Page 52 of Hexes & Heartstrings (Shifters of Bastion Keep #2)

Russell laid his chin on the snowy ground outside the anchor, waiting patiently as he'd been doing for the last few hours.

He dozed in and out, snuffling awake each time he heard nearby movement, but otherwise he rested.

The cold of early December wasn't a problem at all for his lupine form, and he additionally had Auguste pressed up beside him, the guardian offering to keep him warm while he waited.

Russell held back an amused yip; he'd seen Auguste rubbing his right arm several times while in his human form, and it was obvious that its flesh was much more sensitive to the cold since its reattachment.

There was no need to be secretive about it, Russell was perfectly happy to be a warm body for a friend!

Soon, though, activity began picking up as multiple shifters went to and from the Umbral, chattering excitedly.

A mere moment later, there was a vibration in the air that caused Russell's fur to stand on end, followed by a brief sinking feeling in his stomach like he were jumping off of a rock and into a river. And then a few seconds after that…

"It's done!" his da declared to the stationed garrison troops as he appeared, a beaming Lux Manus at his side.

"Aye, we've got the false Bastion properly moored to the local penumbra now.

Should prove an additional safe haven during incursions and patrols once it's properly set up, I'm thinking, but that's up to the war council to decide. "

Getting up to his paws, Russell shook the snow off of his fur as he sniffed the air, listening for every shift as several packs of guardians returned from the Umbral. As soon as he heard the one that smelled like his boyfriends, he bounded in their direction, his tail wagging.

"Hi, Russell," Bruin said, dismounting from Ser's back to ruffle the fur around his head. He smelled tired, but that was understandable; all of the witches had spent the last week working nonstop on the big ritual. "Thank you for waiting for us! You're the best boyfriend a guy could ask for."

Once Ser had finished giving out last commands, Russell raised a paw and made a careful whine, and was rewarded by being allowed to carry Bruin the several miles back to their home.Knowing his boyfriend, there was bound to be some cuddles and a nap once they arrived, which sounded wonderful.

The three of them had just entered the keep and were about to head upstairs, when Lady Yi caught up with them, bowing her feline head.

"Lord Sergiy, a word?"

"Speak freely," he said, his tone pleasant despite a mildly impatient scent.

"Yes, my lord.I just wanted to say thank you for allowing me the privilege of leading the forces to fetch the other castle."

"I figured you could use a last hurrah before you leave us," he said.

"Remember, tomorrow night is dinner with my family, and then Bastion Keep will give House Rhindon a proper send off the day after.

I'm sorry to see you go, honest truth, but I understand that you have your own House affairs to return to. "

"It was my honor to be of service, but yes, this was always going to be a temporary duty." She paused to lift one of her paws up, unsheathing its claws. "That traitor Dafydd is still out there, assuming that he lives, and I aim to discover how he managed to infiltrate my House."

"Falsified background, perhaps?"

"Perhaps. I may even decide to hire the aid of some realms mages and track the runt through whatever spirit realm he's in, make sure that he's doing as he implied with the spirits and not conniving of ways to harm others.

" Russell saw Lady Yi shrug. "Or perhaps I'll see if my husband is ready to give me a child.

That sounds like it would be an adventure as well, from what I have heard Lady Galina say on the matter. "

Ser gave her a smile."Goodbye, Lady Yi. I wish you success in either endeavor, and in the meantime, I'll see you tonight at the end-of-week meeting."

With a short bow she was off, and then the three of them resumed their trek to Ser's room, where Russell started getting the shower started while the other two stripped off their snow-damp clothing.

Warm showers! Russell loved them in the winter. While his boyfriends shared some kisses in the steamy heat, Russell spent half his time gargling the shower water, enjoying himself.

As he'd predicted, even after some heavy petting in the shower, there were still a couple of hours until lunch, so they climbed into Ser's bed beneath the covers.

They got settled, himself in his human form wrapped around Bruin's smaller frame to keep his boyfriend warm, Ser laying on his belly beyond them.

Russell especially liked the way that Bruin smelled completely at ease in his arms, which made him happy. But now he might need to disturb the peace by asking a serious question.

He took a careful breath.

"Ser," he said. "I want to visit the other place."

"Hallow? The false Bastion?"

He nodded his head, his ears perking forward to listen for hints as to what Ser would say. He didn't want to get his hopes up in case his mate said no, but he did hope.

"Soon," Ser said, and he reflexively squeezed his teddy bear, who made a delightful sound just like a squeak toy.

"And by soon, I mean in about a month or two.

We need to make sure that the realm isn't accessible to shadowlings or great spirits, and if it is, how to organize patrols or maybe live-in garrison troops.

I think I might need to make these temporary troops more permanent if we're going to be staffing an entire second castle. And then—"

Ser was silenced by the expedient measure of Bruin kissing him.After a long minute, Ser continued.

"Thank you, Bruin, you're right. All of that can be left for this evening's meeting. And yes, Russ. Soon you'll get to go back."

He hugged Bruin again, then reached across to squeeze Ser's shoulder.

"Anything I'm forgetting before we nap?"

"You've got your three-month prostheses check-up coming up," Bruin said.

"Yes, so you've been reminding me every week. I already have the hotel booked for the three of us, and also some reservations at a nice, upscale restaurant, which will give me a chance to see you in your nice outfit.Oh, don't make that face, Bruin, I'm sure you'll love the food!"

"You said that about the crazy lobster place."

"I don't understand, the reviews had all been so glowing! But what kind of chef thinks up the idea of combining lobster with peanut butter?Or making mayonaise-filled creme puffs!"

Russell settled back on the bed, closing his eyes, listening to his two boyfriends prattle on in a silly manner when they could be resting, dozing off to dreams of swimming through water in a place that was always bright, and quiet, and smelled familiar, like family.

◆◆◆

After lunch, Russell bid farewell to a busy Ser, and then grabbed a kiss from Bruin.

"I'm going to go tend to my gardens, then check in on my terrarium. I want to see if the Umbral flowers are growing on their own, yet, without magical support. I'll come find you in a couple of hours, okay?"

He nodded.Russell had his own afternoon job to get to, so after waving goodbye to his boyfriend, he headed to the stairs that led not just to the baths, but also the dungeons.

"Hey, Russell," Bridget said once he descended the flights of stairs, casually tossing a ball back and forth between three other guardians. "I'll unlock his door."

"Mm."

He followed her down a stone-wrought hall, past a large holding cell and into a short corridor which held three large steel doors, nondescript apart from a small barred window high up on each door.

"Knock-knock!" Bridget said, rapping her knuckles on the door. "Lord Kerry, it's time for your afternoon walk, if you are willing. It'll be with Russell again."

There was the sound of a book being closed, and then someone getting off of a bed and approaching. "Yeoman Russell? Yes, of course. What is the weather like outside?"

"Snowy," Russell said as the door was opened, revealing a cell that was about the same size as his own bedroom, if more sparsely furnished; it had little more than a writing desk covered in books, a bed, a chest of drawers, and then a dusty television that didn't seem to be getting any use.

"I'll wear my coat, then," the man said, waiting patiently while Bridget's assistants did a quick sniff of him from head to toe, checking for weapons and immediate ill intent.

Russell waited in the hall as the man was brought to him.

Both of the first two times Russell had encountered Lord Kerry, he hadn't formed a strong impression.

The first time, when he'd attacked the keep, he'd just been a big nebulous monster.

And the second time, there had been so much going on in Hallow's Great Hall that he hadn't registered much before the lord had been stabbed.

Now, though, after more than a month of daily visits—sometimes to bring food, library books, or clothing, most other times for trips outdoors—Russell had a firmer sense of the man.

He was sad, and tired, but he thankfully no longer smelled like he were on the brink of a cliff, bloody and injured in spirit.

He seemed a little bit more at peace, and a few of the lines on his face were gone, filled out from eating proper food at last.

Russell dipped his head. "Lord Kerry."

"You don't need to call me that. Just Kerry is fine, or Kerry Usenko if you must be formal, since I no longer desire a claim to my previous title."

Russell frowned. Lord Kerry had told him this before, but it still didn't make sense. He was a lord, and his name was Kerry, so that made him Lord Kerry. Maybe he wanted to be called a different name?He'd had experience with Mrs. Steelhammer, so he knew how, now.

He tilted his head by way of answer, and saw Lord Kerry nod, as if he hadn't expected anything different.