Everyone was working overtime.They were building up the spells on the castle and the area around it.They were creating portable spells that anyone who had to leave the castle for whatever reason could take with them.They were planting traps around the lake in case Carlyle managed to get there again.
They were doing anything but confronting Carlyle because they couldn’t do that.They’d have to find Carlyle first.
They couldn’t.
Tyne pushed away from his desk.He knew Ansley was using his locating spells, and if he couldn’t find Carlyle, it meant no one could.Carlyle was hiding, licking his wounds and probably praying they’d heal soon.
Tyne almost wished they would.He’d take anything over having to wait for Carlyle to make his next move.He wanted to grab Emory and demand he find where Carlyle was.The location spells might not be working, but Emory had said he knew people who might have intel.He just needed to find one person who knew for sure.
He hadn’t so far.
Tyne left his office.He still had work to do, but he wouldn’t be able to focus, so he might as well put his frustration to work.He could train in the courtyard for a while, go back to his room to shower, maybe have a snack, and hopefully, return to the spells with a clear head.The last thing he needed was to make a mistake because he couldn’t stop obsessing and feeling like they were wasting time.
He pulled his shirt off as soon as he stepped into the courtyard.He dropped it onto the bench, then rolled his shoulders and cracked his knuckles.The wall in front of him held traces of the many times he’d trained here.There were scorch marks and holes poked into it.It wasn’t enough to take down the wall, but Tyne made a mental note to strengthen it again before he left.The stone could withstand a lot, but it wasn’t eternal.
He threw his magic at the wall.He imagined it was Carlyle, and he felt deeply satisfied when a new hole appeared in the stone.
He continued working on his offensive spells, trying to get sneakier as he pummeled the wall.Carlyle wasn’t a stone wall, unfortunately.He was smart and resourceful, and Tyne would need to be sneaky to beat him.
“Can I join you?”
Tyne was startled.He turned toward Meyer’s voice and just managed not to throw his last spell at his dragon, but it was a close thing.“You scared me to death.”
Meyer raised his hands.“Sorry.I didn’t mean to.”
“I wouldn’t have meant to hurt you, but I would have.You need to be more careful.”
“I didn’t realize you were so focused.”
“Of course I’m focused.”
Meyer arched his eyebrow.“So?Can I join you?”
Tyne hesitated.He wanted to say no, but he didn’t have a reason to, did he?Meyer wasn’t asking him to talk about the night they’d spent together.He wasn’t demanding to know what Tyne wanted from their relationship.He was asking to train with him, and the more they trained together, the easier it would be for Meyer to protect Tyne when they faced Carlyle.
They’d worked like a well-oiled machine when Meyer was Peyton, but those times were long gone.They couldn’t risk not understanding each other or making a mistake while they were fighting Carlyle.
“That’s all I want to do,” Meyer said softly.“Train.I promise.”
How was Tyne supposed to say no to that?“Fine, but I’m not holding back just because I’m fightingyou.”
“I never expected you to.”
He nodded and gave Meyer time to get ready.He couldn’t help sneaking glances at his dragon and wondering what was next for them.He wanted to ask, but he was also afraid to find out the answer.
It felt good to be close to Meyer again, though.For the first time since Meyer had arrived at the castle, Tyne didn’t feel the need to rush the other way.He wanted to be with Meyer, train with him, and talk to him, and of course, he wanted to share a bed with him.
Maybe itwastime for them to talk.The fight with Carlyle would happen sooner rather than later, and Tyne was done wasting time.He could train as much as he wanted, but as long as they couldn’t find Carlyle, that was all he could do.Maybe he could focus on Meyer for a bit.Maybe it was time to see if what they shared was stronger than what Tyne had shared with Peyton.
Maybe it was time for Tyne to finally let go of his control and trust Meyer.He’d be risking his heart, but he suspected that staying away from Meyer would hurt him just as much.
* * * *
MEYER WOULDN’T SAYhe was a fighter.He might be a dragon shifter, but he’d been trying to hide who he was for years.He hadn’t wanted to attract attention, and he hadn’t known his life was in danger.If Carlyle had gotten his hands on him, Meyer would probably have regretted not knowing how to fight.
He didn’t have a clue what he was doing, yet he’d asked Tyne to train with him.He knew how seriously Tyne took his training, and he hoped that it would help them grow closer.Meyer would be in his dragon form when they faced Carlyle, but he and Tyne would still have to work as a unit.
He didn’t shift.Instead, he and Tyne circle each other.Meyer was waiting for his mage to make the first move, but he wasn’t surprised to see that Tyne was observing him.He might be impulsive sometimes, but Meyer was ready to bet that Tyne knew how to control himself when needed.
