Page 63 of Concluded
As Charles blinked in surprise, Achilles gave Dee a poke in the arm.“You’re already worn out, man.You can’t?—”
“It’s not so bad.The more I use it, the stronger I get.Like a muscle.Give me a couple hours and I bet I could manage.”
Although Achilles wanted to be protective of Dee, he held his tongue.Dee was an adult and could make his own decisions; he didn’t need a nursemaid, and it wasn’t Achilles’ place to tell him what to do.He couldn’t help but wonder, however, just how much Dee would be capable of with more practice.Charles was undoubtedly wondering the same.
“I’d be deeply obliged,” Charles said.“But if you’re going to fashion a place of refuge, it should be for you.And maybe Achilles.”
Achilles made a noise.“Not me.I’m still in this, Chief.”It was weirdly relieving to say so.
Dee clutched at Achilles’ knee.“But… we won.Ish is free.”
Oh no.Achilles hadn’t been clear enough about this, just as he hadn’t sufficiently explained to Orson how risky his new job was.He spoke slowly now, carefully.“People talk about it—Italk about it—like it’s a war.Battles.Enemies.Casualties.But that’s as much a fiction as”—he made finger quotes for emphasis—“the ‘war on drugs’ and the ‘war on crime.’A real war, even a bad one, has a goal in sight.Has an end.The Bureau’s duties don’t.We willneverwin, although I guess we can lose big time.”
“Then why bother?”Dee looked deeply troubled.
“Because… because making the effort counts.Every time someone tries to do good, even in a small way, it matters.”Achilles wished he could articulate this better.He felt the truth of it even if he couldn’t quite find the right words.
Unexpectedly, Tenrael came to his rescue.“An analogy.Imagine a plot of land.Perhaps a forest once grew there, perhaps crops were planted, but now it is barren.I plant a seed there—it is tiny.Charles also plants a seed, and Achilles, and Clay and Marek, and our friends from the stars, and the coyotes, and many others.Some of those seeds mature to plants that, in turn, produce more seeds.Now the land is lush with growth.Eventually, drought will come, or floods, or fire, or the climate may become inhospitable.The plants will die, the land is once again barren.For a time, however, there was growth.In the future there might be again.So we plant our seeds.”
Achilles gave him a grateful smile before turning to Dee.“By the sound of it, something’s royally fucked up in Seattle right now.We don’t know whether Dunn’s still alive, and even if she isn’t, her buddies are still moving forward.There’s shiteverywhere, it seems like.Lots of Bureau agents are smarter than me.Lots are stronger.I don’t have a single, solitary superpower.I’m not as young as I used to be.But dammit, I can still plant a seed.So that’s what I’m going to do.”
As he gave this little speech, Achilles had a realization.He wasn’t continuing the fight because he wanted to impress anyone or receive praise.It wouldn’t make up for anything in his past and it wouldn’t make anyone love him.He’d probably end up with more scars, at the least, or quite possibly a grave.Nevertheless, he wanted to do this because, for fuck’s sake, planting seeds was what he did.Who he was.
After a long pause, Dee nodded and then took Achilles’ hand.“Could you maybe use a trowel?”he asked.
Forget about overextended analogies and the watchful presence of a demon and a half-angel.Achilles twisted, grasped Dee’s shoulders, and kissed the ever-loving hell out of him.
CHAPTER26
An agreement was negotiated without Dee’s participation, which was fine with him.He was still recuperating from his magic and slightly stunned from that kiss.Achilles had kissed him like he meant it—not out of lust but a different sort of passion altogether.Which made Dee think that, while their time together might end up being cut short by death, it would still be worth it.While they could, they’d damn well bloom.
Consequently, Dee was thrilled to learn that he’d be given until tomorrow to recharge his battery, and that since the little house was now overflowing, Achilles and Dee would temporarily decamp to a hotel.Charles was concerned about the safety aspects of this, but Achilles argued that nowhere was safe right now, not even secret alien compounds in the desert.
An hour later, Dee and Achilles were gleefully checked into a room at a vintage hotel a couple miles away.It wasn’t the fanciest place in town, but it was nice enough, in a quiet neighborhood, with an ocean view.
They were barely inside when Achilles kicked the door shut, grabbed Dee, and shoved him against the wall for another of those knee-shaking kisses.“Sorry,” Achilles said, pulling back slightly.He didn’tlooksorry at all.With his wild hair and a feral gleam in in his eyes, he bore more resemblance to a satyr than his namesake hero.“If you have any doubts about this, I don’t blame you.I won’t?—”
Dee shut him up by kissing him back.
“Does that satisfy your need for affirmative consent?”Dee asked when they came up for breath.
“It does.”
For the first time in his life, Dee wanted someone.Not in a sort of generalit would be fun to fucksort of way.This was a burning need—almost literally, like a fire raging in his core—to physically unite with this particular person.He felt greedy in that he wanted to have Achilles.But also generous, in that he wanted Achilles to have him.
“The one time when being naked would come in handy,” Achilles grumbled, fumbling at his clothes.
Dee’s came off more easily—like magic—and he graciously helped Achilles with the last of his.Then they both stood there, feasting with their eyes.Dee didn’t know what Achilles saw in him, although Achilles was hard, which was a good sign.When he looked at Achilles, he saw a Greek god turned man, with scars old and new, with some sexy facial stubble and warm brown eyes.
Suddenly it was Dee’s turn to grab Achilles and pin him against the wall.“I need your consent too.”
“Jesus, Dee, can’t you tell I?—”
“You could take me apart, piece by piece, and if I thought it pleased you, I’d only beg for more.You could consume me and I’d be glad of it.I don’t know if this is because I’m a djinn or if it’s my own personal quirk, and I guess it doesn’t matter.I want you to own me, body and soul, and I want to grant all your wishes.Do you understand?Because we’ve known each other only a short time, and it’s been aweirdtime, and I understand this may be way too much for you.”
Achilles looked at him solemnly, and for a terrible moment Dee believed that Achilles would turn away.Then he reminded himself tohope, just as Achilles kept telling him.And as if the thought made it true, Achilles leaned his forehead against Dee’s.
“I feel like I’ve been waiting for you for twenty years,” Achilles said.
