Ginn Hale - Lord of the White Hell Book One

"Of course you will. That's why you're here now giving me something to remember you by."

"No." Kiram withdrew only far enough to see Javier's face and Javier let him go. It had been Kiram's intention to have this night as a farewell but now that he had been so close to Javier he couldn't imagine letting him go so easily.

Javier didn't meet his eyes.

"You'll be safe with your family in Anacleto." Javier sat up and swung his legs off the bed, turning his back to Kiram.

"I don't care where I might be safe," Kiram growled. He grabbed Javier's shoulder. "I'm not leaving."

"How can you stay if your family decides to take you back to Anacleto?"

"I'll run away," Kiram decided. "I'll find somewhere to stay here and I'll work."

"No one in Zancoda is going to board or employ a runaway, underage Haldiim." Javier gently pushed a lock of Kiram's hair back from his face. "And even if someone did -if I kept you here-your family would find you. You don't exactly blend in with the populace of the city."

Kiram knew Javier was right, but he didn't care. He wrapped his arms around Javier, holding him tightly and then finally drawing him back down into the warmth of the bed.

The chain of Kiram's charm tangled with Javier's medallion and for a moment they occupied themselves working the two apart. For the first time Kiram noticed that the design of Javier's medallion, which he'd always thought was a sun, resembled the circle of lotus petals embossed into the face of his own charm.

"Is this a blessing?" Kiram asked.

Javier nodded. "My father gave it to me when he passed the white hell to me. It belonged to Calixto and was supposed to have protected him."

The gold was warm from Javier's body and heavy in Kiram's hand. He wished that he had the skill to press his own desire to protect Javier into the soft gold, but he wasn't a Bahiim. All he could do was wish deeply that somehow the two of them could find a way to stay together.

He carefully laid the medallion back against Javier's bare chest and settled beside him, relaxing into the comfort of Javier's nearness. They both slept.

When Kiram awoke he found that he liked the weight of Javier's thick thigh against his own. If he listened closely he could hear Javier release slow, deep breaths.

There was another sound as well-a cry rising through the patter of raindrops, distant but growing increasingly close.

Crows. He could hear them now, just outside the window. Despite the darkness and rain, the birds were flying and calling to each other. Or more than likely they were calling to some Bahiim.

Kiram sat up.

"What is it?" Javier asked. "Is your arm hurting?"

"No." Though in truth his arm ached deeply, but he had grown used to it, almost forgotten about it. "It's my uncle and his partner. I think they may be looking-"

Before Kiram could finish there was a loud rap at the locked door.

"I'm sleeping," Javier shouted, though the response came far too quickly and loudly to be believable.

"I beg your pardon, my lord." Kiram thought it was the same servant who had served Javier his liqueur. "There are two…men here, relations of your guest's. They seem to have some urgent news for him. I looked for him in his room but then I recalled that he had helped Your Lordship to bed."

Javier glared at the door and then glanced questioningly to Kiram. Kiram had no doubt that Javier would have Rafie and Alizadeh thrown out if Kiram wanted him to. He also knew that neither Rafie nor Alizadeh were likely to go quietly and a public spectacle was the last thing he wanted.

"I better go." Kiram started up but Javier caught his hand.

"We'll both go," Javier said softly, then, to his servant, "Show them to the sitting room. We'll be there directly."

"Very good, my lord."

They dressed quickly and in silence. Kiram wanted to again assure Javier that he wouldn't leave, and at the same time a fear crept through him that if he spoke he might be lying. He buttoned the vest Javier had given him, while Javier laced his boots. At the door, Kiram caught Javier's hand meaning only to offer a reassuring touch, but Javier immediately pulled him into his arms. They kissed deeply and desperately, as if they both knew that this opportunity would never come again.

Then they descended to the small sitting room, which was furnished with several plush chairs as well as a card table and harpsichord. Neither Rafie nor Alizadeh had taken a seat. They stood just a little apart from each other in front of the fire, both soaking wet. Straightened by water, Alizadeh's blonde hair hung nearly to his knees. Rafie glared at Kiram with an expression that was as much disappointment as anger, while Alizadeh maintained the calm countenance of a Bahiim, though Kiram noticed that his gaze lingered on Javier.

Javier studied Rafie and Alizadeh with the cool appraisal of a prince surveying a newly conquered land. Kiram had lived with him long enough now to know that this proud countenance was a reflex imparted by noble Cadeleonian upbringing. Even Nestor assumed the same upright posture when he was unsure of his surroundings. Javier resorted to it rarely. At this moment, however, his hard gaze and arrogant frown looked like they were carved from a column of white marble.

The room was silent except for the crackle of the fire. Then a quiet clink sounded as a footman placed a tray of porcelain mugs and a pitcher of mulled wine on the card table. Kiram had hardly noticed the footman when he and Javier had come in. The servant glanced nervously between Javier and the two rain-soaked Haldiim, bowed to Javier and then fled.

"I'm sorry that you had to venture out into such terrible weather," Javier said. "It must be a matter of some importance that brought you."

"We came to find Kiram." Rafie only gave Javier a cursory glance before turning his attention to his nephew. "I thought I was very clear when I told you to return to the Laughing Dog."

"That was my fault, I'm afraid," Javier replied. "I arranged with War Master Ignacio for Kiram to stay at the Tornesal townhouse."

"I mean no offense, Your Lordship," Rafie replied easily, "but Kiram knows his duty regardless of what others may have arranged for him. He knew we were expecting him and he chose not to return."

"I have decided to stay with Javier," Kiram said firmly.

"Do you have any idea of what you're saying?" Rafie demanded in Haldiim.

"Yes, and I mean it," Kiram replied. He tried to stop the slight quaver in his voice. He'd never seen Rafie look so angry. "He's my.friend and I'm staying with him."

"Your friend?" Rafie narrowed his eyes. "Musni is your friend. Hashiem is your friend. This man is some Cadeleonian you just met. Do you really expect me to let you risk your life at that snake pit of an academy just so you can ogle his firm ass and bulging cock?"

The sudden red flush that colored Javier's cheeks made it immediately obvious that he had understood Rafie's words, though Kiram was somewhat surprised at Javier's embarrassment. After all he said far more provocative things to his fellow Hellions every day before breakfast. But then, Kiram thought, Javier had never had the experience of being the subject of this sort of remark before.

"You discover so many new turns of phrase when you learn another language." Alizadeh gave Javier an almost warm smile.

"That's quite true," Javier replied.

"Did you know that the Mirogoths have a single word which means to put your foot into the excrement of an animal?"

"I didn't." Javier picked up two of the mugs of mulled wine and offered one to Alizadeh.

"That is not why we are here," Rafie snapped.

"No, it isn't." Alizadeh accepted the wine with a slight bow. "But it's late and the weather is foul. It seems a waste of energy to drag Kiram back through the mud and rain to the Laughing Dog. Especially when His Lordship seems so generous with his hospitality."