Through A Portal Storm

This story may contain spoilers for future episodes of Through A Portal Storm as it takes place in the “future” from the current released point in the serial.

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Tye watched the snow lightly falling outside the window and dusting across the table and chairs on the suite’s patio overlooking the garden. Caeruleus, his unicorn, and Dios’ darker blue stallion frolicked beyond, rearing and kicking in delight. Ayoni, Khyr’s unicorn, stood a little distance away, as if bemused at the other unicorns’ antics.

Dios passed a mug of cocoa here to Tye and gave a second one to Khyr. “There’s a tradition we have here, of singing Midwinter evening until the sun comes up. I’d like you both to join me.”

Khyr smiled. “That sounds lovely. I usually spend the time with the other unicorn tenders, but I’d rather spend it with my bondeds.”

Tye warmed. The holidays hadn’t meant anything to him except a break between semesters when he’d been going to college, and then a few extra days off once he entered the workforce. Some jobs he was luckier than others with the time off. Sometimes he bought a special meal, but mostly had gone out to the barn to feed treats to Blu. Then Blu was gone, and Tye had wished he could bury himself in work during the holidays. “That sounds really nice.”

“Do you sing?” Dios asked. “I hear on earth the magic works through song.”

Tye lifted an eyebrow. “Maybe that’s why I was considered a null? I mean I can sing, but most people would rather I didn’t.”

Khyr stifled a laugh.

“I’m not sure I know your songs, though. All I know are my Christmas carols, and it’s been a long time since I sang those.”

“Ah yes, the earth holiday with the fat man in a red suit and dropping presents down chimneys. Seemed like a fire hazard.” Dios’ eyes twinkled as he teased Tye.

A light knock interrupted the conversation.

Dios turned to the door.

“Just call the concierge to have your supper delivered and anything else you might need. I’m going to our holiday party.” Viero, Dios’s valet said.

“Enjoy. You deserve the time off. You’ve been working overtime since we’ve returned from our trip. We also know how to walk down to the kitchens. I’m sure the staff will be stretched thin as it is.”

“Thank you. Happy midwinter,” Viero said before disappearing into the hall. He’d let them know that he would be attending a party held by the staff, then probably spend tomorrow with his family.

Dios turned back to the interrupted conversation. “I’m sure my father will be holding his usual affair and keeping the staff jumping all night.” He rolled his eyes. “He and my uncle are two peas in a pod. They just don’t realize it.”

Tye rested a hand on his bonded’s arm in sympathy. They’d grown closer over their trip, and then deal with the fallout and possible discovery of a way to stop the magic storms that were disrupting and possibly causing the illness he’d been brought here to treat. “Leianne is probably with her father,”

Dios nodded. “He’s stable for now. We’re probably going to try to open the portal in a few days if things remain stable enough.”

“I’d like to be there when that happens. It might help to have someone from earth.”

“You’re always welcome.” Dios carried his mug over to the low table by the window, then pulled out a chair and sat next to Khyr who’d remained quiet, watching the unicorns out the window. “You look too solemn. Look, there go the singers to kick off the festivities.” He pointed out the window, drawing Tye’s attention to a small group dressed in white carrying mage light lanterns in various colors. Suprisingly, their clear, bright song in the Serecunum’s language that strange mix of Latin, English, and other languages, came to him, and he realized that it was being magically sent through the communication devices contained in every room.

“Wow,” he breathed, pulling a chair in close to Dios. He leaned against the larger man, breathing in his spice and woods scent, relaxing when Dios brought his arm around him.

He watched the carolers as they neared, letting the warmth of the season flow into him. Khyr moved in closer to Dios, who became the anchor bonding all three of them together. A fitting arrangement given that it was Dios’ use of magic that had required the need for the bond to begin with. Not that he minded. Dios apparently had been watching him from before his arrival in Serecunum.

Dios leaned over and nuzzled the top of Tye’s head.

Tye sighed and relaxed a bit more against him. The songs held similar melodies to the earth ones, and he wondered given what he knew of Serecunum’s history if they were related to counterparts in earth traditions. The connection between the two worlds, through a series of portals, had yet to be fully explored, and Tye was growing more and more convinced that it was the key to the magic storms as well as the unicorn’s illness, a disease which affected Leianne’s father.

The carolers ended and no sooner had they left the garden then a series of mage lights entered like hovering drones. Though the magic wielders were out of sight, the lights made beautiful patterns and sometimes coalesced into recognizable winter images. A series of snowflakes, matching the ones coming down, fading from blue to white and back again, danced across the garden.

The display ended and the magic wielders, six of them in all, emerged from just beyond the garden and almost instantly dozens of lights appeared by the windows.

“That’s how we show applause.” Dios flicked his finger and a light the same royal blue color as his unicorn emerged, quickly followed by Khyr’s white glowing one. Though it took him a bit of focus to muster his magic—it had been getting easier—Tye added his own light blue light to the mix and the trio hovered outside the window. If those close to him hadn’t known that the three of them were connected, no doubt people could have figured it out now.

Maybe they think Dios is having a small party.

His unicorn laughed in the back of his mind. Dios never does anything small, let alone a party.

Tye tried not to blush. Since their return from the trip, when he wasn’t in the lab, he was getting fitted for a new wardrobe or going to some social engagement or another. His head spun with all the names. While the attention made him slightly uncomfortable his unicorn preened.

The lights faded.

Khyr pushed back his chair and stood. “Why don’t I go get the food?” He gave a lingering glance to Dios, making Tye suspicious his bonded was up to something.

Dios nodded, his gaze never leaving Tye. “I told him he could stay,” he muttered as soon as the door closed behind Khyr.

“Stay for what?” Tye asked, growing more certain his bonded his planned something. “I thought we weren’t doing presents this year since I’d just arrived, we’d had the trip, and then I’ve been busy in the lab.” In truth, he’d spoken with his father and had been given a few things, but they were going to be surprises.

“I know. I couldn’t resist.” Dios caressed Tye’s cheek. “Besides, it’s customary.” He took a deep breath, as if he were getting strength from his unicorn. And maybe he was because he took a deep breath, then slowly moved to give Tye time to straighten and disappeared into his room. He returned carrying a small box.

Tye’s heart did a funny little flutter in his chest and his stomach lurched. They were bonded by magic. They’d already talked about gifts and really weren’t exchanging any and this looked like a very special, very important gift.

Dios returned to the table and sat. Outside the twin suns had set, leaving just a large moon in the sky casing light through the snowflakes. It looked like a scene from a holiday card, the kind where magic happened. Tye had experienced enough magic; he wasn’t sure he was ready for more.

Dios pushed the box toward Tye. “I know you said not to get you anything, but as soon as I saw your pendant, I knew…” His voice trailed off.

Tye pulled the pendant his father had given him, the one with the family crest on it, out from beneath his shirt. Dios had one with his family crest on it; all the nobles wore them. There was a space at the bottom where it appeared charms might be affixed by a jeweler.

An unidentifiable emotion filled Tye as he reached for the box. He admired the wrapping, a fancy silver gift box with a velvety bow on top. For a few moments he sat there, just running the bow’s ribbon between his fingers, partially to torture Dios who looked anxiously on, but also to prepare himself for what was inside. Finally, he lifted the top of the box. There, nestled against deep blue velvet, was something he knew without asking had to have some significant meaning.

He pulled out the pendant that appeared to have swirls of hair, probably from his unicorn, in a beautiful clear bauble. They surrounded a symbol that Dios wore on his own necklace, which probably was the sign of his family or house. Tye’s mouth went dry. Though he didn’t know for sure, he believed that such a gift had the same significance as a ring would. The magic had bound them together already; this pendant would indicate that bond to the world.

“Thank you,” Tye said. “Does it go on my necklace?” There’d been places where it appeared additional pendants could be attached. His father didn’t have anything on his pendant, and Tye hadn’t asked.

“Yes. We can go to the jeweler to have it done when you’re ready. Usually, the people involved go together and it’s not a task that you delegate to someone.”

“Of course. After the holiday celebrations.” The capital had been mostly shut down for the festival, and Tye didn’t want to bother anyone by disturbing their holiday.

“I’m glad.”

The relief filling Dios’s face moved him. Though Tye had told him that he’d forgiven him for his actions that had made their bonding necessary, he knew Dios still carried that self-loathing with him and had questioned whether he was worthy of such an apology.

Tye did the only thing he could do. Though magically bonded, they’d only held hands or touched one another’s arms. A few cozy nights sleeping together in the same bed on the road had been as physically close as they’d gotten. Tye knew he was ready. Leaning forward, he brushed what he’d intended as a gentle kiss across Dios’s lips.

Dios gasped with surprise and the kiss lingered, growing more heated, until the door opened and Khyr entered with the tray.

“I see Dios gave you his gift,” Khyr said, seemingly unconcerned about the kiss he’d interrupted. “Food is here.”

Tye pulled back. He wanted to feel embarrassed at being caught kissing Dios, and yet, he was bonded to Khyr too, and the satisfaction and happiness he felt coming through their magic bonds from both of them, warmed his heart. This was a time for celebration.

“Yes, he did.” Tye stood and went to the cart to help Khyr bring their covered trays to the table. “I love it.” Tye took a deep breath. “I love both of you.”

“And we love you,” Khyr said. He set a red leather-bound book on the table next to Tye. “A songbook for our holiday. They were offering them, and I thought you might like it.”

“Yes, thank you.” Tye removed the cover from his tray, inhaling the rich aromas of a thick slice of roast beef with sweet potatoes and green beans cooked in bacon. A little ramekin of spiced apples sat to one side, and a fluffy roll with a thumb-sized crock of butter were on a smaller plate. The capital staff had gone all out for tonight’s dinner.

“Eat. You’ll know when the singing begins. We can hear it throughout the entire palace complex,” Dios suggested.

Tye followed Dios’ lead in eating the dinner. Being here on this midwinter eve with his bondeds was all the gifts he could have asked for. When he looked out the window again, he saw their unicorns had moved to the porch and someone had brought large tubs of hay for them.

We want to hear the music too, Caeruleus said. The snow had stopped. With the moon fully risen the world outside their large windows glistened like a snow globe.

And I’m glad to share the holiday with you, too. Through his magic bonds, and the bond he shared with his unicorn, Tye sensed contentment and most of all, he sensed the warmth of love.