Page 10 of Silver
“I lived in a van that couldn’t drive,” Niam added, likely thinking this would be another one of those bonding moments he was so fond of. I was, too, but I never admitted that.
“I lived on a couch at my friend’s place for a year before I bought the van we drive in now,” Xari piped in, adding his own story to the bonding experience.
Niam suddenly looked like a light bulb went off in his head, and looking directly at Wilston he blurted, “Hey, where did you end up when you went through the portal? I was dumped in the middle of a forest.”
“Oh, I was transported to a field of flowers,” he answered, not making eye contact as he gathered his stuff.
The no eye contact thing didn’t phase Niam, who kept going, “Wow! That must’ve been lovely.”
Wilston shook his head. “It would’ve been, if it hadn’t taken me several hours before I reached people.”
“Hours?” we all asked in unison.
He just nodded, still not looking at us.
“Well, it seems the leaders were kinder to me and Xari then,” Niam said, looking sadly at the hardwood floor. I decided not to mention that it’d taken Niam hours until he’d found people, too.
Wilston turned and finally looked at us, “What happened to you then, Silver?”
Oh…. my name on his lips were doing things to me. Even if the topic wasn’t a fond one. “I um, I was dumped in the ocean. It was freezing and the only way I found my way out was because a lighthouse guided my way. I walked into a city wearing wet clothes and fainted. Woke up in the hospital with a bill and the knowledge I’d almost died of hypothermia.”
They all just stood there gaping at me. I gave them a “what?”look.
Niam shook his head, “You’ve… you’ve never told us that part before, just ‘the dumped in the ocean’ one.”
“Oh,” I said, realizing he was right. “But now you know.” I gave them a weak smile.
Xari threw Wilston a knowing look and I hoped whatever I’d just told them hadn’t made Wilston think less of me.
Chapter 9
Wilston
He’d almost died.
That had been my one thought ever since we left my apartment. Silver had almost died on his very first day on Sutiner. I’d never felt so weak before, so… powerless. And coming from a magicless mage, that said a lot.
The man I was slowly becoming obsessed with slept soundly next to me. It was both torture and heaven. He’d tried to ask me a few questions before we fell asleep, but when moans had started coming from the van, the awkwardness had been too much to bear, both ofus actively trying to block them out with earplugs. I’d questioned why Silver had offered them to me as soon as we’d gotten into the small teardrop trailer, but not even ten minutes later, I’d both understoodandbeen grateful.
I wanted to talk to Silver more, but I wanted to do it without the others, and seeing as we were the weak targets, we couldn’t exactly go off on our own, not even for a little while. This time now should be the perfect opportunity, but since Xarius seemed determined to fuck Niam for hours, it wasn’t happening. Maybe we would get the chance tomorrow.
I closed my eyes and decided that no matter what, I would talk to Silver. Alone. I just hoped I wouldn’t offend him.
I woke up to Silver’s voice, and it was honestly a scene I’d wished to see, not just overhear. I was alone in the trailer and could hear Silver raise his voice at Niam and Xarius. “How the hell are we supposed to know if we’re soulmatched if you two keep fucking so loudly thatwe can’t even carry on a conversation?! It’s not like we can take a nice stroll somewhere and talk there.”
There was a beat of silence, then Xarius spoke, “Um, I guess we could tone it down.” I grinned, glad no one could see me. Silver was feisty, and so unlike me in almost every way. But I liked that about him. I liked that he wasn’t holding back like I was. He was too beautiful to hide himself away.
“Why don’t you just talk while we drive?” Niam said, sounding both confused and embarrassed.
“Because,” Silver sassed, “We can’t be in the teardrop when you drive and maybe we want to have an actual conversation without you overhearing us.” I nodded my agreement, not that they could see it, but I still felt like I was a part of it.
Xarius laughed. “Is that’s what stopping you? We can play some music or something, whatever to help.”
“Ah, whatever will help so you can keep fucking every night? You know it ain’t just my beauty sleep you’re affecting now.” Damn, Silver was sexy when he talked like that.
Xarius laughed, “I will agree to almost anything to have my wicked way with my bonded every single night, but I also agree thatwe need to make sure you two can bond. If you’re soulmatches then you’d likely want to get your magic and do the binding ritual.”
And that’s when my world stopped around me. Those next words from Silver’s perfect lips, spoken without any doubt, without a trace of sadness about it. “Oh, I already know he’s mine. I just need him to know it, too,” he said.
