His mind wandered to the handsome warrior undressing in the room next door. Blood rushed to his groin as he wondered just how amazing Miceral would look without his clothes. To prevent serious embarrassment, he slipped into the tub with his back to the door. He slid down until the water reached his chin, leaned forward, and dunked his head. Tapping a square tile on the wall, he opened a hidden compartment to reveal the soap.
Helping himself to a large, white-blue hunk, Farrell began to wash to keep his thoughts off Miceral’s naked body.
“Mind moving up a bit so I can wash your back?”
Water splashed everywhere as the soap flew out of his hand. “Holy Honorus, you scared me.”
“Sorry.” Miceral picked up the soap. Completely naked, he was even more attractive than Farrell imagined. The water hid his excitement, but Miceral’s was on full display.
“Come on, move up. I need to get in,” Miceral said, looking slightly flushed. “Unless you were only kidding about me washing your back.”
“No, of course I wasn’t kidding.” Farrell moved forward. “I just got . . . ah . . . a bit distracted.”
“Naughty thoughts of me, I hope.” Miceral laughed and climbed in behind Farrell.
“Well, not exactly naughty.” Another minute or two and they would’ve been. “But they were of you.”
Miceral sat with his legs on either side of Farrell. This close, he felt the size difference more acutely. Pressed against Miceral’s sculpted, muscular body, Farrell wanted to hide his thin, pale frame.
“I recall you asked me to wash your back.” Miceral rubbed the bar of soap over Farrell’s skin. Several times he stopped, using his callused hand to work the soap into a lather. Twice Farrell felt him stop in places he knew he had a particularly visible scar. “How in Nendor did you get so many scars on your back? These are like nothing I’ve seen before.”
Embarrassed, Farrell thanked the gods he sat in front of Miceral. “Guess you’ve never washed the back of a wizard before. Those are the marks of failed attempts to shield myself.”
“With scars like these, it’s a wonder you’re alive.” The concern in his voice brought a smile to Farrell’s lips.
“No, nothing like that.” He tried to twist around without success. “Most of those are old. Novices tend to focus on what they can see when they practice shielding, meaning their front. To teach the value of full-body shields, good teachers will attack their student’s back as a first lesson. Almost every young wizard gets singed a few dozen times before they remember to make their shields strong all over.”
He relaxed, enjoying the forceful hands that worked his back. “So you can add scarred to scrawny and pale when you tell others what I look like with my clothes off.” The small laugh he added did little to make it sound like a joke.
Miceral stopped moving. “You think this means so little to me that I’ll tell everyone what we do tonight? You must not have a high opinion of me if you believe I’d disrespect us both like that.”
Farrell tried to turn again, but a pair of powerful legs trapped him. “Actually,” his voice was barely more than a whisper, “it’s how little I think of myself. I can’t understand how someone like you could find me attractive. I’m skinny, pale, scarred, and ugly. If I weren’t a wizard, I’d be a scribe or bookkeeper and entirely unremarkable.”
Miceral pulled him closer despite his attempts to get away. “No magic, and don’t pull away from me, please.” Farrell relaxed a bit, and he sank back into the heated water, wrapped in Miceral’s arms. “First, you’re not ugly. Far from it. You’re adorable and handsome. I know several young ladies who are unhappy you are interested in me. You’re also too hard on yourself, little one. Okay, that’s bad. Here you are self-conscious about your size and I keep calling you ‘little one.’ It really is a term of affection, you know, even if you feel it’s not.”
“I know, or at least I know you mean it as such. But it does remind me of how different we are.”
“And is that so bad? Should I walk away because I can’t heat water with a thought or toss energy from my hands?” Miceral ran his palms gently over Farrell’s torso. “You’re an amazing person. I find myself wondering what you see in a big oaf like me. Sure, I can lift a horse or crush a rock in my hand, but compared to you, I’m small and fragile. But I still want to be with you if you’ll have me. You’re fearless and brave, and you fight for others. Just being with you makes me feel special.”
Miceral brushed his lips across Farrell’s ear. “How about we enjoy each other as we are? It really would be easier than you always wondering if you’re good enough for me. And speaking of that, remember it was you who rode through an army of Chamdon to save me, not the other way around.”
Farrell said nothing for fear his voice would crack. Instead, he hugged the arms around him tighter. He settled back against Miceral’s chest, noting his partner’s arousal. A smile of contentment found its way onto his face while he lay there.
The effect of the water and Miceral holding him caused him to drift in and out of sleep. Vaguely, he recognized Miceral gently running his soapy hands all over. He stood when asked and dried himself and brushed his teeth out of habit. Somehow, he remembered to set out a new brush for Miceral before he left the room. Half asleep, he flopped on his bed and buried his face in a thick, soft pillow. Lying naked across the bed, he forgot about the guest he’d begged to stay with him for the night.
FARRELL WOKE several hours later, finding himself in the arms of a sleeping man. It took him a moment to realize the bath had not been a dream and Miceral breathed softly behind him.
He smiled, enjoying the warmth of the body pressed against him. As he rolled onto his back, Miceral’s hand moved with him and ended up on his stomach. With a whisper, he dimmed the lights, leaving just enough to simulate the light that would come through a normal window. Miceral stirred, eventually opening his eyes.
“Hello,” Farrell said. “Surprised to see you stayed after I fell asleep on you like that. Sorry I didn’t warn you that sometimes I pass out after using too much magic at one time.”
“I might have gone back to my room had you not deliberately kept its location from me.” His smile told Farrell he wasn’t really annoyed. “In truth, I was afraid to disturb your sleep, but you looked so beautiful with your naked ass in the air, I just had to stay.”
Embarrassed, Farrell laughed at the description of his ass. “Having lived here alone so long, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve stumbled from the bath and fallen onto the bed without bothering to dress. After the staff found me like that a few times, you’d think I’d put a spell on the door to my bedroom to make sure it wouldn’t open without my permission.”
Miceral smiled, gently running his fingers over Farrell’s chest and stomach. “I’m sure that was a show most would welcome.”
Stifling the denial he wanted to make, he shrugged. “I’m glad you stayed, despite my rude behavior. Waking in your arms like that was a dream come true. I want to curl up and fall asleep there again.”
“So what’s stopping you?”
Rather than answer with words, Farrell took the hand gently caressing him and led it down. Miceral grinned as his hand confirmed Farrell’s excitement. Tossing his insecurities aside, Farrell leaned over and passionately kissed his partner. Miceral responded without restraint.
Though no novice in bed, Farrell’s heart pounded and he shook as Miceral used strong hands to gently explore his body. Before he reached an early climax, Farrell shifted positions, moving on top of Miceral. Using his hands and lips, he took his time examining Miceral’s amazing body. Drifting lower, he used his mouth and tongue to bring Miceral to the edge, then ignored the plea to stop.
Smirking, Miceral switched positions, and Farrell let him return the favor. Before long, Farrell tensed and he found release. When his body stopped twitching, Miceral kissed his way back up until they shared the same pillow.
Breathless, Farrell snuggled closer, letting Miceral envelop
him in his powerful arms. “That was so amazing.”
“You’re amazing,” Miceral whispered. “I could hold you like this forever.”
He tightened his grip on Miceral’s arms. “Who’s asking you to stop?”
Miceral kissed the back of his neck in response. Fatigue soon overcame passion. Feeling safer than he could remember, Farrell let sleep reclaim him. Miceral’s warm breath and hard body filled his thoughts as he fell asleep.
Chapter Nine
FARRELL SLEPT until he heard someone shuffling about the room. Rolling over, he tried to ignore Lisle, but Miceral sat straight up.
“My, aren’t you a jumpy thing. Not at all like your friend there.” Lisle’s voice took on an acerbic tone. “I had your things moved to these rooms. A rather persistent unicorn kept insisting the temple send clerics to my room with instructions to move your bags here.” She continued to move about the room, gathering dirty clothes, unfazed by Miceral’s presence.
“Thank you,” Miceral said. “I wouldn’t have known where to find my room. We came here first, and Farrell fell asleep before he found someone to show me to my quarters.”
Farrell pushed his head farther into his pillow.
“Hmm, is that right?”
He heard Lisle leave and groaned into his pillow, knowing where she was headed next.
“When his royal messiness wakes up,” she called from the adjoining room, “remind him to drain the tub.”
“Um, sure,” Miceral answered as Farrell poked his head up.
Rolling his eyes, he mouthed the word Lisle before planting a soft kiss on Miceral’s neck. “Good morning, Lisle.” He leaned over and brushed his lips across Miceral’s cheek.
Lisle stomped back into the room. “Well, well, my messy little wizard prince has decided to grace us with his magnificent presence.” Farrell rolled onto his stomach, pulling the ends of the pillow up around his head.
Miceral snickered before rubbing his back.
“Now, none of that, lad. It’s long past time for you to be up. I can’t clean until you get your lazy, naked bottom out of bed. No offense to you, Master . . .?”
“Miceral.”
Farrell steeled himself for her response.
“Nice to meet you, Miceral, even if Farrell is too ill-mannered to have introduced us properly.” She paused long enough for Farrell to shake his head into the pillow. “If it isn’t too inconvenient, would you please empty that oversized tub of yours?”
Turning again, he noticed Miceral, red-faced, clearly uncomfortable with Lisle standing in the doorway.
“Yes, Lisle, my apologies for being rude and not introducing you to Miceral and for forgetting yet again to drain the tub. I’m an awful person. I don’t deserve you in the least.”
“You’re right, you don’t deserve me, but I’ll keep trying to make you presentable all the same. There’s food on the table. Hurry up and eat; then get out. Show your friend around or something. Here’s an idea. Show him his room so he isn’t stuck here with you forever.” With an exaggerated turn, she left.
He mumbled a spell, rolling his eyes. “The tub is drained, Lisle. Is there anything else I can do?”
“Yes,” she called from somewhere else in the apartment. “Get up and get out!”
He snapped his hand at the door and it swung shut. “Remind me to make sure to change the spell on that door. When we’re in here, I don’t want anyone, not even Lisle, to have access.” He sighed heavily, then pushed the covers off.
“Lenore’s bright eyes, that is a sassy woman.” Despite his obvious embarrassment earlier, Miceral smiled broadly now. “Where did you find her?”
“She’s been at Haven since before I was born. When my former master died, she adopted me as her mission in life. Given how inept I am at housekeeping, I quickly became her full-time assignment. I pay her enough to cover her loss of other paying clients, and she seems content to make sure I stay in line.” Farrell climbed out of bed. He walked over to his closet, pulled out a pair of baggy linen pants, and stepped into them.
Still in bed, Miceral scanned the room.
Farrell noticed Miceral’s search and held up a finger. “Hold on. I’ll find your things.” Opening the door, he went into the main room. Back against the far wall, someone had stacked several canvas bags neatly in a row. He ignored the long, narrow bag, assuming it contained weapons. The first two he hefted felt far too heavy to contain clothing. The last two felt lighter, so he decided to take them both rather than check the contents.
One in each hand, he marched back to his room and kicked the door closed when he passed. “Hopefully, these have what you need.”
Miceral threw the covers back, causing Farrell to stare. Smiling, he met Miceral’s gaze and received a wink in return. Miceral grabbed both bags and tossed them on the bed.
“These are most of my clothes. Were there others, or is this it?” Miceral never turned around, so Farrell kept his eyes fixed on his flawless ass. Miceral rummaged through the closest pack and pulled out a tunic and pants before facing Farrell. “Were there others?”
Caught staring, Farrell blushed furiously. “Um . . . there were several others, but these seemed to have clothing in them.”
Farrell noticed the food Lisle had delivered. He motioned for Miceral to sit as he took the nearest chair.
Miceral stared at the hallway leading to the vestibule. “I can check to see they’re all there later.”
In addition to Farrell’s favorite cheese, Lisle had the kitchen send up four others, along with bread and butter, a half dozen boiled eggs, water, and coffee.
“By the Six! Do you eat like this every day?” Miceral joined him at the small table.
“Well, no, this was clearly meant to be special. Despite her sharp tongue, Lisle really does look out for me. She’s been like my mother since . . . since I got here.”
Farrell stared at the food, his chest suddenly tight. After a few moments, Farrell realized Miceral had stopped eating. Drawing his attention from the food, he saw Miceral staring at him, peeled egg in hand.
“What’s wrong?” He put his food down and reached across the small stone table.
Farrell swallowed hard. “My mother stood beside Heminaltose, defending Yar-del the day Meglar captured the city. They died to make sure I survived and had time to bring the remains of Yar-del’s Source safely to Haven.”
He reached for an egg to cover his sadness. “It’s really not something I wish to discuss today, if that’s okay. But before you hear it from someone else, on that day I had a chance to kill Meglar and prevent all the misery he has brought to the world. Obviously, I failed. The sacking of the other three kingdoms, the loss of your home, the untold number of lives he warped and twisted to create his army of Chamdon—none of that would’ve occurred if I hadn’t failed that day.”
Staring at the food, he almost put it down. Miceral ran his thumb across the back of Farrell’s hand.
“How about we have that discussion another time, like you suggested? It’s clear it upsets you.” Miceral waited for Farrell to calm before continuing. “I won’t judge you, Farrell. We’ve all failed before.”
Farrell shook his head. “I doubt anyone else can say, ‘Because I failed, four kingdoms fell and tens of thousands of lives were destroyed.’”
“It was ten years ago. You were young and had not come fully into your power. Others far more powerful and experienced than you also failed that day. So the blame is hardly yours.” He bent across the small table and kissed Farrell lightly on the lips. “We’ll talk about this another day. Perhaps when we know each other better and you won’t worry I’ll leave.”
Farrell took small bites of food before he felt he could speak without his voice cracking. “Thank you.”
Miceral nodded but remained quiet. Once Farrell started eating, he realized the lunch the day before had been his last meal. He managed to devour more than half the food and reached for more when Miceral pushed back from the table, shaking his head.
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br /> “Will there be food enough for my people when you’re finished?”
Farrell shrugged, popping the last of the cheese into his mouth. “High magic is very taxing.” Full, he stood up to check on the bath chamber. Finding it clean and Lisle gone, he returned to his room and a smiling Miceral.
Part of him felt bad he hadn’t given Miceral the option of leaving.
But he also didn’t want Miceral to leave—ever.
“I’m sorry about last night. I didn’t plan to trap you here. After some quiet time alone, I really did plan to take you to your room. I left you no choice but to stay with me, and that was wrong. I’ll see to it that your things are moved to your quarters, and I’ll take you there when we leave.”
Miceral’s unfocused eyes remained fixed on a blank wall. Nodding slowly, he finally met Farrell’s gaze. “Does it seem to you we’ve moved too fast, too soon? I mean, I’ve known you less than four days, and already I’m ready to move in and spend the rest of my life with you.”
Farrell sat back down, hoping to find the right words. “I’ve given great thought to that same question. In some ways I’d say, yes, we’re going too fast. Then again, Honorus and Lenore made it clear we’re meant to be together. Perhaps that’s reduced any apprehension on our parts?”
Miceral shook his head twice. “I’m not sure I agree. My desire to be with you isn’t because Lenore said so. As I said before, I feel complete. I knew when I met you that you were the one.”
Farrell’s face split into a huge grin. “Did I tell you that as soon as I met you, I said a prayer to Honorus, begging that you be the one He meant?”
Miceral laughed. “No, you didn’t mention that.”
Farrell gave him a smile and a shrug but didn’t know what else to say.
“Should we take a step back?” Miceral finally broke the silence. “Or keep going and see what happens?”
Farrell stared into Miceral’s deep blue eyes and made a decision not to shy away. “I have no idea if I’m crazy or right, but I’m certain you’re the one I want to spend my life with. Silly, foolish, impulsive, whatever, I don’t care. So I’m not sure if I answered your question, but yes, we are moving at breakneck speed, but no, I don’t care because I don’t think it’s wrong.”
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