one can be a hundred per cent sure it was even said.” Famine shook his head. “What are you doing here? I thought your last visit would be the only one I got from you.”
Death whirled to look at Lam. “You visited Famine? You’re not supposed to have anything to do with the other Horsemen. I’m the only one you should be in contact with.”
Lam pursed his lips and looked Death over from head to foot. “Really? I’m only supposed to talk to you. You do remember who I am, right? I’m not one of your Horsemen, and I’m not someone you can order around.”
Famine took a step back. He didn’t want to get in the middle of any kind of argument between Death and Lam. Being a Lamb of God might give Lam an edge over Death, since the Pale Rider couldn’t do anything to Lam, not even kill him.
“You don’t get to visit the others without me.” Death loomed over Lam like an avenging angel, and that thought caused Famine to choke back a laugh.
“Oh heck, we’re arguing like an old married couple. Fine, if you don’t want me seeing the others without you, then I won’t. I simply stopped by to see what Famine had done to annoy you.” Lam gestured in the direction of Famine’s tree house. “But, after stopping by and seeing the man sleeping in Famine’s bed, I can hazard a guess at why you’re even more pissed off now than you were before.”
“Just because he’s sleeping in my bed doesn’t mean anything,” Famine protested, not sure why he’d spoken up. He didn’t want to draw their attention.
“I know that, but the fact that Death is here, yelling at you, tells me you did more than let him use your bed.” Lam grinned and winked at him.
“I’m not yelling at him.” Death paused when both Lam and Famine turned to look at him. “Okay. Fine. I was yelling at him. I think the mortal is healed enough. You can take him back to wherever he wants to go, and leave him there.”
Famine shrugged, and cleared his throat. “I’ll think about it. His wrist isn’t completely healed yet, so I’m not sure he should be dumped on his own yet.”
Death sighed loudly before turning and stepping off the edge. Famine didn’t go running to check and see if the Horseman was okay. He’d seen Death’s dramatic exits before, and he knew Death had disappeared from the moment he stepped over the edge.
“He’s a bit of a drama queen,” Lam said, and Famine nodded in acknowledgement. “Do whatever you want to do, Famine. Just remember you’re not supposed to say a word about the Horsemen. Mortals aren’t supposed to know about you and your comrades. I’m not sure they would be able to understand the concept.”
“Both War and Pestilence found mortals who accepted them,” Famine pointed out.
“You’re right. They did, but I’m not sure it wasn’t just blind luck that they found those mortals. Not everyone is as lucky as they were.”
Sadness and a hint of understanding coloured Lam’s words, and Famine wondered what had gone on in the angel’s life to make him understand the rare luck of finding someone to love. Lam shook himself, and met Famine’s gaze with a bright, fake smile.
“Don’t piss Death off any more than you already have, Famine.” Lam hesitated, and thought for a moment before he continued. “I should say you frustrate him, not anger him. He doesn’t understand why you have this need to interact with mortals. I don’t think he was a people person when he was human.”
“Makes sense.” Famine glanced up at the sun, and realised it had been close to an hour since he’d come to the river with Death. “I need to get back to Ekundayo.”
“Of course.” Lam nodded, and vanished before Famine’s gaze.
No overly dramatic exit for the angel. Famine moved closer to the falls for a second, trying to find the peace the water usually gave him. Nothing happened, and Famine knew his mind wasn’t going to stop racing. Death and Lam had made good points about his relationship with Ekundayo.
He turned to head back down the trail to his place. As he walked, he ran over all the reasons why he couldn’t keep Ekundayo around. Eventually he would start asking questions, and wouldn’t accept the vague answers Famine had given him. Like Famine had said to Death, he’d never stuck around long enough for any of his previous lovers to start to wonder about him.
Ekundayo wanted to leave, and Famine knew it was time to let him go. He still hadn’t come to a decision about the diamond. He wasn’t sure it was doing Ekundayo a service to return the diamond to him and let him try to sell the rock on the black market. Ekundayo would end up dead, by the hands of the authorities or the smugglers he’d have to approach.
Famine touched his fingers to the medicine bag where the diamond had been since the first night Ekundayo was with him. After stopping, he crouched under a tree and took the pouch from around his neck. Famine untied the knot and tugged it open. He didn’t allow any of the grains to fall as he searched around, finding the small black onyx statue he’d placed in there shortly after he’d become Famine.
He pulled it out, and held it up to the mid-morning sunlight. A tiny black horse reared up on its hind legs, and kicked out at the sky. He accepted he was dead, but he’d hoped the Gods had had a different plan for him, or a different place for him to stay in the afterlife.
Famine had found the piece of onyx during his early travels, and when he’d returned to the falls, he’d meticulously carved out the small horse. He used it as a reminder of his new life, and what the shaman had taken from him. The tiny statue gleamed darkly in the light, and Famine thought about the other Horsemen he’d dealt with over the centuries.
The positions of Pestilence and War seemed to be filled by men racked with guilt over things they had done. Famine did feel some guilt for the fact that the shaman had appeared right about what the Gods had wanted, and Famine’s arguing with the elders had ensured that more had died than had needed to. The overwhelming emotion Famine felt when he thought of his former life was anger.
He’d been sacrificed, not to save his village from hunger and the drought, but to satisfy an old man’s jealousy. After living for so many centuries, Famine had come to believe that the shaman had been lucky it had rained on the day he’d killed Famine. He might be alive and get ordered about by the whim of a higher power, but Famine wasn’t sure the old Gods he’d once believed in existed.
Famine ran his thumb over the carving once more before returning it to the bag and hanging it back around his neck. He stood and stretched, his gaze wandering around the forest and bush around him. He hated what he did, and no matter how much he complained to Death about it, he understood there wasn’t any way he could get out of it. Well, the only other way—falling in love with a mortal—seemed a little far-fetched, even if it had happened to Pestilence and War.
He ran his hand over his braids and headed back to his tree; no more stops along the way. Famine climbed up through the branches to the trapdoor. He shoved it open and slid through the opening.
“Where did you go?”
Famine glanced over to his bed where Ekundayo sat, rubbing his eyes as he spoke. Famine let the door drop into place, and strolled over to sit next to Ekundayo. He knew he shouldn’t do it, but he couldn’t help himself. Leaning forward, he kissed Ekundayo.
Ekundayo gasped, giving Famine access and Famine took advantage of it. He slid his hand behind Ekundayo’s head while slipping his tongue into his lover’s mouth. Ekundayo wrapped his hand around Famine’s biceps, clinging to him as they feasted on each other’s lips.
Famine finally eased back when his head began to spin because of lack of oxygen. Keeping his eyes closed, Ekundayo licked his lips and hummed softly. Famine smiled at the dreamy expression on Ekundayo’s face. It was a look he’d seen on his face for the first time the night before.
“You do know, as nice as the kiss was, I’m not going to forget my question.”
Famine blinked, and noticed Ekundayo staring at him again. He shrugged and grinned. “It was worth a try. I went for a walk to check everything out. Make sure no one was around if you wanted to go down to the riverbank.”
“Really? Did you find anything dangerous enough to keep you down there for an hour?”
“How do you know how long I was gone? You were asleep when I left.” Famine pushed to his feet, and went over to the table. He dug around in the wooden bowl left there, and found an orange. After sitting at the table, he started to peel it.
“You didn’t ease the trapdoor shut, and I saw you climb down to talk to the pale-haired man again. Who is that? I know you said he was sort of like your boss, but I’m not sure that’s all he is.”
Famine shot Ekundayo a quick glance. “I’m not sure what you’re implying, but I can tell you he’s not a lover; never has been and never will be.”
“He didn’t sound happy when you walked off.”
“He’s never happy. Doesn’t matter what I do,” Famine muttered.
Nodding, Ekundayo tossed the blankets off, and climbed out of bed. Famine eyed Ekundayo as he joined him at the table. The T-shirt he wore was one of Famine’s, and hung down to his knees. Famine had never thought he’d find someone else wearing his clothes sexy, but all he could think about was picking Ekundayo up and tossing him back on the bed to ravage him.
Ekundayo cleared his throat and Famine looked up from where he’d been staring at Ekundayo’s groin. Ekundayo raised his eyebrows, causing Famine to blush.
“You want an orange?” He held out half of the fruit.
“Where do you get your food? I don’t see any kind of storage around here, yet you have fresh fruit and meat all the time.”
Famine tried to decide what to say. He doubted Ekundayo would appreciate the truth or even believe it. He couldn’t imagine telling Ekundayo he rode a magical horse that could take him anywhere in the world to get any type of food. Famine only did that once in a while. Death would lose his mind if Famine did something like that often. Mostly, Famine went and gathered food from along the Zambezi.
Famine had a storage box a few feet away from the tree where he stored perishable items, though he tried not to have a lot on hand. He never knew when he would have to leave, and how long he would be away. Famine rarely stayed on the island for more than a day or two at a time. The past two weeks was the longest amount of time he’d ever spent in his tree house.
“I get it from the resorts across the river,” he said, taking a bite of the fruit.
“I have never had an apple before the other day,” Ekundayo admitted, licking the juice from his fingers.
Famine’s cock stiffened at the sight of Ekundayo’s pink tongue wrapping around his fingers. He bit back a groan, and focused his attention on peeling another orange.