Page 37 of Ryld's Shadows
The little furrow between Ryld’s brows smoothed. The set of his body shifted so subtly it was hard to identify what changed, but Hank could just tell the threat level had been downgraded from about a three to perhaps a four. Keeping him at a steady, calm five for this trip might take some doing. The stress was enough to make him weary, for Ryld it had to be that much worse.
“I will wait for it to pass. I don’t like the way it feels at all.”
“Not a good feeling.” Hank didn’t hesitate to agree. He hated feeling mad more than anything else and usually he could let it go pretty fast. Unless he thought about someone like Cress again.Not going there. “Why don’t we get settled? The train’ll be leaving soon. Then you can watch out the window as the city goes by.”
Thankfully, Ryld was willing to allow himself to be mollified by this suggestion, and they finished stowing their bags and got comfortable. By the time the train was pulling out of the station, Ryld seemed to have gotten over his anger and, just as Hank had suggested, was watching out the window.
Hank sat with him at the window in their shared living space. Not a bad way to travel. Not at all. He knew if he’d been traveling on his own, he would’ve only had a seat in coach, crammed together with all the other travelers, sharing a bathroom. He knew it was Kai’s money paying for a private space and for that, he’d forgive Kai Hiltas alot. The drow mage had retired to his side of the suite, probably not for the night, to make a phone call. From the tone of his voice—just a little wheedling, soft and even sweet at times, Hank knew exactly who Kai was talking to.
It was adorable how devoted he was to Tenzin. Not that he would say that to Kai’s face. Ever.
Soon the city was behind them, and Kai emerged to take a seat on the bench across from them. If his eyes were red-rimmed, Hank didn’t think it would be kind to mention it.
“He worries. I suppose I’ve given Tenzi enough reason to over the years.” Kai blotted at his eyes with a handkerchief, something Hank thought had been consigned to historical TV dramas. “A phone call and a portal away, I’ve reminded him, if the separation becomes unbearable for him.”
Or for you. Again, Hank didn’t say it. He wasn’t sure how he would’ve reacted if Ryld had gone without him. Not something he’d had to think about before, really. Not something he’d expected to be thinking about. Ryld had managed to nestle up against Hank’s heart good and tight, and there wasn’t anything he could do about that now. Nor did he want to.
“Today has been difficult for you, too,” Ryld said. “Look at all of the green and blue outside…and we are here with you. Beautiful things are even more beautiful with someone to share them.”
Kai sat back, took a slow breath and turned his gaze out the window. After a few moments, he murmured, “Thank you.”
For a long time, the only sounds were the ones the train made as it rushed along the tracks.
* * * *
The swift and sharp bite of anger he had felt when Kai spoke to Hank in the hallway had disturbed Ryld a great deal. Kai was one of only two people he trusted, certainly the only drow he trusted. To find himself at odds with him was upsetting, and thankfully brief. This was what Hank had meant about people knowing about the kissing and cuddling and believing Hank wastaking advantage.
The feeling that had swept over him was more complex than simple anger though. Kai, of all people, should have known better. Should have known Ryld was capable of making his own decisions and knowing his own mind. That anger had been colored with disappointment. Once Kai had stopped being angry at Hank, and touched his arm, a different sort of anger nearly overwhelmed Ryld, much hotter than the first. The unsettling image of physically biting Kai’s hand for daring to touch Hank, just as his shadow wolves had already bitten him, came unwanted and unbidden to his mind.
Strange. Kai had done nothing wrong. He hadn’t hurt Hank. He hadn’t driven him off with words. Hank was not in danger from Kai. He didn’t need protecting. Yet Ryld struggled with an urge to grab Hank’s arm and pull him away, hide him and guard him. He knew it made no sense and might even test Hank’s seemingly endless patience. Once the anger cooled, he decided to tuck the feeling away for later. Perhaps he would discuss it with Hank, or maybe with Kai.
The rest of the day had been pleasant. There were so many interesting things to look at outside the window. Some of them he wished they could stop and look at closer. That was not possible as others on the train wouldn’t like to wait, but Hank had said maybe another time they could go to those places.
At some point food arrived. Ryld ate absently, although it tasted good. His thoughts seemed so full, and it was hard to think of one thing at a time as they kept tumbling around in confusion. He decided this was the result of being up earlier than he liked and spending a full day with all new things around him. He would have liked it very much if the cabin could become the little cave in the AURA building.
The sky outside had taken on the blue gradient of early nightfall, and Kai stood from his seat, folding his napkin carefully before returning it to the tray the food had come on. “I think I’ll take a walk through the train. Perhaps to the observation car eventually where one might see stars. I do miss stars.”
He put his phone in his pocket before sliding open the door to the corridor. “Call if you need me.”
Ryld fidgeted. Looking at the closed door, the table, the window.
After a moment Hank asked, “Ryld, would you like—?”
Ryld cut him off. “Could we practice cuddling now? Please?”
Hank chuckled and kissed Ryld’s cheek. “Of course. Do you want to help me get the beds down?”
“The beds down?”
“Yes. There are beds. Personally, I don’t want to sleep on a bench.” Hank gathered up the food tray and set it in the corridor, then showed Ryld the latches for the beds on either side of the suite. “These will be the beds.”
It was just the sort of cleverness that ordinarily would have had him fascinated and examining all the details of how it actually worked, but his mind was already overstimulated, and as soon as Hank was done lowering the bed, Ryld circled his arms around Hank and pressed his face into his chest.
“That feels wonderful,” Hank murmured against his hair as he wrapped Ryld close. “You’re so warm.”
Without letting go, Hank walked them the three steps over and pulled a partition down the center of the room, leaving the door to the corridor on the other side. “There. Now if Kai comes back late, he doesn’t have to wake us. And if it’s early, he can have his privacy. And so can we.”
Hank’s strong hands stroked along Ryld’s back, easing muscles he hadn’t realized were so tight, his lips tracing a soft line along Ryld’s brow.
