At that moment, Evrain wasn’t sure he could muster the energy to extinguish a candle flame, let alone complete the test. He was exhausted, soaked and battered bloody. His thorn-stabbed arm throbbed. The hail had eased but the rain still fell, monsoon-strength and bitterly cold.
He probed the rock bonds that secured Dominic’s wrists and ankles, manipulating the structure with imperceptible shifts, not removing the rings but stretching them until there was space between the rock and Dominic’s skin. Only a close inspection would show there was room for Dominic to pull free when he needed to.
Evrain struggled to his feet. “Come on, you bastard. Let’s finish this. You haven’t beaten me yet,” Evrain shouted into the wind and rain, his voice hoarse. He was sure the test wasn’t yet over because there was one element left that hadn’t yet been employed against him. Fire. He spared a second to wonder why his test was so much more severe than Gregory’s. Someone had something against him that was certain.
“It was good of you to ease my way for the final part of the test.” The dark figure at the edge of the hollow reappeared. “Time for you to face the dragon from the fairy tale, don’t you think?”
Evrain shook his head. “What are you talking about? Dragons don’t exist.”
“It appears young warlocks today are severely lacking in imagination.”
The ground beneath Evrain’s feet trembled and he skidded sideways in the mud, fighting to keep his balance. A deep, menacing rumble came from the crevasse he had created and clouds of steam began to form. Grateful for the heat, Evrain attempted to relax his shoulders and regain some alertness. He peered into the crack, watching in fascinated horror as a fiery orange glow rose toward him.
“Magma? You have to be fucking kidding me.” His examiner had to be an immensely powerful warlock to pull molten rock to the surface. He remembered Gregory telling him that the warlock chosen to test him would be given a boost to his power. This was a warlock on magical steroids. Despite the rising heat, Evrain shivered. Next to him, Dominic stirred and moaned but didn’t fully awaken. “Fuck, not now. Dominic, love, if you can hear me, stay put. Don’t move.”
Evrain moved away, hoping to draw whatever was coming away from Dominic, who would be utterly helpless against it. An air cushion wasn’t going to provide much protection against the heat of molten rock.
Magma welled to the surface of the crevasse then spilled over its edges, pooling in sluggish, crusted streams. As Evrain watched in horrified fascination, the pools joined, coalesced, then rose in a disturbing parody of a dragon, misshapen and deformed. It bore no resemblance to any mythical creature he’d seen in a childhood book of fairy tales, in a Disney movie or anywhere else for that matter. It was the stuff of nightmares, malevolent and intent on Evrain’s destruction.
“Do something, you moron.” Evrain drew on his deepest reserves, pulling the cold air from high above him down to surround the dragon, chilling its surface. The effort it took was immense and for a brief moment he thought it had worked as the dragon’s ‘skin’ stiffened and blackened to a shell. But then glowing cracks appeared and the shell fell away. Evrain dodged a stream of fiery rocks by the scantest of margins. Cursing, he sought the remnants of hail in the atmosphere. If air didn’t work, perhaps water would. Freezing liquid pounding against the dragon’s shape produced hissing jets of boiling steam that scalded Evrain’s skin. He twisted his hands into increasingly complex shapes, drawing on every lesson Gregory had ever drummed into him, to keep the ice frozen. The dragon sank toward the ground, just its eyes glowing red.
The pulse of power that shattered Evrain’s defenses shook him to the bone. He let out a desperate sob as the dragon began to form once more, bigger and hotter than before. He had no idea what to do. The dragon was fashioned from the earth—any attempt to use that element was going to make the situation worse.
“Fight fire with fire, love.” Dominic’s gentle voice filled Evrain’s mind. He cast an urgent glance Dominic’s way but his eyes were still closed. Relieved, Evrain though about his words. It seemed like madness, but fire was Evrain’s strength. He worked quickly, raising the temperature of the molten rock higher and higher, screaming his frustration, praying to any god that might be listening to give him a hand. He felt the bonds within the magma loosen and the outline of the monster blurred, losing definition. Evrain didn’t dare stop—he poured his power into increasing the temperature until finally, the dragon exploded into a gaseous cloud, dissipating on the wind. Something inside Evrain’s tortured body broke and this time he couldn’t resist the darkness that crashed over him.
* * * *
“Am I dead?” Evrain regained consciousness with a jolt and a not inconsiderable amount of pain. “Hurts enough to be dead. Fuck.”
“You’re not dead.” The amusement in Dominic’s patient tone gave Evrain the will to crack an eyelid. “You look it, but you’re breathing so I’m thinking funeral arrangements are premature, which is good because black doesn’t suit me.”
“Where’s…”
“The tester?” Dominic blinked. “He dropped by, along with his partner. He had a few choice curse words to share about you. Apparently you gave him quite the headache. His partner was sweet though, and a tad more apologetic.”
“He didn’t hurt you?” Evrain heaved himself into a sitting position, glancing around in confusion. “Wait, where the hell am I? What happened to the cavern? How on earth did you get me back through those underground passages?”
“He said the illusion had been some of his best work… Killian, that is. The other warlock.”
“Illusion my ass. There was a mine shaft, workings, then this huge hollow where a cave roof had fallen in. I climbed a fucking mountain to get to a usable entrance shaft. You were laid out on a slab like some sacrificial princess from a bad B-movie.”
“Wow, it sounds impressive.”
Evrain was not impressed by Dominic’s admiration for the other warlock. He scowled. “He… I… Oh fuck it, I’ll tell you later. Where are we?”
“Just inside the boundary fence to the mine workings. The car is over there.” Dominic gestured over Evrain’s head. “I woke up next to you about half an hour ago. I had the most peculiar dreams…well, nightmares I suppose. There was ice, thorns, a waterfall, a volcano? Not sure, it’s all a bit hazy. Killian appeared, checked if I was okay, felt for your pulse…he said you may have over-extended yourself a little.”
“He… I’m gonna kill him. Slowly. With a rusty tin opener to the balls.”
“You can’t. He left in a helicopter fifteen minutes ago, while you were still snoozing. He said, after forty years of testing warlocks from all over the planet, he’d never come across one with so much power, so young. He told me I had his sympathy.”
“I was not snoozing! Whose side are you on?” Evrain cast a critical gaze over Dominic. He was disheveled but apparently not injured. Dark circles around his eyes and a few lines of tension betrayed how frightened he really was.
“Yours. Always yours.” Dominic dropped to his knees next to Evrain then flung his arms around him. He burst into desperate sobs. “I thought you were gone. Don’t ever do that to me again.”
Evrain held him close, absorbing his warmth. “I’m here. I’m fine. Never gonna leave you. Not ever. You’re mine, remember.” He hardly knew what he was saying, just that he had to give comfort to his shattered lover. “We need to get out of here. Do you think you can drive, because I don’t think I can manage that?”
Dominic snuffled a damp confirmation into Evrain’s neck. He pulled away with reluctance. “I’m pathetic. You’re wet, cold and hurt and here I am acting like a child. I can’t do anything for you here. Are we going back to the hotel?”
“Yes. I want to get off this island as quickly as possible. No offense to the people of Skye but it’ll be a cold day in hell before I come here again.”
“Can you make it to the car?”
Evrain wasn’t sure he could stand but nothing was going to stop him
leaving. He dragged himself to his feet, every muscle protesting. He gritted his teeth, refusing to upset Dominic by letting him know how much pain each and every movement caused. The short trip to the car was agonizing and by the time he slumped into the passenger seat, Evrain had to fight to hold on to consciousness. Dominic fussed over him, reclining the seat so he could stretch out, before getting behind the wheel. He turned the heat on full. “Sleep now. I’ll wake you when we get back to the hotel.”
“I’m fine.”
“You are not fine. For once, I’m in charge, so do as I tell you, Evrain Brookes, or I’ll… I’ll…”
“You’ll what?” Evrain liked this new, commanding side to Dominic.
“I’ll withhold bedroom benefits for a week.”
“Bedroom benefits?” Evrain snickered.
“No sex, Ev. Not unless you behave.”
“Pretty sure that’s gonna hurt you as much as me, love.”
“Don’t care… What is it you Brits say? No nookie. You need to rest. I’ve never seen skin quite that shade of gray before.”
“Gray has never been my color.” Evrain’s words slurred. Sleep wasn’t such a bad idea. “The test is over, right? No more nasty surprises?”
“It’s over. It’s safe to rest, sweetheart.”
“’Kay.” Evrain couldn’t hold his eyelids up any longer. Even the bumpy track out of the mine workings couldn’t keep him from sleep.
Dominic clung to the steering wheel much tighter than he needed to. He was angry, absolutely furious, that Evrain had been hurt. He wanted to hear every detail of the test he had been an unwilling part of. Evrain must be wondering why, and how, Dominic had disappeared from the hotel, but that could all wait. He wanted Evrain in a place where he could strip him bare and examine every wound, however small. He planned a long soak in the bath followed by a first aid session and a hot meal. It was a shame Killian couldn’t have transported them back to the hotel using magic. The mundane function of driving seemed surreal somehow, but the winding road out of the Cuillins took concentration—it kept his mind from imploding. No doubt Evrain would have covered the distance quicker, but Dominic took extra care with the unfamiliar, wild terrain. He recognized the tension in his shoulders when he reached the Skye Bridge, groaning at his cracking joints when he rocked his head from side to side. He needed a massage in the worst way. Lying on a cold stone slab for Lord only knew how long hadn’t helped, his back and hips ached horribly.
Crossing the bridge felt like an important milestone, placing the test in the past. It wasn’t far back to Plockton and the hotel, but Dominic took his time, wanting to give Evrain some much needed rest before he had to wake him. It was strange to be the one in charge. Dominic was so used to submitting to Evrain, to letting him take the lead, that even having a modicum of control was alien. He didn’t like it. He felt unsure and vulnerable without Evrain’s steady, authoritative presence.
“I can do this.” He ground the gears changing down and cursed before shifting more smoothly. “Foreign driving doesn’t count. Why don’t these people use automatics like the rest of the sane world?”
“Because we prefer to caress the engine into obedience rather than let it do its own thing.” Evrain gave him a sleep-infused smile.
“I woke you! Sorry.” Dominic blushed as he realized Evrain wasn’t talking about the car. “We’re almost back—just a few more minutes. Not sure how we’re gonna get you inside without arousing a lot of curiosity, though. You look like a plane crash survivor or something.”
“The room key is in the glove compartment. I didn’t hand it in, so we wait for reception to be busy then walk past. We’ll take the stairs rather than wait for the elevator, then we won’t be trapped with other people. And, if anyone does ask, we say I took a tumble while we were out hiking.”
“Can you manage the stairs?”
“That nap has worked wonders. Don’t worry about me.”
“You’re such a liar.” Dominic steered the car into a parking space as close to the hotel’s door as he could get. “But I’ll let you off until we get upstairs. Then I’m in charge.”
Evrain licked his lips. “That sounds…intriguing.”
“You’re incorrigible.”
“I’m the man that survived a warlock trial intact. I have a new appreciation for being not dead.”
Dominic snorted. He turned off the ignition and relaxed in his seat. The silence was blissful.
“Let’s go, gorgeous. We have a lot of catching up to do and I don’t know about you, but I’m starving. I could eat an entire Aberdeen Angus.”
“No!” Dominic had to protest. “They’re the cute hairy orange ones, aren’t they?”
“Yep, and very tasty they are too.”
“Stop! I’m going to become a vegetarian. Promise me you won’t order the cute cow.”
“You are so soft-hearted.” Evrain leaned across and planted a kiss on Dominic’s cheek. “But fine. I enjoy a good mushroom risotto as much as the next man. Can we get inside now?”
“Oh! Yes.” Dominic shook his head. He’d been debating food choices when Evrain was bleeding in the passenger seat. “I’m not doing a very good job, am I?”
“You’re doing fine.”
Dominic didn’t believe him. He noted every cringe and wince as Evrain traversed the busy reception area. He limped ahead up the stairs and their luck held, not passing a soul on the way to their floor. Closing the door to their room behind them achieved sanctuary. The peace and quiet cleared Dominic’s head and he swung into action. Taking care of his lover was something he could do.
Chapter Seven
“Take your clothes off, Evrain. I’m going to run you a bath.” When Evrain didn’t move, Dominic frowned. He set the bath running then returned to help Evrain undress.
“Sorry. Everything hurts.” Evrain stood placid as Dominic removed items of filthy, sodden, torn clothing.
“I’m not surprised. Sit on the edge of the bed.”
Evrain plonked his bare ass on the edge of the mattress, which allowed Dominic to pull off boots, socks and pants. He grabbed a hotel robe, slinging it around Evrain’s shaking shoulders to keep him warm while he attended to the bath. He was worried—he’d never known Evrain so quiet and still.
“I’m going to be fine, you know.” Dominic spun around to find Evrain leaning against the doorframe. “I need sleep, that’s all. I can see the cogs whirring in that brain of yours, so stop worrying. I’m not going to keel over, though I think you’ll need to join me in the bath just in case I fall asleep and drown.”
“Stop leering. You need to save your energy.” Dominic hid a smile and swirled his hand through the water, checking the temperature. The soft impact of fabric against tile told Dominic that Evrain had dropped the robe. A touch to his hair brought him to his feet and he gasped. Large parts of Evrain’s beautiful body were bruised, grazed or cut. He held his hands stiffly as if moving his fingers hurt. Skin that hadn’t been covered by clothing was coated in a layer of muck. “In the water. Right now!”
With careful movements Evrain climbed into the tub. He lowered himself into the water with a happy sigh. “Feels great, but it’ll be even better when you’re in here with me.”
It was pointless to argue that Evrain would be better off soaking alone. The tub was big enough for two with room to spare so Dominic stripped, leaving his clothes where they fell. He knelt in the water facing Evrain, the water reaching his waist, then lathered a sponge with creamy soap. With tender strokes he cleaned Evrain’s battered body, working down from the shoulders. Every swipe seemed to reveal another cut or bruise.
“I want to know how you got every one of these,” Dominic muttered as blood from a freshly opened cut stained the water.
“And I’ll tell you.” Evrain grabbed his wrist. “But now I want you to turn around and lean against me. I want your skin against mine.” He parted his legs to make room. With some clumsy sploshing, Dominic managed to sit in the vacated space and lean his back
against Evrain’s chest.
“Tell me if I hurt you,” he said, not resting his whole weight on Evrain’s body.
In answer, Evrain wrapped his arms around Dominic’s waist, pulling him closer. “Need to feel you.” He trailed his fingers over Dominic’s belly, moving lower until he could wrap his fist around Dominic’s flaccid cock. “This is mine. You’re mine. No one is ever going to separate us without my permission again.” His fierce tone sent a shiver through Dominic’s body.
“Okay.”
“That’s it? Just okay?”
“Not gonna argue with something I like the sound of. Life’s way too short.”
“Good.” Evrain relaxed against the end of the bath as if Dominic’s response had drained the tension from his body. “I wish we could stay like this forever.”
“We’d both end up wrinkled as prunes.”
“Then we should relocate to bed.”
“Not until you’ve eaten. I need to wash your hair too, and we’re sitting in icky water so a quick rinse is required.”
“Slave driver.” Evrain made no attempt to move.
“The quicker you’re clean, the sooner we can be tucked beneath the covers.” Evrain still had a firm hold of Dominic’s cock and seemed to have no immediate intention of letting go. “Um, Ev…?”
“What?”
“I need my dick back.”
“But I wanna keep it,” Evrain whined, making Dominic chuckle.
“You’re half asleep. You can have it back when we’re in bed.”
Evrain pouted but loosened his grip so that Dominic could deal with the shower head attached to the taps. He persuaded Evrain to his knees, pulled out the plug then shampooed and rinsed first Evrain’s hair, then his own. By the time he was satisfied that Evrain was free of blood and grime and dry enough for bed, Evrain could hardly keep his eyes open.
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