Where the Devil Says Goodnight (Folk Lore #1) - K.A. Merikan Page 0,26

better before he moved to Warsaw and became a big name in the industry. Or so his sister claimed, because Emil hadn’t heard from him since. Either way, Emil wouldn’t have been able to afford this much ink, so he wore it with pride. Even the small pentagram with Mickey Mouse ears at the back of his shoulder.

Adam swallowed. “The skulls. I guess I rarely see animal and human ones together,” he said, indicating the collection of bones on Emil’s right arm. The artist had inked smoke all over and added a variety of skulls, based on Emil’s preference. It wasn’t the greatest of designs, but it looked cool enough to give strangers an excuse to approach him—pretty useful in this Grindr desert.

“I like this better,” he said and presented his other arm. The image on this one was far more complex and had been finished just before the artist had disappeared from Emil’s life. Crows flew up from behind a topless man wearing a mask made of a goat’s skull. A skeletal bird sat on his shoulder, and he raised one hand into the horns gesture, to drive home Emil’s interest in heavy metal music. The rest of the tattoo was an homage to his heritage and depicted fog in the mountains and wolves running up a hill to catch a skeletal fox.

Adam cleared his throat, sweating more than he’d had throughout his jog. Adorable. “It’s… it fits your style.”

Best thing Emil could ever hear about them from a priest. He’d let him off the hook for now. “You’ll quickly get bored of this place. Let me know if you ever want to change things up and go horse riding,” Emil said. But you’d need to wear those shorts.

Adam laughed but took the pitcher again and had a couple more sips. “I’d rather start with a smaller horse.”

“I didn’t know there were other horses on offer.”

Adam met his gaze, contemplating it for a moment, and his flush seemed to darken, climbing down his neck like wine soaking into fabric. “You know small towns. People get overly excited about a new priest sometimes. Even you got caught up in it.”

Emil swallowed his embarrassment. “Me? I’m not bothered. I’m off to Cracow today, so you’ve got a whole week to think about that ride.”

Adam’s lips remained open for a bit too long. “Really? Is there… something you need to deal with there?” he asked, leaning back in the chair.

There it was. Adam was curious. “Just visiting a good friend. You know, the kind of friend who is actually gay. And interested.”

Adam cleared his throat and squeezed the armrest. “Oh. Well, I hope you have fun. Safely,” he said in a flat voice.

Emil snorted and rubbed the hump on his nose. “Wow. A progressive priest from Warsaw. Never thought I’d see that in Dybukowo.”

Adam’s nostrils flared, and he crossed his arms on his chest. “I believe God wants people to be happy. And you’re not a practicing Catholic, so I don’t think it’s within my rights to berate you.”

“Are you happy?”

For a moment, Adam’s blue eyes dulled, but he rose from the chair and stepped off the porch. “It’s sunny, I’ve had breakfast prepared for me, and I have more free time than I used to as a student. What’s there not to be happy about?”

Maybe not getting his dick sucked like, ever, but Emil would leave that thought to himself, since this doe was skittish.

“Exactly.” He smiled and picked up his cold coffee as he watched Adam back away to the main path. It brought Emil lots of satisfaction to see just how reluctant Adam’s footsteps were.

The rest of Emil’s day was slow, and he let himself enjoy the simple things. After a ride through the woods, he brushed Jinx and cleaned his hoofs, and then enjoyed a meal of fresh fruit and whipped cream before stepping into his house to pack for the weeklong trip. He’d never been away for so long since his grandfather’s death nine years back, but his excitement grew as he chose the best clothes to wear while clubbing. He wouldn’t disclose his evening plans to his employer, but he was meant to only stay in Cracow for a week, and he could survive on four hours of sleep for that long.

Excitement buzzed through his veins like warm oil, but when Zofia hadn’t arrived at the scheduled time, it dampened somewhat. He called her house to make sure she hadn’t taken a nap, but she didn’t