Fabian Moore || Secret GT blog of a little Englishman. || Co-Author of 'Caught' and 'Valour and Blood' || 27 || Asexual || (Cover art by @marydublinauthor and myself)
Hi there! Iâm really looking forward to the re write of Valour and blood. Do you guys have an expected release date?
Hi! Thank you so much for bearing with us after all this time đ„č
Rest assured, weâre still actively working on Valour, but with @marydublinauthorâs other projects taking priority it might be next year that it gets finished!
We canât wait to share the new version with youse âš
Btw I finished SITD. Iâm not sure how I allowed myself this long to read it, life has been crazy. But I forgot how much your stories help me step away from the madness, they couldnât be more perfect. And the new storyline leaves so much room for so many possibilities, I loved it.
We definitely need more gt books out in the world, youâre making our community proud. So stoked that youâre already working on the second book, that and Valour give me something to look forward to(:
Started out as and Markus and Jane longing post and turned into overall admiration
Ahhhh first of all thank you for reading SITD!! Iâm so happy you liked it and your kind words make my heart so happy. I agree! Itâs amazing to see like how happy I wouldâve been to see this as a kid growing up thinking I was a freak for loving gt in secret. And how incredible that so many others are enjoying the inadvertent gt as well đđ«¶đ»
Markus and Jane MY LOVES!!! Iâm still so obsessed with them and if I havenât shared before, @smol-smoggie and I do have a rough full novel planned for them, once we finish rewriting Valour đ
(( Literally I daydream about him rinsing off under a waterfall and her watching coyly from a branch all the time â until it snaps and she plunges into the ravine and he has to scoop her out ahah ))
SHOT IN THE DARK is available now! đđ§đ»ââïž
Get your paperback, hardcover, or e-book below! đ„°âš
AMAZON || ETSY || BARNES & NOBLE
The day has finally arrived!! Whether you're an old friend of the Shot in the Dark series or if you've never read our work before, we're certain you're going to have a blast on this adventure!
Mary and I have poured all our love into this project and we couldn't be prouder with the final product!
Happy reading!! And if you enjoy, don't forget to leave a review. It helps us more than you know!
And of course, our ask boxes is always open for questions and thoughts as you're reading!! đâš
@marydublinauthor
SYNOPSIS:
Welcome to a world where fairies and monsters roam alongside mournful spirits.
For decades, no threat has touched Elysia. The underground village where Sylvia has lived alongside her fellow fairies is well-fortified, providing safety in its earthen walls
But Sylvia craves more.
Her curiosity leads her to trespass the strict boundaries of her village, leading her to cross paths with violent creatures she has heard of only by firelight whispers.
Human hunters--Jon and Cliff--who's suspect Sylvia's involvement in a string of gruesome disappearances.
A harrowing captivity transforms into an unlikely alliance when Sylvia saves John's life by sealing a magical pact with the enigmatic Ancients--fae powers who demand a cryptic price.
Sylvia is left with no choice but to stay by Jon's side while he and Cliff hunt for a ruthless werewolf, determined to free herself from the Ancients' settlement.
As the dangerous hunt unfolds, Sylvia finds that not all legends about hunters are true.
The world is wider than she ever could have imagined in Elysia.
She realizes she and Jon may have more in common than she could have ever imagined--and icy hostility melts into forbidden attraction.
Can Sylvia sever the enigmatic bond in time, while protecting her heart in the own process?
âHe saved me,â I choked out. âHe thought I was a danger at first, but he let me change his mind. He saved me like a warrior in a story, and I couldnât watch him die. It wasnât fair.â
Already big sizeshifters that grow even more when they kiss their partner đ€đ€đ€đ€ already tiny sizeshifters that shrink even more when they kiss their partner đ€đ€đ€đ€
Thank you for the prompt!! This is a continuation of DEITY OF IDIOTS đ
Brielle struggles to calm down a newly-giant Cameron. Their predicament escalates when Nikolas crosses their path.
@marydublinauthor đž
Brielle tried to give Cameron some grace and not compare his handling skills to those of Nikolas. After all, Nikolas had hundredsâif not thousandsâof years to be accustomed to his towering height. Cameron had less than ten minutes of experience being a giant, and the fact that he hadnât dropped her was success enough.
How can this not be a dream? she wondered.
Whenever she peeked up, she fully expected to find that she was actually in Nikolasâ hands, and that she had dozed off on his palm with Cameron by her side. But alas, it was Cameronâs face that hung overhead each time she looked. Not that she particularly minded the view.
âAre you in pain at all?â she asked, noticing that the pinch in his brow hadnât eased. âFrom the transformation?â
âNot at all.â And she believed him. The anxiety of the situation was more than enough to keep a frown in place.
âIâm sure itâll be alright,â she said, though her own thudding heart hadnât relaxed.Â
âWhat if this is permanent? Whatâll I do, Bri? I donâtâŠâ
His steps in the direction of the Autumn Manor slowed to a stop, which was a relief seeing as his hurried pace made her stomach churn. He lifted her a bit higher, his impossibly large gaze rife with worry. His rapid pulse pounded against her legs, and she wanted nothing more than to draw him close and comfort him.
There was no time to coax him into bringing her closer.
Nikolasâ stunned voice came somewhere from behind them. âWhoââ
Cameron turned abruptly to the side, making Brielle squeal in terror as she was tossed onto her side in his palm, half-falling. As she kicked her legs to heave herself back to safety, Nikolasâ eyes landed on herâpresumably not getting a good look at Cameron, given his reaction. She spotted the precise moment that a fire entered Nikolasâ gaze.
âBri!â Nikolas lunged toward them with horrific speed, and the world became dark and cramped before Brielle could see him close the distance.
A pained cry flew past her lips as the confines of Cameronâs grasp tightenedâany further, and he would surely break something. Raised voices rumbled outside of her prison, but she couldnât focus on the words as she struggled to move, struggled to breathe. She could so much as open her mouth or thrash a single limb to get Cameronâs attention.
Nikolasâ voice became clearer. ââhurting her!â
Relief flooded through her when Cameronâs fingers sprang open. She gasped for breath in his palm. The light seemed harsh compared to the darkness of his hands, but as her vision adjusted, she was greeted by two massive faces staring down at her in alarm. Camer looked beside himself.
âI didnât mean to hurt you,â he breathed. âI-I was startled, and I was trying toâŠâ He lifted her higher, staring hard in search of injury. âIâm sorry.â
âIâm not hurt,â she assured, though she doubted her breathless voice was convincing. She suspected sheâd awaken with soreness tomorrow morning, but she certainly wasnât going to inform him of that. She frowned at Nikolas, smoothing her skirt. âWell, itâs enlightening to see that your penchant for slightly overreacting hasnât abandoned us.â
Nikolas looked thoroughly offended. âYou were in distress in the hands of a person I had never seen before. I reacted appropriately, thank you very much.â His eyes slid up from her to regard Cameron, a little smirk lifting the corner of his mouth. âYou ate the fruit. Are mortals ever not predictable.â
Cameronâs fingers twitched closer to Brielle in frustration. âYou knew there were such things out there? And you didnât think to warn usââ
âCam!â Brielle pushed at his index fingertip. âYouâre shaking again.â
âHere, Iâll take her.â Nikolas raised a hand and offered it beside Cameronâs.
She worried for a second that Cameron might flinch at the approach or try to hide her again, but clearly he was willing to say goodbye to the stress of holding her life in his hands. Nonetheless, the conflict on his face was plain to seeâher knight, handing her off willingly. Her heart melted slightly at the realization of how much he had come to trust Nikolas, exasperated with him as he was at the moment.
Carefully, Brielle moved from one palm to the other. The difference was immediateâthe steadiness, the surety. She tried not to make her relief too obvious, lest Cameron see it. Falling to a seat, she willed her heart to stop fluttering as she looked up between the two giant men.Â
âThe fruit?â she prompted.
âAh, yes. You see, I didnât think there were any more left in the forest. They take hundreds of years to grow, and I stopped cultivating them long ago. The fruit is produced from plant life that has absorbed my blood.â
Cameron pulled a face, as though this information added a new flavor to the fruit heâd readily eaten. âHow delightful,â he deadpanned.
âI try not to bleed in the forest these days,â Nikolas said with a shrug. âBut for the fruit to exist now, it must have occurred centuries ago.â
âAnd you say you used to cultivate them,â Brielle asked. âWhyever would you do that?â
âA different era,â he said with a dismissive wave of his free hand. âMortals who gained favor with my siblings or myself would occasionally be gifted such a fruit. We eventually agreed it was far more trouble than it was worth.â
Brielleâs blood ran cold with the thought of what a person would want with the gift of being deity-sized. At least Cameron was a reluctant giant rather than an arrogant or vengeful oneâeven if he did decide that snatching her up was the wisest course of action upon waking up at this size.
âSo, it must be temporary,â Cameron said a little desperately. âA temporary gift?â
âOf course.â Nikolas seemed to latch to Cameronâs tone, stepping closer with intrigue. Brielle found herself having to crane her neck more to keep either of them in view. Nikolas brushed a curious hand against Cameronâs cheek. âBy morning, youâll be back to your adorably petite self.â
Though he scowled, he didnât push away Nikolasâ touch. âYou realize I am taller than you?â They already knew that from all the time Nikolas spent at human height, but Brielle was certain they could all agree that this situation was⊠different.
Nikolasâ fingers trailed lower to take Cameronâs chin and turn his face this way and that at his leisure. âYou can pout all you want,â Nikolas said, his voice dropping lower. âDeep down, part of you must be enjoying this.â With that, he leaned in and pressed a kiss to Cameronâs lips, holding Brielle in perfect view.
The tension in Cameronâs face eased immediately as he kissed Nikolas back. Brielle found her perch wobbling dangerously as Cameron leaned in with more fervor. She clutched Nikolasâ thumb, but didnât speak a word of protest.
When they stopped and pulled away, faces still a breath from each other, Brielle let out a pent-up shudder of a breath. Both giants turned to herâNikolas enthralled and Cameron flushing. She stared, slack-jawed and almost lightheaded with giddiness. âMight you do that again?â she all but whispered.
âYou deserve to be happy wherever you chose to beâŠ. I just thought that would be with meâ
&
âYou can have me too. Iâll be yoursâ
I cannot wait to read this part in the published version of Valour, or whatever revised scene this ends up being. It completely sends my heart
CRYYY thank you so much lovely!! That means so much đ„șđ«¶đ»
We are really hoping to publish later this year or next! For marketing purposes Iâll be using a different pen name from Mary Dublin but itâs HAPPENING.
Was brainstorming cover ideas just this morning đđđ @smol-smoggie
Season Deities Universe (Brielle, Cameron, Nikolas)
~2000 words
New characters?? đ Nikolas is a size-shifting deity--the Lord of Autumn (AKA Lord Taranis but he prefers his chosen human-like name). Brielle is an ex-princess, and Cameron is an ex-knight. How did these humans earn the favor and protection of the literal personification of autumn?? It's complicated.
But they're all in love teehee đ
@marydublinauthor đž
Brielle hopped from root to root delicately while Cameron muscled down the urge to stay within catching distance, imagining her cry of pain if she slipped. Old habits died hard.
Flashes of the grand Autumn manor were visible in the distance as they trekked back toward the property. Although the Rite had occurred just that day, signs of spring were swiftly taking hold. The snow had melted a couple of weeks ago, and the harsh sting in the air had all but dissipated. Before long, the forest would be saturated with fresh color.
âCould we start dinner when we get back?â Brielle asked.
âDonât be coy. You mean to ask if I will start dinner when we get back,â Cameron said.
âIâm starving!â
âYou poor thing,â he crooned.
A dramatic exaggeration if there ever was one. Nikolas ensured they never went hungry. But although they were living in a far grander place than ever, they were dressed more simply. Cameron had little need for armor, choosing light tunics instead. Brielleâs boots were already worn from months of exploring the woods. The hem of her dress was speckled with dirt. Her leggings were comfortable for climbing places she ought not to.
Nerve-wracking as her decisions could be, Cameron had to admire how flushed with life she was these days.
âWait.â He hurried to Briellâs side and put an arm out to stop her from striding to the next thick root. âDo you hear that?â
He swore he could hear wind, but the pine needles werenât rustling. Squinting through the sparse foliage, Cameron caught a glimpse of fabric that lay across their path like a wall. All at once, he realized it wasnât the wind he was hearing.
âNikolas?â Brielle whispered. âCould he be hurt?â
âDoubtful.â Cameron seized Brielleâs hand and hurried her forward nonetheless.
The Lord of Autumn lay on his back, head turned to face them. His eyes were shut. One hand rested on his chest, while the other sat palm-up on the ground by his face. Late afternoon sunlight dappled through the branches overhead, spilling across his skin. His breathing was steady, chest rising and falling peacefully. The ground, though thawed, shouldnât have been a comfortable place to nap, but he made it seem so.
Cameron relaxed when all appeared to be well. âI didnât expect heâd be back already.â
âHe mustâve fallen asleep waiting for us,â Brielle said, utterly endeared. âDo you think the ceremony went well?â
âAs well as a gathering of childish deities can go, I suppose.â
âShh!â Brielle glanced up at the branches. âYou never know what could be listening.â
âItâs the day of the Rite,â Cameron said back in a mocking stage whisper. âThey have more important things to do than listen in on us lowly mortals.â Nonetheless, his gaze briefly wandered in search of the odd snowy owl or rabbit.
Then his attention was inevitably drawn to Nikolasâ relaxed expression. Although Nikolas had nothing to do with the shift of winter to spring, he had still attended the Rite to hold council with his siblings. He had been glum the past few weeks, claiming that he was at his weakest during the spring, given that he was as far from his autumnal power as he could be.
And yet, he was still intimidating. At his full size, there was hardly anything else he could be.
Brielle almost shared the same sentiment. âHe looks breathtaking in his sleep, doesnât he?â she asked, still hushed like she couldnât bear to wake something so precious.
âGodlike, one might say.â Cameron hummed thoughtfully. âMenacing, another might say. Alarmingââ
She elbowed Cameronâs ribs. âLook at him! Heâs so sweet.â
âIf I recall,â Cameron said sourly, âyou would fling acorns at my head and call me lazy when you caught me napping in the Queenswoods.â
Brielle grabbed an acorn from the ground and raised it threateningly. âYou had barely lifted a sword on those days. Nikolas has every right to be exhausted after spending the day with his⊠charming relatives.âÂ
She tossed the acorn, which Cameron nimbly plucked out of the air. He thought she might grab another, but she lost interest in landing a hit. Instead, she turned back to Nikolas and began to approach his sleeping form. Cameron hurried to catch up, taking her arm.Â
âYou were just going on about how sweet he looksâwhy would you want to wake him?â Cameron asked.
Brielle gave him an impish smile that typically accompanied her worse ideas. âI donât mean to wake him, silly. How often will this opportunity come around?â
âOpportunity?â
âTo simply⊠admire him. Besides, even if he wakes, itâs not as though heâd be opposed to the attention.â She slipped her hand into Cameronâs and tugged him with her.
Protests bubbled up, but they never reached his lips. She was going to do what she wanted, so he may as well stay by her side to keep her from doing anything too foolish. Besides, he had to admit there was something enticing about exploring Nikolas up close without that intense stare following their every move.Â
Naturally, they were drawn to his face first. His gentle breathing stirred the air like a faint autumn wind. Brielle reached out first, gingerly brushing a hand over the stubble along his cheek. Her fingers traced the edge of his top lip. She looked at Cameron, eyes sparkling.Â
âSo soft,â she whispered to him. âFeel.â
Cameron was perfectly familiar with Nikolasâ lips, but he reached out anyway. His heart stammered. Gods, it was just like Nikolas to be irresistible even in his sleep.Â
There was a slight shudder in Nikolasâ breath, and the two of them pulled away swiftly to rid him of the disturbance. Brielle sidestepped and leaned up to push the hair out of his eyes. She pressed a kiss to his forehead, soothing him back into his deep slumber. To Cameronâs surprise, his breathing evened out again.
âHe may not sleep for much longer,â Brielle said, stepping away from his face and toward the open-palmed hand behind her.
Cameron bit back a groan. âMeaning?â
She served him another grin. âI want to feel his heartbeat before he wakes. Come on.â
He dragged a hand down his face. âYouâll be theââ
âThe death of you. Iâm well aware.â She climbed onto Nikolasâ palm, throwing her arms out for balance. âNow, help a lady up?â
He had half a mind to leave her to itâto use a giant deity as her personal playground, and see where that got her. But he trudged toward her, grumbling. The moment he stepped aboard Nikolasâ hand, his heart gave another lurch. There was something to this little adventure, and he couldnât keep it off his face. Brielle beamed at him like she could read his mind.Â
Before proceeding, Cameron couldnât help but kneel down to briefly run his hand over the palm that held them. How many times had he been held in this hand? And yet it felt like the first time all over again. He traced one of the lines, eliciting a small twitch in the fingers curled loosely beside him and Brielle. They needed to move on.
âI swear I can already feel his pulse,â Brielle said in wonderment as Cameron helped her onto Nikolasâ shoulder.
Together, they made their careful way to his chest. His shirt was soft, practically begging for them to curl up in its folds. The warm surface beneath them rose and fell at a steady pace as Nikolas continued to snooze, peacefully oblivious to their presence. When the two of them finally came to a stop, there was something almost meditative about his breathing. Cameron could feel his eyelids growing heavy.
âHow beautiful,â Brielle said quietly, dropping down slowly to place a hand over Nikolasâ chest. âTo think that someone like him has a heart beating right here. Just like we do.â
Cameron wasnât sure whether to tease her or agree with her. He didnât get a chance to decideâat that moment, Nikolas decided he had napped long enough.Â
The world shifted, and Cameron found himself plunging downward. A cry caught in his throat, while Brielle, who was situated farther above him, screamed for help. Cameron, trying fruitlessly to take hold of the fabric of the shirt, looked up in time to see a massive hand swoop up and catch Brielle.Â
Cameronâs descent came to a sudden pause when he landed on Nikolasâ lapâtoo close to the edge. He slipped, briefly catching hold of the inseam of his trousers before falling to the ground between his legs.Â
âShould I ask what you two were doing?â Nikolas spoke around a yawn, sounding faintly amused.Â
Before Cameron could orient himself, a hand descended and plucked him from the ground. He found himself reunited with Brielle, who was catching her breath in Nikolasâ other hand. His stare, though groggy, was quickly sharpening with alertness as he regarded the two mortals in his cupped hands.Â
âHer idea,â Cameron said at once, sitting back against Nikolasâ fingers with a huff.
âNo, really?â Nikolas raised his eyebrows, feigning shock.Â
Brielle scoffed as though she had any right to be offended. But her expression quickly sweetened. âWe wanted to be right here with you when you awoke,â she said. âHow was the Rite?â
The brightness in Nikolasâ face dimmed somewhat. âWell, Aldwin is certainly pleased to be back in power. He created a whole field of wildflowers outside the sanctum. The show-off.â
Brielle swooned. âI remember I would peek out the window when Lord Aldwin passed by the castle on the first day of spring,â she said. âThe trees and flowers flourished along his pathâit was all very magical. I was so taken with him as a girl.â
Cameron laughed. âAs a girl? You were doing this last year.â
She shrugged. âHeâs dashing.â
âYou wound me,â Nikolas said, looking thoroughly disappointed. The glint in his eye was unmistakable, though. âThat settles it⊠Cam is my favorite now.â
Cameron wasted no time in beaming smugly at Brielle while she stammered indignantly. She moved to hands and knees, crawling closer to Nikolasâ face. âYou said you didnât have a favorite!â she exclaimed.Â
âWell.â Nikolas leaned closer, those perfect lips pulling into a smirk. âIf youâre allowed to have a favorite seasonâŠâ
âI didnât say spring was my favorite!â She threw her arms around Cameron suddenly and snuggled against him. âAnd besides, Cam canât be your favorite because he was mine first!â
âOh, BriâŠâ Cameron gave her an innocent look and leaned his forehead against hers. He tipped forward as if to kiss her, then stopped short. âBut what if Nikolas is my favorite?â
Brielle shoved him back. âYou two are insufferable!â She crossed her arms, pointedly turning away from them both as they chortled.Â
âCome now, you canât stay mad,â Nikolas said. He brought his hands closer to his face. âIf I forgive you for fawning over my brother, can we agree there are no favorites?â He nudged her back with the tip of his nose.
She turned to face him, still pretending to pout. Nikolas moved swiftly, brushing his lips against her cheek with tender grace. She clearly couldnât continue her dramatics any longer; a smile spread across her face, which only grew wider as Cameron kissed her other cheek. Before long, she was squirming and giggling, telling them thatâs enough.
Giving them both a look of overwhelming affection, Nikolas brushed his lips one last time over the pair of them before settling back down on the ground.Â
âI could use five more minutes,â he said with a yawn, depositing them back onto his chest.Â
âNot a minute more,â Cameron said, pulling Brielle into his arms and lying down with her. âShe says sheâs starving. If we donât have dinner soon, she may resort to devouring me.â
A prequel to The Vineyard! Here is the exact moment that Dion realizes that his mysterious ex-lover, Andreas, is more than just a pretty face đ
@marydublinauthor đž
Dion hadnât worked in nearly two weeks. His fellow artists and craftspeople were growing more concerned by the day, but he couldnât bring himself to go to the workshop. Couldnât bring himself to face the inevitable questions of âWhere is that handsome model that was tailing after you? What was his name? Andreas?â
With how swiftly Dion was falling behind on his tasks, he was lucky that his last few commissions had paid well. Anytime he sat at his home workbench with the intent of carving an amulet stone, his fingers wouldnât respond. His mind would drift.
How could Andreas leave so abruptly? So coldly? Why wouldnât he share what was sending him away?
Worry crowded Dionâs mind day and night. But his fretting was beginning to morph into bitterness. Perhaps Andreas had simply grown bored of him.Â
He wandered daily. He was pitied at home, and he would be pitied in the workshops, so he secluded himself in the areas that he and Andreas used to escape to. Empty temples and rocky shorelines, mostly. Andreas seemed to favor the Dionysus temple near the beach at the edge of the island.Â
âOf course itâs my favorite,â Andreas had said. âA temple honoring your namesake? How can I resist?â
That painfully charming smile and voice haunted him like infection in an open wound. He eyed the temple glumly. Although they had never done anything illicit in the temple itself, Dion had still worried they were being disrespectful, stealing away behind it.
âThe god of wine and debauchery, offended?â Andreas scoffed. âDonât you know anything?â
The temple sat lonely this evening. Visitors left offerings during the daytimeâhe caught glimpses of ripe grapes and bottles of wine. Dion wondered if his namesake ever got sick of being offered the same gifts. There was no one at his side to muse the idea with. Andreas probably would have laughed at the question.
Unable to look at the pillared structure for long, Dion ambled further and made his way along the shore. The waves roared, rushing in and out with more fervor than usual. The din wouldnât silence his wounded thoughts.
He was being foolish, and he knew it. After all, it made sense that Andreas would leave his life as abruptly as he entered it. Someone as arrogant as him probably couldnât stand to have only one admirer. He must have seen that Dion was getting too attached.
No matter how he tried to rationalize it, Andreasâ departure stung.
The island had weathered a storm just the other night. Clouds still gathered thickly over the beach, but the worst of it seemed to have passed. Drawing a deep breath, Dion tried to take the weather as a sign: the storm was over, and it was time to move on.
And yet, he swore every time he turned around that he would find Andreas watching him.
The water lapped aggressively at his heels. Perhaps remnants of the storm were still churning the ocean further away, creating an angry high tide. Lightning flashed in the distance, red in the dying light of the day. Too distant to worry aboutâyet.
A sound came from behind.
A wet dragging sound.
Dion froze and peeked over his shoulder. A choked noise caught in his throat as he staggered all the way around to face the source of the sound.Â
He couldnât comprehend exactly what he was seeing.
A grotesque creature was pulling itself from the wavesânearly twice his size. Its upper body was the bluish-green hue of a waterlogged man, but the bottom half seemed to shift between different forms, like it couldnât decide whether to have the scales of a fish or sleek fur of a seal.Â
Finally, it consolidated its form into fully humanoid to stand on the shore.
âGodsâŠâ Dion swore, blood draining from his face.
There were more creatures, at least half a dozen, dragging themselves up to stand and locking eyes on him. He shuffled back as they spoke to each other in a strange language he couldnât comprehend. But as they advanced, their intention was clear: they wanted him.
Telkhines. Shapeshifting creatures from the sea. He had never heard of these creatures on his island before, and he had little clue what he had done to invoke their ire.
He turned on his heel and started running clumsily on the wet sand.
He didnât make it far before one of the telkhines seized him. Webbed hands locked around his arms, amphibious skin slick but brutal. At once, he fell face fist in the sand. Even one of the towering creatures could overpower him, but before long, three of them were dragging him into the water.Â
âH-help!â His voice was raw as he coughed on sea water. He let out a guttural scream, but no one was around.
The world shook. It might have been the storm, miraculously approaching from a distance.
Water churned violently around him as the telkhines were torn away. Heaving, Dion scrambled in the rocky water. His eyes stung with salt as he struggled to make sense of the massive new addition to his surroundings.
High overhead, there was a shadow. He suddenly felt so foolish thinking the telkhines were huge. This new figure was perfectly humanoid in shape. Except it must have towered nearly as a high as the temple.
A fresh wave of fear gripped Dion. He clawed his way behind one of the rocks, gasping and coughing.Â
When heâd screamed for help, he certainly hadnât expected a giant to answer the call.
It had to be a god or demigod. Perhaps heâd gotten caught in the middle of some altercation. He couldnât imagine that the giant was intervening with the intent to save him. He peeked out in time to see a pair of monstrously tremendous hands rip apart one of the telkhines. Rather than gore, the unfortunate creatureâs corpse rained down as seafoam.
The other monsters fled, diving into the water and rushing straight past Dion without taking notice of him. He ducked anyway, quivering in his hiding place. His fingers dug painfully into the rock as he fought to keep himself grounded against the vicious current.
Other than the lapping water, there was silence.
Leave, Dion willed the giant. Leave me alone.
There was no movement.
Gods and demigods had the ability to vanish into thin air, he had heard. Perhaps the giant had already left. Trembling and breathing shallowly, Dion peeked around the rock. His heart dropped when he saw the giant knelt directly on the other side, leaning closer as though to take a curious look at the cowering mortal.
The giant flinched, apparently just as startled. His eyes were a rich, maddening shade of purple. His skin was sun-bronzed and smooth. His full lips parted with a small intake of air as they regarded each other.
And Dion knew he had gone absolutely crazy, because the giant looked like Andreas.Â
The giant was Andreas.
For a second, they merely gaped. Then Andreas broke into a familiar, charming smile. His chuckle made Dion shrink away. The smile became tense, uncertain.
âI thought that might be you,â Andreas said, his voice achingly familiar but terrifyingly big.
Dion didnât answer, shaking his head slowly in disbelief.
âAlright, I knew it was you,â Andreas admitted.Â
The water shifted. One of the monstrous hands that had ripped apart the telkhine was fast approaching, filling Dionâs vision.
With what little air he had, Dion released a choked scream and lunged backward. His footing scrambled for purchase on the sharp rocks of the sea floor. He didnât care if the current pulled him straight into the jaws of Charybdis. He could not allow that hand to touch him.
But true to himself as ever, Andreas got what he wanted.Â
âCome now, youâd rather drown than see me? Thatâs rude of you.â Andreas pushed forward, blocking Dionâs escape and locking his fingers around his waist.Â
âLet go,â Dion croaked out as he was lifted from the water. He squirmed, inspiring Andreas to grip him tighter. His vision swam as his senses were overwhelmed. He fought the urge to black outâvulnerable as he was now, he couldnât afford to be unconscious around this monster. âLet go!â
âIâd rather not,â Andreas said as he rose to his full height.Â
Gods, Dion was so far off the ground.Â
Tearing his eyes away from the deadly fall, he made the mistake of meeting Andreasâ gaze. Even when held at chest level with the giant, Dion had to crane his neck. A frown creased Andreasâ brow as he regarded him. His eyes drifted away to the distance, then lit up as if he had a brilliant idea.
âThe temple,â he said in that excited way of his when his words couldnât keep up with his thoughts. âWeâll go to the temple. Itâs a much more pleasant place to talk, I can assure you.â
Dion didnât have the energy to protestânot that he would have been listened to, anyway. He faded in and out of consciousness as he was whisked away from the beach and carried high above the scraggly field that led up to the temple.
He gave up on fighting and buried his face in his hands, severely regretting the day he had laid eyes on Andreas.
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