Chapter 16

Sixteen

E verly had written the note while Bryn and the rest of the men were staring at Merlin's board, analyzing Edmund's tragic story, and planning their trap. They didn't need him so Everly sat behind Nox's desk and scribbled out the note, tucking it into his hoodie for later. He had been extra vigorous while they were having sex and now that Bryn was asleep, Everly was ready to make his move.

The more Everly had listened to them assess and calculate in the study, the more he worried about the risks his friends were taking. There was no way Everly would let Nox use himself as bait and he was so scared for Arawn and Bryn, taking on the Abhartach alone in the Nothing. If either of them died, the other would age and die quickly and as much as Everly feared losing them, he didn't want Fletcher to live the rest of his life without Arawn. Everly and Fletcher would both have to wait until they died to be reunited with their loves again.

It was a very slim possibility, but Everly could survive another encounter with the anti-him and return with something valuable to report that might help the others. Or, he would die and possibly leave behind a useful clue. And while Everly knew that it was practically impossible that he could defeat the Abhartach on his own, he believed it was worth trying if there was a chance he could spare Bryn and his brother or help them when it was their turn to face it.

Waiting while they went off to fight for him again wasn't an option for Everly. His life would be worthless if the Abhartach took either of the twins but Everly also knew that this was his only shot to do something . Bryn and the rest of their friends were preparing to make their move in the next few days and none of their plans included Everly. He was expected to stay in the townhouse where it was safe and the waiting would be even worse this time.

Everly wasn't afraid of failing because he knew he would see Bryn again soon. Bryn would find the abomination and set Everly's soul free, along with all the others, and they would be reunited in Annwn. The only thing Everly had to lose was the present and that was a blink in time, compared to an eternity of glory with Bryn. And Everly would rather die first than spend decades waiting.

I have to go if there's a chance I can save him.

Everly pulled in a deep breath, filling as much of his body with Bryn's beautiful scent as he could, resolved and ready to fight for his love. He remembered what Nox and Merlin had taught him about intention and was confident that his intentions could not be any better. That had to count for something and love had worked so many miracles for Everly since the night he was rescued.

He brushed the hair away from Bryn's face, cherishing it as he slept. "For glory," he mouthed and traced Bryn's lip with his thumb before scooting back.

"Where you goin'?" Bryn mumbled in his sleep, one arm reaching for Everly.

He shushed soothingly and tucked his pillow against Bryn's side and pulled the duvet up. "Have to pee. Be right back." He pressed the lightest kiss to Bryn's lips, then backed away silently.

He reached for his hoodie on the armchair, hugging it against his chest as he tiptoed to the bedroom door and into the hall. Everly eased the door shut and listened for a moment to make sure Bryn stayed in bed, then turned and hurried to the stairs in just his pajama pants. He pulled on his hoodie, zipping it as he crept down each step, listening for any creaks, clicks, or whispers before dashing to the front door.

It took just a few seconds to tap in the security code on the pad, disable the alarm, and turn the locks. Once outside, Everly ducked and scurried through the front yard and to the gate. He pressed his back against the wall, once again listening for any sounds from Nox's townhouse but the night was silent, save for the pounding of Everly's heart.

"Step one," he whispered to himself, then looked around the wall, peeking through the gate's bars. He hadn't really thought about what he'd do after he completed step one. That seemed like the trickiest part, after all.

The narrow alley across the street was dark and appeared empty. Everly hurried and opened the gate, then quickly headed in the other direction. He didn't know how to summon the anti-Everly but he didn't want it close to Nox's house. Everly hadn't done anything to attract the sluagh the first time they attacked so he set off toward the darker end of the street, away from the streetlight. He reasoned that since he was much stronger than he was that first night, he would be a far more attractive and detectable target.

After a few minutes, his steps slowed and faltered and Everly was scared as he waited to be attacked again and he was even more scared of dying. Would it hurt? Would it be dark and cold like last time?

"Bryn will find me," he told himself with a firm nod, convinced that even if he screwed up, Bryn and Arawn would eventually defeat the anti-Everly and set him and all the other souls free.

He walked for a while, taking the darker streets until he didn't recognize any of the houses or vehicles around him. Everly turned and turned, searching for something familiar and was suddenly nervous because he didn't know where he was or how to find Nox's house again.

"Bryn will find me," he repeated, the mantra calming him until Everly heard a sizzling Pop! behind him.

He turned slowly and bit back a yelp when he saw the broken dead boy. It was watching Everly from the sidewalk, about twenty feet away, its dirty pajamas fluttering in the breeze. Its glasses were askew, its giant black eyes unblinking and locked on Everly.

"You have to stop," Everly called to it, then screamed when the creature rushed at him, its limp limbs dragging and flailing at high speed, knocking Everly onto the pavement. He scrambled back on his bottom as it lurched after him, its jaw stretching wide. Its gray skin was chalky and mottled with black veins and Everly muffled a horrified yelp when a spider crawled out of its eye socket.

A terrible shrieking, keening sound rose from it and Everly was cold and his strength was fading quickly. " You will stop!" Its snakelike hiss was giddy and high as it loomed over him, its head bobbling loosely and tipping to the side as the night grew black around them.

"Everly!" Bryn's roar cut through the darkness, warming Everly and making him stronger as two massive smoke hounds leapt at the anti-Everly. There was a deafening growl that shook the ground before the largest hound's head slammed into the changeling and sent it flying.

It disappeared with a loud crack! and both hounds dove, following it into the Nothing.

"There he is!" Nox called as he skidded around the corner. "We're coming, Everly!"

Merlin wasn't far behind but he was red-faced and winded as he raced after Nox with his bag in his arms.

"I have to go," Everly shouted as he wiped the road dirt from his scuffed hands, afraid of what was happening on the other side of the veil. He ran at the spot where Bryn and Arawn had vanished, his heart seeking its other half as he jumped.

"No! Everly, wai—!" Nox's shout was cut off as Everly tumbled into the cold, dark slow of the Nothing.

His body was gone and Everly's head swung as he checked himself out. He was made of bright blue smoke and he had paws and a little blue puff of a tail. He heard wild dogs barking through the fog and took off after them, bouncing along and using his own glow to light the way. There was nothing but frosted ground beneath him and he couldn't see anything except darkness and fog. But the sound of demon birds behind him had Everly hopping as fast as he could.

Then, there were flaming flashes in the mist and he heard banshee shrieks and hounds snarling and Everly ducked when one of the twins rolled toward him. The giant dog came to a skidding halt, its claws creating sparks as they dragged on the frozen pavement.

"Get out, Ev! We've got this!" Bryn commanded, giving his great smoky body a shake and his head a toss before galloping back into battle. There was a pained canine yelp and Everly saw Arawn crash to the ground.

Bryn let out a mighty roar, his glowing fangs and claws slashing at a tall, rippling shadow. It repelled Bryn, sending him flying as Arawn sprang at it with renewed fury. Both hounds took turns, charging at their enemy until Bryn leapt into the churning, bubbling blackness and disappeared.

The other hound stopped, drawing back as it searched and waited. Everly stopped breathing—stopped existing—his gaze fixed on the menacing black shadow. A tremendous roar shook the Nothing and Arawn put his head down, picking up speed as he ran at it. He was thrown back when a blazing, bloody body was hurled at him, half smoke hound and half man.

"Bryn!" Everly hurried through the soupy coldness, terrified. "Please don't be hurt!" he begged when he reached Bryn.

"It's…just a flesh wound," Bryn managed as he got onto all fours, his limbs and head fading into spectral smoke. "Get it?" He shoved Everly back with his snout, swelling until he was large and terrifying again. "I'll be alright. Go back and wait with Nox."

"I won't leave you!" Everly called but Bryn had already raced back into the fight.

Overhead, dozens of sluagh had gathered, swooping and circling, their haunted cries adding to the chaos. Everly's heart stopped again when Arawn was sucked into the darkness and spit out a moment later, bloody and smoldering as he slammed into Bryn and sent them tumbling.

"Stop!" Everly shouted and ran at the shadow, attempting to distract it. "You're hurting them!"

He heard a sick, tickled giggle as he became painfully cold. "I'm going to break them and eat their souls!" it sang, taunting Everly as he was pulled into its darkness.

"No!" Everly couldn't let it have them. The twins would die and Fletcher would be heartbroken. All the souls that the Abhartach had stolen would be lost forever, including Everly's. "No!"

There was too much love inside of Everly for him to give up. He felt the love that Bryn had given him, the love that made Everly feel real and believe he could be anything. He felt Nox's warmth and goodness and remembered everything he and Merlin had said about intention and transformation. And Everly thought of Fletcher and Nelson and their kindness and loyalty.

The anti-Everly wasn't loved and didn't have friends who were willing to fight and die for it. That was why it was the anti-Everly and that had to matter, or else it wouldn't be so determined to destroy all the good people the actual Everly loved, Everly reasoned.

He mustered all the good, powerful, healing love his friends had given him and Everly opened wide, letting out the loudest sound his little body had ever made. It came from him as a great blue beam, blinding him as he blasted it right at the rippling, spreading darkness. A song as loud as a thousand golden harps swelled from Everly, sending the sluagh fleeing into the emptiness of the Nothing.

The boiling, black shadow let out a deafening shriek as it stretched, spreading and struggling to contain Everly's radiant blast. But Everly was full of everlasting love and the shadow began to rip and fray as glorious light punched through its holes and tears. Everly called forth the ecstasy of touching Bryn's body, the soul-changing beauty of the water as it spilled through the hair on his chest when they showered, his profound gratitude when Bryn said he loved him, and Everly burst, blazing even brighter with rapturous joy.

His love was infinite and too brilliant for the anti-Everly and its evil emptiness. It let out an agonized roar, exploding into smoking bits that fizzled in the misty ether.

Arawn was the first to recover and howled victoriously. "You did it, Everly!" He ran to Everly, circling proudly when Bryn joined them.

"I told you, we were handling it," Bryn said before swinging his head and knocking Everly right off his feet and sending him flying.

"Wait—!" Everly called but he crashed back through the veil, spilling onto the street at Nox, Merlin's, Nelson's, and Fletcher's feet.

"What happened?" Fletcher asked ungently, just as they heard a sharp crack!

The twins came jogging toward them and Bryn looked furious as he stalked to Everly, then scooped him off of his feet. "I told you we could handle it but you saved us anyways. That was the most incredible thing I've ever seen. You are incredible," he growled out and captured Everly's lips for a deep, seeking kiss.

Everly was dizzy and weak, but in a really lovely way when Bryn finally released him. "I just wanted to do my part," he said sheepishly.

"You certainly did," Merlin said as he passed his bag to Nox and slid an arm around Everly's. "I want you to tell me exactly how you did it, in as much detail as you can. You've managed to exceed every expectation, to defy everything we know about your species."

"I'm not sure," Everly said as they walked and frowned when he realized he hadn't gone as far and wasn't as lost as he had believed. He recognized Nox's townhouse after they came around the second corner. "I remembered everything you all had taught me and it just kind of happened."

"How remarkable!" Merlin answered, pausing so Nelson could get the front gate for them. "Which of my lessons was it that you found particularly useful? I dare imagine, the most useful when you were in the thick of it?" he asked excitedly, earning an eye roll from Bryn.

It turned into a yawn as they waited for Nelson to unlock the front door. "It's late. He can fill us in over breakfast in the morning."

Everly's lips twisted as he looked on, wondering where his secret escape had gone awry. "How did you know I was gone? I was so careful and I planned everything just the way you would," Everly said, causing Nox to make a sympathetic groaning sound.

"You did a great job, buddy, but the code for the alarm is my mom's birthday. We got a call from the security company because someone had punched in the wrong thing."

Oh," Everly said, crestfallen as they climbed the steps. "It isn't L-O-V-E?"

Nelson paused as he reached to punch in the code, turning to Everly. "Why would you—?" He stopped when Nox bit down on a giggle, pulling Everly close and mussing his hair.

"I'd say we have to protect our sweet Everly at all costs, but it looks like he doesn't need us anymore. I told him that love was the only right answer. That's why he did it," he said and Everly frowned up at Nox.

"That was misleading. You should have said that love and your mother's birthday are the only right answers."

Everyone except Everly laughed as they went inside and headed for the stairs. Bryn wound an arm around Everly's waist, locking them together as they climbed. "I'm never letting you out of my sight again," he said, his eyes shimmering with love and pride.

"Promise?" Everly asked and he nodded.

"You're mine. Forever, Everly," Bryn said, sweeping Everly off his feet and carrying him the rest of the way.