FOURTEEN

Broil

“So, the bed is big enough.”

Nox chuckled at Korac’s observation as Rayne concluded the tour in the loft.

The General shook his head, incredulous.

Sagan prompted him, “What is it, babe?”

Babe.

Rayne’s face lit up at the endearment, and Nox wondered how long before they made pet names for each other. But dangerous ones. Like ‘pretty warrior’ or ‘Stabby.’

Korac wiped a hand down his face, saying, “I’m honestly trying to imagine what Xelan was thinking designing this place. Did he intend it as a hideaway for a repressed couple?”

“Hey!” Rayne punched Korac in the arm. “Lay. Off.”

Nox laughed outright at the glisten in Korac’s eyes as he rubbed the punch site. Nox said, “Now you know what I live with.”

Sagan snickered at Rayne, gaping. “It’s not that bad, is it?”

Korac gave a harsh laugh. “You’re joking, right? Fuck! It feels like this is what I deserve for always teasing Pehton.”

“She loves it,” Sagan assured and kissed her husband’s arm. She turned intelligent eyes onto Nox, asking, “So Elden revived you both, and that’s after you spent two years rehabilitating in Rayne’s consciousness. In your coordinated pursuit of Celindria, you two solidified your feelings for each other. And Korac and I are supposed to sell this romance to Xelan? A man you murdered after promising to do all those awful things you did to Rayne—Which I experienced in a Divine Booth, so don’t patronize me about it. While I understand Rayne’s mixed feelings, betrayal was the strongest of her emotions during it. And it was agonizing, Nox.”

Shame washed over him, and he looked away. Nox deserved this onslaught, and before this was over, he’d feel it many times as each person in Rayne’s life confronted him. Sagan was generous, even, for not mentioning all the lives Nox’s ambitions had stolen. The people he’d murdered during his invasion. Perhaps there was no hope for resolution, of absolution.

Behind Sagan, but always at her side, Korac’s face fell into his composed mask. He put his hands on her shoulders to show support, but offered nothing on either side of the discussion.

It was Rayne’s hand slipping into Nox’s, which brought him back to face them. To hope. She said, “It was between us, and we worked through it. We spent over seven million years analyzing our lifetimes. At every turn, Nox met regret and the shame you see now. He’s not proud of what he did and…” Her face fell, and her voice trembled. “Nox wants to serve whatever punishment Iona Pax requires of him.”

There was relief in this. To know Rayne was learning to accept the reality they were facing. There was little chance Xelan wouldn’t imprison Nox, and that was just. He could only ask his baby brother to wait until after they finished with Celindria. Rayne squeezed Nox’s hand, and he said, “I will do whatever is necessary after Celindria is no longer a threat.”

Sagan’s stony expression blossomed into the brightest smile. “I can work with this. What do you think, babe?”

Korac kissed the top of his wife’s head, saying, “We’ll do what we can, amos.” But the grave depth in his white eyes confirmed Nox’s suspicions. “Little chance” just dropped to zero.

“Nox and I had a big day, and I’d like to get a few hours of sleep before we brainstorm strategy.” Rayne pulled the sheet back, prepping the bed. Then her eyes lit up in a way Nox loved and dreaded as she asked, “Ooo, can we train together?”

Sagan bounced. “Yes! Girls against the boys.” She looked up at Korac expectantly.

After a drawn out second, he gave a cavalier shrug. “It’s your choice if you like to lose.”

Nox barked out a laugh. The girls exchanged a knowing look. The General and the former King wouldn’t stand a chance, but… “I could use the exercise in humility.”

Rayne tiptoed to kiss his cheek, and Nox felt it burn. Public affection was entirely new to him. The situation with Celindria had forbidden any contact lest Xelan and Korac learn of their relationship, while Colita remained a mistake to this day. No manner of reflection during the Verses nor his rehabilitation could make Nox feel anything more than pity for the spiteful female.

“Okay, boys. Shoo. We need to change for sleep.” Sagan gestured for them to leave.

Korac looked ready to pout, as he said, “Five hours with Rayne and suddenly it’s not you and I prepping for bed. It’s you and her prepping for bed.”

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Rayne laughed so hard it rang through the treeloft.

With an easy chuckle, Nox gripped Korac’s shoulder, saying, “C’mon now. We’ve been dismissed.”

But Korac was staring at Nox’s hand. He dropped it, not meaning to offend the half-Icarus, but there was more to it. Without a word, Korac brushed by him to take the stairs. The girls witnessed the tension. When Nox looked at them, Rayne shrugged, uncertain, but Sagan mouthed, “Go. Talk. To. Him.”

Yes.

She was right, of course. So much had gone unsaid between Korac and Nox until the Verses. It would make a waste of all those confessions not to communicate now.

Nox followed Korac into the library space where he found the fair-haired half-Icarus perched in Rayne’s nook—

Xelan’s nook.

The General made a show of scanning his gear, straightening his clothes—Anything to keep his eyes down. With a swipe of his shoulder, Korac said, “I know they sent you down here so we can talk, our beautiful, brilliant, and brave women.”

Nox sat in a massive armchair and propped his feet on an ottoman. He clasped his hands over his chest and slouched until he stared at the ceiling. Counting the tree rings above, he said, “I believe they’re right for it.”

Korac gave a single chuckle. It was rough with some emotion. “Of course they are. And they’re probably listening over the banister.”

“Are not!” Sagan called down.

Nox was enjoying this. The laughter. The warmth in the space. He’d never imagined such a peace. Not for him. He said, “Tell me. And no, it’s not an order.”

“We were brothers. Are? This becomes confusing as time carries on. In all those millions of years I followed you, I could count on one hand how many times you clasped my shoulder or shook my hand. And every one of those instances, I saw a hesitation in your eyes that I only came to appreciate fully after you were dead.”

Nox straightened as Korac finally met his gaze. There was bewilderment or shock in them.

His General swallowed before saying, “It’s gone. The apprehension is gone.” The laughter which followed was bitter and torn. “After all this time, you’re free of it, and the second Xelan lays eyes on you, he’ll lock you away. Hear me out. I’ve tried. Every conversation about you ends as you might expect. I hate this for you and for Rayne, but I won’t lie to you and to her if she’s listening.”

A muffled sob carried from above, and Korac hung his head.

Nox stood and held out his hand. “Then let’s not waste the time we have now.”

Korac looked at the hand, then looked at Nox before clasping it and letting Nox pull Korac to his feet. Before he could protest, the former King of Cinder pulled his General in for a hug.

Korac put his arms around him, but didn’t squeeze back as he complained, “The Shadow has already infected you.”

“We’re ready!”

Sagan stood at the top of the stairs in silk shorts and a slinky top, obviously not expecting to spend the night in bed with anyone but her husband.

Nox headed toward the stairs, and Korac stopped him with a hand on his chest. “Don’t get any ideas about my wife just because she and Rayne might start sleeping together again.”

Neither idea had occurred to Nox, and he’d never consider either again. Rayne could do as she pleased with whatever partners she deemed worthy, but he felt monogamous toward her.

Up the stairs, Nox found Rayne dressed in her usual night clothes, sitting on the edge of the bed with a bruised heart in her eyes. Sagan gave him a pitying glance. Whatever Rayne had inherited from Xelan was hard to console. Nox sat on the bed beside her and tucked her against him. She buried her face in his ribs while he chafed her arm and kissed her hair.

Sagan sat down beside Rayne opposite Nox and smoothed circles on her back. Over Rayne’s head, Sagan and Nox shared a moment. With a nod, the Seamswalker promised to look after Rayne when Nox was gone.

It was a warm moment until Korac unbuttoned and slipped out of his satin shirt.

Rayne stopped sobbing, and both girls stopped breathing. They saw the attractive, powerful warrior Korac had become after millennia of training and education, but Nox still saw the wounded boy, stripping naked for inspection. When Korac winked at the girls, Nox stood and shook his head incredulously at their juvenile giggles. At least it leveed Rayne’s grief for now.

As Sagan and Rayne whispered in each other’s ear, presumably about Korac, Nox took off his button-down. He inspected the missing buttons and hoped this wouldn’t make for the last shirt felled by Rayne’s passion—Why was it suddenly so quiet?

Nox turned and found Korac staring at the girls, while the girls were staring at Nox. There was so much naked ownership and desire on Rayne’s face, only less shocking for Sagan’s appreciative smile and thumbs up. Korac looked at Nox as if seeing him for the first time, almost assessing. Then a spark of competition flared behind his white eyes.

While circling his fingers for them to turn around, Korac said, “All right, ladies. Avert your eyes while we finish undressing for the most bizarre night of sleep in my life.”

Sagan stuck out her tongue, but Rayne beamed as they both looked away with more whispers and giggles.

Nox shook his head as they undressed, still happier than ever before in his life. Even with Korac staring daggers at him for garnering a modicum of precious attention usually reserved only for the exotic General.

Korac mouthed, “This. Isn’t. Over.”

With a salute, Nox accepted the challenge.

“All right, who wants to sleep along the banister?” Rayne asked, peeking over her shoulder.

Dressed in sleep pants, both men joined the girls on the bed. While it was a massive piece of furniture, the idea of sleeping with three other people had never occurred to Nox, even once in his life. He’d slept with Xelan as a child, and the three boys shared forts occasionally, but it was rare for Nox to risk the contact of sharing a bed.

Sagan said, “Korac and I volunteer for the inside.” Her face lit up as she thought of something. “Oh! I’m glad Tameka isn’t here.”

Rayne caught on instantly. “Oh, shit. You’re right.”

Korac and Nox exchanged a left-out look and took the bait. “Why is that?”

Sagan snickered as she pulled Korac onto the mattress, saying, “Because she kicks. We all feel sorry for Xelan. And did you know? Pax picked up her habit.”

“Aw. I can’t wait to meet him outside of a box.” Rayne said, following them into the bed. She paused and reached a hand out to Nox.

The arrangement went Korac furthest inside and holding Sagan, who held hands with Rayne, who Nox was holding from the outside.

Rayne curled and snuggled against Nox, requiring some self-control to rein in his response. Across the bed, Korac looked equally focused. It only became more difficult when Rayne cupped Sagan’s cheek, moved closer, and kissed her good night. When they separated, Rayne tucked a strand of blond hair behind Sagan’s ear, and Sagan bit her lip to taste Rayne on it.

Again, Korac and Nox shared a glance. They knew this was a moment the men were welcome to witness, but one they weren’t invited to partake in. Especially not after such a long day and a sleepless night.

Rayne raised her voice slightly to say, “Good night, everybody,” and lifted Nox’s hand to kiss it.

He joined Korac and Sagan in saying, “Good night,” all at once.

When sleep claimed Nox, he wasn’t pondering how little of this time was left. He was thinking of how grateful he was to experience this at all.