Treasure (33 page)

Raiden's breath lodged in his throat, and he refused to hope because it would hurt too much if he was wrong. "If the gods can be brought back to life, Taka, I do not see why you cannot get back what you discarded."

"I'm not so certain," Taka said quietly.

Kneeling in the surf, Raiden extended a hand, casting out his power. Only moments later, a small sand-colored fish pushed a glittering object into his hand. Petting the fish in thanks, Raiden stood and turned, extending the discarded necklace of diamonds and saphir. "If you still want it, take it back. It was always there waiting for you, Taka."

Taka looked at him then flushed and looked away. "I'm sorry."

Raiden nearly wept with relief. "Treasure, you are not the one who should be sorry. As I said before, I am the one who is sorry:  for the deception, for the very poor way I explained the ceremony. For ever letting you think, for even a moment, than your death would be an easy thing for me. For giving you any reason to think that I loved my power more than you. I don't. I can't deny that I am happy to be a god again, it is what I am and should always be, but I did not really live again until I saw you."

"It was horrible, dying like that. The chaos, all that blood, then the pain—and I realize if something went wrong, and I didn't—that if I stayed dead, then I would die angry with everyone, angry with you. That you'd go on thinking I really did hate you. I didn't want to die that way. Then I did. I'm sorry for what I said. For what I did."

Unable to bear the distance a moment longer, Raiden quickly closed it and swept Taka up, kissing him hard, the last of his own doubts and fears bleeding away as Taka's arms wrapped around his neck. "Do not be sorry, Treasure. Only say that you are willing to try being mine."

"I am," Taka whispered, and then stepped back. "Are you going to put the necklace back?"

"Does the tide rise and fall?" Raiden asked, smiling when Taka rolled his eyes. Slipping to stand behind him, Raiden drew the necklace up around his throat, the broken clasp easy to repair with a breath of magic. He turned Taka around, admired him. "Only the clothes hinder," he said.

Taka shook his head, chuckling. "I don't understand why you take such offense to my wearing clothes when you take such delight in all the clothes you wear."

"I have no problem removing mine right now," Raiden said. "Anyway, treasures are meant to admired. I cannot admire you properly if most of you is hidden away."

"That makes no sense," Taka said, "and I have told you before, I am not one of your storming trinkets." But even as he repeated the playful complaint, he was stripping off his clothes, letting his robes and sash fall to the sand to be dragged into the sea by the rising tide. "You said you could take me anywhere—take me home. Your home. Where I can step outside and practically be swimming."

Raiden made a low, rough noise of approval, discarding his own robe before he caught Taka up again and, with a booming crack of thunder, took them away from the desolate Sanhoshi.

They reappeared on a small, remote island well off the coast of the main islands of Kundou; it was a sleepy little place, a half day's journey to the nearest village on the mainland of Typhoon. As promised, his house was built right on the edge of a low cliff, requiring no more than a step out the back door to dive into the water and swim.

"Swimming can wait," he said, leading Taka away from the back door, through his living room, his study, and into the bedroom.

Taka groaned upon seeing it. "Bed. I've missed a proper bed. I think I want to sleep for the rest of the year and then nap all of next year."

Raiden laughed, caught him up, and dropped him on the bed. Taka joined his laughter, sitting up only to turn over and flop down on his stomach, rubbing himself on the soft bedding. "If I can stay in this bed, I'll wear all the jewels you want."

"Here I thought I was promised a challenge," Raiden murmured, smirking. He climbed up on the bed, urged Taka to his hands and knees, and bent over him to trail hot, wet, open-mouthed kisses down the line of his spine. He sank his teeth into one cheek when he reached Taka's ass, chuckling when Taka jerked and pushed back into him, moaning.

Licking the mark he'd just left, Raiden spread Taka's ass and slipped his tongue into his hole, relishing the rough noises that earned him, the curses and pleas as he fucked Taka with his tongue. When Taka was reduced to painting and gasping his name, Raiden withdrew, replacing tongue with fingers made slick with a thought, pushing two inside, one hand on Taka's hips guiding his movements as Taka fucked himself on Raiden's fingers. "Damn it, dragon!" Taka finally snarled.

Huffing out a happy laugh, startled that Taka would call him that so easily, so suddenly, Raiden removed his fingers and lined up his cock, seating himself in one sure, hard thrust. Taka gasped and moaned into the sheets. After a moment, he turned his head, eyes glinting when he ordered, "Fuck me already."

"Happy to," Raiden said, his relief that he was allowed to, would be for a very long time, the only thing greater than his lust. He fucked Taka hard, deep, fingers so tight on Taka's hips he would probably leave bruises.

They didn't last long, too impatient to take their time, and there would be plenty of time for slow in the future. Raiden wrapped his hand around Taka's cock and stroked him off hard and fast, relishing the way Taka cried his name as he came, following almost immediately as Taka's body tightened around his cock. As his climax eased, Raiden pulled out and lay down next to Taka, pulling him close, relishing their mingled scents on Taka's skin. He closed his eyes to better savor it.

"Your eyes glow," Taka said, lightly touching his face. Raiden opened his eyes and stared, and Taka's mouth quirked in amusement. "I don't know if you are doing it on purpose or not, but they definitely glow when you're ... not calm?"

Raiden laughed. "Then they will be glowing a great deal because the very last thing I am around you is calm, my treasure."

"I know you thrive on being obnoxiously vibrant, but if you want to continue to pass as merely a merchant, you should probably work harder at calm," Taka replied in amusement, though he looked decidedly flushed and pleased at Raiden's comments.

"I'm a god of chaos and of storms," Raiden replied. "I don't do calm."

"No, I suppose you don't," Taka replied and shifted to sprawl on top of him, kissing him softly before he sat up, straddling Raiden's waist. "So show me what a dragon can do, and then teach me to be this Priest of Storms that I apparently am now. I get the feeling I'm going to be little more than a divine secretary."

Laughing again, Raiden drew him back down. "As I have said, you really are quite perfect, my treasure." He cut Taka's reply off with a kiss.

The Lost Gods
will continue in
Burning Bright
 

In the land of Pozhar, the people fear the return of Zhar Ptitsa, the god of souls and rebirth who nearly destroyed them nine hundred years ago in a terrible rage. To prevent his rebirth, the people hunt down and sacrifice Vessels, those born with a piece of Zhar Ptitsa's soul within them.

The Sacred Texts say that one thousand such Vessels will be born and all must be sacrificed to destroy Zhar Ptitsa once and for all. Now, only two pieces remain in the bodies of two thieves who will not go to the Flames without a fight.

Megan is a long time resident of m/m fiction, and keeps herself busy reading, writing, and publishing it. She is often accused of fluff and nonsense. She loves to hear from readers, and can be found all around the internet.

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