Page 17 of Xerxes Ascendant
“Tyler,” said Kyle, his voice rising on the name in surprise. “You’ve taken a job here?”
“Yes, si…um. Kyle, sir,” Tyler finished weakly, fidgeting with the edge of the desk and glancing at Ben for assistance.
“Kyle,” the submissive confirmed with an abrupt jut of his chin, his tone bossy and final. “You only call peoplesirhere if you want to.”
Tyler gave Kyle a wary half-smile as if to test the truth of that. He nodded back at him, genuinely happy to find him here and already welcomed by House Epsilon’s staff, when the last time they’d met had been in House Theta. Twice as skinny as he was now, with gaunt cheeks and dull eyes: it had been clear that Tyler wasn’t being cared for, and even the ten minutes they’d been in that horrendous place together had hinted at worse abuse. Yet another thing to hold Master Theta accountable for, if he ever showed his face again.
“I’m glad you accepted the job,” Kyle said to Tyler warmly, recalling that he’d asked Epsilon to offer him employment but not having known it had gone ahead. “We needsomeoneto show this lot that decent manners aren’t something to be avoided at all costs.”
“Hey, fuck you, sir,” Ben shot back immediately, just as Kyle knew he would.
He reached out to cuff the boy around the head; a gentle, admonishing smack that Ben wasn’t quite quick enough – or motivated enough – to avoid. The submissive immediately taunted him for not hitting harder, mischief in his gaze.
“Case in point.” Kyle leaned over the desk to peek down at the House diary. “Do I have any appointments tonight?”
“Nah,” Misha called out before Tyler could respond, not looking up from where he was concentrating on strappinghimself into high heels on the other side of the foyer. He was perched on Deacon’s back, the larger man resting dutifully on his hands and knees to serve as a chair. “Master says you’re not allowed to take any clients until you’re fully healed.”
Kyle tried to bite down on his tongue, but it stubbornly uttered its bitter retort anyway. “Oh, Master says that, does he?”
“No one wants to fuck your half-dead ass, Kyle,” the twink added quickly, seeming to pick up on his fury. He rose gracefully to his feet and gave a twirl, evidently hoping to distract their attention with his jaw-droppingly gorgeous shoes. “Seriously, almost dying gets you a free pass from that shit. Enjoy just being the boss for a while, won’t you?”
“You’d know all about free passes from work, Misha,” boomed Sanjay from the stairs, laughing at the visible indignation that statement incited. “Are you still lying there while your subs do all the work, little pillow princess?”
Mish stuck his nose in the air and his hands on his hips. “I’m a Dominant who likes to bottom even when I’m topping,” he declared loudly to the ceiling. “If they’re not willing to put in the effort to get this -” He ran his hands seductively down his waist and between his legs. “- then they don’t getthis. Simple maths, physics, whatever.”
Kyle hid a smile. Misha’s preferred play style was indeed for his partners to shoulder the brunt of the physical work while he ordered them around, edging submissive tops being his speciality, but the power bottom could be as metaphorically flexible as he was anatomically and also took on clients with whom he played a more...active role.
But this was House Epsilon, where the staff’s favourite pastime was ribbing each other, and Kyle returned a couple of jibes aimed in his direction as he squeezed past Sanjay and bounded up the stairs to room thirteen.
The last few steps were taken three at a time. Kyle threw the door open with an eagerness resulting from not having seen his precious babies fortwo weeks, and his last glimpse of them being when they fled from the thug trying to pull a bullet in their furry insides.
“Snugglemuffins! Come here! Have you missed me?”
His excitement was evidently not shared, for Mayhem merely flicked a tail, Chaos cracked a sleepy eye, and the lump of orange that was Havoc didn’t bother to react at all.
None of that dissuaded Kyle. He launched himself onto the bed and scooped all three cats into his arms, kissing and nuzzling each of their fluffy heads and paws until even Havoc was forced to muster up the energy to bat him away.
Mayhem gave an indignant yowl and fled to the other side of the room, where he proceeded to pointedly wash himself.
“There,” Kyle said fondly. “I knew you missed me too.”
Here’s a piece of advice you’ll want to remember: never, ever draw new runes over old ones. Dormant or not, just don't.
Looks harmless, maybe even neat, but trust me, that’s how you end up with magical feedback loops that tear you from limb to limb. Because runes aren’t just doodles: they carry power, and when you layer them without clearing the old, you’re asking for chaos. Sparks, explosions, unpredictable bursts...none of it’s pretty.
Wanna ask how I know?
-Tiane "Boss" Bouskill, senior instructor in the Wand Safety engineering training course
CHAPTER 6
Akira
Kyle was back at House Epsilon.
Kyle was backhome.
Akira took a deep, unsteady breath, tugged on his suit jacket sleeves to straighten them – again – and rapped his knuckles lightly on the door standing open to room thirteen. He drank in the sight of Kyle, itching to trace those broad shoulders with his hands…run his fingers through the messy blonde hair, and feel the strength of those solid thighs wrapped around his waist. Akira clasped his hands behind his back instead and fought back the temptation.
