Everything about their second time was rougher. Rayne bit and clawed at him while Eno fucked his ass hard with his fingers. They needed this even though they’d both come only minutes ago. They needed this second cry in the night, to remind them both they were still alive and fighting. Rayne keened in his ear, seeming to desperately reach for the orgasm just past his fingertips.
Finally, Rayne wrapped his hand around both their dicks, stroking them together. Eno swore, stars exploding behind his eyes as he came suddenly. His brain was just clicking on when he felt Rayne follow him over the edge.
His balls were fucking dust, and he barely had the strength to hold them both upright. It was on incredibly shaky legs that they both finished washing and rinsing in now ice-cold water. They dried and dressed in silence, with Eno helping Rayne as his sore muscles stiffened. Eno caught the smiles and glances from Rayne. A soft blush painted his pale cheeks, and Eno wanted to kiss his swollen lips all over again.
He wished they could linger in the bathroom, hiding from the rest of the world and life, but exhaustion was weighing on him, and Rayne was starting to sway on his feet. They needed sleep.
Eno slipped out of the bathroom first, breathing a sigh of relief at the sound of Caelan and Drayce’s snoring filling the apartment. They’d slept through the bathroom antics, thank the gods. He quickly put out a blanket and pillow on the couch for Rayne, then made a spot for himself on the floor next to the couch.
Rayne threw him one last smirk before stretching out on the sofa. Eno lay down and closed his eyes, sure that he’d never felt so tired or so relaxed in all his life.
“I think…we shouldn’t tell them,” Rayne whispered.
Eno smiled to himself in the darkness. He’d been expecting this. “Caelan has enough to worry about.”
Fingers threaded through his short hair in a soothing caress, and Eno opened his eyes to find the faint outline of Rayne’s smiling face above his. “But I am so looking forward to seeing their expressions when we do tell them.”
Eno grinned at him, his heart feeling light enough to float right out of his chest. Yes, that was going to be fun, too.
13
Caelan Talos
Sirelis was and wasn’t what Caelan expected it to be.
But after two days of driving, Caelan was happy to be anywhere that meant they could stop moving for a while. The old van Warner had sold them for a pittance proved to be a bit temperamental on the road, requiring several stops for repairs. The clunker’s shocks were also worn, making the ride more than a little uncomfortable through some of the rural parts of Caspagir.
Not that it mattered too much. Caelan had been trapped in a quagmire of his own thoughts for much of the ride. He still felt lost with the death of his mother and the capture of Stormbreak as well as the Godstone. Yes, they had a plan to talk to Queen Noemi, but then what? Was she really going to help them?
He was doubting more and more that Sirelis was a trap. If his mother had been trying to protect him, she wouldn’t send him straight into the waiting arms of enemies. At least not knowingly.
But if Amara wanted him safe, why didn’t she send him to Ilon? Why Caspagir? That was what didn’t make sense to him. He clenched his teeth against another swell of frustration that inevitably ebbed and gave way to more pain. Why did she have to trust him so little with her thoughts? Why couldn’t she have talked to him more?
Caelan leaned his head on the window of the van and rubbed his eyes. He was tired of trying to unravel the schemes and plans of his mother. It was too late to understand why she’d done anything. He needed to focus on the problems that were right in front of him. There were plenty of those.
“There. Take that exit to the Thrudesh Bridge,” Rayne instructed, breaking the silence of the van. The man hummed softly to himself. “How lovely. They were nearly finished with it when I left Sirelis.”
Caelan blinked and sat up to look out the front window around Eno in the driver’s seat. He glanced at Rayne as he winced and shifted in his seat again. His advisor was still stiff and sore from the battle, but he was starting to move easier now. As they left Shallow Edge, he’d tried to ask about his injuries, but Eno just murmured that he’d keep an eye on Rayne. Caelan had nodded and dropped the subject.
Spending so many years with Rayne had afforded him some insight into the reserved man. He always prided himself on being pulled together and prepared. He loathed weakness in himself. An injury of any kind would be classified under weakness, and Caelan didn’t want to add to his discomfort by asking a lot of questions. If Eno said he had the matter in hand, Caelan was happy to ignore Rayne’s winces for now.