“I only want to see us all as allies, if not friends, Headmaster,” she said, turning away as he stood in the doorway. “Forgive me if I was too bold. I hope we can still have a productive meeting with your partner in two weeks.”
“We will see you then,” he said stiffly, then stepped out into the cool early autumn evening. As he walked, he studied the guard who was leading him to the exit, and the two that they passed on their way out. Each of them had a long, thick metal rod hanging from their hip, with a flexible tube connected to a small canister alongside it. They were not the Blackthorn weapon, but they looked eerily similar. Seeing one on each of their hips, as if they were mundane swords, made Adrissu’s skin crawl. Much as he tried not to put himself into the affairs of dragons, this was something he had to warn others about.
Adrissu still had the paper that he had used to communicate with Naydruun and Heriel; he could only hope that Naydruun still had their corresponding piece. He debated over what to say for a few days, unsure of how much information he wanted to give; but in the end he decided that Naydruun already knew about his own involvement, so there was no point in trying to be coy about anything.
More dragon slaying weapons have been created like those we once destroyed. I have done what I could to minimize their presence and delay their production, but I have seen several iterations of this weapon procured by the wealthy for their own protection. They are weaker, and unlikely to be used exclusively against dragons. Still thought you should be aware. Warn others as you will.
The curt message only took up a few lines of the paper, and he stared down at it for a long while as the ink dried. No reply appeared, but he knew that he should not have expected an immediate response. He had no idea if Naydruun even still owned the roll of enchanted parchment. The other dragon might not see it for days, months even—uncertainly, Adrissu added the date to his note. Still no reply came, so he put it aside and tried not to think too much about it.
He and Pollux attended the meeting Willow arranged, which went much the same as their previous dinner, despite the change of location. Pollux’s cold, withdrawn persona returned in full force; Adrissu knew he was that way, of course, but still it almost took him by surprise, having gotten so used to Pollux’s soft warmness whenever they were alone.
“How many would you want?” Pollux asked after Willow had alluded to her admiration of the original Blackthorn model, so utterly direct that both Adrissu and Willow seemed to hesitate for an instant, before Willow said,
“Well, as many as you would be willing to offer, of course. But we could start with something small like, perhaps... Ten units?”
Pollux frowned. “Too many. I could do five over the course of a year.”
Willow’s lips twitched as if she wanted to speak, but held back. It took only a moment for her to gather her thoughts, though, and the same pleasant smile remained on her face after taking a long drink of the tea in front of her.
“If five is what you offer, I’d gladly accept,” she said, smiling over at Pollux, whose expression did not change. “Would six months be possible instead of a year?”
Pollux eyed her with such open disdain that even Adrissu felt cowed, and he had to stop himself from pulling on Pollux’s shoulder or squeezing his thigh under the table.
“Five in six months is how you end up with poor quality work,” he answered coolly. “If that’s what you want, fine. But I offered a year for a reason.”
“You’re right, of course,” Willow said quickly, her voice strained. “I understand you’re only one person. Please forgive my over-eagerness. I really am just a big fan of your work.” Her expression didn’t quite betray her irritation, but it certainly did not match her words, and Adrissu’s nervousness at the tension between them melted into pride that his mate so easily stood his ground. His eyes lingered on Pollux next to him as they negotiated on the price, which also ended in Pollux’s favor.
Their luncheon went on for a little longer, but Willow seemed far more miffed than she had when Adrissu had seen her last, having only gotten a fraction of what she evidently wanted. Once the details were decided, she excused herself shortly afterward, while inviting them to stay, as she had already paid for their meals. When she had said her goodbyes and was no longer in earshot, Adrissu smiled so widely over at Pollux that the elf stifled a laugh.
“You are incredible,” he murmured, pressing a kiss to the side of Pollux’s throat, feeling his racing pulse beneath. “And I love you.”
“I did nothing special,” Pollux protested, fighting a smile, but Adrissu felt his heart race anew. “Anyway, shall we go home? I wasn’t especially impressed by this place, so...”
He met Adrissu’s eyes with a heat that surged straight to his groin. He had never broached the topic of being married and bonded to Pollux—the elf was young and their relationship still felt new—but at moments like this he missed feeling that answering swell of arousal through the bond, something he had grown so accustomed to with Braern that it still sometimes took him by surprise.
“Let’s hurry home, then,” he replied, his voice low, and Pollux nodded. Of course, they were on the far side of the city from his tower; but being in the wealthy part of the city did have some benefits, so Adrissu quickly hailed a carriage to get them home quicker. This had the added benefit of some measure of privacy as they traveled, so Adrissu kissed him hungrily the moment the carriage doors had closed and kept kissing him until it came to a stop in front of his tower.
“Come on, then,” Pollux goaded, his lips swollen and flushed, as Adrissu paid the driver. He grimaced, handed the man probably too many coins, and followed Pollux up the stone steps and into their home.
“Teasing me out in the open,” he growled, seizing Pollux the moment the heavy wooden door closed behind them. His hands found the smooth skin of Pollux’s body underneath his robes easily, peeling away the layers of cloth. “So cruel to me.”
“Don’t act like you don’t enjoy it,” Pollux panted, fumbling to get Adrissu undressed just as quickly. “Are we really going to do this here in the sitting room?”
“You’re lucky I don’t take you right here on the stone floor,” he retorted, then pushed Pollux toward the chaise lounge. Pollux chuckled, but didn’t resist, and quickly Adrissu had him on his back atop the lounge. There wasn’t enough room for both of them, so he propped one knee next to Pollux’s hip and kept the other planted on the ground so he could fit between Pollux’s spread legs.
“Just going to take me like a beast?” Pollux teased, grabbing at Adrissu’s cock and stroking him roughly.
“I spent the whole carriage ride getting you ready,” he said, rocking his hips to thrust into Pollux’s fist, as his own hands trailed along the elf’s pale thighs, before squeezing the soft mounds of his ass and spreading them apart to reveal his slick hole. “I don’t think you need anything else to be ready for me.”
Pollux released him, and without waiting for an answer, Adrissu lined himself up and pushed into Pollux all at once, making the other elf gasp as he groaned in pleasure.
“Youarea beast,” he panted, but his hard cock bounced between them as Adrissu quickly set a rapid pace. “You just said you were—proud of me, and you’re—fuck, you punish me for that.”
Adrissu let out a breathless laugh. “Don’t act like you don’t enjoy it,” he said, echoing Pollux’s retort to him. The grin that curled around Pollux’s flushed cheeks felt almost as good as his cock buried in his tight, wet channel.
“I love—I love you,” Pollux said suddenly, grabbing Adrissu’s forearms and meeting his eyes. His pupils were dilated, making his eyes almost black. “You know that, don’t you?”
Adrissu hesitated, slowing just enough to lean down and kiss him, far more tenderly now than he had. “I know. And I love you.”
