Page 6 of Up In Flames
“And perhaps why you got upset when Death said the Corrupter was once like you?” he asked gently.
“Maybe,” I admitted. But Caleb had me thinking about what I really knew. The Emperor was always so vague when he spoke of the Corrupter. What actually happened between them? “You know, Caleb, I don't know enough about this war.”
“I don't think anyone does.”
“The Emperor does.”
“And the Corrupter.” Caleb took a bite of sausage, then looked up, saw my expression, and asked, “What?”
“If the Corrupter knows, which he does, then Death probably knows too.”
“Ask him. Death is a teacher, isn't he? He can help you with much more than magic. Ask him about the war. Ask himabout the Corrupter. Shit, ask him about the Emperor. I'll bet he'll gladly tell you everything he knows in great detail.”
“Unlike the Emperor,” I whispered.
Caleb shrugged. “I'm sure the Emperor has his reasons for keeping secrets.”
“Secrets,” I murmured. “You know, he's always been secretive. He waited to tell me about the prophecy.”
“Things are never simple.”
“What do you mean?”
“Just that a good man can do bad things.”
“And a bad man can do good things?”
“I imagine he can. If he's motivated. But the difference between a good man and a bad one is that the bad one thinks he's doing good even when he's being bad.”
“Motivated,” I murmured. “Bad and good.”
“Ember?” Caleb laid his hand over mine. “Are you truly all right?”
I came out of my thoughts and smiled at him. “Yes, I am. Thank—”
I was cut off by a growl.
Swiveling toward the sound, I expected to find Xae standing there. And he was. But he wasn't the one who had growled. Xaedren had been working on restraining his wolf and fighting his Ladrin nature which compels him to keep everyone away from his mate. And he'd been doing better.
But Tytra have a similar nature.
Taroc grabbed Caleb's wrist and yanked his hand away from mine. He was beyond words, his eyes glowing bright sapphire and his teeth bared. And, holy fuck, his scales had spread. Normally, he only had a small patch near each eye, but more of the glossy, blue dragon scales had risen from his skin to trail upward to his forehead and down to his cheekbones. I didn't even know Tytra did that.
“Taroc!” I jumped to my feet and scrambled onto the table to get between him and Caleb. “Hey!” I took his face in my hands and tried to turn him toward me.
Caleb, who had shot to his feet, whimpered.
I glanced down at where Taroc held him. My lover was going to crush Caleb's wrist.
I slapped Taroc.
Taroc's head didn't move, but he blinked and released Caleb. Caleb fell, then scrambled back until he was pressed against the wall, cradling his wrist.
“Hey, man, are you all right?” Keltyr hurried over to Caleb.
Meanwhile, Taroc's stare met mine. He blinked. “You slapped me.”
“Yup,” I said. “You were hurting Caleb.”
