Page 39 of Silver & Gold

As she left, boots clapping against the tiled floor, Seth tugged Raider’s head up so he could look in his eyes. Raider’s hands dropped from Seth’s chest. His telescopic left eye was nonreactive, but his right pupil was blown.

Seth told him, “You are going to walk with me. You will not look at anything but the ground or me. You will not look at the walls or the doors or other people. Let’s go.”

Raider didn’t say anything, didn’t nod, but he didn’t fight either. Seth released Raider’s hair and grabbed his hand, tugging him into a walk. Raider did as Seth had ordered, keeping his eyes down.

When they reached the domed entry hall, where a fountain splashed and gold flashed on every mosaicked wall, Raider started to look around. Seth released Raider’s hand to put his own on the back of Raider’s neck. He pushed until Raider bowed his head, staring at the ground.

When Nasrin arrived with two servants carrying Seth and Raider’s packs and weapons, she motioned to the guards on duty. They pushed open the massive doors.

Seth took Raider’s hand again, and the small company walked out onto the columned portico and down the palace steps. Having been unconscious when he’d first entered the palace, Seth had never seen the exterior. He couldn’t spare much attention for it now, only glimpsing a grand, multi-level complex. Palm trees dotted the courtyard, which was enclosed by a towering, crenelated wall with an arched gateway. The famous Blue Gate of Kastari.

Night had darkened most of the lapis blue bricks to black, but the torchlight flaming to either side of the gate glinted over some of the gold figures that dotted the gateway’s face.

Their company was let through, and Nasrin led the way along a broad avenue lined with Kastari’s grandest houses. After a few blocks, they came to a large, walled-in complex with a bright pink lotus painted above its gates.

Nasrin was clearly recognized because they were let in immediately. A boy ran ahead along the shrubbery-lined path to the front doors.

They entered a luxurious common room. Guests in fine robes clustered around low tables to smoke from glass-bellied hookahs and drink from silver-rimmed cups. The innkeeper, puffing slightly as though he’d run out at the boy’s news, welcomed Nasrin with a slight bow over his plump, steepled fingers. Nasrin nodded but walked straight past him to the stairs. She led the way up several flights to the top floor, where there was only one door.

The room was nearly as lavish as their palace suite had been. Softly glowing wall lights revealed a large, plush bed atop a three-step platform. An alcove stuffed with pillows made a cozy reading nook beside several shelves of books. A dining area glittered with crystal and gleamed with silver. Around a corner was a bathing chamber.

While the servants set Seth and Raider’s gear before a large wardrobe, Nasrin walked to a set of double doors. She opened them to reveal a patio that looked out over Kastari. A pergola covered in climbing roses housed a lounging bed.

Raider pulled his hand from Seth’s, crossed his arms, and started pacing. Seth watched him like a hawk as he told Nasrin, “Get out.”

Ignoring that, Nasrin said, “The empress grants you this space while preparations continue. Do not violate her trust by attempting to leave the city. You would not be successful in any case. Seth, you will return to the library first thing in the morning.”

“I’ll return when I’m ready.” And he would be ready only when he was very, very sure that Raider was okay.

Seth didn’t look at Nasrin to gauge her response. He wouldn’t take his eyes off Raider even for a second. Raider was too damn fast, too unpredictable. And Seth didn’t know where his mind was.

Before he could tell Nasrin again to leave, three sets of footsteps retreated. The door closed.

“Do you know where you are?” Seth asked.

Raider didn’t reply, so Seth put himself in Raider’s path. Raider tried to step around him. Seth reached out, knowing full well what would probably happen.

When Raider lunged, Seth twisted around behind him, grabbing his hair and kicking the back of his knee. As Raider’s leg buckled, Seth took them both to the ground. He sat behind Raider and hooked his legs around Raider’s hips. He released Raider’s hair to pin his arms to his sides.

Seth was well aware that if Raider really fought, if he used his quicksilver, Seth had no hope of overpowering him. But Raider didn’t really want to fight. He wanted this. Seth, subduing him, securing him, containing him so he didn’t have to contain himself.

Seth had thought a lot about his sexual experiences with Raider. He’d thought a lot about what Raider had once said about why he wanted such rough sex. He’d told Seth that even though he tried to focus on good things, the bad things were still there.

It’s like it’s right here, Raider had said, pressing his fingers to his sternum. Sometimes, I want all of that to be forced away.

When Raider had admitted that he hadn’t actually experimented much with rough sex in the past, that it was something he wanted only with Seth, Seth hadn’t liked that, not at first. It had seemed to confirm his fears about being a brute. But then Raider had told Seth that the reason he wanted roughness only with him was because he trusted him and felt safe with him.

That meant a lot to Seth—gods, it did—but he had a harder time trusting himself. For the past two days, he’d been cautious with Raider. He’d told himself that it wasn’t the right time for sex, that Raider wasn’t in the right headspace for it. Seth had been as patient and gentle as he could be, but that wasn’t what Raider had needed. Raider had needed this. Seth taking control. Seth making it safe for him to let go instead of locking down.

Raider’s chest was heaving and his abdomen was contracting. His cock was stiffening, lifting against Seth’s hooked legs. Seth set his teeth to the juncture of Raider’s neck and shoulder, clamping with firm dominance. Raider shuddered and made a needful sound that took Seth’s cock from semi-hard to achingly stiff.

Seth released his bite to nuzzle the side of Raider’s neck. Raider’s head fell back to rest on Seth’s shoulder. Seth slid his hands inside Raider’s vest, one hand smoothing across the planes of his chest, the other rubbing his muscled belly. Seth unhooked his legs and used them to open and pin Raider’s legs, giving Seth access to his cock.

Seth gripped him through the silk, loving the feel of that hard, thick length. He stroked a few times before returning his hand to Raider’s abdomen.

He had to be sure. After everything that had happened today, he needed clear words. He rumbled against Raider’s neck, “Tell me what you need.”

“You, Seth. I need you.”