Page 36 of Back in the Hunt

“Yup,” Bryn confirmed, nodding slowly. “After I rip his spine from his wretched body and tear him to shreds. All those sad little souls he’s stolen deserve to rest in dignity and glory once he’s dealt with.”

“To glory,” Arawn said firmly as he raised his glass, his eyes shimmering as they held Bryn’s.

Glory meant a great deal to hellhounds, Everly had learned, and they didn’t like it when souls were stolen.

“To glory,” Nox said from the mantle as Nelson held up his chopsticks, chewing and nodding.

“You know I’m in,” Fletcher said, wincing around the room. “For what that’s worth.”

Merlin hushed him. “You’ve proven extremely useful and I think I know of a way you can help us prepare for our meeting with Mr. Huge Douchebag,” he said with a delighted titter. “Excellent one, Bryn,” he noted and tapped his fingertips together as he considered Fletcher. “This talk about necromancy has given me an idea… I think we’ve been looking in the wrong place for this other changeling.”

Fletcher became alert, sitting up and straightening his glasses “Oh?” he asked and Merlin’s eyes narrowed as he stared past him.

“I’m going to search the obituaries while you look for cases involving troubled orphans,” he said and a shiver passed around the room.

“Well, I’m done with this,” Nelson said as he set down his chopsticks and dropped his napkin on his plate.

Everly was done too. He gave Bryn’s hoodie a yank. “I want to help clean up so we can go to bed.”

“Sounds good to me,” he said as he stood and deposited Everly on the floor on his feet. He slapped Everly’s ass playfully, making him giggle as he hurried to gather their plates.

“They’re so cute!” Arawn clutched his chest, sniffling like a dickhead as he leaned on Fletcher.

“Fuck off,” Bryn replied as he tossed a hand at them. “I’ve had almost twenty-five years of your lovesick bullshit to deal with. Suck it up.”

“That’s right!” Fletcher said excitedly. “We have an anniversary coming. Let’s do something special after this. Without him,” he added and stuck his tongue out at Bryn.

There were discussions about the trip to the mountains and the mission Merlin had tasked Fletcher with as the kitchen was cleaned and dishes were dried and put away. But Everly still had questions about Fletcher and Arawn’s anniversary and grew more concerned about them by the moment.

“Twenty-five years is a long time for humans,” he whispered as soon as they were alone in his room.Theirroom. Bryn had moved his things over before dinner.

“It is,” Bryn agreed, chuckling as he lifted Everly and tossed him onto the bed.

Everly scrambled onto his knees so he could help Bryn take off his shirt. “That isn’t very long for you and Arawn,” he said, his concern mounting.

“Not really.” Bryn raised it over his head, shooting it at the hamper like a basketball.

“Fletcher will get older and he’ll die but you and Arawn age very slowly,” Everly said while trailing his fingers through the hair on Bryn’s chest.

Bryn shushed softly, his hand covering Everly’s. “Do you know what glory is?”

“I think so…” Everly chewed on his lip, slightly unsure. “It means different things, doesn’t it?”

“It does.” Bryn signaled for Everly to raise his arms, then pulled his sweatshirt up and over his head. It sailed across the room, followed by Bryn’s joggers. “To humans, it usuallyinvolves honor and fame. Or they think of their religion. Forus, it is everything.” He waited for Everly to sit and shimmy out of his jeans and used them to score another goal in the hamper.

“Everything?”

Bryn hummed as he turned Everly and gave his bottom a gentle swat to get him moving. “Pillows,” he ordered, crawling after him. Everly went to his pillow and propped his chin up on his palm as Bryn got comfortable on his back, an arm folded behind his head. “Glory is a life worthy of the ultimate reward: glory in the afterlife. It is the infinite bliss of absolute peace and a place of wondrous, golden beauty. It is all of these thingsandit is what gives me and Arawn strength and it’s what sends us into the Nothing. Chasing souls isn’t just about our glory, for us. It’s the divine right of those who live a glorious life, upholding their end of our magickal pact with the universe: that glory awaits those who deserve it.”

“Fletcher will live in glory because he has lived a glorious life?” Everly guessed and Bryn nodded.

“We already know exactly where Fletcher’s soul will go and he’ll be waiting for us when it’s our time to rest in glory,” he said simply.

“Can I go too?” Everly asked excitedly, then shook his head and his face crumpled as tears filled his eyes. He already knew the answer. “I’m not a hero like Fletcher and I’ve hurt people!” he choked out.

“Knock that off!” Bryn said sternly and pulled Everly on top of him. “You’ll be with me. With the three of us.”

Everly’s ass received another swat, causing a watery giggle as he straddled Bryn and pushed off his chest. “I will?”

---