Page 26 of The Wrath of Ashes
Asha pulled his hand away with understanding and offered Rath a half smile.
Asha had never stayed the night anywhere else but in the keep, and had always relished the familiarity, but never the longevity.Temporary.Every nook and cranny seemed distant, as if it wouldn’t be there the next day or the day after. But Rath’sroom, the cushion before the fire, the nest, they registered to him as permanent. He could see himself waking every morning in the decadence and comfort, with no fear of it ending. And with that realization, an intrusive thought burrowed into his mind.
We are home.
“We?” Asha shook his head, and Rath raised a perfect brow, watching him closely.
“I see that look in your eyes, Asha. Your dragon is pacing in them. What did they say?” Rath sat up attentively, his eyes glinting bright.
“We are home…” Asha pulled his knees to his chest and hugged them, unsure of himself. “How do you see this thing that I supposedly am? How am I a dragon born from humans?”
“There is a little dragon blood in you, but our magic is the dragon part. We are two sides of a coin, and you’ve lived your entire life only looking at the world from one side. Your dragon has been buried under your weight. As we open to one another and progress, you’ll slowly find more pieces of them.”
“So, there’s a dragon inside me?” Asha rubbed a hand over his chest and Rath frowned.
“It’s so hard to explain. Same coin. Two sides. It’s like you turn inside out and it’s you still. But pieces of the dragon will come through slowly. As you can see.” Rath gestured toward his horns and ran his sharp nails down his cheek, trailing the fine scales. Asha leaned in closer to look at them, and they blended into his skin so flawlessly, accenting his jawline and temples.
“You’re very close, Asha.” Rath’s soft words drew his eye, focusing on his pale lips, inviting.
“I am.”
“Are you hoping I’ll kiss you?” Rath’s lips twisted into a wicked grin that made Asha’s breath catch.
“I don’t know. I want to touch your horns, though. I think.”
Rath smiled and leaned his head down, lowering his horns into Asha’s reach.
Asha reached for Rath’s tines, drawing his fingers over the obsidian glossy surface, trailing the bifurcated point to the ridges. “What does it feel like?” Asha relished the smooth, almost-oiled, sensation, breath shuddering in a way he’d never done before.
“I feel the pressure, the vibrations of your touch into my head, but it’s rather sensationless, much like your fingernails. But I enjoy it. Would you like me to stroke your wings in return?”
“The scars…er…Ashen mark, thing?” Asha continued his gentle touches, amazed with Rath’s features.
“Yes. Yours are what will eventually be your wings. They look like little more than risen scars now, but you’re Ashen. You don’t scar.”
Asha pulled away from Rath’s horns, his cheeks on fire as he caught the sweet scent of his breath. “I don’t… But my back…” Asha pulled back, deep in thought.
Breaking the tension of the moment, Rath stood and sauntered over to a food trolley that’d been rolled in. Two very small crystal wineglasses sat beside an ornate bottle. Rath poured the two glasses and returned with them in one hand, cake and fork in the other.
A large slice of dense cake occupied the painted platter, topped with a generous portion of honey and slivered almonds.
“This is honeycake?” Asha turned his attention to the plate as Rath pushed it and the glass into his hands and went back for the bottle. Asha got comfortable and tentatively took a bite with the tiny fork provided, humming with utter bliss. It put the chef’s sticky buns to shame, rich in warm spices, floral honey, and the nuttiness of the almonds that had a crunch to them, as if gently toasted.
“Mmf! This is the best thing I’ve ever eaten. Baltheir’s sake!” Asha took another bite and washed it down with the tiny glass of liquor that burned with spiced fire all the way from the tip of his tongue to his belly.
“It is quite good. It’s one of my favorites.” Rath poured his tiny glass over his cake and let the liquor soak the dense grain. He politely cleaved a small piece from the side, took a reserved bite and moaned softly, catching Asha in a shameless stare. Rath licked his lips and swallowed.
Fixated on his mouth, Asha stared, fork trembling in his hand.
“I enjoy it with the cordial in it. Want to try a bite?” Rath smiled at him with playful amusement glittering in his eyes. Asha nodded slowly, barely cognizant of his words until Rath held a fork before his lips, the scent of honeycake and liquor tantalizing him. The melding of rich spice, cinnamon, and nutmeg made Asha salivate, soaking into the liquor-laden confection as his cheeks went hot from either alcohol or embarrassment. A sweet noise escaped him before he swallowed.
Rath’s eyes flickered like flames, a glow deep within them as his pupils slitted into thin slivers before blowing out wide. And Asha didn’t see the man before him, not completely, but rather saw deep into his eyes, watching the predator within him lick its sharp teeth, drawing a whimper of strange attraction from somewhere deep inside Asha’s throat.
Mate,the strange voice in Asha’s thoughts whispered. Asha needed him now, his cock aching against his hose and leaking, wanting a touch, a stroke or— What did two men do, exactly? Sure, Asha wanted a kiss, but he wanted more to press against the beautiful dragon and have his bodyfilled.The ache inside him hammered into submission.
“Slowly, Asha. Slowly.” Rath set the plate aside, pushing it onto the edge of the hearth where it would stay warm. “You’re drowning in want, aren’t you?”
Asha swallowed hard. “N-no. I’m fine. I must be nervous.”
