Page 71 of Consort of the Dragon King

“You lost me. What do you mean?”

Auslin took a deep breath before continuing. “Kisano is Reskin.”

Sephen rapidly blinked as he tried to process what his brother had told him. His mind raced over the three simple words. “Are you seriously saying that Kisano is Reskin?”

“Please understand I never knew until he told me just now,” Auslin said.

Sephen made a distressed sound as it felt like the walls were closing in on him. “Auslin, you can’t be serious! Tell me you’re lying!”

“I wish I was.” Auslin sighed. “Otherwise, I never would have said half the stuff I did about Reskin to Kisano when we spent time together in his library.”

“Great!” Sephen sarcastically groaned. “Now I can never see him again!” He threw himself back on the bed, burying his face in his pillow with another pained noise.

Auslin reached over to rub Sephen’s back to help soothe him. “I’m sure Kisano had his reasons for not telling us.”

“I probably made him feel too embarrassed because of how much I gushed about Reskin,” Sephen mumbled into his pillow.

“For what it’s worth, I definitely did. But luckily for us, Kisano is the nicest person ever and?—”

“Auslin, do you know the things that I’ve said to him about Reskin?” Sephen interrupted his brother to ask in anguish. “How can I ever face him again knowing that he’s really Reskin? I’m too humiliated!”

“I can’t imagine any author who wouldn’t be happy to hear their work touched the lives of people like Reskin has ours.”

Sephen rolled onto his back, then slung his arm over his eyes. “No wonder I fell for Kisano so fast. He literallyismy dream guy.”

“For what it’s worth, I’m pretty sure he feels the same way about you,” Auslin said.

“No, he’s so polite that he couldn’t tell me to quit harassing him with my weird obsession,” Sephen argued. “It’s impossible he likes me the same way. He’sReskin. What use does he have for a puny human who is nothing but the blink of an eye in the grand scheme of his eternal life?”

“I don’t think that’s true. I can tell he really likes you.”

Sephen pouted. “You’re only saying that to make me feel better.”

“No, I mean it,” Auslin insisted.

“Why would he like me?” Sephen asked in a pained voice. “I’m so disgustingly human. I can’t even use magic.”

“Kisano has taken a lot of abuse for not having a dragon or the ability to use magic like a normal shifter,” Auslin explained. “I can’t imagine him of all people rejecting you for being human.”

Sephen wanted to believe him, but he was too upset. “It was already improbable for us to be together before, but now it’s impossible.” He fought back the tears welling up in his eyes. “Auslin, what am I supposed to do?”

“Talk to him.”

“I can’t,” Sephen automatically refused. He moved his arm to wipe away his tears. “To get rejected by KisanoandReskin at the same time is too much to bear. My heart won’t survive it.”

Auslin shook his head. “I truly don’t think he would reject you.” Sephen wanted to trust in his older brother’s sincerity, but his claims were too unbelievable. “I know he likes you.”

“But it’s not the same kind of like. He’s being kind and humoring me because he’s too nice to tell me to leave. Why am I so stupid to fall for someone I can never have?”

“Please talk to him,” Auslin pleaded. “I’m sure it’ll be awkward, but you’ll both feel so much better afterwards.”

“No, I can never see him again,” Sephen insisted, even though it broke his heart.

Auslin sighed at Sephen’s theatrics. “If you suddenly quit talking to Kisano, it will hurt him more than anything you could say.”

Before Sephen could respond, a knock on the door interrupted them. An acolyte called out, “Sephen, there’s a guest here to see you.”

“A guest?” Sephen asked in confusion. “Who would possibly come visit me?”

---