Page 3 of Reforging Onyx

“That ember burned so brightly in your eyes the day I laid eyes on you. I thought it might come through and burn me, and I relished it. I wanted to feel it. In an age where fire has been forgotten and lost, it burned in you. And I thought to forge it, to hone the fire into a blade. If not the blade of the gods, then certainly the blade of my fate.

“But that almost smothered your fire, almost lost it with the demands that I placed on you, with the things that I did to you. I wish to coax it forth from you again, see that ember glow again and catch fire. And if not what I had originally wanted, I still want to see you burn so brightly, and I am still drawn to that fire.”

As usual, Onyx didn’t understand when Dominic went on his rambles about history or mythology. But he listened, only to end up letting out a choked, despairing little sound. “That fire is gone.”

And it was. He had nearly died, all because that spark had been extinguished, and the fact that he’d lived had only doused those dying embers.

He was broken, empty, devoid of any fire.

“It is not,” Dominic whispered into Onyx’s ear. “It’s there. I know it is. It’s struggling now; only the faintest of flickers are there, and that’s my fault. I’ve miscalculated so many times, but let me coax it forth again. Let me nurture the embers and watch those clipped wings burn again.”

Onyx swallowed hard. “Don’t pretend to give me a choice,” he said hoarsely. “Don’t act like it’s a gift, either, because it’s not. I don’t want it. Anything you want from me, I don’t want from you.”

But he had burned so brightly once, hadn’t he? Before his wings had been clipped and he’d been reduced to ash.

“You can choose to help me, to stop fighting me and let me show you how good they can be,” Dominic murmured into Onyx’s ear. “What do you want? Your magic? Three days, and I will make it happen. Leave the house, travel? Show me that I can trust you, and these become possible. What would you like to see? Where would you like to go?”

Onyx’s heart skipped a beat. There was no way this was real. It was all a trick. A trap. He knew that.

So why did he want to believe it wasn’t?

“And what do you get out of this?” he asked, his voice shaking. “Don’t try to tell me this bullshit about my fire or whatever. You only do things with ulterior motives. What’s your motive, Dominic Bancroft?”

Dominic chuckled, the sound barely more than a breath. “You, Onyx Rayne. I get you. I offer you the world, and you can have it from within my arms.”

“I don’t want to be in your arms,” Onyx whispered. “If that’s the cost…” He didn’t know if he could pay it. Not knowing what Dominic expected of him then, what he was pretty sure he’d want in the future. He always made sure to say yet and if like he thought Onyx would suddenly start wanting him.

But that would never happen.

“You don’t want to now, but that can change.” Dominic's voice was unbearably soft.

Onyx shook his head. It wouldn’t.

But he wanted the things Dominic could give him — beyond the fancy trinkets and the small freedoms. He wanted his magic, and he wanted to see the world beyond these walls. He wanted a life. He’d never been anywhere but the city and the bayou. Could he change himself completely if it meant accepting freedoms from within a cage? Could he forget the cage existed, given enough time? Living within its confines, never getting close enough to remember he was trapped?

“You’re never going to give up,” Onyx muttered. “You’ll keep pushing and pushing and I…” He didn’t know if he could withstand the pressure forever. “I still want you dead. You have to know that.”

“I know you do,” Dominic said. “I don’t expect you to stop.” He pressed a kiss to the back of Onyx’s shoulder in an overly intimate, uncomfortable gesture. “You can hate me as much as you want to.”

“Stop treating me like I’m your boyfriend or something." Onyx shuddered away from that kiss. “I’m not.”

Dominic’s arms tightened around Onyx again, ensuring he couldn’t go too far. “It’s still early,” he murmured. “And a lot of things happened in the last twenty-four hours. Go back to sleep. In three days, I’ll take you to have your magic again, and between now and then, you think about it.”

All he would be able to think about was the impending price. But he was drained, and he was tired of fighting. His fire was barely a flicker, it was true; maybe with rest, it could become a flame again.

Or maybe not.

Either way, he wanted to sleep, even if it meant remaining in Dominic’s arms a bit longer. So instead of arguing, he only nodded.

Three days.

They’d see.

Chapter 2

Dominic

It turned out that Onyx was a very restless sleeper, and his constant twitching and moving kept Dominic from settling too deeply into sleep. A few times, Onyx tried to pull away from him, but Dominic kept him carefully caged within his arms. Onyx was going to adjust to his presence and his touch.