by Nichols, TJ
The void closed, and he was once again in Demonside. For a moment he breathed easily. It was like coming home.
Saka stepped around the tent, his horns gleaming in the starlight and his metallic skin shimmering. He was very much alive. The tension that had knotted Angus’s stomach eased so he could breathe again, but in that same heartbeat, he had to wall himself up so Demonside didn’t suck the magic from his body and leave him nothing but a broken husk.
The time when he had enjoyed letting go and being part of something bigger had slid through his fingers. He missed rebalancing the way it had been in Saka’s bed.
“I wasn’t sure it was actually you who sent the message,” Saka said.
“But you replied anyway.” He never doubted that the message had come from Saka.
Saka gave a single nod. “And you came.”
Angus took a couple of paces toward his demon. “Where are we this time?” He recognized the jungle, but he didn’t know how far it spread or how close they were to the demon village that was connected to Uxmal.
“Several days walk from the village and the doorway that you would know. There is a smaller settlement two days away.”
“Not that far, yet Iktan hasn’t dragged you back.”
“We have an agreement. I will be returning, so you can return through the doorway.” Saka moved closer.
“Terrance plans to open the void tomorrow, if you respond to him.” Or if Saka didn’t want to, he’d walk back to the town with him. Cadmael would force a bond with a priest, and it wouldn’t be Kabil. There would be no more stalling or wriggling out of it, and Angus was sure Cadmael would find some way of forcing Saka to accept the bond instead of turning it away.
“He is alive? He played?”
“Yes and yes.” Angus wanted to tell Saka about the game and the ritual and the emotions the blood had soaked up.
But Saka’s face became serious. “Terrance being the anchor is not approved.”
“No. I’m not very good at following rules.”
“I’ve noticed.” Saka took his hands. His skin was warm and rough, and a shiver traced over Angus’s skin even though the night was warm.
Magic and lust coiled through him. He wanted nothing more than to rebalance and enjoy the time he had with Saka without thinking about the death of Demonside. But that was impossible. All magic was tied to Demonside, and its use had to be paid for. He enjoyed the paying far too much and didn’t understand Cadmael’s warning not to get entangled with Saka when it was clear there was no ban on human-demon relations.
But he’d also seen that there was much more to rebalancing. They needed to think bigger.
“So we have a day before Terrance wants you back.”
“Not just me.” Had Saka not been serious in the desert? “Didn’t you want to see what you could do if you had two humans to rebalance with?” He hadn’t forgotten. And he’d thought too much about it while he was alone and missing his lovers. Magic pushed against his skin, following Saka’s thumb as he rubbed in small circles.
The corner of Saka’s lips turned up. “It is a curiosity that I would like to sate.”
What would it be like to watch Saka and Terrance? Would it kill him? He was able to taste what it must be like for both of them, to know what was happening but not be part of it.
He was the worst boyfriend… and he wasn’t much of an apprentice either.
Everyone else managed to follow the rules of magic—expect for the college warlocks. Maybe he was a warlock.
Saka closed the distance between them. His chest almost touched Angus’s. “Tonight I have you to myself.”
“Yes.” For weeks he’d been looking forward to being alone with Saka. “Tomorrow I’ll tell you about the game.”
“And I’ll tell you what I have learned and maybe we’ll have enough to make a plan.”
“Maybe.” In the soft starlight of Demonside, plans and danger seemed far away, and he didn’t want to let anything intrude on their time. He brushed his lips over Saka’s, and the demon returned the kiss. With every touch and taste, the kiss became more demanding.
Saka put his hand on Angus’s hip and drew him closer. The pressure of his fingertips betrayed his need. Angus put his arm around Saka’s neck, glad that Saka still wanted him, despite all the time and distance that had been between them.
Where once it had been about need—the need to rebalance and the need to teach Angus about magic—now it was so much more. He rocked his hips so he could feel the hard length of Saka pressing against his hip, and a shiver of longing raced through him. It had been too long since he’d been in Saka’s bed.
The magic he’d brought from the human side of the void was trapped in Angus’s body. It bubbled, seeking a way out. While memories of the trek still played out in his dreams, he didn’t need to hold it all in. It was only a day….
Unless something went horribly wrong.
Saka traced Angus’s cheek with his finger. “You don’t need to rebalance.”
Angus rested his forehead on Saka’s. “I want to, and I should. I’ve been using magic as I study.” He was hard and ready and wanted more than a quick fuck. He missed the times when Saka could keep him on edge for hours until he begged to come.
“I can feel your worry.”
Angus gave a small nod. “What if no one opens the void for me?”
“The doorway opens regularly.”
“Unless Uxmal gets attacked again, and all magic users get killed.” But if everyone he knew were killed, what would be the point in returning? No, he’d go back to Vinland and take down every last warlock responsible, even if it took him the rest of his life.
“There are other doorways.” Saka cupped his face. “Do you fear Demonside now?”
The awe that he’d felt the first time—the heat and the visible magic, all the different demons, learning the truth—was still there but tempered with the knowledge that this place would kill him. It wasn’t home and never could be, nor was it a safe refuge. “I respect it and the people who live here.”
“You share that with the Mayans. Their way of using magic is more similar to mine than I’d thought.”
Angus covered Saka’s hands. “I can’t stay here. I want to be able to go home. Don’t you?”
Saka was silent for several heartbeats. “Yes. But I can’t go back until the balance is reset.”
“I know.” Angus kissed him hard. “Let me give a little to rebalance.”
He didn’t want to say out loud how much he liked to feel the magic trickling from his body as he came, or describe how it made the release more intense.
Saka slid his hand down Angus’s neck, leaving a trail of heat, and then down his arm. Their fingers touched briefly, and then he traced the length of Angus’s dick through his pants. “Just a little. Arlyxia is so hungry for magic that it may take too much. Stay in control.”
Angus bit back a groan. He was sick of being in control and sick of the expectations people had of him. He had no idea what he was doing.
Saka’s lips were whisper-soft against his cheek. “I mean it. You should be able to feel the draw on your magic. The need is stronger than usual.”
Maybe it wasn’t all pent-up desire. He let himself sink into Demonside so he could feel the magic. It was there but barely moving. The rest was all heat and dryness. To him it was thirst, not hunger, and he couldn’t sate it. He wasn’t sure that anything could. He pulled back. He couldn’t let go, no matter how much he craved it. “I’ll be careful.”
One day it would be nice to come here and to let go completely and know that it wouldn’t kill him. If the magic were rebalanced properly, humans would be able to spend longer in Demonside. The longer they spent, the more they would keep the magic in balance.
Saka undid Angus’s pants and eased his hand inside. His skin was rough on Angus’s hard, heated flesh.
Angus smothered a groan. “Should we go into the tent?”
“Wek is sleeping.”
“No o
ne stands guard? What about the riverwyrms?”
“They’re different here. They stay in the river. Don’t swim in the water holes. That’s where humans get sacrificed, and the wyrms expect the food.” Saka kissed Angus’s neck and then between his collarbones. “Let’s move away so we don’t wake her.”
Most likely she was already awake. Angus didn’t want a silent audience, so he let Saka lead him away from the tent and toward some broken pillars. Vines wrapped around them with a resonance of old magic. Saka pulled off Angus’s shirt and dropped it on the broken stones and then drew Angus down.
A sigh slid from his lips as Saka’s mouth closed around his dick. He swept his tongue over the slit and around the crown and then took him deeper. Angus closed his eyes and stopped trying to hold back the magic that wanted to bubble out of him, but he remained in control enough that it was only a trickle and not a rush.
When Saka slid his tail up Angus’s inner thigh and brushed against his balls, lust tightened low in Angus’s belly. Heat and need surged and made it harder to hold on to the magic. It was so tempting to let go and not worry, but if he did, Demonside would swallow him whole. Angus ran his fingers over Saka’s horns to the cool, sharp tip. He hadn’t spilled blood for Demonside in a long time, but tonight wasn’t the night for that kind of magic. He moved his fingers away, and Saka released his cock.
Saka moved over him, pressed his hips closer, and rocked against Angus. Angus tugged at Saka’s pants, but Saka drew back, out of reach, and he stroked and teased with his tail.
It was hard not to writhe and want more. Angus’s breath was already coming in short pants. “I thought you wanted me to be careful?”
It was hard to concentrate on keeping the magic in and not get swept up, and Saka wasn’t making it any easier.
“I do. You are out of practice.”
He was, and he smiled. “I’m sure there’s a way for me to practice more.”
But he didn’t want it to be about magic all the time. Angus pulled Saka closer and kissed him. He needed to taste him, and this time he managed to get his demon’s pants undone and free his cock. He wrapped his fingers around the rough shaft and stroked, knowing what Saka liked, even though he could hold out forever or something close to it. It was a control Angus didn’t think he’d ever be capable of—he always ended up enjoying himself too much.
He pushed Saka over so the demon was on his back. Then Angus kicked his pants off so he could straddle him, and he leaned over and pressed Saka’s hands to the ground with his own. Saka could shove him away at any time. He was far stronger. And while Saka would never beg for release—they had tried that once, and it remained the only time Angus had ever been the one doing the fucking—the idea that one day maybe Angus would be able to bring Saka to that point was intriguing. It was also a much-needed distraction from how desperately he really wanted to let go.
Saka watched him, and the stars reflected in his black eyes.
Angus rolled his hips, relishing Saka’s rough skin against his. Saka traced along Angus’s asscrack with his damn sneaky tail. Angus shuddered, and precome slicked his dick.
Saka grinned. “Perhaps what you need is a tail to help you.”
“You could stop using yours.” But he didn’t want that. He liked the tease of the tail circling like a finger, ready to press deeper.
Saka didn’t stop.
Neither did he. Angus would slide past the point of stopping unless Saka forced him to. Angus half expected that. Saka liked to torture Angus that way, and it was always good when he did. The release was that much better, and that much more magic was rebalanced… which was exactly what they wanted to avoid.
He tried to keep a firm hand on the magic as he ground against Saka, but as the climax tore through him, so did the magic. He came hard—his back arched and his chest was as tight as though it had been years and not weeks.
Saka freed his hand, dragged him close, and kissed him hard. He thrust his tongue deeply into Angus’s mouth as his hips bucked, and hot come pooled between them as Saka gave in.
Angus groaned and battled to rein in the flow of magic. He grounded himself in Saka’s kiss and the feel of his skin to close himself off from magic and Demonside bit by bit until it was barely a trickle. But he wasn’t ready to lose the lingering ripples of pleasure just yet.
He rested on Saka, and Saka looped his arm over him.
The humming of insects filled the night air. Angus’s skin was sticky with sweat, but he didn’t want to move. As soon as he did, the moment would be over and they would start talking about how to stop Vinland.
Angus just wanted to live and breathe in peace for a few more moments and listen to the rapid beat of Saka’s heart before it slowed to something more respectable.
Magic leached out of him, and he didn’t stop it. Instead he held on to the pleasure for one more heartbeat. Then he put up the wall and protected himself from the thirst of Demonside.
Saka lifted his head and looked at him with a faint smile on his lips. “I should start teaching you again.”
“You don’t need to find an excuse for me to be here. I like being here.” He wanted to say more, but he swallowed it down.
Saka placed a soft kiss on his lips. “I know.”
Chapter Eighteen
When it reached noon and no one had asked where Angus was, Terrance was convinced they’d gotten away with it. He’d go to the park that night and open the void to Saka, and it would all be fine. But he’d have a demon again, making him a warlock or something, and Saka would kill him if he ever hurt Angus.
Of course he didn’t plan on hurting Angus, but people he loved got hurt. It terrified him that Angus was quite capable of putting himself in harm’s way without a second thought. He’d much rather be protecting Angus than wishing him good luck.
At least if they shared a demon, he might have a better chance of preventing Angus from destroying himself to save the world. That wasn’t their job. Smarter, more-qualified people were trying to save the world—not that bombing other countries was the smart thing. The whole world was fighting and finger-pointing, and no one seemed to have a plan for how to get the magic back to Demonside.
Leveling Vinland wouldn’t work. The magic would still be tied up. But Vinland was deploying a clean sweep every other day, it seemed, causing death and injury and stealing even more magic. Mayans were trying to find a way to stop the clean sweep, but it wasn’t working.
What if nothing worked?
The world was reaching the point where the ice age wouldn’t be stopped even if the magic were rebalanced. Thousands more would die of starvation if the cold remained in place. And people in Vinland were dying too—the sanctions had hit them hard.
He found it too hard to watch some of the stories from around the world. There were worse places to be than the Empire, so while the Mayans didn’t trust him, he tried to feel grateful to be alive… tried.
At dusk he made his way to the pitz court. People were playing, and they invited him to join, but he didn’t want to. At least their words were making more sense. He was getting used to the rhythm and flow of the language. When he caught himself understanding, the shock made him lose track of what was being said and he had to fight for every word again.
Eventually the park emptied as people went home. He noticed they checked the sky like they were waiting for it to turn the sick green color that indicated an attack.
Terrance walked onto the court and stood in the center. What if he fucked up?
Sweat blistered on his back, despite the chill in the air that he hadn’t felt before. The glaciers were creeping closer, villages were being abandoned, crops hadn’t ripened, and in some places, they couldn’t be planted because the soil was too hard, too frozen.
He had to get Angus back. They had to do something, even if they didn’t want to. There had to be a way to end this.
Terrance hadn’t opened the void in months. He needed a circle on the ground as a focus, but he didn’t need to wal
k it. He pulled the pencil out of his pocket and drew a large circle on the ground. It was more of an egg—art had never been one of his strengths—but it would do. Then he drew in a breath and centered himself.
“Summoning someone?” Cadmael’s voice came out of the gloom.
Terrance’s calm shattered. He fisted the pencil as though it were a weapon. He doubted he’d even get the chance to make one hole in Cadmael if it came to a fight.
Cadmael stepped onto the court, and for a moment, his face took on a look of reverence. Pitz was more than a game, and even before the imbalance, it served a very important function. “I did wonder how long you’d leave him there.”
“We agreed a day.”
Cadmael nodded. “A sensible amount of time, given the situation. We don’t recommend staying overnight to tourists. I’m sure Angus knows what to expect and how to deal with it better than most.”
Terrance nodded. He hoped Angus did. “Are you here to stop me?”
“No. We have people watching all of you. You aren’t the only defectors, but you don’t seem to be liars. You aren’t passing information back. Or if you are, you’re doing it in a very clever way that we haven’t been able to determine.”
It took a moment for Terrance to realize what he was being accused of. “You thought I was helping the college? They killed my parents.”
“You have helped them before.” Cadmael paced a little closer.
“I did as they asked, nothing more, because I like living.”
“There are some who’d like all defectors locked up until after the war. Most of us don’t feel that way. You know your country better than anyone. You should be helping to fight.”
“But you won’t let us.”
“You’re a danger to yourselves. You know just enough magic to do a few minor things, but not enough to understand.”
“Me? Yeah. I never wanted a demon.”
“The best magic users don’t. They understand innately what it means. Angus never wanted one either, yet he risks everything for Saka.”
