Their bodies clashed together, melded, and stayed there. His cock deep in Grayson’s body. Grayson’s cock pressed between their bellies. The smell of sex and need filled the air. It was like flying and falling. Ryder swore it felt like he’d shifted into one of his bird forms as he heard the fluttering of wings all around them. But that was followed by a chorus of howls of wolves. And there were other cries of the animals he was and who served him.
Do you feel them? All around us? Everywhere? They’re with us, Grayson–Ashyr. They’re with us.
And then the release came. Ryder’s head flew back and his eyelids snapped open. His body arched. His groin pressed tight against Grayson’s ass as his cock swelled that final time and released its load of semen into that sweet body.
Grayson’s body tensed around his. His arms and legs were like vines keeping him near. His back passage clamped down upon his cock as if he would not let it escape. And then the hot gush of Grayson’s semen spread between their bellies. Finally, itculminated in them gasping out each other’s names and sinking into the mattress, side by side, foreheads resting together.
For a long time, Ryder’s eyes were closed, but, again, the need to see Grayson had him crack them open. Grayson’s face was a picture of peace. His eyelids were shut. His lashes fanned over flushed cheeks. His lips were slightly parted as his breathing evened out. His arms and legs were still securely around Ryder, but, just as he’d promised both Ryder and Dani, he was asleep.
For it wasafter. And now Grayson could fully rest.
KALY’S CHILDE
Balthazar set a chair down in front of Legion’s cell and gracefully sat upon it. He crossed his left leg over his right and picked a piece of lint from the vest of his three-piece suit. He then studied his fingernails that were, of course, clean, closely trimmed and buffed. His idea to bring several salons and their staff to the Ever Dark really had been genius even if Caemorn had thought it the height of indulgence when he’d first brought it up before the academy had opened.
“The whole idea is to have a working city here, Caemorn,” Balthazar had wheedled. “You want the students to look like Weryns after a particularly hard night? Long unkempt hair? Shaggy beards? A wild light in their eyes?”
“I suppose there is some value in this if it is for thestudents,” Caemorn had answered.
“And shouldwenot look our best, too? Come now! Your hair is always just so. Your chin is now clean of your goatee, but even when you had one, you kept it neatly trimmed. Your outfits are immaculate.” Balthazar pointed to each point of interest on Caemorn’s very trim form. “You aren’t out there washing your own clothes, polishing your own boots or cutting your own hair, are you? I know you’re not! So don’t even try to pretend youaren’t as fastidious as I am and have a legion of people serving you.”
Caemorn crossed his arms at the wrists behind his back. “True. And all that you’re saying has merit about the students.” But then he narrowed his eyes at Balthazar. “I just want to make sure these people are not just here to serveyou.”
“Tempting, but no. I actually am bringing my own staff with me from Ravenscroft Manor. I even managed to get Manx to commit to the whole year of dressing me,” Balthazar said as he swept one hand down one of the many suits that she had made for him. “I must look my best for the cameras.”
To his surprise, Caemorn gave him an almost indulgent smile. “We cannot have you looking shabby or, dare I say it, caught dead wearing the same thingtwice.”
“Yes, well, you can get away with it as most everything you wear is black!” Balthazar sniffed. “Even if your clothes are all slightly different with a buckle here, a zipper there, a few more buttons or less, they are black and they cover you from toes to chin.”
“It is more practical. I do not need to think about what I am wearing,” Caemorn admitted.
“That is a crime, you know?” Balthazar shook his head. He felt Caemorn’s confusion before the Kaly Vampire clamped down on the idea. “For goodness sake, Caemorn, you realize that you’re handsome, don’t you? Heads turn when you walk past! There’s a whole fan base out there that speculates about your sexuality and if you’re dating anyone. They’re writing fanfiction and drawing fanart of you happy and paired off or something like that.”
He peered at that rather beautiful face for a long moment when Caemorn adopted a blank look at his words.
“The value of outer beauty is only in how it affects others. I do not care how I affect others,” Caemorn answered stiffly. “Not in that way in any case.”
“You are so like Christian! Or maybe he is like you!” Balthazar chuckled softly. “Hehateswhen people notice him for his beauty. For his mind, yes, that seems worthy, but anyone who sees his luminous good looks and is drawn to him like a moth to a flame… eh, he becomes ice. But I understand the reasons why he is suspicious of such attraction.”
Balthazar tried not to think of David often. In his view, that bastard stalker and molester of his beloved fledgling got off too easy. Caemorn knew the story too. David’s had been thesecondvoice that Christian had heard, revealing to all that he was a Speaker to the Dead, his mixed Kaly-Eyros heritage burning brightly. Suddenly, it occurred to Balthazar–rather stupidly late, in his opinion–that maybeCaemornhad some similar attack on him by another person. He thought of Caemorn as being so bloody powerful that he hadn’t considered it, but just as Roan had tortured him, Artemis had tortured Caemorn. Could he ask Caemorn if it was so? No. Maybe. No. Not yet.
“Not that… What I mean to say is that sometimes people are… well, you needn’t worry if someone gives you unwanted attention,” Balthazar awkwardly offered.
Caemorn tilted his head to the side. “Because I will take their soul and use it as a light bulb in my palace?”
“Ah, well,yes, there’s that. But I mean I can… I won’t let that happen!” Balthazar let out a ridiculous laugh. His crow laugh that seemed to annoy people but really only came out when he was uncomfortable and trying to cover it up. “I’ll know what they’re thinking and I’ll stop them before it ever comes to that. You’ll be left alone. You’ll be… safe. Or whatever.”
Caemorn stared with him for long moments without blinking. The urge to look into his mind was so strong, buthe manfully resisted. He wouldnotviolate their friendship by looking when he hadn’t been asked. Finally, Caemorn dropped his eyes and said quietly, “Thank you, Balthazar.”
Balthazar blinked. He’d expected a different reaction. Not this heart-felt one. Perhaps a reminder that as Kaly, Caemorn hardly needed protection. As Kaly, people needed protection fromhim. Kaly didn’t need Eyros to step up.
So he babbled, “Not that you need protection, but–”
“Thank you,” Caemorn repeated quietly.
“Well, you’re welcome, of course. It goes without saying really. But I wanted to say it. So you knew. For certain,” Balthazar told him. “Not all of us can read minds or others’ intentions.”
There was a companionable quiet then. Balthazar often filled silence with talk, because it made him feel less lonely, which was ridiculous as he heard everyone’s minds thrumming around him. But it also allowed him to ignore those minds and be present.
