Tears of Life

by Shea Balik

  Once all the food was on the table, including Mingus’s blueberry pancakes, Oluf went back to the stove, pulled out a small unused pan and cracked several eggs into it.

  “What are you doing?” Mingus asked. He pointed to the two platters of eggs Oluf had already made. “There’s plenty of eggs you already cooked.”

  Oluf put several more items into the eggs that Mingus thought must be herbs, as well as mushrooms, onions and cheese. “Yes, but they have sausage, ham and bacon in them. These are for you.”

  Mingus just stared at the man, sure he’d lost his mind. “But, you made me pancakes.”

  “Yes,” Oluf was already pulling the pan off the stove and walking over to scoop the eggs onto Mingus’s plate. “But you need protein if you’re going to heal quickly.”

  Then Oluf picked up Mingus’s fork and handed it to him. “Eat.”

  Mingus took the fork and dipped it into his eggs. He swore his eyes had rolled to the back of his head as the burst of so many delicious flavors exploded over his tongue. He savored every single one of them as he chewed. It wasn’t until he swallowed that he looked back at Oluf, who had taken the seat Wylie had vacated earlier. “How did you do that?”

  “Told you he’s the best cook,” Arne smirked at him with a mouth full of food.

  “Dude, seriously. Swallow your damn food before you talk,” Ryley said. “That was disgusting.”

  The banter between the men continued for several minutes. But Eirik halted it. “We’ve told you about us,” Eirik pointed to the other seven large Vikings at the table. “But what do you know about the Fae and your role in the Veil?”

  A scream from outside split the air. As one, the men at the table pushed back and rushed from the kitchen. Only Oluf stayed behind, but that was only to scoop Mingus into his arms before following them out the front door.

  “They’re coming,” a small girl said.

  When he saw her violet eyes, Mingus knew she was Tess. Oluf had warned him about her being half Fae. They didn’t want anyone to make her feel uncomfortable about her glowing skin, which didn’t begin to compare to those damn eyes. Not only were they shining brightly, but there were pink and blue specks coming from them.

  It was a bit… well, odd was about the nicest thing he could think to say. Not that there was anything wrong with it, but he had never seen anyone with eyes like that, so it was off-putting. Then again, many felt the same way about his sweet Pretty Baby, so Mingus shouldn’t judge.

  “The Seelie?” Fritjof asked as he picked Tess up into his arms as if just holding her would protect her from them.

  “No. The Unseelie. I’m sorry,” she tucked her head against Fritjof’s shoulder. “I don’t see them as well.”

  While Fritjof and Wylie helped to ease her anxiety and get her inside with the other kids, the others started to prepare. The Vikings ran to the new woodpile they must have created and threw the entire thing onto the bonfire before Mingus could even blink.

  “Damn,” Mingus whispered. “How did they do that so fast?”

  He hadn’t really been talking to anyone in particular but Oluf, who still held him and was now taking him up the stairs of the front porch, answered. “Twelve hundred years of practice.”

  It wasn’t what Oluf said as much as the way he said it that had reality slapping Mingus in the face. They were immortal. Like couldn’t die, alive forever, immortal.

  His brain was spinning with what that meant. Sure, it sounded great, but the reality had to be hard, and lonely. Very lonely. Even with them being friends, to see loved ones dying as they continued to live through generations would have been… Mingus couldn’t even imagine it.

  Oluf set Mingus down on the couch with the kids surrounding him. “Wait,” Mingus said. “Why am I in here? Shouldn’t I be out there doing the ritual?”

  The regretful look Oluf gave him was all Mingus needed to see to know he wasn’t going to like what Oluf was about to say. “You can still barely stand,” Oluf told him. “And you don’t have your druid magic yet.”

  Talk about below the belt. It was as if Oluf was saying he wasn’t good enough. “Plus, the Unseelie can’t see Tess,” Oluf said.

  Tess had to be in on this, for she climbed onto his lap and gave him a sad look. “They will come after her even more than they already come after the others. I need you to stay here and make sure the Unseelie don’t get in.”

  Mingus blinked at Oluf. What he said made sense, but that didn’t mean he had to like it. Shaking his head, he carefully lifted Tess off his lap and pushed himself into a standing position.

  When he swayed, Oluf held him steady, which was good, because Mingus was certain he would have fallen if Oluf hadn’t. What if Oluf was right? If just standing had him breaking out into a sweat and had his stomach pitching violently as it threatened to empty its contents, he really shouldn’t be out there, for it would just cause the others to be distracted.

  On the other hand, he was a druid. He was responsible to help close the Veil.

  Tess took his hand in her little one, but looked up at Oluf. “They’re here.”

  Mingus couldn’t explain it, but the adult way she’d said that creeped him out, much more than her appearance ever could. He also knew he wasn’t ready to go out there and put the others in jeopardy. “Go,” he told Oluf.

  Oluf gave him a nod, before darting outside.

  “Stay safe,” he whispered after he’d left.

  Tess tugged on his hand. When he looked down at her, she said with that knowing tone of voice, “He’ll be fine.”

  Why he believed her, Mingus had no clue, but he did.

  CHAPTER 6

  Exhausted, Oluf trudged back into the house. First, he wanted to check on Mingus, but then he’d need to clean up from breakfast and get lunch started.

  It was the first time in a very long time that Oluf was a bit resentful of his job as the group chef. No matter how hard they fought or trained, he was expected to get the meals ready. Not that the others didn’t have their own tasks, but at times like these, his job seemed to be never-ending.

  All he really wanted to do was to take Mingus upstairs, lay down curled up next to him and sleep.

  “That was seriously fu-crazy,” Bjorn altered what he’d been about to say when he saw all the kids staring at them as they walked in.

  Except sleep wouldn’t be possible. Not only were they bound to be hungry, which Oluf couldn’t deny that he was, especially since he’d barely gotten to eat anything, but the fact was, something weird had just occurred. And one thing they always did, was discuss it, sometimes to death, when that happened.

  Oluf was all for figuring things out, but he’d learned long ago, when it came to the Fae, nothing made sense.

  “Why would they attack two days before Lughnadadh?” Eirik asked.

  Arne gave a half snort/half laugh. “Seriously? It’s the Fae. When have they needed a reason?” he asked as he went to a shaking Gillie and picked him up. “You okay, my man?”

  But for once, Gillie didn’t speak. Instead he pushed his head into the crook of Arne’s neck, wrapped his arms and feet around Arne’s body and held on tightly.

  “Hey, hey,” Arne crooned softly. “It’s okay, Gillie. I’m here. I’ve got you and I won’t let anything happen to you.”

  Dermot strode over to the pair and placed a hand on Gillie’s back. “You okay, little buddy?”

  Even as he asked, Oluf had started to become more aware of those around him. More importantly, Mingus and the kids, who were all white as ghosts and in Mingus’s case appeared ready to faint.

  Then his gaze zeroed in on the one person who looked more smug than scared. Well, until she noticed Oluf’s gaze on her, then she started shaking too, but he suspected it was for a whole other reason.

  “What did you do, Kyleigh?” Oluf said as he took a step toward her. No way was he letting her off the hook. It wasn’t the first time she said things in an effort to scare the other kids.

  She wasn’t always
mean, but there were times when she lashed out. When it was toward one of the adults, Oluf didn’t really care. He got it. As much as she tried to hide it, she was terrified of dying. He remembered that feeling even after more than a thousand years.

  When they’d arrived in that druid village and found the most horrifying creatures he’d ever seen shredding men as strong as his father to ribbons, Oluf had nearly curled up into a ball and cried. Only having his friends there had stopped him from doing that. They’d had a mission that day, to save each other. Curling up and crying wasn’t on that list.

  Cullen, who had his arms full of Nessa, while his lover, Ulf, held little Bryce, turned to glare at his cousin, Kyleigh. “Get in that kitchen and clean,” he ordered. “I want every dish hand washed and every pan and pot scrubbed, to Oluf’s standard.”

  Oluf felt a small bit of satisfaction at that. Not because someone was going to have to help, but, for once, Kyleigh was going to understand there would be consequences for her actions.

  Dismissing Kyleigh and her complaining about life being unfair, Oluf went to the couch, picked Mingus up, then sat back down with the man on his lap. That Mingus didn’t utter a word of protest spoke volumes about how scared he was.

  In his limited time with Mingus, it had been obvious the man had a heaping dose of pride. Any time Oluf even tried to do something as simple as readjust a pillow, Mingus would insist he could do it. Not that Oluf would let him. He’d been stabbed in the back. The last thing he needed to do was twist to fluff a damn pillow.

  “Want to tell me about it?” Oluf asked.

  Mingus, like Gillie and Bryce, had rested his head with it partially tucked in the crook of Oluf’s neck. It was adorable and Oluf found his heart melting. That Mingus would turn to him for comfort also had Oluf feeling like one of the Gods.

  Gently, he stroked Mingus’s shoulder and side, not wanting to chance reinjuring his back by touching it until it had healed. Slowly, Oluf felt the man relax against him in increments.

  “Is what she said true?” Mingus asked.

  “No,” Tess blurted out. “I tried to tell you she was exaggerating everything.”

  Mingus glanced over to where Tess, the only kid not crying at the moment, sat there in a huff. “But you admitted they could enthrall people,” Mingus reminded her.

  Oluf felt himself wanting to sigh, but he held it in. They hadn’t discussed the whole enthralling aspect of the Fae with any of the kids. Not even Tess, who’s own mother had gotten pregnant that way.

  “Is that what has you all scared?” Eirik asked gently.

  Every single kid, and Mingus too, nodded. Gillie, who was only three, popped his head up and told Eirik, “Ky told us Fae would frall us and make us do things.”

  “She said they would turn us into puppets,” Meghan whispered, her arms still around her brother, Ryley, in a death grip. “That they would rape me and her until we had their babies.”

  “And she said they’d make us eat other kids,” Bryce wailed.

  Eirik’s eyes hardened into steel, but when he spoke, his voice was gentle as he tried to reassure the kids. “What Kyleigh said used to be true. Well, not about eating other people. But the Fae used to enthrall people.”

  It amazed Oluf sometimes how great his friend was at leading them. He could literally morph into anyone he needed to be. From fierce warrior who could wield a sword better than any of them, to an inspirational leader, who was able to cheer them up and make them believe in themselves even when they’d had their asses handed to them.

  But it was times like now that always amazed Oluf. For it wasn’t often, well, not until Ryley arrived anyway, that they saw this gentle kindness from Eirik. Since Ryley had come into their lives, Eirik’s softer side made more and more of an appearance in their daily lives.

  “But that is why your ancestors tried to seal the Veil. They may not have completely succeeded, but other than the little bit of time they are out until you can perform the ritual, they aren’t in our world. That means they can’t enthrall anyone.” Eirik patted both Bryce and Gillie’s back, then went over to Meghan, who surprised Eirik by turning from Cullen and giving him a hug.

  “I swear to you, sweet girl,” Eirik whispered. “I will never allow the Fae to do anything like that again.”

  It was a promise Eirik couldn’t make, but Oluf couldn’t blame him for doing it. Oluf would have vowed to give these kids, and Mingus as well, the sun and moon if it meant alleviating their fears.

  That seemed to help the kids, but the way Mingus continued to snuggle against Oluf indicated he wasn’t as convinced. Smart. Because Tess was proof that Eirik had just lied through his teeth.

  “Tell you what,” Dermot told the kids. “Why don’t we put on some cartoons in the other room until after lunch, then we’ll all go outside and play?”

  “Can we play now, stead?” Gillie asked excitedly.

  Wylie chuckled. “Smart kid. But no. We are all sweaty and need to get cleaned up first. Then, I’m sure Oluf will have lunch ready. So after lunch, all right, kiddo?”

  Gillie thought about it for a minute. He even looked first at Bryce, then to Tess, before finally glancing in Meghan’s direction. When they all gave him a nod of approval, Gillie sighed. “Okay,” he said a little reluctantly. “Can we watch the birds?”

  Oluf shuttered at the mention of that bird cartoon. That might be the only plus at the moment to having to cook. He wasn’t forced to watch those ridiculous cartoons. He’d never understood the draw of television, or movies for that matter. He would much rather read a book the rare occasions he had spare time.

  It wasn’t until the kids were ushered upstairs to a bonus room that they had converted into a kids sleeping area, as well as play space for them, that he softly kissed Mingus’s forehead. “You okay with all this?”

  Mingus shook his head. “Are you really going to cook lunch for everyone after having to fight the Unseelie?” Mingus asked instead of talking about what was really bothering him.

  “Well, first I’m going to need to check on Kyleigh and makes sure she’s actually cleaning, then I’ll need a quick shower before I come back down and start lunch.” Just saying it had Oluf once more wishing he could take a nap.

  Sure, part of that had to do with the fact that he hadn’t been sleeping well since finding out the Seelie would attack Mingus and his family. But, if he were truly honest, the main reason was he just wanted time with Mingus. Him and no one else.

  To his utter surprise, Mingus kissed Oluf’s cheek. “Thank you for comforting me. But I think you’re working too hard. What is everyone else going to do while you’re cooking lunch?”

  In fairness, the others had things to do, too. “They need to go gather the bodies of the pets we killed and burn them. Then they will do their best to eliminate all traces of the battle we waged so when the kids go outside later they won’t have any reminders of what Ky said to them while we were fighting the pets.”

  “Sounds fair, I guess,” Mingus said as he straightened and started to climb off of Oluf’s lap. “But, I’ll tell you what. Why don’t you let me go in the kitchen and deal with Kyleigh, while you take that shower?”

  Mingus wore a somewhat malicious smile as he glanced toward the kitchen. “I’ll make sure she has the place perfect when you come down.”

  Oluf chuckled as he stood up. Mingus was only a few inches shorter, making it easy for Oluf to lean over and place a kiss on his cheek. He wished it could have been those sweet lips, but he didn’t want to push it. “Thank you. I’ll send Pretty Baby down in case you need her claws.”

  Mingus chuckled at that. “Not necessary.” His grin became even more sinister. “I’ve got even sharper claws and I’m not afraid to use them.”

  Oluf stared after Mingus as the man stalked into the kitchen like a predator after its prey. For the first time, Oluf was fairly sure Kyleigh was about to meet her match.

  CHAPTER 7

  With each step Mingus took, pain shot from the wound in his
back into his limbs, causing him to wish like hell he’d asked Oluf to carry him instead of walking. The only reason he hadn’t was he didn’t want to show Kyleigh any weakness.

  If he had to bite his tongue throughout his talk with her to stop from crying out from the throbbing soreness that infused more than just the area he’d been stabbed, Mingus would. For he was going to teach Kyleigh a lesson about what words could do.

  He was still shaken from what she’d told him. Unfortunately, he wasn’t as easily convinced by Eirik’s words as the kids had been. Mingus had seen and faced both sides of the Fae. Defeating them would take far more than eight Vikings, no matter how skilled they were at fighting.

  “Great,” Kyleigh bitched when she saw him coming. “Let me guess, you’re going to lecture me on telling the truth to little kids.”

  Mingus’s feet stopped as if on their volition as he stared at her, sure she was seriously fucked up. “Are you on drugs?” he accused. It was the only thing he could come up with for her complete lack of emotional capability. “Or,” a thought came to him of everything he’d learned about the Fae. “Are you part Fae and inept when it comes to human emotion?”

  There was a gasp, followed by a crash as Kyleigh dropped the glass she had been washing. Slowly, she turned to face him. Her eyes flashed with pure hatred. “Take. That. Back,” she demanded with each word punctuated succinctly.

  “Nope,” he told her after a moment of pretending he’d thought about it. He even shook his head as if emphasizing he wasn’t about to take it back or apologize. “Anyone who purposefully tries to hurt others, is no better than the Fae you described earlier.”

  Her hand wrapped around the handle of a nearby knife. He could see the intent in her eyes. She was going to hurt him more. But Mingus had already been stabbed. Sure, it fucking hurt, but if a Fae hadn’t been able to kill him, he damn sure wasn’t about to let a brat like Kyleigh accomplish it.