Chapter 4

CHAPTER4

Elric opened his eyes only to be faced with Athan’s parted lips.

He’d kissed those lips. Strictly out of necessity, to gain Athan’s assistance, but… they were indeed some of the best lips he’d come across.

The rest of him was beautiful too, especially in this restful pose—eyes closed, breathing softly, disheveled hair and soft feathers falling over his face.

Sleep meant he didn’t have to listen to Athan’s strange, accusatory questions. Of course Elric deserved to rule. He’d been born to it. It was the only thing he was ever meant to do, the only thing he wanted to do.

The morning sun highlighted the ridge of Athan’s nose and the sharp cheekbones. The court artists would have loved to have a model as beautiful as Athan pose for them.

Elric was handsome, despite the way his too-thin body was all sharp edges now, but he was nothing compared to Athan.

If Athan demanded another kiss… Well, Elric was a practical man. There was no reason to deny himself something that felt good. Nobody would know, anyway.

One of Athan’s downy feathers shivered in the breeze, almost glowing in the sun. It would be trivial to take it and keep it for himself, using it as currency or a weapon. But these were small feathers, so light and ethereal, and he still doubted these were the feathers the stories spoke of.

Elric wondered if a feather alone was enough to fend off a dragon, or if he’d need a whole phoenix worth of them.

A cloud passed over them, taking the sun away.

“He probably wouldn’t mind if you kissed him,” Callan said, appearing out of nothing right behind Athan.

Elric jerked up into a seated position, startled by the shade’s sudden appearance. He should’ve been used to the way Callan popped in and out of existence, but it never failed to surprise him. Callan generally stuck to the shadows, somehow picking out the darkness cast by the light to manifest.

At first glance, Callan appeared to be a handsome, middle-aged man. He had black hair with a few silver strands in his hair, and a well-groomed beard to match. The clothes he wore, and all the rings on his fingers, made him look like a mage.

Only his inky black eyes hinted at his true nature.

Callan was a being of darkness, the complete opposite of Athan. Elric had sought him out, over a year ago now, to help deal with his mother and brother. It was thanks to Callan that he’d been able to dispose of his mother.

It was thanks to Callan that he’d escaped the prison his brother had stuck him in, after that humiliating failure of a coronation.

“Where did you disappear to?” Elric demanded, keeping his voice low as he edged away from Athan as carefully as he could. He wasn’t sure how he’d explain Callan to Athan. But then, Callan had been the one who had brought Elric as far as he had. Callan could explain himself.

“Where I always go,” Callan answered mysteriously.

“So, you hid like a… a coward?” Elric hissed back. “Don’t think I’ve forgotten how you left me high and dry against the dragon.”

“Are you still on about that?” Callan slid around the shadows, reappearing behind Elric. His lips were mere inches away from Elric’s ear. “I came back. I’ve brought you this far. You’d still be rotting in that jail cell without me.”

That might’ve been the truth, but it wasn’t as simple as that, and they both knew it. “It isn’t as though you did that out of the kindness of your heart,” he said, keeping his tone low as he glanced at the still-sleeping phoenix.

“The price is worth it,” Callan answered, his cold breath ghosting against Elric’s cheek. “Or are you saying you’re done?”

Elric shuddered. Of course it was worth it. Callan had owed him for a long time, but that agreement had come to an end when the dragon had come into the picture. He’d seen it coming, but it wasn’t as though he could—

“No,” he said huffily. “I’m not done.”

It didn’t matter. He was the indebted one now, and even kings had to pay their debts.

Callan chuckled darkly and moved back through the shadows to the other side of Athan. “What’s the problem, then?” He winked at Elric, then trailed a single finger down Athan’s cheek.

Athan’s eyes shot open, and he lashed out with one glowing, flame-engulfed hand.

Callan laughed and skated away to the edge of the clearing, easily evading the flame.

“You!” Athan shouted, scrambling to his feet. He touched his face, where Callan’s finger had been. “I told you I never wanted to see you again!”

Elric blinked, looking between the two of them. There was obviously history there, and it seemed Athan, at least, loathed Callan. Elric didn’t like this new information—because it shouldn’t have been new information. Callan should have told him he was acquainted with Athan. It might have changed how Elric had approached Athan in the first place.

Elric hated being caught off-guard by something, especially when Callan should’ve known better than to keep this from him.

Callan smiled and stepped to the side, following the path of the shadows as the cloud continued to move above them. “Very sorry. It couldn’t really be avoided. I would have let you two fumble back to Alzaria on your own, only… I thought it was important to inform Elric about the army.”

“The what?” Elric asked, his voice sharp. “What army? First dragons, now the army? They should be around the kingdom performing their duties.”

“Yes, of course, but… There was an oath-taking ceremony, you see—one where they all swore fealty to your brother. And there’s a bounty on your head, now. The traitor prince, wanted dead or alive… I think your brother would prefer alive, but everybody else is very eager for dead.” Callan hopped around a sunny spot to follow the shade—but the cloud was gone, and Callan sighed and came to a stop in the sunlight.

Athan rubbed his brow before glaring at Elric. “Traitor prince? A bit different from how you described it.”

Elric bristled, furious at Callan for being so talkative about the whole thing. He needed the phoenix’s help, and the phoenix wouldn’t give it if he thought Elric was some random traitor to the crown. “I am no traitor,” he hissed, glowering at the two of them. “I am the king! How dare he force them to swear oaths to him! How could they even agree? Why didn’t you stop them?” he demanded of Callan.

“He calls himself king, but he didn’t technically get crowned,” Callan said to Athan, almost off-handedly, like it wasn’t the massive difference it truly was. “As for the other thing… I am not sure what you expected me to do, Your Highness? I can swallow them all into the darkness, but that would just leave your kingdom ripe for conquering, dragon consort or no.”

“He used his dragon to force the priestess to crown him instead of me in the middle of the ceremony,” Elric told Athan fiercely. “They were too afraid of his beast to deny him, and Callan couldn’t stop him. I never thought he’d continue the charade. Larkin doesn’t know the first thing about ruling.”

Athan held up his hand. “I don’t care. But how do you know each other? What did you do to him, Callan? Did you put him up to all the…” He waved his hand vaguely.

Elric stood taller, refusing to be embarrassed or flustered by any of this. “Callan is my ally. His assistance has been immeasurable.” Until the shade had abandoned him to Larkin and the dragon, at least, like the proper coward he’d shown himself to be. “And he’s done nothing to me. I seek my birthright of my own accord.”

He didn’t tell Athan just how Callan had assisted him: the spying Callan had done, the enchantments he’d placed… the plan to remove Larkin as a threat, once it became clear their mother was going to disown Elric.

The assassination that had brought Elric so close to the crown.

If not for Callan, Elric would still be rotting in a gilded cell, alive only by his brother’s “mercy.” Well, dead or alive—Elric would rather die than go back to that.

Callan spread his hands guilelessly. “There you have it. Completely of his own free will. You know I never force anybody into anything they don’t want.”

For a few moments, the temperature in their little clearing rose, hot enough to make Elric sweat. The firepit, which had mostly burned down to embers, rose up in a full flame again despite having nothing but ash in it.

“You…” Athan took a deep breath, and the air cooled again. “No. I refuse. I won’t get drawn into whatever game you’re playing. Elric—you’re rusting, and rusting, and whatever Callan is selling you, I promise it’s not worth it. I was willing to help rid you of one dragon, but I’m not going to be used to fight armies, and I definitely won’t be party to Callan’s plans.”

There the phoenix was, talking about rust again. But whatever Athan saw in Elric’s soul, it didn’t matter. Elric had no use for cryptic nonsense when his goal was so close at hand.

“They aren’t Callan’s plans. This is to protect my birthright,” Elric insisted. “Please. I paid your price, and I’ll pay it again as often as I need to. I won’t ever get my kingdom back if I can’t rid the capital of the dragon.”

Athan looked like he was going to refuse again. Was there anything else Elric could offer, save his body? Maybe the same thing he was paying Callan would do…

Callan made a loud disappointed sound. “Giving up, Athan? It’s all right. I’m sure I’ll manage to assist Elric on my own. The dragon will be an issue, but there are ways to take down a dragon without phoenix fire.”

Were there? Callan had been so insistent that the only thing that could help Elric was a phoenix. He gave Callan an appraising look. What was he trying to play at here?

“Don’t!” Athan snapped, taking a threatening step toward Callan. “That isn’t something any human should…” Athan stopped himself and looked at Elric again. “Don’t listen to him. He has his own agenda. I told you, your best bet is to talk to the dragon and give it what it wants. They’re simple like that. Whatever price you’re paying for Callan’s assistance, it isn’t worth it.”

“The dragon already has what it wants,” Elric said through gritted teeth, looking from Athan to Callan and back. “It has attached itself to my brother. Whatever my brother wants, it gives. I can give it nothing it doesn’t already have. I would happily give my brother to him in exchange for the kingdom, but he stole it!”

Now Callan moved to Athan’s side—less gracefully without the shadows to slide across—and placed a casual hand on his shoulder. “Leave Elric to me. I’ll take good care of him. He’ll get his heart’s pulsing, spindling desire.”

Elric expected Athan to attack again, but Athan allowed Callan’s touch, face curled in disgust.

“You’re not subtle,” Athan growled.

“I’m not particularly trying to be.” Callan winked at Elric. “I think the phoenix will help us after all. But there is still the matter of the army, all of whom very much want to murder you. You left quite an impression on the day of Larkin’s coronation.”

“The day of my coronation,” Elric said, voice as heated as Athan’s flames. “Don’t play games with me, Callan. I have dealt fairly and honorably with you.”

Callan released Athan and wandered over to Elric, stopping in front of him to give a mocking half bow. “So you have, Your Highness. It was merely a jest.”

“Well, it wasn’t amusing,” Elric grumbled. He ran a hand through his hair, trying to think. “The army… If it’s still General Valeran in charge, he can be convinced… provided I give him reason. He won’t betray the supposed crown for nothing. But if we can take the city, he won’t care which of us is ruling. I doubt Larkin’s made himself all that popular with the nobility, either. And I know my little brother hasn’t learned military strategy in the short month he’s been playing at being king.”

A plan started to form in his head. He’d been so focused on the dragon lately that he hadn’t been thinking about the human angle. He could discount most of the southern territories. They were too cowardly and wouldn’t lift a finger if they didn’t have to, especially not with the seasons beginning to change. The chill he’d felt the previous night meant they were well into autumn already, and the south would be in full winter preparations.

Which meant either bothering Queen Elouise in the north—no, absolutely not, she’d made it clear what she’d thought of Kithage’s toll policy at their last meeting. But King Eoghan to the east… they’d gotten along well enough, and their trade deals had gone well last they’d met. Besides, Elric could marry Eoghan’s daughter to secure an alliance. Eoghan had to be insulted after the whole dragon marriage had put a damper on the prospective union between their families.

Elric gave Athan another once over. Phoenix feathers were prized everywhere, weren’t they? Maybe he could find a way to get his hands on one of those and barter that, as well.

Yes. That sounded like a good plan. Secure an alliance with Eoghan, retake the capital city of Alzaria, depose his fool brother, and finally assume the crown that was always meant to be his.

“We’re heading east,” Elric announced. “To Phassis. I will get an audience with King Eoghan, and with the aid of his army, we’ll have the forces we need to lay siege to Alzaria. We should be able to retake Kithage before the first winter frost.”

Callan nodded and bowed again. “That sounds like an excellent plan. Should I take us all there in my shadows?”

“No!” Elric and Athan shouted at the same time.

Apparently Athan was familiar with travel through Callan’s shadows as well. Elric had done it only once, when Callan had broken him out of the royal dungeons. A trip of mere seconds, and Elric had been sick for hours after, vomiting black bile.

As convenient as it was, Elric didn’t want to experience that dizzying darkness ever again.

“No,” Elric repeated more calmly. “We’ll walk. Just lead the way.”

Callan stood up straight and looked up at the bright sun. “It’s a several day walk from here to the border, and then another few days to Naran. But all this sun is making me feel a little faint. Athan, I’ll leave it to you.” He stepped closer to Elric, leaning in to whisper in his ear, “I’ll see you tonight. Make sure to keep Athan on track. He can be fickle.”

Then he was gone, melted into Elric’s own shadow.

Athan let out a long sigh. “I fucking hate him.”

Elric blinked at Athan, a little taken aback by the vehemence in those words. “Why?”

Athan closed the distance and put his hand on Elric’s chest. His hand was so hot as to be almost scalding, making Elric take a step back.

Athan withdrew his hand and shook it like he was trying to remove something. “You said I was a cliché? I’ll admit it. I can’t stand his darkness, I hate how two-faced he is, and he’s also awful in bed.”

Elric stared at Athan, not having expected that turn in the reasoning. Light despising darkness—that made sense. He didn’t see Callan as two-faced, because Callan had always kept to his word… if only to the letter of it.

But the idea of the two of them in bed? Even Elric had never dared take Callan into his bed. “He… What?”

“What, you think you’re the first person I’ve ever fucked?” Athan scoffed and went to pick up his travel bag. “It was ages ago. A lifetime ago, for both of us. But I had to spend a very long time cleaning off the remnants of him. The messiest… break-up… I’ve ever been through, literally.”

“Of course I don’t think I was your first,” Elric scoffed, though he was more stunned than he might’ve thought at this new realization. Not even just a fuck, but a break-up—a relationship. “Just as I’m sure you’re perfectly aware you’re not my first either. But it seems strange that you’d be with a… creature of darkness. Usually those who pretend to radiate lightness despise any hints of anything else.” Especially in the nobility, those who claimed to be proper and pure shied away from any mentions of corruption, let alone the acts.

In theory. In practice, though… They were rarely as innocent as they seemed.

Athan straightened, a smirk spreading across his features. “I was definitely the first to have your ass.”

Elric glowered at him. “That… That’s different,” he informed Athan haughtily. “And I bet you were the one to be taken by him, not the other way around.” Actually, he would’ve placed bets that the opposite was true, but he was irritated by that smirk and how good it looked on Athan’s lovely features.

“Hmm… in the end, yes. He stuck himself everywhere inside me.” Athan poked the grass in front of him, and a small flame sprang up, spreading out in a line ahead of them. That was a strange way to put it, and Elric gave him an odd look. “I haven’t been to Naran in a while. I’m sure it’s changed a lot. Do you think they still have those hard honey candies?”

Elric allowed himself to be distracted by the question. “They do. I had some the last time I visited, which wasn’t so very long ago.” He glanced around the clearing they’d slept in. “Should we start walking? We’re wasting time.”

“Oh, yeah.” Athan pointed at the ashy path left behind by the flame. “This way. Faster than taking the roads.”

“You mean to burn a path the entire way? Won’t that be time consuming? Exhausting?” Elric asked curiously.

“It’s more exhausting to keep myself at a temperature you can stand, and it’s as fast as you can walk.”

“How do you not melt everything you’re around if it’s so difficult to stay at a tolerable heat?” Elric asked as he followed the path Athan was making. As it was, Athan was radiating a comfortable heat against the morning chill.

“I didn’t say it was difficult. If I ever need a break, I simply fly to… well, some place where it really doesn’t matter how hot I burn.” Athan looked over his shoulder at Elric. “And before you ask, no, I cannot carry you anywhere. My true form can be deadly to people if I’m not careful. I don’t want to take any risks.”

“So any stories of people swooping in on top of a phoenix in their true form are false, then?” Elric inquired, canting his head as he looked at Athan. “They always seemed suspect. And can you even speak in that form?”

“Yes. I’ve spoken to a few dragons in my true form. And I think… twice, there were humans who sat astride my back. Sorcerers, both of them, and they had to use all of their magic to protect themselves. I’m not sure either of them got what they were looking for though, despite all the trouble they went through.” Athan shook his head. “That’s the thing with you humans. You only seek me out when you want something, and never want what I’m willing to give.”

“If you aren’t willing to give it, then why do it at all?” Elric asked. “You could easily burn them up and be rid of them—” though he was happy Athan hadn’t done that to him, clearly, “—and eventually, no one would seek you out.”

“Isn’t that… really lonely, though?” Athan glanced up at the sun. “I have to watch everybody die eventually, anyway. There’s no reason to rush it along. Even Callan… I did try to fix him.”

Elric stopped walking, turning instead to face Athan. “What do you mean? Is it like the… rust you keep referring to within me?”

Athan gave him a sad smile. “It wasn’t rust with Callan, no. There weren’t even holes. An unraveling, a remaking… only I couldn’t see it happening right under my nose until it was too late. Am I too late for you, Elric?”

Elric frowned at him. “I don’t know. I don’t know what you see in me. I don’t know if it’s a bit of nonsense, or if there’s something truly there, but humans don’t rust. I’m the same as I’ve always been.”

Wasn’t he?

No.

He’d been happy once, before his father had died in the hunting accident Elric hadn’t been able to prevent. Before his mother had blamed him for that death and turned all of her attention and praise to Larkin while leaving Elric to mourn the man he’d loved and respected above all else alone.

But none of that mattered. He had a legacy to leave, and he wasn’t going to simply fade into the annals of history as a mere footnote.

“Maybe. But never mind. Tell me more about Kithage instead. I haven’t been to Alzaria since… Ah, when was that one earthquake? I was sad about the temple cracking. The murals were beautiful.”

Another change in topic, but Elric was glad for it. And if Athan was interested in Kithage, all the better. Elric could talk about his home city and kingdom as long as the phoenix wished to hear about it, with no talk of damnable rusting and holes.

“The earthquake happened when I was eight,” Elric said. “So, twenty years ago? We rebuilt the temple and have new murals. I’ll gladly give you the tour once we return.”

The conversation flowed easily, with Athan asking more and more questions about Kithage, and eventually other places Elric had visited.

Elric couldn’t remember the last time he’d chatted as easily as this. He had his goals… but maybe it was all right to relax just a little during the journey.

Maybe it was even all right to enjoy the company.

Just a little.