Chapter 22

“Just a little further,” Icarus urged as he pushed Ran against the wall and reached around him for the door.

“Please don’t do this to me again,” Ran babbled as his arms flopped around Icarus then slid and hung limply. He pitched to the side and Icarus grabbed the front of his coat and heaved until Ran was straight.

“Hold still!”

“Just leave me be! I’m losing my mind,” Ran complained. Icarus sighed as he shoved the back door to Ran’s stable open. I hate that I have to do this. He put his arms around Ran and found his ear.

“We have to move now, let’s go,” he whispered and Ran groaned drowsily as he searched for Icarus’ lips. He kissed him quickly then pulled Ran off the wall. Ran stumbled after his lips and Icarus shushed him softly as they wrestled toward the supply room by the office. Icarus propped Ran against a post then supported him with his shoulder as he pushed the door open.

“Why are you doing this to me? Is it money? I have plenty of money,” Ran mumbled. “I can hellllp you,” he insisted and Icarus wanted to vomit, the guilt and loathing almost brought him to his knees.

“I have to do this,” he said quietly as he tugged Ran up then used what little strength he had left to pull him along as he fell. They crashed into the room and landed on the stacks of towels and blankets then rolled onto the floor. Icarus grunted as Ran slid on top of him.

“Thissis better,” Ran yawned as he rubbed his face into the corner of Icarus’ neck and his heart ached. Icarus tightened his hand in the back of Ran’s coat and held him close as the pain crested then released him. Icarus shimmied and slid until he could slip free then rolled Ran onto his side. He tucked a stack of towels under Ran’s head and covered him with a blanket then carefully slipped out of the stall. Icarus took the mask off and hid it under his hoodie, tucked into the back of his jeans. He quickly fixed his hair as he hurried along the stalls then out the back door. He was able to slip into the house and made it to the stairs before a maid rushed into the hall with an armful of linens for the dining room.

“Sorry, my lord!” She said then dropped into a curtsy and Niall waved his hands at her.

“It’s fine, I shouldn’t be up and about at this hour but I wanted to see how the new chrysalises handled last night’s temperature drop, before the sun warms the conservatory,” he explained somewhat dryly until her eyes became unfocused as she nodded along. He gave her an awkward wince then rubbed the back of his neck and shooed her. “But you’ve got better things to do than listen to me drone on about that,” he said and she gave him a warm smile as she backed away.

“Have a good morning, my lord,” she said and he ducked his head.

“You as well,” he said then turned and headed for the conservatory until she disappeared into the dining room. He skipped backwards several steps then spun and dashed up the stairs silently and down the hall to his bedroom. He checked to make sure the hall was clear and no one saw him come up then slipped into his room.

“How did it go?” Catriona whispered as she threw back the covers and sat up.

“Everything worked perfectly. Did anyone come in?” He asked as he found his pajamas.

“Mr. Simon stuck his head in just after midnight and I almost had a heart attack but he didn’t come in and look too closely. I could hear her out in the hall just fuming!” She said excitedly and Niall grinned as he pulled his hoodie and t-shirt over his head.

“That has been the one upside to this,” he said and she chuckled softly.

“They’re in a right panic now,” she said as she straightened her uniform. “I’ll make sure that guest room is cleaned up and the dust covers are all back in place before anyone notices. She won’t call for me for hours, it won’t take me long.”

“Thank you so much,” Niall said as he went to the door and checked the hall. It was clear so he stepped aside so she could pass.

“No problem!” She said then offered him a jaunty salute. “We’ll get through this if we take care of each other,” she added and Niall gave her hand a squeeze. He thanked every star for her. After years of being helpless, it was a relief and a comfort to know he wasn’t alone. Even though he wished she hadn’t been pulled into it in the first place.

“You have no idea how much that means,” he said then jerked his head. “You’d better go.”

“I’ll find you later and let you know what I hear.” Catriona winked then darted into the shadows and raced to the end of the hall. Niall watched both ends nervously until she made it then let out a long breath as he shut his door and melted against it.

“You pulled it off again,” he muttered then peeled himself off the door and pushed his jeans down his legs as he trudged toward the bed. He stomped and tripped into his pajama pants with all the coordination of a drunk clown before he fell face first into the mattress. “Somehow.”