11. Mica

Chapter 11

Mica

The day of Daria's ascension to become Lady of the Air Court dawned as sunny as Ra's flirtations. For once, Mica didn't bother sneaking out of his wing before the human woke. There was no point when they'd be within spitting distance of each other until they returned. Thank the Earths the ceptae had offered to portal each of the attendees to the event or he would've spent almost eighteen hours flying them there. This way, they would leave in a couple of hours and, with the time difference, arrive just before the ceremony started at sunset.

Making his way to the kitchen, he set about making some simple stuffed rice flour crêpes for breakfast. He was so focused on what he was doing, he didn't hear Ra's approach until the man groaned like he was mid-orgasm behind him.

"Fuck, that smells amazing," Ra said, moving to the coffee maker to make them both a cup.

Ra had gotten better at hiding his emotions from the connection between them, but he could still get a general sense of them. While his own feelings were still a turmoil of contradictions, Ra's had calmed. No, calmed wasn't the right word. There was still a deep hunger between them. But alongside that was something else. Acceptance, perhaps, and determination.

They worked in silence as Mica finished plating the meal, moving around each other in complete harmony as if they'd been doing this for the twenty-some years since they'd first spoken. Each time Ra accidentally brushed against his wings in the small kitchen space, they both drew in a sharp breath and then pretended they hadn't.

Mica hadn't bothered changing out of the thin cotton pants he'd worn to bed before he started cooking and he smirked in amusement at the way Ra was all but drooling over his shirtless torso.

Dammit. He wasn't supposed to be leading them down this path, but he just couldn't help himself when he was around the man.

"I don't think I've ever seen you so casually dressed, or should that be undressed?" Ra teased, as they sat down to eat.

If he thought Ra's groan when he entered the kitchen area was bad, it was nowhere near as pornographic as the one he let out when he took his first bite of the food. Mica shifted in his seat and tried to adjust himself without drawing attention. He wasn't wearing anywhere near enough clothing to hide the effect that sound was having on him.

"I'll change as soon as we're done. We need to be at the collection site in about an hour. Does your replacement suit meet your requirements?" he asked.

"Yeah, it's great. Much more me. Elysia really came through," Ra said, sounding distracted as he leaned back in his chair to drink his coffee and let his eyes scan down Mica's body again in a blatant eye-fucking.

"Are you quite finished?" Mica asked, but the words didn't sound as annoyed as he meant them to.

Ra deliberately misconstrued the question. "Mmm … I couldn't eat another mouthful. Your eggplant is delicious."

Mica snorted at the exaggerated suggestive statement, and then he couldn't help it. He broke out in a full-on laugh. "Are you ever not ridiculous?"

Ra grinned back at him. "And miss the chance to watch you finally relax? Never."

" Relaxed is not how I would describe the effect of your presence."

"Is that so? What word would you use?" Ra asked, leaning closer as he rested his chin on his hand.

Well, he'd flown into that one. He needed to shut this down before he did something he'd regret. Like pulling the man onto his lap where he belonged. "Impossible," he bit out.

"Awww … do I make everything harder ?"

Mica rolled his eyes and stood to gather the plates. "Behave yourself. And go get dressed."

"Yes, my Lord ," Ra said, sarcasm dripping from his tone as he headed off to his room, but Mica's body didn't seem to get the message as bone-deep satisfaction sunk into him at the thought of Ra being part of his court and claiming Mica as his lord for real.

It didn't take him long to clean up and don one of the tuxedos he wore like armour. As he dealt with correspondence from his regional leads on his phone while he waited for Ra to reappear, he wondered what Elysia had come up with for Ra's suit that he'd seemed so enamoured of. Knowing his friend, they'd have selected something as outrageous as they could get away with at such a formal gathering. Partly because that was their style and partly because they enjoyed upsetting the careful balance he kept around him. They had that in common with Ra.

The soft swish of the bedroom door opening had him glancing up from his phone where he was leaning against the wall and his jaw literally dropped open at the sight Ra made. Shoving his phone in his pocket, he straightened and stalked toward the too-enticing man sauntering his way.

Elysia had gone with a three-piece suit in the exact storm grey of Ra's eyes thanks to the magically enhanced fabric. For once, his shirt was actually done all the way up, but the glittering mica of his collar wrapped around the top in lieu of a bow tie in a way no one would be able to avoid noticing. The jacket looked almost painted on, drawing attention to every beautiful line of muscle, and the pants were doing all the right things for the man's assets. The waistcoat and a shorter partial kilt draping around his thighs were a contrast in black that took the outfit into just this side of edgy and gender non-conforming in a way that suited the playful, irreverent man to a tee. Elysia had used more magic to make the shoes match perfectly to the collar as if they had been carved from glittering deep brown mica.

Making his way closer like a magnet drawn to its lodestone, he was unable to stop until they were chest-to-chest in the middle of the room.

"You like?" Ra asked, tilting his head in calculating question as Mica crowded in close.

"You look ravishing, damn you," Mica growled, wrapping his wings around them and pressing his nose into the man's neck and letting himself draw in a deep breath of his intoxicating scent.

"I'd say the same, but you moved so fast when you saw me I'm not sure I even got a look," Ra teased, letting the backs of his knuckles brush against the sensitive inner surface of his feathers as he moved to place his palm over Mica's heart. "Sure you don't want to concede defeat early and give me that kiss?" he continued in a whisper.

Mica moaned against Ra's skin and bit down on his earlobe, tugging at it gently. "We don't have time for what that would lead to." Because apparently he couldn't help but be the lord of mixed messages when it came to this man.

Ra looked up at him in surprise and then whined as Mica continued his biting path down his jaw. "I mean, is this event really that important?"

Mica sighed and drew away. They both knew it was. "We need to leave or we'll be late."

The loss of physical contact was too much to bear and he placed his hand at the small of Ra's back as they made their way toward the balcony.

"What a gentleman," Ra murmured.

Mica snorted softly under his breath. If Ra could see inside his head just then he would not be saying that. Carrying the man in a way that didn't press Mica's hard length against him so he could fly them down to the portal site was an awkward manoeuvre.

"Mmm … or maybe not?" Ra said, smirking up at him as he hefted him higher than was comfortable to avoid any inappropriate contact.

Mica recognised the ceptae waiting to portal them as Tir, the former Archivist for the elemental council before the archives were destroyed. They had a turbulent history, but Tir seemed to have gotten past any lingering bad feelings toward him at least. Ra greeted them in their native language with a huge smile, pulling them into a hug, because of course he did. The man had no fear and seemed to be able to charm anyone. Even Mica was wary of all those rows of sharp teeth showing as the ceptae grinned right next to Ra's cheek, but the human was oblivious.

"T-bird! I missed you!" Ra cried.

"I have missed you also, Sunshine. No one calls me strange names or makes me playlists anymore," Tir replied.

"We can't have that. I'm sure the DJs at The Crypt would make you one if you asked," Ra said.

Mica eyed the angle of the sun and cleared his throat. Their little interlude had put them behind and they couldn't afford to risk offence to the new Lady of the Air Court by being late. "Perhaps you could continue this discussion after the ceremony," Mica said.

Tir inclined their head, sending a soft undulation through the tentacles draping from their scalp, and turned to form the portal. Once the liquid shadow of the rift grew large enough to step through, Mica gestured politely for the ceptae to go ahead if they wanted, conscious of the need to demonstrate through his actions the equal status of the other leaders of the new cross-species global council.

"Thank you, Lord Mica, but it's easier to close behind me if I'm the last one through," Tir said.

Ra jerked in surprise against him as he placed a hand at the small of his back again and let his wing extend behind him before guiding them both through the portal. He should've known better than to demonstrate his weakness for the man like that but his instincts were riding him hard as they headed into what was only an iota better than enemy territory. With the way the previous Air Lady had betrayed their world, and the history with little Kaia and her tormentor Caelus still on the loose, it would be a long time before any of them, especially Ra and his family, had any trust for the Air Court.

Daria, the soon-to-be Lady of Air was waiting to greet them once they stepped through, one elegant eyebrow raising as she took in who he was with. She was a study in contrast compared to the previous Lady, Aliya. Where Aliya had been tall and willowy with white hair and golden tanned skin that set off the sparkling white-gold of her wings, Daria was smaller and curvier with enough red to her curling locks to match the metallic rose-gold of her outer feathers. It wasn't until her wings swept open a little that you could see the Air Court's tell-tale white colouring on their inner surface.

"Greetings Lord Mica. Welcome. You honour me with your presence. And who is your partner?" Daria asked, disingenuously, given everyone with any interest in elemental politics knew all about Lord Bastion's human righthand man.

Before he could introduce him, Ra stepped forward with a careless grin on his lips, extending a hand. Thank the Earths he'd placed his mark on the human's left arm or it would've been painfully obvious to every person Ra greeted.

"Hi there. Ra Cooper. Congrats on the ascension. You couldn't pay me to take on that job," he said. Somehow he made it sound like a compliment when it was anything but.

The slightest of frowns marred Daria's brow as she tried to figure out if he was insulting her, but Tir joined them before she could respond and she turned to greet the ceptae instead.

"Behave yourself," Mica whispered, leaning in close to Ra's ear.

"Where's the fun in that?"

Glancing around, Mica saw the portal had deposited them directly into the large antechamber to the Air Court council room deep inside the floating crystal stronghold. The Air Stronghold's presence was a gusting wind on the edge of his consciousness, excited by the day's events but wary of so many strangers gathering inside it. Everywhere he looked, the crystal walls and floor of the space glistened in the last of the afternoon light. The magic of the stronghold allowed them to see through the many rooms surrounding them without truly seeing what was inside so that the view was mostly one of the blue sky and clouds they were suspended in.

He'd never understood the drive to waste so much power on the display of the huge floating castle that made up the stronghold, but it didn't seem to leave the air mages drained. He could only assume the shifting ley line congruence behaved differently to his own deeply anchored home. Perhaps he could ask Lady Nerida about it sometime. The Water Lady was far more likely to answer his questions on the matter and her stronghold was also one in constant motion, floating beneath the ocean's surface.

A flash of black and silver to his right drew his attention back to the people in the room as Lord Bastion and Lady Helaine came to greet them. Once the formalities were complete, Bastion turned to Ra.

"Another thing you forgot to mention, brother?" Bastion asked, fond exasperation in his tone as he pulled Ra into a tight embrace.

"Surprise! I'm here!" Ra said, making both Bastion and Helaine laugh.

Mica knew he should remove his hand from Ra's back, especially now his family was looking on and would get the wrong idea, but he couldn't make himself do it with the number of potential threats in the room. All the most powerful elemental mages in the world were here and the Soul Court had only recently been acknowledged. There was still a huge amount of prejudice against Bastion's soulweaving and that extended to anyone he claimed as family.

"You two look cosy," Helaine observed, curious.

He was once again saved from an awkward conversation by the need to greet the rest of the dignitaries—the Water Lady Nerida, Fire Lord Tyson, Kairon as representative of the vampyr voices, and Cole who was the human representative for the Americas on the global council. Daria was dancing a fine line with her invitation list. The recent global summit had included the thirteen vampyr voices, five of the ceptae, and seven human leaders. Daria's ascension was technically about the elemental council, not the global one. But as the first of its kind since the global summit, he would've expected her to extend the invitation to all the non-elemental representatives if she wanted to show a firm commitment to the future they were trying to build.

Instead, she'd invited just enough not to cause offence, likely in an attempt to keep the more extremist of her senior mages who had thrived under Aliya's ruthless reign happy. Only time would tell whether Daria's rule would take the same tenor as her predecessor's. Daria had a reputation for violence, but so did everyone with any power in the Air Court. Aliya had seen to that by eliminating anyone more moderate who would question her methods. Whether Daria would temper her violence now she had complete control remained to be seen, but given how long it had taken for a clear contender to be chosen to ascend he suspected the internal court machinations and negotiations that must've been required for her to come out on top would influence her leadership for at least the next decade if not for centuries.

"It's good to see you, Cole. Nice to have some human company here," Ra said, clearly noticing the same thing he had about the guest list.

For his part, Cole looked stern and tense as they stood waiting for the sun to set enough for the main event. He'd been a separatist leader before the summit, and Mica suspected the last place he wanted to be was surrounded by elementals who had almost certainly hunted down and brutally tortured his people. It might've appeared logical to invite the local human leader, but it was a very definite choice, given the history of the area. Was Daria opening lines of communication or was this a thinly veiled threat to toe the line?

"I will get you home safely," Tir reassured the man, too quiet for anyone from the Air Court surrounding them to hear.

Cole nodded. "That's the only reason I turned up. You've always been a loyal ally to our people, Tir. Thank you."

As the sun set, the sky around them turned to reds and oranges. When the entire crystal stronghold was glowing the same rose gold as Daria's wings, the doors to the main council chamber swung open with a dulcet sound like a finger tracing the edge of a crystal wine glass. Daria's voice emerged from every surface as if the walls themselves had turned into a sound system, inviting them to enter.

Once the last person stepped inside, the roof shimmered in a flash of light before disappearing, drawing every eye as it left the room open to the darkening sky above. One hundred Air Court scouts and battle mages flew overhead in formation a moment later, swooping close enough that Mica could make out what each favoured for a weapon. It was a display designed to intimidate. Another choice only barely on the right side of the line between acceptable and insulting.

Sensing Ra was about to make a snide remark, Mica pulled him more tightly to his side, squeezing his hip as he pressed a kiss to his temple as an excuse to whisper a reminder. "The walls have ears."

He could feel Ra's jaw clenching in frustration against his cheek, but he kept his silence.

Thankfully, the ascension itself was brief. Daria stepped between them into the centre of the room before turning both hands palm up and lifting herself into the air using only her magic, with her wings spread wide to catch the fading light. As she slowly spiralled up into the skies, her people formed a tunnel of wings in the air through which she rose. The higher she went, the more magic she drew to her until she was a bright shining beacon high above that no one so close could look upon. The light would be visible from one edge of her territory to the other, a feat only possibly due to the stronghold magnifying her magic.

That was the only truly necessary part of the ceremony—proof the stronghold had accepted the ascendee as the new ruler. The degree to which the courts' rulers were more powerful than other elementals was vastly increased by that relationship with the stronghold sentiences. Well, except for Bastion. He was as powerful in his own right with his unique magic, which is why everyone found him so intimidating.

"Thank fuck that's over," Ra murmured once the light finally faded and servers appeared with drinks and food for the guests.

Mica didn't disagree, but he wished Ra would keep his thoughts to himself until they were back home. As he found himself drawn into the same old political conversations these things always ended in, Ra tugged himself from his grip.

"I'm going to go catch up with Bast. I'll come find you later," Ra said.

Mica's gaze sharpened on the man, not trusting him not to go hunting for Caelus in the crowds. The elemental they both wanted dead should be persona non grata at the event, but it was highly likely he was carefully hidden somewhere away from the visiting guests. No senior mage would miss this and he had been Aliya's second-in-command.

"You don't leave my sight," he reminded Ra

Ra rolled his eyes. "Yes, daddy . I promise I'll be back by curfew."

Lady Nerida hid her amusement behind a sip of wine. "You've got your hands full with that one," she said.

Mica was still watching Ra deftly navigate through the room with warm smiles and passing comments that left a trail of laughter in his wake. The man was as much a marvel as a liability. There weren't many humans who could not only hold their own but thrive in a situation like this.

"He is trouble personified," Mica agreed.

"He balances you well," she said, surprising him.

"That's not … we're not together," Mica said, too distracted keeping track of Ra to pay much attention to the Water Lady.

He frowned as Ra and Bastion moved further from the crowds, finding a quiet corner to lean in close to each other and engage in an intense conversation. What were they up to? Giving his apologies to Nerida, he used the excuse of hunting out more food to dodge the people wanting his attention. Finding his own shadowed corner, he used a touch of his power to connect to the collar at Ra's throat, sinking his senses into the mineral until he could hear their whispered words.

" You know I can't tell you that, bro ," Ra was saying.

" Do you have enough information to know Kaia is safe? " Bastion asked.

Mica started making his way over to interrupt, worried what Ra might say, but his next words had him pausing in surprise.

" Mica would kill for her. Just like I would. Cover for me while I go hunting? " Ra asked.

" Of course. You'll only have a short time before your absence is noted, though ," Bastion pointed out, deftly weaving a glamour for Ra that would hide him from the guests but not bother the stronghold enough to raise the alarm—at least it didn't bother the stronghold once Mica sent a quick reassurance in response to its sudden attention. It helped that the sentience could barely sense Bastion's soulweaving magic that was so different from the power that flowed through the ley lines.

Whatever the glamour Bastion had woven was, it couldn't interfere with the connection between Ra and him from placing his mark. He was still achingly aware of Ra's presence. He also couldn't believe Bastion was just going to let Ra go hunt down a powerful air mage with no support.

Glaring at the Soul Lord, Mica tried to pass him to follow Ra, but Bastion stood in his way.

"Let him go. He'll be fine and his prey cannot be allowed to go free," Bastion said.

"Would you start another war then?" Mica whispered, watching the flash of pain on the Soul Lord's face. It might not be Bastion's fault their world was invaded, but he and his mate had been the catalyst nonetheless. The Soul Lord was playing with fire by using his magic at this event.

"He was sentenced to death by the council for what he did. If Ra finds him, she can't do anything in response without admitting she's been hiding him," Bastion said. They were both careful not to use any names that might draw the attention of any listening spells.

"He is human . He's too fragile to go chasing such prey," Mica snapped.

A sudden sharp pain surged through the connection between him and Ra and fear froze the breath in his lungs as he blindly pushed past Bast to run in the direction Ra had disappeared. Bastion grabbed his arm before he could leave, and he snarled as he reached for his power to respond.

"Stop. I'll glamour you like I did him. The mages here can't recognise my power and you're less likely to start that war," Bastion said, words urgent.

With a sharp nod, Mica yanked his arm free and ran down the corridor as cool and unfamiliar soulweaving magic formed a moving sphere around him.