The night was still young, but I was feeling the draw of sleep. Eric chuckled beside me and caressed my face, letting me feel how much care he put into a single touch.
"I'm hungry but I don't want to get up," I complained. Eric slid over me, dropping kisses across my face as he got out of the bed.
"I'll see what I can pull together," he tells me, swaying across the floor with nothing hiding his well-sculpted body. I stifle a sigh and turn onto my side to watch him.
Propped up on my elbow, I close my eyes and reminisce about the evening and how well it ended up compared to a few nights before in Stockholm. The hurt between Eric and myself was healing, we were getting to know each other in a more intimate and familiar way now. I only hoped it would continue in this positive direction.
"Sweet dreams?" Eric asked me, sinking down in front of my belly, and cradling a plate with a spread of different cheeses and some cured meat and nuts.
"Pleasant memories," I quipped, sliding up and into a sitting position. I took the plate from him and sampled the cheeses. One was sharp and bright, reminding me of lemongrass, another was a rich and creamy, wine cured cheese. The last was a sweet and creamy goat cheese that I thought went surprisingly well with the cured meat. I ate some more as Eric watched and became self-conscious at his stare.
"You could get yourself something to eat, too," I told him around a bite of cheese and an almond. He met my eyes, and I could see the laughter in them as he spoke.
"Or I could enjoy the time I have with you until you sleep and eat then. I enjoy seeing you eat and be content with what I was able to provide."
I stared back and felt the blush come to my cheeks. I wanted to look away but staring into Eric's eyes was like being held under a spell. I wasn't sure if he could glamour me, it wasn't something either of us had discussed or brought up. While I think he used some of the glamour to keep his fangs from hurting, it wasn't something I was sure about.
Finally, I looked away and down at the plate in my lap.
"What made you choose this place?" I asked Eric while he got up to bring me a glass of water, probably having heard my struggle with swallowing the last bite of food I had. I waited, unsure if I wanted to hear his answer, or what kind of answer he would give.
"I chose this because you are incredible," he answered while handing me the glass as he sat again.
"Tristan, you can do so many amazing things. You created crowns of ice in the likeness of flowers that are so delicate. You pull your element from the Earth itself to weave to your liking. I can't wait to see what we are capable of together. I wanted to see your likeness in such a beautiful place."
As he finished speaking, he leaned over the plate and into my space. He placed a kiss on my forehead and rested his own against mine. I smiled even though it was hidden and raised a hand to cup his cheek. We didn't stay that way long, but it was a comfort all the same.
"Thank you," I said quietly. I took a long drink of the water he had brought me. "I know giving up the life you had before is difficult, even if that's the position you were put in before we met, but I do appreciate the efforts you're putting into this. I don't know that I would have made it this far without you."
Eric smiled at me.
"Because of choosing this, I am just as wanted as you are, if you think about it, Tristan. The entire world could be looking for both of us, but I will not let them have the satisfaction of finding us. I feel drawn to you like somehow, we knew each other before we had ever met, and I wanted to explore the possibilities of that relationship. I know the road is long, and difficult to navigate, but I will walk beside you as long as you'll have me."
I hadn't expected a confession of confidence like this. I didn't know what to do or what to say. Everything I thought of felt lame or out of place in comparison, so I said the only thing I had held back because I didn't want to speak them into the universe and make them a momentous thing, in need of recognition or remembrance.
"I love you, Eric. I think I've fallen for you throughout this whole process, even though it's strange and confusing, and it's been more pain than seems worthwhile. I have fallen in love with you along this journey."
"I love you, too," he said as he bent down to give me a kiss. It was slow and smooth, sensually pleasant. The heat behind it was too low to turn it into more. "Rest now, and dream of us, Tristan. I'll plan some activities for us to do together tomorrow evening. There is plenty for you to explore during the day while I rest. Enjoy some of the time and see what calls out to you."
I nodded and yawned, realizing it was well into the night and I did need some rest if I was going to be up before Eric to do any more practice or exploring on my own. I set the plate and glass of water beside me on the nightstand and snuggled into the sheets as Eric tucked me in and rubbed my back until I drifted into dreams.
I awoke the next day well after midday and saw Eric had put away the plate from last night and had drawn the lighttight shutters across the igloo extension and had left some brochures out for me to look through. One was for the health center I had been interested in when we had arrived. I picked it up and opened the front page, reading about the things offered in the health facility. I looked over the other brochures and decided to head toward the health facility and clock in some walking and some weight training to keep me on my toes and ready for any circumstance. Before leaving I wrote a note for Eric, should he rise before I returned, and left it beside the bed where he would find it.
It was a good mile walk from our cabin to the health facility, and I felt underprepared. I'd brought my phone, a key to get back into the cabin, and two bottles of water. I was still at least a quarter of a mile away from the health facility when I finished the second bottle. I groaned but continued walking until I reached the health center. I walked in and found blessedly cool air. The temperature outside may not have been too high but walking a mile in the sun was still a daunting task, even with water available.
I stopped and sat for a moment in the lobby, taking in the atmosphere and how many other people were currently in the health center that I could see from my seat. The desk clerk looked me over but didn't ask me anything until I approached. I got directions to the weight room and passed several classes and other rooms before reaching my destination. I was in for a hard session, but I knew it was necessary. I had allowed myself to get that out of practice and starting somewhere was better than not starting at all.
I walked around the room, taking in the different machines, and finally picked the one for leg curls. I picked a weight I thought would be appropriate and set to work on repetitions, working my way through sets on both of my legs and on to other devices to target different parts of my legs. If I couldn't keep on my own two feet, what chance did I stand in a fight or battle, where being vertical was one of the most important aspects to staying alive?
After I felt I had tortured myself enough I took a cool-down break on a bench on the side of the room and realized how much I had signed myself up for, having another mile to walk back to be able to get some more rest. I decided to be finished after that realization and stopped by the refreshment bar to grab some more water for my arduous walk back. I was looking forward to crawling into the hot shower and letting the water soothe my aching muscles before using it to work my craft into whatever I desired.
I trudged along, hopeful that I would feel better after the shower, and doubtful I would be able to move afterward. Eric would have to carry me to any place we decided to go in the evening, and I would look ridiculous. I was sure I would be as useless as a sack of flour on a shelf, but I still laughed to myself imagining Eric ferrying me around the woods because I simply could not walk anymore. The mental image kept a smile on my face the rest of the walk to the cabin.
As I neared the cabin, I noticed the door was ajar, and that certainly wasn't how I left it. Concern flooded me and I fought with myself on whether I should go in and make sure Eric was safe or if I should look around and make sure there was no one outside waiting for me to enter. I stood outside long enough to make anyone watching sure I was an idiot, and finally decided on approaching slowly and seeing what and who might be inside. I didn't let myself feel the fear that gnawed at the back of my mind, reminding me we both had enemies looking for us. I didn't focus on anything but the next steps I was taking until I heard someone call out from inside.
"Quit lurking about, love. Before someone else sees you acting strange and decides to come knocking," a velvet voice said from behind the door.
"Irial? Wha-I thought you were in Stockholm. On business or forgetting about business. What are you doing in my cabin and why are you here?" I demanded, walking in more confident since I knew the voice and the person attached. I didn't quite trust Irial, but I knew he wouldn't harm me without cause, at least that was what I believed.
"Yes, love, that was earlier. This is now. I must inform you that you aren't safe. Your movements are being tracked and unless you leave tonight, you will be found."
Irial's insistence confused me. How could he know we were being followed unless he was the one doing it?
"Iri, you're not making much sense. Obviously, you're following me-us. Are you the only one?"
He didn't look me in the eye, but I knew he wouldn't lie to me, he couldn't. But he could misdirect me into believing a half-truth.
"I'm not the one you need to worry about, love. Your dear brother is the one looking for you. Saw him stalking the streets like a bloodhound-" Irial paused as I cut him off.
"You what?!" I shrieked. I couldn't be bothered by Eric sleeping right now, if Irial saw Kayden, then there were bigger problems coming at me. Either by my heightened emotions or the shrill noises I had made, Eric rose, groggily, and saw Irial in the cabin rented for us and lost all semblance of decency.
I lost any bit of tired and achy feeling I had as he stood, a snarl plastered on his beautiful features and ready to rip out Irial's throat. In that moment I felt everything Eric did. Powerfully explosive anger, exquisitely painful jealousy, and irrational fear that he somehow wasn't what I needed. Our bond was wide open, and I could feel how easy it would be to send my feelings across it and soothe his fears and insecurity.
"As lovely as he is, I don't want to play today, pet." Irial's off-hand comment did not help matters, especially when I was trying to figure out how to send what I was feeling. I stepped between them and wrapped my arms around Eric's waist. I held him in my arms, pushing love, affection, surety through the bond and hoping he understood what I was trying to say without speaking. I could tell, not only in the tenseness that left Eric's body but in the bond that he understood it wasn't a tryst or secret relationship, this was something else that he needed to be awake for.
"Irial tells me that we are being followed, and my brother was spotted in Stockholm. He's following us, and I don't know what to do. I didn't expect him to find us this quickly, Eric. I know the world is a big and a small place, but even he shouldn't have known the direction we would take," I spew at him as he gathers something to clothe himself in.
"Tristan, how did he find us? Perhaps he is the one feeding Kayden information."
Years of being told the simplest explanation is usually the right one, and I still couldn't believe that Irial could be the one leading me into a trap. He had come here to warn us. He was trying to be helpful, which for a member of the Dark Court was entirely subjective and based on a whim. It couldn't possibly be him.
"Yes, because all faeries are hideous monsters that manipulate and maneuver their way into people's lives," Irial countered Eric's comment. "I know about you too, Northman."
"Both of you, stop it. How did you know who it was that was looking for us?" I asked trying to diffuse the tension between them.
"He came in looking for his 'poor lost sister, taken by some tall mean brute trying to keep her from being with her family' and some humans believed him," Irial said with a harsh look.
"This is bad. Really bad. We must leave, Eric. We're too close to Stockholm for it to be safe." A worried look crossed my face, watching Eric immediately beginning to pack our things while Irial looked at the soonest vampire friendly flights and accommodations. I wasn't sure where we would end up, but in minutes we were ready to go, and there were still hours left before first dark.
Irial stepped forward, pulling me close. "Keep yourself scarce, love. I don't know everything. It's not my place. Just keep moving, nibblet."
Irial placed a kiss on the top of my head and walked out of our rental cabin, closing the door behind him. My phone chimed with ticket information for both of us and I looked to Eric. He was exhausted, being woken up in the afternoon was not only unhealthy for vampires, but it was also nearly impossible under most circumstances.
"Rest, I'll get everything ready and loaded into the car that can last. We both need to be more prepared after we land." I said softly.
Eric nodded and walked toward me. He enveloped me in his arms. Being held like this made me feel safer than knowing we were leaving as soon as possible, but we still had quite the journey ahead. After a moment Eric released me and walked back to the large bed and patted the sheets beside him. An invitation to come and rest with him, after I had loaded the car. I smiled and nodded as I gathered a few bags and began to take them out.
Our travels continued like this, staying in one place for only a night. Irial had arranged for us to land in Moscow. The next night was St. Petersburg. Mumbai, Barcelona, Beijing, Cairo, and Hong Kong were all stops along the way. It was almost as though we had stepped into my past and were following how I had run before. Instead of across the U.S. this time, it was the entire world. Nights were never restful, and I didn't get to see anything interesting, though I was much more excited about my continued existence than the sightseeing I had hoped to do. When we crossed the international date line on our way to Rio, I wasn't sure there was any better plan for us. Just over a week of running across the globe and we hadn't been successful in breaking his tail on us. We were no closer to a solution to being rid of my brother. My hopes weren't extremely high when we finally touched down.
"Eric," my timid voice caught his attention. I hadn't been as quiet during our other trips, and he was used to me being more talkative.
"What are we accomplishing here? Is there really any point in running like this?"
He regarded me with little interest it seemed. It was typical of him in public, but when we were alone, he was more open and readable, something I viewed as pragmatic and appropriate.
"We are trying to stay one step ahead of those who would see our demise, snӧblomma." His voice was cool and confident in his assessment, making me blush at the term of endearment he had for me. Going along with what he thought was best had suited me fine until then. Up to that point, I had believed he knew how to handle the continual evasion and subsequent needs that followed. I was beginning to think he was just as lost as I was.
After touching down, we took a cab through the crowded streets to our destination, windows down as we passed by the cities' nightly inhabitants. The smells of street food wafted through the car, tempting me in a different way than Eric was capable of, making my mouth water. Eric let a grin slip through his façade. When we arrived, he got us checked in and into the room with the experience of a concierge. Just as quickly we were out the door.
A few streets over was a party, with loud music and people dancing in the street. The first real outing we had since Stockholm. A smile lit my face as Eric directed me through the crowd toward a cart with hot food and cold drinks. I wasn't sure what he had gotten for me, only that it was spicy and delicious. It reminded me of home. Longing washed through me and the bond to Eric. He sent a soft feeling of comfort to me and collected the remnants of my late-night meal to toss in the garbage.
We danced and cavorted through the streets until the small hours of the morning when we were both spent and ready to drop from exertion. Lanes and alleyways snaked back to the front of the hotel we were staying at. Along the way, we heard revelers cheering and laughing as they made their own journeys to safety.
Collapsing on the bed, we slept well into the evening of the next night.
The week continued in much the same fashion, each night trying something different. We discovered there was a festival surrounding the food, and street vendors mimicked the five-star chef's while local artists mimicked the large names gathered to play at the events during the daytime. We enjoyed every moment of it. We practiced working through the bond and getting ideas onto paper that could make everything easier in the long run. The last night we spent in the city we planned on heading home, to the place I grew up and was more familiar with. We were leaving for California the next evening.