Love is Always Write Anthology Volume 10

was almost positive Ren would have to make his move soon. Con knew that the boy would never hurt him but he also knew that in his desperation he would need a way to ensure that Con did not try to stop him or follow him; so Con had merely given Ren the means to do the job he needed to do. After carefully placing the vial of "sleeping" herbs on the small table near the bed, he began to drop a few remarks about their usage and Ren took the bait.
    As a result, Con now waited for his boy to appear. He had made the decision that he would keep his distance unless Ren got into trouble and then he would intervene. Gael had not been happy when Con told him that he wanted to allow Ren's plan, whatever that may be, to play out. Gael wanted the boy stopped. Gael was worried that allowing Ren to move independently of Con and his men would put Ren at unnecessary risk. Despite Gael's concerns, Con knew that Ren needed to do this...needed to stand up to Anzel. If Con intervened, he would effectively render the boy useless and Con knew well that a man could not survive if he believed himself to be a coward.
    So Con stood in the dark, ready to watch over his boy, waiting to fight at his side should Ren need him. Finally, Ren stepped out of the alleyway, glanced to the left and right to check that he was unobserved and then made a quick dash to the locked gate. As Con watched, Ren conversed with whoever was waiting on the other side. Con's heart leapt into his throat as he watched Ren pull the dagger from his belt and unlock the gate.
    From his vantage point, Con had a front row seat to what took place next. After Ren unlocked the gate, he took a step back, and positioned himself right on the other side of the entrance. By standing close to the unlocked gate, Ren forced the assassin to squeeze through the narrow opening. Once the assassin began to push his way through Ren grabbed the man pulling him into a one armed embrace and placed his dagger against the fleshy part of the neck, slicing neatly across the man's throat.
    As blood poured from the mortal wound, Ren raised the dagger once more and plunged it directly into the man's heart. Con couldn't help but wince at the overkill. Keeping his hold on the body even as it tried to slide downward, Ren dragged it through the gate and toward the narrow mountain pathway. Con, seeing his opportunity, ran forward, nipping in beside the opening, just in time to see Ren's next move. Before releasing the corpse, Ren retrieved his dagger and then stepped back, his own chest heaving from exertion as he pushed the body off the pathway and into the deep ravine below.
    Ren doubled over, vomiting the contents of his stomach onto the ground, visibly shaken by his actions. Con forced himself to remain hidden, although every fiber of his being pushed at him to go and grab Ren up into his arms and hold him tight. However, if Ren was ever to live without the haunting memory of Anzel and the torture he had received at the man's hands, he must be given the chance to complete this mission. Con reminded himself once again that he would only intervene when it was apparent that the boy's life was in danger. Until then he was a mere spectator…a witness to the boy's last attempt to regain freedom from fear.
    Ren stood upright, spat one last time upon the ground and began to make his way down the path to the lower realm. After a brief moment, Con slipped through the gate and followed him.
    ****
    Ren's heart was beating faster than the wings of a hummingbird. He was just a few meters away from the entrance to Anzel's palace and he was being followed…by Con. He wasn't quite sure when he had become aware of the fact but he knew the exact moment when he recognized that the person trailing him was Con. A slight breeze had lifted the air and carried with it a faint scent that had not been there before. Con's scent. He would recognize it anywhere, that musky smell that was all Con.
    So now Ren had a decision to make. Continue on the planned route to Anzel's lair or veer off the path, using his speed and agility to lose Con amongst the twists and turns of another lesser-known entryway into the lower realm. Without a second thought, Ren knew what he must do to keep his hardheaded lover out of harm's way. In a sudden and swift move, Ren shot to the left, leaving the path and plunging headlong into the brush that lay along the side of the pathway. Running as silently as possible, Ren picked up the faint markings of an old