Page 23 of Storm In The Sky

Keylon huffed and got to his feet, eager to get this over with. He threw the door open, ignored the way Winter smiled, and focused on what he had to say.

“Look, I know you’re in love with Samuel, and I’m fine with that,” Keylon said. “I know he pushed you away when you kissed him, but I’m aware that doesn’t change your feelings, and that’s all right. I’ll release you from our bond as soon as possible. I’ve already mentioned I was looking for another shield, and while I haven’t found anyone yet, I’m sure that will change soon.”

Winter was frowning. Keylon wanted to bring back his smile, but he didn’t think he could—not if he wanted to keep his.

“I already told you I didn’t want you to break our bond anymore,” Winter said.

“I thought it was because Samuel rejected you. I don’t know how he feels about you, but I won’t stand between the two of you if you want to be together. I can’t continue being your mage ifthat’s going to happen, though.” Keylon would do pretty much anything to keep Winter by his side, but not that.

He couldn’t stand to have to watch Winter and Samuel together. Samuel had told him that he didn’t have those kinds of feelings for Winter, but Keylon found it hard to believe. He suspected that Samuel wanted to respect the bond between Keylon and Winter, but Keylon couldn’t help but wonder if once it was broken, Samuel would continue being merely a friend to Winter.

Winter looked left and right, then stepped forward.

Keylon had to move back if he didn’t want them to touch. He scowled at the dragon. “What are you doing?”

“I didn’t want to have this conversation in the middle of the hallway,” Winter said as he closed the door.

Thankfully, he didn’t touch Keylon. Keylon wasn’t sure how he would have reacted if he had. Part of him wanted to throw himself into Winter’s arms and beg him to stay with him, but another part was pissed.

“I don’t have feelings for Samuel,” Winter declared.

Keylon stared at him. “You kissed him.”

“I thought I had feelings for him, but I promise I don’t. I had time to think about it after he rejected me, and I now know that it was the best thing he could have done. There’s nothing between us beyond friendship.”

“You can’t just make your feelings for him disappear.”

Winter smiled crookedly. “I can’t make them disappear, but I can be confused about them and think they’re something they’re not.”

Keylon desperately wanted to ask what Winter was talking about, even though it felt like it wasn’t his business. Winter was here, though, and he was talking about it. Surely that had to mean he wouldn’t mind answering a few of Keylon’s questions.

Keylon had been avoiding this since he’d realized that Winter didn’t want him, but he couldn’t anymore. He gestured toward the sitting area by the window, and Winter headed there, looking this way and that as he walked.

Once, he’d belonged here. Well, it hadn’t been the same office, since they hadn’t lived in this castle, but he’d been at home in Keylon’s office. He’d known where everything was and what to touch or not touch. Winter didn’t.

Thankfully, he didn’t try to touch anything. He could probably tell some of the things around the office were dangerous from having lived with Samuel’s clan for so long.

Winter flopped onto the couch and patted the empty space next to him. Instead of sitting there, Keylon chose the armchair. Winter looked disappointed, which didn’t make sense because they weren’t close.

“So, what do you want?” Keylon asked.

“Well, it’s clear that I need to clarify my feelings. I understand why you thought I was in love with Samuel. I thought I was in love with him, too.”

“But you’re not?” Keylon was skeptical, even though he knew how complicated feelings could be.

Winter leaned back against the couch. “I don’t think you understand how terrifying it was to wake up in my dragon form in the middle of the forest, all alone and not remembering a thing about myself. I didn’t even remember how to shift back to my human form for a while, and I only managed because Samuel found me. He brought me home, and his clan becamemyhome, too, but I still couldn’t remember anything of my past. I was lost.”

“I’m sorry you had to go through that.” Keylon really was. He wouldn’t have wished that on anyone, not even Carlyle. It was cruel.

“I’m sorry I had to go through that, too. The only reason I survived was Samuel. He took me home and made me part of his family and his clan. They were all I knew, and they still are in a way. I’ve only just met you and the others, and I don’t feel quite part of your family yet.” He snorted. “I know it’s my fault, and I’m working to change that, but yeah.”

Winter looked down at his hands. His behavior was so different from Alvin’s that Keylon had no difficulty separating the two. They could have been twins physically, but that was where the likeness stopped. Maybe thinking of them like that would make it easier on Keylon.

“After I found Samuel and his clan, I clung to them because they were the only thing I knew. But even though they welcomed me, I’ve always known I was an outsider. I didn’t have any memories, but I was sure I didn’t belong with them, so I clung even harder. When we came here and you told me I belonged withyou, I panicked.”

“You didn’t panic yourself into falling in love with Samuel,” Keylon pointed out.

“No, but I panicked enough to believe that the affection I have for him meant I was in love. Don’t get me wrong—Samuel is a good-looking man, and he’s sweet. Anyone would be happy to have him in their life, but I don’t need to be with him to have that. I don’t need to be with him to be a part of his family and his clan. I didn’t want anything to change, and clinging to Samuel was the easiest way to make sure it didn’t.”

---