He picked up the cup and took a small sip. Happiness warmed his cheeks as he tasted notes of mint and ginger. After their third round of sex, Durae had flopped rather inelegantly down onto the not-so-clean blankets and realized he lacked both the urge and the energy to walk back to the inn. However, he was still on his grand adventure, and he hadn’t felt like sleeping.
Neither had Blaze. They’d talked so long that at some point Durae must have fallen asleep on him. Their conversation had wound its way through a few topics, including that Durae was interested in exploring all the market had to offer. Blaze had mentioned this tea as one of his favorites. He must have woken early, remembered the conversation, and set some aside forDurae. He also had to be responsible for the impromptu canopy protecting Durae from the morning sun.
The tea was at the right temperature to drink, so Durae enjoyed it while plucking food from the plate. Not knowing if Blaze would need to eat from it, too, he kept his munching to a minimum.
In the night, the docks and surrounding area had been calm. Now, they were active. The tiny dock that Blaze’s boat was tied to didn’t have traffic like the others, but Durae was becoming increasingly aware of his nudity beneath the blankets and of how many elves were passing by on the nearby street. Luckily, everyone seemed too preoccupied with what they were doing to notice him.
He grabbed his small clothes and slipped into them before sliding into his robe. He tied it loosely and took hold of his breeches. His ass—which was unfairly sore—was covered by his robe, but he couldn’t trek back to the inn without pants. The cabin ought to be a better place to dress and deal with all the lacings of his tunic and breeches.
The cabin door was open, and the light metal tapping was coming from within. Breeches in hand, Durae went down the three steps.
What would have been storage or perhaps a sleeping room on another ship was instead crowded with a complex machine.
Blaze poked his head from around the other side of the device. “Did I wake you?”
“It’s all right.” Durae leaned in to investigate a series of runes. They were cosmomancy, but he recognized the interlacing work of Gearwickian magic, too. “What is this? An engine?”
“I’m building an airship, and this is its heart.” Blaze joined Durae on his side of the machine. He was shirtless and had worked up a light sweat.
Durae wasn’t sure if the sight of Blaze in the dim sunlight was what caused his mind to blank or the shock of standing next to potentially one of the greatest inventions of his generation had quieted his thoughts.Both. “Can you show me?”
“She’s unfortunately unfinished.” Blaze rested his hand on the engine. “I should have her ready for the Innovation Awards, though. She’ll be quite the show.”
“You are laying the enchantments through the rest of the ship so that it resonates with the engine, yes?” Durae circled Blaze’s creation. There were thin copper wires and plenty of crystals encased in silver, etched with runes. “Is this a diamond?”
“That is a Hunter’s Arrow,” Blaze said proudly.
“You’ve gotten your hands on acelestialdiamond?” Durae was slack-jawed. “How?”
“My grandfather followed a falling star and found it,” Blaze replied.
“Amazing! Oh, that is so much better than using an earth-bound diamond for this. You’ve checked for occlusions, yes? One wrong refraction and?—”
“And the whole engine could melt. I am aware of how my machine can fail.”
Something about the way Blaze said that made Durae sad for touching on the subject. He decided to pivot. “I’d love to learn more about your airship. It’s genuinely fascinating, Blaze.”
“Most of it is proprietary.” Blaze shot him a shy smile. “I’d love to share them with you, should we get to know each other.”
Durae’s heart caught in his throat, but it quickly twisted into dread colder than the winter wind at the top of the tower. Even if he turned down every suitor—which was his plan—he was still expected to show up at the market’s functions. The chances his absence wasn’t known were growing dimmer with every passing breath, and the likelihood his parents would keep a closer eye onhim grew. They were going to be furious if they discovered he’d avoided their plans and spent the night with a commoner.
If Blaze had a single drop of noble blood in his veins, Durae would go to his knees and beg him for at least the pretense of an engagement so he could make excuses for the next two weeks.
But that wasn’t possible, and he couldn’t abandon Uleyri. They had done so much together; marriage was likely to be the thing that separated them for the rest of their long lives. While they would see each other, it wouldn’t be the same. The realization of that was another cold weight in his stomach.
However, Blaze was singular. Durae was staring at the proof of his unique genius. He had never seen a more brilliant union of cosmomancy and Gearwickian arcane technology, and many had petitioned his parents with business ideas.
Thankfully, the Everend Market’s events weren’t only for nobles. The solution was so simple Durae almost laughed at himself after all his panic. “I’d love to spend time with you at the opening ceremony.”
Blaze frowned. “I wasn’t planning on going. My daytime’s filled with work for Kidd. I need to spend my free time here.”
“That doesn’t leave you much time for wooing or seeing the sights,” Durae replied. While he’d rather have Blaze at functions, there was a silver lining. No one else would be able to capture Blaze’s attention.What an awful thought to have. I can’t possibly keep him. I should want him to be happy with someone.
“Like you, marriage isn’t on my mind.” Blaze rested his hand on his engine. “And if she doesn’t work in time, then I won’t be wooing any investors.”
“But I can’t ignore the social calendar.” Durae sighed. “How will I ever learn more about this beautiful craft and her genius inventor if we don’t spend any time together?”
Blaze chewed on his bottom lip.
