His joy faded. “You should go and join Callie.”
Fal didn’t seem to hear him amid the flood of voices around them. “I felt your strength fading when the magic ended. I thought I’d lost you.”
“You don’t owe me anything,” Elliot said. “We were never really involved in this reality.”
Farlden stared at him. “What are you talking about?”
“I know about you and Callie. I saw you kissing.”
“Oh, damn.” Farlden ran a hand through his long hair. “No, that wasn’t...”
“Elliot!” Nariss – cured from her madness – ran over to them. “Isn’t this amazing? Amy would have been so proud to be part of this.”
“I wish she could be here,” Elliot said.
“Me too, but she died to help all our races achieve this and I’ll always be reminded of her when I think of today.”
Barve and the others joined them. The whole team was assembled now, although the Izients looked a bit bemused by the people who danced by with their hands on each other’s hips in one long weaving line, kicking their legs about and singing loudly.
Dervyl nodded at Elliot and Farlden before she was pulled into a conversation with Mosrra and Abbrin, who actually managed to smile at her as if he meant it. Perhaps he was finally willing to accept that she was the leader they needed.
“I can remember our parents being slaves when we were kids,” Barve said to Farlden. “I never could have imagined this day arriving.”
“Nor me.”
Lila linked her arm with Elliot’s. “Do you remember how simple our lives were when we all attended Uni and I thought that getting dumped by my loser of a boyfriend was the worst thing that would ever happen to me?”
He recalled the months of uncertainty between him and Farlden, when they hadn’t been sure whether they loved or hated each other and they had argued all the time. Then they had got together and all the previous misery had seemed meaningless. He had thought that, whatever else happened to them, their love would last. “I was a naive idiot back then.”
“No, you weren’t,” Farlden said with an affectionate expression. “You were braver than I was.”
Elliot shook his head, tensed to see Callie and Farlden greet each other with a kiss, but they barely glanced at each other. Confused, he glanced over at Barve just as noise exploded around them. He jumped and looked about before seeing people gazing at the sky. He looked up just as a red firework illuminated the gloom, followed by another and another, until the sky was a mass of colour. People around them stilled, staring upwards, and Elliot did the same, mesmerised by it and cheered by the feeling of solidarity between this crowd of friends and strangers.
When the display ended everyone cheered and Elliot looked about to find the rest of their team a little way away from him and Farlden.
“I realised I was in love with you on Bonfire Night,” Fal said into the sudden quiet.
Elliot stared at him and swallowed. “We didn’t have the easiest start to our relationship.” Perhaps that was the reason Fal had given up on him: that it had seemed too difficult. No, he couldn’t believe that; Farlden never let danger stand in the way of him doing anything. Then what was it? Elliot needed to understand why things had fallen apart for them.
“I was so happy when we started dating,” Farlden said to him, apparently still lost in the memory.
“It was a world away, a different time.” Literally.
“I loved you so much and, although the memories were taken from me for a while, I’ve never stopped.”
Elliot’s gaze whirled round. “What about Callie?”
“She kissed me, hoping to bring my feelings for her back to life, but it was a man who had never met you that got involved with Callie. I told her that there could never be anyone for me now but you.”
Elliot’s breath caught in his throat and his heart stuttered. After the emotional rollercoaster of the last couple of months, he couldn’t let himself believe in the words and risk another rejection. “You don’t mean that.”
Farlden took his hand and laced their fingers together. “Elliot Rivers, I love you.”
“Are you sure?” he whispered, still afraid it would all fall apart, that he would find he had been dreaming this and was still unconscious.
Farlden turned towards him and stepped closer, until they were within touching distance. Elliot knew what was about to happen and he couldn’t decide what to do, part of him wanting to trust Fal again while another part wanted to deny this, to avoid the possibility that it wasn’t real or wouldn’t last. Then Farlden’s lips touched his and, like the last time, everything else faded away until there was nothing in the universe more real than this experience.
It ended and Elliot pulled Fal into his arms, both of them holding on so tightly that Elliot finally believed nothing would break them apart. They kissed again and it was as if reality changed just for them, everything in his life centring on the man he loved more than anything.
“I would tell the two of you to get a room,” Barve’s voice said as they reluctantly parted, and they looked round to see all their teammates watching them with a mixture of amusement and affection. Barve patted his brother’s shoulder. “But you still have to give a speech to the whole country.”
Farlden’s eyes widened. “What?”
“The P.M. wants to publicly offer his gratitude to us,” Dervyl said and Elliot could see from her twinkling eyes that she felt the full irony of this. “On air. We have a television interview to get to.”
Fal and Elliot exchanged uncertain glances and then Farlden held out his hand. “I guess we can wait a little longer to be alone.”
Elliot took it, his life making sense to him for the first time in months. “Then we’d better get going.”
They followed Dervyl through the collection of smiling people and Elliot relaxed and enjoyed the sights and sounds of the party going on around them, Fal’s fingers entwined with his.
Thanks for reading!
If you enjoyed this novel please consider leaving a review on Amazon as this really helps independent authors in getting our books known and helps readers find books they like. Thanks very much.
Free Books
If you are enjoying The Other Human Species series then you might like to try my m/m Human Hybrids science-fiction series previewed below. The prequel novella is available for free download at http://claresolomon.com You can also get a free Human Hybrids novel and book guide when you join my e-mail newsletter here. Please note, though, that this series has adult levels of violence and sex scenes and isn’t suitable for anyone under eighteen years old.
Available at Amazon
“The Source of Magic (The Other Human Species 1)”
Two boys. Two forms of magic. One powerful combination.
When Elliot Rivers, a Homo Sapiens, becomes friends with Barve, a Nean (Neanderthal) on their first day at university he has no idea of the conflict and fury it will cause among the students and staff, as well as within his family. To make matters more difficult, Barve’s argumentative brother, Farlden, hates Elliot.
Elliot and Farlden both possess the rare gift of magic. The discovery that it becomes stronger when they combine their abilities creates a connection between them and, against their will, it draws them closer together, slowly changing animosity to something far more dangerous.
The Nean brothers are keeping an extraordinary secret, though, one that could shatter their complex relationships with Elliot and change all their lives.
This YA magic fantasy series will appeal to fans of "Harry Potter", Cassandra Clare's books and Rainbow Rowell's novel, "Carry On".
“The Nature of Time (The Other Human Species 2)”
Elliot and Farlden work to help the Nean race, but they have enemies all around, plotting against them. As the teenagers enjoy their new romantic relationship and learn about Izients, they visit a whole new reality and their magical abilities grow stronger than ever. The Magic Control Department is wa
tching them, though, and getting closer to discovering the secrets that could get Elliot and Farlden killed.
Forced to go on the run, timing is everything. Will it run out before their magic can save the Nean race? Failure will doom them and everyone around them to slavery or death, but the price of success could prove just as deadly.
“Coexistence (Book 1 of the Human Hybrids Series)”
This is the first novel in a fast-paced M/M science-fiction trilogy with a paranormal twist.
Scientists have genetically engineered five human-hybrid races known as werewolves, vampires, dragons, sensers and wendigoes. The first four races coexist with humans in relative peace. The fifth one wants to butcher the others and they are getting stronger.
Jaspal ‘Pal’ Khatri is living peacefully with his werewolf pack until a mob of vicious anti-hybrid rioters, led by the Oxford HyCO (Hybrid Control Organisation), attacks and kills most of them. He flees to the Highlands of Scotland and meets the dangerously handsome Brand, a werewolf still grieving after the murder of his lover, Kye, a year before. He and Brand discover a dead vampire and Pal faces the nightmare of being falsely accused of the murder. Brand works for another branch of HyCO so, to prove his innocence, Pal must join the organisation he hates and try to ignore his growing attraction to Brand as they hunt for the real killer. Can they solve the case while battling danger within the HyCO or, with more than one killer on the loose, will they become prey?
“Blood and Choice (Book 2 of the Human Hybrids Series)”
Years ago Liam faced the destruction of his village in Ireland by wendigoes who murdered nearly everyone in his life. Now, working in Invercade HyCO and still tormented by the past, the only person he has left is his best friend, Tig. The two of them kill a wendigo who has been living and working in the city for years and begin to unravel a plot by the creatures that could be more dangerous than anything they have experienced so far.
When Tig starts dating someone else Liam realises he is in love with him and his jealousy causes their friendship to start falling apart. Liam thinks his life can’t get much worse but wendigoes always find a way to prove him wrong and before long both their lives are in mortal danger.
“Deadly Times (Book 3 of the Human Hybrids Series)”
The war with the cannibal wendigoes reaches its explosive climax in the last part of this nail-biting trilogy.
Scientists have genetically engineered five human hybrid races known as werewolves, vampires, dragons, sensers and wendigoes. The first four races coexist with humans in relative peace. The fifth one wants to slaughter the others.
Theo has a secret agenda when he joins the Invercade HyCO but which side is he working for? Daelin is suspicious of him but how much of that is due to Theo reminding him of the lover who nearly wrecked his life?
With sabotage from within the group and devastating battles being fought, the HyCO officers must face their worst fears in a war that not everyone will survive.
One-off Novel: “The Perfect Role”
Peter is still reeling from the pain of his ex-wife's affair and their subsequent divorce. As he takes on a new acting job, all he is concerned about is spending as much time as he can with his children. He is certainly not expecting to fall for charismatic actor, Alex, who is twelve years younger than him - not when his friends and family don't even know that he's bisexual.
Alex is hiding problems of his own, but this is his first major acting role and he is desperate to do well. His kind, sophisticated co-star, Peter, is a reassuring presence who increasingly captures his heart, but how will their changing relationship affect their job?
With everything to lose and those closest to them against the relationship, will their love survive everything that is trying to rip them apart?
Coming Soon
“A Perilous Journey (Book 1 of The Ascended)”
Keilena will do anything to protect those she loves – even risk losing her soul.
Pellotal is a country ruled by the Ascended, people who can do magic, and they live in luxury, having their every whim obeyed. Fifteen-year-old Keilena has led an ordinary life but she is about to discover a secret that will put everyone around her in danger. Forced to leave her home, she will have to face enemies who have no qualms about threatening the people she cares most about.
When even her own friends doubt her, how will Keilena keep them all alive on this risky journey towards an uncertain refuge?
A New Reality Page 16
