15. Mica

Chapter 15

Mica

It took Ra a couple of days to set up the meet with whoever the asshole was who had facilitated holding the Earth Court's food supply for ransom. Days where Mica grew more and more suspicious of the man. He might not be spending any time in Ra's vicinity, but the stronghold was reporting on his movements. Where before the human had been busy navigating the tunnels with his drone, now he seemed to have launched a charm offensive on the people of his court, drawing them into conversation and laughter that made the stronghold send him giddy fractured emotions and images. Ra popped up all over the caves, working alongside his staff in their endeavours. He was also constantly on his phone messaging someone. What was he up to?

No matter how many times he tried to get a sense of the impulses behind the man's deception through their connection, Mica could only feel determination and a cheeky irreverence that said trouble was coming. Did he get off on betraying Mica? Is that why whatever he was hiding was making him excited?

Wren's arrival in his office had him looking up from the correspondence he hadn't been able to focus on. His seneschal looked flustered, feathers rustling and cheeks red as his eyes glittered with annoyance.

"The human is overstepping my lord. He needs to be dealt with before he undermines you," Wren said, as soon as he had his attention.

"What did he do now?" Mica asked, reaching out to the stronghold, which had been suspiciously quiet for the last hour and feeling something akin to a giggle like someone was tickling it, which was ridiculous.

"Somehow he roped in a few of our lower-level mages and Serena and the trainees to redecorate the amphitheatre. It looks like a damn nightclub," Wren said.

The amphitheatre had fallen into disuse with the exodus of his people to the Tree City. Mica could feel a happy thrum from the stronghold as it responded to the direction of the elementals helping Ra create sweeping lines of light and bioluminescence in the space along with glittering irregular panels of colour from the minerals and metals that made up its body. Images of the changed space flashed in his mind, including the words Earthshrine emblazoned into the wall in tungsten steel over the main entrance.

"What is he playing at?" Mica murmured to himself.

"He's been pumping our people for intel and I have reason to believe he's still in contact with the Soul Court spy network," Wren said.

"Explain," Mica said, voice clipped.

"There are several hours he was unaccounted for during his trip to the Tree City. I tried to have our intelligence team trace his messages, but he has soulwoven magical protections on them."

Mica frowned. He'd gently quizzed Kaia about their field trip the other day and she'd mentioned spending some time in the jungle itself away from the main population centre. It was suspicious. As was the fact Ra was still relying on Bastion's magical protections. He should've checked the man's phone earlier.

"What is he trying to learn from my staff?"

"It's hard to say. His questions seem innocuous, but that's how spies operate. He's been asking around about who's moved to the Tree City and why. I believe he's laying the groundwork to undermine your rule and claim there is a safety issue here. A skilled manipulator would use the split in our population to sow discord," Wren said.

Wren's assessment was nothing more than supposition but in combination with the fact Ra himself had admitted he was still working with at least one of his old contacts, the one he was getting the tech from, Mica was losing what little trust he'd had left for the man. His spiralling thoughts were interrupted by the buzz of his phone.

You free to give me a ride this afternoon? Ra texted.

Despite everything, his mind still went straight into the gutter at the words, his cock swelling in his pants at the thought of the human riding him in other ways. Their potential mating connection was a damn hazard.

Yes. Be on the balcony at three , he shot back, ignoring his traitorous body and already planning how he could get around his promise to the man to figure out what he was up to. He'd said he'd leave the contact alone this time, but once Ra's meeting was complete was another matter.

Mmm I love it when you get bossy , Ra replied.

"I'll be in Granite Bay this afternoon. Please reschedule my meetings," Mica told Wren, ignoring that last message.

"Would you like me to accompany you, my lord?"

"That won't be necessary."

"I need to check in with our suppliers there anyway. It's no trouble," Wren said, busy on his tablet.

"I said no, Wren."

Wren looked up, surprised by the warning in his tone. "Are you taking him ? Didn't you hear what I was just telling you?"

Mica shoved to his feet, knowing he needed to get out of there before he took out days of anger on his unsuspecting seneschal. In the back of his mind, the stronghold rumbled its displeasure at the insult to the man it was so enamoured of. "You forget yourself, Wren. Again. Next time I will place you on involuntary leave."

Wren swallowed hard and lowered his eyes submissively to the ground, but the flush in his face suggested he was reining in just as much anger. "I apologise my lord. There won't be a next time."

"If you are at a loose end this afternoon, the southern food stores need to be inventoried," Mica said.

Both of them knew it wasn't a suggestion. His staid seneschal was unpredictable where Ra was concerned and he wasn't going to risk having to deal with Wren's insubordination if he got it in his head Mica needed protecting.

By the time he was heading to his quarters to meet Ra, he was in a foul mood. He couldn't let Wren's accusations rest and his memory kept replaying the conversations he'd had with Ra, wondering which he was going to report back to Bastion when he was free of the collar keeping him gagged.

The man in question was leaning against the outside wall of the balcony when he arrived. He was dressed in a tight long-sleeved black tee and cargo pants reminiscent of the military. It was just another reminder that this man was more dangerous than he seemed.

"Who pissed in your coffee? You're even more wound up than usual," Ra said, pushing off the rockface.

Mica's jaw tightened and he yanked the man into his arms more roughly than he intended as he prepared to take them airborne. "Let's just get this over with."

"This meeting really bothers you, doesn't it? He's helping us. He's working for you this time," Ra said, as Mica used more power than usual to speed them into the air until the world was a blur around them.

Mica gritted his teeth against the hint of hurt he could feel underneath Ra's words.

"Why do you have Bastion's magic shielding your phone?" he asked, sliding a hand up to grasp the back of Ra's neck.

"Because I don't betray my people and you wouldn't be able to resist poking through it, as you've just proven by even asking," Ra snapped.

"You just betray me," Mica shot back.

His words threw them into silence as he strained his wingbeats faster just to distract himself with the comforting burn in his muscles.

"I'm sorry I hurt you," Ra said.

"Your apology is meaningless, given you said you'd make the same choice again if given the chance."

The brush of Ra's fingers against his cheek did nothing to soothe his hurt, but it did stoke the flames that burned between them brighter. Reaching up to fist his hair, Mica bit down on the sensitive skin of Ra's neck, knowing it would bruise.

A whine left the man as he mouthed at him, but it was quickly followed by a soft "No."

"What?" Mica asked.

"I can't do this toxic hate-foreplay thing with you again. I don't hate you. It hurts too much," Ra said, looking away as Mica's wingbeats stuttered.

"Good," Mica said, even as the ache in his chest escalated until he felt like he was having a heart attack. He stopped his sensual assault on the man regardless.

"You can put me down in that park down there," Ra said.

Mica blinked in surprise. Had he really been so distracted by the man in his arms that he hadn't noticed them coming up on the city? The tightly packed elemental structures, sweeping copper bridgeways and glistening waters of the harbour in the distance said that was exactly what happened.

Dropping down onto the fragrant ground cover wafting scents of lemon into the air, Mica kept Ra in his arms a moment longer, halting his move to pull away. "I will know if you move more than a minute away from me," he warned.

"I get it. I'm not going far."

Reaching up, Mica brushed his fingers against the mineral collar circling Ra's neck and imbued it with a touch more power until he knew it would be almost uncomfortably warm against the man's skin. "I'll be listening to everything."

Ra snorted and managed to extricate himself from his grip. "Kinky."

Rage filled him and he backed Ra up against one of the trees screening the green space from the buildings around them, pinning him to the rough bark. "If there is even a hint of anything sexual in what you're about to do with him all bets are off. I'll come for you," he growled.

Ra smirked up at him and shook his head in fake amusement. The hurt lingering in the connection told a different story of what he was feeling. "I'm trying to heal your home, not get my rocks off."

"Go," Mica said, stepping away before he gave into the urge to mark the man any more than he already had so this traitor would know to keep away.

Reaching into his pockets, Ra pulled on a pair of black gloves before wrapping a black bandanna around his neck. When he was finished, there was no hint of either Mica's collar or his mark on his skin.

"What are you doing?" Mica growled.

"I don't want to scare him off. Can you put a light shield on me so he can't sense your power signature?"

Mica's fists clenched. Everything in him rebelled against hiding his claim on Ra, which is the only reason he ended up doing it. He couldn't let instinct control him. Drawing on his power, he deftly wove a form of glamour around the man that made him seem purely human. Ra's scent subtly changed as the magic snapped into place. He didn't realise how much Ra smelled like home until the notes of earth magic and the stronghold left him.

"You've got half an hour," he said, turning away.

Ra slipped silently out into the city like the highly-trained soldier it was so easy to forget he was. Letting his magic shift out from him, Mica erected a shield around the park that would ensure he'd remain undisturbed and unseen before settling down on a nearby limestone bench to eavesdrop.

His promise not to try and identify Ra's contact kept him from using his other senses to spy on the man, but he closed his eyes anyway to focus on what he could hear. He would memorise the traitor's voice so he'd know him if they ever met in person.

" Hey man, good to see you ," Ra said.

" It's been too long, Sunshine ," the man replied, the nickname turning Mica even more murderous. This guy was more than just a spy contact to speak to Ra that way.

Their conversation quickly turned to technical specifications and scanning capability that Mica couldn't follow, but he didn't lose focus for so much as a second. His patience was rewarded when he felt a surge of adrenaline and discomfort from Ra through their connection at the man's next words. The emotions were quickly shut down, suggesting Ra was worried about what Mica was reading from him.

" The Air Court is sniffing around again. Not as bad as last time ."

" Is your family safe? " Ra asked him, concern clear in his voice.

" Yeah, the protections you set up are still holding. They won't be taken again ."

Interesting. If Ra had helped save this man's family that might explain why he'd been willing to betray his own court. Explain, but not excuse.

" Is it Daria? What do they want? " Ra asked.

" I'm not sure if it's sanctioned or not. Might be someone trying to get in her good graces. They're trying to find someone to scuttle the rice transports again. Thought you'd want to know ."

Mica frowned in confusion. What was he talking about? It was Ra who'd threatened to destroy the supplies in transit last time. Ra had arranged to have the magical vessels shifted outside of the neutral coastal area and into Lady Nerida's territory, so Mica had no way to defend them without admitting his weakness to the Water Lady. It had made more sense to agree to Ra's demands than to lose face with the other court. Plus he'd had no way to be sure he could get control of the transports fast enough to prevent their destruction if Ra thought he was going after them.

" You're not going to let that happen though, right? " Ra asked.

" Of course not! Now my family's safe I would never even contemplate it. I wouldn't have even shifted the transports for you if I thought there was any chance you'd actually destroy them. I'm loyal to my lord, even if he would never believe that now. The only reason I helped you was because you saved me from betraying him. I hate that my weakness was a chink in his armour ."

" You weren't weak. You were doing the best you could with your family held for ransom. I just happened to have the right people in the right place to help ," Ra said.

" And I will be grateful for that every day of my life ."

Mica sat in place, stunned as the conversation ended and the only sounds coming through the collar were the background noise of the city's streets. Everything he thought he knew about what Ra had done shifted on its axis. He was still sitting like that minutes later when Ra appeared in front of him holding a large stainless steel briefcase in one hand.

Looking up at Ra, all he could do was stare at the beautiful man.

"Heard all that did you?" Ra asked finally, voice cautious.

"Aliya was going to destroy my transports," Mica said, eyes trained on the storm-grey of Ra's.

"Yes," Ra said.

"You took control instead," he continued.

"Yep."

"Why did you do it?" Mica asked. "Was it just an opportunity for leverage?"

"You know it wasn't just that," Ra whispered.

" Why? " Mica asked again.

"Because I couldn't let that bitch hurt you."

"Why didn't you just tell me that? All this time I thought you betrayed me, betrayed us ," Mica said, not bothering to hide his pain from the man.

"It was easier to stay away if you hated me. Even believing you'd betrayed me first, I don't know that I could've otherwise. Plus, I swore not to say anything to you about what happened and I never break my word. My contact is a good man. He has a family who depend on him. Children. He doesn't deserve how you would have to punish him if what he did got out."

Not how he would punish him. How he would have to . Ra understood the ruthless demands of being a ruler of an elemental court and that Mica would make different choices if it wouldn't put the greater good at risk. The world narrowed to Ra's beautiful face and reality faded around him as everything he thought he knew was proved wrong.

Ra fell to his knees in front of him, tears flowing down his cheeks. He'd never seen the man cry before. Not once.

"I'm sorry. I was so angry at you and so scared for Bast and Hel and I used the opportunity to lash out at you even while I was helping you, but I never would've hurt your people. I swear," Ra said.

"You let me believe you would," Mica said, struggling to process what this meant for them.

"And I've never been so heartbroken as when you fell for it," Ra whispered.

Mica blinked wetness from his eyes and hauled the man onto his lap, hauled his mate onto his lap, burying his nose in the juncture between neck and shoulder and clinging to him like he might disappear if he loosened his grip the slightest bit. He was done with denying the intense connection between them. Even if they never completed the bond, even if they never got past the ways they'd hurt each other, Ra would always be his mate. The answer to the question of his soul. His to protect. Just like he was Ra's.

"I'm sorry, too. I knew you better than that. Know you better than that. I should've realised there was something more going on," Mica said.

"You were run ragged and trying to prevent the end of the world on top of all the damage to your home. I get it. You were a little distracted," Ra said.

It was just like Ra to try and lighten the mood with his teasing understatement. His mate had always been a ray of sunshine in the darkness. Movement in the stillness. Music in the silence.

"Forgive me for believing that of you. Please," Mica begged, voice cracking. Despite everything, he couldn't bear the thought that his disdain had hurt his mate, was still hurting his mate.

"I forgave you weeks ago," Ra admitted. "Can you ever forgive me?"

Tipping up Ra's chin, he kissed him, relishing the contrast of soft lips and rough stubble as he teased his tongue inside the man's mouth. "I can, but it's going to take time to get back to what we were," Mica said when he could finally drag himself away.

"But you're willing to try?" Ra asked.

Mica gripped his neck and kissed him hard. "There's no trying about it. I'm not giving up until the tears are a distant memory and we trust each other like we always should have."

"Because of the mating drive?" Ra asked.

"No. Because you're everything I've ever needed in one infuriating, intoxicating, imperfect package."

Ra leaned forward and pressed their foreheads together. "Back at ya."

"No more secrets between us from now," Mica said, his hands caressing up and down Ra's spine for the pure joy of touching him.

Ra nodded. "No more secrets."

The moment was broken by the vibration of Ra's phone against his leg. Leaning back, Mica traced absent-minded patterns on the man's muscled thighs as Ra checked the message, doing his best not to sneak a look at the phone. He'd said they would rebuild the trust between them and he meant it.

"It's killing you not to ask who's messaging me, isn't it?" Ra teased.

"I trust you that much at least," Mica said.

Taking pity on him, Ra tilted the phone so he could see.

Earthshrine opening night is a go, Sunshine! See you soon!

"Who's Esme?" Mica asked.

"Why? Are you jealous?"

"No. You're mine. If she needs that to be spelled out to her, I'm happy to get the stronghold to add some more words to the wall of my amphitheatre you've been defiling," Mica said, pulling Ra's hips forward until he could grind up into him.

Ra's laughter was cut off by a low groan of pleasure as Mica changed their angle so his erection was pressed against the man.

"You knew about that?" Ra asked.

"Of course."

"I wanted it to be a surprise."

"If it makes you feel better, everything about you has been a surprise to me," Mica murmured, sliding his hands under Ra's shirt so he could trace the grooves of his sculpted muscles.

"Take me home," Ra pleaded. "I need to feel your skin on mine and I need more time than a quickie in the park."

Growling his agreement, Mica scooped the man up into his arms and launched them up into the skies above the city. The speed of their ascent had Ra laughing in delight and he couldn't help but play a little, sliding into a series of barrel rolls and aerial manoeuvres only possible because of his magic.

"I've changed my mind. Why don't we just get naked up here," Ra gasped, his delight at the thrill of their flight coming through loud and clear.