Page 12 of Surging Reef

Two months later

Ashby was gonna kill Kazimir. Who the fuck went outside in the middle of a stormy October night?

“I’m gonna kill you.”

“No, you’re not. This is my second wish. You can’t back out or punish me for it.” He flicked the indicator and turned onto a barely-there gravel road, taking them onto a field. The sea was at war with itself to their right, and Ashby shivered.

Before them was a white lighthouse with a black roof or whatever the tops of lighthouses were called.

“I promised myself I’d never walk into a lighthouse again when you got me out from Surging Reef.”

“Too bad, sweetheart. Lighthouses is my life mission, and since you’re mine, you’re coming with.

” Kazimir stopped the car and got out. The wind was tearing at them, but he opened the backseat door and unhooked Pharos, who jumped down on his own now the cast had been removed.

Then Kazimir grabbed his backpack and slung it over his shoulder.

“Come on.”

Ashby didn’t want to, so he turned in the seat to glare at him. “It’s windy.”

Kazimir rolled his eyes before slamming the door closed with a bang, or maybe it was the wind doing it. Kazimir wasn’t a door-slamming person.

Reluctantly, Ashby got out. He looked up at the lighthouse. “Why are we here?”

“This is a stone lighthouse—”

“I can see that.”

Kazimir glared at him. “It was built in the 1820s, completed in 1829. There was a wooden lighthouse here before, built in 1683, I think, but it didn’t stand up to the weather, so they replaced it. Isn’t it amazing? So beautiful.”

Ashby snorted. “It looks like a huge penis.”

“As I said, beautiful. We’re going up.”

Ashby was shaking his head before he was aware of doing so. “No. Haven’t you noticed there’s a storm?”

Kazimir grabbed his arm. “It’s on my list, I need to check it off, and it’s been here since 1829. There’ve been worse storms, trust me.”

He had a point, but still. “This might be the straw that breaks—”

“Come on.” He pulled Ashby along. When they reached the door, Kazimir dropped the bag on the ground and pulled out the bolt cutter. The padlock keeping idiots out didn’t stand a chance.

“If I get caught for breaking into a lighthouse, I’ll never forgive you.”

Kazimir grinned and pulled him close for a kiss. The hinges cried as he opened the door. Inside was a tiny hallway, but not big enough for any furniture. “Didn’t the lighthouse keeper live here?”

All he could see was a solid stone spiral stair. There were stone walls on both sides, as if the stairs had been carved out. He didn’t think it had been, but they could’ve been inside a mountain.

“No, he lived in a cottage next to the tower.”

Ashby nodded and started to climb the stairs behind Kazimir. So many uneven steps.

“We’ll not buy one of these.”

“Buy?” Had he lost his mind?

“Yes, we want to live inside the tower, not next to it.”

Ashby shook his head. When he’d learned Kazimir had a list of lighthouses to visit, he’d suspected he was insane, but he hadn’t realized the severity. “Darling—”

“It’s my third wish.”

Ashby stopped mid-step. “What?”

“One day, I’m buying a lighthouse. It’s been my goal for several years now.” He kept walking as if nothing had happened. Ashby hurried to catch up. “And my third wish is for you to come live in it with me.”

Hot and cold clashed inside Ashby. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with Kazimir, but a lighthouse.

He was perfectly happy where they were, or maybe not perfectly.

He too had started fantasizing about biting Alan annoying-fucking-neighbor Anderson, but Hervey Jehan had accepted him into the kingdom without blinking, and he hadn’t demanded anything in return.

If there was an attack on the kingdom, Ashby would be called upon to fight, and he would.

He would defend his home. He would defend Kazimir, would make sure the likes of Anne never came near him.

“Babe, lighthouses are neither cheap nor practical.”

Kazimir turned to grin at him. “I don’t want practical. Come on.” Kazimir held out his hand and pulled him up the last step. Together they walked into the lantern room, and Kazimir let out a dreamy sigh. “Look.”

The sea looked as if massive sea monsters were brawling, large waves rising high only to crash down into the sea again, leaving white foam in their wake.

“Isn’t it beautiful?”

“Terrifying.”

Kazimir gave a lazy shrug. “Yeah, but…Makes you realize how insignificant you are, doesn’t it?”

Ashby scrunched his nose at him. “It’s not a good feeling.”

It made Kazimir laugh and lean against him. Ashby wound an arm around him and nuzzled his temple.

“But it is in a way. We’re no more than a grain of sand in a large universe. Our problems are trivial, unimportant.”

“It’s not making me feel any better.”

Kazimir squeezed his hand. “Fine, but you’re my favorite grain of sand in the whole wide world.”

“I am a pretty great grain of salt.”

“Sand.” Kazimir shook his head while chuckling. “It doesn’t matter. I’m glad to be here with you.”

Ashby’s heart was squeezed tight. “And I with you.”

“So you’ll move in with me in a lighthouse?”

Ashby sighed. “I’ll follow you anywhere.”

Kazimir kissed him then. “Good.”

THE END