Page 39 of I Will Always Find You
Damek could feel the intense heat rising within him as tension coiled in the air; beads of sweat formed on his brow. The anticipation of discovering who this tanned-skinned beauty was before him was palpable, sending a rush through him thathe could not ignore. Only the harder he tried to contain his excitement, the harder his cock got.
Without thinking, driven by an overwhelming desire he could neither resist nor fully comprehend, Damek rushed toward the Romani witch and embraced him. He then pressed a passionate kiss against the lips of the man he had just met moments before, practically a stranger.
But also, somehow, not.
And the Romani witch, his phallus also erect and hard as marble, kissed back, hungrily, greedily, needing to make up for the decades spent apart from his beloved. As their tongues intertwined and their firm cocks rubbed together through the material of their pants, tightly-woven hemp on one and leather on the other, the two men gave themselves over to passion.
Damek grasped the round and firm backside of the Romani witch, pulling him closer, as close as they could be while still fully clothed.
“I want you,” the Romani witch sighed, a single drop of moisture falling from his left eye. It was a tear of joy. “I need you, and I have waited so long.” That they were entirely out in the open, in public view, meant nothing to him. He cared only about living in the moment, for he knew how quickly his moments with Aeneas could be snatched from him.
But that same realization that they were in the middle of the lane, in front of his house where his father sat inside brooding, caused an unwelcome feeling of apprehension in Damek.
Pulling away in frustration, he exclaimed, “Forgive me, I—I do not know what came over me—why I did that! I—have to go.”
With that, Damek turned back towards the forest, leaving the village behind. As he hurriedly walked away, he buried his head in his hands, confusion overwhelming him.
What is happening to me? I need all my wits about me, now more than ever!It felt to Damek almost like he had beenbewitched, but he knew no one in his village possessed greater magic than he.A puzzle to solve later after I return with Dawyd safe in my arms.
“Wait!” the Romani witch called out, his voice slicing through the air as he sprinted after Damek. “I spoke with your sister, Stetsia!” In just a few strides, the Romani witch closed the distance between himself and the flustered young Hutsul. “This is why I know who you are, Damek. Stetsia revealed the tragic fate of your mother and brother. I am here to offer my assistance in the search for them.”
“No!” Damek shouted, his voice echoing with an intensity that surprised even him. As soon as the words left his mouth, though, regret washed over him. He realized the venom in his tone was unwarranted; it was misdirected anger.
“I mean, I do not require your help, stranger. I need no one’s help. My people, drinking and making merry, all while my brother remains lost in the woods, scared and believing we have forgotten him and left him to die. And when so many possess the power to help, they—well, anyway, I do not wish to be churlish toward your offer of aid, stranger, but please leave me alone. As I said, I do not have time for foolishness, and there is nothing you can do. Not against what may be in there.”
The Romani witch realized that he would need to do something wondrous to show Damek that not only was he in earnest when saying he wished to help but also more than capable of confronting any danger in the forest they might face, including, he hoped, the Cannibal Hag.
However, according to Abriana’s vision, now was not the time for them to confront Baba Yaga; that event was still months away.
“Wait but a moment, and you will see how capable I am,” the Romani witch grinned.
Upon seeing a great tree lying on its side at the edge of the forest, struck by lightning during a great storm and now blocking their path, forcing them to either crawl over it or move around it, the Romani witch knew precisely how he would prove his worth.
He recited no spell nor chanted any incantation; instead, the Romani witch called upon his special internal magic to move objects, small and large. And although the felled tree was massive, he felt confident he could affect it.
Harnessing the strength of his mind, spirit, and aura, the Romani witch stretched his arms out, palms up and flat. As he concentrated intensely on his singular desire—lifting the tree—he channelled his willpower through his body, directing it down his arms and extending it through his hands. To his delight, as he raised his arms, the tree responded. It thrust upward from the earth as if drawn by an invisible, undeniable force.
Damek stared in astonishment, his eyes wide with disbelief. “How are you doing this?”
Beginning to feel the strain of levitating the massive object, the Romani witch dramatically flung the tree deep into the forest. It collided with a sturdier tree, firmly rooted in the ground, and snapped in half. The two pieces fell to the ground with a heavy thud.
“How?” Damek asked again, just as bewildered as before.
“I am a witch of the Roma. Blessed by Hecate herself. My witchcraft is ancient. My inner magic is verystrong. Stronger than your Zagovory, and I mean no offence when I say this. It is simply the truth of my formidable abilities.
“Now you see, Damek, I can help you if you are willing to trust me. I want nothing more than to use my gifts and my knowledge in the search for your brother. And to protect you.”
“Why? Why do you want this? Who am I to you? Why would you risk your life for a stranger? You are not Hutsul. You arenot even from this country, let alone this region. This makes no sense. You owe me no goodwill.”
I owe you everything, beloved. You are my everything.“For now, let it be enough that I wish to help for my own reasons, Damek. I do not fear what lives in the woods, though I am not so foolish as to think we do not have to be careful or keep our guard up. A boy is missing. That is enough. Back in Italia, I have brothers, and I would risk my life over and over again for them. And I have.”
This time, the words spoken about Pietro’s life did not upset the Romani witch; he did not chastise himself, for he did not register that what he said was anything outside his own experiences, his life.
“Fine, if you wish to follow,” Damek relented, though it was less of a reluctance and more of a happy acceptance. He wanted to stay near the Romani witch. He even believed, though it sounded crazy in his mind, that his heart wanted to remain beside him forever.
Wasting no more time, the two mystics walked into the forest, side by side, in search of Dawyd. And the Romani witch promised Damek that he would go for as long and travel as far as was needed, darkness and danger be damned.
And Damek’s heart beat even faster for the handsome stranger upon hearing this.
