Healing Fire

by Sean Michael

  “Spend yourself, Jules. It will feel so good.”

  He nodded and pushed up into a kiss, desperate for Lem’s touch. Lem’s mouth opened beneath his, and when he pushed his tongue in, Lem began to suck on it. With his free hand, Lem grabbed his ass, fingers slipping against his back entrance. His eyes flew open wide, confusion flooding him. Lem bit again, both hands squeezing, and the pleasure was undeniable. When Lem’s finger entered him, he spent himself in hard, needy jerks.

  “Jules! My prince!” Lem bucked against him. Even though the water they were in was hot, he could feel Lem’s pleasure spreading warmly between them.

  Oh. Oh.

  He clung, sucking in huge gulps of air. Lem held him tight against the solid chest, keeping him submerged and warm, but not letting him drown.

  “Lem.” His dear Lem, always protecting him.

  “I have you, Jules.”

  Jules nodded, head lolling on his shoulders.

  “I will always have you.” Lem kissed head. “Are you happy, my prince?”

  “More than I imagined I could be.” More than he would have dreamed to have asked for.

  “Then everything is as it should be.”

  “Yes.” Everything was more than he’d hoped.

  Now his hope was to have it as long as he could.

  Chapter Eight

  There were rumors about more attacks, about dark winds blowing and rains filling the skies for weeks on end. Lem figured if the rumors were making it to them in their isolation, then they were to be noted, worried about.

  “My prince. We must talk about what to do if we are attacked again. I want to put protocols in place to keep you safe.”

  “No.”

  The refusal shocked Lem.

  “What do you mean, ‘no?’” That wasn’t how it worked. He was Jules’ bodyguard. Jules would have to do as he said in these matters.

  “No. If they come, you will run away and be safe, and I will deal with them.”

  Lem stared at Jules for a moment, even more surprised by these words.

  “No, my prince. If they come, you will run and hide where I tell you, and you will be safe. I will deal with them. It’s my job. It’s my calling.” He would protect Jules. That was the end of it.

  “Mabon died trying to protect me, my secret.”

  Lem took Jules’ hands and touched the marks in the palms. “Your secret?”

  Jules flushed dark, but nodded.

  “Do you know the meaning of them?” He’d asked before, but his prince had not told him.

  Jules shook his head. “They’re evil.”

  “I don’t believe that, Jules.” He would not believe anything about his prince was evil. “Besides, they have nothing to do with my protecting you. We will go over my protocols, and you will let me protect you if evil comes for you.”

  Jules blinked up at him, eyes wide, but Lem was in the right. He refused to let Jules fob him off.

  “My prince. I will hear your agreement.” In this, in all matters of safety, his will was paramount. He stared Jules right in the eye, waiting for his prince’s reply and refusing to back down.

  Jules tried to stare him down, but couldn’t. “Yes, Lem.”

  “Good.” He smiled in approval and began. “There are several places where you can hide, but it wouldn’t work for me to call out ‘under the bed’ because then your attackers would know where to find you.”

  Jules was pouting, just a bit, and it was so hard to do, but Lem needed to remain strong, in command. This was potentially life and death, and he would not lose his prince because they were not prepared.

  “Under the bed will be ‘books.’”

  He wanted to make code words that would be easy for them both to remember, but not obvious. Jules always read to him in bed, so to associate under the bed with books would make sense to them, but no one else.

  “Books. Yes. I understand.” Of course Jules did. His prince was very bright, so much smarter than Lem.

  “Excellent. By the fountain will be ‘mother.’” Lem hoped that wouldn’t make Jules sad.

  Jules nodded. “I have my curse. I will burn if they come, rather than let them take me.”

  “Stop that. You will do as I say, and you will be safe.” Lem was not letting fear for himself, or for anyone else, put Jules in harm’s way. “Behind the apple tree will be where you go if I call out ‘sunshine.’”

  Once Jules knew his three words, they would practice.

  “Sunshine.” Jules reached out for him. “Can we go read now?”

  Lem would have loved nothing better, but he had to make sure they could move efficiently if they were surprised by another attack. “No, my prince. You must tell them back to me, and then we must practice.”

  Jules sighed so dramatically. It was adorable. And it made Lem want to gather Jules up and kiss him until they were both breathless.

  “I know you can remember the words and what they mean. No one is smarter than you, my prince. So tell me.” He crossed his arms over his chest, trying to look stalwart instead of needy.

  “Book, mother, and sunshine.”

  “And where do you go if I say any of those during an attack?”

  “Under the bed for book. Mother means fountain and sunshine is in the apple tree.”

  He beamed and nodded. “Okay, let’s practice. Book!” He shouted the last word as if the place were on fire.

  Jules stared at him. “Do you really want me to go?”

  “Yes! We have to practice. So when it’s surprising and scary, you can do it.”

  “But, Lem, I can’t let them hurt you,” Jules insisted.

  “My prince, if I cannot protect you, I might as well be dead.” He took Jules’ face between his fingers. “I must protect you.”

  “Yes, Lem.”

  “Then we will practice.” He took a step back and shouted. “Mother!”

  Jules jumped, then hurried to hide behind the fountain.

  “Books!” he cried out.

  Jules fluttered between the tree and the bed.

  It made him growl that his prince wasn’t taking this seriously. “The tree is sunshine.”

  “Don’t growl. You yelled.”

  “If we need to use the code words in a dangerous situation, I will need to yell, my prince.”

  Jules needed to be able to respond immediately no matter what else was going on, if he was surprised or scared or anything. This fluttering and confusion could be deadly in a true emergency.

  “We will have to practice this every day.”

  “This is not fun, Lem,” Jules told him.

  “It’s not meant to be fun. It’s very serious and very important.” He took Jules’ hands and squeezed them. “It is meant to keep you safe if something awful happens.”

  “Nothing will happen. Awfulness happened already.”

  “But if it does happen again, my prince, we have to be ready.” He implored Jules with his whole being. “Indulge me in this, please?”

  His plea melted his lover, softened the expression in the lovely eyes.

  “Go to ‘books,’ and then we can be done for the day.”

  Jules nodded and slipped under the bed, disappearing from sight almost immediately.

  “We need a code for when it’s safe for you to come out, too. How about ‘fly away?’”

  He didn’t get an answer.

  “My prince?” Worry went through him, and he rushed to the bed.

  He bent down to look underneath, and Jules landed on his back, his prince pouncing him. He straightened in surprise, nearly bucking Jules off. He reached back, holding Jules where he was so his prince didn’t go flying.

  “Got you!” Jules crowed.

  Wicked little prince.

  “You do! Now what are you going to do with me?” Laughing, he spun slowly.

  “Keep you forever!”

  He kept spinning, moving faster and faster. Jules threw his head back, calling out happily. When Lem collapsed onto the bed, he made sure to fa
ll face-first so he didn’t crush his prince.

  Jules rubbed against him, cuddling happily.

  “We’ll do this every day, my prince.” He needed Jules to be able to react immediately, no matter what else was going on. Even if they were cuddling like this, enjoying each other so much.

  “Spinning? I like spinning.”

  “I can be as stubborn as you when it comes to your safety. You know I meant practicing our code words and your ability to respond to them.”

  “Spinning is more fun.”

  “We can spin every day, too. And do this.” He tugged Jules off, then turned around and pulled his prince back onto him before pressing his lips to Jules, rewarding both of them for having focussed at least a little on the protocols. Jules made him smile, made him hard and happy and terrified that someone might harm his prince. He slid his fingers beneath Jules’ clothes, tugging them off so he could touch the lovely skin. So silky and warm, and his prince smelled wonderful.

  “Mmm. Lem.” Jules sprawled above him, pressed against him.

  “This’ll be our reward. Doesn’t that sound good?” He slid his hands up Jules’ sides, thumbs reaching to touch Jules’ nipples.

  “Yes. That is good. A reward.” Jules arched up, pushed into his touch.

  He flicked his fingers across the little bits of flesh, fascinated by how they had hardened for him.

  Jules touched his fingers, eyes wide. “You make everything hard.”

  “I bring you pleasure.” It felt so good, knowing he did.

  “Yes. So much.”

  “Good.” The word was fierce as it came out of him, and Lem pushed up into a kiss, just as fiercely.

  Jules’ eyes went wide, then his prince melted into him. He wanted to touch Jules everywhere and never stop. He thought Jules would agree to that, most easily. The rest of the world might have a thing or two to say about it, but he was preparing for that. He would protect his Jules with all he was. Body, mind, and spirit.

  Rolling them, he put his prince beneath him and began to love every inch.

  ***

  Jules hated to admit it, but the practice was fun. He loved the running, the pouncing. He loved hiding from Lem. He loved tricking Lem the best. His bodyguard rewarded him so well after tricking him.

  He was hiding in the trees this time, curled in the leaves. Lem had searched the courtyard and passed him by twice already, the inside rooms three times.

  Now Lem came out, running as he went from place to place. “My prince!”

  He could hear a touch of panic in Lem’s voice.

  “My Lem...” he whispered.

  Lem’s head tilted, and he made a beeline for the trees immediately. “I found you!”

  Jules peered down, smiling wide. “You did! Catch me?”

  Lem opened his arms immediately. “Always, my prince.”

  He trusted Lem completely, and he simple let go. Those strong arms caught him easily, Lem’s strong body cradling him.

  “I was worried I’d lost you. What a perfect place to hide if I shout out sunshine!”

  “Another one to remember?” he teased.

  “The trees were already sunshine. I only mean that hiding among the leaves would be even better than on the ground by them.” Lem took this so seriously sometimes, always claiming they had to be prepared.

  Day after day went by, though, and nothing out of the ordinary happened. Maybe it was over. Maybe the Graithen had given up. Maybe he would be able to stay here forever, reading to Lem, his bodyguard making him feel so very good. Please, he prayed. Let this be forever.

  Lem’s kisses tasted like lemon candies. Oh, lemon candies. His favorite. He started searching for them, even as the kiss went on and on.

  “What are you doing?” Lem asked.

  “You have candy.” He loved candy.

  Lem laughed. “Maybe. You can’t have any if I don’t test it first, though.”

  “You did! I taste it on you!”

  Lem’s laughter turned to almost boyish giggles. Jules started tickling, forgetting the hunt in favor of the laughter.

  “Jules!” Lem’s laughter got higher, Lem dropping to the ground and wriggling.

  “Lem! Candy!” Jules was so happy.

  Lem bucked up against him, hand straying toward his front pocket.

  “Oooh...” Jules swooped down, grabbing Lem’s hand.

  “I haven’t even gotten the candy yet!” Lem made him laugh so hard.

  Finally, the bag of candy was in Lem’s hand, and he handed it over to Jules. “For you, my prince.”

  Jules grinned and popped one in Lem’s mouth before taking his own.

  Lem sucked eagerly, his dragon loving the sweets as much as he did. They looked at one another, smiling at one another and...

  A low buzzing hit his ears.

  “Lem?”

  “I hear it, too. Sunshine, Jules. Sunshine. Up in the trees.” There was an urgency in Lem’s voice that Jules had not heard before.

  “You come, too? Please. Please, Lem. Come, too.”

  “I have to make sure they aren’t coming. I will be back. You don’t come down for anyone but me, my prince. I mean it.” Lem gave him a very serious look, then headed into his rooms.

  Oh. Oh, please no.

  Jules climbed up into the trees and drew the leaves tight around him.

  The buzzing got louder, and he heard shouts and screams from the castle. Every second seemed to take forever.

  “Lem?” he whispered. “Please.” His palms itched, his heart pounded.

  He heard an explosion from the far end of the castle. More shouts and screams. Then he could smell fire. A moment later, Lem came running out of his rooms, running for him.

  “There are too many! We can’t stay here!”

  He didn’t understand. There was nowhere to go, no way out of the courtyard but back through his rooms.

  “Run, Lem. Fly. I love you. Go!” He came down, bracing himself for the pain that was coming. “Be safe.”

  “I’m going, but you’re coming with me. Don’t be scared.”

  Before he could ask what Lem meant, his Lem transformed into the most amazing dragon he’d ever seen. Huge and ferocious, with eyes like burning coals and bronze scales that shone. Always bigger than him, this Lem was enormous, towering over him and making the courtyard seem small.

  Lem’s wings opened, and he rose above the ground, huge claws coming toward Jules.

  Jules stared, unable to move. He wasn’t allowed to leave the castle. He wasn’t allowed to. And look at how stunning his Lem was.

  Lem’s claws wrapped around him, surprisingly gentle. The next thing he knew, they were in the air. They were flying. Flying.

  “Lem!” There were other dragons, thousands of them everywhere, and fire and things exploding.

  Oh, no. That was...

  Lem flew higher and higher, zigging and zagging, avoiding anything that came their way. Lem was so strong. So brave. And he was so high. So very high.

  An explosion sounded nearby, and Lem zigged away. They flew and flew, the castle so far away. It was cold up here and cloudy, and Jules was ready to go home now. Go back to his books. They kept flying away from home, though, farther and farther until he swore they were in the clouds.

  Where were they going? Jules hid his face in his hands, Lem’s claws holding him so carefully.

  They flew and flew, Lem’s wings the only sound he could hear. He kept his eyes closed, his fear huge, rocking him.

  They flew and flew until suddenly he was set on his feet on the ground. Lem landed next to him, the huge wings folding closed.

  Jules looked around. He was outside. Out in the world. Out.

  The dragon’s sides worked like bellows, Lem’s eyes quite fierce in the huge face.

  The world got sparkly around the edges and slowly went totally black.

  Chapter Nine

  His prince fainted and Lem roared, worried and exhausted and, yes, worried. He shifted, stumbling as he took on his human fo
rm, but he made himself go to Jules, finding the strength to gather his prince in his arms.

  “Jules. Jules. My prince! Are you hurt?” Had he saved Jules from the dragons who’d come for him only to have the trip here kill him?

  Jules’ eyelashes fluttered, his prince’s heartbeat strong, sure. Oh, thank the mountain. Thank the mountain.

  Lem pulled Jules tight to him, rocking his prince. “You’re safe, my prince. You hear me, Jules? You’re safe.”

  “I’m not allowed to leave the castle.”

  Lem wasn’t sure there was a castle remaining to leave. “You would have been taken or hurt. I couldn’t let it happen.” He didn’t care how much trouble they were in. Up here, deep in the heart of his mountains, they were safe.

  “You won’t leave me here, though?” Jules asked, eyes huge in his pale face.

  “I won’t ever leave you, Jules. Never.”

  Jules nodded and pushed into him, lips on his throat. Lem held his prince close.

  Worry finally easing, Lem realized it was cold out here. “I need to find us somewhere.” There were all kinds of caves in the heart of the mountains.

  “Somewhere? This is nowhere.”

  “There are caves, my prince. You remember I told you the mountains were special?”

  “Is this where we are?” Jules actually perked up.

  “Yes. This is my mountain. The very heart of it. No one will come here. We’re safe.”

  He stood and brought Jules with him, looking around. There were caves to the north, but they were far away. He thought the ones to the west, while smaller, were closer. A better choice as the sun began to set. He had to find a warm, safe place, had to feed his prince, find water. He had to find something to wear.

  “This way.” Taking Jules’ hand, he led his prince toward the western caves.

  “Do you need one of my robes?” Jules asked.

  “I don’t want you to be cold.” He would find an animal later to eat, and he would use the fur to make a covering. Unless... “Do I offend you, my prince?”

  “Offend me? Lem?”

  “If you want me to cover up my nakedness, I shall.” He would do anything for his prince.

  “Well, is your self cold? I have a fondness for it.”

  This was the strangest conversation.