Elemental Faith

by L. M. Somerton

  “Damon has changed a lot under Nate’s care, though, hasn’t he?”

  “They fit each other well. I have to admit that surprises me. I didn’t realize Nate had quite such a kinky streak, but he’s dominant enough to keep Damon under control. Fate’s a funny thing, isn’t it? Who’d have thought they’d have ended up together?”

  “I admire Damon’s strength. He suffered at Symeon’s hands and he was far too young to have gone through that kind of abuse. It’s remarkable that he’s pulled back the way he has. I think they need each other.”

  “As we do.”

  “The warlock world works in mysterious ways. Everything seems fated, don’t you think?”

  “Maybe. After what we’ve seen and been through since I came into my power, I don’t think anything will ever surprise me again. I think I may need to start wearing the bracelet again.”

  “That’s good, isn’t it? It means you’re back to full strength.” Dominic petted Evrain’s hair.

  “I suppose. I wish there was another way to dampen the power. I’ll ask Nate this morning. Maybe he can come up with something. But in the meantime”—Evrain swung his legs out of bed—“there’s a coffee craving that needs to be satisfied and no doubt a starving cat to feed. I’ll come back for a shower after breakfast.”

  Dominic enjoyed the view as Evrain wriggled into a pair of jeans and a T-shirt.

  “Stop watching my ass.”

  “Nope, that’s one order I’ll never obey.” Dominic grinned. “I’ll take a quick shower then come join you.” He didn’t get out of bed, but snuggled back beneath the covers with a happy sigh. He had a feeling it was going to be a good day.

  * * * *

  “If it’s okay with you guys that we impose on your hospitality for another night, Damon and I would like to hang around. It’s been an age since I had a break and the hiking around here is spectacular.” Nate sipped his second cup of coffee, his free hand resting on Damon’s thigh.

  “Of course, stay as long as you like,” Evrain offered. “I have today and tomorrow off work. Dominic probably has a few things to take care of in the garden, but we could come with you in a bit. It’s a nice day for a hike.”

  “Do you have any suggestions about where we could go?” Nathaniel asked. “I don’t know the area well—I’ve only ever visited the cottage or Portland. We get out in the wilds when we can, from San Francisco, but it’s not as often as I’d like.”

  “I love taking walks among the redwoods,” Damon said. “They are beautiful and there’s this amazing pine scent the air. They make me feel about yea big.” He held his finger and thumb about an inch apart.

  “Why don’t you come out to the garden and help me tidy up a few things, Damon,” Dominic suggested. “We’ll get away much quicker with two of us doing the chores and in the meantime, Nate and Evrain can pick a route and make lunch to take with us.”

  “Sure, if that’s okay?” Damon turned pleading eyes to Nathaniel.

  “Of course. Just make sure you do everything Dominic tells you to. No pulling up things you think are weeds, okay?”

  “You can borrow some boots,” Dominic said. “My spares might be a bit big for you, but you don’t have to wear them for long.”

  “I’ll put on two pairs of socks—they’ll be fine.”

  Evrain smiled, knowing that he probably looked way too soppy, but not caring. Once Dominic and Damon had left, he met Nathaniel’s eyes. “I know, I know… I’m a hopeless case when it comes to Dominic.”

  “He’s a wonderful man. I can’t tell you what it means to Damon to be accepted here, despite his past. He hero worships Dominic, can’t believe that he’s been forgiven.”

  “He was abused, a victim. What Symeon did to him was unforgivable. He’s changed a lot under your tutelage,” Evrain said. “You’re doing a fine job with him.”

  “I’d got to the stage where I thought it unlikely that I’d ever find a life partner and, at the beginning, I wasn’t sure about Damon. He was so…fragile. But he just craved love and attention. Now I can’t imagine life without him, so we can be a pair of saps together.” Nate lifted his coffee mug in a toast. “Now, how about this hike, where do you think we should go?”

  “Well, it’s November, so we should probably avoid anything too high up unless you want to be wading through the snow. We shouldn’t tackle anything too steep and rocky. We want something level but with good views where we can talk without worrying about taking a header over the nearest cliff. We’re spoiled for choice around here. Let me get a map and show you.” Evrain extracted a map from the bookcase and spread it on the table. “Here would be good.” He pointed to a spot on the map. “It’s called a Mirror Lake and on a day like today when there is little wind, you can get an amazing image of Mount Hood reflected in the water. It’s a snowshoe hike in the winter—it might be muddy now but there shouldn’t be too much snow on the ground. It can get pretty busy, but at this time of year it’ll be reasonably quiet. What do you think?”

  “Happy to follow your lead on this one. It sounds great and, from the look of it, easily accessible from the highway. Do we need a pass or anything?”

  “Yes, we need a north-west forest pass, but we already have one. You can get an electronic day pass now, but Dominic and I venture out enough to make the annual one worthwhile. We just need the one for the car, not per person, so we’ve got you covered.”

  “Brilliant, and I suppose we’d better put some sandwiches together or we’ll be in trouble. I warn you, Damon has quite the appetite.”

  “We have enough leftover turkey to feed a small army for a week,” Evrain said. “In fact the fridge is full of leftovers. I think there’s a whole pie. Considering how much we ate, it’s a miracle there’s anything left at all, but the fridge is full of boxes that Dominic packed away yesterday.”

  Nathaniel rubbed his hands together. “Then we have the makings of a great day.”

  * * * *

  An hour later, they were on the road packed into Nathaniel’s car, because it was the biggest. Damon and Dominic sat in the back while Evrain acted as navigator for Nathaniel. It wasn’t that far from Mount Hood village to the trailhead where they piled out of the vehicle to pull on their walking gear. There was a snap of cold in the air, but the sun was bright.

  “It’s a perfect day for hiking,” Dominic said, shouldering a pack. Evrain had split the lunch between two bags while Nathaniel carried a third containing a flask of hot chocolate and bottles of water. Their burdens would be much lighter on the way back as they intended to picnic by the lake.

  Evrain hadn’t had much of a chance to talk to Nathaniel before and it proved to be a pleasure discussing Nathaniel’s work and how he used his abilities in the management of his windfarms.

  “You really found your calling with the air element, didn’t you?” Evrain said.

  “I was fortunate to find a way I could use my power without the need to channel, though it will be much easier with Damon as my partner. Less exhausting, which means Felix will nag me less about looking after myself.”

  “It’s good to have people around who care for you. What does Felix think of Damon?”

  “He likes him, though he’d never say so. He’s not afraid to give him a clip around the ear when he needs one either, so there are two of us keeping Damon under control. He’s reverting into a brat as he gets his confidence back. To start with, when I took him home with me, he was terrified. He never smiled. Symeon really did a number on him.”

  “Symeon had the whole bad guy thing written through him like words through a stick of rock. He was rotten to the core and enjoyed being that way.”

  “There are others like him out there. Power-hungry warlocks who use their gift for their benefit alone. Not on this continent thankfully, now Symeon is gone, but there are some class-A bastards roaming Europe and Asia. It’s a good thing we’re a rare breed.”

  “Gregory talked about maintaining a balance. He said I was the fourth corner of the square. Does
that mean another warlock will emerge on this continent with Symeon dead and buried?”

  “We were three for a long time before you came along. I think the balance was restored when Symeon died. Consider yourself the third point of the triangle instead.” Nathaniel grinned. “I shouldn’t wish disasters upon us but I’m quite looking forward to us having a chance to work together.”

  “I hope you haven’t jinxed us. Dominic and I would appreciate a quiet life for a while, like a decade or so. Though I suspect it’s not likely to happen that way.”

  “I wouldn’t place money on it.”

  For a while they walked in silence. Evrain watched, amused, as Dominic stopped to point out different plants and birds to Damon, who seemed overjoyed at the attention he was getting. He bounced here and there, tracking Dominic’s every move.

  “Those two are like excited pups sniffing at every new smell,” Nate said. “It’s good for Damon to be outdoors somewhere new. He’s spent too long in the house. I want to cut back on work and spend some time traveling with him.”

  “In the States?”

  “At first. Then abroad perhaps. I have a very long bucket list of places I want to see and things I’d love to do. Felix needs time to explore his own new relationship. The time feels right, I think. But don’t worry, I won’t be leaving the US for a long time yet. I won’t leave you and Gregory hanging.”

  “You need to live your life. We could all sit around waiting for the worst to happen. Chances are we won’t all be together when it does, anyway.”

  “True, but I have a feeling…and I can’t explain why…that something is about to blow, as it were. I don’t think it was coincidence that you were tested so young. Someone, somewhere thinks there’s a need for you to be at full strength.”

  “You may be right. I’ve been in denial, but I feel it too. Like there’s something just out of my line of sight that I can’t quite see. The back of my neck itches as if someone’s watching me, though I know there’s no one there.”

  “Have you told Gregory?”

  “Yes. He was noncommittal, but I think he’s worried too.” Evrain clambered over a fallen tree. He nodded to a group of walkers heading in the direction they had just come from. “There’s quite a few people out today. Shall we catch up to the boys?”

  “You’re hardly older than either of them,” Nate said.

  “I feel older.”

  “Warlocks are born ancient. It comes with the territory.” Nate ruffled Evrain’s hair. “Don’t walk away from your youth too fast. Enjoy yourself—hell, enjoy each other. Life’s fleeting even when you live as long as we do. We’re not immortal, we could be snuffed out tomorrow. Live every day as if it could be your last—your grandmother told me that once. She lived that way and you should too. Damon has made me see how sound her advice was.”

  “I miss her,” Evrain admitted.

  “She was a good woman. Wicked tongue, impatient, but good. I see a lot of her in you.”

  “I’m flattered.” It wasn’t a hollow statement. Evrain aspired to be like Agatha. It just felt like a stretch to have the vast amount of knowledge she had accumulated over the years, or the razor-sharp insight and intellect. He chuckled. “You know, with all the bad soap operas she used to watch, you’d think her brain would have turned to mush, but it never did.”

  “Sharp as a tack was an apt description for her. A tack that would be under the sole of your foot if she thought you’d misbehaved.”

  “True.”

  “What are you two getting so intense about?” Dominic asked. “We’ll be at the lake soon.”

  “Good, I’m hungry!” Damon proclaimed.

  “You’re always hungry, brat.” Nate slung an arm around Damon’s shoulders.

  “Dominic was telling me about all the different kinds of fungi you can find in the forest and that made me think of mushroom stroganoff, mushroom omelets, mushroom soup…”

  “We get the picture. There aren’t any mushrooms for lunch though. Just cold turkey and cranberry sandwiches and chocolate silk pie.”

  Damon’s stomach growled and he clutched it dramatically. “See? I need sustenance.”

  “You ate more breakfast than the rest of us put together,” Nate growled.

  “But, Master, it’s your fault I had so much of an appetite.” Damon blinked.

  “Enough, young man. The rest of the world does not need to hear about that.” There were people about as they neared the lake. It wasn’t crowded but there was a scattering of brightly clothed hikers of varying ages walking the perimeter of the water. “Wow, I can see why this is a popular spot.” Nate took off his pack to extract his camera. “I hope none of you mind if I act like a tourist.”

  “Go for it.” Evrain wandered a little way down the lake shore to a quiet spot beneath the trees. A group of rocks made good seats and a convenient tree stump made a great picnic table. Dominic ambled over.

  “It was a brilliant idea to come here. We’ve been so often I forgot what an impact the view has on first-timers.”

  Nate was taking lots of snaps of Damon with spectacular scenery in the background. Damon was posing shamelessly.

  “I can’t believe I’m hungry again.” Dominic eyed the packages of sandwiches Evrain had laid out. “I ate so much yesterday.”

  “It’s the fresh air and exercise,” Evrain said. He slapped Dominic’s hand away from the food. “Hold your horses. We have to wait for our guests.”

  “Why?” Dominic pouted. “Damon will eat everything!” As he spoke, Damon bounded over.

  “Oh wow! Those look so good.” He picked a rock to sit on and took the packet Evrain handed him. He stuffed a sandwich in his mouth, spraying crumbs everywhere.

  “Told you.” Dominic grabbed a packet for himself, scowling at Evrain.

  “There’s more in the bag. Plenty for everyone.” Evrain rolled his eyes at Nate. “Anyone would think they never sat through a huge Thanksgiving feast yesterday.”

  “That was yesterday,” Damon mumbled around his sandwich. “And I’m a growing boy.”

  For a while, the only conversation involved requests to pass food and pour hot chocolate. Evrain caught Dominic smiling at him and he understood why. He felt peaceful and happy, more relaxed than he’d been in a long while. The way Dominic looked at him was so full of love, made him hot all over, and he had to look away. He didn’t want to complete the rest of the hike walking strangely.

  Dominic was tidying up the empty sandwich wrappers and Damon was drinking the last of the hot chocolate when a low rumble made everyone look around. The ground shuddered.

  “Quake,” Nathaniel said, calmly taking Damon’s hand.

  “We get a lot of them around here,” Evrain said. “One or two a week, usually. This one doesn’t feel that strong, thankfully.”

  When the rumbling stopped there was an eerie silence, as if the birds and wildlife waited to see if anything else was going to happen. Suddenly, a whole flock of birds rose from a nearby tree scattering into the sky with agitated cries.

  “That could mean another one’s on the way,” Dominic said. “They know.”

  They all stayed where they were, waiting. Further down the lake they could see groups of people sitting and standing, glancing around them, expectant.

  “Here it comes.” Dominic made a grab for Evrain’s arm. This time the shaking was much stronger. Small crevices opened in the ground around their feet and the mirror-smooth surface of the lake blurred the reflection of Mount Hood into an impressionist image.

  “That one kept going for a while,” Damon said, sounding scared. “What’s the biggest tremor you’ve had around here recently?”

  “There was a three point one about four weeks ago,” Dominic said. “I’d say that was a little stronger. Hard to tell, it could just have been shallower.”

  “We’ll have to be careful walking back,” Evrain said. “There will no doubt be some after-shocks.” His attention was drawn to yelling where the path met the lake. Two people ha
d run onto the shore, screaming for help. He exchanged a look with Nate and the two of them headed toward the gathering group of people.

  “What’s going on?” Evrain asked the first person he got to, a young woman in a bright pink jacket and over trousers.

  “There was a rock fall just below Tom, Dick and Harry,” the woman said. “I think there might be people trapped or hurt up there.”

  Dominic and Damon had caught up. “What’s she talking about?” Damon asked, looking confused.

  “Tom, Dick and Harry is the name of the mountain behind us,” Evrain explained. “We passed the start of the path to get up there earlier. There are several short spurs that access the lakeshore and a few paths, but it’s much craggier on some of the routes. You go so far, to a point that is marked by a huge rock cairn then there’s a switch back toward the summit. It’s easy at first, along the ridge top but it gets much rockier when you near the base of Harry’s summit. The guys that raised the alarm must’ve taken a shortcut because I think it’s about three miles on the main path.”

  “We might be able to do something to help,” Nate said. He walked over to the two men who had raised the alarm.

  Evrain waited for him to return. There was no point in both of them getting involved. He was quite willing to bow to Nate’s experience and follow his lead. When he returned, Nate’s expression was somber. “There is a shortcut, but it’s a tough scramble. The rocks came down in the first shake rather than the big one, but the second tremor brought more debris down on top of the original fall. These guys weren’t with the group that got swallowed, but they reckoned there were three people, possibly a child. It’s going to take a while for any rescue services to get here. I think we should go up there and see if there’s anything we can do.”

  “Agreed.” Evrain shrugged out of his jacket. “We’ll need to travel light—we’ll leave the bags here, take off anything that is likely to slow us down.” He took in Dominic’s frightened eyes. “Don’t worry, love. We’ll get there, assess the situation. There may be nothing we can do, we have to accept that, but if there is any chance we can save those people when we’re right here on the spot, we must do what we can.”