Grandmother pursed her full lips, scanning Adam from horn to hoof. “Your boyfriend?”
The fact that she hadn’t been secretly following every minute of Emil’s private life as Jinx was actually a relief.
“Yes. I’m gay. It means homosexual, if I’m not being clear enough. And Adam is my partner.”
She took a deep breath, watching them both for the longest time. “Adam will be fine.”
Adam growled, but it was Emil who spread his arms in growing frustration. “Fine? Look at him!”
She exhaled, standing in the bloody mud that stained her feet a deep red every time she moved her toes. “Like Sister Teodora used to, he will only take on this form after sunset.”
“Only?” Emil snarled, but anger was slowly leaving his body, replaced by a sense of joy. He squeezed Adam’s hand and looked at him with a tear-filled smile. “Only at night.”
Adam gave a choked grunt and pulled him into a hug so abrupt Emil lost the ground under his feet. He pressed his soft muzzle to Emil’s face several times before placing him back down. His mismatched gaze betrayed relief, even though he’d seemed so accepting of his fate only moments prior. It would still be a strain on Adam to turn into this creature every night, but at least during the day he could live a normal life among people. They both could.
Grandma sighed, watching them with sadness clouding her eyes. “Those mountains needed him back, Emil. I did what I felt was necessary. But I didn’t think you’d suffer so much. I believed you’d lure him back, and that the two of you would share one body. That you’d be powerful, and safe, and one with nature. I am so sorry, Emil…”
“So you risked all our lives, playing with magic you didn’t even fully understand?” Emil shook his head in disbelief, but his heart softened when he saw tears roll down her bloodstained cheeks.
“I’m sorry. I thought I knew, but when your parents died in the fire, I realized I had no control over any of this. You would have died waiting for Chort’s return, so I made a pact with the forest, and gave you the horse for protection.”
Emil pulled out of Adam’s arms to hug her the moment he heard the tremor in her voice. He was still angry at her, and he hadn’t seen her for over twenty years, but no matter how he looked at it, she was the only family he had left. Maybe it was naive of him, but he wanted to believe her misguided actions had been based on love.
“I wanted this for the sake of your future. The modern world was encroaching on ours, and people have turned away from the old gods. We needed our protector back. But if you’ve been hit so hard by misfortune despite having your stallion, the others must have abused the spell that made you into the lure to gain blessings as you suffered. I’m so sorry, Emil.” She tightened her arms around Emil, and he didn’t even have the strength to argue anymore, no matter how strongly opposed he was to someone else making decisions about his future. That milk had been spilled so long ago it had soured.
“It’s not fine, but we will find a way to move on from this.”
She stayed in his embrace for long seconds, but the family reunion was over when she pulled away to face Adam, who sat cross-legged, with his massive hooves digging into the dirt. It was still strange to see him like this, but the sun would soon rise, and if Grandma was correct they could then both return to the warmth and safety of the parsonage.
“You’re back,” Grandmother said, sinking to her knees in front of Adam’s majestic form.
Adam’s gaze met Emil’s, but he reached out and for a few seconds held his hand on her head. “Thank you, Wanda. I missed my home and my people.”
A shudder speared through Emil when he realized it wasn’t just something Adam said to meet Grandma’s expectations. He actually knew her given name, and the strange, neutral tone was back in his voice, signifying that despite Adam still being here, his soul was entwined with Chort’s forever.
Grandma rose and bowed her head to Adam before turning to look at Emil again. “I can’t return to the village with you. The pact I made with the forest binds me to it, but I will be here when you need me. You can visit. Chort will show you the way.”
“A-are you sure?” Emil asked, but she was already turning away, with a small smile tugging at her mouth as she pushed back her long mane.
Emil couldn’t help but think that it reminded him of Jinx’s. She had been with him all this time, in the flesh even if not with her mind, and while he still hated the way she’d interfered with his life, he also knew she cared for him, or else she wouldn’t have offered her life to the forest so that Jinx could come alive and protect Emil from fatal misfortune.