Page 48 of Demons Treasure Warlocks

Darius ducked back into the en suite and continued cleaning his teeth. Bale gingerly sat on the far side of the turned down bed, closer to the window. Despite the cloudiness, he still felt the connection to the stars.

Darius turned out the lights and slid under the blankets. He was a stiff and awkward board beside Bale. “What do the stars do for you?”

“They watch over me, and sometimes it’s only their light that protects me from the darkness. I worry it will take me over as it had my brethren,” Bale confessed in the dim light.

“I don’t remember if you had stars back there.” Darius rolled over to his side and propped his head on his hand. His thirst for knowledge was always a pleasure.

“They were there, but the miasma emanating from the Elder Demons blocked out the majority of their light. I did my best to seek it out whenever possible,” Bale explained. He shuddered as he remembered his desperation to find salvation in that world.

“You told me stories of heroes, didn’t you?” Darius whispered. He grunted as one of the cats hopped on his legs before settling at his hip.

“I did. I thought it would help keep your spirits up. That there was a happy ending and you deserved it.”

Darius hummed softly. “We have constellations here based on myths. In the summer, I can show you them.”

“I’d like that. I’d like it a lot.” Bale leaned close and slowly brought his lips to Darius’s. He could feel the moist air leaving Darius’s mouth as he waited for permission.

Darius closed the gap and kissed Bale softly. There was affection and wonder in his caress. Their lips were the only partly touching, and it was more heated than anything else Bale could have done. He leaned back and stared into the blue wonder of Darius’s eyes. There was no hardness or anger in his gaze. He was peaceful.

Darius captured his mouth once more and slid his hand along the side of Bale’s face. Bale pressed lightly into Darius’s palm, soaking in the moment. He dropped a hand on the blanket-covered hip and rested it there as they kissed. The warmth radiating from the blanket made his day. This was heaven. He had Darius with him, and they were kissing.

Darius pulled away and smiled briefly. “I had something epic I was going to say, but my mind went blank.”

“It’s okay. We’re in no rush. It’ll come back to you,” Bale whispered. His heart thundered as he spoke.

“I know I’ve been a royal ass, but I’m glad you didn’t lose hope.” Darius’s thumb swept Bale’s cheekbone. Bale closed his eyes and embraced the caress. To hear Darius make such an admission was a boost to Bale’s emotional perseverance. He would never have given up on Darius, and he could relax his vigilance. Darius was opening up.

Bale smiled and stroked Darius’s hip gently. Words weren’t necessary now. Darius had the floor, and anything Bale said would be trite. Sometimes listening was its own reward. Too many people were dismissive of what paying attention meant to another person, but Bale wielded this power with skill.

“You were thinking outside before you came in, right?” Darius’s swift change of subject was jarring. His hand began playing with Darius’s fingers, lacing them together before releasing.

“How did you know?” Bale asked, bringing their joined hands up and kissing the back of Darius’s.

“I just did. What were your thoughts?” Darius asked.

“Maybe you need a clear night? If the stars are visible, there’s a possibility it’ll work?” Bale suggested. It wasn’t his best idea, but it might do something for Darius, give him a push for other possibilities.

“We can try. I mean, I didn’t exactly do anything but wave my hand over the stone,” Darius teased. The fact that he didn’t shoot down Bale’s idea was heartening. “God, how can we fix this, Bale?”

“Keep going forward, do what we can. Try not to worry about the bigger picture until we have all the puzzle pieces. Right now, it’s figuring out your side of things, getting your magic and power under your control. I can feel out the others, see what the hell’s going on. Small steps,” Bale suggested. He rolled on to his side and gathered Darius to him gently. Darius rested his head on Bale’s chest. Bale kissed the soft black hair and smelled the rich scent of magic and chocolate.

“Thanks for listening, Bale,” Darius whispered around a yawn. Bale’s eyes blinked drowsily as he fought sleep. He didn’t want to sleep, not while he had Darius in his arms. He had to protect his love, his heart from anything that would dare hurt him.

“Good night, Darius. I’ll watch over you and keep the nightmares away.” It wasn’t a good promise, but he’d try. Darius’s dreams were wild and often manifested in the real world.

Darius grunted, and Bale was sure he heard good luck muttered. He kissed the tip of Darius’s ear once before allowing himself to rest.

ChapterTwenty-One

Darius shivered in the backyard, bouncing on his feet as he stared at the stones. A cold front had descended, and everything was fucking freezing. His nose burned, and his ears ached. As much as he wanted to be inside by the fire, his desire to prove people right overrode everything else.

Bale and Isaac’s belief that his powers were rooted in the stones goaded him into action. He was going to focus on making them proud.

“What are you doing?”

Darius twisted around to see Bale standing on the deck with a cookie in hand. He wasn’t sure what Bale’s plans were for the rest of the day, but he had to get this sorted out. “The rocks.”

“Need help?”

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