I turn to the white warrior, or Son of Adonis, if Thomas was correct. “What is your custom?”
The warrior nods, touching his armor with a fist. “We will have the pyres ready by the time your man awakens. It would be our honor to construct Elder Thomas’s pyre.”
“Make it so.”
The night is clear, the stars above shining brightly as I stand across from the heaped logs that make up Thomas’s pyre. Another ten stand ready, holding the bodies of the twenty members of the Sons of Adonis who fell today in battle.
The final pyre is for Anton and Sophia White, their bodies less recognizable but the best we can do in the time we have.
The lead Son, Eaton, approaches me, a torch in his hand. “With Sienna White still being unconscious, the duty is yours.”
I nod, taking the flame from him and approaching the Whites’ pyre. I pause before lowering the torch to the kindling, looking at the ruined corpses. “I . . . I’m sorry,” I whisper. “I only hope Sienna can have happiness somehow.”
I light the pyre, stepping back and hurrying over to Thomas’s before my nerve falters. I’m forced to pause again, looking at his body laid out, more like he’s asleep than anything else.
“How much did you see?” I whisper, my hand trembling. “How much did you know? How much did you weep inside, knowing what humanity had come from and what it’s become since? You’re right, you were never easy on me. And I don’t know if I’m going to be strong enough to finish this. But . . . thank you.”
I drop the torch in the kindling, and in moments, Thomas’s pyre is alight. I step back, watching as the Sons of Adonis hold their own rituals, lighting their pyres in emotional outbursts that seem to be one part mourning, one part celebration.
“What is going on?” I ask Eaton as I watch what looks almost like a party start to break out. He looks over and smiles a sad smile, his eyes dancing with the firelight.
“My brothers and I, we live only a short time. Ten years is a lifetime for a Son of Adonis. It is the cost of the god’s blessing. For those such as us, we know that our light burns short so when we can burn brightly. Those left behind celebrate. Today, I lost brothers and I lost lovers. But they burned very, very brightly, and for that, my sadness will turn to joy.”
I nod, touched and moved. “And Sienna?”
“We have technology to help her,” Eaton says, looking back at where she is being tended to. “It is not the same as a Solace autodoc, but similar. My ancestors came from shelter-like bunkers as well. We have . . . means. When she awakens, she will already see her new arm growing.”
“You have—”
“Tomorrow,” Eaton says, patting me on the shoulder. “Tomorrow, we can talk. Tonight is about light, and love, and the burning that comprises both. Goodnight, Cerena Lightmoon.”
Eaton turns and walks away, and I’m too surprised by everything that’s happened today to follow him. Instead, I turn around and find Tym, Brandon, and a still sleepy-eyed Lance watching me, and I know what I need to do.
“Follow me,” I tell them, reaching out and taking their hands. It’s a little difficult, three people, two hands, but we manage it, mainly because Lance is willing to sandwich my hand between his and Tym’s while the two of them sort of diagonally step together to make space as I lead them toward one of the empty buildings where Eaton had his men set up our camp for the night.
In front is another pile of wood, and we quickly start our own fire, nowhere near as big as the pyres, but it’s just big enough for the four of us to form a circle. Lance takes my right hand, Tym my left, and across from me is Brandon, who looks at me with an emotion in his eyes that I can’t hold back anymore.
As if guided by the deities themselves, I look at them. “Today we fought, and today we bled. During most of the day, I never doubted myself or that I would stand here and look at each of you again. But there was one moment, when Edward had me knocked to the ground, that I felt like it was the end. In that moment, I had but one regret.”
I take a deep breath, looking at all three of the men. My men. “I love you.”
The three words hang in the night air, but before they can answer, I turn to Lance. “Lance, my laughter. My trickster, who was totally correct when you told me that the greatest trick you can pull is to be totally honest. We’ve played, we’ve danced. We’ve laughed, and more than once, I’ve wanted to smack the crap out of you. But through it all, you’ve tricked me. You’ve tricked me because you’ve never lied to me. You’ve tricked me into opening up, into revealing myself to you as you’ve revealed yourself to me. And for that, I can only reward you with one thing. My heart.”
My eyes go to Tym, who looks at me with total devotion. “And you, Tymond . . . you are my strength. You have been the foundation, the rock upon which I’ve been able to anchor myself even in the toughest of times. You have a hammer, and you hammered your passion and strength with every touch, every word. You’ve smoldered, always within control until we found the strength to lose control. And I want to lose control with you. For the rest of my life, I want to lose control together.”
Tym nods, and I look at Brandon. “Finally, but not least, Brandon. My passion. You’ve fought from minute one. With me, with Tym and Lance, with everyone who stands in your way. You’ve sparked, you’ve chafed, you’ve burned. But with each burning, you ignite the fire in me. It’s because of you that I won’t give up. It’s because of you that I know that no matter how many times we get knocked down in this quest, in this life, we can get to our feet again. Because even if the breath is taken from our lungs, that doesn’t mean a thing until the fight leaves our body. And I want to fight with you and beside you for the rest of my life. I love you.”
My throat’s suddenly dry, and I look down at the fire, nervous. “I know this isn’t normal. I know this isn’t what anyone plans on. But please, I ask all of you . . . I’m imperfect. I’m moody, I’m a real bitch at times, and I might—”
“I love you too.”
The quiet words stop me, and I look at Lance, who’s smiling. “I knew all the way back before we broke you out of jail that I was going to stick with you. You’re the best thing to ever happen to me, and you’re the finest imperfect woman in the world. So, yeah. I love you too.”
“As do I,” Tym says, giving my hand a squeeze. “You taught me not to run from my fear but to embrace it. My grandfather might have given me a boost, but you unlocked my true strength . . . the power of love.”
All eyes turn to Brandon, who clears his throat. “I didn’t think this was possible. I thought . . . I don’t know. In the moment I touched Edward, I learned ten lifetimes’ worth of memories, and in none of them did I find what I feel for you. Nothing I can remember, nothing I’ve ever done, has prepared me for this. I died. And in that death, I felt nothing but loss. I felt empty. But when I fought Edward, I fought not out of emptiness but because I’ll use every bit of my power for you. I’ll take on the gods themselves for you. I . . . I love you.”
“So, this is a thing, then?” Lance asks, looking around and grinning. “Because I’ll be honest, guys, this is weird as fuck. I don’t want to change anything about it . . . but it’s still weird as fuck.”
“In a world gone insane, weird as fuck might just be the most normal thing we can do,” Tym says. “So, yeah, I think we’re doing this.”
I grin, tears trickling down my cheeks. “Then . . . how shall we celebrate?”
Brandon lets go of Tym and Lance’s hands and undoes his belt, letting his pants fall to the ground. “I can think of ideas.”
Chapter 34
Lance
The firelight dances around us as Brandon strips, and I have to chuckle. “Well, that’s one way to get right to the point. What do you say—”
I don’t have to wait for an answer as Cerena literally leaps the fire to tackle Brandon to the ground, mounting him and smothering his mouth in a deep kiss.
“I think you have your answer,” Tym says, smiling as he reaches for
his own shirt. He peels it off, and I quickly find myself the last one clothed as Tym joins the two of them on the ground, the three of them rolling back and forth as they struggle to get all of their clothes off.
Finally, Cerena’s totally nude, her body stretched out on top of Brandon and Tym, who hold her like the most precious thing in the world, her back pressed against Tym’s chest as Brandon holds her knees apart.
“Aren’t you going to celebrate?” Cerena asks, reaching down and spreading the lips of her pussy for me. “Or do you need more encouragement?”
I’m never caught without a comeback, a smart word, something. But watching the reddish-gold firelight dance off the gleaming wetness oozing from Cerena’s silky lips takes away everything. All I can do is lick my lips, love and hunger filling my mind as I pull my shirt off.
Sinking to my knees, I crawl between her legs, kissing the soft insides of her thighs as Brandon releases her knees. I feel him get behind me, but a moment later, I realize why.
He’s helping me take off my boots.
“It’s okay, brother,” Brandon says, the last word layered with meaning upon meaning and reverberating in the air. “We’re all here for each other.”
I nod, looking up into Cerena’s face as I kiss higher and higher, grinning as I tease her with butterfly kisses on both sides of her wet lips. When she goes to grab my hair, I pull back, shaking my head. “No, Cerena. I think . . . I think those hands can be put to better use. Doesn’t Tym’s cock look lonely just sticking up there all by itself?”
Cerena turns her head to look down at Tym’s huge cock, standing up like a pillar between his massively muscled thighs, and licks her lips. Nodding, she wraps her left hand around it and strokes him softly before turning to kiss him. “I love you all . . . and I want you all to come inside me tonight.”
Tym kisses her back as I lick Cerena’s pussy with a wide, flat tongue, tasting everything about her. Using my fingers, I spread her outer lips wide again, tracing the tip of my tongue along the deep pink inner folds of her pussy and savoring her essence as she moans, music to my ears.
Guided by her whimpers, soft cries, and gasps, I lap at her pussy, telling Cerena how much I love her not with words, but still using my tongue and teeth and lips.
In the back of my mind, I hear a faint chuckle and a voice whisper, “Oops . . . later, Grandson. Congratulations.”
I laugh, and Cerena breaks her kiss to look down at me. “What?”
I smirk, using my thumb to stroke the hard nub of her clit as I get to my knees. I don’t think she’d understand if I explained that my grandfather was most likely trying to playfully cockblock me. Too bad for him, my love is so sexy I don’t think anything short of a knife to the nuts would stop me right now.
“The Trickster just had to tell me he approves,” I reply, undoing my pants and taking my cock in hand. Rubbing it between Cerena’s wet lips, I stroke back and forth, over the stiff button of her clit as she whimpers happily, our juices mixing together, her wetness and the precum already oozing from my cock.
This is what I want. Two souls mixing, and as Cerena’s body opens to accept me, I know that I’m home. Slipping deep inside her, I take my time to savor the feeling of her wrapped around me, the warmth of the firelight on my side and the image beneath me.
“I love you,” I say softly, looking into the emeralds of her eyes. “I was alone . . . now I’m in a family. And it’s you . . . all you. Always.”
I thrust my cock the rest of the way home, holding still as Cerena wraps her arms around my neck and kisses me deeply. Holding her in my arms, I pull back and thrust again, my hips pumping back and forth as instinct takes over.
Cerena grinds up into me as I break our kiss, holding onto her thighs as I pump hard and fast. Brandon appears near her head, and she takes him in her mouth, nuzzling his balls and licking his shaft as she pumps Tym with her hand.
She takes us all, just as she’s done from the beginning. Taking Brandon in her other hand, she turns and looks at me, nodding as I hammer her, sweat breaking out on my forehead as I strain to give her heaven in the firelight.
“That’s it . . . oh, fuck, Lance . . . ram my pussy,” Cerena gasps before she clenches around me, her mouth dropping open in a big O as her orgasm explodes in her. She cries out, triggering my own explosion, and I fill her up with my thick cream, arching my neck as everything tenses before falling apart.
My hands clamp around her thighs, holding her close as the biggest climax of my life fills me, not just my body but my heart and soul all loosening. Tears trickle down my cheeks, and when I look down at Cerena, she’s crying too, tears of happiness that glitter like diamonds in the firelight.
“Until the ends of the earth,” she promises me, and I lay my hand over her heart.
“Until the ends of the earth,” I promise, finally withdrawing. I look over at Brandon and Tym, both of them looking emotional as well, although their cocks are obviously ready for their turns.
I grin, sliding back and standing up. “You know, if I were a greedy man, I’d entangle both of you guys right now and make you just watch.”
Tym growls lightly, and I laugh. Cerena laughs too. “Come here, Tym . . . and Brandon?”
“Yes, my love?” Brandon asks, leaning down and kissing Cerena deeply.
“When Tym’s done . . . I want to see if you can still handle me. You win, you get something you’ve only tasted before.”
Brandon’s eyebrow lifts, and he nods. “What if I ask Lance to help?”
Cerena chuckles. “Totally fair, and we’ve got all night. I want to go until the sun comes up. A fresh day for a fresh family.”
What a wonderful idea.
Epilogue
Tym
The home is simple, more library than palace. The white stone walls are carved with abstract designs, and as I look around, I see a fountain in the middle of a courtyard, a group of men and women arrayed around it, lounging on comfortable-looking couches, their weapons resting against the wooden frames.
I know where I am.
“Grandfather?”
“Welcome back,” Tyr says behind me. I turn around, seeing him approach, clad in loose white trousers that look like they’re held up with a simple cloth belt tied at the waist and nothing else. “Let me get a look at you.”
I look at my hands, and as I approach, I can see myself in his eyes. I’m bigger, the same size that I was in battle against Edward and his forces. “Am I going to remain this size?”
“Actually, it’ll be totally in your control,” Tyr says, smiling a little. “I suppose it’ll depend on how you want to go through life. There are positives and negatives regardless of your choice. Too bad there isn’t professional basketball or football any longer. You’d have been a surefire superstar with your size and strength.”
I tilt my head, confused, and Tyr laughs softly. “Sorry, I guess Loki is rubbing off on me. I’ll have to get used to that, spending more time with him.”
“I expected more of you,” I reply, causing Tyr to stop.
“How so?”
“You . . . you’re the god of martial valor. The lord of courage, the protector of honorable warriors. Lance said that you’d help. Yet all you sent your own grandson was a bear.”
“A bear that gave you the strength of a god,” Tyr says with a smile. “Or, at least as close as I could get without violating laws that even I’m bound to. And I did my best to distract Bane while you were finding Sienna White. And of course, Adonis and I assisted Thomas, making sure he arrived at the battle in time to help. You don’t even want to know how much I had to work with Loki to figure out how to circumvent the rules that we skirted.”
I purse my lips, thinking. It is more than I expected. It just seems like so little in the face of our losses. “So . . . you’re working together with Loki?”
“I am. And Adonis. His sons will probably fill you in on their story as they help you on the next leg of your journey.”
“Leg of our
journey?” I ask, worried. “What is this?”
Tyr sighs and waves his hand. Out of the stone floor, two stools appear and Tyr sits in one. He gestures to me, and I follow his lead and take the other seat.
“War is coming, Tym.”
“This isn’t war?” I ask. “The last time Lance talked to Loki, he said the fight was already starting here as well.”
“You should know there are many stages before a fight becomes a war,” Tyr replies. “Just as there are many levels to the words love and family. I was moved by what I saw a few hours ago.”
“I do hope you didn’t see everything?”
Tyr smiles softly. “I turned my gaze away at the proper time. But you understand my meaning?”
I think, nodding when I think I understand his point. “Every war is different. The dividing line between a fight, a skirmish, and a war might not be clear. Love and family are the same. Just because we said we love each other last night does not mean that we weren’t together as a family before that.”
Tyr smiles, nodding. “There is hope for the human race yet, my grandson. Tell me, what else does your intellect tell you?”
“That there is a long way to go before this is over. And that before it is, a lot of blood will be spilled,” I reply, Tyr nodding in encouragement. “And you can’t guarantee that the blood won’t be my own. But there’s a problem.”
“What’s the problem?”
“Loki’s right,” I reply, looking at my hands. “Every god represents part of the spectrum. You’re all necessary. Even Bane. So how do you kill a god who’s already the master of death? And how do you eliminate all darkness from a universe that needs darkness? Because eternal light could be just as evil as eternal darkness. Eternal life just as much torture as eternal death.”
Tyr nods, patting me on the shoulder. “I have spent many years pondering the same questions. For now, though, let me guide you in your next steps. Go with the Sons of Adonis. If anything, they can protect you for awhile. Then, prepare for Bane’s final gambit.”
Nightfall Page 24
