Chapter Seven
Novak had made his house out of trees. The back portion was built right into the earth with wooden slabs making up the front. The entrance had uneven wood that didn’t quite fit together in places. It was as if Novak didn't have the right tools before construction. Colton didn't have time to look too long as Novak disappeared behind a crooked door.
Awan let Colton go ahead of him. He hesitated, grabbing Awan's hand. He imagined all sorts of things inside that would make a guy like Novak happy. "I don't wanna go inside."
"Anam Cara."
Colton turned and for once could see Awan's face. His eyes were the same black ones he had before the darkness took hold. No more doggy eyes. "Seriously. God knows what he has in there. Heads of elves and fingernails of other things he killed."
Awan chuckled. "Go in, Colton."
When the door squeaked open, wood scraping against the hard ground, Colton turned. Novak stood in the doorway, grinning. "No worries, human. I only keep the fingers of my victims. No heads."
Colton pictured a necklace of dried up fingers around Novak's thick neck. The image churned up the bile in his stomach. He tried to get it out of his head, but it played like a movie on a recorded loop.
"Oh, no, no." Colton wasn't sure if he said that to himself or Novak, but he fucking meant it. There was not one thing that would make him go in there.
Novak laughed. "No parts of bodies in my home. Come in, come in."
Colton shook his head. "That means you buried them in the backyard."
Novak's eyebrows drew together. "Your meaning escapes. But I can tell you I am not in the habit of killing. As I said before."
Awan crowded behind him, forcing him to move. Awan’s body pressed against him from behind. He could feel every hard inch. It would have been sexy if not for the fact that Awan was basically manhandling him inside, where he very much didn’t want to go.
Okay, one thing could get him inside. He turned and gave Awan his best dirty look.
Novak moved away, giving them space to enter. He knelt in the middle of the floor next to a fire pit that was built right into the ground. The flame hadn't taken hold yet, so most of the space was covered in shadows, but he could see enough to know his fears were unfounded.
A pallet lay neat and inviting on the floor against one wall with folded up materials at the foot. The materials were all different colors. They were patches of different materials sewn together. Colton wondered where Novak got the material and then it hit him that he probably took them from people who didn't need them anymore. Living a long life wasn't something most did down in the pit. Colton might have only been in there a few hours, but he figured that out very quickly.
Novak seemed resourceful, using what he could scavenge. That was probably the one skill that kept him alive for so long. That and being able to fight.
Awan let Colton go once they got inside, although he stayed close. Colton took in the one-room hut as he said, "You manhandling me has repercussions, just so you're aware."
The firepit had logs and embers. The logs didn't look like they came from any trees he had back home. At home, the wood grew in rings. Each ring added fibrous wisdom.
Colton squatted next to the stack of logs against the far wall, directly across from the door and ran his hand over the cut end. The tree had no rings or fibers. They looked like log shaped rocks more than trees and were cool to the touch, instead of room temperature as Colton expected. "Huh."
"What is it, Anam Cara?" Awan sat beside him, with his face to the firepit. It appeared that he watched Novak built the fire, but Colton knew it was more likely he was keeping a protective eye out.
"The trees look different then what we have at home." Colton turned and sat beside Awan. He sat as close as possible, wanting to keep warm. Awan put an arm around him and pulled him even closer. The move seemed so natural it was as if he did it automatically.
Novak gathered sticks and placed them on top of the log in a neat little triangular shape.
He didn't look up from his task when he spoke. "There used to be water which flowed so fast it ate at the dirt. The water took too much from the ground. Greed consumed it until Dagda banished it to the Upperworld. In its place grew lush forests for animal spirits and plants to live." Novak flicked his tongue out so fast it made Colton jump. Instead of a solid chunk of wet flesh, the end forked like a snake’s. The end touched the twigs of wood on the log, and a spark of fire lit them before flames took hold.
Novak sat back and looked at Colton. When he spoke, his voice sounded normal as if he didn't just do that thing with his tongue. "The dirt grew so abundant, it piled on top of each other until the animal spirits moved on to the Upperworld and most of the plants were gone. Dagda returned the water commanding it and the dirt to work together. And the dirt and water did. They worked together so well that the dirt let the water shape it, creating deep chasms so elaborate they were impossible to map. The trees liked the dark and the cold, so they stayed while the water formed the dirt around them."
So that was supposed to tell Colton why the trees looked weird. "Oh."
Awan laughed. "Finally, you are speechless."
"I don't talk that much, and besides I got nothing to follow up a story like that. Friggin' amazing. Tell me another one."
Novak smiled. "'Tis not just a story, human."
"Whatever. I liked it. That's all I'm saying."
Novak reached behind him and pulled up a leather flask. He took a cork like thing off one end and took a drink before extending it to Colton and Awan. "It will fill you with nutrients and hydrate."
"Thank you." Colton took a drink, expecting it to taste like watered down bitter shit, but it was sweet like juice.
"We will bed down to regain our energy." Novak nodded to the flask. "Drink your fill. There is plenty."
Why was it that as soon as Novak said bed, Colton suddenly wasn't that tired?
He took another drink and then handed it over to Awan, who held up his hand and shook his head.
Colton frowned. "You need it too."
"I am not made up of the same stuff as you and Novak."
"Wait. You don't eat?"
"Not to sustain life."
"Oh." Colton just shrugged and took another drink. His stomach eased the more he let the liquid fill it. He was never one to drink his dinner, but he could get used to it if it meant feeling so energized.
He leaned against Awan and yawned, which totally didn't make sense. "I don't even feel tired. Not sure why I'm yawning." As soon as he said it, his eyelids began to close.
Novak stood and went to the pile of material. He lifted about half and walked around the fire, handing the pile to Awan, who took it.
Awan nodded by way of saying thanks and moved away, laying the blankets out on the opposite side of the fire. When Awan finished, he lifted the blanket on the top and held it open, meeting Colton's gaze. "Come."
Colton sighed and stood, closing the distance between them. He laid down on the pallet and waited for Awan to join him. Awan just covered him in blankets and sat on the ground, his sword in his lap. His back was to Colton.
"Okay, why are you sitting there like that?" Awan had his legs crossed, and he seemed to be peering into the fire as if in a meditative state.
"Sleep, Anam Cara."
Colton rolled his eyes. "How about you answer my question. Anome Cara."
"I must protect you."
"Can't you do that and lay down at the same time?"
"I am not a threat to him, Second." Novak lay on his side with his face to the thick dirt wall. The blankets were pulled halfway up his big body, and his shoulders were bare. Fatigue laced every word he spoke.
Colton sat up enough to grab Awan's arm. "Come on, Awan. Seriously. If you sit like that all night, I'm gonna have a hard time falling asleep anyway because I'll be worried about it."
Awan turned. A smile turned up the corners of his lips. "You worry?"
"Of course."
"Does that mean you want to remain my Anam Cara?" When Awan turned, Colton let him go. He lay down, scooting next to Colton. He let his sword lay at his back within grabbing distance.
Their faces were barely an inch apart. Colton put his arm around Awan's waist and ran it up his back to his shoulders. "Why'd you ask that?" He kept his voice at a whisper.
"Upon first meeting, you declared your longing for home. I wonder if you are reconsidering." The way Awan averted his gaze, Colton could swear he was nervous.
"Isn't the door closed by now? I'm stuck for a while regardless."
Awan ran a finger down Colton's cheek. In all his adulthood, he'd never had someone touch him as much as Awan. It wasn't sexual either. He probably wouldn't find it all that special with anyone else but as Awan ran his finger across Colton's lips, one at a time, he also looked at him with wonder and a little bit of lust.
Colton cupped Awan's cheek. "Thank you for coming down here for me. It's really brave."
Awan smiled, his eyelids drooping. "Some would consider it stupid."
"I don't. I think it's selfless and shows how much you care about Talli and Kele that you'd come after a stranger just because they sent me."
"Had I known our soul deep connection, I would have been frantic."
"Are you glad you didn't?" Colton yawned and turned around, his back to Awan's front. He wiggled around until he found a comfortable position.
"Yes. I had a level head. Until I saw the light around you. That light changed everything." Awan put an arm around Colton's waist. Colton pulled it up to his chest and rested his hand over Awan's.
"I wouldn’t like it if you were hurt either." It was as much of a declaration as Colton was willing to make for the time being. He wouldn't promise he'd stay. Hell, he'd only known Awan for as long as he'd been down in the pit a little over twenty-four hours at the most.
Colton honestly had no idea how long they'd been down there. It felt a lot longer than it probably was what with constantly almost getting killed and shit. Which so wasn't the point Colton needed to make to himself. The damn point was he couldn't say how he felt about Awan because he didn't know if he could stay and wouldn't ask Awan to come with him to the farm again.
He knew Awan better and knew he wouldn’t do well in Colton’s world. Awan was a warrior. That much had been clear after five seconds of meeting him for the first time. A warrior turned farmer might sound like a quiet way to spend the rest of a life, but Awan didn't strike Colton as someone who would want to give up the battle. And it seemed like Awan was in charge of a lot of shit, so he was needed in the Otherworld, probably more than the farm needed Colton.
The only thing Colton could do was fix the mechanical shit that always seemed to break down, but then Wyatt could do that almost as well.
"I can hear your mind worrying. Sleep." Awan pressed his lips to Colton's neck before settling again.
"I'm trying."
"What makes your thoughts heavy?"
How was Colton supposed to answer that? If he told the truth, they'd get into a long discussion, and they both needed sleep more than they needed to talk. "I guess now that things have settled down some, I'm just thinking of this Anome Cara stuff."
"We can discuss it when we get back to the castle."
"Okay but that still doesn't help me now."
Awan's hand snaked down Colton's chest until he came to the waistband of Colton's jeans. "I can redirect your thoughts."
"Oh God. Yes, please." Colton unsnapped his jeans, making room for Awan's hand. His hands shook with anticipation. His eagerness would embarrass him later, but at that moment all he could think about was Awan’s touch on him.
Awan chuckled.
Colton could feel Awan fumble around between them with his free hand. Every so often he would brush against Colton's ass. He kept moving into the touch, and Awan kept moving away, probably wanting to free his cock. Colton wanted that as well, but he also was impatient.
He finally had enough and just pushed his jeans down to his thighs.
Awan hissed when he finished what he was doing, and his hard cock touched Colton's bare skin. He ran his hand over Colton's ass cheek even as he gripped Colton's cock with his other hand. "I wish I could explore more."
Colton sucked in a breath when Awan pulled his hand up, beginning to jack him off slowly. "I-I wish that too."
The way Awan's calluses rubbed over the head of Colton's cock on the upstroke gave him just the roughness he needed.
"Tell me what you like."
Awan wanted him to talk? Seriously. Colton's body wasn't his own. Even his voice knew it belonged to Awan.
All he could do was moan and move into the cock rubbing along his ass crack. The only thing that would make the moment better was if Awan was inside him.
"Speak to me, Anam Cara."
Shit. "Okay." Colton panted and tried to concentrate on his answer. "Um...I...I like it...all. You can fuck me, or I fuck you. Whatever."
Awan chuckled, but Colton didn't find anything funny about what he said. "Fucking means making love?"
Colton nodded. He knew it came off as frantic, but he couldn't help it. He was so close to coming already, and he didn’t want to yet. He tried to hold it off and whimpered when it built even more.
"Before we make love properly you will decide if you stay with me or go back."
Colton nodded.
Awan's free hand came up to Colton’s chest.
Awan moved his hips harder as if making a point.
"If you choose to leave me, this is all we will ever have. Do you understand?" Awan's lips were against Colton's ear. The words, while whispered, still held a power that had no trouble finding its way home.
Colton nodded.
"Speak words."
"Yes. I understand."
"Good. Now come."
The demand should have pissed Colton off. No one told him what to do or got all aggressive when Colton failed to tell him what he wanted to hear. All his focus centered on the husky way Awan spoke and the fact he felt so damn safe in Awan's arms all tight against him like they were one person, instead of two.
Colton came with such force Awan had to put a hand over his mouth so the world outside the hut wouldn't hear. There was no hope for poor Novak, who undoubtedly heard every single thrust and word.
Colton bit down on the fleshy part of Awan's hand. Awan hissed and pumped harder. "You are mine."
Colton moaned. It was the only response he could give. He wasn't about to release Awan's hand from his teeth. He needed the contact. Needed to know that Awan wasn't going to disappear to lick at the angry wounds Colton somehow managed to give him with his indecisiveness.
Awan pumped a few more times before he gave into his orgasm and that's what it was too. Colton could tell Awan was holding out, wanting to prolong the experience for as long as he could probably for the same reason Colton had wanted too. It was in the way he slowed down periodically and then sped back up again.
Colton let Awan's hand go and kissed his palm, soothing the hurt he caused. Awan moved his hand down to Colton's chest again, kissing him where his neck and shoulder met before moving his hand down to Colton's chest.
"I'm not saying no." When Awan didn't respond, Colton sighed. "Come on. We should talk about it."
Where Awan got a cloth, Colton didn't know, but he felt it against his sensitive cock before Awan cleaned his ass and the small of his back. The cloth disappeared, and Awan pulled Colton's pants as far as they would go with Colton laying down. Colton fixed himself and waited for Awan to tuck himself away before settling again.
He waited for Awan to say something, but he just lay there as if Colton hadn't spoken. "Are you ignoring me?"
"No."
"Good. Don't start that shit. It'll get unpleasant for both of us. Believe me."
Awan chuckled. "Go to sleep."
"Are we gonna talk about the issue that suddenly crept up while we were fucking or what?"
"No."
One word answers sucked. "Awan."
Awan sighed. "Sleep first. Talking when we wake."
Colton yawned. "Okay." He closed his eyes.
Awan kissed him on the back of his neck.
"This is nice. I could get used to sleeping next to you."
"If I ask nicely, will you remain quiet enough for sleep to set in?"
Colton sighed. "You don't have to. I'll be quiet."
"Thank you."
Colton couldn't help it. The slight annoyance lacing Awan's words struck him as funny. He put a hand over his mouth when he started laughing.
Awan just ran a hand down Colton's back and waited for him to settle.