Tears of Life

by Shea Balik

  In a way she was right. But not completely. “I said, we would be there to stop them,” he reminded her. “And we did. I get that you’re terrified right now. Hell, I’m shaking too. But we have to hold onto the fact that we did survive this. That we can survive this.”

  Mingus was unwilling to lie to her. Life wasn’t going to get any easier for the time being. “I can’t promise you what they will do next. I can’t say that they won’t get through our defenses like they did today. Hell, I can’t even tell you that all of us will still be alive when this is over. But each time we do make it through, we need to celebrate,” he told her.

  “We need to be happy that we’re still alive and ready to fight another day. Because if we don’t, what is the point of going through all of this?” he asked her. “Why bother to do anything if you’re not willing to take what life you are given and live it to the fullest?”

  “What if I can’t?” Kyleigh sounded so damn small when she asked that question. She broke Mingus’s heart just listening to her.

  “Then we get you some help. Okay?” Oluf said as he and Mingus took her in their arms and just held her as tightly as possible.

  Mingus looked up to find Ulf and Cullen crying as they watched from the doorway. “Agreed?” Mingus asked of the three of them.

  When Ulf and Cullen answered ‘definitely,’ Kyleigh’s head jerked up as a gasp fell from her lips. They started to walk toward her when Kyleigh pushed from Mingus and Oluf’s arms to run to them.

  Ulf and Cullen engulfed her between their bodies as they all held onto each other. “I’m so sorry, Ky,” Cullen whispered. “We’ll get you help. I swear it.”

  Kyleigh nodded as she buried her face against Cullen’s chest. Mingus just hoped they’d be able to find someone who wouldn’t think they were all nuts, or worse, believe them and send the government after them. He wasn’t sure which would be worse. Locked up in a mental institution, or subjected to lab tests like a rat.

  They both didn’t sound pleasant, but he’d gladly go through hell if it meant finding someone Kyleigh could talk to and hopefully, eventually, heal.

  CHAPTER 14

  “Do you think this is wise?” Eirik said.

  Oluf wasn’t sure. Hell, he wasn’t sure about anything anymore. They all were on edge, but Oluf thought he was going to lose his damn mind.

  He had sensed from the beginning with Mingus that he would need to seriously court the man before anything physical happened between them and as far as Oluf was concerned that was fine. Or… he sighed and dropped his head back against the wall behind him as he sat on a chair waiting for the third psychologist on their list to talk to.

  The fact was, not having sex until Mingus was ready hadn’t been a problem until the Unseelie had shown up out of the blue. Oluf still wanted Mingus to be ready but he was on the verge of telling the man to hurry the fuck up because there wasn’t time to wait.

  Would that totally defeat the purpose of saying anything? Yep. Would it probably push Mingus away instead of closer? There was no probably about it. That’s definitely what would happen. On the other hand, the longer it took, the less safe Mingus would be.

  There was just no getting around it. Until Oluf claimed him, Mingus would always be in danger. The question was what did he do about it?

  He shook his head. Nothing. That’s what he did about it. Abso-fucking-lutely nothing.

  He was not about to pressure the man he’d fallen in love with to have sex before he was ready. He wouldn’t even want to if it wasn’t for trying to keep Mingus safe.

  “What is it?” Eirik asked him. “You worried we’ll end up with someone else who thinks we’re crazy?”

  It wasn’t exactly out of the question. After the last two people they had interviewed, it was actually probable. Thankfully, they hadn’t used real names or addresses when setting up the appointments. That was that advantage of living so many years. They’d learned how to make fake IDs with the best of them.

  It had become more a challenge with the advent of the internet, especially since the government now tracked all its citizens, but they had taken courses and discovered ways to circumvent the government in order to keep their lives not only hidden, but so no one would question who they were.

  At times it was a struggle, but between Arne and Dermot, they had taken to lessons on hacking like fish to water. Of course, now their house had a room dedicated to online gaming, whatever that meant, but it was worth it if they didn’t have to worry about trusting an outside source whenever they needed to change names.

  “No,” Oluf answered. “I mean, yes, it’s likely this person will also want to have us committed, but since she won’t be able to find us, I’m not worried about it.”

  “Then what has you looking like you’re ready to tear your hair…” Eirik grinned. “Oh. Mingus.”

  Oluf shouldn’t be surprised their leader guessed. Every single one of them went through problems with their own relationships.

  “Let me guess,” Eirik said. “You’re worried about him dying before you claim him?”

  Oluf barely was able to stop himself from saying, ‘Duh,’ but he was unable to hold the eye roll. “Of course, I’m worried about that. Did you miss the Unseelie arriving completely unnoticed five days ago?”

  His heart still had trouble beating correctly after that. Not that Mingus was truly in a lot of danger since the Unseelie had been after Tess, but that didn’t mean it couldn’t happen. Hell, if that had been the Seelie, they would have targeted Mingus since he was mortal and one of eight who would eventually seal the Veil forever.

  If the Unseelie had known that, they would have come after Mingus instead of Tess. Okay, so maybe not. Clearly those Fae had been sent by Labhcás. He was the only surviving member of an Unseelie family that Fen and his brother, Omri, had been sent by the Seelie Royal Court to kill.

  Since then, Labhcás had been trying to hurt the brothers, but as they were stronger then Labhcás, he couldn’t kill them. When Labhcás found out Omri had fathered a child with Aed’s daughter Ceit, and Teagan was the only descendant from that pairing, he’d tried to kill him. But once Teagan had been claimed by Hrfan, he’d become immortal and Labhcás had to find another way to hurt the brothers.

  Recently it had been discovered that Omri had come across the Veil, enthralled Wylie’s sister, Mairi, who had then given birth to Tess. But, as the Fae who Labhcás had sent to capture her had found out, Tess was still half Fae, and quite strong herself. Something they were all just beginning to learn for themselves.

  “Do you think Tess will be stronger than the other druids when she gets older?” he asked Eirik. It wasn’t that he meant to change the subject, but talking about his issues with Mingus wasn’t going to solve anything. Oluf already knew the answer was to wait.

  Eirik let out a muted snort. “I think she already is but for some reason she’s afraid to tell Wylie.”

  Wylie had basically raised Tess after her mother, Mairi, had killed herself shortly after giving birth to her. It was a side effect from being enthralled either too often, or for a long period of time. The victims ended up basically in love with the Fae who had enthralled them, and if unable to be with that Fae, just like Mairi, they killed themselves.

  “And don’t think I didn’t notice you changed the subject.” Eirik leaned forward in his chair. “I’m not saying to coerce Mingus, but you should tell him how you feel. If you don’t sooner or later, he’s going to sense something is wrong and might think it’s him.”

  Fuck Eirik for using logic. It wasn’t fair. Oluf didn’t want to discuss any of this with Mingus. It wasn’t as if Mingus didn’t know about the claiming and becoming immortal.

  “You know I’m right,” Eirik told him.

  “He is.”

  Eirik and Oluf surged to their feet as a woman who stood about five-feet-six with long curly red hair stood in the doorway to what Oluf assumed was her office. Her bright blue eyes seemed to take in everything about them, and Oluf swore he
could see the wheels turning in her head to put the pieces of their lives together without them saying a word.

  With the grace of a dancer she stepped forward and held out her hand for them to shake. “My name is Rowan Hair.”

  Once they’d given her their fake names, she gestured to the door she’d just come through. “Why don’t you two gentlemen come in and tell me how I can help you?”

  For the next twenty minutes they went through all that had happened to Kyleigh. Rowan listened but she didn’t write anything down or try to record them. Or, Oluf hoped she wasn’t recording them.

  When they were done they waited for Rowan to say… something. But for the longest time, she continued to sit there in silence. Oluf wasn’t sure if she was trying to process all they’d told her or if she had pushed some hidden button and was just waiting for the two straightjackets and a padded wagon to take them away.

  It was five long minutes before Rowan spoke. “I can take your friend as a client,” Rowan told them.

  “Wait,” Eirik leaned forward, practically staring her down, which didn’t seem to bother Rowan in the least. “You believe what we just told you?”

  “For me, it is not a matter of belief or not. I will help your friend because she believes these things are true.” Rowan shifted slightly in her seat. “That said, yes. I do believe you both,” she told him. “For I am a druid who performs the same rituals I’m sure your friend does to keep the Fae from entering our world.”

  If she had gotten up and started doing backflips in front of them, Oluf would have been less shocked. They could usually feel the presence of a druid. So why hadn’t he been able to sense her when they had been waiting for her in the front room? Or even now?

  “I have been protected,” she said even though neither of them had asked the question. “My grandmother was a powerful druid, who had caught a Fae trying to enthrall my mother when she was just sixteen.”

  “Does that mean she was able to stop him?” Eirik asked.

  Rowan nodded. “After that, my grandmother researched spells and managed to come up with one that would hide who we were from…” Her eyes flicked from Eirik to Oluf, then back again. “Anyone. Including the cursed ones.”

  Oluf sighed. He was so tired of being called that. Okay, sure, technically that’s what they were, but really? Was it necessary to use that to describe them? Yet, the druids who feared having anything to do with Oluf and his friends, bantered that name around with disdain and fear. No wonder few druids had ever trusted them.

  “Even knowing who we are, you’re willing to help our friend?” Eirik asked her.

  Rowan’s lips lifted into a half smile. “I never really put much stock into those stories,” she told them. “They might be true, but that was a long time ago.” A bit of pink stained her cheeks. “A really long time ago,” she amended. “Even if you had been the bad guys, it doesn’t make you bad now.”

  She stood up, clearly ending their time together. “The fact that you are here today, trying to help a druid with her emotional state, tells me all I need to know. So yes, I will help her.”

  Then she went over to her calendar and set up an appointment in a couple of days. As she passed the card to Eirik, she held onto it an extra beat and said, “I don’t know if what is written is true about the cursed ones finding the fated ones who will finally seal the Veil.”

  She paused as if trying to choose her words. “If it is, I wish you well in your search.”

  Eirik smiled down at her. “Thank you.” Then he raised the appointment card. “And thank you for helping my friend.”

  She nodded and they let themselves out.

  If anyone had told Oluf what would occur just then he would have called them a liar.

  Then again, apparently the day was meant for surprises. For when he arrived home, Mingus threw himself into Oluf’s arms and whispered, “I made sure the casseroles are in the oven. I have our own special meal ready upstairs in your room.”

  Then he pulled back, those blue eyes staring right into Oluf’s. “Because I’m hoping you’re ready to claim me.”

  Did he say surprised? Oluf meant stunned stupid.

  CHAPTER 15

  Something had changed within Mingus after his conversation with Kyleigh. As he’d been telling her that they needed to live their lives to the fullest, all he’d been able to think was, had he been doing that?

  He hadn’t been so sure. In some ways, yes. With each day that passed he would practice with his friends on how to use his magic and Mingus was having a ball. Maybe not at the thought of why he needed to practice, but he had to admit, as strange as it was to manipulate water in any way he chose, it also resonated with him in ways he hadn’t anticipated.

  It was as if he could almost feel every drop of water on earth and in the sky. They may be in Colorado, but he would swear even the oceans, as far away as they were, were at his fingertips.

  But then there was Oluf. A man he’d already admitted to himself that he loved, yet, hadn’t told him. Nor had he considered sex to be something he was ready for, but why? After several days of contemplation, Mingus had come to the conclusion that it wasn’t that he wasn’t ready, but that he had this notion in his head they he needed to wait.

  For what, he couldn’t say. In some ways, he just assumed a few weeks of knowing someone wasn’t long enough, but that simply wasn’t true. Yeah, he didn’t know everything about Oluf, but the man was more than twelve hundred years old. It would take time to get to know all about him.

  But Mingus knew the important stuff. That Oluf was kind, caring, and gentle with everyone he loved. Yet, it went so much deeper than that. Mingus loved the man with every cell in his body. That wasn’t something that was going to change with time.

  So, why was he waiting?

  That morning as he showered, Mingus had made a decision. It was time to live his life in every way. They had no idea what the future held with the Fae breathing down their necks. No way was he willing to risk the chance to show Oluf how much he loved the man because of some preconceived timeline he had in his head, instead of listening to his heart.

  After Oluf and Eirik had left to meet with another therapist for Kyleigh, Mingus had gone into the kitchen and prepared a meal for them. He’d been cooking for himself for years, so it wasn’t a hardship, but he had to admit his time spent with Oluf in the kitchen these past weeks helped him to make something far more appetizing than ever before.

  Then he went upstairs to Oluf’s room, put clean sheets on the bed before setting up the little two-person table he had near the balcony with plates, silverware, and a candle. By the time Oluf had arrived home, the meal was upstairs under warming covers and he sat on the stairs waiting for that door to open.

  The moment Oluf walked through it, Mingus could no longer wait as he ran into his soon-to-be lover’s arms. The words had tripped off his tongue far easier than he had imagined they would.

  But Mingus was ready. Expressing that hadn’t been an issue after making that monumental decision.

  A squeal of surprise burst from him when Oluf lifted Mingus into his arms and sprinted up the stairs. A few chuckles from below them was all Mingus needed to hear to know the others guessed what was about to happen. But instead of being embarrassed, Mingus only laughed as joy quite literally bubbled out of him.

  It wasn’t until Oluf had stormed into his room and kicked the door shut that he finally spoke. “Are you sure?” he blurted out as if needing to hear confirmation before he dared take another step.

  That was just one of the hundreds of reasons Mingus had fallen in love with this man. Placing a hand against Oluf’s cheek, Mingus let all the feelings within him shine through. “I love you, Oluf. I want to be connected to you in every way possible. Please make love to me and claim me as yours.”

  Lips crashed down upon his in a breathtaking kiss that had Mingus holding on for dear life as he struggled to ground himself. No way was he willing to come with only a kiss, especially now he’d come
to the realization that he was ready for so much more.

  They were both panting when Oluf broke the kiss. The green of Oluf’s eyes had darkened, while the gold flecks shined brighter than ever before. “I love you too, Mingus.”

  Slowly, Oluf walked them over to the bed and gently laid Mingus out on top of the comforter. When he laid down next to Mingus, it was as if two pieces of a puzzle suddenly linked together. They fit in so many ways.

  Like a dance neither had practiced, yet instinctively knew, their hands went to each other’s clothing, taking each item off as if they were unwrapping a precious gift. Which was exactly what it felt like to Mingus. Oluf was special. Someone he would cherish for the rest of his life.

  Soft kisses were exchanged as they stripped each other bare. Each inch of skin that was revealed was worshiped with fingers, lips, and tongue. Mingus couldn’t get enough.

  He knew he should be nervous, as this was his first time, but he wasn’t. Oluf would care for him, even if he didn’t know Mingus was a virgin. He wouldn’t have to say a word to be treated as if he were the most important person in the world to Oluf.

  That said, he knew he’d have to say something, since Oluf would be upset if he didn’t know something that important. If only Mingus could find the words, but all ability to speak left him when Oluf’s extremely talented tongue lick across the tip of Mingus’s weeping dick.

  The only thing coming out of his mouth at that point was a moan of bliss. Damn, he’d always heard sex was amazing, but this? Just damn.

  His head pushed back into the pillows as he arched his back to try and get more of that mouth on his aching cock. Never had he known this kind of pleasure was possible. Yet, he doubted it would have been nearly as good with anyone else.

  When his length was swallowed up by Oluf’s mouth, Mingus couldn’t stop his hips from thrusting up to get deeper. His mind spun as his fingers curled into the comforter, praying for some bit of control before he ended up coming in Oluf’s mouth.