Di Meo Jay Song Of Love And War

ONG

OVE

…The elf stirred, groaning, and opened his eyes. Sweat beaded his

brow. Why was he in such pain? The wounds seemed to be healing
just fine.

Thane massaged his temples. He shouldn’t be feeling like this, this

protective of the elf. You’re a fool. He pulled the quilt over Suresh.
“You need a healer.”

“No, it will pass. I do not trust…” Suresh shivered. “Do not trust

healers. Not sure the last one cared if I lived or died.”

Thane struggled with himself. It didn’t seem right to go against

Suresh’s wishes—but if they’d told him he’d be better by now and
wasn’t… “Are you sure? Why don’t you use your magic to suck
energy from around you?”

“The iron poisoning prevents me. When it clears up, I will be able

to.” The elf’s teeth chattered. His lips were an alarming shade of pale
blue. Hypothermia? “Maybe tomorrow.”

“Yeah, maybe.” Thane undid the buttons of his shirt and took it

off.

“What are you doing?”
“Scoot over.” Thane pushed down his soaked pants, goose bumps

rising on his naked flesh. Suddenly he grinned. “We’ll just cuddle.”

“I do not cuddle, human.”
“But I do. I’ll just warm you up.” He climbed under the covers

behind the elf and molded himself to his strong back, arms wrapped
around Suresh, biting back curses at the contact with his chilled flesh.
“Then you can have me out of your hair and you can go on being
alone and aloof and everything you desire.”

“You are insufferable, has anyone told you that?”
Thane smiled against the elf’s wet hair and held on tight…

SONG OF LOVE

AND WAR

JAY DI MEO

MBER

UILL

RESS

, LLC

http://www.AmberQuill.com

ONG

OVE

MBER

UILL

RESS

OOK

This book is a work of fiction.

All names, characters, locations, and incidents are products of the

author’s imagination, or have been used fictitiously.

Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, locales,

or events is entirely coincidental.

Amber Quill Press, LLC

http://www.AmberQuill.com

No portion of this book may be transmitted or

reproduced in any form, or by any means, without permission in

writing from the publisher, with the exception of brief

excerpts used for the purposes of review.

ISBN 978-1-61124-165-5

PUBLISHED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

To Angel Martinez for being honest and just a great friend.

SONG OF LOVE AND WAR

SONG OF LOVE AND WAR

Thane stood, duffel bag in hand, at the entrance to the hotel.

The high-ceilinged lobby was cavernous and overwhelming. He
took a wary step inside the diamond-shaped room, looking for the
check-in desk. Posh place, with wall-size screens playing music
clips. He located the reception desk, a circular counter at the center
of the room, beneath a glass dome.

What am I doing here?
The army doctor had recommended a spa and, after what had

happened to Thane’s squad, the top dogs in command had given
the okay for this one without protest. Five days to rest and sort out
his thoughts, to deal with grief. As if a spa could help with that.

Still, Thane knew he should be grateful. He stared down at his

scuffed boots. Yeah. Grateful. Taking a deep breath, he stepped

SONG OF LOVE AND WAR

into the lobby.

A group of men crossed the space, chattering and dragging

suitcases behind them. A cleaning bot zoomed by, squat and
beeping, sucking dust and polishing the floor. So much noise and
movement.

A voice boomed, “Thermal Spa Hotel, have a good time!”
Thane flinched. He stepped back as the wall next to him lit up

with a giant commercial of the hotel. “Mystery of the elf’s betrayal
of the fifth human squadron on the Dixon plain remains unsolved,”
now thundered the voice from the speakers. “So said General
Ashton today at the press conference in Madison. The elves have
refused to make a statement.”

Thane’s heart hammered when the video clip started playing.

He’d seen it in the transport where he’d lain wounded in a regen
unit. Now he dropped the bag and clutched his healing arm as the
image filled the wall—one lone elf warrior in all his ghostly,
magical armor, covering for the entire human squadron, creating a
wall of sheer magic, deflecting all missiles. The seven companies
of the squadron were huddled behind him, their armor glinting in
the falling sun, their supersonic guns pointed.

Then, the elf turned his helmeted head, and fell to his knees,

arms dropping at his sides. The magical wall shimmered and
vanished. The enemy missiles flew straight through, striking the
squadron, felling them like trees. They fell one after the other, as if
a wind of death had blown through them.

Thane held his breath, but the clip again ended there. He kept

seeing the elf turning his head, as if he’d heard or seen something,
something surprising. But he still wasn’t sure if he had seen the
elf’s eyes, in the shadow of his helmet, widen.

What could have broken through the elf’s defenses and

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surprised him so much that he let Thane’s whole squadron die?
What excuse was good enough?

All of them gone in a rain of bullets, gone in smoke. Poof.

Thane hid his stinging eyes with his hand. Elves were the humans’
only hope. But that elf had no place in Thane’s heart.

A hand fell on his shoulder. With a shout, he staggered away,

his heart knocking about in his chest. “What the fuck?”

A woman dressed in the hotel uniform with a name tag—

“Lorena”—gave him a concerned look, deep wrinkles framing blue
eyes. “Are you all right, sir?”

He forced himself to stop and suck in a deep breath. His chest

felt crushed. “Yeah. I was just on my way to check in.”

She smiled, and several deep breaths later, he grabbed his bag

and made it to the reception desk.

A tall, slender man standing at the reception counter caught

Thane’s eye. He was talking with the receptionist. His leather coat
hung all the way to his knees, and black trousers molded to his
long legs. He wore combat boots, marking him as a soldier. His
straight, dark hair was caught in a ponytail that reached the small
of his back. There was something about him, elegant and yet
dangerous, that made Thane’s stomach clench.

He dragged his gaze away with an effort.
“Does sir need anything?” a receptionist asked, a stout fellow

with a mustache and a bow tie.

Bow tie? Ridiculous. I don’t fit here.
The question whether he fit anywhere but in war kept surfacing

in his mind. He kept pushing it back down, trying to drown it. He
had to fit. He wasn’t going back to war. He had given his
resignation.

“My room. Name’s Thane Stewart.”

SONG OF LOVE AND WAR

“Here, sir.” The receptionist pushed the digital print and voice

recognition pad toward Thane, who spoke into the mike and
pressed his thumb in the soft plastic. The receptionist retrieved the
pad and plugged it into his computer. “Done. Your room number is
478. Have an excellent stay, sir.”

Thane nodded and headed to the lifts. As if in a dream, he

walked about until he found his room. He slammed the door shut
behind him, locked it, and threw his bag on the bed. Images from
the clip zipping like bullets through his head, he started unpacking.
He took out his most worn T-shirt, a light blue one with the logo of
his favorite band. That was the music that had blared in his ears as
he’d swung his supersonic guns on the bastard android army and
reaped them down about a week back. Just a week back…

The T-shirt fell from his nerveless fingers and he clutched his

healing arm. It burned.

Or was it a memory?
He’d been whisked off the field and into the medic transport

just a few hours before the news of his squadron’s demise came in.
He’d been the only survivor.

Lucky me…
He sat down on the bed and hung his head. He pushed his

fingers through his shoulder-length hair, the calluses from the guns
catching on the curling strands. Some went to their graves while
fighting against the androids, while others, like him, got an
honorable mention. Why me? Why not them?

The army shrink on the transportation vessel had told him that

those questions were normal. That nobody ever knew their fate
beforehand, and surviving was a good thing.

Was it? Others had families and lovers to return to. Unlike him.
Unbearable loneliness pressed on his chest like a stone. He

SONG OF LOVE AND WAR

glared at the bright, elegant room with its white carpets and double
glass doors opening on a balcony he hadn’t yet bothered to check
out. Besides, night was falling fast. In darkness, all was the same.

The Jacuzzis in the garden, the receptionist had proudly told

him, used the healing waters of the hot springs the hotel was
famous for. Spa, massages, disco, healers, food and drink all
included.

It seemed ridiculous, or was it outrageous, that he had stepped

from the middle of the battle into this white, clean place with its
uniformed employees and quiet. His scuffed battle boots looked
incongruous against the fluffy wool carpet, his stained gray
trousers—was that a bloodstain at the knee?—out of place. Yet
he’d worn them for months and years that blended into one
another, the only clothes he’d known since he’d been recruited,
since his turn had come to go fight the new enemy of the planet—
the androids. What was he supposed to wear here? What was the
fashion now?

Did he care?
He just wanted to lie down and sleep, but his stomach growled.

Food. Besides, not knowing what lay beyond these walls made him
uneasy. Old habits died hard.

Reconnaissance.
He stepped into the shower and scrubbed himself clean with

some stuff that smelled like pine. Then he pulled on the only clean
clothes he still owned—same gray and worn, hopefully less
stained. He wore his boots, because he had nothing else to wear,
and frankly he didn’t give a damn what the other hotel guests
thought of them or him—and stepped out into the non-combatant
world.

As he walked down the dim corridor, every sound sent his

SONG OF LOVE AND WAR

hands down his back, where he normally strapped his guns. Of
course he wore none now, and he felt like a fool. So he forced his
hands down to his sides, while he exited the lobby. Dozens of
customers stood about, in lines or haphazardly, leafing through
magazines, leaning on their luggage. Tall, arched windows facing
lush gardens opened on every wall, and potted plants in the corners
gave the place the impression of a garden.

This time he was prepared for the open space and didn’t flinch

when a small cleaning bot zoomed by. He approached the
reception desk, secretly hoping to see again the beautiful man
who’d been there before. Maybe they could talk. But of course the
man was nowhere in sight.

Are you so lonely, you crave the company of someone you don’t

even know? Pathetic.

“Excuse me,” he asked the receptionist, “where can I find the

bar?”

“That way, sir.”
He followed the pointing finger and, after one last glance

around, strode out of the lobby. The bar was not far. A few minutes
later, he sat on a stool nursing a Zirar amber in a squat glass and
staring a hole in the opposite wall.

A young man in a dark suit sat down next to him and called for

a drink. People around him nodded to the soft music. Silver-clad
waiters moved among the customers, carrying trays with tall
glasses. Dance videos played on the giant screen walls, but all he
could see was blood spraying and bullets flying. A hollow pit had
replaced his stomach.

Snap out of it, Thane.
He knocked back his drink, and winced when it burned a path

down his throat. Maybe he could just drink himself into a stupor,

SONG OF LOVE AND WAR

stumble to his room, if he could find it again, and pass out on the
bed.

Maybe if he drank enough he wouldn’t have the nightmares.

That’d be a mercy.

Loud laughter rang from a table nearby. Everyone was having a

good time.

He raised his glass and the bartender came with the bottle to

refill it. He knocked back the liquid, his eyes watering in reaction,
and bent over the glass, his brain fizzling.

His gaze slid along the bar, and he noticed someone farther

down, half-hidden behind a couple locked in a passionate kiss.
Thane leaned forward, putting down his glass. It was the man with
the long ponytail he’d seen at the lobby. He sat alone, staring into
his drink, his fine features locked in a scowl. A strand of dark hair
teased the base of that long, white throat. Even from afar, his eyes
glittered, some pale shade of crystal, and his lips curved into a
slight sneer, beautifully shaped and soft-looking.

Then the man dipped his head to sip at his drink, and an

elegantly pointed ear peeked through his dark hair.

An elf!
Thane stared, his jaw sagging. He’d only seen them from afar

as they fought, wrapped in their bright, swirling magic, covered in
their sculpture-like armor, raising protective walls of energy,
deflecting bullets and shells. Very few of them had joined the war.
Most elves had remained in their deep caverns, their underground
cities, and kept apart from humans as they always had. They had
sealed all gates with strong magic, so that the war would never
again touch them.

But the few who had joined the humans fought like lions, in a

war they hadn’t started. If the humans hadn’t created androids that

SONG OF LOVE AND WAR

had begun thinking and decided to take over the world, none of
this would have happened, and the elves would have stayed forever
hidden in their caverns.

The elf sipped at this drink, long, pale fingers wrapped around

his glass, and his ponytail slipped over one strong shoulder to pool
on the bar counter, like a river of black silk.

Thane’s pulse raced. He’d never had the opportunity to observe

one from so close, without the cover of a helmet and armor. The
elf was simply breathtaking. A race, as rumor went, descended
from angels and gods. Thane had no trouble believing it.

“Cold bastards, those ones,” a raucous voice said from Thane’s

left. “Elves.”

Startled, Thane tore his eyes from the elf and turned to the man,

a young fellow with pudgy cheeks. “Are they?” He’d heard stories
of their arrogance, of course, but he’d always wondered how much
truth they carried.

“Yeah. They think us lesser beings aren’t worthy of their

sacrifice.” The man tugged at his perfectly trimmed goatee.
“Always short-tempered, always keeping apart.”

Thane took in the man’s expensive suit, his shiny spiked hair,

and frowned. Something was off. “Were you in the service?”

“Nah, got exempted.” The man smiled cheerfully.
Arrogant son of a bitch. It was easy enough to buy one’s way

out of the duty with enough money. “So what’s your beef with the
elves? They do fight alongside us humans, they do protect us.”

“Are you kidding me?” The man sneered. “It hasn’t even been

a week since the last time one of these smug bastards stepped
down from his position and let a whole squadron of human fighters
get slaughtered, or haven’t you heard?”

“I heard. Not sure about the stepping down part, though.”

SONG OF LOVE AND WAR

“What do you mean?”
“I don’t know. Forget it.” Thane clamped his jaw until his teeth

ached. He saw it again, the whole sequence, the elf turning his
head, again and again, his armor flickering, silver and bright, and
Thane’s squadron dying and dying—

The man grabbed Thane’s forearm, bringing him back to the

present. He nodded toward the elf. “Here, what did I tell you?”

Thane shook off the man’s hand, a growl rising in his throat.

Don’t kill civilians. Just don’t. “What is it?”

“Look.” The man pointed.
Two heavyset guys held the struggling elf, who looked slender

as a girl between their huge frames but for his strong-boned jaw.

Thane cursed under his breath. “What the hell happened?”
The man tsked. “Looks like he doesn’t enjoy being touched by

the likes of us.”

Thane’s eyes narrowed. “Soldiers don’t like being touched

without warning.” As this man would soon find out if he touched
Thane again.

“He’ll get what he deserves.”
Thane wondered about that. Elves were hard to bring down.

They did have their powerful magic, if naught else.

But the elf stilled with the two men’s hands on his arms. Thane

held his breath. Would he let them take him down without a fight?

Then the elf whirled and kicked out, arms twisting, dark hair

flying, in a blur of silver and black. The two men fell to the floor
and stayed there, not moving.

Someone whistled.
The elf stumbled and caught himself on the bar counter, his

long ponytail swinging like a cat’s tail.

Thane shot up from his chair. Something was wrong with the

SONG OF LOVE AND WAR

elf. Thane was already moving in his direction, when the elf
straightened and shook his ponytail back. Without a word or
backward glance, the elven man walked out of the bar, a hand
pressed to his chest.

Thane hurried after him. He jogged in the passage outside,

caught him right before the staircase. “Wait!”

The elf looked sideways at him. His eyes were all the shades of

blue, changing constantly, like the emotions playing on his face—
pain, grief, surprise, annoyance, bitterness. “What do you want?”

Good question. Thane rubbed his chin. “Are you all right? I

saw how—”

“I am fine.”
“If you need—”
“Stop bothering me. Go.”
The elf started up the steps, his long coat fluttering like a cape,

his back straight as a rod.

Probably because he has a rod up his ass. Maybe the man at

the bar had been right after all. Arrogant bastard. Annoyed at the
realization, Thane shook his head, and watched the handsome elf
disappear up the stairs, past a sign pointing in the direction of a
roof garden.

A garden. A good place for an elf to relax. Trees, flowers,

rocks. Nature things. Their caverns were paradisiacal gardens,
warm and humid and forested.

What the hell was an elf doing at the hotel? He had to know

humans wouldn’t like his presence.

Or maybe the elf didn’t care if he was in a crowd or all alone.

He obviously could take good care of himself and didn’t need
Thane to babysit him.

Cursing himself for having run after the man, and for having

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lingered so long, Thane walked back to the bar. Yet, instead of
entering, he found himself wandering aimlessly along quiet
corridors. He wasn’t even hungry anymore.

To hell with food. He needed fresh air.
He pushed a door open and walked outside, by the rectangular

pools, set on different levels on the mountain slope. Steam rose
from the warm water and curled on its surface, lit up by
underwater lamps. At last, quiet.

He sat in a chaise-longue. The night was dry and bright. The

moon hung, full, on the night sky, bright and precious like the elf.

And just as distant, Thane thought with regret.

* * *

Suresh stumbled through the roof garden, and made it to the

bench under the potted olive trees before his legs gave out. He fell
on the bench with a groan, pressing a hand against his chest. What
was wrong with him? The wounds were almost healed, the iron
bullets out. The effects of iron poisoning should be lessening, not
getting worse.

Just breathe. Keep breathing.
The world tilted sharply. Great. He bent his head between his

legs and swallowed down bile. Maybe tomorrow he’d be better.
The thermal springs would help; the healer had assured him of that.

The nausea passed, and he raised his head. The leaves rustled

overhead. He reached up a hand to touch the bark of the tree,
hoping to suck in some of its energy. The pain in his chest
intensified, spikes digging through his flesh. With a gasp, he let his
hand fall. Iron poisoning for sure. Using elemental magic shouldn’t
hurt so much.

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Damn the humans for attacking him when he could barely

defend himself, when he was hurt because of them.

Humans… Distant relatives of the elves, who diverged from the

human evolutionary tree so long ago no memory remained, they
had an innocence that drew Suresh to them.

Maybe not all were that bad.
Suresh clenched his hand into a fist. He could still smell the

male human’s light musk, and an aftertaste of sweetness clung to
the back of his tongue. That tall, strong body, muscles defined
through the thin T-shirt, that fair mane, those cat-like eyes, those
caramel lips…

His body stirred, quickening his breath. His cock thickened,

pressing against the seam of his leggings. How odd. Only another
elf could do that to him, awake his body in this way, and that man
had certainly been a human.

He heard again in memory the human’s light baritone voice

asking, “Are you all right?”

No! He wanted to shout, no, I’m not all right, nothing is all

right.

But why try? No matter if he’d tried to save the humans, they’d

betrayed him, shot him in the back. They’d shred him to pieces if
they could.

If only he could leave this accursed hotel, thermal springs or

not. But the Elf Council had requested that he stay here, effectively
imprisoning him until they reached a decision about his
punishment. They had already stripped him of his royal rank years
back, with Rajen’s death. Kalidas Lochan, heading the Council of
the Nine, had laid the blame on Suresh, had called him a traitor,
had claimed Suresh let the androids into the elven caverns and
caused the death of many elves, including Rajen.

SONG OF LOVE AND WAR

Suresh had protested in vain that the androids had found

ancient tunnels and enlarged them, using them to infiltrate the first
caverns. Kalidas would not listen. Rajen was of his clan, yet even
so, Suresh did not know what he had done to the elven lord to
cause such hatred.

Now Kalidas claimed that Suresh had lost his elven honor, his

judgment of right and wrong. He had betrayed the elves to the
androids, and now he had let a squadron of humans die. It did not
matter that the Council did naught to aid humans in the war.
Nobody dared stand up to Kalidas and say what they really
believed.

Losing his honor was considered a crime, and Suresh would be

judged and punished accordingly. He had no chance of a trial, no
chance to redeem himself and have the truth heard, not as long as
Kalidas was head of the Council, and, as things stood, he’d not
step down or forgive Suresh for an eternity to come.

Noise from behind him teased his ears. They swiveled,

catching the sound of light footsteps. Four men, trying to be quiet.
Bad sign.

He stood, turned to face them, and shrugged off his long coat,

patted his epaulets and belt. He was getting pissed off. He was
ready to face the Council’s decision, but not to fight with stupid
humans who thought they knew what had happened a week back,
who thought they knew all about elves. All about him.

Are you all right?
No, he wasn’t. He was alone, always alone.
Not that he had a choice, ostracized from the elven world, with

his bond mate killed.

A quick glance around showed no security cameras. Foolish.

He’d given the humans the opportunity to take him down with

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nobody watching.

The men didn’t talk this time, didn’t throw accusations at him

like they had in the bar. Deserter. Man-killer. Traitor. Stupid
words he should have learned to ignore. He should know by now
all mortals blamed him for the dead squadron.

No, the men came silent and holding knives. The closed in on

him, breathing hard. He backed off, delaying the inevitable. Fire
ran along the bullet wounds on his chest and back. His silver belt
and epaulets weighed too heavily.

A blade swung toward him, and he bowed out of its way,

bringing up his arm to stop another.

“You’re going down, bastard,” one of them said menacingly.

“We want revenge on the squadron you let die.”

Suresh’s heart sank. Then the familiar dance began, kicks and

punches and blades whirring through the warm evening air. He
blocked and avoided the knives, but he couldn’t swallow enough
air. The floor began to tilt again, jumbling his movements.

He fell to one knee to avoid a blow, and his vision blurred. To

die here of all places, when he hadn’t fallen in battle. Ironic.

At least it was quiet, and the trees stood by, silent witnesses.
Their leaves rustled again, and tendrils of energy probed at

him. If he didn’t use magic, this would be his last dance, and
Kalidas would win.

Cannot let him.
As the blades flashed in the moonlight over his head, he

reached out to the elemental magic, yelling with the fire shredding
his chest, pain burning the skin off his bones. His aura flared,
spreading its wings, raising its crown, extending its blades to parry
the blows.

The knives screeched to a halt on his spirit blades. He pushed

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back, rising to his feet. His knees barely held. He pushed his
assailants off, and they stumbled and fell to the floor with loud
curses.

Gasping, Suresh retreated, until the back of his knees hit an

obstacle.

He lost his balance and flailed, panic closing his throat.
Then he fell backward, tumbling into the void.

* * *

Thane heard the unmistakable sound of blades crossing

overhead, and surged to his feet, his heart thumping. His hands
shook. What the hell’s happening?

Cold sweat ran down his back. He hesitated to move. The

blades crossed again, and he gritted his teeth at the sound. Get a
grip on yourself. Go see if you can help.

With a deep breath, he hurried around the pools until he could

see the roof garden above. Long knives flashed in the full moon as
a group of men fought, and he thought he saw a long, dark ponytail
swinging in the air.

The elf!
Damn it, weren’t there any guards in this hotel?
He spun around, heading inside to call someone for help, when

the ringing of blades stopped. A slender figure toppled off the roof,
arms flung to the sides, long hair flying, sparks dancing around
him.

Magic.
Fuck.
The elf fell into the pool without a splash, the water opening

and swallowing him without a ripple, the sparks spreading in the

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dark water like twining tendrils of bright ivy.

Thane remembered to start breathing again. It was one thing

knowing about the elves’ elemental magic, and another to see it.
One with nature and all that.

He squinted at the sparkling water of the pool. Now, why

wasn’t the elf surfacing? Elves had to breathe too, right?

Cursing, Thane toed off his boots and jumped into the warm

water of the pool. Fireflies of magic danced around him, prickling
his skin. He swam with strong strokes toward the dark shape of the
elf’s body lying at the bottom of the pool. What kept him down
there?

He took a deep breath and dived under. The elf’s face was a

pale oval, his hair undulated like a dark anemone, and metal
sparkled at his waist and shoulders.

Son of a bitch. He was wearing elven armor. No wonder he’d

sunk like a stone.

Probably didn’t think you’d be taking a swim tonight, did you?
He fumbled with the elf’s belt, managed to lift the buckle, and

it slid off to curl like a silver snake on the blue tiles of the bottom.
His air about to run out, he grabbed the elf’s arm, pushed with his
feet, and surged up toward the surface. They barely broke it, when
the elf began to drag him down again. Damned armor.

Thane struggled to keep both their heads above the water as he

moved sideways. He managed to grip the ledge. He hung onto it,
with his other arm keeping the elf’s head above the water, and
fought to catch his breath. His arm trembled, and the wound
burned. Great.

What of the men the elf had fought? Thane glanced up at the

roof, but saw no movement.

The elf wasn’t moving; didn’t seem to be breathing. The magic

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had died, the lights dancing on the water had gone out. Move
faster.

With a groan, Thane pulled the elf closer, and dragged him

along, breath after labored breath, until he reached the shallow end
of the pool. He heaved himself and the elf out. He laid him by the
side of the water.

God, he was more beautiful than anything or anyone Thane had

ever seen, with his long lashes like black lace on his pale cheeks,
his sculpted cheekbones, the fine bow of his mouth.

He bent over the elf, and covered those soft lips with his own.

He breathed air into the elf’s lungs three times, pressed with his
hands down on the elf’s chest, pumped three times. Then again.
According to his CPR instructor, elves’ bodies had the same basic
functions as humans’, apart from the magic. This had to work.
Breathe in, one, two three. Press, one, two three. Again. Come on,
breathe!

The elf coughed, water trickling from the side of his mouth.
Heaving a sigh of relief, Thane turned the elf on his side. The

elf coughed out water, and more water, until Thane thought he
might cough his lungs out. His face was ghostly white, his eyes
red, and water streamed from his hair and clothes. He looked so
miserable, Thane’s chest ached. Arrogant or not, the poor elf
tugged at Thane’s heart.

Running steps rang on the tiles. “What happened here?” called

a male voice.

The guards. Arrived a little too late. “He fell.” Thane glanced

up at the roof, then down at the coughing elf, and he hesitated. The
elf looked up at him, his fine, dark brows knitting. He managed to
look pissed even wretched as he was. Thane swallowed hard,
shivering in his wet clothes. “Just fell into the pool. Must have

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stumbled or something. His armor kept him down.”

“We heard something about a fight. Did the elf attack any

humans?”

No wonder the elf didn’t feel like talking about the fight with

the guards. They’d immediately assumed he was the one to blame.
“I don’t think so. The humans attacked him before at the bar.
Probably did so again.”

A surprised flicker lit the elf’s brilliant eyes, and they shifted to

a lighter blue.

“Are you certain?” The guard shifted from foot to foot, and

nodded to his partner. “This wasn’t the story we heard.”

“Yeah, well, it’s the truth.” The muscles quivered in Thane’s

legs, and the heat of anger climbed up his neck. His hands fisted at
his sides, nails biting into his palms. “You should throw those
bastards out of here, and you know it.”

“We can’t, sir.” The guard’s mouth thinned. “We’re not in the

business of turning away our most valued customers.” He looked
down at the elf, stuffing his hands into his pockets. “Do you wish
to press charges, sir?”

“No.” The elf’s voice was so hoarse Thane winced. “Nothing

happened. I am fine.”

“All due respect, sir.” The guard bit his lower lip. “You’re not

fine. You almost drowned. Let us take you to a doctor.”

“Do you have an elf healer?”
“Well, no.” The guard squared his shoulders. “Elves rarely

come here. But we can call one for you.”

“That is all right.” The elf sat up with a wince. “It is already

past my bedtime.”

“Let me help you, sir.” The guard bent down and grabbed the

elf’s arm.

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“No.” The elf twisted out of the guard’s grip, and promptly

doubled over coughing and clutching his chest.

“Are you in pain?” Thane laid a hand on the elf’s shoulder.

Why was he so worried about the damn creature? Elves were
nearly indestructible. “Rumor has it you draw energy from the
trees to heal yourself if you’re hurt. Why don’t you do that?”

The elf shook his head, didn’t explain.
“Since you’re fine, we’ll be going inside.” The guards nodded,

rolled their eyes at each other, and vanished through the automatic
doors.

“Let me help you.” Thane tried to catch those crystal blue eyes,

but the elf looked away.

“Why do you keep doing that?”
“Doing what?”
“Trying to help me.”
Thane gaped. Then he closed his mouth with a snap and

grinned. At last, a reaction. “Because you’re scaring everyone else
off.”

“But not you.”
“No, not me.”
The ghost of a smile pulled the elf’s fine lips, and Thane’s

heart leaped with joy.

* * *

Suresh looked into the bright hazel eyes of this human who had

just rescued him from certain death, and fought to gather his wits.
He couldn’t let himself get weak, or allow anyone to get near. The
ones you trusted stabbed you from behind, as his most recent
experience on the field of battle had taught him. Getting close to

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someone, trusting someone, was fraught with danger. Besides, this
man was a soldier. He could tell from the scuffed military boots
and the clothes. He had to hate him with the rumors of last week’s
incident.

But the man’s concerned gaze captured his attention, and he

found himself staring. No matter the amount of wiggling now, he
was hooked and he couldn’t look away. Sharp cheekbones and the
strong bone of the jaw, dark brows over sparkling eyes, lips made
of silk and burnt sugar—weren’t humans supposed to be ungainly
brutes? He’d had so little contact with them, and with good reason
as it turned out. He’d broken his training, his elven upbringing, the
traditions and laws to save them, aware that without help from the
elves, the androids would wipe the humans out. He thought they
deserved another chance. But what had he gained? He’d barely
escaped death.

He tore his gaze away and struggled to gain his feet. He pushed

himself up, but his legs trembled. Fire ran through his chest, and
black swirled in his eyes.

“Whoa!” The human grabbed his arm, and helped him up.

After he stood, the human kept hold of his arm, his fingers warm
against his chilled flesh. His scent hit Suresh again, and hot arousal
flared in his belly.

He’d never had that happen with a non-elf before. That was

dangerous.

Suresh gently shook the man’s hand off. “Listen, human, thank

you for—”

“Thane.”
Suresh blinked. “I beg your pardon?”
“My name.” The man’s cheeks dimpled with a breathtaking

smile. “Yours?”

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“Ah…” Suresh rubbed a hand over his chest. The wet tunic

grated on his wounds, and, by the elders, they hurt. Should he give
away his name? What were the odds of this human putting his first
name and title together? He didn’t think the media had ever even
found out his real identity. “Suresh.”

Damn, the human was so handsome when he smiled. And with

that broad chest, the wet shirt molded on the hard muscles like
melted dark chocolate, the narrow hips, the wet shoulder-length
hair with the golden highlights, he looked like a leopard ready to
pounce.

Suresh’ blood heated, and he shifted to accommodate a

growing erection. His body hadn’t had this reaction since Rajen’s
death, his to-be elefthuen consort, whose death had changed
Suresh’s life forever.

Rajen… A bond of body and soul that had lasted so many years

that he thought it would last forever.

The cold in his heart extinguished the fire in his body.

Scowling, he turned to go. A hand landed on his shoulder. He
shrugged it away and kept going.

“Suresh!”
“I said I am fine!”
Damn the human, and damn himself to Astha’s five hells for

giving away his name to this man to shout for all to hear. He kept
going, even as nausea churned his stomach, and doubled his vision.
The doors parted and he entered, hurrying before the darkness
crowded his eyes too much to see. His room was up, on the second
floor. He had to take the lift. He stumbled and hit a wall with his
shoulder. He pushed off, splinters of pain zigzagging through his
chest, and staggered on. Where was the lobby?

He turned into another corridor, his vision graying. Damn, he

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wouldn’t make it. What in the hells was wrong with him?

The floor was sinking on one end, the other one coming up to

smack him in the face. He stumbled.

Strong arms caught him around the waist, stopping his fall. He

shivered.

Muscles shifted in the arms around him as his eyes began to

clear, and Thane’s voice whispered by his ear, ruffling his hair,
“You’re stubborn and a bad liar.”

Suresh stiffened. He bit back the retort that came to his lips and

said instead, “Is that so?”

“If I can see you’re not well, then so can everyone. How long

do you think before your assailants return to hurt you more?”

“I can make it on my own.” He tried to free himself, but

Thane’s arms held on fast. “I am going to my room to rest.”

“Is that why you’re heading to the indoor pool? Decided you’d

like another swim? Better take off the epaulets this time.”

Suresh’s knees buckled. Thane hissed. “Let me help you.”
Suresh groaned. “All right. Tell me where the lifts are. That

would be helpful.”

“Let me take you to your room.” Without waiting for an

answer, Thane shifted him around, so that he was ensconced in the
man’s arms. If he didn’t feel so miserable, he might have
appreciated more the proximity of that powerful body, that
handsome face.

With a sigh, too tired to fight any longer, he laid his arm over

Thane’s shoulders, and leaned against him, grateful for the support.
“Room 232.”

He was rewarded with a blinding smile. Damn, why did the

man have to be so beautiful?

Thane led him back the way he’d come, and then through a

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small lobby into the reception hall. Suresh leaned on him more
heavily, his legs weaker with every step. This wasn’t good, not
good at all.

“Why?” he blurted.
“Did you say something?” Thane propped him against the wall

and called the lift with a swipe of his hand over the sensor.

“Why did you come after me?”
Thane’s mouth quirked in a half-smile. “You mean that seeing

you stagger away in obvious pain shouldn’t be enough for me to
come after you?”

Tendrils of heat twined around Suresh’s neck. How mortifying.

Bitterness welled in his heart. “Should it?”

“Well, I also brought your belt. Fished it out of the pool.”

Thane looked down at himself, and Suresh noticed for the first
time the elven armor belt around Thane’s middle. Did the human
realize what a powerful weapon he was wearing?

Suresh shook his head, and then stopped when the dizziness

worsened. The words stuck in his throat. “T…thanks.”

“That cost you, didn’t it?” Thane tsked and pulled him into the

lift, held him upright as the doors closed and the lift rose. “Saying
thanks to me.”

Suresh scowled. “We are raised to be courteous. I cannot see

why you are so surprised.”

“Rumors are you’re an arrogant breed.”
“Just taciturn.”
Again that smile. Addictive. He liked this man.
Thane helped him out of the lift and toward his room. Suresh

gasped out the number, and he had to say it again for the voice
recognition system to identify his voice. Together they staggered
inside, steps muffled on the thick carpet. The lights activated and

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brightened as they stumbled toward the king-size bed. They fell on
it, a tangle of arms and legs and wet clothes. Thane cursed, lying
heavy over Suresh’s aching chest. Suresh pushed him off, curling
in on himself. His wounds burned.

Thane’s fingertips touched the side of his face, and he flinched.

The fingers withdrew. “Maybe I should tell them to bring an elf
healer after all.”

Suresh opened his mouth to refuse, but all that came out was a

keening sound of pain. Iscwar’s teeth, he was a wreck.

“Let me see where it hurts.”
“Just some wounds.” Suresh gritted his teeth. “They told me

the thermal baths would help.”

“What kind of wounds?”
“From iron bullets.”
“And the dizziness?” Thane’s hand moved up Suresh’s side,

and lay there, warm against his ribcage.

“Iron poisoning. They said…” He had to swallow and close his

eyes. “They said it should be over by now.”

“But it’s not. Let me help—”
“Leave me alone.”
Thane said nothing. But he didn’t leave. He tugged at Suresh’s

boots and took them off. Then he started on the leggings and
Suresh uncoiled, kicking out. “Stop!”

Thane scooted back. “What are you so scared of?”
Suresh stilled, the words stabbing his mind. “You shouldn’t be

here, shouldn’t be seen with me. The Council…” He laid his head
on his hands, closed his eyes. “Leave me be. Leave…”

His thoughts unraveled into darkness.

* * *

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Stripping wet clothes from a man who was dead to the world

was like peeling a potato with your bare fingers. Damn near
impossible. But the worst was the unresponsiveness. Suresh wasn’t
asleep. He was unconscious.

Thane eased the soft trousers down the elf’s strong calves,

marveling at the luminous, pale skin stretched over taut muscles,
like some marble statue come to life. He told himself he shouldn’t
look at the elf’s crotch, but his eyes wandered there with a mind of
their own, and the urge to whistle was overwhelming. Good
package.

His own body stirring, he took off the elf’s heavy epaulets and

started on the shirt, some old-fashioned thing with laces at the
throat. When he pulled it off, half-tearing it, he finally saw the
wounds and frowned. His arousal forgotten, he sat down next to
Suresh.

So many bullet wounds. Though half healed, red and scabbed

over, probably about a month old, they looked bigger than they
should. He’d known the androids used iron bullets for elves, but
were they bigger than the lead ones?

Suresh stirred, groaning, and opened his eyes. Sweat beaded his

brow. Why was he in such pain? The wounds seemed to be healing
just fine.

Thane massaged his temples. He shouldn’t be feeling like this,

this protective of the elf. You’re a fool. He pulled the quilt over
Suresh. “You need a healer.”

“No, it will pass. I do not trust…” Suresh shivered. “Do not

trust healers. Not sure the last one cared if I lived or died.”

Thane struggled with himself. It didn’t seem right to go against

Suresh’s wishes—but if they’d told him he’d be better by now and
wasn’t… “Are you sure? Why don’t you use your magic to suck

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energy from around you?”

“The iron poisoning prevents me. When it clears up, I will be

able to.” The elf’s teeth chattered. His lips were an alarming shade
of pale blue. Hypothermia? “Maybe tomorrow.”

“Yeah, maybe.” Thane undid the buttons of his shirt and took it

off.

“What are you doing?”
“Scoot over.” Thane pushed down his soaked pants, goose

bumps rising on his naked flesh. Suddenly he grinned. “We’ll just
cuddle.”

“I do not cuddle, human.”
“But I do. I’ll just warm you up.” He climbed under the covers

behind the elf and molded himself to his strong back, arms
wrapped around Suresh, biting back curses at the contact with his
chilled flesh. “Then you can have me out of your hair and you can
go on being alone and aloof and everything you desire.”

“You are insufferable, has anyone told you that?”
Thane smiled against the elf’s wet hair and held on tight.

* * *

Everything I desire.
The human would not know what Suresh desired most. A

companion, a bond mate, an end to loneliness. Sorrow filled him.
When Rajen died, he’d not only been broken, but had also lost his
chance to a mate. He was now destined to be alone.

But Thane’s strong body pressed against him, distracting him,

his lips so close to Suresh’s nape that his warm breath caressed his
skin. Shivers wracked Suresh even as his flesh warmed. He tried
not to think of Thane’s beautiful, strong body stretched alongside

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him on the bed, naked and warm.

Then Thane shifted and his hot breath fell on Suresh’s ear.
Suresh shuddered at the light touch on his exquisitely sensitive

ear shell, and this time not from pain. Delicious shivers ran down
his spine, and heat pooled in his groin.

No. Gods, help me.
Thane stroked Suresh’s hip, and an image rose in Suresh’ mind,

of Thane facing him, kissing him, touching him everywhere.

He arched against Thane, and heard him gasp, felt him harden.

A hot, steely rod of flesh rubbed against the small of Suresh’s
back. The pressure there brought Suresh’s breath out in a sharp
gasp of need.

“Suresh…” The soft exhale caressed the delicate tip of his ear

and Suresh pushed back against the human, groaning. His cock,
deliciously heavy, pressed against the warm mattress.

It’d been three years since Rajen’s death, the event that had

catapulted him into the war and led to his removal from the
Council, stripping him of all privileges except dying for a good
cause. And now they might take even that from him. They might
take his liberty, or his life.

Thane moved, cutting through his thoughts. Those strong hands

slid up Suresh’s chest, finding his hardened nipples and rubbing
over them.

Suresh growled deep inside his throat and gripped the sheets as

the human inadvertently brushed over the main foci on his back
from which his energy flowed. He could feel those touches deep
inside his groin, at the base of his balls. Unbearable pressure
mounted inside his gut. He pressed his backside against Thane’s
hardness. “Please… Do it.”

Was he the one begging to be fucked like that? His body was

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out of control. But he couldn’t… He shouldn’t… Too many
reasons why this was a bad idea. The magic would come, and he
wasn’t sure either he or Thane could take it. The magic was too
strong for one elf alone to absorb. Without someone able to share
the elemental magic—without a bond mate—it could shred one
apart like worn fabric. Especially one as weakened as Suresh.

And deep inside was also a different kind of fear, a small but

insistent voice saying that giving his body was giving himself,
heart and soul. What if he was rejected?

Thane’s breath was ragged in his ear. “So beautiful,” he

whispered. “Babe, you’re magnificent.” He nibbled at Suresh’s
earlobe.

Suresh bit his lip not to cry out, pleasurable shudders rocking

his body. His heart beat against his collarbone, in his throat, at the
base of his painfully engorged cock. “Elders!”

Thane pulled back a little, his voice dropping. “Are you okay?”

His hands moved down, found Suresh’s erection, wrenching a
groan from Suresh’s throat. “God, you’re so hard.”

“So are you,” Suresh gasped out.
“You’re feeling better then?”
“It is…” Suresh hissed when Thane’s hand closed around his

cock. No sense in explaining to the man why this state of arousal
was dangerous with a human. “You are touching my ears. They are
very sensitive.” Well, his ears were very sensitive, that was at least
true.

Thane chuckled softly. “No kidding.”
He shifted, leaned over Suresh, and licked a trail of fire along

his pointed ear, exploring the whorls and contours of the fine shell.
As Suresh panted and writhed on the bed, Thane blew warm air on
the wet tracks, while his hands teased and tugged at Suresh’s hard

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cock.

A mewling sound left Suresh’s lips. Elders, he was nearing the

edge, and he couldn’t jump, shouldn’t—

“Stop!” He pushed at Thane as the first sparks of magic forced

their way through his foci. “No!”

“What? Why?” Thane rolled Suresh on his back, and straddled

his legs. He looked confused, his brows knitting over his nose. His
hair, almost dry now, hung in golden waves around his face and
down his broad shoulders. Suresh lifted his hand, wanting to thread
his fingers through it, smell it, rub himself in it.

I should not!
Useless. Logic didn’t matter to his body, and it needed Thane

so much it was a physical pain, added to all the others.

“Did I hurt you somehow?” Thane’s mouth tightened. His

erection, big and beautiful and flushed, rose against his stomach.

Suresh’s insides clenched. The oil glands in his groin tingled

and musky lubricant began to coat him inside and out, in his
asshole and along his shaft. He was primed and ready for sex.

If only he could.
“We cannot do this.” He gritted his teeth, told his body to

forget it. “We cannot have sex.”

Thane bent closer, his scent mouthwatering. His lips parted,

inviting.

Suresh grabbed Thane’s face and kissed him with a heartfelt

groan. He tasted like honey tarts, heady blossom-mead and sex.
Light stubble on his cheeks tickled Suresh’s fingertips. Thane
lowered himself, and their cocks rubbed together. A shiver ran
along the seam of their touching bodies, and a cry rang. Suresh
couldn’t be sure whether it was him or Thane. Maybe both.

Suresh plundered Thane’s mouth, exploring and stroking,

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stoking his own fire, swallowing Thane’s moans.

Gods. Not even with Rajen had he felt this urgency, this

desperate longing for touch. Never before had he been so achingly
hard and throbbing with need.

Magic was spilling now, uncontrolled, from the foci. It tickled

and burned and it brought him back to reality with a thud. He drew
back for air, trying to block Thane’s dazed expression from his
mind, their naked bodies molded together.

The pain started, sizzling along the wounds in his back and

chest. Iron reacting with the magic. He clawed at Thane, pushing
him away. Far enough, his mind argued, maybe the magic
wouldn’t hurt him.

Gods, why couldn’t he have more control? If Thane was an elf,

it might be different, they would share the magic.

But Thane was human, Suresh was poisoned, the magic was

coming, and now he was doomed.

* * *

One moment the elf was kissing him hard, tasting of berries

and cream and desire, his hard body, and his steel-hard, slick cock
rubbing against him—and the next he was pushing Thane away
with a strength belied by his slender frame, almost throwing him
off the bed.

Talk about inconsistency.
Or Thane had hurt him somehow.
Horrified, Thane tried to pull back, but his whole body

throbbed with desire and refused to obey reason. The elf wasn’t
well; he had almost drowned, and was now obviously in pain. Why
was he unable to stop touching him, kissing him?

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He wasn’t like that. Though he’d never really had a

relationship, he’d had his fair share of lovers, and in bed he liked
taking things slow, in a ceremony of discovery.

Things were racing headlong into hot and physical right now.
Or were, until a moment ago.
The elf sat up, muscles rippling on his chest and shoulders. His

pale, small nipples were hard pebbles, and the wounds clustered
around his middle were dark smudges. The clasp had fallen off his
hair in the pool or somewhere along the way, so that his long
tresses fanned, black and shiny on his shoulders and chest.

Thane frowned. Suresh’s hair was dry, when only moments ago

it was still dripping wet. What the hell?

Sparks flew around the elf’s body like fireflies. Ah. Magic.

Blinding ribbons of light wound around the elf’s arms and legs,
forming an armor of brilliance. Huge wings spread from his back,
translucent energy weaves, and a crest of light shot up from the top
of his head like a filigree crown with thorn-like peaks.

A prince or a king of the elves?
Thane scrambled backward, and gasped as tendrils of light

coming off the elf sought him, entered him like hot needles, and
wrestled him closer. Suresh’s eyes had fallen closed, and his face
was twisted in a grimace of pain.

That didn’t look good at all. “Suresh? Is this normal?”
“Yes.” Suresh’s voice was strained and thick. “Magic always

overspills when we are aroused.” He gulped. “Stay away, Thane.”

“The hell I am. Tell me how to help you.”
Suresh opened unfocused eyes. Flames danced in their centers.

“You cannot. You are no magic user. Not an elf. We may both
die.”

“You…” Thane’s chest constricted with fear. “Could this kill

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you? I—”

“I do not want you to die!” Suresh pushed him backward with a

snarl. “Stay back.”

The magic flared, a firework of energy showering them with

sparks. Suresh’s eyes widened and his breath came out in a hiss.
His wings and crown flickered and shot curlicues of radiance. “It
hurts,” he whispered, his breathing coming in uneven gasps, his
hands clenching and unclenching. All color was draining from his
face, and his body began to shake. “Gods…”

“No!” Panic rose in Thane in a black wave. He fell forward,

grabbing Suresh around the waist, pressing him to his chest,
enfolding him in his arms.

Suresh cried out, a harsh, choking sound, and thrashed, hitting

with his fists on Thane’s back. Arrowheads of magic bit into
Thane’s chest and head, and he pressed his mouth against Suresh’s
shoulder to stifle a shout of pain. The magic jolted him, creaking
and writhing like a living thing. Then it sprouted ribbons that
curled around his middle, burning and stabbing. “God!”

Losing his balance, he fell onto the mattress and rolled, with

Suresh in his arms, the magic alternatively caressing and cutting
into him. His joints ached, his shoulder blades itched, and his chest
and back were a mass of pain. He arched, his breath burning in his
lungs, his muscles spasming.

Then the magic faded.
Thane breathed, a great gulp of sweet air, and let his head drop

back on the mattress. Holy shit. “Suresh?”

But the elf lay limp next to him, lips white and slack, a hand

thrown over his chest.

Fuck. Panic rose once more. Hands trembling, Thane lifted the

elf’s chin, but got no response. He sought with trembling fingers

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for a pulse in the elf’s pale throat. After some time, he felt a
thready beat. He was alive.

“Suresh!” He shook him gently, gave him a slap on the cheek.

The elf remained still as death.

With a shuddering breath, Thane sat back. Fuck this. He had to

get help.

He twisted out of the bed and jabbed at the phone button,

calling the reception. “I need an elf healer. Now. It’s urgent.”

“Sir?” The woman’s musical voice rose slightly. “Has there

been an accident? Should I send security?”

“Just a healer.” His voice choked and he had to take a deep

breath to clear it. “Please.”

Voices in the background, then a man’s voice said, “Sir, the

guards called for an elf healer earlier on, said that the occupant of
room 232 almost drowned. She has just arrived. Should I send her
up?”

Oh thank god. “Yes, please. I’ll be waiting.”
Gratitude for the gruff pair of guards brought a sting to his

eyes. Damn. He had to thank them.

Grim, he eyed his pile of wet clothes on the floor and his own

naked body, and grabbed a robe from the bathroom. As he finished
tying it off, a knock came on the door and he went to open it,
glancing up at the elf, nude and sprawled bonelessly on the bed, all
slender limbs and long dark hair.

Swallowing down a painful knot in his throat, he unlocked it to

find the two guards from before. They framed a frail old woman in
a long white dress and a green cape. A dark mark like a starburst
marked one side of her pale forehead. Her white hair was caught
up in a knot with a silver pin, and she held a copper box.

“Sir, may we enter?” Her eyes narrowed, as if to see him better,

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although the lights were on. “I was told an elf requires my
services.”

“Ma’am.” He resisted the urge to keep her out, keep them all

out, keep Suresh only to himself, and moved aside to let them in.
“He needs your help.”

The woman strode inside, and stopped at the foot of the bed.

She turned her gaze on them all. “Leave us alone.”

The guards shuffled toward the door, looking uneasy.
“Please, Ma’am.” His heart raced. “I want to stay, make sure

he’s all right.”

She fixed him with dark eyes, bright jewels, and then a sudden

smile broke on her face like a sun-up. “You can stay. The others
go.”

The guards left the room without a word and closed the door,

leaving them alone.

“So tell me what happened here.” The old woman sat on the

bed, her feet in their old-fashioned boots barely touching the floor,
and smoothed a lock of hair out of Suresh’s face.

Thane’s heart hammered. He wanted to push her off, take her

place, and be the one to touch Suresh so tenderly.

God. He sat down next to her, buried his fingers in his hair. I’m

going mad.

The woman lightly touched the wounds on Suresh’s chest.

“These are recent.” She caught Thane’s puzzled look and smiled
gently. “Elves heal fast, you know. These are barely a week old.
And they would have barely shown by now if the androids hadn’t
started using iron bullets.” She bent closer to look, and then leaned
back, her eyes half-lidded. “Very bad business, this.”

“Yeah.” Thane rubbed his face. A headache stirred behind his

eyes. “He said it was iron poisoning. Said the healer who treated

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him assured him it’d clear by now.”

“But it hasn’t.”
He nodded at the elf, his jaw clenched. “Seems to be getting

worse.”

“Hm.” She traced the wounds with tiny, wrinkled fingers. “Did

the healer check for any fragments left inside?”

Cold crept up Thane’s spine. “Oh god. You don’t think…”
“If the poisoning persists, then the poison is still inside him. I

gather he hasn’t been able to draw energy or use magic?”

“Well,” Thane rubbed his face, splinters of pain pressing inside

his skull, “he said he couldn’t draw energy because of the iron
poisoning. This time, magic flowed out of him, I felt it, and he said
it hurt.” He swallowed hard. “He seemed resigned to death.
Ma’am…”

“Shhh.” She reached out and patted his arm. “Elves detest

losing control of their bodies, their magic. They feel it makes them
like animals. Baser instincts and all. This is why their society is so
strict and rigid. Rules, to keep in control. But sex for the elves
means total loss of control. It is the one area they cannot regulate.
You should remember that next time you get all hot and sweaty
with him.”

He sputtered. Had she just said that? About the sex?
“As I said, it’s bad business when you’re shot in the back,” she

went on blithely. “In most cases it means your trust in your friends
was misguided.”

“What?” Curse his slow mind, with all the blood still pooled in

his nether regions. “In the back?”

“These,” she touched the elf’s chest, “are all exit wounds.” She

rubbed her upper lip in thought. “Would you help me turn him
around, elefthuen Consort?”

SONG OF LOVE AND WAR

“What did you just call me?” He lifted the unresponsive elf, his

heart clenching, and rolled him onto his belly. He smoothed the
long black hair off Suresh’s muscled back. The design of the
wounds there that he hadn’t noticed before was neat, clustered
close to his heart, and the bullet holes perfectly round. He had
naturally assumed that Suresh had been shot from the front.

“His bond mate. You must have elven blood,” whispered the

healer.

“Says who?”
She glared. “The fact that he’s still alive after having sex with

you. The mere fact that he was having sex with you.”

He snorted. “We didn’t have sex. I was just warming him up

after his fall into the pool.”

“Really? So you are telling me he lost control without any

reason?”

Thane licked dry lips. “Didn’t say that. Why are you asking? Is

it illegal to be aroused by someone who isn’t an elf?”

She laughed. “Silly boy. It’s not illegal. It’s simply very

dangerous.”

Dangerous. Thane shook his head. “Why?”
“If you’re only human, you can’t share his magic. This could

be why he passed out, though it doesn’t explain why he isn’t
dead.”

“Dead? Are you serious?” Thane swallowed hard. The thought

of Suresh dying sent a spear of pain through his chest.

The woman probed delicately at Suresh’s wounds. “Very.” Out

of her copper box, she took a long and thin needle made from a
crystal-like material, like a sliver of glass.

“What are you doing?” Thane reached out to stop her.
“Looking for a fragment of iron. This is a tracer. Don’t worry.

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He won’t feel it, he’s passed out.”

“It’s big. It may hurt him—”
“If there is iron in him, he will die, boy. So let me do my job. I

just hope I’m not too late.” Her voice was steel, but her eyes sad.
“Do you understand?”

Thane nodded, his stomach twisting. His hands clenched

helplessly at his sides as she inserted the crystal needle into each
wound, twisting it and probing.

He thought he felt the stabs in his own back, a burning, cutting

pain.

“Here it is!” She removed the needle, its tip bloody. “Iron. I

must remove it.”

“What can I do?” he asked as she prepared gauze and antiseptic

and a wicked looking fine pincer.

“Hold his hand.” She dipped the pincer in the antiseptic and

wiped it on a piece of white gauze.

“How does that help?”
“Let him know you want him to return.” She pursed her lips.

“Maybe he can hear you. Elves can form deep bonds with their
mates. If you are his elefthuen Consort, touching should help bring
him back.”

“Do you mean…” He gripped Suresh’s hand. “Could he still

die?”

“Iron is highly toxic for elves.” She patted the wound with the

wet gauze and used a crystal blade to cut it open. Dark blood
welled in the cut. “And he’s had it inside him for a week. It’s a
wonder he’s still alive, especially after using magic. Magic
dissolves the iron into the blood stream, poisoning him more.”

God. Thane tightened his hold around the cold fingers of the

elf. Please, Suresh, come back. Please don’t leave yet.

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He thought he heard a sigh in his mind. His heart hammered.

Suresh, can you hear me?

No answer. Thane pressed his lips to Suresh’s fingers. Suresh,

Suresh. Stay with me.

The woman inserted the pincer into the cut and moved it this

way and that. Thane winced as more blood ran down the elf’s
back. Her face contorted with concentration as she shifted the
pincer, a bead of sweat rolling down the side of her face.

Suresh…
A voice whispered back, ::Thane?::
He shuddered, not sure he’d really heard that, just as the

woman crowed in triumph, pulling out a bloody lump from
Suresh’s body.

“There.” She dropped the piece of iron onto another piece of

gauze. “We got the bastard.” She checked the wound with the
needle tracer, and then thoroughly checked all wounds for other
remnants, one by one. Then she smiled and wiped the tracer on
some cotton wool. “He’s clear. He should start getting better
soon.”

Suresh’s eyelids fluttered and Thane squeezed his hand, a wave

of affection and relief making him dizzy. “You’re safe.”

* * *

Jumbled half dreams tormented Suresh. Rajen’s pale face, the

elven palace in the crystal caverns, Rajen’s death when the
androids invaded elven territory for the first time. Suresh lay on the
floor of the crystal caverns, writhing in pain as the connection
between them broke into shards, leaving his body and mind
bloodied. Rajen’s torn body, the bond between them cut off,

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Suresh’s head silent for the first time in decades. His heart broken
in half, his magic frayed, his rage building on sorrow, he had set
out to join the war with the fistful of other elves who had realized
that they could not keep apart any longer. That their fate and the
humans’ was now one.

Then came flashes from the war, endless battles, countless

wounds and hurts. The elves scorned him for aiding the humans,
the humans mistrusted him. He could feel it in their guarded
contact with him, in the uneasy alliance they formed with the
elves, born of need and desperation.

Loneliness. His heart ached for a companion, but he dared not

hope to find another bond mate. Such connections were found
rarely in an elf’s centuries-long lifetime, sometimes only once, and
only death could break them.

Flames and bullets and exhaustion in a war that never reached

an end, androids thudding along deserted city streets, blasting
everyone in range, raining limbs and blood. The machines had
gone mad.

As mad as their creators.
Then a voice called his name, a man’s soft, low voice. It

caressed his mind, feather-light, velvet-soft, calling him back from
the nightmare.

Thane?
Fingers tightened around his hand, grounding him. He could

feel his body again, heavy and aching, prostrate on a soft surface, a
brand of fire in his back.

“Will he be fine now?” he heard Thane’s voice nearby.
“Should be,” said a faint female voice. “May not have so much

fun if he tries to use magic before tomorrow, though, at the very
least. Iron poisoning tends to linger in the blood of elves.”

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Suresh blinked bleary eyes, and beheld an old human woman.

An elf healer? She had the tattoo of healers on her forehead.
“Lady?” He coughed, spikes of fire lancing his throat.

“Suresh!” Thane’s smiling face came into view. “You’re

awake.”

Suresh’s heart thudded in his chest. Thane looked so happy.

Suresh had heard his voice in his head. Or had it been a dream?
Had he imagined it solely because he wished for it so much?

Gods, what is this game you are playing with me?
“See this?” The healer raised a bloody lump of iron before his

eyes, and he flinched. “I took it out of your back. No wonder you
were deteriorating.”

He gaped. “But the healer who last saw me, he said—”
“Then he is a disgrace to all elf-healers.” She pursed her lips.

“Who is that healer?”

“He was appointed by the elf council.” Suresh cast his mind

back. He had been so hurt he was barely conscious when the healer
came to him. The healer had checked the wounds, removed two
bullets that had remained inside, and told him he’d be fine. Now he
wondered. As long as Kalidas was head of the Council, he had to
fear for his life. It hadn’t mattered much until now if he lived or
died—but something pulled him toward Thane. He couldn’t die,
not yet.

“If your Highness doesn’t need me any longer, I’ll be on my

way,” she said and bent her head.

“No need for the title, Lady.” He tried to sit up and winced.

“I’m not recognized by the Council anymore. Besides, you have
done me a great service. You saved my life.”

“Highness?” Thane pulled back his hand, eyes wide. “I thought

I saw a crown on your head, but…”

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“I used to be a Prince. I’ve been demoted to General, for a

crime I did not commit. And now I may be punished for doing my
best to protect humans and failing.” Suresh tried to keep the
bitterness out of his voice, but wasn’t sure he succeeded.

“I knew it.” She raised a hand to her mouth. “It was you, a

week ago, who they say betrayed the humans. You let your
magical protection wall down and the androids killed everyone.
Isn’t it so?”

The memory punched Suresh in the gut and he curled around

the hurt. “I…”

“God!” Thane pulled away and stood on trembling legs. His

face was pale, two bright splotches of red on his high cheekbones.
“It was you.”

“Thane, I—”
Thane turned abruptly—a golden streak—and left the room,

slamming the door behind him.

Suresh almost groaned aloud with the pain in his heart, in his

mind. See what I fool I am. Thane’s departure was a stab in his
chest, in his head.

“He’s angry,” she said.
Rage welled inside Suresh, overrode the pain and sorrow, and

he managed to sit up. “I did not betray them. I did all I could for
them, and they shot me from behind. I didn’t think to set up
protection behind me. I never thought they’d try to kill me, or that
they’d even bother to find iron bullets.” He shook his head. “The
humans went to so much trouble to make sure I would die.”

The Lady tsked, then rose and patted her pristine dress. “I

know, Highness.”

“Why did he leave?”
“Good question.” She smiled, though her eyes shimmered. “I

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can see you care for him.”

Suresh groaned, flames licking his ears. “So what?”
“He cares for you, too, you know.”
Suresh snorted. “He ran away when he learned who I was.

Even though he saw the wounds.”

“Give him time. There might be something there you don’t

know about.”

But Suresh doubted that. Thane had displayed the same

reaction all humans did when faced with elves—mistrust. He
believed Suresh had betrayed humans.

“Rest.” She gave him a soft smile. “You will be fine.”
Would he? He bent his head, his eyes burning. “Thank you,

Lady.”

“You’ve been through a lot, and so it seems has Thane. Take it

easy and your body will recuperate. I’m taking my leave. Fare
well.”

As she left, the door clicking shut behind her, Suresh dropped

his face in his hands. What was the use of all this, trying, living,
going on friendless, loveless, with no real purpose? The memory of
Thane’s voice echoed in his mind. “Are you all right?”

Nobody had asked him that since he’d left the elven kingdom.

Nobody until Thane.

Thane. What if the Lady was right? What if there was

something there, something Thane was hiding, something painful?
Suresh had not returned the question, the concern, not once. Was
Thane all right?

He stood, his knees threatening to buckle at any moment, and

blinked black spots from his vision. Find Thane first, make sure he
was okay. Drown his pain in blossom-mead and feed his rage later.

Priorities.

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Wrenching open his baggage, he rummaged until he found a

garment that wasn’t torn or bloodstained. The last thing he wanted
right now was draw more attention to himself. He pulled on a
black shirt and black pants and found his other pair of boots. Good
to go.

The rational part of his mind screeched in protest. He felt like

shit, could barely stand straight, and there were men out there
waiting to get him.

But there was also Thane. He had to make sure he was all right.

And he wanted to tell Thane he didn’t betray the humans.

What are you scared of?
Damn.
His silver belt and epaulets lay on the bedside table. He

caressed them. At least he’d go out as prepared as he could be. He
pulled them on with slow movements, his back one big ache with
pinpricks of flaming agony.

He stumbled out of the door and headed to the lifts. He had no

clue in which room Thane stayed, but would find out. He lurched
out of the lifts, his vision tilting, and staggered to the reception
desk. “I need the room of Thane…” Elders, he didn’t even know
his last name. “Tall, chestnut hair. Please, it’s urgent.”

The young woman at the desk looked up, and her grey eyes

widened a fraction. She blushed and bit her lower lip. “Sir, let me
see what I can do.”

He leaned against the desk, folding his hands on the countertop

and pressing his forehead against them. Thane…

A whisper flew through his mind. ::Suresh…::
Elders, a bond was forming. Suresh lifted his head, and his

heart boomed. That was mad.

Yet somehow he felt he’d known it from the start.

SONG OF LOVE AND WAR

He could feel in which direction Thane was. The bond pulsed

inside his head, tugging at him.

“Sir!” called the receptionist, but he was already hurrying back

to the lifts. He felt Thane’s presence, a light touch in his thoughts,
a golden thread he could follow, twined with black filaments of
grief.

Thane was hurting. Damn. Suresh entered the lift and closed

his eyes, reaching out to him. Another flash of sorrow came from
Thane.

Suresh staggered out of the lift and down the corridor. Room

478. He knocked. “Thane?”

* * *

Thane splashed cold water on his face over and over again.

Images and sounds from the past year—screams, explosions,
familiar voices yelling his name—mingled with flashes from the
video clip—the elf turning, dropping the magic defense wall, the
soldiers falling, again and again, a horrifying loop of time and
death.

Suresh. It had been Suresh. He’d been shot from behind.
He saw again his comrades fall and twist on the ground.

Thane’s head spun. I’m fine. I expected death. His breath caught.
But I expected my death, not theirs.

The images fragmented, a mouth screaming, a torn limb, a lake

of blood. He retched and held onto the basin as the world slid off-
kilter. He fell to his knees, his knees hitting the tiles with a thump
he felt along the length of his spine. He curled on the floor,
moaning.

Memories of dismembered bodies and pieces of machines were

SONG OF LOVE AND WAR

all mixed up, his boots squelching in the mire, his squad retreating.

All gone. All of them gone. Oh god. All this time, all those

miserable months, Suresh had been the elf protecting them—
holding up the shimmering wall, his visored face a silver blank,
hidden from Thane’s view. He’d let Thane’s comrades die, had
dropped his magical wall and let the androids reap the whole
squadron.

But he was ambushed from behind! He almost died! Not his

fault.

Thane curled into a tighter ball, gathered his knees to his chest,

his stomach cramping, blades tearing through his head.

::Thane…::
He groaned, clutched his head. He was hearing Suresh’s voice

again in his mind.

Then he heard the pounding on the door of the room. “Thane!

Open the door!”

“Suresh…” He tried to sit up, his head spinning. The elf was

there? What the hell was Suresh doing out of bed? The healer had
said he’d need time to heal. He didn’t seem to be in any shape to
wander the hotel. “Coming!”

Unable to stand, he crawled out of the bathroom and levered

himself onto the bed. He sat, panting, black spots dancing in his
eyes. “One second.”

He drew deep breaths, clenched and unclenched his hands to

help the blood flow in his limbs, calling on his training for battle
nerves. He rose on shaky legs and staggered to the door. He
wrenched it open. Suresh stood there, leaning on the doorframe,
face drawn and pale. He looked as steady as Thane felt.

“You do not look good,” the elf whispered, his eyes turning a

dark shade of blue, his brows drawing together. “What happened?”

SONG OF LOVE AND WAR

Thane shook his head and took a step back. He couldn’t discuss

it now, not yet.

“Thane, please.” The elf licked his lips and shifted his weight,

wincing. He brought a hand to his chest, where the wounds were
hidden under his shirt. “Believe me. I did not betray the human
soldiers. They betrayed me. I did not mean for them to die, but I
was losing consciousness and could not keep the magic wall alive.
I just could not—”

“Stop,” Thane said hoarsely. “Don’t. Not now.”
He turned to go back into the room, and the sound rushed out

of the world. The colors bleached out of the bed covers and the
carpet.

Strong arms caught him before his knees gave out. Suresh’s

warm body enveloped him. He was so cold. Suresh dragged him to
the bed, and pushed him to lie down. “You should sleep,” he said.
“You should rest.”

“So should you,” Thane muttered, his lids so heavy he could

barely keep his eyes open.

“You took care of me. Let me take care of you.” Suresh stroked

the hair from Thane’s forehead, and held him close as a shiver
wracked Thane’s body. The sensation was sweet, and he turned
toward the touch, until Suresh cupped his cheek.

“I’m fine.”
“No you are not.” Suresh caressed Thane’s cheek, the fine bow

of his mouth downturned. “You cannot be strong all the time.
Sometimes you can let another be strong for you.”

Thane snorted softly. “I have to be strong.” His voice was

slurring with sleep. He fought the languidness that was filling his
limbs like lead. “I’m alone in the world now.”

Suresh sighed and knelt by the bed, his face inches from

SONG OF LOVE AND WAR

Thane’s. “No, you are not. I am here. Sleep.”

“I can’t.” Thane blinked, tried to keep his eyes open.

“Shouldn’t.”

“Why?”
“Dreams.” Darkness swallowed Thane for a moment and he

jerked awake, disoriented. “Can’t.”

Suresh smiled, but his gaze was sad. He stroked Thane’s face

with his fingertips and it was like a sleep drug, pulling Thane
under. He raised himself a little, kissed Thane’s brow. “I am so
sorry,” he whispered against Thane’s hair. “So sorry.”

The world faded in dreamless sleep. Thane burst through the

veil of slumber from time to time, breathless, not knowing what
woke him, to find Suresh petting his hair. Relieved, he drifted back
to sleep.

Faces, guns, grenades exploding, cannons booming in the

distance. Thick blood and he was drowning, unable to draw breath.
He tried to scream, but no sound passed his lips. He was sinking,
dying.

::Thane!::
The whisper rushed through his mind, jolting him, snapping his

eyes open.

Oh god, just another nightmare. Thane clutched his pillow and

took shallow breaths, trying to calm his heart.

Suresh. He wasn’t there.
Thane sat up, his head heavy. “Suresh?”
Quiet.
Snuffing out the disappointment welling in his mind, Thane lay

back and stared up at the ceiling. The elf had probably gone back
to his own bed. Wait, had Suresh been there at all? What if it had
been a dream?

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The phone rang. He reached out, punched the receiver button.

“Yeah?”

“Sir, this is the reception desk. Did Mr. Grey find you?”
Mister Grey? “I don’t know him. What did he want?”
“He said he had a message from a Colonel Killip for you.”
Alarms went off in his mind. “Never heard of the name

before.”

“We gave them your room number, sir. He must have knocked

on your door. Didn’t you hear anything?”

“No. I was asleep.” Thane rubbed a hand over his face, trying

to think. “Thanks.”

“No problem, sir.”
What the hell? Had to be a mistake.
He got up and pulled on comfortable drawstring pants and a T-

shirt. He was brushing his teeth, thinking to return to bed,
nightmares or not, when he thought he heard his name being
called. He looked back at the room, but nobody was there. He
shook his head. He couldn’t be hearing Suresh.

::Thane!:: The whisper tore through his thoughts, and he bent

over, wincing, the toothbrush falling from his hand. ::Help!:: came
again the whisper inside his skull. The sheer panic in Suresh’s
voice sent cold sweat running down Thane’s back.

“Fuck.” Was he going mad at last? He wouldn’t rest until he

knew for sure Suresh was okay. He’d just check on him, then
return to his bed and sleep for two days. Hell, he’d even order food
from room service.

Thane pulled on his boots, and exited into the dim corridor.

Turning toward the lifts, he stumbled. A tug inside his chest
brought him up short, as if a leash was tied around his waist.

::Thane!::

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Damn it. The tug pulled him in the other direction. He fought

it, made it through two more steps, and stopped. He sensed the
elf’s presence like a light calling him. Suresh was the other way, of
that he was sure.

What if Suresh hadn’t just gone back to his room to rest? What

if this Mr. Grey, whoever he was, had knocked on Thane’s door
and Suresh had answered? What if the men who had attacked
Suresh before weren’t done with him yet?

Pain and fear pulsed through the connection. Oh god. The bad

feeling in his gut turned into a cold, heavy stone. He started to run.
“Suresh!”

He pushed the fire doors open and came out onto a roof terrace

with a fountain and benches overlooking the pools, patches of blue
lit with underwater lights.

A crash rang from his right and he whirled around, the weight

of fear crushing his chest so he could hardly breathe. Sparks
danced on the air, ghostly white, and a familiar long-haired form
hung in the arms of a large man, suspended from his hold, while
another one prepared to punch him. “Shit! Suresh!”

Those ever-changing blue eyes looked up, shifting to a light

blue of hope, and Thane charged.

* * *

Suresh hung in a man’s steel arms, trying to remember what

had happened.

One moment he was with Thane, stroking his hair, wondering

what traumatic event had shattered someone so strong and how he
could help.

Then, insistent knocking came at the door, and someone

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claiming they had a message from a Colonel Killip for Thane. Not
wanting to wake Thane, he’d gone to answer the door.

Next thing he knew, they had grabbed and dragged him outside

into the corridor with inhuman strength. Suresh had lashed out at
them, but they’d lifted him between them and carried him away, so
fast he barely had time to blink. They carried him outside to a
terrace overhanging the pools and gardens, probably thinking there
nobody would see or hear them as they beat him up.

“Suresh!” Thane came running toward him, in a dark T-shirt

and pants, blending with the night but for his chestnut mane that
caught the moonlight.

No! They’d hurt him!
Gritting his teeth against fresh waves of pain, Suresh gathered

his magic and let it flow into his epaulets and belt. The armor
stirred and expanded, grew tendrils that wove together and covered
his chest and back, his legs and arms. But the pain became too
much, and darkness crowded his vision. When his eyes cleared, his
middle felt like one big bruise, and drawing breath was hard. He
was exposed again, the armor having retreated into the epaulets
and belt, and he hung from one man’s hold, the other drawing back
his meaty fist to punch him—again.

“Suresh, goddammit, stop him!”
Suresh opened his mouth to warn Thane to be careful, to stay

back. He, Suresh, was supposed to protect the weaker humans, to
stand before them like a shield. But Thane smashed into the burly
man about to punch Suresh and took him down. They struggled on
the ground. Fists flew, and blood sprayed.

Thane…
The man was almost twice Thane’s size. Suresh swallowed

hard. But the man holding him decided this game should end here.

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He started to squeeze Suresh’s middle, cutting off his air. Having
relied on magic all his life for defense, he tried drawing on it first,
then ceased when pain ripped through him. The iron poison still
lingered in his blood.

So instead, blinking the swirling darkness from his eyes, he

tried to recall his physical training. He raised his booted foot and
brought the heel down hard on the man’s kneecap.

The man grunted, his hold slackening. Suresh drew a

shuddering breath, his lungs burning. Shouldn’t the man be rolling
about in pain by now? That kneecap ought to have been smashed.

Twisting, he landed a punch to the man’s hard jaw, sending

them both backward. Suresh bit off a shout of pain, and prayed that
his fingers were not broken. Damn hard jaw. The arms around
Suresh loosened, and he wrenched himself away.

Yet the man recovered fast, launching himself at Suresh with a

growl.

Suresh backed off, gaping. The hit to the man’s face ought to

have put him out. Magic or not, he packed a mean punch.

He didn’t have time for another thought before the man

grabbed him around the waist and lifted him off the ground. He
started walking toward the parapet, obviously intent on throwing
Suresh four stories down.

Suresh’s heart slammed inside his chest. Thane shouted his

name, and the bond between them throbbed. Suresh struggled,
elbowing the man in the stomach, kicking on his kneecaps.

The man seemed made of metal, so unresponsive, so—
“Astha!” Suresh groaned aloud as the realization hit. “It’s an

android!”

Thane cursed a string of words Suresh didn’t even know. There

was no switch off button, no vulnerable spot on androids. You hit

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them until they fell to pieces—or used magic, to jumble their
mechanisms. Magic. Drawing on it, raising the shields and taking
the androids down would hurt like all five hells, but he had to try.

Of course, he had to stay conscious and alive long enough to

manage that.

This could be a problem.
Besides, they were fast approaching the parapet, and the

android had not even slowed down.

Thane yelled, and something rocked the android that held

Suresh. He twisted his head to see. Thane had grabbed the android
from behind, tugging backward. The other android’s face held an
ominous scowl as it headed toward them.

Use the distraction. Taking a deep breath, Suresh called on his

magic. Control. That is the trick. Energy streamed along his
senses, cool like water, heating up as it flowed, trickling out of his
foci and into his armor, triggering the extension points.

The android grabbed Thane from behind and raised a steel fist.

A punch would break Thane’s bones.

No time for control.
Suresh yelled a battle cry as he pushed the energy into his

arms, up his back, until he pulsed with the magic. It sliced through
him with myriad blades of red-hot agony. He thrust the magic out
in threads of power, a net to hold the enemy down.

The android stopped, and Thane dropped from his hand. He

landed in a crouch.

“Suresh?” Thane whispered. He took a step forth, but the other

android stirred, fighting the magic, and Suresh forced more energy
into his foci. Black was creeping over his eyes. “Have to jam their
mechanisms.” Drawing breath was difficult. “A little longer…”

The wings of power spread from the foci in his back, the crown

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shot up from the foci on his head, the spears from his arms, ripping
through his flesh and bones like fire. He raised his hands, a cry
tearing from his lips. Could he die of pain alone? Would his heart
give out?

“Suresh, they aren’t just androids. They’re Immortals!”
Damn it. He saw now the red glint in their eyes. The best of the

best among androids. No wonder they were so human-like, and
that his magic hadn’t taken them out yet. He needed more energy.
He breathed past the pain, reached inside him for the pulsing
energy centers.

“Suresh, no!” Thane struggled to reach him, pushing against

the magical field. Why? “Please stop! You’re bleeding.”

But the Immortals were still moving, sluggishly yes, the red in

their eyes flickering—but the energy net was still not strong
enough to put them down. “Can’t.”

He felt it now, the hot blood pouring from the re-opened

wounds in his chest and back. The blood in his veins boiled and
burned like oil. He splayed his fingers, letting the fire out. The
windows of the hotel broke, shattering one after the other,
exploding outward as the magic sucked them. The waters of the
hot spring pools rose in boiling geysers, showering them with
droplets of hot water.

Tears spilled from Suresh’s eyes. He was losing control.

Maybe losing control was the only thing left to do. He raised his
hands higher and brought them down. The magic net pressed down
on the androids. They still moved. Damned Immortals.

With a guttural growl, Thane smashed against the magical

shield. He would never break through. Humans could not pass
through the magical net.

::Suresh.::

SONG OF LOVE AND WAR

Power flowed from Thane, caressing the magical net. He

stepped through.

Suresh blinked bleary eyes. Impossible. He cannot…
Thane grabbed Suresh around the waist and pressed him close.
“No!” Suresh screamed. “You will die!”
Many things happened at once—the magic resisted, tried to

flow back into Suresh, but couldn’t. The magic wrapped around
Thane, squeezing him, stabbing at him.

The magic entered Thane, spread inside him, but instead of

breaking down blocks and walls, and killing him, it found foci to
occupy and fill.

Five hells!
Redoubled, the energy poured out of Thane in a fountain of

power. In his embrace, Suresh moaned, caught between pain and
pleasure, the magic shared between them pulsing, drawing them
closer, and twining in a double rope that bound them together.

“Oh god, Suresh.” Thane grabbed Suresh’s chin and kissed

him. Suresh gripped Thane’s broad shoulders and kissed him back,
his tongue slipping between those warm, soft lips.

The magic roared like a dragon, leaping between them and up,

shaking the ground and the hotel grounds, burning up the androids’
circuits.

The pain seared Suresh’s chest, and he pulled back, choking on

a gasp. Thane’s face dissolved in a darkening sparkle. Thane’s
voice called him, but it was far away. He couldn’t feel his legs.
The world spun and rocked. He was falling.

A moment of oblivion stretched, interspersed with half-

forgotten memories, images of his childhood in the forests of the
elven caverns, his first meetings with humans. So different, and yet
so similar to us!

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He came to with Thane’s worried face over him, so close his

sweet breath stirred the fine hairs on Suresh’s temple. Thane
smiled down at him. Raising a hand, he stroked Suresh’s cheek
with callused fingertips.

The light touch sent his heart booming.
“How do you feel?” Thane whispered. “You passed out,

you…” He swallowed hard, his eyes shimmering. “Don’t ever
scare me like that again.”

Heat suffused Suresh’s cheeks. The urge to grin was

overwhelming even as his eyes burned. “The androids?”

“You melted their insides. They’re out of commission.”
Good. Another thought hit him. “You came for me. You fought

for me.”

Thane’s smile crumbled, and then returned. “Of course I did.

You doubt me?”

“I did not…” Suresh had to stop and swallow, his throat bone

dry. “I did not know if you wanted to see me again.”

Thane shook his head. “I can’t stop thinking about you. I want

to hold you, touch you, I…” He closed his eyes.

Suresh’s heart beat so hard he pressed a hand over it, to calm it.
His gaze caught more people moving about, casting long

shadows on the flagstones. “What is happening?”

“The fireworks and small earthquake drew the attention of the

hotel security.” Thane winked. “You made some noise there,
babe.”

“We did.” Suresh blinked as the implications began to sink it.

He hadn’t believed it, but the magic had accepted Thane, had
found an outlet through him. Thane had saved Suresh’s life. This
was no illusion. “How can that be? You are human, aren’t you?”

Thane glanced away, his cheeks coloring. “Yeah. Well, they

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say Great-Grandma Marisa had an elven lover. That was before the
elves came out of their caverns, before the android attacks, so
nobody believed it. She was very beautiful. Some even claimed she
had elven blood in her veins herself. Do you think it’s true?”

Suresh breathed out. So Thane was part elf. That might explain

it—though it did nothing to explain what brought on the tenderness
Suresh felt for him. Was it his smile?

“Sir?” A guard approached, hands awkwardly pressed down his

sides. “Highness?”

Suresh stiffened. How did the man know his rank? “What is

it?”

“Your pardon, Highness.” The guard gave a stiff bow. “An

elven delegation is here to see you.”

Astha, this couldn’t be good. He thought he had more time to

rest, regain his strength before the verdict. More time to spend with
Thane.

“Suresh?” Thane caressed his shoulder. His brows dipped low

over his eyes. “You’re shaking. Is this bad news?”

“Probably. Could you help me up?”
Thane’s lips pressed together. He stood and hauled Suresh

upright, held him as the world spun and pitched. The elves
approached, dressed in the traditional long silken robes and
wreaths of gold. Power rolled off them in thundering waves, and
sparkled around their heads.

Thane wrapped an arm around Suresh’s waist, discreetly

supporting him, as the elves bowed low, pointed ears poking
through their long hair, and stayed in position.

Moments trickled by.
Suresh blinked. “Please, rise,” he said, surprised his voice

didn’t waver. He was a destitute prince. Why in the hells were they

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bowing to him?

“Your Royal Highness, elefthuen Kalyan Kanvar Suresh Ne

Amar.” The elven woman opened her hands as she straightened,
but kept her gaze low in deference. Suresh shivered. He had not
heard his full name spoken in years. “We have traveled all day to
bring you this news. We decided it was imperative you be told
immediately and in person.”

“Tell me what?” Thane’s hold on him tightened and he was

glad for it because his legs shook too badly. He forced a deep
breath into his lungs. “May Adristi protect you. Well met. Now
speak.”

“Highness.” She glanced aside at the others who nodded. “The

head of the Council, Underspien Kalidas Lochan, has kept the
whole of elvendom, and especially the Council, under-informed
and misinformed for years. He misused the Crown of Wisdom,
thereby forcing the other Councilors into voting against you after
your bond mate Rajen died.”

Suresh held his breath. Memories of Rajen’s death again

assaulted him, but he struggled against them. “I know. What is new
about it that you have come to tell me in person?”

“Kuval Ne Nay, distant cousin from your father’s side and

Second Hand of the Council, has always spoken in your favor. He
tried to sway the King’s mind and reinstate you in Court, but Lord
Kalidas is First Prince of Blood and his power on the Throne
cannot be swayed.”

Suresh swallowed hard. “Have you come to imprison me?”
Thane growled softly. “Over my dead body.”
Suresh patted Thane’s hand resting on his hip, his throat too

tight to speak.

“Highness. Lord Kuval is afraid for your life. He has uncovered

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an unprecedented plot to take your life, orchestrated by Lord
Kalidas. He suspects a private vendetta. Lord Kalidas wrote love
letters to Rajen, which were discovered a few days ago.”

Suresh’s breath hissed. “Love letters.” The realization hit him

square in the chest. “He loved Rajen?” Bile rose in his throat. Then
the rest sank in. “He sent the androids to kill me?”

“He also orchestrated the attack on Your Highness a week ago

in battle.” The elf bent her head, long dark hair sliding over her
shoulders like a curtain. “He had androids hiding among the
human ranks.”

Suresh’s throat constricted. It hadn’t been the humans. They

hadn’t betrayed him.

“Highness, Lord Kuval fears that more androids will be sent

after you. We were sent to warn you and ensure that guards are set
up outside your door. In order to best protect you, and bearing in
mind that Lord Kuval never accepted your destitution from your
royal rank, as temporary head of the Council, he has decided that
you should be escorted to the royal suite of this hotel. If that would
please Your Highness. Naturally, the hotel does not meet the
standards of an elefthuen elven Prince, and we—”

“Stop.” Suresh bent over, too dizzy, and Thane’s arm

tightened, pressing their hips together. “I need… time to think.”

“Of course, elefthuen Highness.” The elves exchanged quick

and furtive looks, clearly uneasy. “Would you like the suite? With
your elefthuen Consort, naturally.”

Suresh straightened painfully and slipped an arm behind

Thane’s strong back, turning into his embrace.

The humans had not betrayed him. Lord Kuval believed in him.

Funny how his chest expanded, how his shoulders straightened, as
if a weight had lifted off his soul.

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Thane’s amber eyes narrowed on him, and a slow smile curved

his lips. “My liege?”

Suresh snorted at the title, his ears heating. “Would you join

me?”

“I wouldn’t leave you alone for the world.” Thane’s smile

deepened, reached his eyes, and kindled them with fire. “Besides,
you’re in no shape to move around alone right now, and I believe
you do need someone to run your bath and massage your back and
all that.”

Suresh blinked. “I do?”
“The standards may not be what Your Highness is used to.”

Thane’s eyes laughed. “But these are the healer’s orders, and I
have taken it upon myself to see them through.”

“I see. So you have. You have protected me and stayed by my

side all the way.” His eyes stung. “So be it. We shall take the suite.
Thank you for coming.”

“Yes, elefthuen Highness. We shall control the entrances and

exits of the hotel.” The elves bowed again, relief writ large on their
faces, and swept away, back inside.

The human guards scratched their heads and chins.
“Er. Highness,” one of them said, giving a small bow,

obviously not used to dealing with royalty. “May I help you to
your suite, then?”

Suresh shook his head, but before he could reply, Thane pulled

him closer, a line of fire where their bodies touched.

“No. I’ll take care of His Highness. But you heard what the

delegation said. I want you to post guards outside the suite. We
don’t want any more visitors. Understood?”

“Yes, sir.” The guard executed a smart salute and nodded to the

others, who formed an escort around himself and Thane.

SONG OF LOVE AND WAR

Suresh blinked, caught once more by surprise. His human was

a natural leader.

A bond mate, to mirror him in many ways. He had already

caught glimpses of quite a few similarities, and was curious to
discover more.

“Shall we, my liege?” Thane’s white teeth flashed in a smile.
“Just Suresh to you, my Consort,” Suresh whispered and

surrendered in Thane’s strong arms, trusting him with his life.

* * *

Thane kept a tight hold on Suresh’s waist, not sure the elf

wouldn’t fall if released. Turning his head, he buried his nose in
the dark mane. The long silky strands smelled of fresh rain and
honeysuckle, and light musk wafted from the elf’s smooth neck.
Groaning inwardly, resisting the urge to lick Suresh’s satiny skin,
he splayed his fingers against Suresh’s side, and tangled them in
the folds of his shirt.

Mine.
The gnawing worry in his gut about Suresh’s life had receded,

and now it was accompanied with a growing desire to kiss him,
thrust into him, and make him scream with pleasure.

Biting his lip against the renewed flare of arousal, following

the guards, he led Suresh through the halls and corridors to the
lifts, up to the top floor. Suresh was quiet, his eyes blank as if
dazed. Thinking back on all that had happened in that same day, all
that had been revealed, Thane wasn’t surprised.

He knew he himself should be stunned, confused, wondering,

and holding back until he figured things out. Running away.

But he wasn’t. He wanted to be with Suresh. He had no doubts

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about that. He wanted to take care of Suresh, wanted to just hold
him and watch him sleep, wanted to make love to him. He’d never
felt like that with anyone.

Besides, last time he’d gone away to think, he’d almost cost

Suresh his life. He figured he could think things over together with
Suresh. After all, he was his Consort.

For some reason, instead of scaring him, the thought brought a

smile to his lips. Consort to his elf, his royal elven prince, his
beautiful warrior.

The door to the suite was white with golden designs, and it

stood open, a guard on either side, trying to stand straight and look
intimidating.

“Highness.” One of them tapped his earpiece. “We’ll make

sure nothing more happens to you, sir. We also have cameras
keeping an eye outside, looking out for the possible arrival of third
parties, although of course your privacy will be respected.”

Suresh nodded, his arm around Thane’s back tensing. “Thank

you.”

Then they were inside, and the door closed.
Quiet.
At last alone. Safe. Together.
The relief was such, Thane’s head spun.
The hall opened into a huge bedroom with a bed that could fit

six, made up with white linens and fluffy candy pillows. Tall
beeswax candles stood at its sides, and jars with lotions stood on a
small table. Beyond an open door, Thane saw a bathroom with a
huge bathtub and piles of white towels. Through the balcony door,
a small, illuminated Jacuzzi pool was visible, with tendrils of
steam rising in the cool air.

He whispered in the elf’s delicately pointed ear, “Nice place.”

SONG OF LOVE AND WAR

Suresh shuddered, and Thane tensed, wondering for a moment

if he had hurt the elf somehow. Then a moan rumbled through
Suresh’s chest, and his eyes fluttered closed.

Oh. Sensitive ears. Right. Thane grinned, his body filling with

fire. He touched his lips to Suresh’s ear, tracing the fine shell. “Just
you and me, Your Highness.” Suresh’s breathless moans
punctuated his every word. “How may I serve you?”

“Thane…” Suresh’s voice was a low growl.
Thane’s blood heated more. His erection was painfully trapped

in his pants, his pulse beat in his groin. “What do you need, babe?”

Suresh whirled about, dark hair flying. He grabbed Thane’s

shoulders and pushed him all the way to the wall. Trapping him,
Suresh captured his lips in a searing kiss that left Thane’s knees
weak.

He drew back for air, dizzy. “Damn. Got to say, that’s exactly

what I need, too.”

Suresh’s bark of laughter was breathless.
They stumbled toward the bed, shedding clothes on the way,

tearing them so that fastenings and seams popped and tore. Suresh
fell on top of Thane; Thane grabbed Suresh’s hips and rolled him
over, straddling him. Suresh’s cock rose between them, bobbing
above his stomach, brushing Thane’s erection. Energy curled
between them, around them, heated fingers of power. Thane saw
the foci of magic on Suresh’s body, pulsing bright, and bent over
to kiss them, at the juncture of the shoulders, under his second ribs,
up on his temples and forehead.

“Thane…” Suresh’s whisper was strangled. “Take me.”
God. Thane fought the impulse to impale Suresh then and then.

“I will. Give me a moment.”

He nudged Suresh to roll over until the elf lay on his belly,

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panting and moaning, his erection trapped underneath him. His
back was full of foci, in lines parallel to his spine. Thane bent his
head to them and reverently kissed them one by one, moving
down, until Suresh cried out Thane’s name, his finely muscled
buttocks lifting.

Thane’s vision tunneled, his cock twitched, ready to erupt. He

growled deep inside his chest, fought to hold back.

::Thane…:: Suresh’s voice caressed his mind like plush velvet,

and pleasure washed down his back in a thick wave. Dimly aware
he was feeling Suresh’s pleasure, he gripped the base of his cock
right before he came, holding back the orgasm. “Damn, babe.”

Suresh’s body trembled. He pushed himself up on his elbows,

reached one-handedly down between his legs. “Cannot wait… It
has been years…”

Fuck. Thane’s cock spasmed. He could feel Suresh’s hand

moving up and down, stroking him. His breath came in gasps.
“Stop. I’ll do it. Where’s the oil?”

“No need.” Suresh’s hand stilled, his body shaking. “I am

ready for you.”

Disbelieving, Thane ran a finger down the crack of Suresh’s

ass and dipped inside his star-shaped hole. The digit slipped inside
easily, down the lubricated passage.

“Oh fuck…” With an inarticulate growl, he positioned the head

of his aching erection at the entrance, and pushed deep past the
ring of muscle, into Suresh’s heat.

They both cried out, the pleasure doubling, tripling. Suresh

raised himself on his arms and sat back, impaling himself, taking
more of Thane’s cock inside. Thane’s arm encircled him, and he
rocked inside the elf, moans falling from his lips. He’d never
imagined such pleasure. The black silk of Suresh’s hair caressed

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his shoulder where the elf laid back his head, baring his white
throat. Thane nipped at one leaf-shaped ear and was rewarded with
a deep groan from Suresh, and a vise-like grip around his erection.
Suresh’s hips rose and fell faster, his breathing speeding, choked
whimpers leaving his lips.

“Th…ane.” He struggled to speak. “Hold on to me. No matter

what. Okay?”

“Okay. Shit. Why…” Thane moaned as Suresh rolled his hips,

massaging his captured cock. “Why do you ask me that?”

“I will lose control.” Suresh’s breath hitched, his back arched.

“Hold me. Hold—”

His cry rang out, hoarse and low, echoing in Thane’s ears. The

walls trembled. The magic flared, stabbed into Thane, then
softened and curled around his spine. He opened his mouth to
scream as pleasure erupted from him, down his balls, up his cock,
into Suresh.

Suresh’s cry was still echoing, his opening spasming around

Thane’s cock, when the elf’s skin rippled, stretched, and paled.
Alarmed, Thane held on, hissing as he rode the waves of the
longest orgasm he’d ever had, as Suresh’s skin became like glass,
and inside was white light and spots of fire. Then the wings of
energy sprang from the elf’s shoulder blades, engulfing them both
in a shower of energy, and the tall crown of radiance rose on this
dark head, thorns and horns of blinding power that pierced the
ceiling.

Thane yelled as his shoulder blades erupted with magic, and

the power sprang from his own head, a mirroring power.

A click echoed inside his chest, inside his head, then a crash

like a wall falling to dust, and the floor shook. Down his arms
played fireflies of energy—they danced around them on the bed

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and got caught in Suresh’s hair like jewels.

“We’re one,” he whispered in wonder, darkness swirling in his

eyes, and he didn’t mean his cock, still buried deep inside Suresh,
which gave a final spasm, spent.

One soul.
Suresh slumped in his arms, and this time Thane followed him

into soft darkness.

* * *

Suresh stirred with a groan. Weight pressed down on his back,

pushing him into the mattress—warm flesh, velvet skin, and silken
tassels of hair tickling his shoulder blades. Thane.

Ah, elder gods. Hot breath stroked one of his foci. His cock

thickened, and he shifted to accommodate it. With a soft growl
erupting from the depths of his chest, Suresh rubbed himself on the
bed, frissons of pleasure running up and down his spine. He fought
against the urge to shift, grab Thane and fuck him senseless.

Like Thane had just done to him.
Heat curled up Suresh’s spine, up his neck, warming his ears

and cheeks. Oh gods, what would Thane think when he woke up
and found a sex-crazed elf waiting for him?

With Rajen it hadn’t been like that, this urgent need to mate, to

hold on forever. Rajen had been a handsome elf, and Suresh had
respected and liked him. But for the first time ever, with Thane, he
felt the bond grow stronger and tighter by the minute, a knot of
affection, fire and pleasure.

He had to cool off a little or he would scare Thane. The man

had never been together with an elf just as a bond took hold. He
would not know the burning need to couple again and again, until

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the bond solidified. Not that Suresh had a choice now. Not that he
wanted a choice. But he could at least try to ease up on Thane, take
it as slow as he possibly could.

He twisted and rolled out from underneath Thane. The man

was really out. A twinge of guilt gripped Suresh’s gut. The
consolidation of the bond and the exchange of energy meant that
Suresh had drawn on some of Thane’s life energy. Otherwise he
wouldn’t have kept conscious for the love-act to be completed,
thanks to the iron poisoning. He had drained Thane in more than
one way. But he ought to recover soon. He was a strong man, and
part elf.

Suresh sat up, flexing his arm and leg muscles. His back gave a

small twinge, but it was now a minor discomfort.

Let the rituals begin.
His lips pulling in a smile, he went to explore the bathroom,

and then the private outdoor whirlpool. Potted trees fringed the
pool, giving some privacy—though not really needed, so high up.

Dawn had broken, sending spears of light into the water. The

morning was warming up, the sky a clear blue, and birds chirped in
the trees below.

Water always helped with healing, especially water rich in

elements like this. Elves loved water. Maybe there he could slow
down, arouse Thane kiss by kiss, touch by touch, until he was
ready for more, too. Suresh shivered in anticipation. Yes, the
outdoor pool would do.

He returned inside and sat next to Thane. He stroked the man’s

muscled back. A thin white scar wrapped around Thane’s ribs.
Bruises mottled his sides, remnants from the previous night’s
fighting.

Thane had come for him, stood by him, and fought the androids

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for him.

Unbearable fondness shot through Suresh. He bent his head,

struggling for composure. Could he trust in this good turn in his
life? Finding Thane seemed like a dream. He pinched his arm hard
enough to bruise.

Real.
He leaned over Thane’s face, kissed the dark brows, the tip of

his nose, the strong chin. The pheromones tickled his nose, musk
and pine needles and thyme honey and moist earth. He swallowed
hard, clenching his fists to keep from rushing things.

His heart boomed. His chest felt too small. Why did he feel like

that with Thane? With Rajen it had been different. He had been
kind and strong and told great jokes. He had trained his magic with
Suresh, had raced him through the forests and hunted with him.
The sex had been wild and rough, exhilarating, like fighting a duel.

But Rajen had never held him like Thane had, as if he was

something precious and fragile, something unique and cherished.
And the sex… Sex with Thane was not a race Suresh had to win,
but a dance full of wonder.

Suresh trailed a finger on Thane’s shoulder, finding an old,

white scar and following it down to the man’s strong forearm. He
leaned in to kiss the scar and the base of Thane’s throat where his
pulse leaped.

Thane groaned deep inside his chest, and Suresh smiled. He

drew back, and opened his mouth to tease Thane into wakefulness.

Thane gasped and arched his back, his hands clenching at his

sides. His eyes were screwed shut, and his lips peeled back in a
grimace of fear.

Suresh gulped. A nightmare. He reached out a hand to touch

Thane’s face. “Thane…”

SONG OF LOVE AND WAR

“No!” The scream breaking through Thane’s lips jolted him.
“Thane, wake up!” He laid a hand on Thane’s arm, shook it

lightly. “Thane!”

“They’re dead! They’re all dead!” Thane twisted, planting a

hand on Suresh’s shoulder to shove him off. “It’s the elf. The
magic’s gone.”

Suresh fell backward, then sat up, dazed. His chest ached and it

wasn’t the wounds. He rubbed it with both hands. Thane dreamed
of Suresh’s failure. Of course. Thane was a soldier, so he would be
affected more than others by the news. Besides, it was on all the
channels, on all screens. “I am so sorry…”

Thane curled on his side, shaking. Suresh reached out a hand to

touch him, comfort him, but stopped himself.

He was the monster in Thane’s dreams, the one guilty of letting

everyone die. What have I been thinking? This is not going to work
out.

He could not breathe. He scrambled off the bed, shivering.
What are you scared of?
To be alone again, months and years and decades of cold, not

knowing if he’d ever again find someone to love and share… He’d
rather die than face this again.

His lungs felt crushed. Astha, just breathe.
Blindly he stumbled out onto the terrace. A light breeze rustled

the leaves of the trees, and brought the scent of clear water to his
nostrils. He leaned on the rail, looking down at the gardens and
series of pools, the mountain slopes beyond, deep green with pine
forest. Endless, a lifetime as long as the trees’, spent alone.

“Suresh.” Faintly he heard his name being called, and then

Thane’s quick steps approached. A hand landed on Suresh’s
shoulder. “Are you okay?”

SONG OF LOVE AND WAR

Suresh nodded, not trusting his voice. Thane came to stand next

to him, the sunlight picking bright highlights in his chestnut mane.
His golden eyes were full of shadows.

What if he said he could not stay with Suresh? Maybe the

nightmares showed Thane what he truly feared, and he had decided
he would rather not be with the elf that betrayed the humans under
his protection and let them die.

Suresh fought against the crippling fear, the urge to turn around

and run again, not to hear, not to know. His hands clenched on the
rail until the metal bit into his skin.

“It’s beautiful here.” Thane rubbed his face. “Isn’t it mad how

one passes from one situation to the next without warning?
Without a chance to recover?”

Elders, here it came, the denial, the refusal, and the dreaded

answer. Suresh tightened his grip on the rail. “Situation?”

“From war to peace, from fatigue to vacation, from loneliness

to—” Strong hands grabbed his wrists, wrenched his fingers away
from the rail. “Damn it, Suresh, this is iron!”

Detached, like a distant observer, Suresh looked down at his

bleeding palms. “I am all right.”

“The hell you are.” Thane frowned. “Should I call the healer?

Are you unwell?”

Suresh shook his head. “Thane, I should go, leave you in

peace.”

Thane’s eyes widened. “What are you saying?”
Suresh shook his head. “You helped me, saved my life, and the

sex was great, but you do not have to stay, you—”

“Hell, Suresh, I don’t want to go. I want to stay with you.”
The return of hope was like a blade, laying Suresh’ heart open.

He was afraid to ask again, but did anyway. “What if you cannot

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forgive me for what happened in battle?”

“That wasn’t your fault, Suresh.”
“You dream about it. Do you see me there, failing the humans,

letting them die?”

The color drained from Thane’s face, and Suresh cursed

himself for causing the man pain, but the fear would not release
him.

“I do dream of that scene.” Thane sighed. “I dream of them

falling.”

Suresh’ knees turned to water.
“Whoa.” Thane released his hands and grabbed Suresh around

the waist. “Still not a hundred percent, are you?” His concerned
face brought a lump to Suresh’s throat. “I’m not going anywhere,
Suresh. Not as long as you want to be with me.”

“But you left once before.”
“About that.” Thane lowered his gaze, and color touched his

cheekbones. “I apologize for leaving like that. May I explain?”

Without waiting for an answer, Thane pulled Suresh away from

the rail, and toward the pool. Together they descended the three
steps into the water. Suresh sighed in bliss as it closed around his
body, whispering against his skin, leaving butterfly kisses up his
back. They sat, up to their necks in the steaming water, Thane’s
arms around him.

“So, explain. Why did you leave?” When I needed you, when I

worried about you?

“That was my squadron. The squadron that was decimated

when you dropped your magical wall a week ago.” Thane’s bright
eyes fell away. “Those were my comrades. My friends.”

Suresh drew in a sharp breath. A shudder shook him—the

impact of the iron bullets in his back, the agonizing wrench of

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magic as it collided with the iron inside him, the collapse of his
energy wall, the blinding pain, the descending darkness over his
eyes…

“Suresh!” Thane shook him by the shoulders. “God, Suresh,

I’m sorry. I know it wasn’t your fault, I know you were doing all
you could to protect them, that you were betrayed, shot from
behind. I know now!”

Suresh blinked, dazed. “You were not there when all this

happened. That is why you survived.” Thank the elders. “How?”

“I got wounded in the arm. I was being taken back to

headquarters for recovery.”

“Elder gods. I almost got you killed.” Suresh reached out for

Thane, drew him close, and pressed himself to that hard chest to
feel his strong heartbeat. “Almost got you killed.”

“Not you, babe, not you.” Thane stroked Suresh’s hair,

soothing. “Never your fault. But when I knew it was you who had
let the wall fall, it was just too much to process, you know? They
were the only family I ever knew. I just needed some time to think.
To grieve.”

Suresh exhaled, and rested his chin on Thane’s shoulder. “Yes.

Take your time, I did not mean to—”

“No more.”
“What?” Suresh lifted his head to look into Thane’s face. “No

more what?”

“I need no more time to think.” Thane’s eyes crinkled at the

corners. “Sometimes the heart knows more than the brain, and it
knew from the start that you were the best thing that ever happened
to me.”

Suresh’s throat constricted. “I am sorry for your friends.”
“Yeah, me too.” Thane’s voice was hoarse, and the sheen of

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tears filled his eyes. “But I don’t think they would have lived as
long as they did if it wasn’t for you. I wondered why I survived. I
figure now that I know why: it was to meet you.”

Suresh breathed in, and stroked Thane’s face. The water

rippled around him, energy from his body forming patterns on its
surface, stars and snowflakes and zigzags. He closed his eyes.
Elders. Thank you for giving me this chance. His love for Thane
filled him, burst out of him in a tidal wave. I thought I knew what a
real bond was. But I did not. This is the real thing.

The air warmed, and cascades of light shed off him. The trees

shivered.

Thane moaned, his arms tightening around Suresh. “Babe?”
“You felt that.” Suresh opened his eyes, and stood. Heat pooled

in his groin, and his pulse roared. “We are bonded, Thane. You
know it. You can hear me in your head, and I can hear you in mine.
Is that not true?”

Thane swallowed hard, his lips tilting. “All true.”
Suresh searched those beautiful eyes for fear or regret, but

found none. His pulse racing, he reached out for Thane. “I need
you. Now.”

* * *

The water moved around them like a living thing, shimmering

with small lights. The lights rose to the surface and floated like
delicate candles. Thane tore his gaze away to watch the beautiful
creature before him. Suresh stood up to his waist in the water, his
chest glimmering with droplets. They clung to his pectoral
muscles, sharply defined in the slanted light, his small dark
nipples, his sculpted arms. His long dark hair fell in a silky fall

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around his face, the points of his pale ears peeking through. His
blue eyes were so dark with desire they looked velvet black. His
grin was wicked.

Spikes of desire shot down Thane’s already hard cock. God, he

could come just by looking at the elf. His chest ached with
tenderness. Was he really so lucky that Suresh wanted him and
cared about him?

He’d never given his heart before. He’d always run when

things started to get serious.

Until now.
Were things going too fast?
No. Not fast enough. He wanted Suresh with such ferocity he

thought he might die if he didn’t enter him again, if he couldn’t do
this every night of his life.

Suresh ran his hands down his own chest, roughening his

nipples, and over his hard stomach and further down, his breath
hitching. His cock broke the surface of the water and rose,
glistening and thick, to bump against his flat belly.

Thane groaned, reaching for his own erection. “Come here.”
Suresh puffed a small exhale. “Thane, I… I want to take it slow

for you.”

“Fuck slow.” Thane reached out, caught his wrists and pulled

him closer, raising ripples in the water. “I don’t want slow. I want
you so much it hurts.” He raised his wet hands, smoothed them
over Suresh’s beautiful face, tracing his cheekbones, his full lips,
leaving glimmering traces. “You and no other. Ever.”

As if that broke a damn inside the elf, Suresh growled and fell

on him, splashing, crushing their lips together, rubbing their
erections in a mad dance of need, robbing him of breath.

The frantic pace matched Thane’s own need.

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The water lit up, phosphorescent liquid crystal, swirling around

them, caressing them. Thane pulled the elf’s legs around his waist,
until Suresh’s cock was pressed against Thane’s stomach,
throbbing hot. Swallowing Suresh’s mewling moans, Thane spread
the elf’s ass cheeks and explored the opening between them. One
day, some time, he’d take the time to explore with his mouth every
inch of the elf’s body, but not today, not now. The burning need
inside him had to be assuaged, fast.

“Take me,” Suresh begged between kisses. He writhed against

Thane. “Now. I am ready.”

Thank God elves were better suited to this sort of lovemaking

than humans. Thane positioned his cock against Suresh’ entrance
and pushed.

A howl sounded, almost inhuman, and Thane realized it was

coming from his own lips. The pressure around his cock, the heat,
the velvety prison took his breath away.

Suresh rolled his hips, groaning, head falling back, his lips

parting. A vein beat hard in his pale throat. Hands braced on
Thane’s shoulders, he rode him fast, muscles bunching in his
strong thighs, in his chest. He panted harshly, hips lifting and
falling in a mad dance, hair streaming behind him, eyes flashing,
like a warrior riding to battle.

Thane struggled to keep back the rising tide of his orgasm. But

Suresh clenched so hard around him, he trembled and lost control.
He fell headfirst into the cresting wave and cried out, his hands
bruising Suresh’s hips as he spilled inside the elf. Surge after surge
of pleasure shook him from head to toe as he thrust hard, his hips
rocking madly with a mind of their own.

He wondered why the magic hadn’t hit them yet.
The magic smashed into him an instant later, together with

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Suresh’s yell of pleasure. The power pierced him and shot out of
his back, flaring, encasing them in a sphere of blinding brightness.
Suresh’s wings rose and melded with the sphere, and the light
filled the elf until he looked translucent, a fantastic firefly impaled
on Thane’s cock.

Then Suresh fell against him, arms loose around Thane’s neck,

panting against his shoulder, as the magic spiraled up and began to
fade, like ripples in the water, quieting.

“Now,” Suresh gasped, “maybe we can take it slow, though I

cannot promise anything.”

Thane choked on laughter, hugging Suresh close. “Whatever

your majesty desires.”

“What I desire…” Suresh licked the side of Thane’s throat,

“…is everything you are.” He nuzzled Thane’s jaw, making him
shiver, and bit lightly at the juncture between neck and shoulder.
“What I want is that you trust me, and let me make love to you, to
complete the mark, the bond, the circle.” He peppered Thane’s
neck with kisses. “That you feed off my energy like I have fed off
yours.”

Thane shivered. “You know, I’ve had lovers before, but I was

never…” He shook his head. “I was always on top, after the
first…my first experience. It wasn’t so good.” He raised his eyes to
Suresh’s, that velvet blue gaze that held so much knowing and
understanding. “But I want to try it with you.”

“I promise.” Suresh’s voice was fierce, and the blue of his gaze

turned into violet. “I swear that I will do nothing that will hurt you,
that I will stop at any word you give me, any sign that you are
uncomfortable.” He caressed Thane’s forehead. “This is a melding
of souls, not just bodies. A meeting of hearts.”

Thane’s body began to shake. He’d never belonged to

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someone. An orphan of the war, he thought he’d finally found a
home with his squad, but those were pals to have beers with and
fight together. He’d never shared so much with someone. Inside,
something had always been missing.

“Thane?” Suresh cupped his face. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” Thane tried to smile for him. “I’m so glad I found

you. I—”

A crash reverberated through the walls, coming from the suite.
Suresh’s eyes widened. “Elders!”
“What was that?”
Suresh released Thane and, grabbing hold of the pool ledge,

hauled himself out, graceful as a panther, showering Thane with
water drops and energy sparks, his strong back and legs rippling
with muscles. He headed indoors.

Heart thumping painfully in his chest, Thane followed his

example, pulling himself out. He rushed to the balcony doors,
naked and wet, feeling terribly exposed. He burst inside. Objects
flew, smashing into walls and furniture, and he dropped to one
knee, then down to the floor, rolling to avoid them. “Suresh!”

Where the hell was Suresh? What was happening?
“Greetings to all.” An older elf Thane had never seen before

stood at the open door of the suite. Broad shouldered, with long
pale hair and sharply pointed ears, he smoothed his hands down on
his blue tunic and grinned.

“Thane, watch out!” rang Suresh’s voice from his other side.
Breath catching in his throat, Thane looked around. Immortals,

betrayed by their red eyes, held Suresh. The elf glowed with
magic, and sparks danced on the androids’ arms and faces.

The guards? A glance showed him their bodies, lying face-

down by the door. Where the fuck were the other elves? Who the

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hell was this elf at the door? He took a step toward him. “Help
Suresh!”

But the elf with the long pale hair only laughed.
Not a friend. Thane had to take things in his own hands.
With a yell, he rushed the androids. He tackled one from

behind and Suresh shouted something incomprehensible. Magic
arched through the air, tickling Thane’s nerve endings, and the
android holding Suresh burst into flames.

Thane spared a second to check that Suresh was all right, and

then ducked the android’s arms. More androids entered the suite,
huge machine guns in their hands. The rat-tat-tat of bullets filled
his ears and, for a moment, he was back in the field of battle,
dodging and running, firing and killing.

Shit.
A bullet caught him on the side, and he fell with a cry. Fire

licked his ribs. A shadow loomed over him. One android snatched
him and locked one metallic arm against Thane’s windpipe,
threatening to crush it. Thane struggled, his lungs burning for lack
of air. The android lifted him higher, so that his feet dangled. His
vision blurred. Frantically he kicked at the android, but the
pressure against his airways only increased.

Light erupted all around him. The pressure lessened, and the

android grunted. The magic danced and bloomed, blossoms of
energy forming and fading all around.

The android collapsed, dragging Thane down. He disentangled

himself, looked up for Suresh. The elf stood in the middle of a
storm of light, black hair flying around him in a dark mantle, blue
eyes flashing, hands raised. All the androids had fallen, some face
down.

The broad-shouldered elf stood before them, unruffled. He

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brushed a speck of dust off his sleeve. “Suresh. Long time no see.
And such an increase in power. I am impressed.”

“You. Kalidas.” Suresh’s normally musical voice was strained,

the energy still pouring from him. “When will you give up on
trying to kill me?”

“Never. You killed Rajen.”
“I did not. I—” Suresh’s voice broke, and Thane’s throat

constricted with the pain in it. “The androids did, just like the ones
you employ now to kill me. You cannot blame—”

“I blame you!” The elf bared his teeth like a rabid dog. “You

should have protected him!”

“I tried!” Suresh’ body trembled, the energy flickered. “I know

you loved him, but you must believe that I did all I could!”

The elf snarled and lifted one arm, releasing a bolt of energy

across the room. It hit Suresh square in the chest.

Suresh swayed, lips pulling back in a snarl of pain, and his

energy faded.

Damn it! Thane struggled to his feet. Nobody hurt his elf. He

crept around the bed, angling for the best position to grab the elf
who presumed to hurt his Suresh.

::Thane, no!::
He blinked at Suresh’s voice in his head, and gritted his teeth.

My consort.

The older elf raised his hands and threw energy bolts at Suresh,

who turned and ran. His wings began to fade as he twisted and
slipped behind furniture, avoiding the bolts of white fire, the crown
on his head still shimmering.

Thane jumped on Kalidas and wrestled him to the ground.

Kalidas yelled something and forks of fire grabbed Thane and
lifted him into the air. Thane cried out in pain. The energy sought

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the bullet wound, stabbed through it, multiple blades tearing his
flesh, seeking his heart.

“Suresh…”
Suresh roared, his wings erupting like fountains of stars.

“Kalidas! Come and face me. Stop hiding behind others!”

Suresh took a flying leap at the other elf, spears of lightning in

his hands.

All color drained from Kalidas’ face, and his jaw clenched, the

muscles in his arms bunched as he tried to draw his forks of energy
back out of Thane.

They seemed stuck inside.
Kalidas growled, arms straining, and wrenched the forks of

energy out.

Muscles ripped, bones cracked inside Thane, who screamed as

he fell to his knees. Blood filled his mouth.

Suresh’s lightning bolts hit Kalidas. The elf’s mouth opened in

a silent scream, and he slumped.

Suddenly elves poured into the room with shrill shouts, their

robes flying. Thane watched them with blurry eyes as they formed
a circle around Kalidas, chanting something. They raised their
hands and energy poured from them, twining around the elf.

Pretty, Thane thought as his vision began to fray and darken,

the sparkle of the cage the elves weaved teasing his fading
consciousness.

Suresh knelt before him, his dark hair falling in gleaming

waves on his shoulders, his eyes like gems. Very pretty. The most
beautiful of all.

Then Thane fell, slowly, the floor rising to meet him.
“Thane!” Suresh caught him, laid him down softly. “Hold on.”
Easy to say. He forced his mouth to work. “Kalidas?” He had

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to know the mad elf was dead or contained.

“Prisoner. We are safe.”
“Is this…” Thane choked on more blood, and coughed, “the elf

who tried to kill you before?”

Suresh’s fine lips pressed together hard. “Yes. You saved my

life. Again.”

Thane smiled, and tried to lift a hand to touch that beautiful

face, but couldn’t. “A pleasure, your Majesty.”

“Do not talk. Wait. I am drawing all my energy for you. Give

me a moment.”

“I just want to say…” Breathing was difficult. “I think I love

you.”

Suresh’s eyes went a stormy grey, then a startling blue. He bent

his face to Thane’s and kissed his lips, a feather-light touch. “Let
me demonstrate now how I feel for you.”

He wrapped himself around Thane. Pain drowned Thane as

Suresh pressed on the wound, and the world darkened. Suresh’s
shoulders pressed against his own, all foci at the front of his body
touching with Suresh’s.

Energy stabbed into him, needle-sharp and just as fine, and

then it softened into a caress of power. It lifted the hairs on
Thane’s body, hardened his nipples, sent his pulse racing, his heart
hammering.

Fire lanced through his wounds, deep inside, undoing the

damage, knitting torn muscles and broken bones. He felt every
change, every shift. Every improvement. His sight began to clear.

Disbelieving, he took a deep breath. No pain. He raised his

arms from the floor and wrapped them around Suresh. Nothing
pulled in his chest. “Suresh…”

Suresh’s eyes were closed, his cheeks pale and beaded with

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sweat. He’d given Thane the little energy he had, and still more
was pouring into Thane, tickling and burning.

“Babe.” Thane gripped the elf’s arms and shook him. “Stop.

I’m fine.”

Suresh took a shuddering breath, trembling. Thane pulled him

down on top of him, and kissed his silky hair. His weight felt good;
proof he was there, alive.

“Are you sure?” Suresh felt with his hand along Thane’s chest.

“All healed?”

“Yes.” The back of his eyes stung, and his throat felt raw.

“Thank you.”

“Pleasure was mine,” Suresh mumbled, his cheek cool on

Thane’s shoulder.

Thane glanced at the center of the room. The cage was being

taken away, Kalidas bound in glowing chains inside, lying on the
cage floor.

Two elves in dark green robes came to stand before Thane and

Suresh, with hands clasped together and anxious faces.
“Majesties…” said one them, a woman. “Will you be all right?”

“Majesties?” Thane snorted. “I’m not—”
“You are my consort, your Majesty.” Suresh lifted his head and

winked down at him. “We are fine.”

“Majesty, we were taken by surprise. We did not expect to see

Lord Kalidas himself arrive. He cast a net of magic on us that held
us down until now.” She took a deep breath. “We failed you.”

Suresh blinked and sat up a little. Thane thought he saw the

shimmer of tears in those deep eyes. “You did all you could. You
did not fail me.”

The elven woman looked up, eyes wide. “Majesty.” She

bowed, long hair touching the floor.

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It was somehow funny, all this ritual, as both he and Suresh lay

buck naked and bloody on the floor.

But Suresh didn’t seem to notice. “I need to know this: will the

elves enter the war now?”

“Yes, Majesty. We will follow you anywhere. I swear I will

battle the machines with you.”

“We will enter the battle with you,” said the other elf. “Lord

Kuval will be the next head of the Council, and he has already
voiced his decision that elves should start fighting alongside the
humans.”

Hundreds of elf warriors going to battle. Thane struggled with

the concept. He could see them in his mind’s eye, lines of warriors
in ghostly armor, crushing the android army. The odds of the war
were now against the machines.

“I am glad,” Suresh whispered, his voice hoarse, and Thane

traced the shiny track of tears on the elf’s cheeks. “Really glad.”

The elves stood there for a moment, as if they wanted to say

more, but then departed, closing the door behind them.

Quiet fell.
The bed was still intact. Thane tried to gauge whether he could

make it there. “Babe, how about going to bed?”

Suresh lifted himself off Thane with a groan. He was still

deathly pale, and Thane’s heart clenched. Suresh struggled to his
knees and almost fell over. Thane caught his arm, and together
they crawled to the bed. Thane helped the elf up onto the mattress.

“We made it,” Suresh said, and fell on the bed with a sigh. “We

made it together.”

Together.
Thane took a deep breath, and raised himself on his elbows.

Suresh looked delectable, lying naked, eyes half-closed. His strong

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thighs rippled with muscles as he shifted, turning toward Thane.

God, he wanted Suresh so much.
“There are more things we can do together.” Thane leaned over

the elf, narrowing his eyes at the blinding beauty. Hot energy
pulsed in his veins. “Allow me, my liege, to demonstrate.”

* * *

Suresh looked up into Thane’s honey gaze and fought a shiver

in his body. He was weak, having spent most of his energy in
fighting the androids and then in reviving Thane, but his body
responded fast to Thane’s beauty, and to the bond between them.

He thought he’d lost Thane as he had lain so pale, coughing

blood, his chest mangled with Kalidas’ magic. He’d give his life
for Thane.

Swallowing hard, he looked away.
When Thane bent his head to lick one nipple, Suresh’ back

arched and a moan left his lips. He buried his hands in Thane’s
mane, marveling at the way the light shot golden streaks through
its silky mass, inhaling the faint scent of floral soap and musky
pheromones.

Thane kissed his way down Suresh’s stomach to his belly and

took the head of Suresh’s cock into his mouth.

The world fragmented into colors and sounds as heat engulfed

Suresh’s aching erection. He gasped, the pressure building in his
gut like a roaring river, waves lashing against a damn, eating at his
control. Then he had to close his eyes and grip the sheets as the
sensations rose higher, drowning everything else, lapping over the
dam, trickling pleasure down his balls and his thighs. Hissing, he
raised his hips, driving more of his hard cock into Thane’s mouth.

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The energy leaped between them, caressing all foci with invisible
mouths and tongues, taking his breath away. His spine bowed,
until only his shoulders touched the bed, and he heard Thane’s
indrawn breath as he released him.

“Suresh?”
Suresh fell back onto the bed, panting. He needed… He wanted

to thrust into Thane. Distantly he knew he had to complete the
circle, consolidate the bond so that the energy locked inside them
and between them, so that no android or other elf could take them
down. But above all he needed to fill Thane and fuck him until the
human passed out from pleasure. Because he loved him.

When Thane lay next to him, his hard-on trembling against his

belly, his cheeks flushed and his eyes bright, Suresh had to force
himself to stay still, not to lose control.

“Thane…” His voice sounded strained and odd in his own ears.

“I need you. Please…”

Thane groaned and pulled Suresh to him for a kiss. Suresh

tasted those parted lips, and then deepened the kiss, a hand cupping
Thane’s cheek. He thrust his tongue inside Thane’s mouth to
stroke along his even teeth. Elders, Thane’s tongue met his, bold
and sure, fighting for dominance, each stroke shooting like an
arrow of fire down Suresh’s cock.

With a deep growl, Suresh pushed Thane onto his back and

straddled his thighs. His own foci tickled and burned, raw energy
bubbled out of them, sucked into Thane’s body. The scent of
arousal rose, heady, slamming into Suresh’s senses. The bond
pushed him to take Thane now, rough, violent. His instincts said
he’d been way too civilized about the ritual.

But looking into Thane’s eyes, seeing the trust there, he forced

his movements to be slow and measured. He wanted to make love

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to Thane, to make sure he felt only pleasure.

He leaned in for a soft kiss, and trailed his hands down Thane’s

sides. “May I?”

Thane growled and crushed their lips together. Suresh gasped

and his body jerked. He tried to pull back. “Astha, stop! I cannot
lose control.”

Thane smoothed a hand over Suresh’s face. “You can’t tiptoe

around me. If I’m your consort, I want you to treat me like one of
your kind.”

“You are not full elf. I could hurt you.”
“It seems I’m elf enough to want you, and need you.” Thane’s

lip curled in a wicked smile. “I’m done running. I’m yours.”

Suresh’s control shattered. With a groan, he grabbed Thane’s

thighs and spread them. The sweet musk of his own lubrication
rose in his nostrils, urging him on. He dropped a hand to his cock
and found it oiled and ready, slippery and hot. Gathering droplets
of lubricant, he rubbed his fingers down Thane’s balls, down the
crack of his ass, seeking his puckered hole, watching all the time
his face like a hawk.

Thane’s eyes closed when he breached him, and a sigh left his

lips.

Suresh slowly worked his fingers in and out, holding on to the

last shred of his control, biting the inside of his cheek, pulling in
the flows of energy until his whole body felt hard and taut, ready to
burst, just like his cock.

His breath coming in short, painful gasps, he twisted and

angled his fingers, until he hit Thane’s sweet spot. Thane arched
off the bed with a cry, his hands reaching for Suresh.

“Please, babe. Do it.”
A growl rose from Suresh’s chest, rumbling down his spine,

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until his head fell back and the energy inside him ignited. He
withdrew his fingers and replaced them with the head of his cock.
He pushed and slid inside Thane’s tight tunnel of velvet and silk
walls, of vise-like pressure.

The last vestiges of control fell apart. Howling, he slammed

inside Thane, pulling back and thrusting back inside. He bent over
the man, hands on either side of Thane’s head, and fucked him
hard. Thane raised his legs, wrapped them around Suresh’s
buttocks, and the pressure rose. Lights exploded before Suresh’
eyes. Grunts and growls left his throat as he increased his speed,
hips pistoning in and out, his cock trapped in the most delicious
grip, stroked in the most excruciatingly thorough way. His chest
was too tight, he couldn’t breathe, he couldn’t speak, he couldn’t
think—all his energy focused on the pleasure coiling in his gut,
curling and twisting and finally erupting.

Suresh cried out, held still for a moment of unbearable bliss,

and then thrust into Thane again, another wave of pleasure
drowning him. Distantly, he heard Thane yell, as if from a
thousand miles away, his passage clenching so hard around Suresh
that another wave of orgasm hit him before he could breathe,
darkening the world.

Elders, he was going to pass out again. Please, not now. He

gritted his teeth, another wave of pleasure crashing into him, his
cock contracting and shooting more essence inside Thane. Thane
rocked beneath him, around him, wrenching more delicious spasms
from his cock.

The energy aligned and hooked him, drawing him down against

Thane, until their chests touched, and their foci opened and
connected.

Thane gasped and wrapped his arms around Suresh, clinging to

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him. Thane had never done this before, a small voice whispered in
Suresh’ mind, this direct exchange of energy. But he was too high,
floating in a cloud of bliss, to worry. Then it was too late to worry,
because the energy burst out of them both, white hot, smashing the
glass of the doors, pulling out the screws from the chairs and the
bed, twisting the carpets and shredding the paintings on the walls.

Thane’s face twisted in a grimace of discomfort as his body

began to glow, a crystal vessel holding lightning, white flames
jumping from all his foci, spreading in huge wings of brilliance on
the bed, spreading to the walls, jets of energy rising from his head
in a tall crown.

The pain came afterward, like the thunder after the lightning,

rocking Suresh who held onto Thane’s shaking body with all he
had, keeping the foci connected, keeping the ball of energy
contained around them so it wouldn’t destroy the hotel, until Thane
stopped moving, and his face relaxed as he slipped into deep
slumber.

Only then did Suresh allow himself to relax and roll off,

following Thane into sleep.

* * *

Thane blinked, surfacing from a black and dreamless sleep. He

lay on his back, and his left arm was numb from the shoulder
down. He winced when he tried to move it, pins and needles
piercing his flesh. Something soft and heavy trapped his bicep and
warmed his side. He turned his head to see.

Suresh.
The elf lay in a graceful sprawl of strong yet slender limbs,

facing him, one warm arm flung over Thane’s middle. His mouth

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was slack, his eyes closed, dark lashes shadowing his cheeks. Silky
strands of hair fell on his throat and shoulder, like shiny blades
against his pale skin. Thane held his breath, afraid he might wake
up and discover that this was a dream, nothing more.

He reached out and traced one delicate, leaf-shaped ear.
Suresh’s lips drew into a slow, cat-like smile. His eyes opened

into dark blue slits. “Mmm. Hey.” He shifted, muscles playing on
his chest as he propped himself on an elbow. “Good morning.”

Thane opened and closed his mouth, his tongue stuck on the

words. No, he wouldn’t drool. Really. He raised a hand to his chin
to make sure he hadn’t.

Suresh lifted a dark brow. “Need help?” His long-fingered hand

caressed Thane’s shoulder, raising goose bumps, and then drew a
line of fire up to Thane’s jaw and chin, to his lips. The elf’s
fingertips stroked Thane’s lips, sending jolts of desire down his
belly.

God, I must’ve done something good in my life to deserve this.
He grabbed Suresh’s wrist, and drew a long finger into his

mouth.

Suresh groaned and pressed his very naked and very large

erection into Thane’s hip. “The best way to wake up.” He thrust
lightly against Thane’s belly, a growl rumbling in his chest.

Thane released the elf’s finger, swallowing a moan. “Yeah.”

He kissed Suresh’s palm. “The best.” He drew Suresh closer, and
kissed his lips. “Is the circle full now? The bond complete?”

“Yes.” Suresh rocked against him, drawing a sharp breath.

“Elders. Thane, I need…”

Thane kissed him again. “Need what?”
“You. I want to bury myself in you.”
“I thought it was my turn.” He smiled, the memory of Suresh

SONG OF LOVE AND WAR

penetrating him, stretching him, fucking him, making him
unbearably hard. God that had been so good.

“Your fault.” Suresh’s breath hitched, and his oiled erection

rubbed against Thane’s stomach. “You are too delicious to resist.”

Pleasure rushed through Thane’s groin, clenching his insides.

Maybe not a bad idea after all…

As if hearing his thought—had he?—Suresh sat up and grabbed

Thane’s hips.

“Whoa.” Thane’s breath caught at Suresh’s beauty, his sculpted

chest, the mischievous gleam in his deep blue eyes. “Why the
hurry? I’m not going anywhere.”

Suresh’s gaze softened. His throat worked as he swallowed

hard. “Good. Because I do intend to take it more slowly this time.”

Thane growled. “You’ve said that before. Are you sure?” Heat

rushed to his belly, coiling behind his balls. He wasn’t sure he
could take it slow himself.

Suresh’s lips tilted in a smile that lit up his eyes. Thane

watched him, transfixed. He couldn’t remember his elf smiling
before. That open, happy smile brought Thane’s heart to his throat.
He gripped Suresh’s wrists, tugged at them, and brought him down
for a kiss. Suresh’s lips tasted of burnt caramel and strawberries,
and Thane moaned his pleasure against them. He wanted more,
needed more. He cupped Suresh’s cheeks, brushed his thumbs over
the smooth cheekbones, over the raven brows. Suresh drew back
for a breath, eyes closing, his heavy erection dragging on Thane’s
stomach, leaving a trail of musky oil.

Oh god. Thane bit back a groan. His hard-on pressed between

Suresh’s muscled ass cheeks, in the lubricated crack between them.
How was he supposed to go slow in a situation like this? “Suresh,
please…”

SONG OF LOVE AND WAR

The elf sat back, pressing down on Thane’s erection,

wrenching a sound like a sob from Thane’s throat. Dropping a
hand, he gripped his own hard shaft and began to stroke it in slow,
smooth movements, his pale hand moving from the root to the
crown and back. His breathing came in fast gasps. His chest
heaved.

Thane grabbed two fistfuls of sheet and gritted his teeth. “Is

‘slow’ another word for ‘torture’ in elfish?”

Suresh winked. “Maybe ‘slow’ for a human and ‘slow’ for an

elf are two different things?”

“Really.” Thane didn’t find this amusing. His cock ached

fiercely with the need for release, and the slow undulation of
Suresh’s hips was driving him wild. “If you continue like this, I
may just decide to take over.”

“You,” Suresh narrowed his eyes and scooted backward, “will

not move from this spot, my Consort.”

“Or what? Will you—” A cry left Thane’s throat when soft lips

closed around his burning erection. “My Suresh!” Suresh hummed,
soft lips and rough tongue massaging Thane’s aching cock. Thane
bucked on the bed, his hips jerking upward, thrusting into the elf’s
velvety mouth. “Oh god!”

With his hands, Suresh spread Thane’s legs apart, and stroked

his inner thighs, his mouth never stopping its wicked sucking.
Those long, warm fingers, slick with lubrication, teased at Thane’s
balls, rolling them and lifting them, then probed at his ass, pushing
inside. Pressing against his inner walls, the elf’s smooth, knowing
fingers found the knot of his pleasure and rubbed against it with
slow strokes.

Thane cried out. He was going to die of pleasure. “Suresh,

please! Come inside me!”

SONG OF LOVE AND WAR

Suresh sucked harder on Thane’s cock, dragging his tongue up

and down its length. He looked up, looking for the entire world
like a cat licking cream.

“Suresh…”
He released Thane’s erection. His eyes had gone a cobalt blue

spangled with stars. ::Thane…:: his voice whispered in Thane’s
mind. ::Mine.:: Then Suresh’s eyes closed, his long lashes wet.

Thane’s heart jumped. But before he could say anything,

Suresh drove his cock inside Thane, deep and hard.

God. Thane grabbed Suresh’s shoulders, legs rising to lock

around Suresh’s hard backside. Pleasure rocked him inside and
out, his limbs trembling with it, his chest tight.

Suresh, his face twisting with his own pleasure, eyes rolling up,

pulled out a little and thrust back in, movements slow and smooth,
arms straining at Thane’s sides. He pushed deeper and gasped, a
flush rising to his cheekbones. ::I love you.::

Thane groaned, rolling his hips to meet Suresh’s movements,

his cock, trapped between their moving bodies, on fire, his heart
warm for the first time since ever. You are my home.

* * *

The words echoed in Suresh’s mind. His rhythm faltered, his

heart booming. Mind-speak did not lie. Thane really meant it.
Home.

“Babe, please.” Thane panted, his legs wrapped around Suresh,

his cock throbbing between them. He looked so beautiful, his face
flushed, his eyes half-lidded, his nipples stiff, his hands gripping
Suresh’s shoulders hard enough to bruise. “Fuck me, faster,
harder!”

SONG OF LOVE AND WAR

Suresh growled deep in his throat. Thane was losing control.

Just like an elf. Tenderness unfurled in his soul for this man that
matched him in so many ways, who seemed to want him as much
as Suresh wanted him.

Bright haze filled his eyes as he let himself go. He thrust faster

and faster, his cock sliding in and out of that tight tunnel, sucked
inside, rubbing on those silky walls. The pressure mounted higher
and higher, the center of his existence narrowed down at his aching
balls and his unbearably heavy cock. Spasms of pleasure started
deep inside his gut, slithering the length of his cock, wrapping
around his balls. He gasped Thane’s name, arms trembling, hips
jerking up and down, his shaft pushing in and out of the heat.

Thane clenched hard around him, crying out, his chest rising to

almost touch Suresh’s. Energy leaped between them, shattering the
last trace of Suresh’s control, as Thane gasped and sobbed his
name. Thane came, shooting load after load of hot seed between
their sweat-drenched bodies.

Agonizing pleasure gripped Suresh’s cock. He fought to

breathe as he slammed into Thane one last time, and found he
couldn’t draw out, caught in the crushing grip of Thane’s still
rocking body, in his clenching insides.

A scream of pleasure tore from Suresh’s throat. Waves of

ecstasy rocked him, so that he hunched over, hips twitching, legs
jerking. The edge of pleasure was so sharp it was nearly pain,
ripping all the way from his spine to his balls to the tip of his cock,
spilling his seed inside Thane. He barely felt the energy shoot from
his foci, lighting up the room. A hush fell on the world, the only
sound his panting breaths and his pulse, thumping in his ears.

Thane’s hands tugged at him, pulled him down. Thane held

him close, rubbed his back, and kissed his forehead. “Thank you,

SONG OF LOVE AND WAR

babe.”

Elders, he smelled so good, he felt so solid underneath Suresh’s

heaving chest. Home. Could he believe it? He blinked. Thane’s
amber eyes smiled at him. His thoughts were silent, but a feeling of
bliss and completeness wafted off his human in thick waves.
Maybe he really could believe it.

His breath caught in his throat, and he pressed his cheek to

Thane’s shoulder, struggling to keep his face from crumbling.

“Babe?” Thane stroked Suresh’s face, his cheek, his nose, and

his lips. “Is everything okay?”

Suresh nodded. What are you scared of? He smiled at his

elefthuen Consort, his soul mate, and leaned into his touch.
Nothing. Nothing scares me now.

Not anymore.

Jay Di Meo followed elves, angels, and trickster demons around as
a child. As an adult, she started documenting all the paranormal
activity—especially the skin-on-skin sort. As an author, she gives
you fair warning: all her stories are true and she keeps the cutest,
hottest guys in her closet.

For more information about Jay, please visit her website:

http://jaydimeo.wordpress.com

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