“The file doesn’t say, but according to this, Norsson is thirty years old. Not that it matters. Hell, it might be a typo.”
A deep chuckle interrupted them, and Ezra looked around for the source. The sound was delicious and dark, sending a shiver over his senses in a soft wave.
“Not a typo. Both of my parents are several hundred years old,” declared a strong voice off to the left, from the direction of the stacks.
The incredibly handsome man who stepped out from the shadows left Ezra stunned.
His brain shut down and all he could think was, oh he is exactly my kind of guy.
CHAPTER EIGHT
EZRA
“Hello, I’m Dr. Raum Nórsson, I’m a post-doc here at the university. And you are?” the supremely handsome man introduced himself, stepping forward with his hand out to Harlan, who was closest.
Harlan shook his hand, taking over introductions. “I’m Sergeant Harlan Brown, MERS, and this is Sergeant Chase Owens, also with MERS, and we’re escorting Sorcerer Ezra Redmayne while he’s contracted out to our agency. Our CO, Major Grendel, contacted you earlier this morning about helping us out with our current situation. Redmayne can fill you in on what we need assistance with better than I can.”
Raum looked at them each in turn as Harlan made introductions, and a tingle of excitement raced across Ezra’s skin when the piercing gaze of the other man finally landed on him. Nórsson’s eyes were a bright whiskey shade of brown, with large flecks of gold like a big cat. Ezra was entranced, and he was happily pleased when Dr. Nórsson only nodded at him politely instead of offering to shake his hand. He appreciated the other man’s consideration, though a part of him was curious how Raum Nórrson’s hand would feel on his.
Dressed in a creamy white open-collar cardigan, a thin white tee underneath, and dark gray chinos that hugged muscled thighs, Dr. Nórsson looked the part of a professional academic, but his physique spoke of athleticism and economy of movement, of long hours spent out of an office. His eyes caught the overhead lights and glowed like molten gold for a nanosecond as he focused on Ezra. He was tall, about the same height as Harlan, and while he wasn’t as beefy, he still had at least thirty pounds of muscle on Ezra.
“Hi,” Ezra breathed out, chest tight and it felt like all the air was sucked from the room. His greeting came out more like a squeak than a word, and he coughed into his elbow and tried again. “Um, hello. I’m Ezra. Which you know, cuz Harlan just told you. Wait, can I call you Harlan? Is that okay?” Ezra asked the sergeant, who smirked at him. Harlan was a bit more intimidating than Chase—he felt more comfortable calling Chase by his first name than he did with Brown, but wanted to treat them equally.
“Harlan is fine. Tell the professor what you need help with.” Harlan jerked his head toward the patiently waiting man, who was still watching Ezra, eyes taking him in from head to toe.
Faced with that searching gaze, Ezra floundered for a moment. It took Lilith reaching out with a dainty paw, bopping at his arm, to get his brain working again. He caught her paw and gently held it while he rebooted his thoughts.
“Okay. I need help identifying an Elder fae species based on elemental magics and deceased remains, and information on any artifacts made from deceased Elder fae body parts. And any information on artifacts used to kill or maim an Elder fae. I don’t have images of the patterns I need help identifying, but I can draw them.” The blue flame patterns laced on the skull were emblazoned in his memory and might help him decipher whatwas going on with the artifact. “Mostly, Elder fae artifacts and legends about Elder fae by name and abilities.”
“I’ll do my best to help,” Dr. Nórsson replied, still looking at Ezra like he was an interesting mystery. Ezra flushed, and realized he was still holding on to Lilith’s paw. He reached out and Chase gently deposited Lilith into his arms. She butted her head to the underside of his chin, purring, and Ezra flushed even harder at the soft smile on Dr. Nórsson’s lips as he watched Ezra’s familiar get comfortable. She blinked at the professor, ears pricked up, and her claws kneaded Ezra’s forearm.
“If you’ll follow me, Sorcerer Redmayne…” Dr. Nórsson gestured back toward the stacks. Harlan and Chase moved back and let Ezra and Lilith take the lead, following close behind the professor as he led them deeper into the quiet stacks.
“Please call me Ezra.”
Professor Nórsson gave him a brilliant smile. “Ezra it is. Call me Raum, please.”
Ezra flushed at the implied intimacy and the strength of Raum’s smile.
Chase and Harlan followed at a distance, and Ezra cuddled Lilith to his chest as he followed in something of a daze behind the sexy professor. He was not expecting to meet someone so…so…perfect. He wasn’t supermodel pretty or stunningly symmetrical like a High Court Sidhe, but he was everything Ezra found attractive in a man, and he really hoped Raum Nórsson’s personality was equally appealing. He rarely had a chance to talk to a man that loved history and legends as much as he did.
He was grappling with a sudden and surprising desire to get to know the man better and it would leave him devastated if Raum turned out to be an asshole. Ezra even dug the man-bun, the professor’s long, light golden-brown hair pulled back into a messy knot high on the back of his head. He wondered how longthe professor’s hair was, and if it felt as soft as it looked, and if the highlights would be red or gold in the sun.
Ezra snuck a glance at the professor’s backside and the firm ass was not a disappointment. He wasn’t usually an ass man, but the muscled thighs and lean waist were just as appealing. Ezra was so distracted by the wide, muscular shoulders under the stretched fabric of the sweater that he bumped into the professor when he stopped beside a long table in the depths of the stacks.
“Oh, shit, sorry,” Ezra mumbled, stepping to the side and trying not to stammer. The professor exuded the tangible warmth of a living body and smelled wonderful, a mix of cedar and wildflowers. They stood quite close together, and Ezra was happy to remain in close proximity, looking up into Raum’s strong, handsome face. He saw no annoyance or distaste at the lack of personal space in Raum’s eyes, and he was experienced at deciphering when someone was annoyed at him.
“It’s alright,” the professor murmured, lips twitching in an amused smile as he looked down at Ezra. “Would you like to use the library mainframe to search for topics, or I can help you search for books in the stacks. I have access to a great deal of primary sources, and what I don’t have on hand I can likely send out for.”
“I hate computers,” Ezra blurted out, and Lilithmerpedin agreement. “I get stressed out checking my email. Most I can do is order delivery and pay my bills.”
Raum chuckled, not at all put off by hearing about Ezra’s technological ineptitude.
“Point me at the mainframe and I can do the searching,” Chase piped up from behind them. “Let Ezra run rampant in the stacks.”
Ezra grinned and shrugged one shoulder, realizing the sergeant had his measure already and he was fine with it. Savedon explaining his…quirks. MERS had his background file so the sergeants probably had an idea already.
“My favorite way to research,” the sexy professor said softly, still smiling at Ezra. A shiver went through his whole body at the way that smile made him feel and he tried to remember he was there on Very Important and Serious Business, but that smile was something else entirely.
