Tyne licked his lips and turned, his mouth open to speak, but he stopped before any words crossed his lips.Meyer was leaning back against his pillows, his eyes closed and his chest slowly rising and falling.His hair was still damp and stuck to his forehead, and for a moment, Tyne ached to touch him.
Meyer was asleep, so he wouldn’t notice.That was the only reason Tyne reached out and gently pushed the strand of hair away from Meyer’s forehead.Meyer didn’t even react.He kept on sleeping, and Tyne allowed himself to watch him for a moment.
It still hurt, even after all those years.It hurt to know that he’d been losing Peyton even before he’d actually lost him.It hurt to know that Peyton hadn’t loved him anymore.
Tyne got to his feet.He needed to shower and talk to Jarvis.Sitting here and watching Meyer like a creep wouldn’t help anything, especially not Tyne’s hurt feelings.Peyton had broken his heart a long time ago, and he doubted that anything Meyer could do or say would heal it.
Chapter Two
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MEYER WAS CAREFUL AShe walked down the hallway, but his leg didn’t give him any trouble.It was as strong as it had been before and carried him toward the dining room.He was more than ready for breakfast.
He hadn’t eaten dinner yesterday.He’d fallen asleep with Tyne still in his room, but when he’d woken up in the middle of the night, he’d been alone.The TV had still been on, the voices soothing and distracting.He hadn’t wanted to think too hard about Tyne and what happened between them.He knew it didn’t change anything.Tyne still hated him, and he still wouldn’t tell him why.He wouldn’t give him the opportunity to fix whatever he’d broken when he’d been Peyton.
Sometimes, Meyer hated his former self.He understood that he was technically the same man as he’d been back then, but at the same time, he wasn’t.The only thing that hadn’t changed about him was his body.Inside, he was completely different, and he wanted to show Tyne that.
He’d never been able to.Tyne wouldn’t allow him the time or the opportunity to show him that whatever had happened between them, it was in the past.Hell, Meyer didn’t even remember it.He wished someone could tell him, but apparently, it was a secret that Tyne had kept close to his chest all these years.
But something had changed yesterday.Maybe it was only because Meyer had been hurt, but Meyer hoped it was a step in the right direction.He couldn’t help but wonder if Tyne would change his mind again and put distance between them as soon as he was sure that Meyer was okay.Meyer supposed there was only one way to find out, and he was about to.
He was still incredibly confused and hurt about the way Tyne had been treating him, but part of him understood.Whatever he’d done when he’d been Peyton, it had hurt Tyne so badly that he still held it against him after all these years.Meyer would do pretty much anything to show Tyne it was in the past, but without even knowing what it was, how could he?Still, sometimes he wished he could kick his own ass.What the hell had happened between them?
He was relieved when he reached the dining room.He could hear voices coming from inside, and he smiled at the reminder that they’d survived Carlyle again.He wasn’t gone yet, but eventually, he would be.
Meyer didn’t know what he’d do once Carlyle was gone.Could he stay at the castle?He suspected that Bennett and Penley would want to stick around even once this mess was over, and Meyer had been living with Bennett for decades now.Bennet was his best friend, and he couldn’t imagine life without him.
To be fair, Meyer didn’t have any other friends.He was friendly with the dragons and mages, but outside of this castle, he didn’t have anything or anyone to go back to.Maybe he’d be allowed to stay.It was worth asking, anyway.
He stepped into the dining room.The first person he saw was Jarvis, who smiled at him before turning his attention back to his dragon.Meyer was glad when no one asked him how he felt.They gave him space, and he dropped into one of the chairs, more than ready for food.
“I wasn’t sure you’d come out of your room today,” Bennett said from his seat next to Meyer.
“I’m starving.”
Bennetts nodded and smiled.Meyer waited for him to ask how he was, but he didn’t, so Meyer grabbed the plate of bacon and pulled it closer.
That was when Tyne came in.Meyer tensed, unsure what was about to happen.To everyone’s surprise, Tyne barely hesitated before he walked around the table and sat next to Meyer.
Meyer and Bennett looked at each other.Bennett’s eyes were wide, and Meyer was pretty sure he looked stunned himself.Tyne didn’t seem to notice.He dragged the eggs closer to his plate, but instead of filling it, he spooned eggs into Meyer’s plate.
Tyne stayed silent through all of this.It was clear to Meyer that they weren’t going to talk about this, but then, the dining room with everyone watching them wasn’t the best place to do that.Tyne had been clear before that he didn’t want to talk about their shared past, but after what had happened yesterday, maybe he’d changed his mind.
Even if he hadn’t, Meyer wanted one last chance to find out what had happened between them.He’d ask Tyne again, and he’d see what happened.Hopefully, he’d finally get answers and would be able to start healing whatever Peyton had broken between them.
Meyer wasn’t giving up.He didn’twantto give up, not yet.
Luckily, everyone at the table was distracted by Graham fussing over Emory.Meyer wasn’t sure what had happened between them, but it was clear that Graham had taken it upon himself to take care of Emory after he’d been wounded.They weren’t shield and mage—Graham was human so he couldn’t have a shield—but after what Emory had been through with Carlyle, Meyer doubted he’d ever want to protect a mage again.Maybe it was a good thing that Graham was human.
Once Ansley and Parker joined them at the table, everyone was there.There was tension in the room, but it was easy to ignore.It was especially easy to ignore when Jarvis mentioned that they needed to talk about Carlyle.
They still had a war to win and a mage to defeat.Meyer wouldn’t get the opportunity to fix things with Tyne if they didn’t do that.He wasn’t looking forward to confronting Carlyle again, considering yesterday, but he was more than ready for this mess to be over.
* * * *
TYNE ALREADY KNEW WHATJarvis would tell Emory when the dragon offered to leave to find Carlyle again.They’d almost lost Emory yesterday.Jarvis wouldn’t want him to risk his life again, and even though there was nothing Tyne wanted more than to get rid of Carlyle, he didn’t want any of them to die to obtain that.
It was strange.Just a few decades ago, he would’ve sacrificed his own life to ensure that Carlyle paid for what he’d done.He’d been angry because of what Carlyle had done to the other mages.He’d always been conflicted about himself, though.He’d missed Peyton, but he’d already been losing his dragon before Carlyle.Even if Carlyle hadn’t done anything to them, Peyton wouldn’t have been in Tyne’s life anymore.
