Page 68 of Daman
“Good,” I said. “As for the rest of you, return to your units and relay the information. Begin utilizing the techniques as soon as possible. You’re dismissed.”
“Fuck, that was hot,” Daman said once the captains left. That smile from earlier surfaced again. “You being in charge.”
It seemed both of our minds had been on the same page.
“I feel the same about you.” I rested a hand on his hip, eyeing the sword still in his grip. “You look dangerous with that.”
“Oh yeah?” Daman caressed my forearm, and a sultry gleam shone in his eyes, the green irises darkening a shade. “We should spar sometime. I bet I’d win.”
“I bet you would too.”
He laughed. “You’re not supposed to agree with me, War. You’re supposed to get competitive and try to prove me wrong.”
“Why? A warrior should know when he’s outmatched.” I tugged him as close as our bodies would allow and nipped at the spot right below his ear. He shuddered and hooked an arm around my waist. “And you,kotya, are as deadly as you are beautiful.”
“Kotya?” Daman’s gaze flickered to my mouth. “Did you seriously just call me a kitten?”
“It’s fitting, no?” I combed my hand through his brown hair, inwardly cursing my gloves. I wanted to feel the silkiness of the strands between my fingers. “Fierce on the outside, like a tiger. Yet on the inside, you have a kind soul and adorable, playful nature that just wants to be loved.”
Daman’s breath caught, and his expression broke. The lustful gleam faded. And what I saw in its place made me weak in the knees. Vulnerability. He pulled my face to his and kissed me.
The kiss felt different than the ones he normally initiated. Softer. Unrushed. As if he were reveling in the feel of my lips, in my closeness. A pang went through my chest, and I shuddered, locking both arms around him.
I forgot where we were and what we were doing. All I knew was his taste, his scent, and how perfect he felt against me. I could stay in that moment with him forever and be at peace.
Because despite everything—like his battle with Envy—that’s exactly what being with Daman brought me. Peace. A sense of wholeheartedness I’d never known before he’d come into my life, bringing his snark and grouchiness but also his warmth. And those soft smiles that were rare but increasing the more I was around him.
Breathless, he broke from the kiss. But he didn’t pull away. He tucked his head against my chest, pressing his face into the fur around the collar of my coat. We stayed like that for a while, the seconds ticking by in silence.
It started to snow, slow at first, then heavier, the flakes doubling in size. Yet, we were unmoving in each other’s arms.
“It really is like a snow globe,” Daman murmured, peering up at me. A flake landed on his eyelash, and I gently brushed it away. “The snow is all that’s moving while we stand frozen in a moment.”
“A good moment, I hope.”
He rewarded me with another smile before stepping back. I hated the gap between us and wanted to close it. Other duties took priority though. I couldn’t let my desire for him distract me from them.
The heavy flapping of wings caused me to look up as Ivan and Efrem flew overhead. The twins were identical, even in their dragon forms, with one small exception. The tip of Ivan’s left horn was chipped from a battle with the water clan a century ago.
“Not sure I’ll ever get used to that,” Daman said, staring at them. Efrem gnashed his teeth at Ivan’s neck before Ivan used his wing to knock his brother aside. “When I was a kid, I always dreamed of seeing a dragon. You’d think after a few thousand years, I would’ve seen my fair share. But your kind keeps to yourself.”
“It’s safer that way. Humans would hunt us otherwise. To them, we’re creatures of myth. Nothing more. So we stay behind the walls we built to keep ourselves hidden.”
Daman’s brow pulled together. “You know. Under Asa’s rule, dragons could live freely on earth without that worry. Well, unless he enslaved you right alongside the humans, which is the more likely scenario. But still. You’d have a chance to be free.”
“I don’t want to be free if it means putting chains on someone else.”
“I envy that about you.” His gaze lingered on the twins, though like earlier, it seemed so far away. “Your morals. Convictions. You’re just as honorable as those heroes you like to read about.”
Heat crept up my neck and settled in my cheeks. Accepting compliments was strange. They made me awkward.
“Fuck, you’re so cute.” Daman chuckled, and the shadows in his eyes fled. “So. I’ve told you some of my abilities. What are yours? Kyo can breathe underwater and control the sea. What can ice dragons do?”
I appreciated the topic shift. Talking strategy and skill sets was so much easier.
“We can breathe ice to freeze our enemy solid. Then, we break them into pieces.”
Daman’s brows shot to his hairline. “That’s badass.”
