Hyacinth, Scarlet - Craving Owen [Tides of Love 2] (Siren Publishing LoveXtreme Forever ManLove)

by Hyacinth, Scarlet

  Finally, Kyllian spotted the marking that pointed out Sandros’s shop. He made his way there and entered the building. It didn’t take him long to find the other man. He waited, seated at a table in the middle of the main room, his eyes closed and his seer crystals arranged in the shape of a pentagram.

  “Well, you certainly took your time to get here,” he said.

  Kyllian smiled. He never could take Sandros by surprise. He joined Sandros and sat down on a chair opposite to the seer. “You know me. Always waiting until the last moment.”

  Sandros opened his eyes. As always, he looked striking, his crimson gaze fixing on Kyllian with a sense of all-knowingness. “You never wait. You’re always running ahead, and people always have to fight to catch up to you. But not this time. This time, fate has reached you and there’s no turning back.”

  Kyllian was used to Sandros’s enigmatic statements. He didn’t believe in fate, which made him an oddity among wizards, but he could deal with Sandros’s comments, as long as the other man helped. “Right. Well, maybe you can help me a little with that.”

  Sandros’s full lips twisted in a barely perceptible smile. “Certainly.” He extended his palm. “Hand them over.”

  Kyllian gave the seer the locks of hair from Alcharr and Yane. He disliked the notion of having another wizard work with anything belonging to the two men, but he didn’t have a choice. He doubted they would manage to figure out whether their parents were involved or not, so it was up to Kyllian—or rather, to Sandros—to do so. Since they didn’t have access to personal items from the people in question, the spell would have to be cast indirectly.

  “This isn’t risky in any way, right?” he blurted out before he could stop himself. He didn’t even know what came over him. He was never uncertain or hesitant, and he knew all too well that scrying didn’t affect the person in question in any way.

  Sandros actually chuckled this time. “One of these days, you’re going to have to let me do a reading on you, my friend. Even after all these years, you can still surprise me. And no, it isn’t risky. Don’t worry. No one will be hurt.”

  Kyllian nodded, feeling a bit awkward now that he’d essentially revealed his personal involvement in the situation. Because as much as he hated it, he had started to care. Otherwise, he’d have never offered Sassaki a place to go after the man had been scorned by his family. He’d have never told Hash to be there for Owen. Perhaps he never would have bothered to even come here. He consoled himself with the thought that most likely Sandros would have seen the state of things regardless of Kyllian’s words.

  Sandros positioned the locks of hair in the middle of the pentagram. “Very good,” he said. “Now, here we go.”

  Sandros muttered an incantation under his breath, holding his hands over the crystals and occasionally rotating them over the middle of the pentagram. Kyllian held his breath as he watched the man work. He’d seen the seer do this before, of course, but it was still a marvel to him and a gift he appreciated above all others.

  At last, a slide show of images appeared in front of them. At first, they passed very quickly, but Kyllian realized they were either Alcharr or Yane’s memories. As the spell delved deeper, the picture stabilized, stopping in someone else’s mind.

  The image showed the crystal, but not in its current state. Rather, it looked white and beautiful, apparently still cloaked by the spell. However, it wasn’t the same crystal as in the astral plane, but rather, it seemed like its equivalent on this realm.

  A voice rang out, coming from the memory. “This is the very foundation of our nation, Enyas. You have to protect it, come what may.”

  The memory shifted, presenting the figure of a tall dryad male. “What is it, Father?” a boyish voice said. Kyllian surmised the memory belonged to the current dryad king, Enyas, and the other man must be the former ruler and Enyas’s sire.

  “The reason why the wyrms can’t attack us. It was created a long, long time ago by a wizard who wanted to help us.”

  “I swear, Father, I will never let the wyrms defeat us. The crystal will be safe.”

  The image faded, turning into another slide show, until it stopped once again. A dark-clad figure appeared in front of Kyllian. “I don’t want my son to marry that nymph,” a decided voice said. “This is what you’re going to do. You will take Valderr away from the palace and hide him. Everyone must believe he has been kidnapped, including Valderr himself. He’s too young and innocent to know how to lie. But no matter what, he must be kept safe at all times.”

  “Yes, Your Highness,” the dark man said. “When should we return him?”

  “I will talk to King Enyas and convince him the wyrms are behind the kidnapping. Once they agree to the alliance—without forcing the issue with the wedding—I will contact you to bring him back. But again, if he is any way harmed…”

  The black-clad man bowed. “I understand, King Amadeus. You can count on us.”

  The second memory vanished as well, and the slide show of images seemed to be shrouded by something. But Kyllian did catch sight of the pages of a book on necromantic spells. Clearly, the king of the eagles was at least one of the guilty parties.

  Finally the spell faded, and Kyllian waited for his friend to recover. The indirect spell had drawn a lot from Sandros, and he looked very pale. When at last Sandros seemed to be breathing better, Kyllian inquired, “So, are they both involved? Amadeus and Enyas?”

  “No,” Sandros answered as he opened his eyes. “None of them are.”

  Kyllian gave him a surprised look. “Pardon me?”

  “The dryads don’t know about the crystal losing its power. They don’t even realize it is necromantic. The alliance is genuinely meant to support the two nations in trading and military. However, King Amadeus… his mind is blurred. There is a dark force there beyond his will. I could feel it. Someone, or something, is controlling him.”

  Kyllian almost dreaded to ask the next question. “What do you mean?”

  Sandros hesitated, and the slight pause just made Kyllian more apprehensive. “I think…I think it is the crystal, Kyllian,” the seer said at last. “It is awake, alive, and it somehow managed to gain control of Amadeus.”

  “But how could that happen?”

  Sandros arched a brow. “It is a necromantic crystal. It’s been keeping life energies at bay for ages. Absorbing the shape-shifting attempts of the wyrms must have given it the ability to become sentient. As for the king…People are vulnerable to dark magic when in times of great emotional distress. I believe he truly meant to help his son Valderr by hiding him, but something went wrong. The extreme guilt of knowing himself the reason of Valderr’s suffering made him a perfect prey.”

  Unfortunately, that made far too much sense. Kyllian remembered earlier comments of Alcharr, who’d explained their father had changed a lot. But how did they fight an accumulation of energy? How could they defeat something that held so much magic and power?

  “The king will try to kill his child and Yanentah tomorrow—or rather, the crystal will, through its puppet. To stop him…I would say you’d have to remove Amadeus from its sphere of influence. I believe it is possible to destroy the crystal here on Uli. In the astral plane, it’s a whole different matter, but the conduit here should be vulnerable to your magic, and anyone else’s, for that matter.”

  Kyllian hummed thoughtfully. “But destroying it here will only be a temporary fix, right? The crystal will appear again, on its own, given that it’s sentient.”

  Sandros nodded. “I’m afraid so. To prevent such a thing from happening, you’ll have to face it in the astral realm. I will help you, of course. I still have friends, and I will contact them as soon as possible. But still, this, my friend, is a battle I’m not sure we can win.”

  Kyllian waited as Yane and Alcharr processed what he’d just told them. It was a very serious situation, and he would need their complete and utter trust if they were going to stop a disaster from happening.

  “Did you
contact Sassaki and Hash?” Yane finally asked.

  Kyllian nodded. He’d sent a message to the dragon shifter as soon as he’d left Sandros’s shop. In truth, the two shape-shifters were in danger now, and Kyllian half wished he’d never have told them to watch the crystal. But then, he’d never suspected the extent of the evil within the thing.

  “I told them to keep away from it, yes, and to leave the astral plane as soon as possible. If they stay in Almareya for a day or so, they should be all right. I only hope they’ll listen.”

  “Gods,” Alcharr whispered. “I can’t believe this. My father is behind Valderr’s kidnapping? Are you certain?”

  Kyllian nodded. He almost wished he could have kept that part to himself, but even the slightest bit of secrecy could damage their tenuous friendship. Information was vital if they intended to beat this thing.

  “I’m sorry, Alcharr. I wish I had better news.”

  “At least we know,” Alcharr replied, his voice dim and defeated. “What will I tell Valderr?”

  Kyllian’s heart hurt for the man. “The truth,” he answered. “He needs to know, to protect himself.”

  Alcharr didn’t answer, apparently musing over his future conversation with his younger sibling. Yane, however, gave Kyllian an inquiring look. “Do you know where the crystal is?”

  “Sandros showed me, yes,” Kyllian answered. It had been the first thing Kyllian asked. Even if the destruction of the current physical form of the crystal would not solve the root problem, it might help them with healing the king. Besides, he had a wedding to stop, and they didn’t have time for any other better ideas.

  “It’s in the castle. It seems there is a passageway beyond your parents’ quarters.”

  Yane groaned. “There’s no way we can get in there now. My father will most likely feel us.”

  “We’ll have to wait until tomorrow then.” Kyllian had suspected that much already. “It will be better since everyone will be distracted with preparations.”

  Yane got up. “Come on. We can sneak you inside the palace tonight and deal with the rest in the morning. We don’t have much time anyway.”

  Kyllian agreed, and they left the inn, paying close heed to not to be seen departing together. As they progressed through the city, Kyllian stole the occasional look at his companions. They didn’t speak, and Kyllian didn’t try to initiate conversation. He followed behind Yane and slipped into the palace grounds. With his magic and the nymph as a guide, it was easier than Kyllian expected. True enough, they almost got caught once or twice, but they eventually escaped notice. Soon, they reached Yane’s room, whereupon Kyllian found himself facing two other men, a dryad and a young eagle.

  “Finally,” the dryad said. “Where have you guys been? Who is this?”

  Kyllian arched a brow. Apparently, Yane and Alcharr had made an unexpected addition to their group. “I’m Kyllian. And you?”

  “Dorien, an old friend of Yane’s,” the dryad answered. “What are you doing here?”

  Judging by Dorien’s comments, the man didn’t know about the situation. Kyllian decided to ignore the question and turned his attention toward the eagle. “And you must be Valderr,” he said. “It’s nice to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you from your brother.”

  Valderr offered him a shy smile. “Thank you for your help. We really appreciate it.”

  “Did anyone come looking for us?” Yane inquired.

  Dorien shook his head. “No, but there’s something going on. The guards seem more numerous than ever. With the wedding, security is strict, but it really increased tonight.”

  “It’s okay,” Yane answered. “We’re back now. Go get some rest. Tomorrow is a big day.”

  Dorien looked confused and reluctant, but Valderr pulled him toward the exit. Before they could leave, Alcharr stopped his brother. “Don’t trust Father, Valderr,” he said. “Whatever you do, don’t be alone with him. He’s being controlled by an outside force and he might hurt you.”

  Valderr gave him a pained glance but nodded. “Thanks. I’ll remember that.”

  Without further ado, Valderr and Dorien left the room. Kyllian plopped down on a comfortable armchair, studying Alcharr and Yane. “You didn’t tell him the truth,” he noted.

  “With Dorien here?” Alcharr said in a disbelieving tone. “You must be kidding.”

  “I didn’t say you should have,” Kyllian shot back, “just that you’ll probably need to do it sometime in the future.”

  Alcharr sat down on Yane’s bed. “I’ll worry about it when the time comes.”

  Yane joined the eagle and wrapped his arms around him. “It’s okay. We’ll save your father.”

  Alcharr turned to look at Yane. Moments passed in silence as the two men just stared at each other. They seemed to have forgotten about Kyllian’s presence altogether, so Kyllian just remained silent and watched.

  Slowly, gently, Alcharr lowered his lips over Yane. The mouths of the two met in a kiss that seemed more like a comforting caress than a lustful endeavor. But as the kiss went on, Kyllian sensed the atmosphere change. Alcharr’s hands started to explore Yane’s body. He pushed the nymph down on the bed, covering Yane’s body with his own.

  In turn, Yane started tearing at Alcharr’s clothing, rubbing against the other man wantonly. Kyllian’s cock went rock hard as he watched them. Careful not to make any noise, he undid his breeches and cupped himself in his fist. He moved his hand up and down his dick, all the while keeping his gaze fixed on the men in the bed.

  Clothes flew off in a flurry of passion, and Kyllian bit his lip against the moan that threatened to come at the first sight of his companions’ naked bodies. Alcharr broke the kiss between him and Yane and licked down Yane’s torso, lapping at the other man’s skin. He lingered over Alcharr’s nipples for a few moments, then went lower down, following the treasure trail of dark blue hair to Yane’s hard cock.

  The moment Alcharr took Yane’s dick in his mouth, the nymph’s eyes shot open. His gaze met Kyllian’s and he gasped, finally remembering Kyllian’s presence. Alcharr must have sensed something was wrong, because he moved away from Yane.

  Immediately, Kyllian got up and walked toward the bed. “Don’t stop,” he said. “Continue to suck him. Now.”

  Alcharr stared at him, at first seeming shocked. But then, he once more turned his attention to Yane and lowered his mouth over the nymph’s cock. For a few moments, Yane looked like he wanted to protest, but what man would refuse a blow job? Kyllian smirked as he sat next to Yane on the bed. “It’s okay,” he murmured. “Just enjoy it.”

  Yane moaned in reply, and Kyllian could no longer hold himself back. He pressed his lips to Yane’s, swallowing the nymph’s gorgeous cries. Yane tried to wrap his arms around Kyllian, to pull him closer, but Kyllian held him down, immobilizing his arms with one strong fist.

  He tore his mouth away from Yane’s. “Oil?”

  “Nightstand, I th—” Yane panted out. A moan swallowed the rest of his sentence as Alcharr did something with his mouth that seemed to drive Yane wild.

  Kyllian followed Yane’s instructions and found a bottle of oil in the bottom drawer. He placed it on the bed within Alcharr’s reach. “Alcharr, get him ready.”

  Instantly, Alcharr obeyed. Never once stopping his motions on Yane’s dick, he reached for the oil and poured some on his fingers. Yane spread his legs, exposing himself for Alcharr’s exploration. Kyllian’s mouth went dry at the sight. He couldn’t resist the guilty pleasure of watching Alcharr’s fingers invade Yane’s body. Releasing Yane, he made his way to the back of the bed, giving the two men room to maneuver.

  Yane’s moans were increasing in volume as Alcharr’s digits pierced his body, so Kyllian threw a shield around the room, just in case. He caressed the curve of Alcharr’s back, sweeping his hands over the smooth feathers. Finally, when he realized Yane was seconds away from coming, he squeezed Alcharr’s hip. “Stop. Move away.”

  Yane let out a cry of protest as Alcharr releas
ed his cock and stopped the finger-fucking. “What? No!”

  Kyllian just smirked. “You’re doing what I say now, little nymph. Got that?”

  Yane gulped, his beautiful face flushed and his eyes gone stormy with frustrated pleasure. As their gazes met, the nymph nodded. Kyllian suppressed a chuckle. He’d never expected to find such delicious submissiveness in two men with such strength. “Now, get Alcharr ready.”

  As he spoke, he used a spell to lift Alcharr’s body in the air and flip him over. The man’s bulk made maneuvering somewhat awkward without magic, and his wings, while beautiful, took some getting used to. At any rate, Kyllian didn’t intend to press Alcharr and Yane into bondage play—not yet. Flying beings in particular weren’t really receptive to that sort of thing, although Alcharr could be the exception. They would explore the possibilities later, not now when the two lovers were hardly in an emotional state to consider such a thing.

  Kyllian hoped they would accept. He hoped he and the others would live long enough to try to make it work. Because he knew that such a relationship would need to involve the other three men, as well. He’d lived too long to not recognize genuine affection when he saw it, and there were clear bonds between Owen, Hash, Sassaki, Yane, and Alcharr.

  Smiling to himself, Kyllian held Alcharr in his arms. The eagle met his gaze dead on, pressing his naked body to Kyllian’s. Kyllian suppressed a groan as Alcharr reached for his dick and wrapped a strong fist around it. A small smirk appeared on Alcharr’s lips, and Kyllian wanted to give the man a lesson he would never forget—a lesson in pleasure.

  “Take my clothes off,” he told Alcharr.

  The eagle shuddered visibly but proceeded to do as ordered. Alcharr leaned back and allowed the other man to work his boots and pants off. His shirt went next, and Kyllian gestured for Yane to wait until Alcharr finished. At last, the three of them were naked together on the bed and Kyllian surmised it was finally time to have his way with the two men.