Wings of Fire (Godstone Saga 4)

“Why are you smiling? He’s going to catch his death!” Rayne grumbled.

“Don’t mother the dragon,” Nori returned as he climbed the stairs to stand next to Rayne. “Drayce is a dragon of fire. He’ll be fine. I’m more worried about my grandson.”

So was Eno.

But as they watched, Drayce’s voice finally reached Caelan, because the young man blinked and sort of jerked as though he were waking from a trance. The storm immediately eased and the wind relented. Their king floated to the ground. The second his toes touched, he was pulling Drayce into his arms while admonishing him about being out in the cold. Drayce’s response was too muffled to hear, but he gripped Caelan tightly.

“How do we save him from the gods?” Nori asked in a low, trembling voice.

Eno’s gaze jerked over to Rayne, who was looking at him with an equally worried gaze. “Forgive me, my lord,” Rayne started softly, “but I don’t think we can.”

Eno turned his attention to Caelan and Drayce, who were picking their way through the icy courtyard, clinging to each other with their heads pressed together. “We just stand by him and protect him…until the end.”

NINETEEN

Drayce Ladon

Where the fuck were they?

Now that his former clan wasn’t trying to kill them and Caelan wasn’t in danger of destroying the world, Drayce’s brain was turning to other important things. He had a feeling that someone had told him at some point that they were with Clan Omari, and all the people running around in white robes would certainly argue that fact, but seriously…another clan took them in?

More importantly, another clan was allowing an outcast like him to stay?

Not only that, but he was staying in the main house that belonged to the clan leader. Sure, Caelan and the rest of them sleeping there made sense, but he was a Phantom now. An outcast. A nothing.

None of this was making sense. Maybe he was still asleep.

Except his toes were becoming frostbitten, and Caelan was grumping at everyone he passed on his way to taking Drayce back to bed. If this wasn’t a dream, wouldn’t they be doing more pleasant things than Caelan being irritable and bossy?

“Here, lie down,” Caelan directed as he shut the door behind them in the bedroom. “I’ll see if I can locate another blanket for you. It might be a bit before I can get you some food, but—”

“I don’t want to go to bed. I’m not tired,” Drayce argued.

“But you need to rest and heal.”

“No!” he snapped, and Caelan jerked as if Drayce had hit him. He took a deep breath and tried to temper his sharp tone. His best friend had been there every step of the way. He’d been there through that horrible moment and then every step of his recovery. He had the vaguest memory of Caelan being sick as well, but there was no point in asking him about it. Caelan would evade the question. If he wanted the truth, he’d pull it out of Rayne or Eno later.

“Sorry,” Drayce mumbled.

Caelan reached for him but stopped at the last second and drew his hand away. “No, I’m sorry. I want to help you and I’m being overbearing. I don’t…I don’t know how to help you and I’m scared of making things worse.”

“Are you scared to touch me now?” Drayce asked, hating the hardness creeping into his words.

“No. I’m scared that you don’t want me to touch you. But I do. I want to hold you and never stop.”

“Then don’t ever stop,” he choked out.

A sound escaped Caelan as he grabbed his arm and pulled him in close. His friend’s arms wrapped around him, but his hold was still too gentle, as if he were afraid of hurting him. Drayce gripped him hard and nuzzled his face against Caelan’s neck. “Tighter,” he urged. Caelan squeezed and Drayce smiled. “Tighter,” he repeated and Caelan squeezed him even harder until Drayce thought he heard bones creak. Yes, his back ached, but it was nothing compared to feeling Caelan truly holding him.

“I love you,” Caelan whispered. “I love you so much.”

Drayce’s heart skipped, and he lifted his head to find tears slipping down Caelan’s wind-chapped cheeks. Caelan had said those magical words just before leaving the prison, and Drayce had half convinced himself that he’d imagined the moment. But Caelan said them again. “You do?”

“Fuck, Drayce!” Caelan exploded, and Drayce couldn’t stop his laugh. Not the best response to finding out the man who owned your heart loved you in return, but Caelan made him lightheaded and crazy. “Have you forgotten the scary shit I’ve done because I lose my mind over you? How could you not know that I love you? That I’ve always loved you. That I’ll love you until the day I die.”

One corner of his mouth kicked up, though he’d deny it that he sniffled a little. “A guy still likes to hear the words.”