Lukos Heat
Page 6
Barkus shifted, and Najlah growled, nudging at his bare thigh. Rolling his eyes, Wyst jerked a head to the wardrobe in the corner. Laughing, Barkus went and pulled out a robe. Shrugging into it and belting it shut, he returned to the group and explained all that had transpired since he and Najlah had woken up to the smell of blood.
He was just finishing the story when the others arrived, accompanied by Fayth and two other Savages. Najlah growled at them in greeting, and they cast him brief smiles before they latched onto the man he'd left alive. Wyst folded his arm across his chest and glared at the man as he was hauled up, held firmly between the shifters, pale and trembling, smelling sharply of pain and fear. "Tell me your orders," Wyst said. "Otherwise I am more than content to let you die slowly over the course of many days."
Looking as though he was going to be ill, the man nevertheless admitted the whole of the plan between sobs: frame the dragons for the murder of Prince Tevra and King Wyst, ensure they were regarded as uncontrollable demons. Gormestia and Restuel would have been allies again, the dragons their mutual enemy.
"Yet you arranged no clear motive for all these murders?" Wyst asked when the man finally fell silent.
"Motives are easily manufactured," the man said dully.
Wyst's mouth twisted. He jerked his head. "Take him away, treat his wounds. We may yet need him. Someone take care of these bodies and get servants to prepare a new room for me. The rest of you can go, and we will talk in the morning."
Najlah nudged his hand, then slipped away. His part in the matter was over, best that he got out of the way.
He had barely reached his room again when he was tackled. Snarling, he turned around, shifted forms, dragged his sharp claws down Barkus' back, and held him close as they rutted together, hasty and sloppy, dulling the sharp edge of the restlessness that always followed battle. It took only moments to find release, and Barkus followed him a few minutes later, their seed a warm, sticky mess on their skin.
Shoving Barkus off, Najlah used the hastily discarded robe nearby to wipe the worst of the mess away because it was always much more difficult to scrub off once it had dried.
Barkus dragged him back into bed, splayed him out, and explored every bit of his body with maddening thoroughness, his tongue rough against Najlah's vulnerable skin, scraping pleasantly over his scales, refusing to do anything more until Najlah was snarling and yowling, claws shredding the bedding, and Barkus' skin was scored with countless angry red marks.
Only then, his hot, smug satisfaction heavy in the bond, did Barkus spread Najlah open and fuck him until he screamed.
Lethargy rushed over Najlah as he came down, and he was barely awake when Barkus pulled out of him and pressed up close behind. Rumbling softly, Najlah sank into sleep.
He jerked awake when someone pounded on the door, irritated by the noise and the sun and the way people kept waking him up. Roaring at the door, he grumpily slid from bed as a servant came in and bowed. "Lord Najlah, Prince Tevra humbly requests an audience whenever you are inclined to see him. His Majesty said I should come wake you."
Najlah growled low and flicked his tail, dismissing her, and dumped himself into his bath. His temper was somewhat mollified when Barkus joined him, and Najlah had a chance to exact revenge for the previous night.
Sated and clean, if not as rested as he would have liked, he tied a dark purple wrap around his hips and, with Barkus dressed smartly in black and gray beside him, went to see what in the blazing sands Prince Tevra wanted.
Guards stood outside Tevra's door, and they hailed Najlah when they saw him.
People really like you. My impression from your thoughts was that they were all scared of you, or at best regarded you as too strange and avoided you… but they all seem to genuinely like you.
If they liked me they would not be so skittish.
Nervous isn't necessarily skittish. I think they're awed, not afraid.
Whatever, I don't care. Najlah growled low at the guards as they passed, not certain what to make of it when they smiled.
He forgot about it when he saw Tevra, still pale and fragile-looking but stubbornly sitting up in his bed. Najlah had managed to heal his wounds, but he'd worked too hard and fast to make certain they all closed up neatly, which meant his chest, arms, throat, and even his face were covered in scars. Most of the injuries Najlah understood, but the only reason to purposely hurt someone's face was to be cruel. "Lord Najlah, I appreciate you indulging me. I am sorry I could not come to see you."
Najlah growled quietly as he approached the bed, Barkus standing just behind him.
"Your translator?" Tevra asked with a tired smile. Najlah nodded. "I wanted to say thank you. No one was more surprised than I that my own people attacked me in my bed and nearly succeeded in murdering me." He closed his eyes, skin leeching of what little color it had regained. "Apparently, to frame you." He opened his eyes, mouth twisting with bitterness. "My father ordered me murdered—brutally murdered—to frame two dragons and topple a kingdom. All because of… something that I thought we did not do, but which I feel now we most certainly did. And you were the one who saved me, despite the way I treated you in court yesterday."
Shaking his head, Najlah growled and hissed, "You acted as a hornless brute should. I took no offense."
Barkus made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a cut-off laugh. Najlah eyed him as Barkus stepped up beside him, but Barkus kept his attention on Tevra. "Highness, he says he never took offense. You were doing what you thought best. The matter was not personal and so he did not take it that way."
Najlah hissed at him.
"Dragon—" Barkus broke off when Najlah cut him off with another hiss. Turning back to Tevra he said, "Strictly speaking, he says you behaved like a hornless brute—like him."
Tevra smiled faintly. "I think I take the meaning. Still, no one would have blamed him for letting me bleed out. I wanted to extend my thanks and say that I am in your debt."
"Life saving does not accrue debts. Personal strife is put aside when the sands threaten all."
"He says no debt is owed…" Barkus frowned. "Are you making this difficult on purpose?"
Najlah rumbled at him.
Sighing, Barkus said, "No debt is owed because the matter threatened everyone, and so personal grievances—had there been any—are set aside."
"All the same, if there is anything I can ever do, you've only to ask," Tevra said firmly.
Najlah growled, dropping the matter. He was more interested in what would become of Tevra.
"If Your Highness does not mind the impertinence, Lord Najlah is curious what you mean to do when you are well again."
Najlah filled the bond with his amusement. Barkus must have been reprimanded or threatened before he left the Shide because he had not been anywhere near so polite or careful of his words there. Barkus' answer was a sharp, wry affirmative, and Najlah bared his teeth in silent laughter.
Tevra looked between them, faint smile back on his face, but something like longing or envy tinging it. "I'm not sure, honestly. I'll be busy for a little while helping King Wyst contend with my father. Perhaps by the time that matter is concluded I will have figured it out. Thank you for asking."
Humans were strange, thanking people for their curiosity. Najlah stared at Tevra, something nagging, but he could not figure out what.
Barkus cast him a look, a strong sense of you are ridiculous and I find you funny coming through the bond. Najlah returned that sentiment with a promise to bite him, hard, and it would not be the kind of bite that affected his cock in a good way.
Snorting, Barkus once more turned back to Najlah. "His lordship says if you would like company at any time, he is happy to come visit."
Pleased surprise filled Tevra's face. "I would enjoy that, if you do not mind. We started poorly, and that is entirely my fault, but I would like to make reparations."
"He meant it when he said he holds no grudges, Highness. We'll return for lunch if you are not otherwise
occupied. For now, I think you had better get more rest before your healer throttles all of us for over-exerting you."
Najlah growled a farewell, and even remembered to bow, before he followed Barkus from the room. Could he go back to bed as well? He was tired of people waking him up before he wanted to be woken.
"Eventually, maybe," Barkus said with a grin. "But first we should probably go speak with your brother, see what has happened since last night and what decisions have been made."
Politics. Najlah hissed but led the way through the palace to the dining room where Ajith liked to eat his breakfast.
Ajith hissed-growled in greeting as they walked in. "The grub is still awake. I'm impressed."
"Be quiet, layabout," Najlah replied, dropping into the seat across from him and helping himself to Ajith's food: platters of freshly butchered meat and the sour fruits they'd both become fond of since arriving. They were always looked at strangely for eating the fruits raw, peel and all, but Najlah was firmly of the opinion that humans ate much stranger. Cooked meat was so flavorless, and they had to further ruin it by piling on herbs.
Barkus' fond amusement drifted through the bond. Cooked meat is not that evil, and proper seasoning enhances. I think I'm afraid of what you would attempt to feed me should I ever visit Tahjil.
Najlah growled around the piece of meat he was eating, sending Barkus images of fire birds, rock spiders, sand cats, and lava wyrms. Those were his favorites, but there was also fish when he could be bothered and other animals further out in the desert where it was not as brutal as right in the midst of the volcanoes.
"Fascinating," Barkus said. "It's so very opposite the Shide."
Nasty snow.
"Why are you bothering me and stealing all my food?" Ajith said. "I was hoping for a quiet meal before we started forming plans against Gormestia."
"What are you planning to do with them? With Tevra?"
Ajith paused in taking a bite of something the servants called beef. "Tevra?" His eyes whirled green and pink. "Why are you asking about a human? A human from the country that hurt me and the few others around this place you call family? An ordinary human with nothing but magic to his name."
"He survived that attack. Most humans die when they lose that much blood, get stabbed that many times."
"You're making friends, how amusing."
Najlah snarled at Ajith and threw a scrap of meat at him.
Ajith jerked forward, caught the scrap neatly in his teeth, and chewed it quickly down. "Behave. As to your new little human, he has already given us some useful information. That one is very dragon in his ruthlessness, I will grant that. He was betrayed and now considers his family to be nothing more than enemies. With his help, we should be able to reduce Gormestia to bone fragments. Figuratively—get that gleam out of your eye."
"I still owe them. One pathetic little encounter in a cave is not enough to settle the matter. I want to break them."
"Well, the matter is far from over. You may yet get your chance. For the time being, occupy yourself keeping Prince Tevra safe. Now that he has turned against Gormestia, they will not hesitate to try killing him again. Don't let that happen."
Najlah growled. "One of these days you will give me something difficult to do. Fine. But if I have to kit-watch like a useless brute, then I want compensation."
"Stop cadging for diamonds," Ajith said dismissively. "Now go away so I can finish my food in peace."
Throwing a few more scraps of meat, Najlah fled before Ajith could retaliate, growling and rumbling at Barkus's amusement. "You two remind me of home. Dragons are much more pack-like than I had ever heard."
Najlah hissed. Pack. Den. Same thing, more or less. You were dismissive that we could be such when we first met.
We do not think highly of those who live beyond the Shide. There are many terrible stories of what these people did to the Lukos that drove us into the Shide. That is why it took so long to convince my pack to let me come here. It's hard to believe that the hate is gone. But there is you and Ajith, and you're both so obviously happy here. If they can come to like demons, there surely is a chance for the Shide to be accepted.
If anyone here takes issue, I will swiftly correct them. Najlah growled and hissed to emphasize his words. The stupid snow is still outside, but it's not as terrible as usual. We could go into the city, find some proper food before we are stuck kit-watching Tevra.
Barkus smiled. That sounds fun. And I'm touched you would offer since I think it means you have to put on more clothing. Also I do not think you are fooling anyone. Your eyes have been faintly pink since you saved him last night. You're as curious about him as you were about me. I don't think you've been given protection duties just because you're sharp and pointy.
Snarling and grumbling, refusing to acknowledge the words, Najlah nipped Barkus's chin before leading the way back to his room.
Visit the city, perhaps buy something for Fayth to cheer him while he was recovering. He could go to the jewelry shop as well. Perhaps he should find something for Tevra, too, so the kit-watching was not completely tiresome. How did one kit-watch a prince?
"I'm sure we'll think of something," Barkus said, amusement, fondness, and a hint of lust trickling through the bond.
What provoked the lust, exactly, Najlah didn't know, but he was more than happy to delay their trip to the city to act on it.
And by the time they finally did head out, the snow had stopped falling.
Fin
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About the Author
Megan is a long time resident of LGBTQ fiction, and keeps herself busy reading, writing, and publishing it. She is often accused of fluff and nonsense. When she's not involved in writing, she likes to cook, harass her cats, or watch movies. She loves to hear from readers, and can be found all over the internet.
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Title Page
Book Details
Lukos Heat
About the Author