Union (9 page)

Cerylea laughed and rolled her eyes. “I’ve been ready for weeks. All I need to do is add a few more clothes now that we’re going by boat and not on horseback.”

She pushed her chair away from the table and turned to retrieve something from the desk behind her. She placed the object in front of her, and Ryneq moved closer for a better look. From what Ryneq could see, it appeared to be a small, flat, pale blue stone.

“What’s that?” he asked, reaching out to touch it, but Cerylea grasped his hand and shook her head.

“Don’t. It’s called a link stone. Morkryn gave it to me after we brought you and Nykin back to the palace. It only works for my touch.”

Ryneq raised an eyebrow at that. First the magical tracking bracelet, and now this. He wondered what else Prince Morkryn had given Cerylea that she hadn’t told him about. “What does it do, exactly?”

She placed the stone on the palm of one hand and closed the other hand over the top. “It connects me to Prince Morkryn’s mind long enough to send a message to him.”

“Is it safe?”

Ryneq wasn’t sure he liked the idea of Cerylea messing with elf magic, but she fixed him with a cold expression. “Your dragon riders use magic like this all the time.”

She had a point, but he still didn’t like it. “Fine,” he conceded. “How does it work?”

“I just need to concentrate.”

She closed her eyes, and everyone else in the room fell silent.

After a few moments, a small smile tugged at the corners of Cerylea’s mouth, and Ryneq had the uncomfortable feeling that he was intruding. He pointedly looked away and saw out of the corner of his eye that both Eldin and Nysad were doing much the same.

“All done,” Cerylea announced, standing up to put the stone back in its hiding place. “Morkryn said it will take us at least two days to reach Alel by sea, but maybe as long as four if the winds are unfavorable. If we leave the day after tomorrow, he said they’ll be ready for us by the time we arrive.”

That was far sooner than Ryneq had expected “The day after tomorrow? That hardly leaves us enough time to—”

“To what?” Cerylea cut in. “If we send word first thing tomorrow, the barracks at Bahkesh should have enough time to prepare the ships. Eldin and Nysad have already agreed that their men are ready. Since the elves insist on organizing the whole wedding themselves, there’s very little else we need to do.” She grinned over at him. “How long do you require for packing, Brother?”

Ryneq ignored her but glared at his two men when they failed to stifle their laughter. “Very well—we leave the day after tomorrow.”

They spent the next hour discussing the logistics of getting to Alel by boat. Sailing had to be Ryneq’s least-favorite mode of transport. Especially where Alel was concerned. The sea around that area could be treacherous this time of year. The tides were particularly strong and very few of Ryneq’s guard were experienced sailors. Rumor had it that the elves used magic to affect the tides and the weather, and Ryneq just hoped that if it were true, the elders would remove it for their arrival.

“How many ships are we taking?” Nysad asked as he rolled up the map, then set it to one side.

“Two—the biggest ones we have—the
Wildfire
, and the
Dragon’s Breath
.”

The kingdom of Torsere had once kept a large navy to patrol the coastline, but over the years the need to defend against seaborne attacks had decreased enough that now only a small number of sailors remained in the barracks at Bahkesh. They had enough to maintain the ships they kept there and crew two of the larger vessels to patrol the coast periodically.

The royal family now only had four ships, moored over half a days’ ride away. The two larger ones would each comfortably house twenty people and luggage—not including the sailors from Bahkesh who would crew them—and these were the ones they’d take.

“So….” Ryneq straightened up and stretched his arms above his head, wincing a little at the resulting crack of his stiff joints. It seemed they’d been at this for hours, and Ryneq’s body strongly protested sitting for so long. He caught the sly expression on Cerylea’s face but chose to ignore her. “I believe we’re done for the night.”

“Yes, Ryneq,” Cerylea replied. She got up from her seat and came around the table to kiss his cheek. “Don’t let us keep you from your duty.”

She smiled innocently, and both Eldin and Nysad looked away quickly, but not before Ryneq caught their matching grins.

“Good night, Cerylea,” he said dryly, leaning down to wrap her in a tight hug. Despite her teasing, Ryneq wanted to thank her for everything she’d done for him and Nykin.

He’d never paid much attention to palace protocol and etiquette when his parents had been alive. He’d thought he’d have years to learn how to be a good king. After their deaths, he’d been busy ensuring Torsere’s survival with the constant threat from the lowlands, and now he relied heavily on Cerylea’s knowledge to prevent him offending their allies and potentially causing unrest in the kingdom.

“Thank you for today.” He whispered the words close to her ear, so only Cerylea would hear.

“You’re welcome, Ryneq.” She squeezed him tight, her slender frame surprisingly strong. “I love you, my brother. Always.”

He felt a lump in his throat at her words. She made a point of telling him that she loved him as often as possible. He knew why—the loss of their parents reminded them how easy it was to lose the people who meant the most—but he still found it difficult to express his emotions. He and Nykin hadn’t voiced their feelings for each other—they’d had their announcement ceremony, so obviously things were serious between them—but in light of the current situation, maybe they should.

Ryneq pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind for now, because he had his sister in his arms, and if ever there had been a time to return the sentiment, this was it. “I love you too.”

When they finally separated, Ryneq realized they were now alone in the room, Eldin and Nysad having slipped quietly away.

“Go,” Cerylea said, smiling up at him and shoving gently at his shoulder.

Ryneq didn’t miss the way her eyes glistened with unshed tears, but he didn’t comment on it.

“I’m sure Nykin is waiting for you by now—impatiently too, if your earlier display was anything to go by.”

Ryneq laughed loudly, remembering the way he’d shamelessly grabbed Nykin’s ass in the great hall. “Yes.” He winked at her. “Let’s hope so.”

He laughed again as Cerylea rolled her eyes and ushered him over to the door. She gave him another quick kiss on the cheek before shutting the door behind him.

Ryneq took a deep breath, straightened out his jacket and pants, and headed down the hallway to where he hoped Nykin would be waiting for him.

N
YKIN
HAD
lasted a few more hours at the celebrations after Ryneq left. He’d spent most of that time with his fellow dragon riders—Selene and Jaken in particular. It had felt good to relax and just be himself, and he was beyond thankful that his two best friends still treated him just the same as always.

Selene had commented on both his and Ryneq’s attire—saying they both looked so good, and she wasn’t surprised they couldn’t keep their hands off each other. Nykin had, predictably, blushed, especially when she added that Nykin was in for a good night later, judging by the heated looks Ryneq had given him. Jaken had just glared at them both and covered his ears—protesting that this was more than he ever wanted to know about Nykin’s relationship with their king.

Nykin was in their quarters by the large double window overlooking their balcony when Ryneq arrived. He turned around, opening his mouth to ask how things had gone, but Ryneq stalked across the floor and kissed him. Nykin stumbled back under the force of the kiss, backing up until he felt the hard edge of the table. He reached behind him to push the chairs out of the way, then leaned back on the smooth wooden surface as Ryneq spread Nykin’s legs apart and stepped between them.

He settled his hands on Ryneq’s hips and pulled him in closer, and the firm line of Ryneq’s erection pressed against Nykin’s hip.

“Wanted to do this all day.” Ryneq kissed the words into the soft stubble of Nykin’s throat, cupping Nykin’s face as he mouthed at his neck and along his jaw. “Want to peel that leather off your body—” He reached down to palm Nykin through the soft material of his pants, and Nykin groaned as his dick strained against the touch.

“What are you waiting for?” Nykin huffed out, tilting his head back as Ryneq bit down at the juncture of his shoulder, then licked over the mark. “Do it.”

Nykin felt Ryneq smile against his skin as he held Nykin in place with one hand and slid the other up to undo the laces on Nykin’s jacket. As soon as it opened, Nykin stood away from the table, letting it fall to the floor beside them, and Ryneq started on his shirt.

“You too,” Nykin muttered, his mouth finding Ryneq’s again. They kissed and undressed each other—socks and boots kicked off to the side, and the pile of discarded clothes got bigger until they were both left in just their pants.

Ryneq grinned as he ran his fingers over the outline of Nykin’s erection. Nykin had nothing on underneath his pants, and they were almost painfully tight. Nykin bit his lip, barely stifling a moan when Ryneq’s thumb rubbed over the head of his cock. The soft leather provided delicious, teasing friction, but nowhere near enough. “Ryneq,
Gods
. I need….”

“I know what you need.” Ryneq’s voice was low and rough, tickling the skin of Nykin’s chest as he kissed his way down before dropping to his knees.

Nykin’s breath caught as he looked down—the sight of Ryneq slowly pulling Nykin’s pants open had him leaning on the table again for support. He’d never get used to seeing his king like this, and it made his stomach tighten in anticipation. Nykin’s hands closed around the table edge, knuckles turning white as Ryneq eased his cock out and ran his tongue in a thick stripe up the length of it.

“Nnggh….” Nykin closed his eyes, in danger of coming if he watched Ryneq take him into his mouth.

He heard the soft rustle of material and his heartbeat stuttered. He imagined Ryneq opening his pants and reaching inside to wrap a hand around his own cock, then fisting it tightly as he sucked Nykin deep into his throat. Nykin’s eyes flew open, unable to resist having a look. “Oh Gods!” he cried out as Ryneq’s wet warm mouth enveloped him, and Nykin couldn’t help the instinctive thrust of his hips.

Ryneq hummed, the vibrations shooting straight through Nykin, and he sunk his hands into Ryneq’s hair to steady himself. His body was on fire—the constant slide of Ryneq’s mouth up and down his length had him close to the edge, and he desperately hung on, not wanting it to end. He could hear the rough slap of Ryneq’s hand as he brought himself off, the harsh sounds echoing around the otherwise quiet room. It pulled at Nykin’s control, tugging him closer to orgasm until Ryneq sucked him so deep that Nykin felt the burn of stubble against his skin, and he was done. His fingers twitched, tightening reflexively in Ryneq’s dark locks as he emptied in thick spurts down the back of Ryneq’s throat.

Nykin slumped against the table as Ryneq swallowed it all and sat back on his knees. He had one hand still wrapped around himself, strokes turning lazy as he looked up at Nykin and wiped at the corners of his mouth with his thumb. His cock looked achingly hard—flushed a dark red and leaking precome. If Nykin had the strength, he’d pull Ryneq over to the bed and return the favor. But he was struggling to hold himself up. The wine he’d drank earlier combined with the force of his orgasm had wiped him out. All Nykin could manage was to watch as Ryneq worked his shaft, slicking the length with every slide of his hand and dragging his thumb over the tip. Ryneq’s head fell back, his eyes closed as he started to thrust into his fist, and Nykin couldn’t tear his eyes away. A few more pulls followed by a low, guttural moan, and Ryneq’s whole body tensed as his cock pulsed out come all over his hand. Nykin licked his lips, his mouth suddenly dry as he took in the debauched state of his king.

When Ryneq finally opened his eyes, a wide smile stretched over his face. “We didn’t even make it to the bed.”

“Come up here.” Nykin tugged Ryneq to his feet and reeled him in close enough to lick at his bottom lip. He still tasted of Nykin’s come, and the thought sent a jolt of arousal straight to Nykin’s groin. “We’ve got all night, remember.”

Ryneq quirked an eyebrow and gestured over to their bed. “After you.”

T
HE
BED
was freshly made, and Nykin wanted to sink into the sheets and have Ryneq slowly take him apart. He took hold of Ryneq’s hand and walked backward until he felt the edge of the bed against the back of his knees. “Take these off.”

Nykin slipped his hands inside Ryneq’s pants. His softening cock was still sticky with come, and he hissed out a curse when Nykin’s fingers brushed against it. Nykin smirked at him. Ryneq was clearly still a little sensitive, so Nykin avoided touching him again for now. He pushed the leather down over Ryneq’s ass and couldn’t resist giving the smooth skin a squeeze as the pants pooled around his thighs.

Ryneq shoved them the rest of the way off and kicked them to the side as he stepped out of them. “Yours too.” He reached forward, but Nykin was already yanking them down himself. “Better,” Ryneq whispered, ghosting his fingers over Nykin’s hip, and Nykin shivered under his teasing touch.

Ryneq’s gaze drifted down over Nykin’s body before coming back up to meet Nykin’s eyes. “So,” he said, slipping his arms around Nykin’s waist and pulling him close. “Now you’re officially mine”—he dipped his head and mouthed along the firm muscles of Nykin’s shoulder, and Nykin felt the smile against his skin—“I can do whatever I like with you.”

Ryneq stayed like that for a while longer, trailing kisses along Nykin’s collarbone. They pressed up against each other, and Nykin closed his eyes, enjoying the closeness and the feel of Ryneq’s warm body. The heady smell of sex and leather filled the air between them, and Nykin breathed in deep, letting it fill his senses.