Credo Quia Absurdum

by Sophie Martin

  Time ceased to exist as Tim grew incredibly harder, more aroused by the minute. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Joel cleared his throat and said, “Okay, I think you’re all set. My hands are pretty shimmery right now, and your wings glisten as if they were dipped in some woman’s makeup drawer.” He lifted his hands to show what he meant when Tim turned to look at him. Joel had a tense, forced smile on his face, and his jeans tented uncomfortably. Timiny knew the feeling.

  “Right, great, thanks,” the pixie said as he stood up suddenly. “Can I use your shower? I don’t want to go and explain to my brother and your cousin why my wings look like I bathed in glitter.” His smile was as strained as his voice.

  “Sure, go ahead.” Joel waved him off. “I’ll go and, uh…” He looked away. “I’ll be in my bedroom.” Just as quickly, he got up and left the room. Tim looked after him and smirked, shaking his head.

  “Right. What a pair we are,” he mumbled to himself, hurrying to the bathroom for a much-needed shower and jerk-off session.

  * * * *

  “Hey, Cricket!” Tim called out as his brother emerged from the bedroom he shared with Dominic. After the dust-removing session with Joel, Tim was in a much better, more relaxed mood. He was ready to tell his twin about his decision to move across the hall. “How’s the mated life treating you, bro? I hardly ever see you anymore!” Jim’s face instantly took on a contrite expression.

  “I’m so sorry, Timmy, I—” Jim rushed to apologize, but Tim interrupted him with a wave of his hand.

  “Relax, bro, I was kidding! I’m very happy for you, and your wolf. Actually, I’m so happy that I decided to give you more privacy.”

  “What? What do you mean?” Jim asked, taking a seat across from Tim, who was polishing off the rest of his lunch. Tim wiped his plate with the last piece of bread and swallowed it whole.

  “Mmm, that’s what I call a proper lunch, leftover curry, yum!”

  “Tim!” Jiminy said in that warning voice of his, the one which Tim always found hilarious. It was like a Chihuahua trying to look all stern and dangerous. Jimmy didn’t have a threatening bone in his body.

  “I spoke with Joel, and we agreed that you two lovebirds need your own nest, so I’m moving in with him. I will still be close, just across the hall, but not in your way. Not having to listen to the two of you going at it will be just an added bonus. Man, I don’t remember being that horny, ever!” Tim laughed at his twin’s blush.

  Soon enough, Jimmy shook off his embarrassment and asked anxiously, “Move away? You don’t have to! Dominic and I love having you here!”

  “I know, Cricket,” Tim said soberly, and his voice turned serious, “but you need to focus on your own life and on your mate. You don’t need me here as a distraction. I will be just across the hall, so you won’t have to worry. Besides, it’s time for me to get a little bit more independent, don’t you think? Joel will be there as well. He’s a big guy, able to protect me. You can calm down.”

  “He might be big, but he’s human. What if some paranormal attacks you? What then? You two will be sitting ducks!” Jiminy was getting agitated.

  Tim sighed and told his brother, “You know there’s less than a one-percent chance of me being attacked in my own apartment by a paranormal. What is it all really about, Cricket? Why are you so intent on me staying with you and Dom?” Tim knew his brother like the back of his hand. Something had to be behind his agitation. Jim opened his mouth, ready to argue, but Tim’s stern, pointed look let him know the pixie wasn’t taking any bullshit from his twin.

  Jiminy seemed to deflate after that, and he looked away as he said in a small voice, “What if Dominic realizes I’m not worthy of him? He’s this big, strong alpha wolf shifter. He’s handsome and capable, and he was in the military. He could have anyone he wants. I’m just a scrawny, airheaded pixie who can’t remember the easiest spell and constantly gets in trouble. You know me. You know I’m not looking for trouble, but it seems to find me either way. What if he gets tired of it? I can’t stand the thought of losing him.”

  “You won’t! You’re more than just a pixie. You’re the most incredible pixie I’ve ever met!” sounded a voice from behind Jim. Timiny wasn’t surprised to see Dominic standing in the doorway to the kitchen.

  “I’m the only pixie, except Tim, whom you’ve met!” Jim turned to his mate, tears in his eyes.

  “But I love you, sweet. You and only you. If I could have anyone in the world I wanted, I’d still choose you!”

  “Do you mean it?”

  “Of course I mean it! You know I love you. Where is this doubt coming from?” Dominic came into the room and pulled Jim into a tight embrace.

  “Your grandparents are coming to visit soon. What if, when your wolf awakes completely and you shift for the first time, you won’t want me anymore? You’ll be a true alpha then, and your wolf will be more powerful than most.” Jim’s voice was still shaking with emotion.

  “Oh, you silly man, is that it? You’re worried about me shifting, and not wanting you anymore?” Dominic laughed with relief. “That’s never gonna happen.”

  “You can’t know that!” Jim insisted with a frown. He was getting more relaxed but still clung to his opinion.

  “I can, and I do know it. My wolf is snorting dismissively at the thought that he might stop wanting you. The beast decided you’re our mate, and is not changing its opinion.”

  “Yeah.” Tim chose that moment to interrupt. “And as for him being very powerful… I hate to break it to you, but we’ve got several equally or more powerful individuals in the close vicinity. Tyler’s tiger is at least as powerful as Dom’s wolf, and then there is Jason. Oh, and don’t even start me on his godly father…”

  A small whine escaped Dominic at the sole mention of Eric, and the man looked as surprised as the fey twins.

  “I guess my wolf wishes never to cross paths with that infuriating god again,” Dominic said as a way of explanation, and Jim nodded.

  “Yeah, I know what you mean. The man can be freakier than Jason, if that’s even possible.” He then paused for a long while, before looking his mate deep in the eyes and asking, “Did you mean it? You’re not going to change your mind when your wolf comes out to play?”

  “Nope, not a chance. I love you too much to let you go!”

  “I love you, too!” Jim exclaimed and dove for a kiss. Soon the simple kiss turned into a full-on make-out session and Tim got up.

  “That’s my cue to go. I’ll come back for my things in an hour.” Then he gave Jim and his mate another assessing look and changed his mind. “Or five. Anyway, have fun.”

  Timiny laughed as Dominic waved him off, and Jim stretched his hand behind his back, giving him the finger, all while in an embrace and kissing. Tim laughed all through his short walk to his new apartment. He was happy for his brother. Jim deserved a good man taking care of him, and Tim was pretty sure Dominic was that man. He better take care of Cricket, or else!

  Chapter Five

  Joel proved to be the perfect flatmate. He wasn’t too intrusive but not aloof, either. They shared a companionable cohabitation, and Tim was really enjoying it. Between catching up on his work projects and trying, unsuccessfully, to find a solution to his dust problem, Tim was pretty busy, so he wasn’t all that happy when Jim barged into the workshop with news.

  “Hey, what’s up, bro?” Tim asked, seeing how winded his twin was. “Where’s the fire?” he joked. Jim did not smile.

  “We’ve got news, but we need you and Joel to hear it,” he said, looking very serious. Tim didn’t like it one bit. Nothing good ever came of such seriousness in his brother. Still, he could do nothing but follow his twin to the living room.

  The apartment he shared with Joel was slightly bigger than Dominic’s. While Dom’s was a two-bedroom with one bathroom, a sitting room, and a separate kitchen area, theirs was three-bedroom with a similar living room, kitchen, and slightly bigger bathroom. The twins moved to said living room, and
Tim momentarily noticed a very tense Dominic and Joel sitting on the sofa. Joel raised his brows at Tim, and he shrugged in response. He had no idea what it was all about, either.

  Tim plopped onto an old basket chair he’d scavenged from where someone had left it in front of their house for the taking and waited for the news to be delivered. Jim went to Dominic immediately and scooted on the sofa arm next to him. Dominic’s arm went over Tim’s brother’s waist as soon as the pixie was seated, and the wolf shifter hugged him close.

  “So, we’ve got some news. The paranormal kind,” said Dom after clearing his throat.

  “We gathered that much, cousin dear, but if it’s some paranormal crap, then what am I doing here?”

  “Yeah, about that…” The big man was flustered. Tim saw his reluctance when it came to what he was about to say. “See, I might not have shifted into a real wolf yet, but the beast within me can be very persistent if it wants something.”

  “Yeah, so?”

  “So, a while ago it decided that you need to be introduced to our pack alpha.” Jim interrupted when it seemed like his mate didn’t know what to say.

  “What? Why?” Joel looked like he was shocked at this turn of events. “I’m human. I don’t answer to any alpha.”

  “While that may very well be the truth,” Dominic said, his voice even now that he got the hard part out of the way, “my beast feels that you’re ours to protect. It recognizes you as family, and thus belonging to our pack. Since I am not the alpha of my own pack, which the creature gets frustrated about at times, I need to introduce you to Jason and have you recognized as a friend. The stupid wolf won’t take no for an answer. Believe me, I tried. I did not want to get you more involved in this whole paranormal bullshit than you already are.”

  “I don’t think it’s such a bad idea to get you introduced to Jason.” Timiny couldn’t help but interrupt.

  “What?”

  Everyone in the room turned to him and Tim had the urge to sigh. What was it with people not knowing the simplest pack protocol and magical rules? Was he forever going to be the walking encyclopaedia?

  “What I mean is, if Joel, as a human, gets recognized as the pack’s friend, he gets the pack protection. Then, whenever he’s in trouble, he can call on any pack member and demand their help. Your wolf is simply trying to take care of your cousin the best way it knows how.”

  “Oh. Oh! Okay, that’s good, right? If anything ever happens, it is good to have some paranormal creatures on your side, isn’t it, Joel?”

  “I guess.” Joel still wasn’t thrilled about it.

  “Right, so it’s settled, then. You’re gonna meet the Alpha,” Dom stated, still looking disgruntled.

  “Okay, but that isn’t the only thing you wanted to tell us, is it?” Tim was pretty sure something bigger was coming. The question of introducing Joel to Jason and his mates wouldn’t have Jim so worried, and the pixie was worried. Tim could feel it deep within, where his twin bond pulsed steadily.

  “No, no, it isn’t,” Jim answered and started to wring his hands. Tim could see a tiny flutter on his brother’s back and Dom had to have sensed it, too, as he put his hand on the small of his mate’s back, calming him. Jim shot him a grateful look before continuing what he had to say. “Do you remember a female vampire that was kept in the same facility with you?”

  “Yeah, Annette. What about her?”

  “So, apparently she’s some hotshot attorney or something. She’s got connections in high places, and she swore to investigate and bring all the traffickers to justice, one way or another.”

  “That’s very noble and brave of her,” Tim acknowledged, waiting for the punch line.

  “Okay, so she was working on it all this time and updated Jason on progress she made. She called him the other night. Apparently, she found out something that might be a huge breakthrough, and Jason wants to share it with us. All of us.”

  “What do you mean?” Tim wasn’t sure he followed.

  “Jason called a pack meeting. Annette will be there with her mate. She’ll relay all that she learned up till now. Our presence is mandatory.”

  “A pack meeting?” Joel’s voice was curious.

  “Yep, that’s right. That’s why I wanted you here with us, Joel. You’re gonna come with us, and we’ll introduce you to the pack,” Dom stated evenly.

  “So when are we going?” Tim asked. There was nothing else to say. Mandatory presence was a mandatory presence. Even if fey weren’t exactly pack members in the strictest sense, they were still obliged to follow its rules, and being present at mandatory pack meetings was one of them.

  “Right!” Jim jumped to his feet and clapped his hands in excitement that seemed only slightly forced. “Pack your bags, boys, we’re leaving tomorrow morning! I can’t wait to see Ty and share all the gossip!”

  Dom growled, seeing his mate’s eagerness to see the annoying tiger.

  “Oh, hush. You know Ty and I are just friends, nothing else. I know you two love to hate each other, but don’t ruin my fun!” Timiny’s twin put his hands on his hips and scolded his mate like a naughty puppy. Tim couldn’t help but laugh.

  “Yeah, it will be nice to see Toby, too. I missed that little rascal!” Tim looked at Joel when he heard a weird sound coming from where the human sat. All he saw, however, was the man clearing his throat as he gave Tim a weird look.

  “I need to pack and prepare myself mentally. If I’m gonna meet more paranormals, I need to find my Zen.” With that being said, Joel left for his bedroom.

  “Right, we should get packing as well. See you tomorrow morning, bro!” Jim said and rushed Dominic out of the apartment. Once they were gone, Tim sighed and tilted his head back, staring at the ceiling. He hoped the meeting wouldn’t take too long. His symptom-free periods were getting shorter, and Tim didn’t know how much longer he was going to be able to keep it under wraps. He was getting worse and he knew it. He simply hoped he could find a solution before it was too late.

  * * * *

  “So, this Jason guy…” Joel’s voice trailed off while he tried to form the question. “What’s his deal?” he asked finally. They were in the car on their way to meet the man. Joel thought it would be best to know a little more about him.

  “Oh, his is a crazy story,” Jim answered excitedly. The pixie might look exactly like his twin brother but personality-wise they were like night and day. “Jason grew up a normal human. He had no idea there was anything different about him until his twenty-fifth birthday. It was then that he started to lose his feelings but gained an incredible power. He had no idea what was happening and didn’t realize his power at first. By the time he realized what he could do his feelings were all but gone. He didn’t get them back until meeting our friend Tyler and the human, Toby. It was the fateful meeting of these two guys that slowly brought feelings back into his life. It’s pretty romantic, really. However I’ve seen Jason in his no-feelings-mode—he reverts to it at times—and he can be really scary. Like, cold-blooded-psychopath scary.” Jim shuddered talking about it.

  “Okay.” Joel thought he’d have to take the pixie’s word for it. “So, when you say he’s powerful, what do you mean exactly?” This time it was Dominic who answered him.

  “What we mean is that Jason is a demigod. He lost his feelings because he turned into a god with incredible powers. Lesser of these powers is reading minds of people he touches, but that’s not what makes him nearly invincible.”

  “Well, what is it then?” Joel’s curiosity was getting the better of him.

  “He can change reality!” Jim’s eyes were huge and the little fey was bursting with excitement as he turned in his seat to look at Joel. It took the human a moment to process what the fey was saying. When he finally did he turned to Tim, who had a small smirk on his face.

  “He’s messing with me, right?” Joel asked his flatmate.

  “Nope, it’s a god-honest truth.”

  “You’re saying he can literally change reality?”<
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  “Yeah, Toby told me that when they first met Jason vanished the chains holding Toby and then turned a vampire into ash. And before you ask, no, from what I’ve heard it’s not what normally happens to dead vampires,” Tim explained.

  “Wow!” Joel had no idea what to say to that. Before he could think of an appropriate comment, Jim interrupted.

  “Yeah, and Tyler says that Jay-Jay—that’s their pet name for Jason—made him healthy again when Ty was on the brink of death!”

  “What do you mean?” Joel frowned, not sure he understood. “Like he healed him?”

  “No, that’s what I thought, too, at first, but that’s not what he did. Jason doesn’t have healing powers. He simply said that Tyler was healthy again, and then it was true.”

  “So”—Joel swallowed—”what you mean is that the man literally changed reality, so that your friend was healthy again?”

  “Yeah!” Jim nodded enthusiastically. Joel just looked from one of the men to another trying to judge if they were pulling a prank on him. They seemed serious. Ooo-kay then.

  “So, if this Jason is so powerful, why won’t he use his powers to, I don’t know, save people in need or end world hunger or something? Or hell, just to obliterate those responsible for the whole kidnapping business?” For Joel it was the only logical solution. If someone had power to prevent something horrible like this from ever happening again they should use it, shouldn’t they?

  “I actually asked the same question not long after we met,” Dominic said in a calm voice. “And after I heard his reasoning I had to agree with it.”

  “So? What was it?” Joel asked his cousin. “What’s his reason for not using his powers?”

  “Jason told me that once he learned about what he could do, he was terrified. He had no idea how using his powers affected the rest of reality. He is a strong believer that everything has its price. He simply doesn’t know what the price for using his gift is, and he is not ready to risk an Armageddon if he started flaunting his powers left and right.”