“Is it over?” Evain asks. “Are you free from bureaucracy?”
“It’s over.” Leth’s voice drops to a whisper, so only Evain can hear: “Stop doing that.”
“Stop doing what?” Evain’s fingertips hover half an inch beneath Leth’s chin. He’s not sure whether he’s teasing Leth or restraining himself.
“Looking at me like that.” Leth tucks his hair behind his ear, and beads click together. “I canfeelit.”
“Can you?” Evain’s smile broadens, and he finally lets his fingers rest against Leth’s pulse. The quickening against his fingertips matches the rush of magic inside his own veins.
The contract lets them each feel the other’s desire—but Evain has a few more centuries’ experience handling the sensation. Leth is still getting used to the influence of Evain’s lust for him.
“You look a little out of sorts,” Evain says. “Was the truth spell difficult? Do you need to do anything else here, or can I take you home to rest?”
He’s a little too loud on the last bit. Tanner’s the one who answers from across the hall, “Radiance, yes, please go home and stop flirting in the council chambers!”
Leth jerks away, flushing even brighter red. “Thanks for your time today,” he tells Tanner, while Karis entirely fails to hide his laughter. “Ronan, Karis…”
“Let’s have dinner some night before you two leave,” Ronan says. “Evain can cook.”
Evain doesn’t mind being volunteered. He sweeps an exaggerated bow before taking off to catch up with Leth.
***
“Who was the soldier in that meeting?” Evain asks as they near their neighborhood. Karis offered them space in the Bright Cathedral when they returned earlier that spring, but Evain declined. He picked a house to rent based on the size of the master bedroom and bathtub, in one of the nicer neighborhoods in Ostaris. Trees tended by Maizan acolytes bloom orange and blue along the streets, filling the air with sweet spring fragrance. Leth says he’s never seen the flowers as bright as they are this year.
Now, Leth answers, “My cousin Oria. She’s next in line for our family title, now that I’ve officially stepped out. And I’d bet Marta twenty gold that Oria will be promoted to general by the end of the year too.”
“I won’t tell Haldis.” Humans can be so predictable. “So, the Unbinding didn’t change everything after all, did it?”
“Yes and no,” Leth says. “Nepotism is still alive and well, but Oria is bound to Songbird, now.”
All right. Not so predictable. “Songbird?”
“Songbird.” Leth laughs too. “I know, I don’t know how that’s going to work either. I just know the army is going to get a lot more theologically diverse in the coming years.”
Blossoming trees give way to the gate of their rented house. The two-story building’s garden courtyard is too small for horses, so Leth’s Star is stabled at the Bright Cathedral while Daziroth hunts rabbits in the forest outside the city. Magic heats with renewed vibrancy under Evain’s skin—Leth’s imagination always wanders when they near the privacy of their own home. Evain manages to restrain himself while Leth unlocks the door, but his control snaps before Leth can open it.
They hit the door with a thud as Evain spins Leth around, seizing Leth’s lips in a wet, open kiss. Leth groans, and Evain delves deeper to chase the sound. Anyone could see them through the wrought iron gate, but Evain doesn’t care. He wants the whole world to know that Leth ka Tariel belongs to him.
His hands slide from Leth’s waist to his thighs. cupping beneath his ass. Evain never tires of how perfect Leth feels in his arms. So tough, but the perfect size to hold, to lift, to shove against a wall or toss onto a bed.
That Lethallowshim to do all of that is the hottest thing Evain’s ever experienced. And that’s saying quite a lot.
Evain bites Leth’s neck without artistry. Strands of hair catch in his teeth as he digs his tongue into Leth’s carotid. Whimpering, Leth rocks his hips, and friction jolts between their erections. Evain sucks harder against Leth’s neck, inhaling the scent of his hair, and throws one hand to the doorknob. He keeps kissing bruises as he works the door open.
They stumble inside, and Evain releases Leth’s neck to kick the door closed. When he scoops Leth up, Leth’s legs wrap around his waist, and Leth’s hands brace against Evain’s shoulders. Their eyes meet, and possessive pleasure courses through Evain. He can’t tell the difference between magic and the visceral, physical reality of Leth’s lips meeting his. Perhaps it’s the same thing. Slow pressure and gentle movement invite Evain further inside in an active, demanding surrender.
Evain can’t believe he used to think Leth was tedious. He used to think a contract would tie him down—instead, Leth allows him to soar.Our world, Leth told him, in the cold heart of Lyrisenia’s winter. Evain never felt at home until Leth wanted him to stay. Until Leth’s love flowed stronger than wild magic through his veins.
He nuzzles into Leth’s neck. “Should I fuck you against the wall, or should we go to bed?”
Leth’s hands tighten around Evain’s shoulders. “I don’t care. I just want you now.”
“Bed, then.” Lust surges through Evain, along with a bone-deep sense of home—not the rented house, but Leth himself. Evain’s anchor and purpose in a world he finally belongs to. “I want to take my time with you, today.”
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CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
