asked once if I might. He struck me, and I never asked again. But still…I returned to him over and over. Snuck into his chambers and serviced him in any way he commanded.” He took a shuddering breath. “So there, now you know what I really am.”
“And what is that?”
Blinking, Jack turned his head to gaze at Rion. “I just told you. I’m little better than a whore.” He laughed bitterly. “At least they get paid.”
Rion smoothed his palm over Jack’s chest. “You’ve told me nothing of the kind. You’ve told me of a terrible man who used you most cruelly. A man I will make suffer if given the chance.”
Jack’s brows drew together. “But…I let him. It was my fault. I wanted it.”
“Or did you want to be shown some affection? To be touched and have human contact? You said your mother despised you. I imagine she didn’t hold you or show you kindness.” Rion thought of his mother’s warm embraces when he was young, and how she’d smelled of orange blossoms.
“No,” Jack whispered. “My sister either, not once she grew old enough to realize I was hated.”
“How lonely you must have been.” Rion drew Jack closer and pressed kisses to his face. “Struggling with your desires, and eager to take any attention given. Any touch.”
Jack shuddered, and his blue eyes glistened. “Yes. It was better than nothing.” He buried his face in Rion’s neck and huddled in his arms.
“I would have surely thought the same.” He kissed Jack’s head and rubbed his back. “You aren’t to blame.” He felt the dampness of Jack’s tears on his skin, and wanted to tear this Adair limb from limb with his bare hands. “No one will ever hurt you again.”
Jack’s voice was muffled. “He forced me to wear my cap. Even when I was naked, I had to cover my hair.”
“Bastard,” Rion grit out, going rigid. He breathed deeply. The time for retribution would come. Now was the time for comfort.
“He married my sister in the end.”
“Perhaps they deserve each other.”
Jack only burrowed closer, and Rion took him to bed, practically carrying him. Under the blankets, Rion held him tightly, murmuring soothing sounds as Jack’s tears finally dried, and he slept, his breath warm and steady on Rion’s skin.
Chapter Eight
“I want to show you something.”
Rion led the way out to the terrace the next morning. The sun seemed to be all around, its heat soaking into Rion’s skin, and the glare making everything impossibly bright. There was a small door built into the stone against the castle. He opened it and pulled out the interlocking, folded pieces of oak. The silk sails were a vibrant blue.
Jack frowned. “Some kind of kite?”
“In a way.” Rion unfolded the two main parts of the frame, locking them into place. When he did, the kite came to life under his hands, sliding open on the terrace until it resembled a huge bird with wings spread.
Jack watched with awe. “It’s enchanted? It flies?”
“Yes.” Although he’d never been across the sea, he’d known from a young age how to use the magic kite. Rion lay down across its frame, and pieces of silk wound around him tightly. “It won’t let its riders fall.” He whispered an enchantment, and the ties fell away as he stood.
“This will take you all the way across the sea?”
“Yes. It’s the last one. When I have children, they’ll each have their own.”
“How? Where do the kites come from?”
Rion shrugged. “The castle provides what’s needed. This is the only one left now that my brothers and sisters have all gone. When my mother brought my father back, their kite vanished, since the castle knew they’d never leave again.”
Jack crouched and stroked the silken sails. When he looked up, his eyes were bright. “Let’s go. Today. Now.”
Rion’s stomach clenched. He forced out a laugh. “Nonsense.”
“I mean it.” Jack leapt to his feet, electric with sudden energy as he raced to the terrace
“And what is that?”
Blinking, Jack turned his head to gaze at Rion. “I just told you. I’m little better than a whore.” He laughed bitterly. “At least they get paid.”
Rion smoothed his palm over Jack’s chest. “You’ve told me nothing of the kind. You’ve told me of a terrible man who used you most cruelly. A man I will make suffer if given the chance.”
Jack’s brows drew together. “But…I let him. It was my fault. I wanted it.”
“Or did you want to be shown some affection? To be touched and have human contact? You said your mother despised you. I imagine she didn’t hold you or show you kindness.” Rion thought of his mother’s warm embraces when he was young, and how she’d smelled of orange blossoms.
“No,” Jack whispered. “My sister either, not once she grew old enough to realize I was hated.”
“How lonely you must have been.” Rion drew Jack closer and pressed kisses to his face. “Struggling with your desires, and eager to take any attention given. Any touch.”
Jack shuddered, and his blue eyes glistened. “Yes. It was better than nothing.” He buried his face in Rion’s neck and huddled in his arms.
“I would have surely thought the same.” He kissed Jack’s head and rubbed his back. “You aren’t to blame.” He felt the dampness of Jack’s tears on his skin, and wanted to tear this Adair limb from limb with his bare hands. “No one will ever hurt you again.”
Jack’s voice was muffled. “He forced me to wear my cap. Even when I was naked, I had to cover my hair.”
“Bastard,” Rion grit out, going rigid. He breathed deeply. The time for retribution would come. Now was the time for comfort.
“He married my sister in the end.”
“Perhaps they deserve each other.”
Jack only burrowed closer, and Rion took him to bed, practically carrying him. Under the blankets, Rion held him tightly, murmuring soothing sounds as Jack’s tears finally dried, and he slept, his breath warm and steady on Rion’s skin.
Chapter Eight
“I want to show you something.”
Rion led the way out to the terrace the next morning. The sun seemed to be all around, its heat soaking into Rion’s skin, and the glare making everything impossibly bright. There was a small door built into the stone against the castle. He opened it and pulled out the interlocking, folded pieces of oak. The silk sails were a vibrant blue.
Jack frowned. “Some kind of kite?”
“In a way.” Rion unfolded the two main parts of the frame, locking them into place. When he did, the kite came to life under his hands, sliding open on the terrace until it resembled a huge bird with wings spread.
Jack watched with awe. “It’s enchanted? It flies?”
“Yes.” Although he’d never been across the sea, he’d known from a young age how to use the magic kite. Rion lay down across its frame, and pieces of silk wound around him tightly. “It won’t let its riders fall.” He whispered an enchantment, and the ties fell away as he stood.
“This will take you all the way across the sea?”
“Yes. It’s the last one. When I have children, they’ll each have their own.”
“How? Where do the kites come from?”
Rion shrugged. “The castle provides what’s needed. This is the only one left now that my brothers and sisters have all gone. When my mother brought my father back, their kite vanished, since the castle knew they’d never leave again.”
Jack crouched and stroked the silken sails. When he looked up, his eyes were bright. “Let’s go. Today. Now.”
Rion’s stomach clenched. He forced out a laugh. “Nonsense.”
“I mean it.” Jack leapt to his feet, electric with sudden energy as he raced to the terrace
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