“Of course,” Marek says, off-balance. “Did you sleep all right?”
“I did. Thank you for asking.” Sei presses a kiss to Marek’s cheek. Brief, dry, perfunctory. He sits down as Marek’s stomach sinks.
Because everything is wrong, and Marek doesn’t know how to fucking fix it.
?
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Sei
Rocky hills cut the wind away from the valley. The day is cold, the sky the same drab gray as Sei’s wyrmskin jacket. As Marek and Radovan unpack the equipment, Sei lingers near Loska. The dragon acts like a massive, scaly heater. Kamil and Yavran already took off on their scheduled patrol after dropping off Radovan.
Sei shared a harness with Marek, of course. Today was easier than last week, when Sei was still too shocked by Marek’s rejection. Guild training helps a lot.
Polite. Pleasant. Helpful.
Small stones rattle as Loska shifts in place.How long will you and Marek be arguing? This is very unpleasant.
“We’re not arguing. His Highness made that very clear.”
Guild training helps, but the past week has still been torture. Sei hadn’t realized how misplaced Marek was in Ostomar until he saw him here. Marek moves through Talorna as if he owns every inch of space. He’s a force of nature, and he belongs here.
Just watching him hurts. Marek so clearly doesn’t need Sei.
Adding insult to injury, Marek’s confidence is magnetic. The man has never been more attractive. Today is particularly bad. Can’t Marek have the courtesy of wearing sleeves after shattering Sei’s dreams?
“Perfect!” Radovan exclaims, stepping away from the device. A glossy brass cylinder sits on a complicated tripod. “You two wait here. I’ll set the second part up across the valley.”
Shouldering another pack of equipment, Radovan trudges away. Marek returns to Sei and Loska. Not a shiver or goosebump mars his sculpted arms.
‘You two,’Loska complains.Does he not see me here? I’m very large. Such disrespect cannot be tolerated. I should eat him.
“Are you warm enough?” Marek asks Sei.
“Yes, thank you.” Sei avoids looking at Marek or his arms. He can’t avoid thinking how much warmer he would be with those arms wrapped around him.
Marek maintains a polite distance. “This would be easier if you yelled at me again.”
“Easier for you, Your Highness,” Sei says frostily. “That’s all that matters, isn’t it?”
Oops. That wasn’t very polite.
“I don’t want to hurt you,” Marek says, for the hundredth time.
Sei’s fists clench in his gloves. “That’s very admirable. Someday I might forgive you for it.”
Marek still doesn’t understand. There are worse things than being hurt. Including being set on shelf, gathering dust like a fragile fucking teacup.
It would be absurd for Sei to forbid Marek from flying for fear Marek would get hurt. Sei has seen Marek’s scars. He’s traced most of them, and every fiber of his being wants to explore the rest.
That’s the worst part. Sei still wants Marek so badly. He wanted Marek before they ever agreed to try Sei’s magic. Like Marek is an endless wellspring of love, and Sei’s entire body starves for it. If Sei has to choose between being a grail and being with Marek?
Sei will choose Marek. Even if the choice kills part of him.
This is insufferable,Loska interrupts, wings rustling.Fortunately, we have something else to worry about.
Marek looks up and swears.
