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.Gulls and fish floundered inthis inky horror, which clung to everything.I tried to savethe ones I could reach but most were already dead, and Ifelt as if I were dying as well.A huge ship hove into sight,a long pipe hung from its side sucking up the black muckwith no regard for what lay in its path.Gods only knowhow, but I gained the shore."By shifting smaller and smaller, I managed to rollin the sand to rid myself of most of the reeking mess.But Iwas terribly ill and lay there in the refuse and the reedsuntil the sun set.When I could move again, I tried the Veil.But the passage was closed, the human world cut off fromFairy.I called and called through the night but no onecame.No one.Not even someone come to gloat."They are gone.I am all that is left."The theory, at least, was familiar to Diego.Celticlegends held numerous descriptions of the thin line betweenthe world of humans and magical beings, which in the ageof heroes seemed to have been permeable and easy to cross."Maybe they just changed the rules," he ventured."While you slept.""Perhaps." Finn flung an arm around his waist anddrew him closer."There were those in the court whowanted to remove the passage entirely ever since the lastretreat of the ice when it became clear humans would thriveand multiply.The Veil has become less and less&accessible over the centuries.""Hold on." Diego stilled his hand, realizing he'dbeen combing his fingers through Finn's hair."Are yousaying you've been around since the last Ice Age?"Finn lifted his head and kissed Diego's jaw."Ofcourse I have.You have as well, my hero, though I knowyou don't recall now."No, he couldn't be saying& Diego dismissed thatline of thinking, able to deal with only so much in oneafternoon."But someone should have come.To close theboundary and leave one of the Folk stranded&unthinkable.But perhaps they were forced.Or thought medead.I don't know." Finn heaved a shaky breath."So you got to shore and then what happened?"Diego prompted, to distract him."The fishermen's huts were gone, replaced by hugeblocks of steel and glass.Some of these spewed noxiousvapors.I was stranded in a purely human world where,unchecked, the human tendencies to conquer and controlhad run rampant.Two choices, I told myself lie down anddie, or find out if truly all lay in ruins.I wasn't ready to die.And unlike some, I have never held that humans are allsenseless, evil savages.""Um, thanks for that.""You are more than welcome."Finn's hand wandered down to Diego's hip.Hegrabbed it and pulled it back up to his chest."I became a dog.One of the best ways to hide in ahuman settlement.Out in the open.There was a village, ofsorts, nearby.Too big for my liking.Too many people andstrange machines.But I did learn that humans no longerbelieve in the Fair Folk.Stories for children, that's whatwe've become.The reverence and fear and even love wehad once received from humans reduced to ridiculouscaricatures of little men in buckled shoes." Finn snorted indisgust."Leprechauns.""Ah.Sorry about that.""How were you to know?" Finn stroked circlesaround one of Diego's shirt buttons."I reasoned Eire hadbecome so overrun with humans because it is so small.Icould, after all, fly from Ulster to the southernmost tip ofMunster in a day.America was rumored to be vast, Irecalled.Endless expanses of woods, mountains so tall theirheads pierced the clouds.There I would find clean wateragain and perhaps others who had been left behind.Imagine my horror when I left the ship and found& " Hewaved a hand toward the window."This.""You were right, though.It isn't all like this& "Diego trailed off when he realized Finn was unbuttoninghis shirt."Please don't do that."Finn ignored him and tugged the shirttails from hisjeans.The hand stroking his stomach felt so damn good.Soeasy, just to give in.His breath caught when Finn shiftedhis head to take a nipple in his mouth in a hard-suctionedkiss."Holy mother of& oh, shit& " Diego whispered."An odd deity to pray to, but who am I to dictatesuch things?" Finn smiled against his skin, his hand slidingunder Diego's waistband."Stop that! I said no!" Diego hauled the hand backout though his member pressed achingly hard against hisjeans.He tried to sit up but Finn moved so fast to straddlehim, he had no time to do more than cry out in shock.Pinned, both wrists trapped above his head in Finn'sfrighteningly strong grip, he struggled and snarled inhelpless frustration."Let me go!"Finn shook his head, curling forward to kiss hiseyelids."Your scent calls to me.You want this.You needme to take you.I need this.""Dammit, Finn, I'm not an animal." Diego stoppedstruggling and caught Finn's gaze.It wasn't a trick of thelight.His eyes actually glowed red when emotions ranhigh."Yes, my body wants sex.I can't help that.I'mhurting and lonely, and it's a natural physical reaction toyou being nearby.But I'm not ready.And I wouldn't bedoing it for the right reasons.I'd feel awful afterward.Guilty and ashamed and& I just can't do this right now.Please.Can you understand that?"A low growl rumbled in Finn's chest, but he cut itshort and dismounted to turn back to the window."Forgiveme.You've been nothing but kind to me.I wished only tohelp you.You carry such a terrible ball of pain under yourheart.And you will not let the tears flow to release thepoison.It's no wonder you fall into fits.But you let no onehelp you.As if you believe you deserve the agony."Diego wanted to protest.What a thing to say [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]