Page 12 of Storm In The Sky

“Samuel’s clan. I’ve lived with them since he found me in the forest with no memories. They’ve become my family.”

Jarvis’s expression cleared up. “You want to visit your family?”

Winter had never really felt like he was part of Samuel’s family. He wanted to be, but they belonged to Samuel, not him. If he and Samuel had gotten together, Winter would have been able to claim them as his, but he didn’t think Samuel had appreciated the kiss.

They hadn’t talked since then. Winter had tried, even though he was mortified, but Samuel had been avoiding him. Now, Winter knew how Keylon had felt when Winter had done the same to him.

He hated it.

“Yes,” he told Jarvis because he didn’t want to start explaining what was happening. “I miss them, and I’d like to see them.”

“Will Samuel be going with you?”

“No. He’s busy, and I don’t intend to stay away for too long. I’ll be back in a few hours.”

Jarvis gestured at Winter to come into the office. Winter did so cautiously. He’d lived with mages long enough to know it was never good to be distracted in a mage’s office.

“There,” Jarvis said as he pointed toward the corner of the room. “I have a small setup. I can open a portal from here.”

He got up from his chair and joined Winter. There was a big circle drawn on the floor in the corner by the window. Winter wasn’t a mage, but he recognized some of the symbols.

“You won’t be able to cross here when you ask a mage to open a portal to return to the castle,” Jarvis explained. “It takes a password and a mage to open the circle back up, and of course, you’re not a mage.”

“That’s fine. I don’t have a problem portalling into the courtyard. We can go there now if you’re more comfortable.”

“No, this is fine.”

Winter could feel Jarvis’s gaze on him, but he ignored it. He suspected Jarvis wanted to know what had happened between Winter and Keylon, but there was no way Winter would tell him.

Eventually, Jarvis stopped staring and opened the portal. He’d talked to Samuel after Samuel had explained who he was, so he knew the clan where Winter had lived all these years. Apparently, he had friends there.

“I’ll see you soon,” Jarvis said.

Winter nodded in thanks and stepped through the portal. Instantly, he was in a room he recognized well.

The portal room in the castle where Samuel’s clan lived.

Winter’s shoulders relaxed. He was home.

He made his way through the castle, nodding at people he recognized as he walked past them. A few tried to stop him, but he didn’t have time.

He went straight to the rooms where Samuel’s family lived. His mouth went dry as he knocked on the door, not knowing what to expect.

Samuel’s mother opened the door. For a moment, she blinked at Winter, then looked around, clearly trying to find Samuel.

“He’s not here,” Winter said.

Julienne smiled and pulled Winter into her arms. “That’s fine. You are, so I’m happy.”

Winter pressed his lips together and allowed her to drag him inside. The apartment was quiet, no doubt because everyone was busy elsewhere.

Winter finally broke down when she pushed him toward the couch. “Keylon is going to break the bond between us,” he blurted out. “I kissed Samuel. I thought he’d be happy because it means we can be mage and dragon now, but he pushed me away, and I haven’t been able to talk to him yet. He’s been avoiding me. I don’t understand.”

Julienne sat on the couch next to Winter. Winter hated that he’d told her all of this without even thinking about it. He might have decided to keep a few details to himself, but everything was out now.

“Why did you kiss him?” she asked gently.

“Because we can bond now. I can truly become part of your family.”

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