Page 60 of Killian
“What do you dream of for your future?”
Dravyn’s brow creased, and his head bowed. “I already have what I dreamed of all those years in servitude. Outside is a vast garden I can attend to whenever I wish, and I need notstifle my desire to push my abilities. Above my head is a roof, something I was denied at Castle Draconis. The cold is what I recall the most. Is that not odd? My mind set aside that there was a thick chain around my ankle which angered my dragon. All I could think about was the ache in my bones each night the air was frigid. Even in the warm months, I would dread the winter I could not avoid.”
“Is it a greater cruelty to deprive a man of his dragon when the creature could readily provide a dozen fires to keep the freezing chill at bay?” Killian grumbled. “I suppose it is foolish to ponder that there may be varying degrees of evil one can force a person to endure. Torture is torture. What you endured was inhumane.”
“Perhaps, but it is behind me now,” Dravyn replied, raising his head to meet Killian’s furious gaze. Something about Killian’s presence was reassuring, and Dravyn no longer feared staring into his eyes. Neither did his dragon. The beast was proud of the magical gardener, who ensured Dravyn never had an ache or pain in his body. Each time they met, Killian provided a bit of magick to diffuse the knots in his shoulders he gained from the hard work he put into his garden. “But…some nights, I have nightmares. I wonder what will happen if the dragons find us. Will they understand it is Fate who bestowed a title and gifts upon Aleksander? Or will they condemn him for it and punish us all again?”
“The fear you live with is the same as we have in The Council,” Killian responded sadly. “We take a relieved breath each morning we wake without reports of another village burned.”
“In Court Ethelin, we had a selfish King who disregarded anyone or anything he did not like. I served him, but I had no respect for him,” Dravyn dared to confide. He was speaking of his own uncle. “But one thing we were taught was howdragons were honorable. Dragons were more noble than any other creature. Our kind was supposedly incapable of disgrace. That last one was difficult for me to accept, as I often found King Ethelin to be shameful. But I believed in our integrity. Right up until I arrived at Castle Draconis.”
“Do you think of the twists in life that could have changed everything?” Killian inquired. “Imagine if Drystan and Conley had not died. Or if Fate had picked a new Emperor. Where would the dragons be now, I wonder?”
“I dare not think of how things could have turned out differently. It would somehow make the circumstances I endured more difficult if I imagined a better world.”
Killian leaned forward and cupped Dravyn’s cheek in his hand. The gentle stroking of Killian’s thumb on his cheekbone made his heart sigh with happiness and his dragon rumble with approval. “With a life so cruel, you have dared not dream. If we learn nothing else from each other, I hope I can teach you to allow your heart to reach for what it wants.”
Dravyn managed to shrug and gave a tiny shake of his head. “It is far too big a risk to dream of anything beyond what I already have.”
“What about a matebond? Do you not think of a future with the other half of your soul?”
Swallowing heavily and dearly wanting to break eye contact, Dravyn forced himself to stay in the moment—to not fight the terror of making himself vulnerable to Killian. “My dragon wants it.”
“And you? Do you someday wish we can combine our lives?”
“I was raised to honor Fate.”
“I do not want you to envision a future with me because a goddess demands it,” Killian said gently. “What I want to know is that you, as a man and dragon, want me.Me. A druid witha love of gardening and enriching lives. Is it possible for you to desire something with me beyond a friendship and shared kisses?”
Dravyn’s heart thundered in his chest, and his palms were sweaty, but he raised a trembling arm to rest his hand atop Killian’s. “I have not learned as much of you as I would like, but I already consider you a friend. The only thing keeping me from dreaming of a future with you is not knowing if we share the same desire.”
Killian’s smile was brighter than the roaring fire nearby. “I hardly want to wake from the dreams I have of us, and I am not known to sleep well or often.”
“I cannot say how a future would work or how soon—”
“Shh, it’s okay. There is no rush. We have a great deal to learn and to figure out if we wish for a successful future. You need not apologize for the complications of our lives.”
“Thank you for understanding.”
Lifting his hand from Dravyn’s face, Killian traced his fingertips across Dravyn’s lips. Dravyn trembled and unconsciously wavered toward Killian as his arm dropped to his lap.
“Scoot your chair closer, Dray. I would kiss you now.”
Happy to oblige, Dravyn hurried forward and ignored the screech of wood scraping wood. Killian cupped Dravyn’s neck and sealed their mouths together. With his dragon growling with approval, Dravyn surrendered to the tender onslaught of Killian’s tongue. It was a paradise Dravyn had never understood existed until they shared their first embrace. Perhaps now he could admit to himself that he’d forever crave the magick they created together.
???
Dravyn grinned, and delight surged through him as he enjoyed a beautiful melody in his beloved garden. A few feet away, a druid sat in the dirt and used his bountiful sorcery to combine two different flowers into a new plant he hoped would provide unique blooms of blue and black. They were lilies, and Dravyn had nourished them from seeds provided by Killian. He’d barely mentioned his desire to create something for the D’Vaire name before Killian was on the ground, aiding Dravyn in his endeavor.
“I can teach you to do this without magick,” Killian said, glancing up and smiling at what had to be the unmistakable interest in Dravyn’s eyes for both the small sprout and the gorgeous man tending to it.
“You can?” Dravyn asked, hurrying to Killian’s side and plopping down next to him between the flourishing lilies.
“Yes, it takes a great deal of care, but I have no fear you will neglect the plant. You will use grown plants and wait patiently for them to meld instead of what I am doing with this fresh growth.”
“I will not fail the plant,” Dravyn promised.
“I believe you, and if the plant does not flourish, we can try again or alter our plan so it can survive. It is best to do this indoors, perhaps, but since we do not have that option, at least we do not have the sun burdening us or raindrops pelting the tender petals.”
