(The Marriage Groups)Elian (24 page)

Nevin opened his mouth to deny what Gaige was saying, but he closed his mouth when the truth of his statement began to sink in. Would Ingo really have had them all captured and locked into a cell? Any other day, Nevin would have said absolutely not, but Irwin had reported just before leaving that Ingo had been acting differently, secretive, and none of them had known why. Perhaps this was why.

“Get me out of these damn chains,” Nevin growled. Hissing as he jerked and tried to free himself.

“Calm the fuck down, Nevin, and let me check them out!” Waldwick yelled at him and Nevin settled almost immediately.

“Where’s Elian?” Corbin’s voice filled the room as Waldwick inspected the chains wrapped around Nevin’s limbs. The room grew quiet as everyone considered where Elian could possibly be. In light of Ingo’s possible involvement and all of the previous attacks on Elian’s life, Nevin knew they didn’t have much time. They had to get free and go rescue his husband.

“Hurry up, Waldy!” he almost screamed in his brother’s face. “We have to go and save Elian.”

Waldwick continued to look over the chains and locks when Izayah’s soft, melodious voice spoke up. “Maybe I can help,” he said as he pulled out the hairpins that had been holding his hair in some semblance of order, in spite of his kidnapping.

“Brilliant!” Waldwick cheered. Waldwick, Wadley, and Walker each took a few hairpins and set about freeing Nevin, Corbin, and Gaige from their chains, easing each man to his feet afterwards. Nevin had a feeling that something major was taking place right at that moment because his brothers had been thrown into the room and had not been chained or shackled in any way. It was as if the men who were supposed to be watching them had had to rush off somewhere else.

“Okay, now how do we get out of here?” Corbin asked seconds before a loud blast sounded and the door to the cell flew open. Nevin hobbled over to the doorway, one arm around Walker’s neck and they peered out into the smoky hallway. Bodies littered the floor, moans and groans of pain filling the air and like the voice of a savior, there he was.

Nevin heard Irwin’s voice call out to him. “Nevin? You guys okay?”

“We’re fine,” Nevin called back. “Just busted, bruised, and a little broken.” Nevin watched as Irwin raced towards them, a grin splitting his face.

“Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes,” Nevin grinned back.

“I try,” Irwin said with a mock bow.

“How’d you find us?” Walker asked as Irwin wrapped his left arm around Nevin’s waist and helped carry him out of the hole in the side of the cell where they were being held.

Irwin laughed. “Ingo, that deluded brat, doesn’t know how to cover his tracks. Or who to trust. One of his servants is a spy friend of mine. He got in contact with me and I called on a couple of my friends who deal with explosions and extractions and we came to get you all out.”

Nevin nodded and grinned when he saw Corbin’s brother, Jordy, standing out amongst a group of men, all of them armed to the teeth, ready to go in and take out whoever tried to prevent the princes and kings from leaving. Nevin listened while Corbin yelled at his brother for getting involved when he came out of the cell and searched the area for Elian.

“Where’s Elian?” he asked his Irwin.

Irwin lifted his eyes to Nevin’s and shook his head sadly. “I’m sorry, Nevin. We sent a squadron of soldiers over and they said a bright light swamped the entire back yard before a loud explosion rocked the area. They were able to rescue the servants inside, who had already grabbed your daughters when they heard the animals and screams from outside, but there was nothing but bodies strewn in the area”

Nevin yelled out his heartbreak and shoved his brothers away from him as he collapsed to his knees. How could Andalusia save his husband’s life so many times only to let him die now? What sort of god did something like that?

“Nevin! C’mon! I won’t believe it until I see Elian’s body for myself. Come on! We have to go,” Corbin pleaded, tears streaming down his face.

Nevin allowed himself to be lifted from his knees, and he rushed with Corbin, Gaige, and his brothers to the palace in one of the carriages stationed in front of the prison. As they drove away, Nevin shook his head as he realized that they had been held only a few streets over from the palace at the abandoned prison. He hoped that the explosion had killed whoever was responsible for Elian’s death as well. While it was hard for him to accept that Ingo was responsible for the attempts on Elian’s life, the fact that Irwin had evidence, and in light of facing the rest of his life without Elian, Nevin could feel rage boiling inside of him. He’d always loved his brother, never wanted any harm to come to him, but Ingo’s actions, his murder of Elian, had completely eviscerated any affection Nevin had for him.

As they raced towards the palace, Nevin hissed as Gaige and Corbin attempted to put a splint on his broken leg. Nevin felt himself grow numb as he thought about living his life without Elian. How would they do that? Elian had made them a family, brought sunshine, laughter, and a deeper love to their loves. What were they gonna do without him?

Nevin yelled out for the driver to stop when he saw the form of a young, black man walking down the street, his clothes torn and burned, his hair tangled as he stumbled along the road, periodically rubbing his hand over his stomach. His very pregnant stomach.

“Elian!”

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Elian

T
HE
backyard had been destroyed, the broken and burned bodies—or pieces of the bodies—of the intruders littered the lawn. Elian had been surprised when he’d opened his eyes and found himself alone. His body had felt hot, and when he’d looked down, he’d seen a white light slowly receding around him. When he’d looked around the yard, he’d seen death and destruction as if an explosion had taken place, and once he’d realized that he’d been the explosion, he’d started laughing hysterically.

Standing to his feet, he’d found himself a little unsteady and had decided to look for Ingo’s body. He wanted to make sure that menace to society was dead. He’d been disappointed and angry when he’d been unable to find the man’s carcass. Although most of the men were nothing but pieces anyway. Perhaps Ingo was some of the pieces that currently contaminated his yard.

Elian had shrugged and stumbled into the house. He’d called out for help, but no one had come. He’d gone looking for his daughters and hadn’t found them. Panic had filled him until he’d heard the sound of carriages leaving. He’d stumbled as quickly as he could to the front door of the palace only to watch as the back of one of the royal carriages drove off down the road, filled with servants and hopefully his daughters. He’d known that the only thing he could do was follow them and had started walking.

Halfway down the road he’d felt pain in his abdomen and back and had groaned before laughing loudly. Rubbing his hand over his belly, he’d shaken his head. “You would come on the day that your Abda is almost killed, wouldn’t you?” he said to the unborn babe.

He’d tried to quicken his pace but had been unable to waddle faster than he’d already been, so he was relieved and happy when he heard his name being yelled and a carriage being pulled up beside him. Looking inside, he began to cry when he saw his husbands within. He stopped and covered his face, sobbing harshly and not protesting when Gaige climbed out of the carriage and lifted Elian into his arms.

He was placed into the carriage, and when he panted out that he was in labor, the carriage swung around and rushed off to the manor. Apparently all of his children were destined to be born at the manor instead at the palace.

“No garden births this time okay?” he panted out. He smiled when Nevin, Corbin, and Gaige laughed before agreeing with him. He knew they would all have to talk about Ingo and the fact that he may have gotten away, but Elian knew that conversation could wait until after the birth of their child.

****

I
T
had been an easy birth considering Elian’s first delivery and the things that had transpired the night before. Elian sat against the headboard in their bedroom, holding the tiniest baby boy he’d ever seen in his life. The infant was three months early and the doctor had been concerned that something may be wrong with him, but while they wouldn’t be able to tell about his mental or emotional development, physically he was perfect. At least, to his fathers he was.

Elian cooed down at Nevin Junior and smiled when the baby waved his fists as if to get his Abda to leave him alone while he tried to sleep. The door opened and Elian looked up to see Nevin, Corbin, and Gaige standing in the hallway. Nevin had his leg in a cast that Alain only had been able to put on the obstinate king. Elian gestured them forward when they paused in the doorway, as if waiting for his signal. He laughed as they all came in one behind the other as if they were marching and sat down on either side of him.

“Junior, these are your fathers: Nevin, Corbin, and Gaige. They are going to teach you all about being a warrior and money and spiritual things and how to be a good prince when the time comes. We’re going to have the laws changed so your sisters will rule, but just in case, they will also teach you how to be a great king,” he introduced his son to his fathers and watched as Nevin Junior’s eyes slowly opened. He let out a noise that sounded like a frustrated yawn before he smiled toothlessly at Elian.

Elian grinned back and handed Nevin Junior off to Nevin, watching as he handled the baby gently. There was a knock on the door and Elian bid Alain to enter when he called out. Alain came in holding Patesha and Lodara in his arms, one of the footmen holding Tisa.

“These young ladies want to be a part of the party,” Alain informed them with a smile.

Elian held out his arms, as did Corbin and Gaige. They each accepted a child in their arms and then introduced the three girls to their baby brother, smiling as each little girl placed a gentle kiss on Junior’s head. Elian smiled at his small family and felt his heart swell.

Life wasn’t perfect. The soldiers had pieced together the bodies at the palace and Ingo hadn’t been among them, which meant that there was some way the prince had escaped. It also meant he was still out there, waiting for the right time to kill Elian and rid the planet of the female Kardalusians and all of the Zevinxians who still lived. Nevin, Corbin, and Gaige had sent out a contingent of soldiers to search for the fugitive prince, but it would be weeks before they heard anything back from them.

Yet despite of all of that, Elian was beyond content. He was ecstatically happy. He had a beautiful family, men who loved him—and who he loved in return—and they were slowly changing their world for the better. He couldn’t ask for anything better.

“I love you,” I said, looking up at each of his husbands.

“We love you, too,” they said simultaneously, and Elian could see the truth shining in their eyes. The gurgles of his four children as they expressed their agreement made them all laugh and settle in for a day spent with their family. No death threats, explosions, or intruders.

Just their little family happy and in love.

Epilogue

S
QUEALS
and laughter sounded from outside and Elian stood at the doorway to the backyard, grinning at his six children as they splashed in the pool with their fathers. He smiled down at the baby he held in his arms and kissed the downy soft brown hair. He and his husbands had waited a year after Nevin Junior to have any more children and as soon as they were ready, it was Gaige who had impregnated Elian, bringing Benoci and Kollie, a boy and girl, to their family. Kollie had been born six weeks after Elian’s pregnancy had been confirmed, and they had all been amazed when Elian had stayed pregnant for another four and a half months before giving birth to Benoci.

They hadn’t been able to catch their breath before Corbin had impregnated Elian next and three more boys, Gregorie, Colt, and Chadlius had joined the family. Elian had informed his husbands in no uncertain terms that he was done having babies and hadn’t appreciated the way they’d all nodded and smiled at the same time.

Changes were slowly being applied around Kardalusia, making the planet more coração- and Zevinxian-friendly and Elian couldn’t have been happier. The Joy & Laughter Performing Arts School was flourishing and had just performed an original play written by one of the teachers, Shefario, a gorgeous, pale coração who had caught the eye of Nevin’s brother Walker. Elian was trying very hard not to be a matchmaker, but it was very hard not to do when neither man could get through a conversation without talking about the other.

“Cora? Are you going to join us?” Nevin called out to him. Elian grinned and shook his head no.

“No, thank you!” he called back, “I am putting the triplets down for a nap then going to the grotto.”

Nevin nodded and turned back to Junior, lifting the little boy, squealing and wriggling, over his head before tossing him back into the pool. Elian laughed when Junior swam over to Nevin and began splashing him with water.

After getting the triplets settled down for their nap, Elian walked across the yard to his newly erected grotto. After the explosion, they’d had to renovate the back yard and gardens. Elian had asked to be allowed to help rebuild his grotto and they’d agreed after seeing how important it was to him. Now the area really was a sanctuary for him. Holding the pictures of his family and friends, as well as statues of Andalusia and miniature erections of Nevin, Corbin, and Gaige, it was a place he could escape to and have some time to himself.

Walking towards the altar, he knelt before it and closed his eyes. He wanted to pray for Ingo to be found and brought to justice. He wanted to pray for Tabansi and his Marriage Group. He wanted to pray for Walker and Shefario, but he did none of those things. Instead, he began to hum softly, an old spiritual song that Gaige was often singing to the children. Once the song ended, Elian opened his eyes and looked up at the sky with a gentle smile on his face.