Page 17

By the time Rath thought to look up, his eyes burned and blinking them brought both pain and relief. Nadi sat, legs crossed, peering over her handiwork, her penmanship as flawless as ever.

“Have you any inkling when Lapryda will be returning?” Rath rubbed one of his eyes.

“Oh, I do believe he should be home this evening. His letter said he was on his way the moment he got word of your Ashen.” Nadi gave him a wry smile and waved him on. “I’ll finish the rest, sir. Go find the prince and break him of that shyness.”

Rath rose and wandered the halls, first seeking out Slath’s wing, wondering if his brother still had Asha in his talons.

His studio was empty of life but full of art and color, vibrance, and the start of the most lovely portrait of Asha that he could have imagined, and from the spill and blush, it could very well have been meant to be post-coital, breathtaking, and it made Rath irrationally angry and possessive for his brother to have imagined Asha in such a way.

A certain scent loomed in the air. Draconic. A hint of rosemary and cologne. Dominant. Lapryda.

“Well, so much for making introductions.” Rath wandered to Pryd’s hall and found it empty, save for his attendant and bedservant unpacking for him. The lovely dark-haired boy blinked up at Rath and smiled.

“Kensing! How was your trip?” Rath smiled, and he beamed.

“Oh, it was lovely. Pryd brought me by to see my parents. We’re preparing for me to move back home.

I do miss them.” Kensing moved his things down the hall.

He neared the end of his three-year contract, and while they had been a very well-matched couple, as far as bedservants went, they were not emotionally attached.

“I will miss you. But I’m glad that you’re finally getting on with your dreams.” Rath nodded genially and Kensing beamed.

“I thank the crown every day for this opportunity. You have no idea how much it means to me.”

“Pish. Now where has my fop of a brother gotten off to?” Rath sniffed.

“Oh. I heard something about you finding your mate, and Jeron sent a description of him, so we braved the markets in Cusaw and Lord Pryd bought all manner of clothing for him. He said he’d bring the boy back, but that was some time ago.

” Kensing tapped his lip. “Perhaps he’s taking care of Diamond? ”

Diamond, Lapryda’s glittering show-off of a female wyvern, got on Rath’s nerves, but if they were nowhere else, they might be at the stables…

Rath loped off, Asha on his mind as Kensing followed dutifully.

“Figures he’d take the boy out this close to a full moon.

That’s the last thing I need right now, is Asha or I being set off. We’re not acquainted enough yet.”

“And knowing Pryd, it wouldn’t be an accident.” Kensing sighed with slight annoyance. “Should I spurn his affections for a few evenings, my lord?”

“Only if it’s what you wish. Please don’t ask me to dictate my brother’s coital arrangements.” Rath shuddered involuntarily and breeched the grand foyer on his way toward the exit to the stables.

“I’ll take that as a maybe, then.” Kensing trotted along, a spring in his step as always.

“Oh, that’s not good.” Kensing gasped softly as they breached the outside of the keep and spied the open wyvern stalls where the one stall of note, Heckle’s, should have been firmly shut.

“Useless bottle-headed fool!” Rath’s neck stung as scales plunged and his wings prickled within his flesh, his magic urging them to sprout until Asha’s joyous laughter broke his focus from round the corner of the stables.

Kensing scampered off, curious of Asha or eager to see Pryd get his tail whipped thoroughly.

“Lapryda!” Rath barked out and pointed toward his brother, who blinked up innocently, polishing Diamond’s already gleaming scales.

“Brother! I was just getting to know your wonderful mate here. The wyverns love him. Look at Heckle!” Lapryda laughed boisterously as Asha glanced up from vigorously scratching at Heckle’s belly scales, submitting to him like a pup.

Diamond, ever the jealous sort, slipped free of Pryd’s grasp and darted over toward Asha and Heckle, hissing and spitting to draw the other wyvern away to seek attention.

“Hey! Hey hey!” Asha shouted sharply and Rath bolted forward and tripped himself up before Asha made a sharp hissing noise between his teeth and grabbed Diamond around her neck and pinned her with a sharp twist, making her lose her balance and flail.

Heckle cowered and backed up from the display, pinning his frills until Diamond flailed a little and gave up.

“See! A natural!” Pryd laughed, and Rath turned on him, pointing sharply.

“You’ll see one day, Pryd! You’ll find your mate and chase your heart around on fragile strings, hoping that nothing cleaves them before his scales can come in!” Rath hissed angrily and Pryd rolled his eyes, his hand waving about as if to dismiss Rath’s concerns.

“I’d have not let him come into harm’s way, Brother. Look at him, he’s got thi—” Pryd choked as Heckle darted forward and snatched Asha by the back of his shirt, scooping him away from Diamond with a clever and selfish glimmer in his eyes.

“Heckle!” Rath lost all hope as the wyvern twisted and tugged until Asha sprawled over his back.

Heckle gave a baleful call before bouncing and bounding off toward the launching cliff and diving.

“Well, shit.” Pryd sighed and yelped as Kensing stomped his foot.

“Would, but you could have been a stain on Father’s nest cushions!” Rath spat at Pryd’s feet and tossed his jacket and crisp linen tunic to the floor before letting his wings finally burst free, all cobalt scales throwing their shadow over his shoulder.

The one thing Rath should have heard, he didn’t, and it scared him worse than anything. Not a single scream.

Please be okay.

Rath dove, knowing Heckle’s preference for the sharp dive at the beginning of a flight. “Asha!”

His shouting into the icy wind did nothing as he breached the layer of clouds faster than he’d ever gone before, the cold stinging his eyes. “Asha!”

Breaking through the layer, casting the last dredges of it from his vision brought the glory of his wyvern into focus, spiraling in an updraft playfully, climbing out of Rath’s sight with Asha balanced precariously, not mounted upon Heckle but perched in a low crouch, one foot hooked against a wing joint and the other anchored on his tether, his grip strong enough to keep him at a near-vertical climb with abject bliss slashed violently across his face.

Asha’s fierce grin, teeth bared, made Rath’s heart stop and explode with joy.

With his tunic untucked and flapping about his slender waist, hair whipping about his head, Rath could swear he could see the dragon in his mate.

“Rath!” Asha caught glimpse of him, whooping with glee as Rath gained altitude and swept over them. “Can you carry me?”

The question caught Rath off guard, and he blinked, halted in his admonition. “Of course.”

“Good!” Asha glanced up, pure devious intent in his eyes, the blue in them dancing like moonlight on the frosted peaks until he released Heckle and jumped.

“Asha!” Rath panicked, sweeping down as fast as he could, scooping Asha into his arms, squeezing him tight as his heart hammered.

And before Rath could start his tirade, shouting at his foolhardy mate and careless brother, Asha’s mouth found his for the remainder of the teasing kiss he’d tempted him with earlier that day.