This chapter has two different POVs. I hope you'll enjoy it!
— Rafaela —
"Chill, partner. I only said he'd need more than your sorry excuses if you want him to believe you." Phillip bit a piece of his grilled cassava and offered Rob a wide, cruel, ugly smile.
Rob wore an indifferent expression, but his white-knuckled grip on the backpack's straps showed a different story. "And I just asked you to stay out of matters that don't concern you, mate. We're trying to have a conversation here."
The walk back to Caidara's cottage had been stressful, tense, and quiet. As they sat around the old Druid and explained who they were to each other, Rafaela could sense the bad blood between Phillip and Rob. Léon squirmed between them, probably trying to stop Rob's discomfort from becoming a full-blown fight.
Phillip, though, acted as a perfect piece of shite, and while Rafaela didn't like to make assumptions about people, she thought there was only one reasonable explanation for the way he was behaving. Phillip must have strong feelings for Rob's boyfriend... which made the fact Léon and Phillip were alone in the forest that much more intriguing.
"I'll speak for myself, Phillip," Léon said. "But I'll speak later. Right now, all I want is to talk to Rafaela." He looked at her. Léon placed a hand on his brother's shoulder and pulled him closer, which only made her like Léon even more. "You're a cosmic trace wielder, aren't you? Pipo is one too. Like us. But I don't have any idea of how to help him—nobody really taught me much about it. But you can help Pipo, can't you? You can find out what's his sickness, right?"
Rafaela clasped a hand on her lips to stop the torrent of foul swearing that came tumbling through. "So..." Her voice raised half an octave, and she turned around, setting her widened, incredulous eyes on Rob. "It seems little Pietro is also a cosmic trace wielder." She crossed her arms and contorted her face, muscles tugging and pulling her expression into something so angry, she saw Rob's adam's pomme bob. "Did you know that, brother?"
Rob cleared his throat. "I had no idea about that, sis. I swear."
Léon narrowed his eyes. "So you were helping my mother, but she didn't tell you about it? That's difficult to believe." He crossed his arms too, and there went Rob's adam's pomme again, up and down.
"Wait. Leo... I would've asked my sister to help Pipo if I knew about his powers. And I'm pretty sure your mother would've told me about him if she knew about Rafa's powers." Rob reached for Léon's hand. "Your mom was just trying to protect Pipo, I'm sure. The fewer people know about his powers, the better."
A heartbeat of silence shouldn't take this long.
With a sigh, Léon finally nodded. In a narrow bed somewhere in the small cottage, Modraniht snored, cutting the silence between them. Caidara crossed her arms. She had been only listening up until then, but the more they danced around their problems, the more finicky she seemed.
"You're doing this all wrong," she blared, crossing her arms. "Can't you kids focus?"
Rafaela looked at Pipo. "When did you start to develop these powers?" She wasn't sure if she should lean down to talk to him or if she needed to make that voice an adult usually make when talking to children, so she smiled instead. Rafaela was never really good with children. Or people. Or animals. She preferred plants.
"Oh, we're not sure," León answered in Pipo's place.
Rafaela sighed. "How old were you when your powers started to develop?"
"I was still in the womb. Four and a half months." Léon's eyes widened. "How do I know that?"
She grimaced. "Your pregnancy must've been hard on your mom. I, myself, was five—it happened when my aunt died. Her powers passed on to me." Rafaela scratched her temple. "Cosmic trace wielders simply know these things. If you think long and hard enough, you'll discover even who wielded your powers before you. Maybe all we need to do is to ask your brother to decipher his own condition."
Léon's lips opened and closed. Rafaela chuckled.
"Hey, don't worry. I'll teach you everything I know." She faced Pipo again. "So? Would you try a little guessing-what's-wrong-with-me game?"
Pipo furrowed his brows and lowered his head. He hummed and stepped closer to Léon, holding his hand. With a nod, Pipo closed his eyes. "Think hard, think hard," he mumbled.
Something was wrong.
His silhouette trembled, growing and shrinking a few millimeters.
"Think hard, think hard!"
Rafaela reeled a step. A cold sense of dread spread on Rafaela's stomach.
"Think hard... think hard," Pipo continued.
Something tugged at Rafaela's brain. She winced and doubled over, pressing her temples. As if underwater, she heard Léon's voice making a similar sound, painful and loud.
Her eyes watered. Her vision reddened behind the thin layer of blood.
"Stop. Stop!" Rafaela shouted. Her voice seemed to echo in her aching head, the pain rippling through her body and covering it with goosebumps.
There was shock on her companions' faces. Pipo's eyes were filled with tears, half-hidden by the loose layers of fabric from Caidara's clothes. When his brown eyes met Rafaela's, Pipo tightened his grip on Caidara's waist.
Rafaela wiped her tears with the back of her hand.
Shite, it was really blood.
"What was that?" Léon asked. His face was clear of blood.
Shite! She rubbed her eyes until she felt them dry. Pipo was already too scared; it wouldn't be a good idea to let him see her like that.
The tears in Pipo's eyes rolled down, his cheeks dark, and his body slightly less unstable. His shaken expression pierced a mean needle on Rafaela's heart.
"Oi. Shh. It's okay, boy." She reached forward to place a hand on Pipo's forehead. His temperature seemed normal. "It's okay." She caressed his dark hair and brushed a thumb on his cheek, drying a falling tear. "Don't cry. We're all here to help you, all right? Everything's going to be just fine."
Pipo nodded. Soon after, Léon held Pipo in a hug, holding him close. As he pulled him outside, far away from her, Rafaela fell back and sat on the cold floor.
Bloody hell.
She would have a lot of work to help those two.
***
It was already dark outside when Léon, Rafaela, and Pipo stopped talking. She was afraid of asking him about his powers until she had a notion of what might be happening to him, so she tried to get to know the kid a bit better, first.
He was adorable.
No. More than that, he was a sweet, beaming, living, and breathing ball of sunshine that could make even the likes of Caidara smile. Maybe because of that and how obviously Rob loved Pipo and Léon, Rafaela decided it was time to face all the shite she'd been through. If she was lucky, maybe she would manage to save the kid's life.
But she needed to sleep first.
A rustling of fabric made Rafaela open her eyes. She kept still and listened, watching as two long shadows raised against the wall, contourned by moonlight. They were all sleeping on the floor in the living room, on makeshift sleeping bags that were nothing but think cotton blankets.
"Where are we going?" Léon whispered.
"You'll see," Rob whispered back. "Get ready to be thoroughly wet and pampered."
Per his shadow, Rafaela saw when Rob stretched a hand. With a chuckle, Léon took it.
"Lead the way, Bhalu."
It made her smile, yes. But when she turned around and found Phillip's scrunched up face, that smile disappeared. He tried to get up, but Rafaela gripped his arm.
"What are you doing?" he asked. Phillip tugged his arm free.
Rafaela slid closer. Before he could get up, she held his arm again. "I'm stopping you. You will not want to watch them."
Phillip pushed her hand aside. Rafaela could see an answer forming on his lips, so she narrowed her eyes.
"Tell me your story instead." She propped her chin on the palm of her hand. "But let me warn you—I'm a terrible listener and a great sleeper, so make it interesting."
"Interesting?" Phillip narrowed his eyes and scoffed. "Okay, woman. Listen closely."
***
— Léon - same night —
Léon gasped and pressed his back against the rock behind which he and Rob were hiding. His whole body trembled as ripples of pleasure traveled through his every muscle. Léon tightened his legs around Rob's waist and dug his nails on his back and arms.
Rob bit his shoulder, grunting words and possessives that laced moaned whimpers in Léon's tongue.
"Say you're mine," Rob ordered against his ear.
When Léon opened his lips to obey, he had to lock a scream in his throat, instead. The feeling of bliss returned; his muscles tensed and trembled. Quivering, he looked for Rob's wet lips and pressed his forehead against his, their breaths mixing with the lake vapor.
Then, aware of Rob's piercing stare, Léon's body melted.
Panting, Léon leaned against the rock. The warm water in the lake barely covered his hips with Rob holding him like that.
"You're so beautiful," Rob whispered. "I missed every inch of you, Tiger."
Léon could hear the smile in his voice and the passion in Rob's hard body. Léon wished he could be as romantic as his Bhalu was, but the only thing he managed to say was,
"Holy fuck." He tried to open his eyes, but the tiredness sealed them shut. His chest heaved, and his arms dropped at his side, heavy, covered in lovebites, and lifeless.
Rob chuckled and leaned in. Out of breath, hot, lake-wet, and sweaty. Rob's moist, cold lips kissed Léon's neck, his jaw, then the curling edges of his mouth. "That good, huh? It's rare to hear you swearing."
Léon let out a tired chuckle. "Yeah." He sighed and looked at the mess on his chest. Léon had no idea how Rob had managed to leave him in this state in the middle of a lake, but he wasn't about to complain. He licked his lips. "I wouldn't last half a week if we did this every time."
Rob laughed, showering his cheeks, lips and neck with feather-like kisses, each sweeter than the last. "That's to show how much I missed you, Tiger," he whispered against his ear.
"Ugh. Seriously, Bhalu, how can you still move?" Léon's eyes fluttered open, and he raised his chin, letting Rob further explore his neck.
"I have a strong constitution." Rob chuckled against his skin. "Very durable."
Léon smiled, shaking his head. Above them, only the moon watched the scene, pouring her milky light on the couple. Léon slipped his legs down, keeping his back against the rock. The round, heated pebbles in the bottom of the lake pressed against his soles. It was a gentle pressure—as gentle as Rob was right now, leaning in to kiss him and sliding his big hands on his arms.
"But... it hurt a little this time. Only in the beginning," Léon rushed to add, seeing Rob's expression shaded by fear.
Rob hummed. Then, he grinned. "Probably cause you spent some time without using it like this." As a bear, Rob covered Léon's body with his, bowing enough to rest his head on Léon's chest.
"Bhalu, I'm all sticky." Léon laughed when he felt the tip of Rob's tongue on his chest.
"I don't care." Rob hugged him tighter. "I told myself I shouldn't hope for that, and that it wouldn't be fair of me to wish it—but I'm so glad you didn't sleep with anyone else, Léon."
Something warm expanded in his chest. These four years in prison had meant a physical distance between Rob and Léon—but now, as one of Rob's hands slid down his spine, and the other held the back of his neck—Léon had to confess he had never felt so close to his ex-boyfriend before.
Ex-boyfriend... was that what Rob was?
"Or maybe I slept with other people... but as a top, not a bottom." Léon opened a teasing smirk.
Rob raised his head to stare at him. Silence, long and thick, surrounded them.
Léon couldn't hold back a laugh. "I'm joking, Bhalu! Oh, Goddess." He hugged Rob's neck. "There. Don't cry, loved one." He chuckled. "I'm sorry; it was a stupid joke." He laughed again.
"I'm not crying." Rob sniffed against Léon's chest, pulling him closer. "You know you can tell me if there's anything you want, right? You don't have to... look for other people, or.... Unless you want to. I mean—"
"Rob." Léon narrowed his eyes and studied his beautiful features. He placed a kiss on Rob's forehead, then tipped his head back to reach for his lips. "I want to top next time."
Rob's laugh morphed into a chuckle, and then into something low and wavering—an approving sound that made Léon's whole body tremble. "If that would make you happy, let's do it." Rob winked. "I'm not unused to it, if you need to know."
"Are you serious?"
"Of course. I'm vers, Tiger."
Léon's eyebrows arched; with them, the corners of his lips went up.
He let Rob shift their positions and leaned on his broad chest. It was a warm night, with fireflies dancing among the trees and dragonflies near the water. The call of crickets, the sound of the water lapping on their bodies, and the sensuous warmth coming from Roberto's touch should've made him feel good.
"So...." Léon cleared his throat. "You didn't sleep with anyone else all this time?"
"No." Rob's muscles tensed; the crease between his eyebrows deepened. "I... I know we weren't properly together. I'm not sure if we are right now, either. I mean; I want to. Léon, I want you." He blinked a few times and looked away. His cheeks flushed even more. "There's no one else, Leo. Not for me."
He stared at Rob. Their breathing was back to normal, their bodies entwined like vines.
"Rob?"
"Hm?"
"I..."
Why didn't you contact me?
Why did you leave?
How can I trust you again?
Do you still love me?
Could you give me some time?
Would you wait for me?
Léon's heart pummeled against his chest, the quests circling his thoughts. He looked up to meet Rob's affectionate gaze, then looked to the side, to the lone silhouette of a man standing among the trees.
A shiver crawled up his spine; he stepped back.
"Who is that?" Léon asked.
"Oh. Fancy meeting you here." The young man smirked, approaching with slow steps. As the moonlight hit his eyes, they glimmered like rubies, red like blood. "Ah, how I missed you... sweet one."
***
Hee-ey! Thank you all SO MUCH for reading this chapter and for being patient with me! I'm sorry for the delay to post, but things have been crazy here with me moving to a new apartment and everything, from work to life and blah blah.
Still, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I hope even more that you're enjoying the book! ;)
I might soon have some AMAZING news to share, so keep tuned.
In the meanwhile, here's a special thank you to the fantastic itzzzjustmeh . I hope you enjoy this chapter too! <3 And since you asked for an illustration of Anhangá and his human version, Afonso, here it is!
Anhangá, of course, is *centuries*--if not millennia--old, but he chose to (or was he forced to?) appear in this world as a 20-yo, docile, lean young man that has *nothing* to do with his real form. Can you guess why? 8D
See you all soon!
Loads of love,
Ligia