“Why?” The end of his tail tickled my cheek. “Am I making you uncomfortable, Ember?”
“A little, yes,” I admitted.
Keltyr laughed boisterously, pushed me further down the bench with his body, then slid back to where he was. “I'm just teasing you. Are you not into men?”
“Actually, I am.” I glanced at Rath, then back at my food. “Exclusively.”
“Ah, I see.” Keltyr looked from me to Rath. “I'm a little too late.”
“I'm his mentor, by the Emperor's request,” Rath said. “That's all.”
My chest constricted. I tried to meet Rath's gaze, but he looked away. Had I misinterpreted everything? I replayed our conversation back at the Imperial Castle in my mind. I had said I wanted Rath, meaning as my mentor, but he had grinned when he said “Good to know,” making it seem as if he was taking it in a different way. A more intimate way. I thought it was obvious that he was interested in me. But now, it looked as if I was wrong. It wouldn't be the first time. My shoulders slumped as I looked down at my food.
“Oh? So, you haven't claimed him?” Keltyr took a bite of bread as he slung an arm around my shoulders. “You hear that? You're still up for grabs. And I'm grabby.”
“I'm not ready to be grabbed.” I shrugged off his arm and tail. “Thank you all the same for the compliment.”
“You sure? I can do amazing things with my tail.” He waggled his brows at me. “And you can use my horns as handles. Wanna go for a ride?”
I cocked my head at him. “Does that mean you're a bottom?”
Keltyr blinked. “No.” He frowned. “Did I word that wrong? You'd be riding my cock, not my ass.”
I'm a pretty open person when it comes to sex. Nothing to be embarrassed about. But the way Lord Keltyr spoke about it was so blatant and unexpected, especially in the middle of a dining hall, that it startled me. Or maybe it was because it had been a long time since someone had propositioned me in public. As in, it had never happened.
“Wow,” I said. “I guess this is what happens when the only women around are servants.”
“What do you mean?”
“He means you are an uncouth ass,” Rath said. “Now leave him be. He isn't interested.”
“I think he is.” Keltyr slid a look my way. “He wouldn't be blushing if he wasn't.”
“I'm not blushing,” I protested.
But Keltyr was right. I found him attractive, and those horns fascinated me almost as much as his prehensile tail. Naughty thoughts of him using that tail in bed filled my mind, and I felt like a traitor for thinking it with Rath sitting a foot away. But Rath had just announced that he wasn't interested in me. So why was I pushing Keltyr away? Maybe because I'd spoken the truth when I said I wasn't ready. And I didn't like how Keltyr went directly to sex, no getting to know me first.
“You're very handsome,” I said. “But I've just arrived, and I'd like some time to settle in before I go for a ride with anyone. I don't do casual sex.”
“Fair enough.” Keltyr nodded. “You need to check out your options first. I get it.” He nudged my shoulder with his. “But just to be clear. You're a bottom, right?”
I cleared my throat.Don't look at Rath. Don't look!I looked. “Yes.”
Rath glanced at me, then focused on his food.
“Excellent! Those are in demand around here.” Keltyr flicked my earlobe with his tail, then withdrew it. “I'll check back with you later. Oh, and you can call me Kel.”
“All right.”
“He'll need to focus on his training for now,” Rath said. “The Emperor is sending his best mages to teach Ember. They'll arrive tomorrow.”
“He can't train constantly,” Nex said. “Let the kid have some fun. He hasn't been able to be honest with anyone, like, ever. Hiding his magic must have been hard, especially in relationships.”
“Is that true?” Keltyr looked at me, his expression softening.
“I'm a human with magic,” I said. “It's not something I could tell people about. My parents feared that I'd be persecuted. So, yeah, I kept to myself rather than worrying about accidentally revealing my magic.”
“I'm sorry. That sounds lonely.” Keltyr put his arm around me again, but this time, it was only companionable. “But now you're free. Everyone here knows who you are and what you can do, and we're thrilled to have you with us. You're where you belong, Ember.”
