Page 42 of Burning Ice
The scent reminded him of the night before, of breath caught between them, of the sound Kylix made when release tookhim. The memory moved through him like a pulse. His body remembered before his mind allowed it to.
The air between them turned heavy, almost sweet. Mirel let the smoke drift from his lips, awkward, unsure. Kylix’s gaze caught it, followed the trail until it vanished above them. For a heartbeat, Mirel saw hunger there, the same hunger that had pressed him open in the dark, the kind that had nothing to do with food.
The silence stretched. Kylix’s reflection in the glass looked closer than it was, mouth curved, eyes steady.
“Careful,” he said, voice low. “They can be addictive.”
Mirel wasn’t sure whether he meant the cigarettes or himself.
Then he turned back to the counter and poured two cups of coffee. Set a plate of hot tiganos on the counter. “You know there’s an argument about who makes these best. Aviel swears by his. Cyprian says Archer’s beat him once. I say I don’t care. As long as they’re hot enough. Now, eat.”
“Archer?” Mirel asked, voice low. He watched as Kylix took a bite. His own stomach grumbled. He hadn’t had a tigano in years.
“Loud. Kind. Bad at pretending. He’s Cyprian’s friend.” Kylix’s eyes flicked back to him. “You’d like him.”
Mirel didn’t answer. He stared at the plate instead, eyes fixed on the food. After a long pause, he reached out carefully and snatched one off the plate, eating it quickly. The taste burst on his tongue, sweet and hot, his tongue sparking after years of bland scraps.
Kylix watched, smug and content, a slow grin curving his mouth. “Good?” he asked, voice low. “You look like you’d let me feed you all day if I wanted. Take one for the road. Or two.” His eyes gleamed, hungry with satisfaction as Mirel swallowed the last bite and his pride, as he stole two more from the plate.
Kylix tasted the edge, slow. “You would.”
A Luminary guard appeared. “The car is ready, sir.”
Kylix slipped into his jacket, cigarette clamped between his lips. Smoke curled from the corner of his mouth as he spoke, the words rough and precise. “Any news?”
“Not yet. The escaped prisoners are still unaccounted for. We set out an alert to find both him and that medic. His identity has been confirmed. His name is Doctor Serrin.”
“And the press?”
“Silent so far.”
Kylix exhaled a thin ribbon of smoke. “They won’t be for long.”
“Sir.” The guard’s eyes flicked once toward Mirel, curious and assessing, before he turned and left the room.
“Mirel,” Kylix said, soft. “Stand. Come here, little ghost.”
Mirel stood.
Kylix crossed the short distance. He reached out, fingers brushing along his jaw before stopping at his throat, the touch both claim and warning. His eyes glinted with hunger and possession. His hand lightly touched Mirel’s temple, brushing strands away.
“As you have noticed, I haven’t chained you in bed.”
Mirel nodded, bouncing on one leg.
Kylix's voice was even. “We’re going to the hospital today. That’s close to the graveyard. So I’m going to tell you this once, and only once. If you run, I will find you. Do you understand?” The words were a caress and a threat all at once. He let his hand fall, the heat of it lingering on Mirel’s skin.
Mirel swallowed.
“Not even your silence will be able to hide from me. Tell me you understand.”
“Yes.” It came out hoarse.
Kylix’s lips curled. “If you let me hunt you down, I will treat you like prey. You don’t want to be treated like prey, do you?”
Mirel shook his head.
“Good boy. Then stay by my side and nothing like that will happen.”
