Where the Devil Says Goodnight (Folk Lore 1)

“I’m becoming hard to shock.”

Adam exhaled and rubbed Emil’s chin with his knuckles. “Jinx needs to die before the night is over. I’m sorry.”

Emil’s stomach dropped, as if he’d swallowed a dozen stones. “Why?”

Jinx has been with him since childhood. He’d been his closest friend, the one who’d never left or betrayed Emil, his protector from the misfortune plaguing his life. But no matter how deep the pain of having to put him down ran, there was no point in arguing. Grandma had asked him to kill Jinx too in that strange letter Emil should have gotten a long time ago, and while this night could have ended so much worse, the high of love dimmed in the face of what they were about to do.

Adam cuddled up to Emil, as if trying to appear smaller than he was. “Chort doesn’t share all his thoughts. I just know it needs to happen. Jinx has served his purpose.”

Despite Adam being so much bigger now, Emil wrapped his arms around his new form in a protective gesture. Regardless how powerful Chort was, Adam would need his support. “What needs to be done, needs to be done,” he said, ignoring the searing ache in his heart. “That pig Nowak promised me to take care of him. He’s tied to a tree nearby.”

Adam swallowed, but he wouldn’t look away. “That’s the last part of the ritual.”

Emil flushed when he tried to get up, only to stumble on his wobbly legs. He was sore after the sex, but now wasn’t the time to relax. He found the clothes he’d taken off before Nowak and Koterski had tied him to the Devil’s Rock and dressed, though he’d have enjoyed a pine cone thrown in his face more than the touch of damp fabric. The bone knife Nowak had tried to stab him with still lay in the grass, and Emil picked it up with a choking sensation in his throat. Next to him Adam sighed in sympathy.

Despite the changed exterior, he was still the same man, and instead of fear or disgust, Emil only felt tenderness when touched and nuzzled by the beast.

He tried to not think about what they needed to do, but sadness settled in his chest like a vengeful demon, kneading his heart until he had to fight the tears pushing at his eyes. Adam’s hand was heavy as a piece of armor, and it rested on his shoulder, providing comfort that somehow helped Emil pull himself together on the way to the animal that had been Emil’s most trusted companion.

Jinx whinnied as soon as he spotted them, his black coat magnificent in the glow of the upcoming day. Brightness had already outlined the mountains, creating a dusky backdrop.

He stopped when the stallion’s eyes met his, and at once he wanted to retreat, even if it meant his life would remain miserable forever. But Adam squeezed his shoulder. “I could do it.”

Emil took a deep inhale, steadying himself for a battle he hadn’t prepared for. “No, it should be me.” He walked up to Jinx and hugged the horse’s neck, listening to his heartbeat one last time. He struggled to keep his voice steady as he spoke. “I would have been dead if it wasn’t for him. Grandma created him to save me but she was also the one who made me the sacrifice to Chort in the first place. I’m not sure what to think of her, really.”

Adam hummed his sympathy, but Emil blocked him out, focusing on the animal who’d been such a close companion all his life.

He took his time, petting Jinx’s neck and whispering soothing words, but no matter how badly it stung his eyes and twisted his heart, Jinx needed to die before sunrise, and the sky was brightening at a rapid pace.

He took a deep breath. Then another, and slit the horse’s throat with the bone knife.

The broken cry Jinx gave would forever remain a scar in his heart. Blood gushed on the leaves, and the stallion stumbled forward, only to fall on his side, shivering and kicking as the ground soaked up his life.

Emil shook, dropping the knife as his eyes blurred, but Adam pulled him back, closing him in his arms as they watched the animal take its last breath before stilling in the shallow dip he’d created during the brief struggle he couldn’t have won.

The fact that he died so fast would be Emil’s consolation.

Nausea rose in Emil’s throat as he stared at the red stains at the front of his top, on his hands. He flinched at a coppery aftertaste on his tongue, but Adam’s arms wrapped around him, and their sturdiness gave Emil the confidence to keep his eyes open and take in the consequences of what he’d done.

But as he dared to look straight at what was left of the massive stallion, something moved in Jinx’s swelling belly like a cat trapped inside a sack.