Chapter 27

CHAPTER 27

L io sat in a hard plastic chair in the compound's cavernous underground infirmary, listening to the chirps and beeps that monitored Bel's vital signs from the nearest bed. His steady heartbeat was a soothing rhythm. They'd survived—somehow. But they weren't out of danger and would never be out of danger as long as Udeall survived.

While Bel slept, Lio practiced sending through bits of healing energy along their connection and searching Bel's aura for any signs of distress. Bel simply slept, the occasional half-smile hinting at pleasant dreams. Perhaps they were of Lio.

At least Udeall was in custody. What now? Udeall's plots had once given both Lio and Bel a purpose—albeit an evil one. Now they were together, almost bonded, in balance with each other. What would they do? Stay in Atlanta with FAET? Or maybe move to an apartment in the city and try living as humans?

Would Bel want to continue and complete the bond or walk away while he still had the option? Wait. Bel had been willing to die with Lio. Self-doubt and anxiety were products of Udeall's influence. They had nothing to do with Bel.

Lio could take Bel back to the Carnival and travel to different worlds with Errante, maybe find one better suited to them. There were so many opportunities open. He'd been told at the Carnival that he had two possible Paths. Which one would lead him to happiness? Any path would as long as he remained by Bel's side.

He rose as the Nutrix nurse approached. "Will he be okay alone for a while? There's something I need to do." While he would rather spend every moment with Bel, he had to plan for their future.

"I believe he'll sleep for a few hours more," she said with a shy smile. "Excellent healing job. I'll be happy to let you assist me if you ever want to go into the medical field."

Yet another opportunity presented itself. Lio would rather use his powers for healing than killing, and he'd be useful to FAET, whose members likely got bruised and banged up regularly. "Thanks."

"I'll assess his condition again this evening. If he continues improving, I'll likely send him home. But you should rest. You need to rebuild your strength."

Home. A tiny room underground in the massive gray complex. Not the kind of future Lio wanted. And he could always rest when his mind wasn't so full of questions.

He rode the elevator to the lobby, waved to the guard, and left through the pedestrian gate. A glance into the parking lot showed someone had returned the car he'd taken.

Instinct drove his footsteps. Maybe the power he'd recently learned to use connected him, but he allowed his inner traveler to guide him toward a familiar sound.

The music grew louder the closer he came to his destination. He spotted the Welcome Traveler sign and picked up his speed. No one stood in line at the ticket gate this early in the day. People would flood the place in a few more hours, but how they even knew the place existed boggled his mind. Did Errante take out ads in local papers, or did folks simply show up like Lio had?

Errante stood by the gate, exactly where he'd been the first time Lio laid eyes on him. "Ah, good afternoon, Lio. It seems you have found your way back after all. Where is Bel?" The casual way he asked implied he already knew.

Lio answered anyway. "He's recovering from injuries."

"Nothing serious, I hope."

"No more serious than mine were when you first found me. But he's nearly healed." The mention of Bel's injuries reminded Lio of how close he'd come to losing his mate, causing anxiety to twist in his guts.

Errante smiled, slow and sincere. At that moment, Lio realized how much he'd missed the safety of the Carnival, even though he'd stayed here only a few days. "Don't worry about your mate, Lio. All is well, though I believe you came here to discuss other matters, did you not?"

How did Errante always seem to know everything? "Yes. I want to know what Path to travel."

Errante regarded Lio with his dark eyes, the irises momentarily swirling like tiny galaxies. "Only you and Bel can make that decision."

Lio had gone from others dictating his every move to making choices on his own, or rather, making choices with Bel. But before he made those choices, he must fully understand his options. "I know, but I was hoping to talk things over with you."

"As you wish." Errante waved a hand toward the tents. "Come to my office. We'll talk."

Lio strode beside Errante, enjoying the sun on his face and the familiar feeling of belonging to something. The upbeat carousel tune soothed his soul, as did the shouted instructions from the Big Top as the Galliers practiced their act.

"You won't move the Carnival while I'm in here, will you?" There was no way Lio was leaving Bel behind.

"No. The Path we are here for is yours."

Lio breathed a sigh of relief. His power had brought him here—or the Carnival's had. Maybe they were connected. Either way, he'd need to learn to trust his instincts.

They strolled silently through the Carnival, the carousel going quiet. Maybe the music had been to lead him here. They met a few roustabouts and a Gallier or two, but other than a polite greeting, Lio and Errante didn't stop to talk.

It came as no surprise that a cup of coffee—that appeared to be just how Lio liked it—and a cup of tea waited on Errante's desk. Lio sat before the desk and took the coffee, waiting for Errante to fold his long frame into his desk chair.

"I take it your memories have returned in full," Errante said.

Lio nodded. "They have, though they didn't do me any favors." He hadn't examined them all, but maybe he'd have time in the future.

"And you've accomplished what you needed to do." It was a statement, not a question.

"Mostly. There's still a matter of Udeall to see to. I lacked the energy to banish her." Each moment she stayed in Terra made Lio worry. He'd seen what she was capable of, with infinite power and no remorse.

"Ah, Udeall," Errante mused. "I know this being. You may not realize, but you're ten times more powerful than Udeall could ever be."

"What? No, I'm not." If Lio were, he'd have had no trouble with the banishment. "Udeall said I was, but in the end, I wasn't."

"But you could be. You saw the darkness in those you banished and refused to feed on their energy any further. You could have. And you could have drained Udeall and then banished her. But you wouldn't because you recognized what such power would cost, and you found another way." Errante winked. "Discretion itself is power in the right circumstances."

More than one way to have power.

Errante lifted his teacup and relaxed back into his chair, "You showed remarkable self-restraint. Too many others would have sought revenge, but not you. You focused on saving lives before your own needs."

Lio sipped his coffee—exactly as he liked it, with plenty of sugar and cream. "What will we do with Udeall?"

"I will pay a visit to the organization you've become attached to."

"You will?" Lio could hardly imagine Errante leaving the Carnival, let alone sitting in one of FAET's subterranean offices.

"Yes. I believe I can offer some assistance."

Lio sat for several moments debating how to phrase his questions. "You've traveled many worlds and have lived a long time, haven't you?"

Errante laughed, his eyes twinkling with mirth. "Longer than many."

That was probably as close as Lio would get to Errante confessing to being an ancient, not-quite-human life form. "I know they say many legends are founded in truth. Do you know the legends surrounding Domus?"

Errante contemplated his teacup. "That a Tenebris and a Lux pairing created the world?"

Just hearing the words out loud sounded ridiculous. "Yes. I know it sounds farfetched, but is the legend true?"

"It is." Errante sipped his tea casually as if he hadn't just confirmed what Lio long ago accepted as bullshit.

"Really?" Hope flared in Lio's heart. It sounded so farfetched that beings like Lio and Bel could create an entire realm.

"Yes." Errante fixed his penetrating gaze on Lio, letting the truth show in his eyes. Unease or excitement squirmed in Lio's belly. Perhaps a little of both.

Amazing. What Lio asked next might make Errante laugh. "Do you think it could happen again? Or am I being outrageous for thinking Bel and I can create a realm? I mean, I've just started training."

"The two who started your realm were not trained, and they created Domus by accident. They were wandering spirits who found each other, just like you and Bel. But is this what Bel wants?"

Would Bel want such a thing? "I don't know. I wanted to see if it was possible before mentioning it to him."

"I see. A wise precaution."

With his selfless nature, though, Bel might want to try. "Will you help us?"

Errante stared over Lio's shoulder for several moments. He was going to say no, wasn't he? Lio's hope plummeted. For a few glorious hours, he thought he'd had the answer for a lot of Domusians.

Finally, Errante answered, "My purpose here is to help you on your Path."

Lio let out a slow exhale, gripping the chair arm with one hand until his knuckles turned white. "Then I'll talk to Bel."

Lio returned to the infirmary, not knowing what to expect but failing to hide the bounce in his step. Through their budding connection, he felt Bel wake up whole again. And Lio had a suggestion of what they could do next.

Bel sat up in bed and grinned when he spotted Lio.

Every ounce of tension that had remained in Lio's body drained at the sight. "Bel!" He longed to perform a head-to-toe examination to make sure he'd healed.

"I'm fine. The nurse said I was just exhausted from the healing and needed rest. How about you? How are you?"

"Fine, now that I know you're okay." Lio sat in a chair by the bed, clasped Bel's hand, and rubbed it against his cheek. A piece of him he'd been missing for the past few hours fell into place. If he had his way, he'd never be without Bel again.

Lio sent love and support along the bond, getting Bel's back in return. How much more would he feel when they completely bonded? Though the connection was strong, something was still missing.

Bel wriggled over in the bed. Lio rose and joined him. Now, this was what the two of them should be like. Touching. Kissing. Merely holding each other. Lio could spend several lifetimes in Bel's arms.

After a while, Bel asked, "Do you know what happened to Udeall?"

Lio stiffened. He hoped not to have to discuss unpleasant matters yet. "She's in custody while FAET questions her."

"What will they do with her afterward?"

Lio knew what Bel meant, feeling traces of fear over their connection. "I don't know, but a friend of ours might be able to help out."

Bel arched an eyebrow. "Really?"

The nurse stepped into the room. "Well, Bel, it seems you're ready to go home. Be sure to eat larger meals than normal for the next few days, drink plenty of fluids, and get lots of rest. You might feel fine, but your body is still recovering."

"While you're here…" Lio began.

The Nutrix nurse tilted her head and studied Lio. "Yes?"

"That thing we did where we connected minds. Can we do that again?"

"Mr. Austen and Mr. James hadn't mentioned?—"

"This is for me and Bel. You're up for it, aren't you, Bel?"

Bel answered, "Yes," but he wore a puzzled frown.

Lio winked. "Trust me." He pulled the next bed closer, hopped on, and helped the nurse hook up the necessary monitors. Finally, he laid down and took Bel's hand. Tension flowed out of him at the contact.

The nurse typed on her iPad. "I'm ready when you are."

Lio closed his eyes, pushing all the love he felt for Bel to the front of his mind. Once he was assured Bel knew of his feelings, Lio revisited his newly awakened memories and took Bel through all the pain and the loneliness of his life in the citadel.

When he opened his mind to Bel's thoughts, he witnessed the protest scene, the depth of how much some humans hated travelers. They needed a place of their own, which reassured Lio of the Path he wanted to take.

When he opened his eyes, he found Bel staring at him with tears welling in his beautiful green eyes. "I'm so sorry."

"So am I, but we're both here now."

Bel's lips lifted into a smile that rivaled the dawn. "Yes, we are."

They both leaned up from their beds and kissed.

The nurse left the room, and Bel wriggled to the edge of the bed. "Got clothes?"

Lio retrieved the change of clothes he'd fetched since Bel's had been destroyed, although the open-backed hospital gown might offer a stunning ass view. "Here. Need some help?"

Bel grinned and waggled his brows. "Yeah, maybe I do."

"Save it for our room, okay?" Although Lio would love nothing more than to reacquaint himself with every inch of Bel's body, he'd still need to be careful not to cause any pain.

They dressed Bel with some maneuvering, then took the elevator to their floor. They slowly made their way to Bel's room. Lio opened the door, ushering Bel inside.

Bel limped to the bed and gingerly eased onto the mattress. Albert looked on from the pillow. Lio hadn't returned him and maybe he hadn't needed to. "I never thought I'd see this place again."

Lio wouldn't admit that he'd felt the same. The shock of almost losing his Bel was still too fresh. He kicked his shoes off and settled onto the bed, curling into Bel's side. "Is this okay?" He mentally sent Albert to a chair.

"Of course. I told you I'm all better. Remember how quickly you healed?"

Lio bit off yes, but that wasn't you. I'm worried about you. Instead, he said, "I want to talk to you about something."

"Sure. What's on your mind?"

"I spoke with Errante, who said that the legends are true about how Domus started."

Bel did a double take. "A Lux and a Tenebris created Domus? How can that be possible?"

"I don't know, but he said it is." Lio held his breath, waiting for what Bel might say.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Bel rested his hand on Lio's thigh, high enough for Lio to want more but low enough that Bel might not notice his rising erection. Nope. He needed to focus. Now was not the time to get distracted.

Lio placed his hand over Bel's. "If you're thinking of recreating Domus, I'm right there with you. But I don't know how to accomplish it. Errante said the original creators lacked training as well."

"We don't have to go immediately, do we? Maybe we can stay here and learn from Morrisey and Farren before we go."

Lio met Bel's gaze, reveling in the love shining there. He could do with more picnics, cat cuddling, lovemaking, and waking up with Bel every day. He might even learn to appreciate Arianna's experimental cookies. "I'll go anywhere with you."