Page 59 of Up In Flames
“All right.” I took his hand, trusting him implicitly, and we left the place where I had been intimate with another man.
I tried to push his image out of my mind, but it kept returning. Those eyes, so blue. Darker than Ara's. They shone against the curve of scales at his temples. Tytra scales. One of my lovers had been a Tytra. Would he return to that place soon? Would he smell me there? I shivered, thinking of how he might search for me. Wait. Did I love him? Love was needed to form a bond, so I must. Then why was I with Ara?
I looked at Ara as we stepped out onto the street. Oh, yes. Because Aranren was glorious. More lovely than anyone else on the planet. He—
“The Corrupter!” a woman's scream rent the air. “He's here! The Corrupter is here!”
Ara flinched. I gaped at the woman. Then we both stared in shock as people ran, desperate to get away. We looked around, searching for the source of their fear, but there was nothing.
“I think they're running from us,” Ara whispered. He blinked rapidly, then said, “Oh, fuck.”
“What is it?”
“Come here, my love.” His whole demeanor changed, becoming more confident, stronger. He tucked my head in against his chest and summoned Death Magic.
I felt it swirl around us, spinning us away from Myar and the screaming, running Tytra. We reformed just before our dining table in the hall. When Ara released me, I lifted my head, prepared for Death's displeasure. But he wasn't there. Even Ara's use of his magic hadn't summoned him.
I relaxed.
“Breakfast!” Ara called.
Faint sounds immediately came from the kitchen door. Ara took my hand and led me around the table, then pulled out my chair. I sank into it, still confused. Seconds after we were seated, someone was pouring coffee into my mug. I stared at it. My head still rang with those screams.
“We forgot who we are, my love,” Ara said. “Death wanted us to concentrate on each other so he removed our memories of his plan.”
“His plan,” I murmured.
“To conquer Varr and make us emperors.”
With Ara's words, it returned. Our mission. Our purpose. Death had swept it away. Was our bonding that important to him? But of course, it was. Once bonded, we would have the power to complete his plan. I mean our plan. Ara and I would rule Varr. There would be peace. No more screaming.
“People are afraid of us because they don't understand,” I said.
“Precisely.” Ara lifted my hand and kissed it.
He stroked my hair and said soothing things to me until our meal came. Then Ara filled my plate and even fed me bites until I shook my head and picked up my fork. Things were coming back to me. Small things, but I was sure they were memories that Death didn't want me to see. Like that Tytra.
By the end of the meal, I knew that I couldn't bond with Ara. But with my Spirit Magic free, maybe I could free us as well. All of us.
“Will is the greatest power of all,” I whispered.
“What's that, my love?” Ara asked.
“Nothing.” I smiled at him. Ara was still under Death's spell. But I could free him. Because I had the will, and I finally remembered how to use it.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Ara and I went to our favorite place—the waterfall he had made for me. He conjured a bubble of summer for us again. We lay naked on our spread robes and soaked up the sun. When we got too warm, we went into the pond.
I dove and swam beneath Ara, tickling his thighs and licking his flaccid shaft. His whole body shuddered. When I came up, I was grinning.
“You naughty boy!” Ara reached for me.
I swam away, laughing.
“Come back here! I'm going to give you a spanking.”
A spanking. I went still, letting my feet fall to the bottom. As I steadied myself on the pebbles, I saw him again. The Tytra. He had me stretched across his lap.
