Page 46 of Blinding Light

Silence followed, and Cyprian let out a shaky, relieved breath. His fingers were itching to create, to lose himself in his mind and forget that life had only become more complicated. Visions sparkled to life on his canvas as Cyprian started a new drawing.

13

“Your claiming is the only thing everyone talked about today in class,” Yure said when Moargan walked through the door of their houseboat.

“Is it?” It came out casually, though he winked at Aviel when he got out of his jacket and opened the first buttons of his shirt.

From behind his holo computer, Aviel snorted. “As if you don’t know. I wonder how things were for Cyprian. Did you check in with him?”

“I did not. Thought I’d leave him alone with his thoughts for the day. He has so many of them. Besides—” He eyed the table where Yure was already sitting with a pile of credit reports. “I wanted to get this over with before I get to the good part.”

‘Speaking of the good part,” Yure looked up from the list. “I’ve been thinking the whole day about what you said about that light bulb. Did you mean itexplodedwhen he came? Like, when he climaxed?”

“Yeah, baby. Lighting struck when Cyprian jizzed all over Moargan’s face,” Aviel smirked from behind his screen, smoothly evading the book Moargan threw his way. “Hey!” Heprotested. “I’d be nice to me if I were you. I’m still working on Cyprian’s chip.”

“What are you going to do with that piece of information?” Yure asked, flipping off Aviel’s taunts.

“Right now? Nothing.” Moargan sighed and stretched his hands above his head, the faint echo of a grin still on his face. Fuck, that was one hell of a sweet memory. The way the light had justburstat the perfect moment. “It has been a busy day with too many hours on the field. Practice was fucking brutal today.” He eyed the pile of documents. “And we are still not finished.”

“Technically, we haven’t even started yet.”

Moargan grunted.

“Where’s boytoy now?” Aviel asked.

“You mean, myRoyal Consort?” Moargan gave him a pointed look. “At home.” Drawing peacefully under the watchful eye of his guards.

“Good.” Yure slid the pile his way.

They’d barely started working a few minutes, when Aviel gasped.

“Fuck me. You know what I think?”

Both him and Yure jumped out of their seats and went to stand behind Aviel.

“We’re in?”

“I’d say we are.” Aviel clicked on a few buttons, then started typing fast. “So,” he started, when the screen showed a new projection. “There are a bunch of folders here. Helion planet information, adoption overviews, some folder that just says Nikkie.”

“Who the hell is Nikkie?” Yure asked.

Cyprian’s favourite sister.

“My thoughts exactly,” Aviel turned over his shoulder. “Want me to go here first?”

“Wait.” It felt strangely intimate to open that folder. “I want to see his information on our planet first. Let me try.”

Aviel got up from his chair and Moargan got settled. His finger lingered on the Nikkie file, illogical jealousy burning in his gut.

Cyprian was his now.His. He didn’t want his Royal Consort to be sad over a foster sister whom he’d never see again. Moargan would look after him now.

He clicked on Nikkie’s folder, then…nothing. It was empty.

“What the hell?” Aviel exclaimed from behind his shoulder. “Click on the other one, Moargan.”

Moargan clicked, one by one, but they were all empty.

“How’s that possible?” Yure asked. “Are you sure you decoded them entirely?”

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