by Jana Downs
“What is it? What’s wrong?” Abraxas asked in a concerned tone as he knelt down next to Devon.
When he didn’t respond, Layden and Abraxas lifted him up. Almost instantly he reached for Abraxas.
“Why?” he whispered, throwing his arms around his neck. Layden looked up at Abraxas as though he might have a better understanding of what he was talking about, but he looked just as confused as Layden felt.
Devon shoved at Abraxas’s chest and looked up at them both with tearstained cheeks. “Why do you both hate each other so much? Life is too short for hate.” He spat the last in disgust. “My mother is dead because of hate. Her murderers hated her and my father for being wealthy. They hated me.”
Devon put his head in his hands and began rocking back and forth. “I know hate, and you two don’t hate each other. So why do you pretend? Why do you fight?” His voice was barely a whisper. Layden didn’t know what to say. He didn’t know how to answer that question. To be honest, Devon looked very much insane at the moment.
“We don’t hate each other,” Abraxas said, answering Devon like he didn’t sound insane. “In fact, we love each other very much. We are…used to be lovers.”
Layden watched Abraxas’s saddened expression at the correction from present to past tense and realized in that moment just how much pain he’d felt over their breakup. The separation had hurt him, too. Abraxas really did care about him, and he’d been such a fool to think otherwise. How could he have ever doubted him?
“We just lost each other along the way. But you helped us come back together, and now we want to help you. We like you, Devon.” Layden tried to reach him this time as he cupped Devon’s cheek and pulled him toward him.
“I don’t believe you,” he said softly, but didn’t push him away. “You just want me to make you king.”
Devon seemed so fragile in his arms as Layden clung to his shell of a soul. For whatever reason, Layden knew the gods had brought them together, and he didn’t plan on letting him go anytime soon. He remembered the memories he saw of the young, carefree little boy, and he vowed to bring that life back to him. He would teach him to love and trust in life again. Death and sorrow didn’t have to be the only things that filled his memories. There could be love and happiness.
“I’m not lying to you, Devon. I do like you and so does Abraxas. If you let us, we’d like to show you what it means to be happy again, to feel loved again.” His words were convincing and filled with assurance as he stood, lifting Devon into his arms. Abraxas stood as well and grabbed hold of the hand closest to him.
“That’s right, Devon. I may have started this journey with the hope of becoming king, but it was only so Layden and I could be together one day. I wanted to put an end to our clan’s feuding and live the rest of my life in peace with the ones I love. I never knew I’d meet someone as wonderful as you, and I would never dream of using you to become king. If you don’t believe me, let me show you the kind of person I really am. Come back with us and give me a chance.”
Abraxas looked down at Devon. His pale complexion looked pitiful as Devon stared longingly back at both of them before finally nodding his head in affirmation.
A dark aura surrounded Abraxas as he summoned forth his power and opened his mind to both Layden and Devon. Flashes of Abraxas’s memories brushed across Layden’s mind.
They were their memories. He could feel Abraxas’s emotions as they held hands for the first time, kissed for the first time, made love for the first time.
He could feel Devon’s presence and knew he was sharing the experience with him. Further into Abraxas’s mind they fell as Layden remembered his own version of the memories. Flashes of forbidden love awakened him to rediscovering his emotions for Abraxas he’d buried long ago. Then came the harder times as their young love faded and the burden of both their birthrights became too heavy to bear.
Their passion was replaced with doubt and insecurities as their families pressured them until finally it ended with their messy breakup. The pain Abraxas had felt at losing Layden and the hopelessness that followed when he came to the Azure city day after day, year after year, with no sign of the one he loved made Layden feel ashamed for trying to convince himself that Abraxas had hated him all those years.
The years kept speeding past them until they finally reached present time when Devon had first arrived in Draconia. Layden could feel Abraxas’s nervousness when he first laid eyes upon him, and the emotions Devon had awakened inside him the first time they talked.
Then came the desire Abraxas had been harboring for Devon on the night they’d kissed. It was the same attraction Layden had felt for Devon himself. Whether their feelings were a blessing or a curse, Layden didn’t know, but he knew there was no way he could ever choose between them. They both stirred great passion and desire in him, and now Layden knew Abraxas felt the same way.
When they had reached the end, Abraxas broke the connection and a pained expression crossed his face as he looked at them both.
“Now do you see? I need you both to be complete and I think you do, too, so what do you say, Devon? Are you willing to take a chance on us?”
Devon wrapped his arms around Abraxas, pulling him close. “Let’s go home.”
* * * *
It had been hours since they’d returned and Devon still hadn’t gained consciousness. Ezekiel had reassured them that it may take a while for him to regain his strength, but that he would be fine and well when he did. Abraxas watched over him now as the fire blazed brightly in the night time sky. At least his color had returned. That alone had made him feel better.
He couldn’t stop thinking about his mother, though, and the image of Devon stumbling upon her mutilated corpse was just…awful. He’d asked the others if they had seen any of Devon’s memories when they’d returned, but Druis, Cerilius, and Asher had all looked at him like he was crazy. They told him they had found nothing but a dark empty space, nothing like what he had described. Ezekiel had said it was probably because they were never actually able to penetrate the guards Devon had up to protect himself from the outside world. For some reason Layden and Abraxas had managed, though, and that was a good thing. If they hadn’t been able to reach him, it was very likely that Devon would be dead by now.
“You about ready for bed?” Layden asked as he approached the camp fire.
“Yeah,” Abraxas said as he stood. He bent down and lifted Devon in his arms. He snuggled to his chest, and it brought a smile to his face as he followed Layden to their tent. He gently laid Devon down on the bed and covered him up.
“He’s still running a fever,” he noted as he placed the back of his hand to his forehead. He was shivering now in the absence of the fire.
“What should we do?” Layden asked concerned.
“We could keep him warm with our body heat. It might help him sweat out the fever, which will be good.”
Layden nodded and pulled off his shirt and pants, stripping down to his boxers. He crawled in next to Devon and wrapped his arm around his waist. Abraxas did the same, and he cradled him to his chest. He inhaled the human’s scent as he pressed his lips to the top of his forehead.
He silently groaned in frustration at the hard-on between his legs. It had been too long since he’d enjoyed the feel of a lover, and his gaze flickered to Layden.
“This feels nice,” Layden murmured as he met his stare. “I don’t know why but I feel connected with this fragile human, almost as though we were destined to meet and be drawn together.”
Abraxas raised his eyebrows. “I thought you were jealous of my obvious attraction to him. Are you trying to tell me you’ve been feeling the same way I have?”
“Yeah, so what if I have?” Layden smiled, knowing full well Abraxas had been intensely aware of Layden’s attraction to Devon. “Our relationship has always been a little taboo, why not include one more? Besides, that’ll take care of my jealousy problem since we’ll be sharing.”
Abraxas chuckled at Layden’s suggestion. “I think
we’d better wait until Devon wakes up to see how he feels about it, but I’m glad you’re open to including him in our complicated relationship. I don’t understand this strange connection we have, but whatever it is, magic or other, I don’t care. I just want to make you and him happy and I swear I’ll never leave your side again.” He stared intently at Layden as he entwined their fingers.
“I know,” Layden whispered. “Goodnight, Abraxas.”
Layden squeezed his hand gently, and Abraxas’s lips turned upward into a half smile. “Goodnight, Layden.”
Chapter 7
“Damn it!” Cerilius kicked at a pile of books he had stacked in his room. They scattered across the floor, and he frowned. The more time passed, the closer Layden and Abraxas got to the human, and it was pissing him off. He turned, nostrils flared, and glared at the mirror sitting on his dresser. Maeva’s worried and frightful face stared out at him.
“What’s taking so long? You told me you had taken care of them!” he shouted as he walked over toward the enchanted object.
“I did, I swear,” she pleaded. He wasn’t buying it. He knew better than to rely on others for help. He’d been better off just killing them both in one of the caverns.
“Baby, please.” Her gentle persuasion calmed him a bit as he lifted the sheet of glass, tracing a finger along the edges of her figure as he did so. He licked his lips.
“Tell me again exactly what you did,” he stated in a calmer manner.
She sniffled back her tears that she’d begun to shed when he’d first started yelling.
“I–I,” she stuttered, and he waited patiently for her to compose herself. “I bound their souls together and amplified their physical attraction to the human in hopes that their dragon instincts will become amplified. That, coupled with their already existing animosity, should ensure fighting to break out amongst them at any moment. That’s when you step in and convince Devon you’re the right one for the job as king. See, baby? I did well, didn’t I?”
He snorted and rolled his eyes. She was pathetic, but useful. He would’ve never been able to kill off King Adonis if it hadn’t been for her devious seduction and magics nor would he have been able to steal the Night clan orb from his people. The fact that Abraxas’s cousin had so ignorantly thought that the Azure clan was at fault and demanded retribution that ultimately led to Reign’s death was only a plus in his eyes. The less competition, the better. He would’ve never expected quiet and shy Layden to be a threat.
“Besides, lover,” she continued, “didn’t I help you obtain the Saffron orb of healing and death during the Fae Wars? Thanks to my magics it was so easy for you to sneak in with the Fae and slaughter Ezekiel’s family to steal their most prized possession. That orb has the ability to harness the powers of a gold dragon. With it nothing will stop us. And what about the Night orb that I helped you get a few months ago? The one that will allow us the ability of a black dragon? We can use that, too.” Her arrogance was irritating him.
“Yes, but I have yet to figure out how to use them. So far they’ve proven useless to me. What good are those stupid orbs if I can’t harness their power?” His anger seeped into his tone. Maeva’s frightened expression caused him to hesitate as he took a deep breath. “I’ll admit your ability to travel through time has come in handy at collecting the orbs, but I’m afraid we won’t be able to use it to solve this particular problem. The Dragon God Ryujin might not take too kindly if he knew what I’ve been up to. I’m lucky he hasn’t noticed it yet and you know messing with time, especially to prevent his summoning, is a sure way to get his attention. That’s why we have to do this right the first time, my love. Don’t you understand? You can’t fuck this up. You better make sure Layden and Abraxas are taken care of.” His eyes narrowed as he stared down at her.
“I know. I’ve got it all taken care of, I swear. Just please…please don’t be angry with me.” Cerilius watched with amusement as tears began to slide down her cheeks again. She was so predictable.
“Okay, baby. I know you’ve been such a good girl, and when I’m king, I’ll make you mine forever.” He smiled as he played the part of “devoted lover” well. She was nothing but a puppet on a string to him and she couldn’t even see it.
* * * *
Anger and a deep hatred boiled in Ezekiel’s blood as he overheard Cerilius’s conversation with the traitorous whore, Maeva. He clenched his fists, trying to convince himself not to storm in their right now and exact revenge for what Cerilius had done to his people…to his family.
He couldn’t breathe. The air around him felt suffocating. He had to get away from here before he did something stupid.
Stupid, yes, but it would be worth it. He shook his head. No, now is not the time. He stormed off, heading away from the campground.
“Zeke, what’s up?” Asher’s concerned tone didn’t faze him as he kept walking, not even slowing his pace.
He didn’t stop until a hand on his shoulder turned him abruptly and he found himself staring up at Asher’s worried face.
“I asked you a question.” His eyes narrowed, and Ezekiel shuffled his feet as he looked to the ground.
“It’s nothing.” He shrugged off Asher’s touch and began walking again, this time at a slower pace.
“I know you better than that, Zeke, and I swore to your brother before he passed away that I’d look after you.”
He sighed and shoved his hands in his pockets at Asher’s words. Tears pooled in his eyes at the mention of his eldest brother. What few memories he did have of his childhood had been filled with images of his brother and Asher. They had been lovers. He sometimes forgot that Asher shared the pain of his loss. He turned and rested his head on his shoulder as he let the silent tears fall. Asher didn’t say anything more. He just placed a comforting arm around his shoulders and waited for him to compose himself.
“I overheard them talking. They killed Demetri.” His brother’s name came out breathless as he forced himself to say it. It had been years since he’d spoken about him or his family.
“They killed all of them, and they started the fight that killed Reign. They killed the king, and now they’re planning on tearing Layden and Abraxas apart and converting Devon to their side.” He clung to Asher’s shirt as he forced the words out of his mouth.
“Who did?” Asher’s tone was serious as he placed a firm grip on his shoulder, pushing him upward until he met his stare.
“Cerilius and Maeva. I heard them talking just now.”
“How could you hear them talking? Maeva’s at the palace, and the king died of an illness. The doctor even said so.”
Asher frowned.
“I don’t know how they did it! I just know they did. They must’ve used some kind of magic,” Ezekiel stated defensively.
“But even if that were true, Cerilius wasn’t but a teenager when the Fae Wars broke out. There’s no way he could’ve led an army and killed your family. He couldn’t have killed Demetri.” Asher hesitated when he said Demetri’s name. Ezekiel reached out and placed a gentle hand on his cheek as Asher leaned against his palm.
“He mentioned something about time traveling. I think Maeva may be a sorceress of some kind and a very powerful one at that.” He watched as Asher’s jaw hardened.
“Listen, Ezekiel. If Cerilius and Maeva have done the things you said, then they aren’t above murdering to get their way and that includes you. I want you to promise me you won’t do anything stupid.”
“But what about Layden and Asher?” Ezekiel protested.
“Promise me?” The urgency in Asher’s tone caused Ezekiel to hesitate.
“I promise,” he said.
“Good. I’m going to talk with Druis about this. Don’t worry. We won’t let anything bad happen to Layden or Abraxas.” His reassuring tone did little to ease Ezekiel’s worries, but he nodded in agreement anyways. For now he’d have to trust in Asher and hope that they weren’t too late in stopping Cerilius and Maeva.
* * * *
> Devon stared across the room at Layden as he watched him slowly undress. His muscled physique was causing a throbbing ache between his as his cock hardened in anticipation of his touch.
“You weren’t forgetting about me, were you?” Abraxas said as he entered the room in nothing but a towel wrapped carelessly around his waist.
“Of course not. We were just getting ready for bed.” Layden leaned in and placed a quick kiss to his lips. Abraxas reached in between his thighs and began stroking Layden’s hard cock.
“Mmm, you feel good.” Abraxas bit Layden’s bottom lip before pulling away to stare at Devon.
“What is it, Devon?” His brows furrowed as he made his way over to the bed, dropping the towel as he did so.
“Nothing.” He blushed, pulling the covers over his naked body. “I just don’t understand what I’m doing here. You and Layden seem perfectly content without me. I just complicate things.”
“No, baby,” Abraxas said softly as he closed the distance between them and gently brushed his cheek with his hand. “You complete us.”
* * * *
Devon awoke suddenly, his body aching with desire. The feel of two men pressed against him didn’t help. He was a little disoriented as he ran a hand through his hair. The last thing he remembered was grabbing the Saffron clan gem and then the feeling of utter hopelessness. Somehow Layden and Abraxas had found him and saved him? Was that right?
“Mmm, glad to see you’ve finally woken up,” Abraxas said as he looked up at him through his sleep-filled eyes.
Devon smiled. “Sorry I woke you.”
“Don’t worry about it. It’s no big deal. We were worried about you since you didn’t wake up after we saved you. Ezekiel said it was because you were still weak. You were running a pretty high fever, so Layden and I decided to sleep with you to help you sweat it out. I hope you don’t mind.”
“What’s going on? Is Devon okay?” Layden’s sleepy voice interrupted their conversation as he sat up, rubbing his eyes.
