Page 51 of The Wrath of Ashes
Chapter Twenty-One
Asha
Envi stared at the paper before them, the thin sheet taunting Asha as he focused on his magic, finding its source within him.
“I cannot imagine how difficult this must be. It was like learning to walk as a child. I knew my dragon and my fire long before I knew this.” Envi slid a sharp nail under the corner of the page and lifted the rough-hewn paper. With a breath, he gathered magic within himself and blew a gentle flame, turning the page into curling ash. “You’re so hit or miss with it.”
“You make it look easy, but I can’t grab hold of the magic. It’s in me, but I can’t seem to focus on it.” Asha sighed and retrieved another sheet of paper from a bin. Between his fingers, he focused the power he felt coursing through him, like static he could push and pull as needed. As he did so, fire spread from where his fingers touched, creating a hole in the paper that continued to grow as it fluttered down, flames flickering until it hit the ground as nothing more than ash. “When I’m touching it, it’s easy.”
Envi placed another piece of paper down and gestured for Asha to try once more. “It takes time and practice. I have patience, so don’t worry.”
Asha focused, holding on to the deep fire within himself, manifesting it as the magic he felt in his skin, focusing on the paper. It seemed to cloud the world around him until Lyss’s bawdy voice broke his concentration with a snort. “Baltheir’s graces, maybe ye’d be better at it if ye had yer bum diddled.”
Asha’s face burned with flush, embarrassment overcoming him in a flash as so too did the paper ignite and roar for only a fraction of a second, leaving behind a perfectly rectangular shadow of ashes. Envi stared at it before blowing gently,disrupting the perfect rectangle of ash. “Maybe she’s on to something.” His quiet musings made Asha squeak with shame.
“Lyss! Balthier, my arse, you need to stop!” Asha glared and Lyss shrugged, pulling something out of her pocket—a tart of some kind. She nibbled on it absentmindedly.
“In’t Baltheir you want on yer arse,” Lyss said. One cheek bulged with pastry.
“True.” Envi pulled a notebook from his pocket, making another note before putting yet another slice of paper down. He muttered under his breath, narrating his writing.
“By all that’s forsaken, please.” Asha sighed heavily.
“Tuesday, our forty-third day of the second season in generation 548. Our Ashen prince, mate to King Mezerath, has discovered hishair triggerwhen it comes to his magic. Let it known, this Ashen has a peculiar linkage of his burgeoning sexuality to his power. A mere mention of my brother’s coc— Fuck!” Envi’s notebook went up in a flash of flame at Asha’s glare.
“That was intentional. Saw ’im do it.” Lyss gesticulated with half a pastry, spreading crumbs about.
Envi glared at Asha and extended his singed pencil to the new sheet of paper. With a flourish, he drew a rather crude image of a cock. “What do you think of this?”
Asha stared down at it. “Lovely. Privy scribblings.”
“This is a human cock. Now, a dragon cock…” Envi proceeded to sketch a much larger… Fire erupted across the page. “I see.”
“Well, it cannot be helped. Until our young dragon has himself bedded, he’s useless. Really shouldn’t have waited, my brother-to-be.” Envi shook his head with a sigh. “Dragons need bedservants for a reason.”
Asha swore under his breath and rubbed his eyes. “Can we not blame all my issues on—” He gestured about.
“I mean, we could, but then it wouldn’t be as much fun.” Lyss took another bite of her pastry. “I mean. It’s not all bad, bein’ with your own sex.”
“What would you know about being with your own sex?” Asha huffed and metered his breath.
“Not much. Kissin’ and fingers is the fun part, anyway. Nothin’ a cock ever did for me that made my life better.” She eyed Asha up and down. “Might make yours better. Reckon if he shoves it up yer—”
“Lyss!” Asha snarled and at the spit of her name, a lick of fire flicked across his lips.
“And at that, you must be off.” Nadi came from somewhere down the hall and grabbed Lyss by her shoulders, directing her elsewhere. “I swear, that mouth on you is going to get you killed.”
“Weren’t complainin’ bout me mouth last night—” Lyss yelped loudly as Nadi engaged in some rather vicious whispering.
Envi, brow furrowed, stared at the doorway as Asha blanched.
“Huh. That’s why Nadi isn’t coupled. She’s a sapphist.” Envi shook his head.
“Coupled now, I suppose. How does it work with two women? I mean, with menfolk…uh…there’s parts that work still but…” Asha coughed as his cheeks heated.
“That is a good question… Perhaps they lay on top of one another a—” Envi flinched when Nadi stomped back down the hall and glared. “For a human, you have much fire in your eyes, miss.”
“What goes on in my bed is my business. I won’t have my lords in here speculating.” She pointed at the two of them and gripped the door’s handle. “And there’s a reason why women are good with needlework and penmanship.”
