Alcharr felt awful. His brother’s words were like a dagger piercing his heart. After all, he’d betrayed Valderr more than anyone else. For several years, he’d been fucking Valderr’s fiancé.
Alcharr knelt at his brother’s feet and took his hand. “I’m not sure I’m worthy of that trust,” he whispered.
Valderr gave him a wide-eyed look. “W–What do you mean?”
“I have a confession to make.” Alcharr gulped, anxiety coursing through him. “I’m in love.”
His sibling’s expression of anxiety disappeared in a wide smile. “That’s wonderful. Who is she? Do I know her?”
Of course, Valderr assumed Alcharr would want to wed a woman, since he was expected to sire heirs. It only made Alcharr’s next words even more difficult. “His name is Yane and he is a nymph.”
Silence. Total and utter silence. Alcharr suppressed a wince. Finally, Valderr whispered, “Yanentah? My fiancé?”
Alcharr nodded and dared to speak again. “I know I shouldn’t have lied, but the circumstances are just so awful.”
He looked into Valderr’s blue eyes, for the first time uncertain of what his little brother thought. In many ways, Valderr was so much braver than him, but the kidnapping had affected him greatly. Alcharr hated adding another thing on top of this mess, but if he continued to hide this secret, it would just grow in a hideous, purulent wound that could never be healed.
All of a sudden, Valderr threw his arms around his neck. “I’m so sorry,” he said. “If it weren’t for me, you’d be able to be with your loved one.”
That was, indeed, the case, but the fault didn’t stand with Valderr. Alcharr hugged his sibling. “Don’t ever say that. I love both you and Yane. We’ll find a way to make things work.”
For the longest time, they sat there, embracing, finding comfort in each other’s presence. Alcharr found himself telling his brother about Owen, and his brother showed quite a lot of enthusiasm in hearing about it. He didn’t speak of the crystal or the plan involving the damn wizard, but he still felt a bit more relieved that his brother had taken the news of his relationship with Yane well.
He didn’t know how long they remained there, but their chat abruptly came to an end when Alcharr sensed someone approach. Above them, a couple of guards loomed. “Your Highnesses, His Majesty requires your presence,” one of them said.
Mentally sighing, Alcharr nodded. He needed to come up with a plan. If Valderr was right, something was amiss in their kingdom, too, not only in the plague lands. And for Alcharr’s part, he didn’t believe in coincidences.
“We’re coming,” he told the guards. “Go on ahead.”
The guards obeyed and flew off. Hugging Valderr once again, Alcharr whispered, “Don’t worry. I’ll talk to Yane. We’ll figure something out, even if we have to go against Father.”
Valderr gave him a wide-eyed look. “But what about the dryads? We’re supposed to be leaving for their palace in two days.”
Two days? Fuck. Talk about a rushed wedding. Why were the dryads and Amadeus suddenly so intent in hastening it? It had to be because of the crystal. They needed the alliance before the crystal failed them and the wyrms attacked.
Still, there had to be a way. Alcharr refused to give up on Yane, and Valderr deserved better than a loveless marriage. If push came to shove, he’d just wed Yane himself. He’d deal with the issue of the heirs later on. Eagles weren’t crazy about surrogate mothers, but perhaps it wouldn’t be a bad idea to consider it.
Even as he thought this, Alcharr knew his father would never agree. Well, too fucking bad. This time, Alcharr would not allow Amadeus to rule his life, not if it meant losing his love.
There was one more thing he needed to make sure of. “Little brother, don’t mention Owen to Father. It’s very important, okay?”
Valderr nodded. “I already grasped that. Don’t worry. I won’t say a word.”
Unfortunately, they couldn’t linger there any longer. They flew off the small strip of land and headed back toward the city. All the while, Alcharr wondered what other plans Amadeus had for them. He needed to make arrangements with Yane to fight this. There was too much at stake to simply go with it.
“Fucking hell…This is the crystal?”
Hash stared at the accumulation of energy in disbelief. It was roughly of a diamond-like shape, and even bigger than Hash himself in shifted form. Odd shocks of light crackled all around it, emanating from its surface into the water around it.
Kyllian had stopped the boat quite a distance away and seemed to be contemplating the huge object. When Hash spoke, the wizard turned toward him. “I need you to do something for me.”
Hash arched a brow. “As long as it helps.”
Kyllian looked almost absent. “It will,” he answered. “I just need you to shift into your second form and approach the crystal.”
Hash found the request odd. He couldn’t shift in the plague lands. How did Kyllian expect him to do so this close to the source of the enchantment? Nevertheless, he tried to change into his second form. Unsurprisingly, he failed. He could sense the powerful energies coming from the crystal reining him in like an unbreakable leash.
“I can’t,” he told Kyllian, unable to keep the frustration from his tone. “It’s impossible.”
Kyllian shook his head and turned toward him. “What’s impossible is this thing. This crystal…It’s not just a binding enchantment, Has’hendral. It’s so much more than that. How did I never know about it?”
Hash didn’t like the sound of that. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
“This, my friend, is the reason why the waters around Tanarak have never cleared and the plague lands never healed.” Kyllian turned and gave Hash a serious look. “The dryads might have wanted the wyrms off their land, but they made a terrible trade in doing so.”
For a few moments, Hash didn’t understand exactly what the wizard meant. But dragons were creatures of magic, and he focused on the crystal, trying to figure out what Kyllian meant. In mere moments, he saw it as well. The light seemed to morph into dark energies that flowed beyond this plane and into the next. With his mind’s eye, Hash saw the plague lands being swallowed in the deadly shield, keeping the shape-shifting magic at bay.
It was a shield against life, he realized, the only type of enchantment that could possibly keep their power at bay. How had he never grasped it? The spell on the plague lands had always puzzled him, but he’d never considered such a thing could exist.
“This is dark magic,” Kyllian said. “We need to go talk to your friends. I’m not fixing this.”
Hash couldn’t blame the wizard. He himself felt reluctant to go through with the original plan now. What in the world was going on? What did the plague lands really hide?
He nodded wordlessly, still staring at the dark crystal. Just the sight of it gave him the shivers. He could definitely believe this thing had something to do with the death of Yane’s lands.
Kyllian started to maneuver the boat back the way they’d come. They moved away from the evil thing, but Hash wasn’t really relieved until they lost sight of the crystal.
“So what now?” he asked.
“We’re going to my home,” Kyllian said. “Perhaps we can find something on this type of magic in my books. Then, we need to let your friends know of the problem. Perhaps by that time, we’ll realize what we’re dealing with.”
Hash suspected Kyllian had a clue as to what exactly they were facing, but didn’t ask. Even if he disliked the wizard for the trade he’d suggested, he also sensed the other man was competent in his field of work. Truth be told, he was somewhat relieved they hadn’t fixed the crystal. He still needed to figure out a way around Kyllian’s request, because he didn’t intend to just hand in his mate to the wizard.
Neither of them spoke during the trip. Hash watched the scenery as it passed them by. The boat seemed to go faster and faster until everything around them became a blur. At one point, Hash swore they’d started flying. T
hankfully, he was used to such voyages, so he just took it in stride, his mind still on Owen. He remembered Owen’s hopeful voice and the way the human had spoken of the possibility of fixing things between wyrms and dryads. Could it be done? What would they do about the crystal? The situation seemed to be getting out of hand. As soon as Hash returned to the plague lands, he’d steal his mate and take him someplace safe. Even if he wanted to help, endangering Owen wasn’t acceptable.
He was so lost in his musings he almost missed the moment the boat-aircraft finally began to slow down. “We’re here,” Kyllian said simply.
The vehicle evaporated and they landed on what seemed to be a balcony. Without another word, Kyllian went inside. Shrugging to himself, Hash followed.
Kyllian’s home looked nothing like Hash expected. In fact, it reminded Hash of the few times he’d been on Earth. The walls were see-through glass and the tables transparent. The entire room held an airy, uncluttered feel, even with the many tomes lining the walls.
There were also several comfortable-looking couches, and beyond, a hall that seemed to lead to other rooms. Kyllian didn’t give him the grand tour, though. He made a beeline for the bookshelf and started browsing. Several tomes floated from the shelves and onto the tables. “Start looking,” he told Hash. “We don’t have much time.”
The authority in Kyllian’s voice left no room for argument. For whatever reason, Hash obeyed without comment. Kyllian also joined him in his scrutinizing of the various books. Hash ignored his inexplicable apprehension at the other man’s proximity, forced out the desire to bash the wizard’s face, and focused on the tomes.
He didn’t know how much time passed while they worked in silence. They briefly abandoned the research for a snack in the kitchen and a quick wash, then returned to the books, keeping the chatting to the minimum.
They registered little progress, although Hash still had the impression Kyllian knew something he wasn’t saying. It frustrated him beyond measure, especially since they were supposed to be looking for information on this very delicate situation.
All that stopped mattering when he felt a glow of pleasure course through him. He gasped, an image forming itself in his mind, that of Owen writhing in another man’s arms. A name popped in his consciousness. Yane. A mix of anger and arousal assaulted him, the bitter jealousy and dismay he expected combining with something else entirely. He wanted to be there with them. He wanted to see Yane touch Owen, and touch them both in turn.
However, his unreasonable desires didn’t matter in front of reality. Yane was out of both his and Owen’s reach. He would soon get married to Alcharr’s brother, something Hash had been studiously trying to ignore. With Yane taking Owen to his bed, he couldn’t forgo the situation any longer. It wouldn’t be fair to Owen. He deserved better than getting his hopes up with a man who would eventually leave him.
Besides, Hash was Owen’s mate. He held the right and the privilege to protect Owen. So far, he’d failed abysmally, unable to get his head wrapped around the complicated labyrinth of feelings that involved five other men. But no longer. He had to intervene before Owen got hurt.
Kyllian’s voice drew him out of his musings. “What is it?” the wizard asked. “What happened? Is it Owen?”
Hash didn’t have to give any explanation to the wizard. And yet, Kyllian sounded concerned, and oddly, Hash found himself pouring his heart out at the other man. “He’s with Yane, in bed. They’re…together.”
He had trouble even saying Owen was having sex with someone else, but Kyllian understood, regardless. “Ah. He is your mate, then?”
Hash nodded, unsurprised Kyllian had put two and two together. “But you did not claim him,” Kyllian continued.
Hash frowned at the wizard, noticing the unconcealed disapproval in the other man’s tone. “He is human. He’s not ready for everything that’s happening with him.”
Kyllian arched a brow. “Well, it seems someone considered him ready. In the circumstances, you have no say in who he sleeps with, whether it be Yane or me.”
The matter-of-fact tone made Hash see Kyllian truly took for granted that he’d have Owen in his bed. “You do realize I won’t allow you to touch him,” he said between gritted teeth. Yane was different. Yane…Yane would take care of Owen. He didn’t know how and why, but Hash would wait to see what explanations the nymph offered. But the wizard was an unknown factor in this equation, something Hash could not accept.
Kyllian laughed. “Keep fooling yourself, Has’hendral. Perhaps if you try hard enough, you’ll actually manage to think you can stop me.”
Hash shot to his feet, furious. His mate’s arousal taunted his beast, and without Owen there, Hash would have to unleash the primal energies within him on Kyllian.
Flame licked over his skin as his wings burst from his back. Kyllian looked nonplussed as he got up. “Careful now,” he said. “These books are fragile.”
“You shouldn’t keep them around a fire dragon, then,” Hash answered.
His voice sounded like a growl now, his instincts itching to be released. He’d never been particularly good at keeping his beast in check. Fire dragons were by nature impulsive, and Hash was no exception. This time, he didn’t even try.
He lunged forward, straight at the damn wizard who’d gotten on his nerves from the very moment of their meeting. Kyllian lifted a shield between them, stopping Hash’s claws from reaching him. Right. Hash had forgotten about that. He fumed, sending a firebolt at the protective bubble. The energy field rippled and moved but didn’t seem affected by the intensity of the blaze.
As he did so, the wizard waved a hand, and the tomes they’d been studying returned to a shelf, safely out of reach of their impromptu battle. Hash watched him and wondered what kind of wizard Kyllian was. Fayre had never mentioned it. In fact, Fayre rarely, if ever, talked about his older brother. But the young wizard and Kyllian were very much alike, at least regarding magical issues. Fayre was an air mage, so it stood to reason that Kyllian would be one, as well. The way his home looked confirmed this guess.
Armed with this knowledge, Hash considered a new approach. He surrounded Kyllian in a circle of fire, intensifying the heat around them. To his satisfaction, the shield seemed to be made from aerial energy, and the indirect attack began to make it falter, consuming its strength.
For the first time, Hash saw a brief flash of admiration on Kyllian’s face. “Clever,” he said. “But you forget, shifter, that this is my realm. Even if you did have the power to beat me, you can never do it here.”
Indeed, as the wizard spoke, the fire summoned by Hash dwindled and died. Hash growled, not exactly surprised by the display of power, but still frustrated. He felt the shift course over him. If he couldn’t burn the man, he’d just use brute force.
But before he could unleash his beast, Kyllian’s magic flowed over him, so intense it nearly choked him. His fire retreated under the assault, swamped by the hurricane of power. But the spell didn’t have the same nature as the unnatural binding from the crystal, and Hash broke free of it. He considered shifting but thought better of it. The wizard obviously had an advantage here, even if Hash did change to his second form. “You coward,” he snarled at Kyllian. “Fight me like a man.”
Kyllian grinned coldly. “Tell you what. I’ll stop using my magic if you stop using yours. Let’s settle this the old-fashioned way.”
“Deal,” Hash said immediately. Even if his beast itched to tear at Kyllian’s flesh, he could very well pummel the wizard into the ground with his fists.
The wizard nodded and beckoned him closer in a mocking gesture. The game was on. With the speed of lightning, Hash attacked but was surprised when Kyllian dodged him. His instincts warned him of the wizard’s next move, and he managed to evade a kick that would have sent him flying to the ground. Hash grinned. He’d underestimated his opponent, but he didn’t mind. He always liked a challenge.
The second kick came instants after the first, but Hash blocked it. He grabbed
Kyllian’s leg and threw the man toward the wall. Kyllian landed on his feet like a cat, smirking. “You’re going to have to do better than that.”
And so it went. Punches and kicks flew, sometimes missing, sometimes striking true. Hash got in some good hits, but Kyllian didn’t seem deterred. In fact, he attacked with relentless persistence, showing a strength Hash wouldn’t have expected from a magic user.
In the back of his mind, he continued to feel Owen’s pleasure, increasing more and more. It gave him a ferocity that Hash almost didn’t recognize, the need to exorcize his arousal so intense it shrouded his brain.
He knew he was getting lax in his defense, but he couldn’t help it. For that reason, a part of him wasn’t surprised when the wizard dodged one of his hits and countered it, sending Hash to the floor. In a heartbeat, he jumped on Hash, pinning him to the floor with his weight.
“Enough,” Kyllian said. “As much as I enjoy playing this game with you, we don’t have time for it.”
Hash could have easily thrown Kyllian off him. But their gazes fixed and a spark of electricity flew between them, something entirely unconnected to their battle. Hash’s dick, still hard from the feeling he experienced through Owen, responded to Kyllian’s proximity. He swore he saw an answering flash of heat in Kyllian’s silver eyes. The man didn’t even try to hide it. His erection rubbed against Hash’s leg, demanding attention. Hash felt uncomfortable at the realization that his own arousal increased at the feel of the other man’s cock against him. What would it be like, he wondered, to have the wizard in his bed? Gods, no, he shouldn’t be thinking about this. He already had too much on his plate. How did his brother deal with the mechanics of his relationships? Perhaps Hash should have asked instead of attacking him.
Kyllian didn’t try to exploit the phenomenon in any way. He just got up and extended his hand to help Hash to his feet. “Come on. We still have work to do.”
Hash took the wizard up on his offer. He gripped Kyllian’s hand and lifted himself off the floor. As he did so, he registered the mess they’d made of Kyllian’s home during their battle.
Hyacinth, Scarlet - Craving Owen [Tides of Love 2] (Siren Publishing LoveXtreme Forever ManLove) Page 9
