Healing Fire (9 page)

He bent down to look underneath, and Jules landed on his back, his prince pouncing him. He straightened in surprise, nearly bucking Jules off. He reached back, holding Jules where he was so his prince didn’t go flying.

“Got you!” Jules crowed.

Wicked little prince.

“You do! Now what are you going to do with me?” Laughing, he spun slowly.

“Keep you forever!”

He kept spinning, moving faster and faster. Jules threw his head back, calling out happily. When Lem collapsed onto the bed, he made sure to fall face-first so he didn’t crush his prince.

Jules rubbed against him, cuddling happily.

“We’ll do this every day, my prince.” He needed Jules to be able to react immediately, no matter what else was going on. Even if they were cuddling like this, enjoying each other so much.

“Spinning? I like spinning.”

“I can be as stubborn as you when it comes to your safety. You know I meant practicing our code words and your ability to respond to them.”

“Spinning is more fun.”

“We can spin every day, too. And do this.” He tugged Jules off, then turned around and pulled his prince back onto him before pressing his lips to Jules, rewarding both of them for having focussed at least a little on the protocols. Jules made him smile, made him hard and happy and terrified that someone might harm his prince. He slid his fingers beneath Jules’ clothes, tugging them off so he could touch the lovely skin. So silky and warm, and his prince smelled wonderful.

“Mmm. Lem.” Jules sprawled above him, pressed against him.

“This’ll be our reward. Doesn’t that sound good?” He slid his hands up Jules’ sides, thumbs reaching to touch Jules’ nipples.

“Yes. That is good. A reward.” Jules arched up, pushed into his touch.

He flicked his fingers across the little bits of flesh, fascinated by how they had hardened for him.

Jules touched his fingers, eyes wide. “You make everything hard.”

“I bring you pleasure.” It felt so good, knowing he did.

“Yes. So much.”

“Good.” The word was fierce as it came out of him, and Lem pushed up into a kiss, just as fiercely.

Jules’ eyes went wide, then his prince melted into him. He wanted to touch Jules everywhere and never stop. He thought Jules would agree to that, most easily. The rest of the world might have a thing or two to say about it, but he was preparing for that. He would protect his Jules with all he was. Body, mind, and spirit.

Rolling them, he put his prince beneath him and began to love every inch.

***

Jules hated to admit it, but the practice was fun. He loved the running, the pouncing. He loved hiding from Lem. He loved tricking Lem the best. His bodyguard rewarded him so well after tricking him.

He was hiding in the trees this time, curled in the leaves. Lem had searched the courtyard and passed him by twice already, the inside rooms three times.

Now Lem came out, running as he went from place to place. “My prince!”

He could hear a touch of panic in Lem’s voice.

“My Lem...” he whispered.

Lem’s head tilted, and he made a beeline for the trees immediately. “I found you!”

Jules peered down, smiling wide. “You did! Catch me?”

Lem opened his arms immediately. “Always, my prince.”

He trusted Lem completely, and he simple let go. Those strong arms caught him easily, Lem’s strong body cradling him.

“I was worried I’d lost you. What a perfect place to hide if I shout out sunshine!”

“Another one to remember?” he teased.

“The trees were already sunshine. I only mean that hiding among the leaves would be even better than on the ground by them.” Lem took this so seriously sometimes, always claiming they had to be prepared.

Day after day went by, though, and nothing out of the ordinary happened. Maybe it was over. Maybe the Graithen had given up. Maybe he would be able to stay here forever, reading to Lem, his bodyguard making him feel so very good. Please, he prayed. Let this be forever.

Lem’s kisses tasted like lemon candies. Oh, lemon candies. His favorite. He started searching for them, even as the kiss went on and on.

“What are you doing?” Lem asked.

“You have candy.” He loved candy.

Lem laughed. “Maybe. You can’t have any if I don’t test it first, though.”

“You did! I taste it on you!”

Lem’s laughter turned to almost boyish giggles. Jules started tickling, forgetting the hunt in favor of the laughter.

“Jules!” Lem’s laughter got higher, Lem dropping to the ground and wriggling.

“Lem!
Candy
!” Jules was so happy.

Lem bucked up against him, hand straying toward his front pocket.

“Oooh...” Jules swooped down, grabbing Lem’s hand.

“I haven’t even gotten the candy yet!” Lem made him laugh so hard.

Finally, the bag of candy was in Lem’s hand, and he handed it over to Jules. “For you, my prince.”

Jules grinned and popped one in Lem’s mouth before taking his own.

Lem sucked eagerly, his dragon loving the sweets as much as he did. They looked at one another, smiling at one another and...

A low buzzing hit his ears.

“Lem?”

“I hear it, too. Sunshine, Jules.
Sunshine
. Up in the trees.” There was an urgency in Lem’s voice that Jules had not heard before.

“You come, too? Please. Please, Lem. Come, too.”

“I have to make sure they aren’t coming. I will be back. You don’t come down for anyone but me, my prince. I mean it.” Lem gave him a very serious look, then headed into his rooms.

Oh. Oh, please no.

Jules climbed up into the trees and drew the leaves tight around him.

The buzzing got louder, and he heard shouts and screams from the castle. Every second seemed to take forever.

“Lem?” he whispered. “Please.” His palms itched, his heart pounded.

He heard an explosion from the far end of the castle. More shouts and screams. Then he could smell fire. A moment later, Lem came running out of his rooms, running for him.

“There are too many! We can’t stay here!”

He didn’t understand. There was nowhere to go, no way out of the courtyard but back through his rooms.

“Run, Lem. Fly. I love you. Go!” He came down, bracing himself for the pain that was coming. “Be safe.”

“I’m going, but you’re coming with me. Don’t be scared.”

Before he could ask what Lem meant, his Lem transformed into the most amazing dragon he’d ever seen. Huge and ferocious, with eyes like burning coals and bronze scales that shone. Always bigger than him, this Lem was enormous, towering over him and making the courtyard seem small.

Lem’s wings opened, and he rose above the ground, huge claws coming toward Jules.

Jules stared, unable to move. He wasn’t allowed to leave the castle. He wasn’t allowed to. And look at how stunning his Lem was.

Lem’s claws wrapped around him, surprisingly gentle. The next thing he knew, they were in the air. They were flying.
Flying
.

“Lem!” There were other dragons, thousands of them everywhere, and fire and things exploding.

Oh, no. That was...

Lem flew higher and higher, zigging and zagging, avoiding anything that came their way. Lem was so strong. So brave. And he was so high. So very high.

An explosion sounded nearby, and Lem zigged away. They flew and flew, the castle so far away. It was cold up here and cloudy, and Jules was ready to go home now. Go back to his books. They kept flying away from home, though, farther and farther until he swore they were in the clouds.

Where were they going? Jules hid his face in his hands, Lem’s claws holding him so carefully.

They flew and flew, Lem’s wings the only sound he could hear. He kept his eyes closed, his fear huge, rocking him.

They flew and flew until suddenly he was set on his feet on the ground. Lem landed next to him, the huge wings folding closed.

Jules looked around. He was outside. Out in the world. Out.

The dragon’s sides worked like bellows, Lem’s eyes quite fierce in the huge face.

The world got sparkly around the edges and slowly went totally black.

His prince fainted and Lem roared, worried and exhausted and, yes, worried. He shifted, stumbling as he took on his human form, but he made himself go to Jules, finding the strength to gather his prince in his arms.

“Jules. Jules. My prince! Are you hurt?” Had he saved Jules from the dragons who’d come for him only to have the trip here kill him?

Jules’ eyelashes fluttered, his prince’s heartbeat strong, sure. Oh, thank the mountain. Thank the mountain.

Lem pulled Jules tight to him, rocking his prince. “You’re safe, my prince. You hear me, Jules? You’re safe.”

“I’m not allowed to leave the castle.”

Lem wasn’t sure there was a castle remaining to leave. “You would have been taken or hurt. I couldn’t let it happen.” He didn’t care how much trouble they were in. Up here, deep in the heart of his mountains, they were safe.

“You won’t leave me here, though?” Jules asked, eyes huge in his pale face.

“I won’t ever leave you, Jules. Never.”

Jules nodded and pushed into him, lips on his throat. Lem held his prince close.

Worry finally easing, Lem realized it was cold out here. “I need to find us somewhere.” There were all kinds of caves in the heart of the mountains.

“Somewhere? This is nowhere.”

“There are caves, my prince. You remember I told you the mountains were special?”

“Is this where we are?” Jules actually perked up.

“Yes. This is my mountain. The very heart of it. No one will come here. We’re safe.”

He stood and brought Jules with him, looking around. There were caves to the north, but they were far away. He thought the ones to the west, while smaller, were closer. A better choice as the sun began to set. He had to find a warm, safe place, had to feed his prince, find water. He had to find something to wear.

“This way.” Taking Jules’ hand, he led his prince toward the western caves.

“Do you need one of my robes?” Jules asked.

“I don’t want you to be cold.” He would find an animal later to eat, and he would use the fur to make a covering. Unless... “Do I offend you, my prince?”

“Offend me? Lem?”

“If you want me to cover up my nakedness, I shall.” He would do anything for his prince.

“Well, is your self cold? I have a fondness for it.”

This was the strangest conversation.

“I’m okay while the sun is up. It gets cold quickly. So we must hurry to the caves. Get there before it becomes dark.”

“Yes. I’ll be fast. I promise.”

He squeezed Jules’ hand. They started moving again, heading up toward shelter. Jules stayed close, eyes as big as bowls.

“Big, isn’t it?”

The mountains simply were enormous. How much bigger must they seem to someone who couldn’t even see beyond the walls of the castle, let alone leave it?

Jules nodded and seemed to shrink even more.

“I like how big they are. It reminds me that no matter how hard things seem, how terrible, the mountains will always be bigger than anything I am, than any of my problems.”

“I... Okay. I’m very frightened.”

He stopped immediately and hugged his prince to him. Then he turned. “Climb on my back.”

“Are you sure?” Before he answered, Jules had climbed up.

Nodding, he began to climb, and Jules warmed his back, his shoulders. It took little more than an hour of climbing to reach the western caves. He squatted so Jules could climb down.

“Let me make sure it’s safe.”

“Should I stay here?”

“Yes, my prince. Hide behind this outcropping. I won’t be long.”

He made short work of checking out the cave. There were no animals in it, and there were leaves, mosses, things to make the rocks soft. It would make a good place to take shelter for now.

Lem went back out for his prince.

Jules was gathering berries in the edge of his cloak, so careful not to bruise them.

“Smart prince.” He offered Jules a smile. “For someone who’s never been out of the castle, you’re doing very well.”

“I read.” Jules looked up at him with a worried look. “Tell me that my books are waiting for me at home.”

“I’m sure they are, my prince. I’m sorry I couldn’t bring any with me.” Privately, he wasn’t sure how he was going to get Jules home. He wasn’t even sure if there was a home to go to. Would it be safe? How would he know?

Now was not the time, he told himself. Now was for basic essentials. He helped Jules gather more berries, then led his prince into the cave, finding a rock that would make a natural seat and putting Jules on it.

“You eat. I’ll gather wood for a fire,” he suggested.

“Should I do something?”

“Eat, my prince. I won’t be long.”

“I’ll save some for you.”

Lem stole a berry, tasting it and making sure that it wasn’t poisonous. Then he nodded and gave Jules a very quick kiss. “I won’t be long,” he promised again.

“Please.” Jules nodded, offered him a wavering smile.

He wouldn’t have gone at all if he hadn’t known they needed the firewood. It got cold at night, and he needed to keep his prince warm. Lem gathered firewood, as much as his arms could carry, before returning to the cave. As he did, he kept his eye on the sky, on the direction they’d come from, but he saw nothing to worry him.

When Lem returned, Jules was nowhere to be found, the berries half eaten, a cloak left for him. Panic filled him. Fear for his prince.

“Jules! Jules!” He roared.

“Here! Here, Lem! I found water and warmth!”

Relief flooded through him. He dropped the wood and ran deeper into the cave, toward Jules’ voice. There was a tunnel that led back and back, a light at the end making the opening glow.

Jules was standing at the edge of a huge pool with the sun streaming down from high above. “It’s warm!”

“You didn’t drink it, did you?” He needed to taste it first, make sure it was safe.

“No. No, but it’s warm. That’s good, right?”

“Yes, yes. Warm is good. It’s nice back here. I’ll check the water and make sure we can drink it.” He wrapped his arms around Jules, shivering. “You scared me.”