Page 27 of Burning Ice
“Where’s… here?” Mirel yawned, then looked around.
“At Moargan’s estate. Now, I’m going to need you to behave.” Kylix lifted the chain and yanked Mirel into him, claiming his mouth the moment their noses met. Mirel’s lips trembled against his, and with a satisfied purr, Kylix licked the shape of them. They tasted divine. “Can you do that for me?”
Mirel shuddered against the hot breath. “C-Cyprian?” he managed.
“Yes. He’ll be there too. Why are you asking?”
Mirel looked away.
“Stubborn little ghost. Alright, we need to go. I have a lot of work on my shoulders. Come on.” He dragged Mirel out of the car, held the leash with both pride and hunger. Perhaps a tiny bit of pity for his remarkable wastelander, who’d had the misfortune of having been noticed by him.
“Pretty little snack you brought out here tonight.” Aviel flicked his cigarette away.
Next to him, Mirel flinched. “Move, Aviel.”
“Ouch. Even your spicy treat can’t help you from being your grumpy self.”
“I’m not in the mood for your shit,” Kylix barked. He opened the door, mouth twitching. Aviel was a crazy son of a bitch, but he liked him anyway.
Inside, the place was buzzing with Luminary guards. That was usual, especially since Helianth had been kidnapped andCyprian had been in danger, but there was another vibe to tonight’s air. Trepidation mixed with anticipation. Add in danger and the Dariux energy, and there was the cocktail Kylix could drink every day happily. It made the fire element in his body stir.
Screens glowed along the counters, faces lit in spectral blue. Dariux symbols pulsed on open data sheets. The hum of machinery mixed with the smell of spice and ozone, like warmth trying to disguise power. Voices came from the kitchen.
“...check the other screen,” someone barked.
“I am. There’s nothing there,” Yure clipped. He was Moargan’s friend, Aviel’s best friend, and free from Dariux injections. He was a software mastermind, someone Kylix would happily recruit to join the Luminary after graduation.
“Excuse me.” Aviel slipped in from behind. “Duty calls.”
Kylix pulled on the chain, wanting to make Mirel stumble. His little ghost fell into his embrace. Kylix’s lips ghosted the tender skin of Mirel’s throat. “Final warning. If you don’t behave, you’ll be in trouble. Do you understand me?” He cupped Mirel’s chin and lifted his gaze, forcing their eyes to meet.
Mirel nodded.
“Words.”
“Y-yes.”
“Good.” Kylix brushed a blond hair from Mirel’s temple and dropped a kiss on the cool skin.
Then they stepped inside the kitchen.
Warmth welcomed them. Not just from the stove, where Aviel was back and in his usual position, but also from those present. His family and those he considered family as well.
Moargan sat at the island, sleeves rolled, jaw set as he swirled a glass of ember liquid. “What if you try it again?” he asked Yure, who sat next to him surrounded by holo-screens and a team of software engineers Kylix had hand-picked himself.
His eyes flicked to Kylix, then swept past him and over Mirel. Kylix’s grip on the chain tightened. “So this is the prisoner Helianth mentioned?”
Someone gasped.
Moargan rose from the island in time to catch Cyprian, who fell into his arms, face white as a ghost, his eyes on Mirel.
“You,” he whispered. Peeling himself free from Moargan’s embrace, he took a few unsteady steps closer. “It really is you.”
Around them, the kitchen had gone awfully quiet.
Cyprian smiled as he closed the distance. They all stared as a glow stirred faint in his veins, brightening even through his clothes.
“Brother.”
