Reunion: Silk & Steel, #4.5 (Silk and Steel) by Ariana Nash

Author:Ariana Nash [Nash, Ariana]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Crazy Ace Publishing
Published: 2020-11-26T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

Akiem

Thunder rumbled outside as Akiem stepped from the rain closet and dried off, startled to find Zane leaning against the counter, his hair and clothes wet. He arched an eyebrow at the towel tucked around Akiem’s waist and smirked.

After earlier, when he’d had Zane on the bed, he should have been satisfied, but he never was, not when it came to his red-haired devil. And now Zane was here, grinning, dripping wet, looking like a feast. Akiem’s mouth watered while other parts of him took a more obvious interest.

Zane’s grin grew. He chuckled as Akiem prowled closer. “You’re insatiable.”

Akiem had him in his arms in the next breath. Zane was hard and soft, warm and free, and so perfect it made Akiem want to hold him close and never let go. He breathed into his hair, smelling rain and the ocean, and loosed the purr bubbling at the back of his throat.

“As much as I would love to service this…” Zane’s fingers had no difficulty finding Akiem’s erection through the towel. “We need to talk.”

His hand was gone from Akiem’s cock, and then his elf was gone too, sauntering away. Akiem leaned against the counter to keep from lunging after him and folded his arms over his bare chest. “Is this about the emerald?”

“Your brother.”

Akiem’s heart stuttered. Had they spoken? How much did Zane know? All Akiem’s walls began to crumble. Did Zane know who he’d been before? Elisandra’s tool? Had Lysander told him everything? Had Zane told Lysander about the bronze in him? About the torture. About the killing of elves.

He couldn’t do this. Snatching up his clothes, he quickly threw them on. More thunder growled, and Akiem needed to be outside among the angry clouds, dicing with lightning so he didn’t have to think about how his past had caught him all over again.

“Akiem, wait.”

No, he couldn’t talk about it. He couldn’t relive it. He couldn’t go back there.

Zane was beside him suddenly, his fingers at Akiem’s wrist, holding him. He looked down. A dribble of blood ran down the ink on his arm. His skin burned, fresh cuts only now hurting. Had he just done that?

He pulled from Zane’s grip, shocked at himself that Zane had seen him coming apart.

“It’s all right.” Zane’s eyes were wide with a sympathy Akiem didn’t deserve. “Please, talk to me.”

No, no, he couldn’t. “He has to die.” Yes, that was solid ground. That made sense. Emeralds had to die. They were too dangerous. Elisandra had him kill them all. Even Lysander, but he never had succeeded there. He’d always failed. Because… because he couldn’t. Because Lysander was different. And when she’d hurt Lysander, he’d made sure he was always there so Lysander was never alone, like he’d been all the times Mother had locked him away beneath the tower.

“Akiem?”

He looked up into the elf’s soft eyes. “He’s emerald,” he said. “They control dragons. He can’t be allowed to take Bayston from us.”

“It’s all right. He’s leaving. He and Eroan both.”

He

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