by Lia Black
Time seemed incalculable as Kaidos shuddered through many intense aftershocks. Veyl slumped down across his chest, not seeming to be troubled by the wet evidence of Kaidos' climax warming again between them. Kaidos wanted to embrace him, but his body felt both incredibly light and unbearably heavy at the same time.
"I love you, Veyl," he murmured after a few moments, when he was able to coax out some words.
Veyl lifted his head slowly, his eyes sparkling through his honey-colored lashes, and he brushed his lips across Kaidos' own. "Thank you for that, Kai. I love you, too."
PART II
CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN
Aegeus and Finn
"You're not coming with me, Finn, and that is final." The Sorcerer Aegeus scolded his young apprentice for what was precisely the tenth time in the last thirty-five waking hours. Thirty-five hours, thirteen minutes and seven seconds to be exact.
A fine-limbed, red-haired boy--not much shorter than the mage, twisted his mouth into a frown. "But why?" Ten-year-old Finn asked the same question Aegeus had already answered the same way the previous nine times, but he figured he'd best be safe and answer it again.
"Because, Finn. I have to go someplace I have never been to before to meet people I haven't met yet and to do something I've only done a few times..." Four, precisely. "...This is too dangerous and I need you to keep an eye on the house."
When he had been sent for by the King of Dandre, Aegeus knew it would be unsafe. The king was not well liked by his people--nor anyone else--and his way of solving problems almost always included some bloodshed. But Aegeus could not refuse the offer he'd been made. The coin he'd earn from this one spell would be more than enough to support Finn through adulthood and even send him to school, should he choose it.
That was why he desperately wanted Finn to stay home. It was too dangerous for him, and Aegeus wanted to be certain this child lived to see adulthood. But the boy was too headstrong. He'd been like that since the day Aegeus had found him in the dead village.
Finn had been the only thing left alive in a place that had suffered the wrath of a spell Aegeus had created to punish the enemies of a tyrant. As usual, it was Aegeus' magick and cold worship of knowledge that had led him to answer the call of a monarch who was on the verge of losing a war. Although he'd been paid well for his talent, Aegeus would have done the job for free, just for the experience of creating something so intensely powerful and deadly. Aegeus had been born without a soul--of this he'd been certain--until he'd seen that small child fighting to protect what he'd assumed at the time to be the body of his dead mother. Sometimes, however, the way Finn looked at him, he wondered if the woman had been his prey.
At first, his interest in Finn had been academic. The fact that anything had survived in that village of the damned meant there was magick afoot. There was a power buried deep inside of this wild flame-haired boy, and its uncertain extent sometimes worried Aegeus. Not that he feared for his own life, and certainly not because he cared for humanity. He was more concerned with Finn being unable to handle whatever it was that slept inside of him.
His meeting with Finn had been six years ago. It seemed that Finn had forgotten that there was ever a time he was not by his master's side; the boy had no memory of his parents or of the village where he'd been born. For his part, Aegeus could not imagine his life without Finn. Although there were fourteen years between them, he regarded Finn almost as his own son. Sometimes he wished he'd named him better, though. Finn meant simply "boy" in one of the many (seventeen) ancient tongues Aegeus knew.
"Mrs. Malachuck can watch the house," Finn protested, drawing Aegeus back from his musings. The boy's usually pale cheeks were red from sunburn, setting off the stippling of freckles across his face and making him look like his skin had absorbed the crimson coloring from his hair.
Aegeus sighed again, his slender shoulders drooping. "Mrs. Malachuck is dead and we need someone to watch her so that she doesn't go up in flames like the last housekeeper." Necrovitae were difficult creatures to manage at times. Their brains became addled easily and they felt no pain so accidents were commonplace. "We can't keep going to the cemetery every week to replace the staff."
He moved slowly around his bedroom, touching the surfaces exactly so, in a pattern to help him keep focused. At times, he worried about whether the magick was worth the price his mind and body paid. Each new spell brought a new ailment, and the more powerful the magick, the more of a toll it took on his brain. Although he was only twenty-four, he felt ancient most days. He was a colorless wraith with his pale skin, long, straight, silver-brown hair, and dead grey eyes. It was fortunate he'd never developed facial hair that he had to start shaving because he couldn't stand to look in a mirror. Something about the way mirrors hummed as they reflected the frequency of his power made him uncomfortable; though he also imagined himself ugly enough not to bother.
"Who will carry your bags, Master?" Finn prompted, following behind Aegeus and touching along in the same patterns in the game he'd made up.
"I'm not so decrepit," Aegeus mumbled, trying to remember the last item he'd touched and what celestial number he'd given it in his head. Damn. "Please stop bothering me. Now I have to start all over..."
"It was the blue box and you numbered it spar," Finn said, chewing at a ragged cuticle on his finger.
Aegeus blinked. The boy was correct. "Very well, follow me to the carriage in the morning if you must, but beyond that, I'll not allow."
"I love you Master Aegeus." Finn hugged his mentor from behind.
Aegeus closed his eyes and a smile shadowed across his lips. He gave the boy's linked hands an affectionate squeeze. Finn was certainly the only thing he cared about in his life. He'd never known anything close to the feelings he had for the boy, and he believed that love was an appropriate enough thing to call it. "I love you too, Finn. That's why I can't bear to think of something bad happening to you. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Master," Finn said against his back.
"Good boy, Finn. Let me finish up here and I'll make us some dinner."
*~*~*
Everything Finn ever could want or need was here in their little house, but only when Master Aegeus was in it too. Two bedrooms, a warm kitchen, and a crooked hallway that led to the spell tower where Aegeus kept his jars of icks and sparkles, and boughs of old weeds that Finn collected for him in the forest and the village cemetery.
Finn's own bedroom was cozy and perfectly suited for a boy; he had toy swords and his very own stave with a purple crystal that Aegeus had given him for his birthday. He had jars of bugs and even a little house that he'd made for a sprite until Aegeus discovered it and made him let the creature go. Now it housed the occasional snake or lizard. His quilt was made of all of his favorite colors and his wooden walls were covered with drawings he'd made and special symbols that Aegeus said meant protection—although he never mentioned who the protection was for, or if it was actually against something in particular.
But of all the rooms and wonderful places in their home, Finn loved his master's room the best. Everything was square and neat. Everything arranged by color, texture, size and shape until the entire room was almost like reflections of itself. There were two doors separated by a solitary table on the same wall, and the handles were mirror images of one another, one on the left and one on the right. Aegeus would always exit through one and enter through the other, being certain to face the table each time.
Finn sat down on his master's bed and watched him go through the strange ritual that he knew had nothing to do with magick...except for the fact that magick had caused it. Every time his master perfected some spell, he'd cough up black goo for days, and the really big spells gave him new and odd habits.
Finn didn't care so much about magick. Although learning spells and incantations came easily to him--and hadn't yet caused him to get sick like it did Master Aegeus--he wasn't interested in going off to some mage school to learn anything new. Mostly because he didn't wa
nt to leave his master. If Finn had a comprehension of beauty, in his eyes, Aegeus would be it. Friend, father, mother, brother, teacher...Aegeus was everything, and his whole world. He understood that they had no blood relation, yet Aegeus had taken him in and cared for him.
Finn defended his master in the local village when people spoke ill of Aegeus. They called him feeble, colorless, and sometimes evil. But Aegeus was strong, if not of body then of will, and his master's colors, though pale, seemed placid to Finn. Often he'd brushed out the tangles in his master's silver-brown hair. It was the shade of a precious metal that had yet to be discovered, and his eyes were so pale that sometimes they looked white like moonstones. He saw that the mage's heart was kind, and there was love enough for him.
Which was why he didn't want his master to leave without him. He'd had a premonition that something bad was going to happen to Aegeus, and he would never see him again. That was the main reason that Finn had to go. Should something terrible indeed come to pass, he was certain that he alone could ensure his maser's safety. When the wagon came, he'd find a place to hide underneath or perhaps on the back. One way or another, Finn would make certain that his master would not be alone.
CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT
Kin
The next morning dawned far too quickly. Kaidos woke to the sound of someone knocking loudly on the door. Veyl was lying against him, still wrapped in his arms, but he began to move, moaning his displeasure at being so rudely awakened.
"Maybe I can just refuse to come out," Veyl said and though he forced a smile, Kaidos could read the terror in his eyes. He leaned close and kissed him, blocking the sound of the pounding that was growing more insistent.
"Damn it Vailinn," came Engel's voice for the other side, "open this door or I'll break it down."
"Break it down then!" Veyl sat up and yelled with a ferocity that Kaidos had never before heard. He fell back down against Kaidos, clutching his lover's chest. "Whatever it takes to be able to spend one more minute with you."
Gods those words burned painfully though him. Kaidos held Veyl, feeling his body shaking as his tears burned against his chest.
Ahrn made good on his promise, but he used Wick to break through the aged wood.
Wick looked at Kaidos with his eyebrows bowed upwards and an apology written on his face. "Sorry, Blackie...really I am..."
Kaidos sighed, his fingers gently combing through Veyl's hair. "Not your fault."
"Kai…" Veyl's voice was a thin murmur as he clutched Kaidos' chest.
The trembling went straight through to his heart and he worried he might not be able to let him go.
"Veyl," Kaidos heard his own voice crack as he lowered his head to Veyl's ear. "I have to let you go—but only for a little while. I swear to you, on everything that I have ever had or lost, that I will come for you."
Veyl raised his amber eyes, the irises glowing against the redness caused by his tears, and Kai dipped his head, giving him a final kiss before Wick and Engel pulled them apart.
*~*~*
Kaidos was dragged away with Wick, despite Veyl's rather violent protests. He dressed under Wick's watchful eye to ensure no weapons, and was then forced to wait topside with the big man while Engel and the boatswain tried to wrestle Veyl into some clothing below.
Across the waves, Kaidos was able to catch his first glimpse of Dandre. The city rose above the horizon with its high, peeked roofs, some gleaming with shingles that looked like hammered gold. Above it all, upon a hill, was the castle. Although it looked like it had been carved from sparkling white stone, there was something strangely ominous about the exterior perfection of it all. As they drew closer, there were fewer people than Kaidos had ever seen on the docks, and no other boats. The civilians he did see, however, looked like vagrants. None of them seemed interested in the ship that was being rowed slowly into port.
After much ruckus below, Engel and Veyl finally came on deck. Veyl was wearing the same black robes he'd arrived in and his hands were bound in front of him. He looked small, wilted, and utterly defeated, and it broke Kaidos' heart to see him like that. He attempted to go to him, but Wick's strong hand on his shoulder held him back. Kaidos was at least somewhat gratified to see that Engel sported a fat lip and two fresh black eyes while the boatswain had to be escorted to his bed from taking a hard kick to the groin. Still, Kaidos had to hand it to the guard captain. Despite the trouble Veyl had caused him, he was incredibly gentle with the man.
Dockside, it looked like half of the king's army had gathered to escort Veyl to the castle up the hill. An officer strode up the gangplank, approaching the guard captain. The man gave him a hesitant salute, likely taken aback by the battered appearance of Engel's face.
"Captain Engel, we appreciate you stepping in with no notice. I'm certain that our charge benefited from your presence."
Veyl made a little hiss, the first sound that Kaidos had heard from him since he'd been topside, and while it attracted the attention of the royal guard, Engel ignored it.
"I hope that the king can find it within his appreciation to extend to me a place in the barracks for a few weeks."
"That he can." The royal guard nodded and approached Veyl.
So focused on Veyl, Kaidos was not aware of Engel coming up behind him until he whispered in his ear. "Not now. Bide your time."
It was surprising, but maddeningly rational advice and Kaidos saw no other choice but to follow it for now. He had no idea why Engel would have betrayed Veyl if he planned on rescuing him anyway. Maybe he was trying to become Veyl's savior once more? The notion struck him as being too ridiculous to consider further.
His chest ached as Veyl cast one last longing glance over his shoulder, meeting his eyes before the guards closed in around him like a sea of sharks. Kaidos' hands balled into fists and his muscles turned to steel as it took every ounce of his effort not to run after them.
"He will be cared for," Engel said, but the words were not having a reassuring effect on Kaidos.
"I'm sure," Kaidos growled, turning to meet Engel's face.
"Why do you think I asked for a room in the barracks? I'll be able to keep an eye on things from the inside."
Kaidos' fury lifted, but his confusion deepened as he began to process what Engel was telling him. He opened his mouth to argue, but Engel cut him off.
"Go and find yourself a room at the inn. I'll be in touch." Engel brushed past Kaidos and walked down the plank.
*~*~*
Veyl was taken off the ship, and hustled into a carriage with two stony-faced guards. The carriage was stuffy because there were no windows. As they rattled along, he could hear what he thought was hail against the side of the car. A particularly loud thunk startled him and he stared wide eyed between the two guards.
"What was that?" Veyl gasped.
"Stones," one of the guards answered so mechanically, that Veyl wasn't even certain which one had spoken.
Upon his arrival to the castle he was taken out of the carriage and immediately swarmed once more by the king's military, unable to catch a glimpse of anything but the blue sky above.
Once inside, Veyl was escorted to a large bath chamber where he was thoroughly and dispassionately cleaned. No one spoke to him, and few even looked at him. This was likely protocol for the king's concubine, but it made Veyl uncomfortable. Whether or not he responded to flirtations, he was always the center of attention--no matter how large or diverse the group. Here he felt as though he existed on a separate plane.
The silence continued as the servants moved around and prepared him to meet his new master. He was anointed with sweet-smelling oils, his long hair was brushed and pulled back from his face into a long plait. The servants dressed him in dark colors, and though the fabric and tailoring was fine, he was given men's clothing instead of the long, flowing garments he'd expected to wear when in the service of the king. When he looked at himself in the full-length mirror he might once have appreciated how the dark blue jacket stood out richly again
st the silky white shirt and matched the breeches perfectly. His high boots were black leather and polished to a satiny finish. Gold threads wove through the seams of his clothing making tiny gilded vines.
So the king wanted him to appear as a male. Either to dominate or be dominated by his own sex. Veyl shuddered when he wondered if the king was impotent and expected Veyl to perform with women while he watched--fucking vicariously, as it were. That could be an insurmountable problem. While Veyl could appreciate feminine beauty from a distance, he never found it sexually arousing. Even during those rare times he was asked to join a group. He'd kiss his brothel-sisters' lips, perhaps go as far as to nibble a breast, but would never touch any lower than that and rejected any suggestion that he might. He'd had sex with a woman exactly once before, when he was only thirteen, and it had been frightening for him. He counted it among the many times he'd been raped.
There were guards in front of him and behind him, making a perfect box as he was led down a long hallway to the room where he'd been told the king would receive him. His heart no longer beat erratically in his chest; he'd become entirely numb. He readied himself to slip into the role he played for every other customer--he could be whatever they wanted him to be and perform as if he loved whichever man was fucking him at the time.
The doors opened to an opulent bedroom, so large that it could easily have contained the entirety of several homes in Aaullsworthe. There were beautiful tapestries embroidered with vines and exotic birds, or painstakingly stitched scenes from a battle, complete with a king mounted victoriously on the back of a rearing white stallion. There were also paintings of different sizes--all in gilded frames and many hung so high that all detail was lost to a viewer down below. Everything was so ostentatious that Veyl got the impression that the king was unimpressed by his surroundings. So then, it was perhaps boredom that had caused him to seek Veyl out.
