Shivers

by Remmy Duchene

  As the warrior stooped to play with the puppy, Koi walked through the house to find Ciro.

  “Ai is here,” Koi said. “Is something wrong at Kofi’s?”

  Ciro shook his head. “No. Carter is babysitting—I mean dog-sitting—while Kofi works and Osaki trains.”

  Koi smiled.

  “How did your training go? Are you ready to show Christophe a thing or two?”

  “I am not certain. I do not know how much I can teach him. He seems to have it together already.”

  “You’d be surprised what someone can learn from someone new.”

  “I suppose. But he’s won every match he’s had. I do not understand why I suggested going over there and sparring with him. Well, I never expected him to take me up on it.”

  “Okay, what’s going on?” Ciro asked. “You seemed a little more serious than usual.”

  “Just have a lot on my mind.”

  “Does this have anything to do with a certain fighter with great lips and big, love-me eyes?”

  Koi laughed. He couldn’t help himself. He’d never heard that phrase before—love-me eyes—but it described Christophe perfectly.

  “Yeah, the love-me eyes thing? Got that from Carter,” Ciro said with a wide grin. “Look, if you’re interested in him, you have to let your presence be known, Koi. Declare your intentions.”

  “The world does not operate like that anymore, brother,” Koi replied. “And besides, humans are unpredictable and they panic. What if I tell him what I am and he hates me?”

  “Well, I did not think of that. In a way, I think I had it easy. And Kofi knew what Osaki was even before there were intimate feelings involved. I am not sure I am the best person to discuss this with. I seem to be lacking in good advice. My apologies.”

  Koi smiled and walked across the space to hug his brother tightly before sitting again. “It is fine.”

  “Oh! Perhaps you should seek counsel from Mother?”

  “Okay. Or speak with Carter. I know you and Carter have a…”

  Hades popped into the room with a worried look on his face. Koi arched an eyebrow and eased back.

  “Hades?” Ciro asked. “I was not expecting you.”

  “Something is wrong,” Hades said. “Something is very, very wrong.”

  “Explain,” Ciro said.

  “I just had a deluge of souls enter my realm,” Hades said, falling onto the sofa beside Koi. “Children and women… What happened?”

  “That happens every day, Hades—wars, fights, accidents, murders…” Koi explained.

  The God of the Underworld shook his head. “No, no, not like this! Ninety-five percent of those who came to me today were not in the cards. Someone is tampering with the fates. Someone killed a whole country.”

  Koi and Ciro exchanged looks before Ciro jerked up from his seat. Koi stood and grabbed his brother’s shoulder.

  “No,” Koi said simply. “I will go.”

  “Koi, you can’t,” Ciro protested.

  “You have a husband and guests. I know you want to save the world all the time, but relax. There is no need for both of us to go now. I can handle this.”

  Ciro looked reluctant. “But if anything goes wrong—if you need me, you call.”

  Koi nodded and turned his attention to Hades.

  “Madagascar,” Hades said.

  Without another word, Koi bowed his head and vanished from the safety of his brother’s Earth home. He sailed, unseen, across the heavens, until he reached Africa. When he made an appearance where the island was, there was nothing. Poseidon was floating over the area, but all Koi could see was water. The souls that lingered on the earth swooshed through the air, obviously confused as to what had happened. Their fear threatened to overwhelm him.

  “Koi,” Poseidon greeted him. “I was just about to call you and your brothers.”

  “Hades came to us with information about souls flooding Tartaros,” Koi said. “What happened here?”

  “I know not, Koi.” Poseidon rose to hover beside Koi. “The island is now within my domain but I know not why.”

  “Have you spoken to Gaia?”

  “Yes. I had to in order to reassure her that I had nothing to do with this. She has been weakened in a battle with an unseen foe. With the island gone, it means she has lost. Something quite powerful has transpired here.”

  Koi turned one way then the next. There was no mistaking the fact that Madagascar was no more. The souls were with Hades. But who was powerful enough to sink a part of Gaia’s domain into Poseidon’s world?

  “Is this one of your brothers’ doing?” Poseidon questioned.

  “No. We have all the rogues accounted for. Liosh is not powerful enough to cause this and Ciro and Osaki were with me.” Koi met Poseidon’s gaze. “There have been talks about another Shiver, but that makes no sense. Mother has told us we had all under control.”

  “Perhaps there is something else afoot here, my friend.” Poseidon knitted his eyebrows. “We know from experience Zeus is not known for his honesty. If there is another Shiver out there, perhaps Thýella knows nothing of him.”

  “How can she not?”

  “That, I do not know. Zeus was born of trickery. His whole life stems from deceit. If there is a way to hide something as detrimental as this, he is the one to find it. But we must get to the bottom of this mayhem quickly for I do not wish to have any more of Gaia’s land within my realm.”

  Koi felt sick. He rubbed his eyes and took a breath.

  Poseidon touched his shoulder. “Are you well, nephew?”

  “I suddenly feel like the earth is sitting on my shoulders.”

  “Perhaps. But you have us and we will do what is necessary to assist you.”

  Koi smiled. “I must speak with mother.”

  * * * *

  The weather switched from bright and sunny, to almost hurricane winds then to torrential rain all in the space of an hour. Christophe didn’t understand it, but he was used to it. He confirmed his fight night training with Koi and sat alone in his apartment just staring at his gym bag by the door. Meeting with Koi was an hour away and it was driving him absolutely crazy. Could he do what Geoff had suggested? There was no way he could ask Koi out after their session. How would he even breach the subject?

  Dating wasn’t something he did. Before his mother was diagnosed, he would go out with a few people. One guy lasted a year, but had quickly dumped him when Christophe had run to him for comfort during his mother’s illness. After that, Christophe had sworn off men altogether. But he couldn’t deny the fact that he was lonely. He watched Kofi with Osaki and Carter with Ciro and he knew what love between two men could be. Sure, their relationships weren’t perfect, but each time they looked at each other, Christophe saw joy.

  That was what he wanted.

  Sighing, he unplugged his phone from the charger then grabbed his wallet and bag. He left the apartment, hopped into his car and drove the ten minutes it took to reach the gym. As usual, he was annoyingly early, so he just sat in his car, returned some calls, set up showings for new clients and read the statistics on his upcoming opponent. The kid was tough with sixteen fights, one draw and one loss—and that one loss was only because he broke his leg and couldn’t continue the fight. Christophe knew he had his work cut out for him.

  When it was time, he leisurely entered the building and found Koi was already there doing pull-ups.

  For a silently, frozen moment in time, he watched the way Koi’s muscles flexed as he supported all his weight on his arms. “Damn, you are so fine,” Christophe whispered.

  Koi lowered himself and turned. Christophe knew there was no way Koi had heard him, but he still felt a little guilty. Somehow, he managed to smile and stepped forward.

  “Sorry, I think I’m late,” Christophe said, extending a hand.

  “No. I had a lot on my mind, so I wished to get started a little early,” Koi explained, ignoring his hand and hugging him instead. “Do you wish to change?”

 
; “Um…” Christophe looked down at the jeans and the tank he wore. “Um, yeah.”

  Koi went back to working out, and though it took Christophe some doing, he hurried from the space and into the change room. The first thing he had to do was get rid of the massive hard-on he had tenting his pants. He tried thinking of every non-sexy thing he could manage, but nothing worked. What finally gave him some relief was the thought that Koi could want nothing to do with him. That sobered him up enough that he could change, then he joined Koi in the octagon. He wrapped his fists then slipped his fingers into a boxing glove. It was safer to fight with a partner if he had some cushion.

  “What did you want to start with?” Christophe asked.

  Koi shrugged and backed up a little. He squared up and smirked, a look that was so dashing, Christophe bit down against his lower lip to keep himself focused. “Spar with me, Christophe. Let’s see what you got.”

  The daring glint in Koi’s eyes should have scared him, but all Christophe could see was this sexy, older man who wanted to tussle with him. He rooted himself for a moment then attacked. Koi didn’t seem fazed. Each punch Christophe threw, every roundhouse, everything was expertly blocked and countered. Eventually, Christophe wound up on his back, panting and looking up into heavenly blue eyes.

  “How did you learn to do that?” Christophe managed.

  “I have Osaki and Ciro,” he said with a smile. “I had to learn to fight really early.” Koi extended a hand to him.

  “What’s the deal between you and Osaki, anyway?” Christophe accepted Koi’s hand and allowed Koi to pull him to his feet. Once Christophe was settled, he readied himself again. “How is he related to you and Ciro?”

  “He is a brother,” Koi replied with a shrug before firing a high kick toward Christophe’s head.

  Christophe clasped his fingers and used the motion to block the leg before countering with a kick of his own to Koi’s side. He didn’t use the full force of his kick—after all, he didn’t want to hurt the man. This worry was useless, for Koi merely grabbed his leg, spun them around and slammed him into the mat. Koi fell atop him and they wrestled around. The conversation quickly died in Christophe’s head for now for he could feel just how built Koi was beneath his clothes.

  Then, to add to his carnal misery, Koi smelled like the most delicious thing Christophe had ever inhaled.

  But Koi moved again before Christophe could really enjoy the feeling of Koi’s hot, sweaty body atop his. He wasn’t focusing and soon Koi had him pinned again. Christophe moaned then smiled up at Koi, who seemed frozen in place. His eyes never left Christophe’s lips. Perhaps Koi wanted to kiss him. There was no way he could be staring at Christophe’s mouth, his lips slightly parted, and not want to take Christophe’s lips. That thought made Christophe’s heart race. The idea hit him so hard it was as if he’d been punched in the chest. Wincing, he tried pulling air into his starving lungs while fighting to keep his arousal at bay. He couldn’t let Koi feel him growing hard. Koi couldn’t know just how much he wanted to be ravished by him.

  But like everything else in Christophe’s life, the kiss didn’t come. Instead, Koi fell flat on his chest, gripped Christophe’s shoulders tightly and rolled him hard to the side. Something crashed into the spot where they were just lying and Christophe yelped. When he turned his head, he noticed it was a large slab of concrete. He looked up to find a massive hole in the ceiling of the gym. He didn’t have time to freak out over what had just happened for Koi was already on his feet and stalking toward the door like a man possessed.

  “Hey!” Christophe called. “Wait a minute!”

  “Go home, Christophe!” Koi called.

  “You can’t tell me—” he screamed and hopped out of the way. Another piece of concrete crashed into the spot where he was just about to step. Though there wasn’t a hole in the roof, Christophe was freaking out. But Koi was there, gripping his shoulder and shaking him.

  “Please!” Koi pleaded. “Please—trust me. Go home.”

  Christophe didn’t know what was happening but he also knew he couldn’t go home. He had to call Chase and let them know that the gym wasn’t safe, that there was a hole in the roof and pieces were falling from it. Koi wouldn’t let him go get his things, so he merely hurried outside. The wind had picked up, enough so that Christophe thought for sure he’d get blown over. Paper bags, small stones, pieces of plants all swirled in the air, making him dodge from time to time to avoid getting hit until he could lock himself in his car. Koi didn’t climb in the other side, so Christophe wound down the window.

  “Come on, get in,” he said. “I’ll drive you to your car.”

  “My car is over on the other side. It is just some wind. I must get to it.”

  “Koi.”

  “Go home, Christophe. I will be fine. Can we do this again sometime?”

  “Sure—I don’t know when, though. They’ll have to fix the gaping hole in the roof and make sure the building is structurally safe, but sure.”

  “Call me?”

  “You don’t have a cell phone, remember?”

  Koi smiled, his intense blue eyes dazzling with mischief. “Tell Kofi of your need for me and he shall find me.”

  Christophe nodded, wondering if he and Kofi would still be friends if Christophe was to really tell Kofi of the need he had for Koi. He shook his head while reaching forward to turn on the ignition. “I’m going to call the owner and let him know of the damage.”

  Koi nodded and stepped away from the car. Christophe reluctantly drove off, watching Koi in the mirror for as long as he could. There was something strange about what had happened. Sure, the weather around the town was a pain in the ass—constantly changing from one extreme to the other—but the building shouldn’t be falling apart like it was made from Lego.

  Chapter Eight

  The moment Christophe was gone, Koi took to the sky. His anger stirred the wind, causing a tree to uproot and fly across the roof. “Show yourself!” he yelled. “I know you are here!” He spun one way then the other, searching the land and sky for his attacker. The angrier he got, the worse the wind became until Osaki appeared by his side.

  “Damnation, man!” Osaki shouted. “Yamete! You are causing too much damage!”

  “I did not start this!” Koi shouted. “Where are you, coward? Show yourself!”

  “Koi. Who are you talking to?” Osaki asked. “There is no one else here but the two of us.”

  “There is another here,” Koi snapped, climbing higher in the sky. “He almost hurt Christophe. They went after Christophe. Osaki, you must understand how angry that makes me! That is one transgression I cannot and will not forgive!” Koi looked up again. “Do you wish a fight?”

  No reply came to his questions. The strong breeze died down. He assumed Osaki had stopped it all, so he landed on the ground with Osaki by his side. He frowned, looking at the damage that had happened around him. “There is another being causing this carnage in this city,” Koi said softly. “He tore off a piece of the gym, almost crushing Christophe. That angers me like you would not believe.”

  “Are you feeling something for this man, Koi?” Osaki asked.

  “That is not important,” Koi replied a little too harshly.

  “Yes, it is.” Osaki stepped forward. “Do you understand what it is like to have a man love you so completely that you can do anything—anything at all? The strength of that love will save you.”

  “I’m not taking that chance,” Koi told his friend before disappearing. He popped into existence in his mother’s great hall, where she was busy trying to knit. The sight took him off guard for a moment. It was a strange thing seeing the Goddess of the Storm Winds wielding two long needles and failing miserably.

  “Mother, I must speak with you,” Koi said.

  “Koi. I did not expect you so soon,” Thýella rose to kiss his cheeks. “You were supposed to be spending time with your brothers and their men.”

  “I cannot remain with them forever. I had to
get away.”

  “Get away?” Thýella asked. She tilted her head. “You seem troubled. What is on your mind?”

  He allowed her to loop her arm with his as they made their way toward the garden. “There is another Shiver, Mother. One that likes playing games—dangerous games. He seems to have a mean streak and I must know who it is.”

  “There cannot be another,” Thýella said. “All my children have been accounted for.”

  “That cannot be,” Koi stressed. “A Shiver attacked us earlier. I felt it.”

  Thýella pressed her lips into a thin line. “I believe as a mother that I know how many children I’ve had in my cursed meetings with Zeus. What exactly are you accusing me of?”

  “Do not get hot under the collar, Mother. I am not accusing you of anything, but we both know my father cannot be trusted. If there is a way for him to get away with the crap he has been pulling since he gained leadership over Olympus, he will.”

  “Yes, but how do you hide a child from its mother? Why would you hide a child from its mother?”

  “You know better than to ask that question. It is Zeus. There is no rhyme or reason for the things he does. The one constant is no one is important to Zeus but Zeus.”

  Thýella flipped a long ringlet of hair from her face to expose troubled eyes. “I do not like this. You boys have enough to handle without more being added to your plate.”

  “Is there a way Zeus could create another Shiver? Something is very wrong. I felt a Shiver. But perhaps I was too angry to get a solid reading. They could have hurt Christophe while we were at the gym and the anger that swept over me almost caused me to lose control of my powers.”

  “Christophe? You mean Kofi’s friend? The very good-looking young man with the beautiful eyes?”

  Koi moaned. “Mother, please. This is important. You must pay attention.”