He pushed all distractions from his mind as he took a few steps away from the tower, surveying the town below. From the hill, he had a wide view of the city, though the academy grounds on all sides blocked most of the view to the west. He stood, hands clasped behind his back, and waited.
Just as he had suspected, it did not take long for a figure to become visible coming up the path. At first, it was simply a shape with no distinguishing features, formless amidst all the other humans that he could barely make out milling about town. There was no indication it was an elf, or the man Adrissu was waiting for, but as the figure continued up the path to Adrissu’s tower, his eyes followed their path with cold interest. The figure did not turn down a side street or veer away down a different path; and by the time they had passed the last fork in the road, continuing their course toward Saltspire Tower, Adrissu knew it was him.
Lorsan was tall for an elf, probably of a height with Adrissu. He looked like a merchant, wearing traveling clothes that were finely made, though slightly faded and worn. When he got close enough for his features to be visible, he caught sight of Adrissu at the top of the hill and stopped in his tracks.
A streak of blood was smeared between his nostril and upper lip—he must have begun bleeding from his nose, the way Braern had, and hastily wiped it away. His eyes were dark, as was his hair, which was quite long and tied back in a low ponytail. Hesitation was obvious on his face even from a distance: the thought that he’d hoped to have some element of surprise was darkly amusing to Adrissu, but he kept his expression as one of cool indifference. The bastard had no idea what was coming for him.
Lorsan remained where he was for a few seconds, eyes narrowing as he seemed to consider his options—then he continued to walk up the path, scowling and keeping his eyes on Adrissu the whole time. His features became clearer as he approached, and Adrissu was struck that he did not look particularly cruel. He had imagined the man as some caricature of an abuser, bigger and stronger than Braern, with a perpetual snarl and beady, brutish eyes. But he looked like every other elf that Adrissu had met: a pretty face with an air of arrogance, but nothing more unforgivable than that.
Then Lorsan, now within earshot, opened his mouth. “You know who I am, don’t you?” he shouted in elvish, sneering up at Adrissu; and in that moment Adrissu could see him exactly for what he was.
A cold smirk spread across his lips. “I do,” he called back, his voice even and calm as ever.
“Fucking bastard,” he heard Lorsan say, quieter, but not so low that he could not catch it. Then, raising his voice, “Where’s my fucking husband?”
This time Adrissu waited until he was close, then gestured to the tower behind him with a grin that showed all his teeth. “Why don’t you come inside?”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Braernstillsatinthe front room when Adrissu swung the door open, a resolute expression on his face that faltered as his eyes moved from Adrissu to the elf behind him.
Adrissu felt Lorsan starting to push past him at the same moment that Braern rose to his feet; he reached out, one hand slamming into Lorsan’s chest to keep him in place. The elf swore under his breath, but Adrissu took a step to put himself between his mate and Lorsan, who seemed to take the message and did not try to get past him again.
“Now,” he said primly, and the door slammed shut behind them. He felt more than saw Lorsan give a start, and he stifled a grin as the elf hissed in surprise. Vesper had closed the door behind them, and her unexpected presence was—he hoped—terrifying to Lorsan. “Why don’t we discuss this like adults?”
“Oh, fuck you,” Lorsan muttered, surprising Adrissu with how bold he was despite the giant snake that watched his every move. “You think you can make a cuckold of me and then try to talk this out likeadults?”
“Lorsan,” Braern said quickly; his voice did not waver, making Adrissu’s heart bubble with pride. “You shouldn’t have come here.”
“That’s rich, coming from you,” Lorsan snorted, stepping closer to Braern. This time, Adrissu let him. “Thought I couldn’t find you? Thought I’d just let you do whatever the hell you wanted?”
“I thought you’d take the hint,” he muttered, shrinking back as Lorsan stepped closer.
“I considered it,” the elf hissed. “Then I felt every fucking second of your heat, both of them, andthatwas the last straw.”
Braern’s face went pale. “You—You could feel it?”
“Surprise, huh?” he said. “Fucking triggered my own, too, which only pissed me off more. But it let me figure out which direction you’d gone. I suspected, but that only confirmed it.” A cruel grin split his features. “And now here I am.”
“And you suffered through those heats alone, then?” Adrissu said, reveling in the way Lorsan’s expression faltered with obvious irritation. When he did not reply, Adrissu sighed. “I see. And, of course, it was only wrong for Braern to have a partner through his, but not for you.”
“It’sdifferent,” Lorsan spat, whirling on him. “I don’t need to hear anything from you, you bastard.”
“Leave him alone,” Braern protested, straightening as his eyes flashed in anger.
“Are you the one that did this?” Lorsan said, ignoring Braern to glare at Adrissu, gesturing at his nosebleed. This time Adrissu did not try to stifle the smug smile that crept along his face.
“I did,” he replied, relishing in the rage that twisted the elf’s face. He could have ended this the moment Lorsan stepped inside his tower, but there was a playfulness to their exchange that he was still enjoying. “As you might have heard, I am something of a prodigy. I am the headmaster of the Polimnos Academy of Magic, and this is a title I earned through prowess. Removing the... unfortunate bond that you and Braern shared was a simple task, once he agreed to it.”
Lorsan’s expression had become darker and angrier the longer Adrissu had spoken, but his own smile had only become wider.
“Bastard,” the elf muttered again, looking back toward Braern.
“What do you want, Lorsan?” Braern interjected, frowning. “What did you even hope to do by coming here? I’m not going back with you. There’s nothing you could say that would convince me of that.”
“Not even if your mother is ill, on her deathbed?” Lorsan retorted, and Braern’s determined expression faltered once again. “Would you turn away what is perhaps your last chance to say goodbye? Don’t you think it would hearten her, to see her baby boy happy with his husband one last time?”
“I—” Braern stammered, eyes sliding away nervously. “I—”
