clearing in the middle of the forest.
Jandu stood beside a scarred tree trunk, punctured over and over with weathered and broken arrow shafts. He grinned. “Yes. I haven’t been here since I was seventeen.”
Keshan came towards him. “I like it. There’s a homey Jandu feel to the place. This is more personal than your rooms.”
Jandu pointed up at an abandoned heron’s nest. “I used to talk to the bird that lived here. She made a horrible racket every time I practiced, but she’d never leave. She became a companion of mine.” Jandu smiled to himself. “I haven’t thought of her all these years.”
Keshan sat down on the forest floor and reached in his pocket. He pulled out a small silver case. He glanced up at Jandu, a mischievous expression on his face.
Jandu eyed Keshan suspiciously. “What are you doing?”
“Showing off,” Keshan said. “Or getting ready to, anyway. This is my flute. You want to hear me play something? It’ll only take a few minutes.”
“Of course!” Jandu sat beside Keshan, so close their legs almost touched. “You play the flute?” Jandu asked.
Keshan raised an eyebrow. “Yes. I thought everyone knew that.”
“Oh wait,” Jandu held up a finger. “Actually, I remember hearing some story about how you lured women to you through music.”
Keshan laughed as he pieced the parts of his flute together.
Jandu observed the instrument. “So is it an enchanted flute?”
“What?” Keshan looked at him.
“Are you going to lure me somewhere?”
Keshan’s eyelids lowered slightly. “Only if you want me to.”
Jandu blushed. He leaned against the tree and watched as Keshan began a soft, lilting song, and Jandu closed his eyes. He wrapped himself in the sounds, letting the music take him away from the tension of the afternoon. The song flirted along the scale; it tilted and lifted and trilled. It started sweet and slow and then sped to a furious pitch and pace, energizing him.
Keshan blew one long, final note, and then stopped, closing his eyes and leaning against the tree as well. He held his flute gently in his hands.
Jandu was too moved to say anything at first. And then, nervously, he reached over and squeezed Keshan’s hand.
“That was beautiful,” Jandu said, his voice thick with emotion.
Keshan opened his eyes slightly. “I came up with that song after we fought together at the temple. I’ve been working on it all week. I wanted to get it perfect before I saw you again.” He laid his flute aside. “I call it Jandu’s song. I hope you don’t mind.”
“Mind?” Jandu smiled crookedly. “I’m flattered.”
“Good.” Keshan stared deeply into Jandu’s eyes.
Jandu frowned. “What?”
“Never mind.”
“Tell me.”
“I think you look beautiful right now,” Keshan remarked.
Jandu’s eyes widened. “What do you mean?”
Keshan shrugged. “I mean the way your hair is mussed from the wind, and the way the forest light plays across your eyes. Your cheekbones are so strong and your nose is slender and graceful. And your body—”
Jandu pulled back. “Stop it.”
Keshan cocked his head. “What?”
“Stop talking like that.”
Keshan leaned towards him again. “Like what? I’m just paying you a compliment, that’s all.”
“I know. Thank you. I mean…” Jandu looked away, hating the way he knew his cheeks burned with Keshan’s words. What the hell was going on? He knew that Keshan had lascivious powers over women. The whole Prasta court retold tales of Keshan’s exploits with servant girls in Tiwari. But Jandu had never heard of him using his magical powers on a man before.
What burned him more was that Keshan was succeeding. Jandu noted with horror that his body reacted to Keshan’s nearness, growing more aroused than he had been his first night with a woman.
“You look worried.” Keshan’s low voice sent a shiver down Jandu’s spine.
“I’m fine.” Jandu tried to control his mounting
Jandu stood beside a scarred tree trunk, punctured over and over with weathered and broken arrow shafts. He grinned. “Yes. I haven’t been here since I was seventeen.”
Keshan came towards him. “I like it. There’s a homey Jandu feel to the place. This is more personal than your rooms.”
Jandu pointed up at an abandoned heron’s nest. “I used to talk to the bird that lived here. She made a horrible racket every time I practiced, but she’d never leave. She became a companion of mine.” Jandu smiled to himself. “I haven’t thought of her all these years.”
Keshan sat down on the forest floor and reached in his pocket. He pulled out a small silver case. He glanced up at Jandu, a mischievous expression on his face.
Jandu eyed Keshan suspiciously. “What are you doing?”
“Showing off,” Keshan said. “Or getting ready to, anyway. This is my flute. You want to hear me play something? It’ll only take a few minutes.”
“Of course!” Jandu sat beside Keshan, so close their legs almost touched. “You play the flute?” Jandu asked.
Keshan raised an eyebrow. “Yes. I thought everyone knew that.”
“Oh wait,” Jandu held up a finger. “Actually, I remember hearing some story about how you lured women to you through music.”
Keshan laughed as he pieced the parts of his flute together.
Jandu observed the instrument. “So is it an enchanted flute?”
“What?” Keshan looked at him.
“Are you going to lure me somewhere?”
Keshan’s eyelids lowered slightly. “Only if you want me to.”
Jandu blushed. He leaned against the tree and watched as Keshan began a soft, lilting song, and Jandu closed his eyes. He wrapped himself in the sounds, letting the music take him away from the tension of the afternoon. The song flirted along the scale; it tilted and lifted and trilled. It started sweet and slow and then sped to a furious pitch and pace, energizing him.
Keshan blew one long, final note, and then stopped, closing his eyes and leaning against the tree as well. He held his flute gently in his hands.
Jandu was too moved to say anything at first. And then, nervously, he reached over and squeezed Keshan’s hand.
“That was beautiful,” Jandu said, his voice thick with emotion.
Keshan opened his eyes slightly. “I came up with that song after we fought together at the temple. I’ve been working on it all week. I wanted to get it perfect before I saw you again.” He laid his flute aside. “I call it Jandu’s song. I hope you don’t mind.”
“Mind?” Jandu smiled crookedly. “I’m flattered.”
“Good.” Keshan stared deeply into Jandu’s eyes.
Jandu frowned. “What?”
“Never mind.”
“Tell me.”
“I think you look beautiful right now,” Keshan remarked.
Jandu’s eyes widened. “What do you mean?”
Keshan shrugged. “I mean the way your hair is mussed from the wind, and the way the forest light plays across your eyes. Your cheekbones are so strong and your nose is slender and graceful. And your body—”
Jandu pulled back. “Stop it.”
Keshan cocked his head. “What?”
“Stop talking like that.”
Keshan leaned towards him again. “Like what? I’m just paying you a compliment, that’s all.”
“I know. Thank you. I mean…” Jandu looked away, hating the way he knew his cheeks burned with Keshan’s words. What the hell was going on? He knew that Keshan had lascivious powers over women. The whole Prasta court retold tales of Keshan’s exploits with servant girls in Tiwari. But Jandu had never heard of him using his magical powers on a man before.
What burned him more was that Keshan was succeeding. Jandu noted with horror that his body reacted to Keshan’s nearness, growing more aroused than he had been his first night with a woman.
“You look worried.” Keshan’s low voice sent a shiver down Jandu’s spine.
“I’m fine.” Jandu tried to control his mounting
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