Page 8 of Henry & the Dragon
“Be quiet,” Kai demanded. “Speak not against yourself in that manner. Would that I could spend every moment with you, both waking and asleep.” He kissed Henry’s hair. “I would have you in my bed, Henry Cabot. I would hold you in my arms, shield you from any who would think to do you harm. You are worth so much more than you believe.”
“’Tis a nice dream,” Henry admitted, relaxing further into Kai’s embrace. “I have long thought that I would never be able to share a life with someone without danger to our mortal souls.”
Before Kai could speak, Henry continued on.
“But your words have raised hope in my chest that one day, I might find a person who would be willing to take that risk.”
Jealousy burbled inside Kai. He didn’t want Henry with anyone else, and he knew how selfish that was. When he returned home, Henry couldn’t wait for him. He would have to go out and live his life. Without Kai. That knowledge gnawed at his stomach.
“Please, Henry. Let me speak to Neron. I’m certain I could—“
“No, don’t.” He leaned back and stared into Kai’s eyes. “I would do this for my family. They are not wealthy by any means, but they are good, honest people, and deserve a son who would care for them.”
“You care. This I know to be fact.”
“You must understand. My father is a farmer. He and my mother used to grow vegetables and sell them at market, but several years ago, my father was conscripted to fight in a war. When he returned, he was…. not the man who’d left. His body was broken, and so too was his mind. He would cry out at night, claiming phantoms of the comrades who perished were trying to drag him away for his failure to protect them when they lived.My sister, Meredith, tried to run the farm, to keep us warm and fed, but then she took ill. With no money, and crops rotting in the field, Neron offered my parents a way out of debt.”
“You. He wanted you.”
“Aye. They refused, told Neron that they would never allow it.”
“So you stepped in and did what you thought was best.
Henry nodded, but Kai already knew. Henry was a nurturer. He took care of others. The fact he’d taken a beating because he dared to ensure people were provided for spoke volumes, as did the fact he willingly sold himself to another to protect his family. It gave Kai hope for the people of Henry’s village. He wished they could find their voice, but with an unjust and uncaring king, what would change?
He held just a bit tighter, because there was little he could do to change Henry’s lot, and he hated feeling powerless, especially when it could mean Henry’s life.
The strength in Kai’s arms surprised Henry. For someone whose body was only slightly larger than Henry’s, Kai’s possessed an extraordinary amount of power. And he was allowing Henry to partake of it. He had never felt so safe, nor cared for.
“Kai?”
“Shhh. Let me hold you a while longer, dear Henry. I promise to give you a bounty of ghost moss, if you’ll allow me to linger here with you.”
The words, so beautiful, touched Henry’s heart. He relaxed into Kai’s embrace, hearing the thudding of his heart. It was a strong, steady rhythm that actually calmed Henry’s nerves, though his body still ached.
“Would that I could take away your pain,” Kai murmured.
“That is exactly what I was thinking.”
Kai chuckled, and it vibrated through Henry. “We are apparently far more synchronized than I suspected.” He kissed Henry’s temple. “Have you any of the salve you made with you?”
“I always carry a bit, just in case I meet someone who needs it.”
“I think at the moment, that someone is you. May I please have it?”
Henry reached into the pocket of his cloak, and withdrew a small glass vial that he handed to Kai.
“Take off your tunic, please.”
Henry tried to twist to remove the garment, but pain shot through him, causing him to cry out.
“Henry!” Kai shouted, lurching toward him. He put a hand on Henry’s arm. “No, still your movements. Allow me.”
Kai lifted the back of Henry’s cloak and tunic, then took the vial and poured a bit of the liniment in his hands. The smell of feverfew, cloves, and other things Henry had gathered, then ground with the mortar and pestle until they released their precious unguents, wafted on the breeze.
“Oh, Henry,” Kai said, his voice steeped in sadness as he traced a finger over the dark marks Neron had left. “You ought not be traveling. You should have stayed in bed.”
“I could not. Neron demanded I come gather the ghost moss.”
