1. Ra

Chapter 1

Ra

"You can't just shove it in there. It's a seduction. You need the right prep," Ra said, keeping his gaze on the busted security camera he was fixing.

The damage caused to the City of Souls during the recent invasion had given him the perfect opportunity to upgrade their defensive surveillance using the tech he and Zee had developed. This camera was the last one he needed to retrofit. The final box he needed to tick before he could leave everything behind.

"For fuck's sake, Ra. It's a computer, not a person. It's six o'clock in the morning and I was already out all night fixing the Greenhaven overbridge. I need to be out of sight before your ex arrives so I don't cause a diplomatic incident. I don't have time to master your human coding," Zee shot back.

Ra winced in sympathy. Zee did look tired. Their wings of copper shot through with a blue-green like the oxidised form of the metal were draped lax on the floor behind them. Zee was the city's magical engineer, so they'd been working round the clock to repair structures across the city after the battle.

"He's not my damn ex. It was one kiss," Ra grumbled. One kiss and a decade of flirtatious messages and intense connection before it all went wrong, but who was counting? "You need to learn this before Mica gets here because there's no one else I trust to maintain the soul database if he lets me accompany Kaia back to the Earth Court with him."

Zee was a fairly competent coder for a centuries-old elemental who'd never come across a computer before their worlds melded together. Ra hadn't needed to teach them much, given the two of them had built the system from scratch, fusing human tech with elemental magic. Zee's power was already woven through every conductor and they had an innate understanding of the system. He knew Zee was just tired and frustrated at how much longer it had taken them to complete the Soul Court's usual reports than it would Ra and that was showing through in the violent clacking of the keyboard behind him.

"I thought Lord Mica already said no to you going. Repeatedly. There's no way he's going to risk having the second-in-command to the lord of a rival court in his territory. Especially one he so publicly rejected," Zee pointed out.

Ra forced his hands to relax before he tightened the final screw almost hard enough to snap and turned to face his friend. He really hadn't needed the reminder of Mica's words at the global summit— Bastion. Get your human under control. But if there was anyone who knew how the Earth Lord thought, it was Zee, who'd grown up in his court.

"I have to try one more time. Kaia woke screaming again last night and just about blasted through the wall with her power before she realised where she was," Ra said.

The deep concern they shared for the girl was clear in Zee's expression. "She should've left for training months ago."

"She was in no state to move to another continent on her own. She still isn't. And you know Ana wasn't ready to let her go when she'd only just got her back," Ra said.

Zee wasn't wrong about the urgency, but there was nothing they could do about it now. All the most powerful young elemental mages needed to receive training in one of the sentient strongholds of the other four courts to gain control over their magic. Otherwise, they burned out in horrific accidents in their early teens. Despite being only twelve and half-human to boot, little Kaia was fast approaching that point. Her kidnapping and assault at the hands of the Air Court months earlier had massively accelerated her magical development and the trauma had left her a shadow of her former gregarious self.

The Earth Lord Mica had agreed to train her as political leverage, the bastard, but to his credit he'd also committed to providing her with access to a counsellor. He just hadn't budged on letting anyone from the Soul Court accompany her. Ra was going to change Mica's mind this morning, no matter what it took, because the niece of his heart had only just started healing and there was no way he was going to let her feel alone again.

"That may be so, but how on the earths are you going to convince Lord Mica? Can you even be civil to him?" Zee asked.

His response was cut off by a knock at the door and Rose, one of the elemental scouts, let herself into the room. It was just as well because he had nothing to say in response to Zee's question. He had no clue how he was going to convince Mica of anything. Given a choice, he'd dropkick the Earth Lord back to the sentient magical cave system of his stronghold and never see him again. Mica's actions had almost cost Bast and his mate Hel their lives. Bast was like a brother to him. It wasn't something Ra could forgive.

"Lord Mica's incoming in five. Tir's on the roof to set up the portal," Rose told him.

Ra gave her an up-nod in acknowledgement. "Thanks. I'll head up now."

"Are you sure that's a good idea? Are you going to behave?" she teased, arching an eyebrow.

Ra smirked and pretended a confidence he didn't feel. The bad blood between him and the Earth Lord was no secret to anyone in Soul Tower, or the world for that matter. Mica had made sure of that with his little outburst.

"You know me, sugar. I'm more fun when I don't," he flirted back.

He'd shared a hot night with Rose at The Crypt nightclub further down the Tower several years back, but they both knew the score. He wasn't into repeats. And these days he spent more time in the DJ booth than on the dancefloor, anyway. It had been too many months since he'd really let loose. He wasn't going to count exactly how many because then he'd have to admit it was the same number since he'd first met Mica in person after years of flirty communications that started as official court business and quickly became something more. The slow seduction he'd been reeling the Earth Lord in with had been the light in his days right up until Mica showed his true colours. The elemental had known exactly what Bast meant to Ra when he made his choice to betray them. He deserved everything Ra had thrown at him since.

Rose grinned and waved a lazy salute to them in farewell.

"I won't see you before you leave if you succeed," Zee said, standing up from the computer they'd been working at.

Ra pulled them into a hug, careful to avoid brushing up against their sensitive wings. "I'll be back before you know it, but we can have one last whiskey before I go," he said, heading to his drinks cabinet to pour them both a measure of the whiskey he saved for special occasions.

He'd lovingly distilled and casked the liquor in barrels he'd carved and assembled himself twenty-one years earlier. Back when he'd still been mentally adjusting to being a human who suddenly had all the time in the world because the magical mark Bast placed on him to save his life had left him with an elemental's immortal lifespan.

"Three years is a long time, Ra. And I'm not so sure he'll let you go again if he lets you back in."

Ra took a long sip from his glass and closed his eyes to savour the taste. "You managed to get away," he said.

Zee rolled their eyes. "I was no one to him. With you, it's personal."

"He hates me. Just like I hate him. He's not going to want me around a minute longer than is absolutely necessary," Ra said.

"Hate and love are just two currents holding the same wing aloft. Go well, my friend," Zee said, raising their glass in a toast before finishing the drink.

Ra shook his head and gave Zee one last squeeze before heading for the elevators. "You can bunk in my spare room here until he's gone so you don't have to cross the city. Love you!" he called over his shoulder.

The sun was rising over the sparkling waters of the harbour as he stepped out onto the roof terrace of Soul Tower. His friend Tir stood in the circle of black obsidian tiles where they'd taken to setting up portals when needed. The ubiquitous winds of the city chilled Ra's skin as he walked closer and he wished he'd grabbed a jacket. Tir was never bothered by the cold. There was no sign of discomfort visible in the tentacles draping from their scalp and undulating gently down to the ground. Tir's multiple jaws split into a wide smile as Ra approached, revealing rows of predatory razor-sharp fangs. The teeth had taken a bit of getting used to, especially when the ceptae children smiled so sweetly in the exact same way.

"Hello, Sunshine," Tir said.

Ra smiled at the nickname. Sometimes he felt distinctly underpowered compared to all the amazing species now occupying the city—the lethal monster-hunting ceptae with their rare portalling ability, the elementals with their wings and magic, the blood-drinking vampyr who had healed so many of the fallen in the battle. At times like this he was reminded he still had influence as a human—even if sometimes that influence was the tendency to come up with ridiculous nicknames and drop f-bombs. Someone needed to make sure they all remembered to have fun.

"Hey there, T-Bird. Ready to get this party started?" Ra asked, faking a nonchalance he definitely wasn't feeling at the imminent arrival of the elemental he despised only a touch more than he desired.

"Of course," Tir said, angling their head in agreement.

Stretching out a slender hand, the ceptae gathered the liquid shadow of their power to them and started forming the rift in the air that would open into the Earth Court on the distant Asian continent.

"I need to speak to him in private once he's through, please," Ra said, keeping his voice soft so as not to distract Tir.

"I doubt he will notice me leaving once he sees you," Tir said, flashing him another toothy grin.

Ra rolled his eyes at the gentle teasing and turned to face the coalescing swirling shadows. He didn't have long to wait.

The sun's rays catching on the sparkling metallic copper of Mica's wings as he emerged from the portal threw Ra back to the first time they'd met in person on this same rooftop. There had always been a tension between them over the decades their messages had shifted from official business to something more personal, but it hadn't been until they finally stood face to face that he'd felt the full effect.

Just like he had that day, he drew in a sharp breath as he took in Mica's sculpted muscles, perfectly framed by his formal suit. The wind chose that moment to shift direction and Mica's familiar scent of forest and the deep stillness of the caves he called home filled his lungs—clean, fresh, and far too tempting.

The Earth Lord was wearing a tux and bowtie despite the early hour, because of course he was. Bast used to tease Ra about how hot he found the image of Mica as his personal fallen angel—like Lucifer poised at a piano with a whiskey in one of his too-tempting hands and that annoyingly delicious three-day scruff gracing his jaw. Thank the earths he'd never revealed that weakness to Mica, either in the days they'd spent together in the city or in the endless string of messages they'd shared before Mica's actions destroyed everything growing between them.

As Tir's portal disappeared, he noticed a tension leave Mica's body, which was strange given he'd just arrived at a court he had only a tenuous truce with. It was as if Mica had been straining to carry a great weight and it had suddenly lifted. The relief he witnessed was short-lived. They were both snapped back to reality as his gaze finally met the Earth Lord's and Mica processed his presence on the roof. The blue-green of Mica's eyes widened with surprise and the thin line of the copper of his power ringing his pupils flashed as they dilated.

Stalking forward until he was right up in Ra's space, Mica's voice was barely more than a growl when he spoke. "Where is the Soul Lord? Would Bastion insult me by sending you to greet me?"

Ra tilted his head to keep their eyes locked. He used to love that Mica was taller and more imposing. The perfect size to wrap around him. Now it just pissed him off.

"Nau mai, haere mai, Lord Mica. As a member of our ruling partnership, I am honoured to welcome you back to the City of Souls," he replied, taking perverse pleasure in rubbing Mica's nose in his failure at basic diplomatic protocol. For whatever reason, the Earth Lord who was renowned for his calm, staid presence and formality always seemed to lose it all in Ra's presence.

As close as they were, Ra could now see the signs of fatigue and strain in Mica's face—the smooth bronze of his skin was marred by deep shadows beneath his eyes that were almost as dark as the ebony of his hair. Ra frowned as he took it in. He'd known the Earth Court had been reeling since the damage to their sentient stronghold caused by Hel's abduction, but they'd thought Mica would've been able to heal his home by now. The stronghold was what was supposed to keep Kaia's power stable as she trained there. If it was still damaged, would she be safe?

"Are you well, Lord Mica?" Ra asked.

"That is none of your concern."

"It sure as fuck is if the reason you look like one of Bast's reanimated corpses is going to put Kaia in danger!" Ra snapped.

So much for diplomacy. Maybe staying up all night and that whiskey first thing in the morning hadn't been the best idea. It was a miracle he'd managed to last this long before going on the attack.

"Are you questioning my ability to keep my people safe?" Mica asked, deadly warning in his tone.

"Absolutely."

"Unbelievable. You can't be more than what? Four decades? And you're questioning me ? I've ruled the Earth Court for almost a thousand years. If I couldn't keep my people safe, someone would have deposed me centuries ago," Mica said.

"It's over five decades, but whatever. You're showing your age, old man. I don't care if you've ruled for a thousand years or a thousand decades. We need to know Kaia will be safe."

Ra's answer seemed to throw Mica more than he expected and the Earth Lord ran his eyes down his body searching for something. "Five decades? How do you look so … ageless?"

Ra rubbed absently at Bast's mark that wrapped around his upper arm, hidden by his shirt and Mica's eyes widened as he realised the answer to his question. Elemental rulers could place a magical mark on their most trusted courtiers, but it was uncommon. The magic was nothing like the rare mating bond Bast had with Hel, but it still created a permanent connection. If Ra focused hard, he could feel Bast's heart beating in his chest and his breaths filling his lungs. It also meant they could always find each other.

To his knowledge, he and Ana—Soul Tower's manager and Kaia's māmā—were the only humans to ever have a mark of this type placed on them. It had the added benefit of giving them an indeterminately longer lifespan, faster healing, and extra speed and strength. It made him a little more than human and meant he hadn't aged a day since Bast had placed the mark on him when he was thirty. He was surprised Mica hadn't figured it out earlier, given how long they'd known each other, but the passing of time felt different without mortality to confine it.

A shiver of foreign power ran over his skin, probing, and made Bast's mark on his upper arm flare with cold. Something dark flashed in Mica's eyes, his wings flaring wider as his fists clenched.

"He marked you," Mica growled.

"That is none of your concern," Ra said, echoing his earlier words. "What is your concern is reassuring me that your stronghold isn't going to hurt my niece."

"You should have thought of that before you extorted me into letting Helaine enter it. The stronghold wouldn't even be damaged otherwise. Can you even imagine what it's like to have a portion of your consciousness severed from your soul like its was? Or what it's like to have that same broken consciousness clinging to your mind for comfort? Speaking into your thoughts every hour of every day? Enough! I will not stand here and be insulted by you! I will keep Kaia safe the same way I have kept every other member of my court safe for a millennium. Just like I already told your Lord. Where is the girl? I don't have time for this," Mica growled, striding around Ra to head for the entrance to the Tower.

Fuck. This was not how this was supposed to go. He was meant to be endearing himself to Mica so he'd let him accompany Kaia and instead he'd possibly fucked up her whole leaving day. It had been a minor miracle that Mica had agreed to spend the day with them to ease her transition, especially given the time difference meant he'd left his own court after midnight. They'd planned for Mica to attend both the private family breakfast and the surprise party later that day so Kaia had a chance to connect with him.

Reaching out without thinking, he grasped Mica's biceps to halt his progress, his hand inadvertently skating across the impossibly soft feathers of his wings as he did so. Mica spun to face him, his feathers sparking with copper magic as he reacted to the perceived threat. Ra dropped to his knees before Mica had a chance to do anything they'd both regret in response.

"I'm sorry. Please don't let my words affect Kaia's last day here. I'm begging you."

Mica's nostrils flared and his magic shone even brighter for a moment before the polite mask he'd been lacking since he arrived slid down into place. "Get up. I will not be manipulated like that," Mica said, voice tight.

Ra tilted his head at the hint of discomfort in his words and fought to hide a smirk. He hadn't meant the move to be suggestive, but he could tell Mica was remembering the last time he'd been on his knees for him like this. They'd been interrupted by duty before anything could happen, but the scene had played in his fantasies for months after until he'd refused to let Mica take up any more of his mental real estate. Clearly, it had featured in Mica's memories as well.

"Please stay for the rest of the day," he said.

"Fine. But only for the girl, not for you," Mica growled, reaching down to drag him to his feet.

The electric surge Mica's touch sent through his body had him reeling, and he put a hand out for balance that landed on Mica's hard sculpted chest. What was with this insane chemistry between them?

Whatever moment they were having was interrupted by a flash of azure blue wings and the soft thump of Morrigan, the Soul Court scout captain, landing nearby. She had no reason to be there, so it was obvious she thought he needed an intervention. How long had she been watching? She was never going to let him hear the end of it.

"Greetings, Lord Mica. If you have a moment, I would like to discuss a matter with you before you head downstairs," she said.

Shooting Morrigan a grateful look for the distraction, Ra turned away from the elemental who was infuriating temptation personified.

"I'll see you down there," he muttered, not bothering to look and see if Mica deigned to respond. He needed a moment to get his errant body back under control before he could look at the Earth Lord again.