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Devon in Wonderland

Devon knew another world existed but he never expected to

stumble into it. Transported to a land of shapeshifting dragons,
Devon is caught in the middle of an ancient ritual to decide the

next King of Draconia. Fortunately or unfortunately, the gorgeous
men who want the crown present the ultimate temptation.

Abraxas, leader of his Clan, must try to become King. However,
between his lingering feelings for his ex-lover, a rival from another
Clan, and his growing feelings for Devon, he is in trouble.

Layden knows competing against his ex-lover for both title and
Devon’s affections is a good way to get into a fight, but Devon

may bring the three of them together in ways none of them
expects.

As desire ignites between them, Devon is unsure if he’ll want to
get back to his own world. Enemies circle closer in this deadly

game for the throne but the biggest danger Devon faces may well
be to his heart.

Note: This book contains double anal penetration.

Genre: Alternative (M/M or F/F), Contemporary, Fantasy, Ménage
a Trois/Quatre, Shape-shifter
Length: 58,962 words

DEVON IN WONDERLAND

Jana Downs

MENAGE EVERLASTING

MANLOVE

Siren Publishing, Inc.

www.SirenPublishing.com

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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Ménage Everlasting ManLove

DEVON IN WONDERLAND
Copyright © 2014 by Jana Downs
E-book ISBN: 978-1-62741-832-4

First E-book Publication: May 2014

Cover design by Sloan Winters
All art and logo copyright © 2014 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be
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express written permission.

All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance
to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

PUBLISHER
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com

Letter to Readers

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Downs from BookStrand.com or its official distributors, thank you.
Also, thank you for not sharing your copy of this book.

Regarding E-book Piracy

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DEVON IN WONDERLAND

JANA DOWNS

Chapter 1

Alone in a crowded room. That was how Devon Avalon felt every

time he attended one of those stupid parties. There were always
people smiling at him, congratulating him, telling him how wonderful
he was, and yet he always felt as though something were missing.
Their smiles weren’t quite real enough. Their words were filled with
an emptiness that made him question whether they really meant all the
things they said, or if they only said them because it was the proper
thing to do.

His life had been filled with one insignificant moment after the

other until it all blurred together and this particular evening was no
exception. So why did this feeling of loneliness bother him so much
now? Maybe it was because he always felt like this after being
immersed in a crowded room of people for an extended period of
time. Maybe he was just finally tired of being surrounded by people
who really didn’t give a shit about him. He didn’t know. He was just
glad to be out of that hellhole.

Hours had passed since Devon had snuck out of the party, leaving

the guests to talk about how wonderful it was he’d found yet more
souvenirs for some esteemed museum that would overpay by
thousands of dollars to display in their glass cases. None of them
would ever understand what this find had meant to him. To Devon, it

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was everything. He had finally found the lost temple his father had
spent his whole life searching for. It was the dream they’d shared
together, and he only wished that he could be here with him now.

The thought of his father brought up a mixture of emotions as

Devon willed himself not to succumb to the sudden urge to cry. This
was a time of celebration, he told himself, but there was no conviction
in his words and they did little to ease the melancholy he felt.

The humid, dust-filled air burned as he took a deep breath. Now

wasn’t the time to be thinking of the past or dwelling on unnecessary
emotions. He only had a few more days to uncover the temple’s
mysteries before the museum leeches took over, sucking out
everything they could to carry back to their suburban worlds.

Sighing, he looked around the excavated sight. It was well past the

daylight hours of his crew’s normal work schedule, and the only
sound that filled the silence was the hum from the flood lamps.

He ran his hand across the maps he had constructed of the temple.

They were rough sketches at best that paled in comparison to the real
beauty of the rooms. To an outsider, this place was nothing more than
another ancient Egyptian cultural, buried beneath the sands of time,
but Devon knew better. The markings and symbols that decorated the
discovered rooms let him know that this was what he had been
looking for. This temple was built to connect this world to the world
of the Draconians—a civilization of dragon walkers who could take
the form of the massive creatures at will. To see such strength and
beauty had always been a dream of Devon’s, and now he was finally
close to seeing his dreams turn to reality.

He studied the maps and time passed quickly as he let himself

become lost in his work. His whole life had been devoted to this one
single moment, and now the only thing that stood in his way was an
encrypted message surrounding the doorway he hoped would lead
him to uncovering the secrets of a hidden world. But, the glyphs
didn’t make any sense. There was no pattern or consistency amongst

Devon in Wonderland

them, and they were unlike anything else he’d encountered during his
studies of the ancient Egyptians.

If only dad were here, he’d know what it means. He glanced to the

photo of the sun-tanned, gray-haired archeologist he had on his
makeshift work desk and smiled. His dad always had the answers.
There wasn’t a mystery he couldn’t solve. Devon closed his eyes,
allowing himself to get lost in the fond memories of the many trips
they’d taken when he was little in search of the ancient runes of a race
long forgotten as they explored the pyramids and desert lands. He
could still remember the sound of his father’s voice, telling him of the
dragon people and their beauty as they transformed into the regal
creatures. His eyes fluttered open, and his gaze fixated on the
doorway with determination. There was no walking away now. He
was too close to the answer, and he’d be damned if the museums got
their hands on all his hard work before he was finished.

Sweat dripped down the side of his face, and he reached for the

dusty cloth to wipe his brow. The temple air was thick and
smoldering. The lack of any kind of ventilation system, aside from the
path they’d dug when they’d first discovered the temple, was
providing Devon with no relief. From the architectural layout he was
able to conclude that there were at one time huge open doorways,
leading from room to room, but centuries of sand storms had long
since buried them along with the rest of the temple, and now it was
nothing but a sweltering, hot hole in the ground.

“Fuck,” he cursed, tossing the papers he’d been looking over

aside. His lips pursed as he approached the far wall where most of the
unusual markings had been found. Devon could see a faint outline of
what appeared to be a sealed doorway. Nothing they had tried had
been able to budge the huge piece of stone, and Devon was sure there
was some clue hidden within these glyphs if he could just figure it
out. He blinked a few times to alleviate the strain on his eyes from the
harsh glow of the lights as his vision began to blur. He needed a
break. He could tell from the building tension in his temples. His

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muscles ached from pushing himself beyond the point of exhaustion,
but he wanted to keep going. He was determined to use every spare
moment he had left to figure this out.

“I brought you some water,” his elder brother’s familiar voice

called from behind him. Devon turned and was greeted by Brandon’s
warm smile. He held out a cool bottle of water for him, and Devon
took it, grateful for the reprieve. He pressed the wet rim to his dry lips
and moaned as the cool liquid cascaded down the back of his throat,
momentarily soothing the irritating dryness.

“Thanks,” he gasped when he finished the last drop.
“You taking a break?” Brandon ran a hand through his tousled

brown hair. His gaze shifted nervously throughout the room. Being in
small spaces like this had always bothered him, but he enjoyed
funding Devon’s digs and planning the parties for the museum
executives. He was good at that sort of thing.

“Thinking about it. I’m still working on these glyphs.” Devon

gestured to the wall on the far left and motioned for his brother to
move closer.

“These in the corners each represent a unique kind of dragon and

the one in the center here has something to do with the god they
worshiped, but I don’t know what all these here mean.” He gestured
to the glyphs located between each corner and the ones surrounding
the central glyph.

“I dunno. Maybe they don’t mean anything. I mean, I think

you’ve been reading way too much into these stories father used to
tell us. You should just be happy we found another temple and leave
the magical stuff alone. People are starting to get worried, especially
with the way you’ve holed yourself up in here, and frankly, I don’t
want to see you wasting your life over some silly stories passed down
by an old man with an overactive imagination.”

Devon could see the concern written all over Brandon’s face as he

spoke, and he sighed in disappointment. Out of all the people, he
expected Brandon to understand his passion, but it was useless.

Devon in Wonderland

Brandon would never share his enthusiasm or his belief that there was
more to this story than just some distant fairy tale memory passed
down by his father. There was no point trying to argue with him. He
wouldn’t believe Devon no matter what he said.

“Don’t worry, bro. I’m fine. I just want to make sure I leave no

stone unturned before I hand over the artifacts to the museums.” He
gave a weak smile and watched Brandon’s worried expression
become replaced with relief.

“Okay, then. I’ll leave you to finish up here and go tell the crew to

start shutting everything down for the night. Hey, maybe we can even
grab a bite to eat afterward. You know, in celebration of your
discovery.” Brandon flashed a big grin and wrapped his arm around
Devon’s neck.

“Sure thing. Dinner sounds good, just let me put away these

maps.” Devon shoved at Brandon’s tight grip with little success. His
brother stood a good foot taller than him, and his muscular build
easily outmatched Devon’s shorter and slender frame.

“All right. I’ll meet you out by the tent,” Brandon agreed, finally

releasing his hold on him. Devon watched Brandon maneuver himself
out of the hole and sighed. He turned to get one last look at the
temple. Walking up to the doorway, he let his hands trace the edges of
the glyphs.

“If only I could figure you out,” he said aloud.
A ferocious growl filled the silence, and Devon’s heart stopped.

Adrenaline with a hint of fear rushed through him and he turned to
find the source of the noise, but there was nothing there.

“Brandon?” Devon called with uncertainty. That noise had

definitely not come from anything human. He held his breath, waiting
to see if there would be a response.

Sure enough, the same growl roared loudly, echoing off the

temple walls. This time he was able to pinpoint its origin and turned
back toward the door. It couldn’t be…Devon stood there stunned,
unbelieving what he’d just heard as he looked at the door from which

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the sound had come from. He had to be losing his ever-loving mind.
Maybe Brandon was right. Maybe this place really was getting to him.

But what if it was real? The thought whispered across his mind

before he could stop himself. He could remember his father speaking
of Draconia, the world of the dragons, as though it were a real place.
When he was younger, Devon had been fascinated with the idea that
another realm full of dragons and magic existed.

As an adult, however, he had realized that the ancient civilization

that had built this temple to worship the dragons from the land of
Draconia was probably like so many others of its time. Just as the
Romans had worshiped their gods and goddess, these people had
worshiped dragons, and Devon had prepared himself for the reality
that Draconia and the winged creatures they prayed to were more than
likely just made-up legends passed down throughout these people’s
culture. Still, there had been hope, even if he knew that hope had been
nothing more than a foolish dream.

The seconds turned into minutes as the silence stretched on,

making Devon question whether or not he had hallucinated the entire
experience. He let out the breath he’d been holding. It must’ve just
been the lack of sleep playing tricks on him. He needed to get some
fresh air. That would make everything better.

Brushing a stray strand of hair away from his sweaty brow, he

turned to leave, but before he could make it to the exit, a flash of
white light engulfed him, consuming the entirety of the room.
Instinctively, Devon covered his eyes, shielding them from the
burning light.

“What the hell?” he called as his eyes slowly adjusted to the stark

brightness. He glanced around the room, searching for the source, but
the light was too intense to make out much of anything. He reached
behind him to grasp the wall he knew should be there, but where he
expected to feel dirt, he only felt cold wetness. Devon turned slowly,
unsure of what it was he was touching.

Devon in Wonderland

His heart pounded loudly in his chest and his breathing came in

shallow breaths as the moment played out in slow motion. His eyes
widened with shock and fear as he tried to register the reality of the
sight before him. The glyphs were gone, the wall was gone, and what
his hand had rested upon was something he’d only thought existed
inside his dreams.

The creature was magnificent and terrifying all in the same breath.

Turquoise-colored scales covered the serpent’s body and shimmered
in the light that was emitting from behind the dragon. The creature
stared at Devon with large blue eyes, its gaze unwavering as Devon
stood, too afraid to move or speak.

Dragon. It’s a real live dragon…He tried to convince himself that

this was really happening, but he couldn’t seem to grasp the fact that
he was actually standing face-to-face with one of the very creatures
from his father’s stories.

The creature flared its nostrils, as though it were waiting for him

to say something, before it turned and disappeared inside the depths
of the white light. Impulsively, Devon followed, too afraid to let the
creature out of his sight, too afraid that he’d wake up to realize this
had only been a dream.

Something inside him knew that this was what he’d been waiting

for—what he’d been searching for. This was his link to the world he’d
spent his whole life trying to find, and he sure as hell wasn’t about to
let this opportunity pass by. Like Alice tumbling down the rabbit hole,
Devon embraced his curiosity and greeted the unknown path with
eagerness.

* * * *

Devon fell as the white emptiness swirled around him. It was only

after he lost all sight of the dragon that he realized what a moron he’d
been for foolishly following it to wherever the hell he was now.

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The space blurred past his line of vision, and the scenery rapidly

changed from the stark white void to a room full of loud voices. The
sudden shift in the environment caused him to become dazed and
confused as he looked down just in time to see the floor rising up to
meet him. Devon covered his face in anticipation of the impact, but
was surprised when he was greeted by two strong arms instead.

The cessation of movement left his stomach churning and a high-

pitched ringing in his ears. The effects from the fall didn’t last long
though and quickly faded as the new environment came into focus. It
was all Devon could do to stare up into the unfamiliar faces that had
gathered around him as he clung to his savior. The first thing Devon
noticed was him—the man that had caught him and saved Devon
from breaking every bone in his body. He was gorgeous, with biceps
as big as Devon’s thigh and dark chestnut-brown hair that hung in
front of the prettiest set of emerald-colored eyes he’d ever seen.

“Easy there.” The stranger’s calm and soothing demeanor didn’t

really help the overwhelming sense of panic Devon felt rising inside
him.

What the hell is this place? Devon looked around the spacious

room frantically, his eyes shifting from each indiscernible face to the
next.

“Are you sure he’s okay?” A feminine voice questioned, and

Devon turned to look at her. She was dressed in a white Renaissance-
style dress, and her long blonde curls cascaded down to her midback.
She looked like a young maiden out of a medieval story upon first
glance, but Devon could see her age starting to show in the creases
around her eyes as she looked down at him with concern.

“He’s fine, just a little shaken up, that’s all,” the man holding him

replied. “I’m going to set you down now, okay?” The stranger said
the words slowly, pronouncing each syllable as he looked into
Devon’s eyes for any sign of acknowledgment that he understood
what he was saying.

Devon nodded dumbly as he tried to compose himself.

Devon in Wonderland

Words would be good right now.
The strong man helped Devon to his feet as he braced himself

against the stranger’s broad bare shoulders for support. Devon
couldn’t help but notice how tan his skin was compared to his own,
and he wasn’t even that pale given the fact that he’d spent the past
month under the hot desert sun.

His feet were a little shaky, but he managed. He glanced around

the room, taking in the grandeur of the place. The space was massive–
almost the size of a football stadium. The walls had been decorated in
varying shades of light blue with gold trim which reminded Devon of
some of the palaces back home. But, it was the vaulted ceiling
structure and details in the art that held Devon captivated as he
resisted the urge to start touching everything he could reach. It was all
reminiscent of the temple room Devon had just finished mapping
back at the excavation site. Laughter erupted from his catcher
interrupting Devon’s thoughts as he turned his attention back to the
man that had saved him.

“Where am I?” Devon asked bluntly, finally finding his voice as

the surprise eased a bit.

“You are in Draconia.” A raspy voice answered his question, and

Devon turned to see who had spoken. Sitting on the throne in the
middle of the room was a fragile, older-looking man, slumped over,
staring fixedly at him. Devon hadn’t noticed the man before, but there
was something in the way he was staring at Devon that made him feel
a bit uneasy.

“Draconia?” Devon questioned with hesitation. It was more in

disbelief than confusion. Devon was very familiar with the legends
and stories of Draconia, but that was all he’d thought they were—just
stories.

“It’s the land of the Draconians, the mighty dragon race that rules

most of the known world,” the stranger who’d caught Devon stated
with pride.

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So the stories my father told me are true. As an archeologist,

Devon had spent his whole life studying ancient civilizations’ ways of
life. Now was his chance to actually experience it all firsthand.
Excitement and enthusiasm overwhelmed him as he looked eagerly
from each of the people in the room.

“Like real dragons?” he asked, turning to look at his savior with

wide eyes. The man’s laughter was deep as he shook his head in
amusement.

“Yes. Real dragons. I’m Druis by the way.” He extended his hand

for Devon to take.

“Devon. Nice to meet you,” Devon said as he took Druis’s

massive hand. “How the hell did I end up here?”

Druis ran his hand through his shaggy hair and shrugged. “I think

King Adonis would be better at answering that question.” His eyes
shifted in the direction of the older man sitting on the throne. “My
lord?”

Devon looked up at the man perched atop the throne with

apprehension. He’d never met a real king before. What was the proper
etiquette for this sort of thing? Did he bow? Should he avoid eye
contact? Unsure of what to say or do, Devon stood there awkwardly,
waiting for the king’s response.

The king motioned to the woman in the white dress, and she

handed him a glass of water. He took it with a shaky hand, and it was
in that moment that Devon could see the king’s pale, worn-out
features. He was very much a sick man, if not on his death bed.

“I have summoned you…” the king began at last with a wheezing

in his tone.

So it wasn’t just a random coincidence.
“I chose you to come here to decide who shall rule my kingdom

after I am gone.” The king’s voice cracked as he spoke, and Devon
had to strain just to hear him.

“What? What do you mean I’m supposed to choose who is going

to rule your kingdom? This is some kind of joke, right?” He looked

Devon in Wonderland

up at Druis for some kind of explanation as to why their king would
summon a complete stranger to decide the fate of the kingdom.

The king struggled to provide Devon with the answers he sought

as a coughing fit overcame him. He reached for the cloth the older
woman was holding out for him and waved a hand in Druis’s
direction.

“The Dragon God Ryujin has ordained the practice of summoning

an outsider since the beginning of time. It is tradition that the outsider
determines who shall be the next ruler. Even though you have no
knowledge of our histories or our people, my king has hope that you
will have an unbiased point of view in choosing the future king.”
Druis’s explanation did little to alleviate the heart attack Devon was
sure would strike at any moment.

“Besides, it’s not like you’ll have to choose a random person off

the streets. The only eligible candidates are the clan heirs, and you’ll
have plenty of time to make your decision since the spell the king cast
to summon you here will bind you to our world for the next two
months. He has the utmost confidence that you will make a wise
decision.”

That was easier said than done. How the hell was he supposed to

choose the next king of Draconia? And two months? He couldn’t be
gone that long. He had meetings and press conferences. The
archeological team was counting on him and what would his brother
think? I bet Brandon’s probably worried sick by now.

He looked up to the king.
“You’ve made a mistake. I can’t do this. I can’t be gone for two

months,” he pleaded, hoping that it wasn’t too late for the king to
change his mind. “My brother will be worried about me, and my team
needs me. If I’m not back by next week, the museum will stop my
funding. I’ll lose all my credibility, and my career will be over!”
Devon was hyperventilating now as he realized just what the
consequences of his curious nature were.

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Calm down, Devon. You can handle this. Besides, when are you

ever going to get an opportunity to explore not only a new race but a
whole new world? Logic would dictate that he should be thrilled by
the prospect that all his dreams were real, but the thought of losing his
job and causing his brother unnecessary grief made Devon slightly
nauseous. His curiosity was not enough to convince him that his
impulsive decision had been the right one. In the end, none of this
would matter anyways because when he returned home what proof
would he have to show for his trip down the rabbit hole?

“I’m sorry.” The king’s brows drew together with empathy.

“When I had cast the spell, I had searched for a wandering soul
seeking out our lands. I had thought you were a good candidate.”

“Well,” Devon said with hesitation as he looked around the room

at all the tapestries and gems. Was he really sure he wanted to go
home so soon? “How about if we shorten the time frame? What about
if I just stay a couple of days?”

He could explain a few days to his funders.
The king’s thin lips pursed. “I’m afraid…I can’t…do that.” His

breathing was getting noticeably worse.

“Once a spell of this magnitude is cast, it can’t be undone,” Druis

offered.

Devon sighed with frustration. It didn’t look like he was going to

get an option in this endeavor. The king’s fragile look broke his heart
into a million pieces.

“I truly am sorry,” the king stated as he struggled for breath.
Devon couldn’t take the disappointment he saw on the old man’s

face.

“I’ll do it,” he offered, unsure if he was making the biggest

mistake of his life. “I know I don’t really have a choice, but if nothing
can be done then I’ll do it and I swear to you, I will try my best to
make the right decision, but I have one request.”

The king raised his eyebrows as he waited to hear Devon’s

demands.

Devon in Wonderland

“I would like to study the Draconians and their history. I’ve been

curious about your people and legends since I was little. I would like
the opportunity to learn everything I can.”

The king nodded his head in Druis’s direction, too weak to speak.
Devon watched as Druis placed his right hand over his chest and

bowed, indicating that some hidden exchange had taken place
between them.

“As you wish, my King,” Druis stated. “I will teach him what I

know.”

Straightening up, Druis looked at Devon with a smile. “Consider

it a deal.”

A small smile reached the frail King’s lips. “Good. It is done then.

I can finally rest,” his wheezing voice was barely audible as he took a
deep breath. “Druis, I trust you to guide Devon in his quest, and
Devon, as a final token of my appreciation for the service you are
doing for my people, I shall relinquish my powers unto you until the
day of the Bonding Ceremony.”

“My lord, you can’t be serious?” The elder woman who had

remained quiet throughout the duration of the conversation finally
spoke in protest. “If you do this, then no one will be allowed to make
changes to laws or govern the lands until Devon has made a decision.
Are you sure you shouldn’t give your last bit of power to one of the
clan heirs?”

The king held up a shaky hand to silence her.
“Maeva, my love, I am so very tired. Please…just help Devon

with anything he needs…” The king slumped in his chair and closed
his eyes. His breath came in short gasps as the color drained from his
complexion. Devon looked around anxiously, wondering if anyone
was going to help him, but it seemed as though everyone had come to
accept that this might be the king’s last moments alive.

“I love you, Maeva.” The king struggled with his final words as

his last breath echoed through the hall. A strange emotion of sadness
filled Devon. Even though he hadn’t personally known the King of

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Draconia, he did know what it was like to lose someone very close to
him.

The eerie stillness that filled the room didn’t last long. A loud

burst sounded and strong winds emanated from the king, surrounding
Devon with a mixture of blue and white hues. He could feel the power
pulsating from the king’s lifeless form into him as every nerve ending
inside his body came alive.

“The last remaining power of the white dragon race now dwells

inside you. Use it wisely.” Adonis’s voice echoed inside his mind, and
then as quickly as it had all happened, it was over.

When the commotion calmed, Devon looked back up at the

throne. But the king was nowhere to be found. All that remained was
a golden crown sitting in the place he’d once occupied. The elder
woman knelt before the throne, taking the crown into her hands.
Devon’s heart went out to her as he watched the woman’s slender
form heave in rhythm with her sobs.

Devon glanced to Druis, unsure of what to do, but Druis was

grieving in his own way. His jaw was hardened as the tears silently
fell one right after the other. Devon wanted to reach out and comfort
him, to tell him that it would be okay, but deep down inside, Devon
knew there was a good chance that it wouldn’t be. King Adonis was
dead, and the fate of Draconia rested entirely on his decision to
choose the right heir.

* * * *

“I think it’s time you address the people and introduce Devon to

the clan heirs,” the elder woman decreed as she stood, wiping the
remnants of her tears. Druis nodded in her direction before turning
and heading for the double doors.

“Come on, Devon. Follow me.” His tone was somber and distant

as he walked through the doorway. He held it open for Devon, and

Devon in Wonderland

Devon cast one last look over his shoulder at the grieving woman
before he followed Druis into the next room.

The next room was filled with more unfamiliar faces. None of the

strange men spoke as they entered, but their gazes shifted to Druis as
though they were waiting for him to say something.

“It is done,” Druis stated, breaking the silence, and each bowed

their head in acknowledgment.

“May he rest in peace.” The tallest of group spoke first. He was

well over six foot with slick black hair and vibrant green eyes.
Dressed in formal dark-green robes, he approached Devon and bent
down, reaching for his hand. Devon took a step back, unsure of his
intentions.

“May I?” he asked, looking him in the eyes. Devon couldn’t

explain it, but something about this man’s demeanor gave him the
creeps. Still, he didn’t want to be rude, so he extended his hand,
obliging the stranger’s request. The man in green placed a wet kiss
upon the top of his hand before greeting him with a sly smile.

“My name’s Cerilius. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” He cocked his

head to the side, grinning coyly as he waited for Devon to introduce
himself.

“Devon Avalon,” he said, trying his best to sound hospitable.
“These are the clan heirs and leaders from which you will choose

the future king,” Druis explained. “The clan leaders have already
assumed the throne of their clan and the heirs are set to inherit the
throne once the current leader passes away. It can get kind of
confusing since the terms are often used interchangeably in our
culture.” He raised an eyebrow and looked to Devon, unsure of how
else to clarify the distinction before continuing with the introductions.
“There are three leaders. Cerilius is one of them. He’s the leader of
the Jade clan and he’s from the green dragon race like me.” Druis
placed a reassuring hand on Devon’s shoulder and Devon was happy
for the distraction as he withdrew his hand from Cerilius’s touch
almost instantaneously.

Jana Downs

“That’s Ezekiel.” Druis pointed toward the shorter, slimmer built

man in the pale-yellow robes. He had shoulder-length blond hair that
fell in front of his amber-colored eyes. His pale complexion
accentuated his beautiful features, reminding Devon of the models
he’d seen in the designer magazines back home.

“He’s the Saffron clan leader,” Druis continued. “His people are

descendants from the golden dragon race, and that over there is Asher,
leader of the Mercer clan.”

The dark redhead Druis pointed to flashed Devon a sideways grin.

His crimson-red robes almost matched his spiky mess of a hair
perfectly. He had multiple piercings on his face and ears. Hoops
decorated his ear lobes and eyebrow, and the silver ball-studded labret
piercing that jutted from the bottom of his lip blended nicely with his
tan complexion. Devon had never really been one for piercings, but he
couldn’t help but notice how they all seemed to suit the man.

“S’up,” Asher said smugly as he looked Devon up and down. He

didn’t bother to hide the attraction reflected in his gaze, and Devon
could feel the heat rising in his cheeks. Apparently there must be
something in the water because so far everyone Devon had been
introduced to was a ten compared to the men back home.

“He’s from the—” Druis started to explain, but by now Devon had

figured out the pattern.

“Let me guess. He’s from the red dragon race?” Devon raised his

eyebrows at Druis, and the twitch of Druis’s lips was all the
confirmation he needed.

“And he must be from the black dragon race.” Devon pointed to

the man in the farthest corner dressed in all black robes.

“All right, smart-ass,” Druis teased, seeming a bit more cheered

than when they’d left the throne room. It made Devon feel a little
better knowing that he’d at least given Druis a momentary reprieve
from the sadness over the king’s death.

“I’m right, aren’t I?” Devon asked with a wide grin across his

face.

Devon in Wonderland

Druis rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah. That’s Abraxas, heir to the

Night clan, and yes he is a black dragon.” The hooded man moved
from his leaning position against one of the pillars toward the center
of the group. As he approached Devon, he removed the hood that had
shielded him from Devon’s line of vision.

When Devon’s eyes met the black dragon’s, his breath hitched.

His aquamarine-colored eyes held his gaze as he ran a hand through
his messy, short-cropped black hair. His sinfully beautiful lips curved
into a half smile as Devon’s cheeks flooded with color. He had the
rugged, bad boy look that sent a shiver of desire straight to Devon’s
cock. Damn. Devon swallowed nervously, his heart pounding loudly
in his chest. He looks good enough to eat.

“Pleasure to meet you, Devon.” His name rolled off Abraxas’s

tongue like warm velvet, leaving butterflies in Devon’s stomach.
Devon had to look away from his gaze before he could find his voice.

What the hell’s wrong with me? I’m acting like I’m back in

college, drooling over every gorgeous man that comes near me! He
glanced down at his feet, too embarrassed by the way he must look
standing next to all of them. He was in dire need of a hot shower and
covered with mud and dirt. His torn tee shirt and tattered blue jeans
only made him feel more self-conscious. He gnawed on the bottom of
his lip as he brushed his short-cropped auburn hair out his line of
sight, hoping to hide the fact that there was dirt and sand matted
throughout most of it.

“Where’s the heir to the Azure clan?” Druis’s authoritative tone

brought him out of his thoughts.

“We don’t know, Dru. Alex never responded to your summons,”

Ezekiel’s quiet voice responded, and Devon noticed the sudden
tension that filled the room at the mention of this Azure clan heir.
Abraxas’s displeased look stood out to Devon most, and it made him
wonder what had happened between the Azure clan and everyone else
to cause such a strong reaction.

Jana Downs

“Maybe we sent the wrong summons to the Azure clan. Maybe

Alex didn’t assume the position as clan heir after the death of his
brother, Reign. What if another family took over and has yet to be
presented in court? The tragedy only happened a couple months ago,
and didn’t the Night clan have something to do with it? I bet they
didn’t send him because they knew Abraxas would be here and they
were afraid he’d murder Alex just like his cousin did Reign.” Cerilius
spat the words like an insult at Abraxas, and the energy in the room
cackled around Abraxas as he glared in Cerilius’s direction. Devon
noticed sparks of electricity forming around Abraxas’s hands. That
must’ve been the power of the dragons his father had told him about.

“I’m warning you, Cerilius. Don’t fuck with me.” Abraxas’s

nostrils flared, and his knuckles turned white from where he was
clenching his fists so tight. Cerilius pursed his lips, holding his
tongue, and Devon was glad he did. The look in Abraxas’s eyes said
he meant business, and Devon had the sinking feeling that if Cerilius
had kept on, Abraxas wouldn’t hesitate to kick his ass.

“Enough, Abraxas, Cerilius.” Druis barked the order to both men.

“Besides, I’m certain that has nothing to do with it, Cerilius. I would
have expected there to be a formal announcement if that were the
case. The Azure clan has always kept mostly to themselves, but for
them to disrupt the natural hierarchical order of things is completely
out of character.”

“But you have to admit, nobody’s ever seen Alex outside the

Azure palace walls. I mean I honestly didn’t expect him to come even
if he is the heir,” Asher said as he leaned against the pillar closest to
him.

Druis rubbed the temples on his forehead. “I don’t care what the

reason. The king is dead, and as is tradition, the heir to their clan
should be here to pay their respects. Now I have to spend my
afternoon storming their palace because they blatantly ignored a direct
summons from the late king. I should charge them with treason!” His
anger was obvious as he slammed his fist into the nearest wall. The

Devon in Wonderland

stone gave way to his brute force, crumbling and cracking under his
power. It was unlike anything Devon had ever seen. Any normal man
would have broken his hand throwing a punch like that at a stone
wall.

“I’ll go get Alex for you, Druis. I don’t mind.” Ezekiel’s soft

voice interrupted Druis’s raging fit momentarily, and it seemed to
noticeably calm him down. He nodded in affirmation.

“Fine. Just be quick about it. In fact, why don’t you just fly there?

That way you should be back by nightfall.”

Ezekiel bowed. “As you wish.”
“Wait, did you just say fly there?” Devon asked as he looked to

Druis. “As in, he’s going to turn into a dragon, grow wings, and fly?”

Druis chuckled. “You’re a strange one, you know that?”
“I’m strange!” Devon scoffed. “You can turn into a big scary

dragon and I’m the strange one.”

“To each his own I suppose.” Druis flashed a daring smile. “You

ready to see what being a Draconian is all about?”

Devon swallowed as a mixture of excitement and anxiety coursed

through his veins. He couldn’t imagine someone being able to
transform into a dragon. The scientists back home would have a field
day. A wave of nervousness washed over him as he tried to build up
his bravado, but the idea of being face-to-face with another enormous
creature had him sweating in apprehension.

Without so much as a warning sign, Ezekiel’s energy surged the

room, blowing open the entire back wall as it swung outward like two
overly large double doors. Devon watched in horror as his bones and
skin became distorted. The crunching sound as they broke and
rearranged themselves sent a wave of nausea straight to his stomach.
He looked on, too shocked to turn away, as the man before him grew
larger and larger.

Ezekiel’s arms elongated into front leg-like structures as a pair of

golden wings ripped from the flesh in his back and expanded. Even
his facial features distorted until they resembled that of a mythical

Jana Downs

dragon, like the ones depicted in paintings and drawings Devon had
seen back home. His thigh bones curved into a shape similar to that of
a cat’s hind legs, and his feet stretched until claws erupted from the
fleshy skin surrounding them. The ripping noise was something
Devon was sure he was never going to forget.

The last bit was his tail as it sprang from Ezekiel’s backside,

completing the transformation. His iridescent golden scales
shimmered in the light and the massive creature took a step toward
the door. Ezekiel was so massive that his new form almost filled the
entirety of the room, which was pretty impressive considering the
room had to be as large as a football stadium and as tall as a twelve-
story building.

He flared his nostrils before taking the two steps and exiting to the

courtyards just beyond the open wall. Ezekiel expanded his wings and
took off to the skies, leaving Devon standing in awe at what he’d just
witnessed. He could feel the color drain from his face as a sickening
sensation filled him, leaving him light-headed and dizzy.

“Are you all right?” he heard Druis ask, but his voice sounded far

away, and the ringing in his ears was growing louder. The world
began to tilt as specks of blackness clouded his vision. He felt his
knees buckle out from under him as he succumbed to the darkness
that encased his consciousness before he even felt the impact from the
fall.

Devon in Wonderland

Chapter 2

“You reading again, bookworm?” The sudden overcast shadow

caused Layden to look up at the intruder. He smiled faintly as he saw
it was Abraxas who was towering over him. Closing his book, Layden
rolled onto his backside, and Abraxas joined him on his picnic
blanket.

“I’m studying for my physics exam if you must know, besides

shouldn’t you be in court, anyways?” He snuck a glimpse of Abraxas
from the corner of his eyes and blushed. Abraxas had always been
devilishly handsome, and today was no different.

“And miss our secret rendezvous? Never.” Abraxas flashed him

an impish grin, sending chills down Layden’s spine. He had a way of
leaving him breathless. Ever since they were little, Layden had looked
up to him. Abraxas was the only one to ever really notice him. Not
even his fellow clansmen paid him much attention. They were always
too busy catering to his elder brother, Reign. But Abraxas saw him.
He understood him in ways no one else could.

Through the years, their fondness for one another had grown into

love and their secret rendezvous had become more frequently filled
with intimacies than with anything else, but all that was about to
change.

They would be finishing school soon, and eventually Abraxas

would become leader of the Night clan. Their duties were bound to
drive them apart because of the tension between their two clans.
Ultimately, one of their families would put an end to their
relationship, but for now, Layden was enjoying just being beside him.

Jana Downs

As though Abraxas had read his thought, he reached out and
entwined their fingers.

“You really shouldn’t put off your duties to bother with me. You

know it’s only going to be harder when we have to end this,” Layden
said. He closed his eyes and bit his bottom lip to stop the tears from
falling. He’d promised himself that he wouldn’t cry about this
anymore.

“I don’t care about being clan leader. I care about you,” Abraxas

argued. Layden felt Abraxas shift, and he opened his eyes. He was
met with Abraxas’s beautiful aquamarine gaze as he leaned over top
of him.

“You know our families hate each other, and I know you have no

choice. I don’t want to cause you any more problems. We both know
where this is going.” Layden couldn’t stop the words. They’d been the
same fears circling his thoughts for a while now.

Abraxas ran his fingers through Layden’s hair, playfully twisting

his loose strands and ignoring Layden’s statements of the inevitability
they both knew was coming. He leaned in closer until their lips met.
The kiss was all that Layden needed to soothe his worrying. He
reached up, wrapping his arms around his lover, not wanting this
moment to end, but it did, as they always did and always would.

“You could never cause me any problems, Layden Azure, and one

day when I become clan heir, I swear I’ll put an end to this silly feud
between our families and come back to claim you. I promise this to
you. You’ll never have to leave my side on account of our families. I’ll
fight for you until the very end.”

Abraxas’s words did little to ease the pain inside his heart at the

inescapable outcome of their relationship, but he smiled anyways and
didn’t press the issue any further. Today, he could forget about the
future and just enjoy the last few moments he had with his lover.

Abraxas rolled to his back, and Layden curled onto his chest. The

warmth of the sun surrounded their bodies as he traced the outline of

Devon in Wonderland

Abraxas’s muscles with his fingertips. He leaned up and placed a
gentle kiss onto Abraxas’s cheek.

“Just promise you’ll always love me and never forget about me,”

Layden whispered his request into Abraxas’s ear. Abraxas’s hand
around his waist tightened, pulling up Layden’s T-shirt to expose the
sensitive spot on the curve of his abdomen. Layden jumped at the feel
of Abraxas’s hands on his bare flesh as a rush of desire flowed
through him.

Abraxas lifted Layden’s chin, forcing their eyes to meet. “I

promise I will always love you, Layden, and I’ll never forget you.
How can I when you mean everything to me?”

* * * *

I promise I’ll always love you, Layden, and I’ll never forget.
Abraxas’s words echoed in Layden’s mind as he stared out the

bay window.

His words had been nothing but lies and empty promises, and

after all these years, Layden still couldn’t escape the memory of
Abraxas.

“Layden, this is unacceptable.” His mother’s voice pulled him out

of his thoughts as he tore his gaze from the Night clan palace in the
distance. “You’re bringing dishonor upon your people by blatantly
ignoring our dying king’s request for an audience with all the clan
heirs!”

Her fury could be felt throughout the entirety of the room as she

glared at him with pursed lips and flared nostrils.

“I told you, I don’t want to be clan heir. Alex is next in line for the

throne anyways. Send him.” His tone was void of emotion as he
responded with the same answer he’d given the first time she
demanded that he go.

“Layden Azure, this is not up for debate. You will obey me—”

Jana Downs

A knock at the door interrupted her rant, and Layden was grateful

for the distraction as she moved to answer it. For the past twenty-five
years of his life, he’d spent his time alone, being pushed into the
“forgotten” pile as he watched his parents devote all their time and
energy into Reign, and now that he was gone, they expected Layden
to pick up the pieces and carry on the family name as clan leader like
none of it had ever happened. It was bullshit.

“Lord Ezekiel, what a pleasant surprise!” His mother’s enthusiasm

was as fake as her emotions.

“Good evening, Lady Azure. I’ve been sent to collect Alex and

bring him to the Romano Palace for the test set forth by the late king.”
Layden watched as Ezekiel bowed before his mother. It was the
traditional way to greet the current clan leaders. After her
acknowledgment, Ezekiel stood up and met Layden’s penetrating
stare.

“My apologies, Ezekiel, but Alex won’t be attending. I will be

sending his younger brother instead. We have decided to make him
clan heir in place of his brother, Reign.”

“Like hell I’m going!” Layden shouted in anger at his mother’s

disregard for everything he’d been saying the past two months. She
turned to face him. Her stormy eyes were glazed over with rage.

“You will go, Layden. You know Alex is in no condition to

become clan heir, and I will not have one of my children defy me, no
matter what age they are.” Her threat held weight as her power
pricked Layden’s skin, sending an uneasy feeling throughout his
body.

“Don’t make this harder on your mother, boy.” His father’s deep

tone reverberated throughout the room, and he rounded the corner of
the entryway just in time to hear Layden’s protests. “You know this
family has been through enough hardship after what that damned
Night clan did to your brother. If you refuse to do this, I’ll have no
choice but to strip you of your powers and title.”

Devon in Wonderland

Layden held his tongue. He knew his father was serious and there

was no way around this. His only option was to become clan heir. It
wasn’t the thought of being homeless and titleless that bothered
Layden, but having his powers bound was another thing entirely. He
wouldn’t be able to survive one night on the streets without them.
Layden clenched his teeth in anger. He hated feeling powerless over
his own decisions.

“Fine,” Layden seethed as he stood and crossed the length of the

room to stand next to Ezekiel. “Let’s go.”

Ezekiel exchanged a perplexed looked with him but didn’t ask any

of the questions Layden knew were racing through his mind. Instead,
he turned to say good-bye to Layden’s parents.

“I apologize for the short visit, but I must return with Layden

before nightfall.”

“No need to apologize, Ezekiel. Feel free to stop by any time.”

His mother’s warm smile only pissed Layden off more. He couldn’t
stand to look at them any longer. He hated feeling like his sole
purpose in life was to become his brother’s replacement. He didn’t
want to be Reign. He wanted to be invisible again—to be left alone.
Their affections were superficial. They didn’t care that his brother had
died or how Layden felt about the situation. All they cared about was
remaining head of the Azure clan and ensuring one of their children
became heir.

Without another glance back at them, he stormed out the door and

headed for the Romano Palace where he was sure his fate as clan heir
would be sealed forever.

* * * *

“Daddy, what are dragons like?” Devon stared up at his father

with wide child eyes as his father pulled the covers up over Devon,
tucking him in for the night.

Jana Downs

“Dragons, you say?” His father paused as though he were

pondering Devon’s question. “Well, they’re big, giant creatures
covered with shining scales that glisten in the sun. They have long,
beautiful wings that can carry them over all the lands, and some can
even breathe fire.”

His father gestured with his hands, emphasizing each word as he

spoke.

“Wow, I bet they’re pretty amazing! Flying all over the world,

having magical powers. I wish I was a dragon!” Devon’s small hands
balled into fists with excitement as his father chuckled with
amusement.

“Well, maybe if you go to sleep, you just might get to see a real

dragon.”

Devon pursed his lips as he eyed his father with disbelief.

“Daddy, dragons aren’t real.”

“You never know. Anything’s possible.” His father winked at him

as though it were a secret that only they shared. His dad leaned down
and placed a gentle kiss on Devon’s forehead, and the roughness of
his beard tickled Devon’s skin, making him giggle.

“Goodnight, Devon. Sweet dreams.” His father patted the top of

his head as he always did before standing up and heading for the
door.

“Daddy?” Devon’s small voice called out to him, and his father

turned back around.

“What is it, Dev?”
He beamed at the nickname. “Do you really think dragons exist?”
His father flashed him a warm smile that made his rugged

features crinkle. “You bet I do, and one day we’re going to find their
secret world where you’ll see the dragons flying through the sky. You
and me, Dev, just you wait.”

* * * *

Devon in Wonderland

“Devon?” A voice pulled him from his dreams, and he opened his

eyes.

“Mmm,” he moaned, blinking a few times until the faces gathered

around him came into focus. An aching throb pounded on the side of
his head, and the blinding light that filled the room did little to ease
the pain.

“Where am I?” he asked as he tried to push himself up. “What the

hell happened?”

“Whoa, easy there,” someone to his left said as an arm snaked

around his waist to support him.

Devon looked to see who had helped him and was greeted by

Druis’s worried face. The memory of the last twenty-four hours came
flooding back to him. He must have hit his head pretty good when he
passed out because it appeared he’d been out for quite some time. The
clan heirs were no longer dressed in their formal attire, and he’d been
moved at some point to a bedroom.

“Thanks, Druis,” he mumbled as he let the larger man help him to

an upright position. The unfamiliarity of the place left a bad taste in
Devon’s mouth, and his dream about his father had him suddenly
feeling homesick. He hated to admit it, but his brother was right. He
really should’ve just left the magical shit alone.

“Do you care to stay with him?” Druis asked Asher. “I need to go

prepare for our journey. We only have two months to locate all five
dragon stones of Raj required for the Ceremony, and it’s been
centuries since they were last used.” He cast an apologetic look back
to Devon. Devon had no idea what he was talking about.

“I’m fine,” Devon said, reassuring him. “I don’t need to be

babysat. I just fainted, that’s all. I haven’t had much sleep these past
few days with my archeological dig, and I think I just got
overwhelmed.”

Druis raised his eyebrows. “You sure? I can have someone stay

with you if you want.”

Jana Downs

“No, that’s okay.” Devon gave a weak smile to the man who had

been so kind to him since he’d first arrived. He really didn’t want
Druis to worry so much. He had enough on his plate with all this
planning and the death of his king. All Devon was succeeding in
doing was causing him more grief. “I’d really like to take a shower,
actually.”

“Yeah, of course. The shower is in that room there.” Druis pointed

to the closed door. “I’ll have one of the servants bring you some clean
clothes while the rest of the heirs and I prepare for our journey.”

Devon furrowed his brow. “Journey?” He didn’t like the sound of

that.

“I’ll fill you in later.” A warm smile spread across Druis’s face.

“Just take your time doing whatever you need to do. We’ll be right
outside the door.”

“You can call me if you need anything,” Cerilius chimed in with a

little bit too much enthusiasm. His sincerity came off as forced and
Devon eyed him suspiciously.

“Come on, suck up. Let’s leave the boy in peace so he can

shower.” Asher grabbed the scruff of Cerilius’s robe and dragged the
protesting dragon out of the room. Devon’s lips twitched with
amusement as he watched Asher manhandle Cerilius.

“Just ignore those two. I swear, they don’t know how to behave at

all.” Abraxas’s irritated tone pulled Devon’s attention from the
commotion in the hall. He looked up and was met with the clan heir’s
penetrating stare. The man was sin incarnate, and Devon couldn’t
help the flood of desire that raced through him every time he looked
at him.

He planted a firm smile on his face, determined to not let his

attraction show through. “It’s okay. I don’t mind.”

The corners of Abraxas’s lips curved upward, and their eyes met

for the briefest of seconds. Devon’s heart skipped a beat as he
watched the man of his dreams follow the others out the door without
so much as a glance back at him.

Devon in Wonderland

“I see how you are,” Druis said.
Devon turned to look at him with false innocence written all over

his face. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You like him.” Druis’s accusations caused Devon’s cheeks to

flush bright red. Apparently his little crush was a bit more obvious
than he thought.

“I do not,” he refuted even though he knew his embarrassment

had already given him away.

“Don’t worry. Your secret is safe with me.” Druis’s goofy grin

widened. “I’m just glad I haven’t completely failed at my mission in
protecting your ass before we’ve even started our journey.” He turned
and walked toward the door. “Yell if you need anything.”

“Druis, thank you,” Devon said, stopping him before he’d reached

the door. “You know, for everything.”

Druis cast one last look over his shoulder. “It’s my duty, Devon.

You don’t have to thank me.”

“I know, but you don’t have to be so nice about it. Trust me, I

don’t think I could’ve handled all this if I didn’t have you on my
side.”

A warm smiled spread across the dragon’s face. “I’m glad I could

help.”

* * * *

Devon stepped into the throne room, fidgeting with the royal blue

kameez the servants had left for him. He felt awkward and
uncomfortable wearing such attire, but from the way everyone else
was dressed, he’d gathered it was probably the only option they had to
offer him. Finding a pair of blue jeans was probably damn near
impossible.

“Hello, Devon,” the woman from earlier greeted as he walked

through the doorway. “My apologies for not formally introducing
myself earlier. I’m Maeva, mistress to this palace, and I will be

Jana Downs

assisting you and the heirs on your journey as much as I can.” She
smiled sweetly.

“It’s nice to meet you,” Devon said as he took a step closer.

Everyone was gathered around a table, mulling over the dozens of
papers Druis had scattered about. His eyes flickered to Abraxas. He
was watching him, staring fixedly as Devon approached. Has he been
looking at me the whole time?

“So I think if we head here first, we should be able to find the

water gem relatively easily. That’s if Devon is able to channel the
king’s powers and can pinpoint the exact location.” Druis pointed to
an indiscernible point on the map and Devon snuck a glance. The
kingdom was broken into five different factions, each one labeled
with the appropriate clan name. The spot Druis was talking about was
near the Azure clan.

“Don’t let him overwhelm you. Druis has always been this way.

That was one of the things my king loved about him. No matter what
the task, he always found a way to get done what needed to be done.”
Maeva moved to stand next to Devon as the clan heirs and Druis
continued to hash out details.

“So Druis works for the royal family?” Devon asked, looking to

the smiling elder woman.

“Yes, he was raised here actually. His mother used to work in the

kitchen, and when she passed away, Adonis took him in as his own.
He trained him as a guardsman, but Druis advanced so far in the ranks
that Adonis named him head of the guard. Pretty impressive,
considering he’s only twenty-seven.”

Devon looked at him now and couldn’t help but smile at his

enthusiasm. He was talking circles around Asher, who was currently
looking at him like he’d lost his mind.

“Would you care for some wine?” Maeva’s sweet demeanor made

Devon feel welcome.

“Yes. Please.”

Devon in Wonderland

Maeva summoned a servant, and they brought enough for

everyone to enjoy. It was dry wine, bitter to the taste, but it suited
Devon just fine. He’d never been one for the sweeter options. He
inhaled the smell as he took a sip, savoring the first bit of substance
he’d had since arriving in Draconia.

“So where are we going?” Devon asked, curious about what it was

Druis was planning.

“You’ll be traveling to each of the five kingdoms collecting the

stones of Raj.”

Maeva’s answer provided little explanation, and Devon drew his

brows together in confusion. “Stones of Raj?” he asked skeptically.

“They’re required to complete the Ceremony,” Asher offered. “A

select stone from each of the five clans is required to summon the
Dragon God and declare a new king. Since we only have two months
to locate all five stones and they’ve been hidden away for centuries,
we’re in a bit of a time crunch.”

“Why only two months? Can’t I just name the heir before I go?”
Asher shook his head. “It doesn’t work that way. Only you know

where the exact locations of the stones are, and only you can summon
the Dragon God.”

“Me? I don’t know anything about the stones or your clans.” How

the hell was he supposed to find these ancient ruins?

“It’s okay. The late king instilled his power to you,” Maeva

explained. “His strength will guide you.”

Devon raised an eyebrow at the woman but didn’t dare to

challenge her. There was no point. Trying to explain to them how
crazy this all sounded was redundant. To them, this was logic.

“Don’t worry, Devon. It’s my job to supply you with the things

you may need. You’ll have plenty of money, ample travel equipment,
and thanks to the late king, you have the map of the last known
location of the stones. You’re in good hands. I will warn you, though,
since there’s so many supplies you’ll have to travel by foot most of
the time.” That wasn’t what Devon was worried about. He was more

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concerned about being able to magically know where these stones
were at. He hadn’t even given a thought to the fact that they would be
heading out into the desert, wandering aimlessly for god only knows
how long.

Devon glanced to the tattered map. The rough leather looked as

old as some of the artifacts he’d uncovered back in his world. “How
long has it been since you had to locate the stones last?”

Maeva shrugged. “A few centuries. Not since Adonis was

crowned.”

Devon’s eyes widened. “A few centuries? Is that common for

dragons to live so long?”

She nodded. “Sometimes a king can live longer if they find their

twin flame.”

“Twin flame?” Something about that sounded familiar to Devon

as he vaguely recalled a Native American legend centering around the
idea of one soul being born into two different bodies.

“In dragon society, only lovers who have stood before the Dragon

God Ryujin and survived are allowed to wed. I could never muster up
the courage to do something like that even though I loved my Adonis
very much.” Her eyes were kind as she tucked the loose strands of
hair behind her ear. “Us dragons can be very prideful. We’ve been
driven to war over jealousy and greed. It is part of the reason the
Dragon God tests our love so much. True love must withstand the
dragon’s impulses.”

Devon wanted to ask more about their histories and their culture,

but before he had the chance, the sound of the double doors opening
at the far end of the hall drew everyone’s attention.

“Looks like Ezekiel must be back with Alex,” Druis commented.

“About damned time. I told him to be back last night.”

Devon instantly recognized Ezekiel and his model features, but

the other person who accompanied him was a stranger, a very
gorgeous stranger. He had an ethereal look about him with olive skin
tones and raven-black hair that fell carelessly in front of the deepest

Devon in Wonderland

set of blue eyes Devon had ever seen. He was taller than Ezekiel and
had a much larger build, but his muscle wasn’t bulky. He appeared to
be lean and hard in all the right places.

“What’s he doing here?” Druis demanded, anger boiling in his

tone.

I guess that’s not Alex.
Ezekiel raised an eyebrow at Druis’s temperament. “Layden’s the

new heir to the Azure throne, Dru. I have returned with him as you
requested.”

The sound of glass shattering caused everyone to jump and they

turned to look at Abraxas. He stood seething with anger and clutching
the remnants of his wine glass as blood trickled down his fist. Small
electrical pulses were crackling around him again as every muscle in
his body tensed. His sight was locked in on Layden, making Devon
extremely uncomfortable.

“Nice to see you haven’t changed, Abraxas,” Layden stated with a

coldness in his tone. No one moved as they waited to see what
Abraxas would do.

“Druis,” Abraxas said through clenched teeth, his gaze never

wavering from Layden.

“Yeah, what’s up, Abraxas?”
“Summon me when we’re ready to leave. I’ll be waiting outside in

the gardens.” Lowering his bloodied hand, Abraxas turned and left the
room.

Everyone returned to their work as though nothing had happened,

but Devon couldn’t shake the haunted look in Abraxas’s eyes when he
saw it was Layden and not Alex who had come. He sat his glass on
the table and ran to catch up with him.

“Abraxas, wait,” he called, but Abraxas kept walking as though he

hadn’t heard Devon.

“Leave me alone.” He growled, refusing to stop even for a brief

moment.

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His harsh tone caused Devon to falter, and he misjudged the

distance to the next step. His foot twisted, and he collided into
Abraxas’s backside.

“Hey! Do you mind watching where you’re going?” Abraxas

snapped as he turned around. Losing his support, Devon fell to the
desert floor, pain radiating from his leg.

Man, this just isn’t my day.
“Ouch,” Devon groaned as he pushed himself up to take a look at

the damage. Tears stung his eyes as the throbbing ache worsened
when he pressed on the tender area.

By that time everyone in the throne room had seen his pathetic

attempt at walking down two measly stairs and had run outside to see
if he was okay. Abraxas just stood there looking down at him.

“You okay?” Druis asked, bending down to take a look at his

injury.

“Yeah…just twisted it is all. Apparently, I’m a klutz today. I don’t

know what’s wrong with me. It’s like I have two left feet all of a
sudden.” He was more irritated with the fact that he’d done this right
before they were planning on leaving for a big trip that he was sure
would require an excessive amount of walking.

“Here, let me carry you back inside and we’ll wrap it.” Druis’s

massive frame lifted Devon with ease as he carried him back into the
throne room. Devon cast a look over his shoulder looking for
Abraxas, but he’d already stormed off toward the gardens.

I guess he really did want to be alone. Devon suddenly felt very

foolish for going after him as he clung to Druis’s chest.

Druis carried him back to the bedchamber. “Ezekiel, do you mind

taking a look?”

“Not at all, Dru.” The blond-haired beauty stepped forward and

bent down to take a look at Devon’s ankle. It was already starting to
swell.

Devon winced as he carefully twisted and turned his foot.

Devon in Wonderland

“Yup, he definitely sprained it. I’m going to need something to

wrap it with and some ice.”

Cerilius offered to go and get it as he hurried out of the room.

Within a moment’s time, he’d returned carrying a bandage much like
the ace bandages they had back home and an ice pouch. Ezekiel
wrapped his ankle, propped it up with some pillows, and laid the bag
of ice on his foot.

“There that should do it.” He flashed Devon a kind smile. “Just

give it a little while and I think you’ll be good as new.”

“Thanks, Ezekiel,” Devon said. He could already feel the ice

working to soothe the pain.

“Well then, shall we get back to our plans?” Druis asked. “We can

let Devon rest up for the remainder of the evening, while we finish
getting everything together.”

They all agreed and headed back to the throne room, leaving

Devon alone with Druis.

Druis looked down at him, amused by Devon’s sustained injury.

“You’re not going to make this easy on me, are you?”

Devon cast him a meaningful glare. “It’s not like I meant to fall.”
“Yeah, yeah, just don’t try to walk anymore today. I’d like you to

at least remain in one piece for twenty-four hours.”

He waved a hand of dismissal and followed the others back

outside. Devon sighed in frustration at being bedridden. He wanted to
explore the palace, ask half a million questions, but he supposed there
would be plenty of time for that later.

A knock at the door broke the silence in the room. “May I come

in?” It was Abraxas, and instantly Devon could feel his nervousness
rising.

“Yeah, it’s open,” he called.
Abraxas stepped inside and closed the door behind him.
“How’s your foot?” he said, staring at the bandage.

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“It’s fine. Nothing really. I can’t believe how many times I’ve

fallen today. You’d think this is normal for me.” Devon was babbling,
something he did frequently when he was anxious.

“It’s not?” Abraxas raised his eyebrows in a teasing manner as his

met Devon’s gaze.

“No,” Devon said defiantly. “I’m actually quite good on my feet.”

God, he sounded like an idiot.

“Well, I came to apologize. If I hadn’t been such an ass, you

wouldn’t have fallen.” His genuine disposition was nothing like the
hostility he’d emanated earlier. “I overreacted when I saw Layden and
took my foul mood out on you.”

“It’s all right, really. I was the one who tripped. I should have just

let you have your privacy, but I was concerned because I saw how
upset you were. I wanted to make sure you were okay. You have
nothing to be sorry for, Abraxas. I brought this on myself.”

A moment of silence passed between them before Abraxas took a

step closer and reached for his hand. Devon made no move to protest
as his erratic heart beat loudly in his chest. Their eyes locked as
Abraxas lifted Devon’s hand and placed a gentle kiss upon it.
Devon’s cheeks redden with embarrassment as a shiver of desire ran
down his spine. This attraction was becoming a bit absurd at this
point, but god he was beautiful.

“I assure you, I’m quite all right now.” His voice was almost a

whisper as the warmth from his breath tickled Devon’s skin. The
sound of the door opening caused Abraxas to quickly release his hold
on Devon’s hand.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t know you had company.” Layden stood in

the doorway, unsure of whether or not to turn around and leave. “I
just came by to introduce myself.”

Layden had a quiet disposition, nothing like the strong emotions

that always seemed to come from Abraxas. The two men stood staring
at one another, but not with anger. Devon had picked up on the fact
that Abraxas’s cousin had something to do with the death of Layden’s

Devon in Wonderland

eldest brother, so he understood why there had been such hostility
between the two men earlier, but the look reflected in Abraxas’s eyes
now was one of longing, something Devon hadn’t expected.

Abraxas pursed his lips before closing the distance between them.
“Abraxas.” Layden’s tone was short and to the point as he

stiffened his posture defensively.

Abraxas extended his hand toward Layden. “I just wanted to give

my condolences on behalf of the Night clan for your loss and
congratulate you on becoming clan heir. I know you will be a
formidable leader for your people during their time of grief.”

Layden’s expression was hard to read, but he took the extended

hand. “Thank you. Your sympathies are much appreciated but
unnecessary. My people know it is not the fault of your clan but rather
the actions of one stupid man that resulted in the death of my brother
and he has been dealt with accordingly.”

Devon remembered well the bloodied death of his own mother

and could imagine how hard it must be for Layden to keep himself so
composed.

Abraxas left the room, leaving Devon alone with the strange

newcomer. Layden’s kind eyes met Devon’s. “I apologize for the
interruption.”

Devon shook his head. “No interruption. Abraxas was just

checking on my foot.”

Layden nodded as though he understood. “I’m sorry I couldn’t be

here earlier. I’m Layden, heir to the Azure clan.” He extended his
hand to Devon, and Devon took it.

“Devon Avalon, misfit human who apparently can’t seem to go

more than two minutes without doing something clumsy.”

Devon’s humor made Layden smile. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I

look forward to our travels together.”

The thought of being around Abraxas and Layden for the next two

months made Devon a bit nervous. There was definite tension

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between the two and he didn’t know if he could handle being in a
constant state of uncertainty, but he smiled nonetheless.

Layden ran a nervous hand through his tousled hair. “Well, I

guess I’ll let you get some rest. We can talk more later.”

“Okay,” Devon agreed. He watched Layden exit the room and

sighed as he leaned back into the softness of the pillows that
surrounded him. His eyelids grew heavy as exhaustion overcame him.
Aside from his minor concussion, he hadn’t been able to get much
rest. As much as his curiosity yearned to defy Ezekiel’s orders, Devon
was too tired to get up. Instead, he let himself drift off into a
dreamless sleep, grateful for the reprieve from everything that had
happened to him since he’d first entered the world of Draconia.

Devon in Wonderland

Chapter 3

The hot desert sun beat endlessly down upon them as Devon

walked through the sand and dirt, trying to keep up with the group. It
had been hours since they’d left the luxury of the palace confines
earlier that morning, and his ankle was throbbing under all the
traveling they had been doing. Apparently, they didn’t believe in
motorized vehicles here. Why would they? They could turn into
dragons and fly anywhere they needed to be. Unfortunately, their trip
required some extra luggage like the food and tents that needed to be
handled carefully. Devon glanced around the group to see if anyone
else was nearing the point of exhaustion. The other men appeared to
be fine. If they were as miserable as he was, they most certainly
weren’t showing it. His foot caught on a rock and sent Devon
tumbling forward. He couldn’t suppress the wince as he hissed from
the pain that radiated up his leg.

“Would you like me to carry you for a bit?” Abraxas offered as he

grabbed Devon’s elbow just in time before he lost his balance.

Devon smiled up at him. “Thanks, but I think I can manage.” It

was a lie but he didn’t want to seem helpless compared to everyone
else.

“We should be getting close to the Azure clan kingdom. We can

rest by the lake since the map says this was the last place the stone
was located,” Druis called back to them from the front of the group.

“There’s a lake here? As in actual water?” Devon asked. He

wiped the trickle of sweat from his brow. The thought of diving head
first into a cool pool of water sounded good right about now.

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“Yeah, we’ll camp there for the night and then begin our search in

the morning.” Dru nodded in affirmation.

Oh thank god, Devon thought as he reached for his water skin and

gulped down the remainder of its contents.

They walked for another hour until the sun began to set on the

horizon. Hues of orange and pink filled the sky, reflecting off the
shimmering blue water up ahead. The sight was beautiful against the
harsh backdrop of the dried wasteland as a cove of trees and life
seemed to appear out of nowhere.

In the distance, there was a rocky mountainous range, and Devon

suspected that they were probably near the edge of the desert
wasteland. That suited Devon just fine. The cool refreshing lake was
much more appealing than the heat of the sun anyways.

“We’ll stop here for the night,” Druis stated as they neared the

lake’s edge. Devon was tempted to leap into the serene water, but
refrained. Instead, he settled for the bottle of water Abraxas handed
him and listened to Ezekiel’s insistent demands that he rest his ankle
and leave the tent pitching to the others.

It wasn’t much longer until the last remaining hints of daylight

disappeared entirely and the first shimmer of stars began to show in
the cloudless night time sky. The temperature dropped dramatically
and Asher conjured a fire for them with his draconian powers.

Devon rubbed his sore feet, desperately wishing for a warm bath

to soak in.

“I had Layden and Brax set up your tent, so if you want you can

go on in and get some rest.” Dru’s voice brought him out of his
thoughts and he looked up. The glow of the fire danced across Druis’s
bare chest as he stood next to him and Devon couldn’t help but notice
just how massive Druis really was compared to him.

“Thanks but I think I’m going to sit here a bit longer. I’m too

wound up to sleep.”

“I understand,” Druis said with a knowing look. “I’m gonna go

work on some plans for tomorrow myself.”

Devon in Wonderland

“How’s that going by the way? I mean, what exactly am I

supposed to be doing?”

Druis ran a hand through his messy hair. “Eh…well. I brought us

out here in hopes that you might pick up something on the stone.
From what Maeva told me, the gems return to a resting place, usually
near their original location, after the Ceremony is complete. Only
people that are of the king’s lineage can locate them. Supposedly, it’s
like a signal that allows them to pinpoint their location as they near
the gem. This was probably a safeguard set in place way back when
with the first King of Draconia in order to ensure that commoners
didn’t run off with the gems or try to steal them. I’m hoping the
temporary powers that the late king passed on to you will work as
though you were a direct descendant and you’ll be able to pick up on
the stone’s presence. I don’t really know, though, since you’ve never
used draconic magic before, but it’s all we’ve got to go on.”

Devon thought for a moment and tried to see if he felt anything

different or unusual about their current location, but nothing came to
him. “Well I don’t sense anything now,” he offered.

“There’s always tomorrow.” Dru sighed. “I think we should go

look at the cavern the stone was last reported to be at. Maybe you’ll
feel something then. If not, I guess will have to track these suckers
down the good ole fashion way. I just hope we can do it in two
months’ time.”

Devon flashed him a reassuring smile. “I’m sure we will. I have

confidence in you.”

“That makes one of us.” Druis yawned, stretching out his muscles.

“Anyways, I’m going to get back to work. I’ll be over there if you
need me.” He pointed to the area they had covered with a tarp to keep
the rest of their belongings and the few camels they had brought with
them to carry their stuff dry.

Devon watched Druis head back to his makeshift work station,

grumbling and cursing along the way. Everyone else said their

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goodnights and headed to their respective tents, leaving only Layden
and Devon sitting around the dwindling fire.

He hadn’t spoken much to him on their journey, but Devon

couldn’t help but stare at him now. The man was downright gorgeous.
Between him and Abraxas, Devon was sure he’d be ruined for all
future men back home.

“Is something wrong?” Layden’s husky voice went straight to his

cock.

“N–nothing,” he answered, grateful for the dim lighting to hide

his embarrassment.

Layden stood stretching his arms, and Devon caught a glimpse at

just how built he was. He watched as the fire danced shadows across
his exposed muscles. When he stood, Devon’s gaze fell to his tight
ass. His faded black pants clung nicely, and it took conscious effort
for Devon to avert his gaze before Layden noticed him staring at him
yet again.

“I’m going down to the lake. Care to join me?” His offer caught

Devon off guard as he looked up at him dumbfounded.

“Sure.” Devon beamed. He stood, slipping on his shoes and

following Layden down the short path to the water’s edge.

They stood in silence for a long while, taking in the beauty of the

dark, calm waters glistening in the light of the stars.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Layden’s voice was barely a whisper, and

there was a touch of sadness to his expression as he stared out over
the water’s edge.

“Yes,” Devon agreed.
A moment of silence passed between them as they listened to the

water splashing against the embankment.

“Pathos. That’s the name of the lake,” Layden said, interrupting

the silence. “It is derived from the word paschein, meaning to suffer.
This is the Lake of Suffering.”

Devon in Wonderland

“Why would they choose a name like that for such a beautiful

lake?” Devon asked as he watched Layden remove his shoes and step
into the pool of water.

“My people used to have their burial ceremonies here many

centuries ago. It was a tradition that when a water dragon passed on
from this life into the next, their body would be sent to the waters as
their eternal resting grounds. There used to be a big gathering, right
over there in that clearing.” He pointed to a spot off in the distance
that Devon could barely make out in the dim light. “That’s where all
the men in the village would come together and build the raft that
would carry the deceased out into the lake. Once placed in the water,
the raft was ignited and the people would watch as the burning
embers turned their loved one to ash. The wind could carry them,
forever immortalizing their life in the depths of the waters below.”

The way Layden spoke about the ritual painted a picture for

Devon as he imagined the beauty in the tragedy.

“You like it out here.” The statement was more of an observation

than a question as Devon noted how calm Layden appeared standing
ankle-deep in the water, staring out at the full moon’s reflection.

“Yes. I used to come here often when I was younger. It was the

only refuge I could get from my parents and their incessant need to
push me to be like them, to hate like them.” The somber tone in his
voice made Devon wonder just what kind of family Layden had to
dislike them so much.

Devon quietly slipped off his own shoes and moved to stand next

to Layden in the lake. The coldness of the water caused him to
hesitate as he slowly placed his first foot down into the cool liquid
until he felt the silken bottom beneath it.

“It’s a bit chilly,” Layden warned too late. “This water comes

from the springs of the rivers from the mountain tops.” He held out
his hand to help Devon get his balance on the slippery ground below.

They stayed like that, holding hands, despite the fact that Devon

no longer needed his steadying hand. For the first time since he’d

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arrived in Draconia, he felt at peace. Whether it was because of the
comforting hand that clutched his own or because he’d finally quit
worrying over his work long enough to enjoy seeing the world his
father had dreamed about finding, he didn’t know. All he knew was
that he finally felt like this was where he was supposed to be, standing
next to Layden hand in hand as they both stared out across the Lake
of Pathos. They watched the moon’s ever-changing reflection against
the glass surface, listening to the cicadas and the gentle splashing of
water against the shoreline as though it were a song being played just
for the two them.

* * * *

The image of Layden and Devon displayed before her enraged

Maeva as she clutched her magic mirror in fury. Things were not
going according to her plan, and if moments like this kept happening
between her and the Azure clan heir, Devon was sure to pick him as
the new heir in no time. She couldn’t let that happen.

Shifting through the images of their travels, she searched the

mirror’s history for some clue, some weakness about Devon or
Layden that she could exploit. She stopped, pausing the screen as she
smiled devilishly.

That’s it.
It was subtle, an unnoticeable longing stare that would have been

missed by someone without her well-trained eye. The tender look
reflected in Abraxas’s gaze as he apologized for Devon’s injury was
all the help Maeva needed in deciding her next move.

The Night clan heir clearly had a thing going for the young

human. She’d never seen him act so thoughtful toward another
person, and while it may be nothing more than innocent affection
now, she was sure she could manipulate their chemistry to suit her
own needs. Maybe cause a little mayhem in the human’s love life?

A little binding spell should do the trick.

Devon in Wonderland

If sweet and caring was what the human was drawn to, Maeva

would make sure to bring out the beasts dwelling inside Abraxas and
Layden. Jealousy was the quickest way to cause a dragon to lose his
temper, especially if the competition was his family rival.

She flipped through her spell book until she found what she was

looking for. Summoning the images of Abraxas, Layden, and the
human, she began chanting.

“O beautiful moon, O beautiful star, O brilliant night which

guides my plight.

I summon thy forces to cast my seal and bind their souls against

thine will.

Blood to blood, soul to soul, combined these three and make them

whole.

Consume with passion, and lust devour, within the last of

daylight’s hour.”

Maeva finished the incantation and smiled triumphantly as the last

traces of the binding chain she summoned dissolved into her mirrored
portal, surrounding the images of the two dragons and the human
before vanishing completely. Come tomorrow night, the passion
would ignite, sending the two dragons warring with one another for
the hand of the fragile creature summoned by the late king, and with
any luck, her spell may even lead to the untimely death of the Azure
clan heir. Yes, her lover would be very pleased. Everything they’d
worked for, including the annihilation of the white dragon race and
ultimately the death of Adonis would finally pay off. Her Reign of
Terror would soon begin, starting with the demise of the beloved
Night and Azure clans and ending with the naming of her Master as
King of all Draconia.

* * * *

Devon awoke with a smile on his face as he stretched against the

Egyptian cotton sheets on his soft down feather mattress. He was

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beginning to appreciate draconian magic as he looked around the
lusciously decorated room inside his tent. It had come as a surprise to
him the night before when Layden had walked him back to the rather
small, rickety-looking tent and found an entire bedroom on the inside.

Swinging his legs over the edge of the bed, Devon stood up. He

hesitated briefly on his choice in clothing before deciding on his
freshly cleaned pair of blue jeans and white tank top.

He ran a comb through his tousled auburn hair before finally

admitting defeat and leaving his unruly hair spiked. The smell of
breakfast surrounded Devon as he stepped outside the tent.

“Good morning, Devon,” Ezekiel greeted. “I hope you like eggs

and toast.”

He held out a plate for him, and Devon took it.
“Yeah, this is perfect. Thanks.” He walked toward the campfire

where the rest of group was sitting. Daylight was just beginning to
break on the horizon, and the heat from the sun hadn’t quite reached
them.

“Ah, good morning, Devon,” Druis called, interrupting his own

conversation with Cerilius and Asher.

“Morning, hot stuff,” Asher said playfully as he winked in

Devon’s direction.

“Can’t you ever be serious?” Cerilius said with irritation. “I mean

you won’t even let me offer to help him and here you are flirting with
him before he’s even had a chance to eat his breakfast.”

Asher raised his eyebrows. “That’s because everyone knows

you’re only offering to suck up to Devon so he’ll choose you as heir. I
actually think he’s cute.”

Devon’s cheeks felt warm as he hurried past them to the empty

chair he spotted. Asher’s bold statements took some getting used to
even if they were complimentary. Devon wasn’t used to people being
so direct. Usually, with the rich business associates he frequently
interacted with, he’d spend thirty minutes just trying to figure out
what they wanted.

Devon in Wonderland

“Just ignore them. Asher has no filter and Cerilius is cranky until

he’s had his morning tea,” Abraxas offered as Devon took the seat
that separated him and Layden.

“That’s okay. I don’t mind. I prefer it to some of the people I deal

with on a regular basis.” Devon’s lips curved upward into a smile as
he remembered one particular nasty fight he had with his brother
simply because Brandon hadn’t had his morning coffee.

“Hi,” Layden said. His voice was low and quiet compared to the

rather loud conversation Druis was having with Cerilius over their
next move.

“Hi back,” Devon said with a smile on his face as he remembered

the moment they’d shared the night before. Devon was all too aware
of Layden and Abraxas’s gaze on him, watching his every move as he
finished the plate of food in front of him.

“So I think we’ve decided to go ahead and enter the cave where

the stone was last located,” Dru said, interrupting the awkward silence
that had fallen between the three of them.

Cerilius nodded his head in agreement. “Yeah, I think that’s the

best place to start.”

Devon looked up at Druis, grateful for the distraction. “How much

further till we reach the cave?”

“About a half of a day’s walk from here, so we should have time

to reach the cave a do a little exploring if we head out now.”

“That sounds like a good idea. My scrying still hasn’t turned up

anything, and Devon said he couldn’t sense anything last night,”
Ezekiel chimed in as he joined the rest of the group.

“Scrying?” Devon asked as he looked to Ezekiel.
“I’ve been using the ancient crystals my family passed down to try

to pinpoint the gem’s location on the map just in case you can’t use
Adonis’s magic. So far, I’ve seen nothing of significance, which
either means we aren’t close enough for my magic to detect the gem
or its presence is masked by the wards protecting it. My money’s on
the wards, but I won’t know until we get closer.”

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“Oh.” Devon had heard of such magic being used in his own

world, but had never encountered someone who practiced it until
now.

“So we agree then,” Layden stated as he stood, surprising

everyone in the group due to his lack of involvement in their journey
until now.

“Uh, yeah I guess,” Druis said, obviously unsure of how to take

Layden’s sudden interest in their plans. “Is that cool with you,
Abraxas?”

Abraxas shrugged. “I guess. I’m cool with whatever.”
“It’s settled, then. After breakfast we’ll pack up and head out.”

Druis motioned for Cerilius to help him with loading the camels as
everyone else took to taking down their tents. Abraxas helped Devon,
and when it was all done, they began the walk to the cavern.

* * * *

The entryway to the cave looked daunting as Abraxas eyed the

jagged rock surrounding the passageway. Caving was not something
he’d ever been good at. In fact, his last caving trip had resulted in him
becoming violently ill for almost two weeks after he’d spent the night
in the cold hole in the ground. Not to mention he hated dark places.
He never understood how the rest of his kind had actually made a
home out of the cavernous mountains, but still, it wasn’t like him to
complain, so he shrugged it off and followed the others inside.

Ezekiel conjured some lights that were able to illuminate a path

for them to walk. They searched for what felt like hours, running their
hands along the damp walls for any hint or clue. It was at that point
Abraxas determined that Druis was a slave driver. His muscles felt
tired, and his body ached in places he didn’t know it could.

He glanced over at Devon and noticed him limping to one side

from his injured ankle, but he wasn’t complaining. That reminded him
to ask Ezekiel to heal Devon’s foot when they stopped for the night.

Devon in Wonderland

He offered a hand to Devon as he stepped across the narrow gap in
the walkway.

“Thanks.” Devon smiled breathlessly at him as he wiped the dirt

from his hands on his faded blue jeans.

Abraxas licked his lips before averting his gaze. Even covered in

mud, Devon was attractive. He had a natural beauty about him with
his smaller frame and chiseled features. Strands of his auburn hair fell
in front of his hazel eyes as he stared up at him with a smile that had
somehow worked its way past Abraxas’s carefully constructed walls.
He was attracted to him, there was no doubt about that, but Abraxas
had sworn off men since things had ended between him and Layden,
and he wasn’t about to start changing that now.

Abraxas noticed Layden’s penetrating glare from the other end of

the cave and quickly dropped Devon’s hand. He still couldn’t believe
Layden had become the Azure clan heir. Abraxas had held out hope
that despite the abrupt end to their relationship, he was still waiting on
him to make his way to the top where he could settle the feud between
their families once and for all and they could finally be together, but
that obviously wasn’t the case. Instead, he had chosen to take his
brother’s place as the new puppet to his family, signifying once and
for all that there was no hope of rekindling the spark that had ignited
between them in their adolescent years.

“You okay?” Devon’s concerned tone caught him off guard,

before he realized his emotions had manifested themselves into tiny
electrical pulses surround his fists.

“Yeah.” He forced a smile and calmed himself until the magic

dissipated. “I’m fine.”

It was a lie, but he hoped Devon wouldn’t see through it.
“Good,” Devon said as he smiled up at Abraxas. “Say, I’m getting

a little exhausted. Why don’t we take a break? Maybe then I might be
able to pick up something about this stone.”

“I’m pretty tired, too. We’ve already walked over five miles

today,” Layden added as he sat down on the rock closest to him.

Jana Downs

“What’s the holdup? Did you find the gem?” Dru called from

across the opening they were currently in. Abraxas looked back and
made out their shadowy figures as the rest of lights flickered above
the other’s heads.

“Nah, I think we’re going to take a break, though. Devon’s

ankle’s bothering him, and I’m feeling kind of exhausted as well. You
guys go on ahead,” Abraxas shouted back before seating himself on
the floor of the cave across the room.

“All right, we shouldn’t be too long. I just have one more place I

want to look.” Druis and the others disappeared around the corner,
leaving Abraxas alone with Layden and Devon.

The tension was a little awkward as Abraxas avoided looking

anywhere near Layden. The anger and tinge of sadness that always
seemed to accompany his thoughts of him were only worsened by his
actual presence. Then there was his ever-growing desire for the
human sitting next to him, which oddly enough only seemed to
complicate his emotions more. His desire for Devon was out of left
field because he typically had no interest in anyone and yet he had
somehow become intensely aware of his presence and charm over the
past few days.

“Thanks for staying with me,” Devon stated, breaking the silence,

but neither he nor Layden made any move to respond.

“You guys don’t have to stay behind. If you’d rather go on with

the rest of group, I’ll be fine,” he tried again, this time obviously
upset by their silence.

“No.” Abraxas’s tone came out harsher than he intended as he

moved to look at Devon. “I mean, I want to be here.”

“Abraxas here doesn’t much care for caves anyways,” Layden

stated with a bit of bitterness to his tone. “He’s only in here because
of you.”

The corner of Layden’s lips curved upward as he sat smugly in the

corner.

Devon in Wonderland

Abraxas cast an eat-shit-and-die look in his direction. God,

Layden could set him off quicker than anyone he’d ever known, but
Abraxas kept his cool the best he could.

“What’s your point, water boy?” His warning was clear as he

stood up to put more distance between them.

“My point is, is that you think you’re some big tough bad ass, but

really you’re just a wuss too afraid of the dark to go much further.”

Abraxas raised his eyebrows at Layden’s smart-ass remark. “I’m a

wuss? What about you? You decided to stay here as well.”

Layden’s shrug only pissed him off more.
“I’m not the one who hyperventilated the last time we went

caving!”

That was it.
Abraxas raised his fists as the pulsating electricity sparked from

his fingertips.

“Enough!” Devon yelled out as he positioned himself in between

the two of them. Abraxas blinked a few times as his command
seemingly dissipated his rage, and he lowered his hand.

What the hell had gotten into him? It wasn’t like him to lose his

temper so readily. Sure, he and Layden had a history, but it definitely
wasn’t a violent one. He’d never felt threatened by Layden even when
they’d had disagreements. He couldn’t figure out why that had
changed all of a sudden.

“Please stop fighting.” Devon’s plea made him hesitate as he

contemplated heading after Druis before he did something he
regretted.

“I don’t like to see you upset, either one of you.” Devon turned to

look at Layden. “Life’s too short to waste begin angry all the time. I
get that your clans have history, but that doesn’t mean you have to
hate each other.”

Abraxas chuckled at Devon’s statement. If he only knew the half

of it. He could never hate Layden, not in a million years. To him,
Layden would always be that wide-eyed, dark-headed little boy

Jana Downs

staring up at him with tearstained cheeks as he clutched tightly to his
outstretched hand. He smiled in remembrance, forgetting why he’d
been so angry in the first place.

“Devon’s right,” Layden admitted. “I don’t know what came over

me. Today has just been a weird day. In fact, this whole week has.”

Abraxas watched hungrily as Layden ran a hand through his

tousled hair, carelessly wetting his luscious lips as he spoke. A wave
of desire coursed through him as his heartbeat quickened in
recollection of the way he’d felt beneath him. Looking at Devon and
him standing next to each other, his mind wandered to images of them
both.

He shook his head, trying to free himself of his carnal desires.

Since the trip had started he’d felt like nothing more than a teenage
boy with raging hormones all over again. He had to get out of here
and clear his head.

“I feel it!” Devon exclaimed as he practically pushed both of them

down and ran toward the far end wall. He and Layden shared a
puzzled expression.

“Feel what?” Abraxas asked as he followed him over to see what

had caught his attention.

“The gem! I can sense it. It’s definitely in this room.” No sooner

had the words left his mouth then an eerie fog began to surround
them. The temperature seemed to drop below freezing almost
instantaneously as the moisture in the room started to condense.

“Damn it’s cold.” His observation was unnecessary as Layden and

Devon had already begun shivering. “What is this? Some kind of
test?”

Layden nodded. “I believe so. You’d expect something as

magically empowered as those gems to be protected in some manner.
Let’s keep searching. It’s bound to turn up now that we know it’s
here.”

Devon in Wonderland

Abraxas nodded, and they began feeling every crevasse of the

cavern wall. Minutes turned into an hour and still no gem or sign of
the rest of their group.

“Well, I know it’s in here somewhere,” Devon stated, clearly

perplexed by the fact that they hadn’t found it yet. “I can feel its
pulsating energy, but it’s almost as though it fills the entirety of the
room and I can’t tell exactly where it’s coming from. If I can sit and
focus my thoughts more, maybe I’ll get a better idea of where to
look.”

Devon sat down on the large smooth stone located in the center of

the room as Abraxas and Layden returned to their searches.

A shrill scream had them both turning back around to see what

was wrong. Even in the dim lighting, they could make out Devon
being slowly sucked into the stone he was sitting on. The entire
consistency of the rock had changed and now it was more of a small
liquid pond, floating in mid-air. Layden and Abraxas both lunged for
Devon, trying to reach his out stretched hand before it was too late.
But there efforts were useless. Instead, they collided with the floating
object, headfirst into a very solid barrier.

They looked on in horror as they watched Devon struggling inside

the magical object, clearly under water and unable to breath. Just
when Abraxas thought things couldn’t get much worse, they did. A
blinding blue force emitted from the pond, throwing Abraxas and
Layden’s bodies like rag dolls against the cavern wall.

A corporeal form began to form right before their eyes, and

Abraxas reached for his magically infused dagger. Layden followed
suit, prepared to fight whatever beast materialized. A deep chuckle
echoed throughout the room, leaving the hairs on the back of his neck
standing.

“Who are you?” Abraxas demanded, his gaze shifting around the

entirety of the room, while he focused his attention on the rather
human-like ghost materializing before him.

Jana Downs

“I am the original Azure clan heir, and I have been ordained by

the Dragon God, Ryujin, to protect the sacred water gem of Raj from
ill-intentioned seekers who wish to unrightfully claim it.” A sadistic
grin spread across his very blue-colored facial features.

Abraxas clenched his jaw as he looked for any kind of weakness

he could easily exploit.

“Stupid dragons, you’re forgetting the more important question,”

the corporeal ghost said as he stepped to the side, giving both him and
Layden a direct line of vision to Devon as he pushed against the
invisible barrier, desperately struggling for air. “The most important
question is, how do you plan on stopping me before I kill him?”

Devon in Wonderland

Chapter 4

The sudden electrical pulses in the room had Layden reeling.
“What do you think you’re doing, Abraxas!” he shouted just in

time before Abraxas conjured up enough power to fry them all.

“What?” Abraxas said, clearly confused by Layden’s attempt to

stop him. “We don’t have much time. Let’s fry his ass and save
Devon!”

Layden detected a hint of panic in his voice as his eyes never left

the target, but Abraxas ceased his advancement, waiting to hear what
Layden had to say.

“You can’t use your powers. He’s a spirit of water. The electricity

will move straight through him and back into us, or worse it could hit
the enchantment and kill Devon.”

The charged atmosphere vanished almost instantaneously as

Abraxas reluctantly pulled his stare from the spirit and met Layden’s.

His expression was filled with fear, something Layden had never

seen on his beautiful face until now.

“Tick, tock,” the spirit’s voice chided, just before he shot a blast

of water from his corporeal hands. Layden turned around, too late, as
he saw the water hurtling straight for him. He braced for the impact,
but was pushed to the ground by Abraxas’s large frame as he
sheltered him with his body.

The water circled around Abraxas’s wrist and ankles before

pulling him against his will and slamming him into the far wall. The
crunching sound that echoed in the cavern as his skull and back
collided with the rock caused Layden’s breath to hitch.

Jana Downs

“Abraxas!” he shouted, scrambling to his feet. This couldn’t be

happening. Why did he do that? Why did Abraxas risk his life for
him? Layden watched in horror as Abraxas body became limp against
the water bonds.

“Well, that was easier than I thought. I guess you’re next.”
Layden glared up at the spirit in anger. “You bastard.” He

growled.

The spirit smirked and shot another stream of water in his

direction. Layden was anticipating it this time and jumped out of the
way just as the stream collided with the dirt ground he stood on
moments before.

Come on, Layden, think.
His gaze flickered to Devon’s weakening form. He was running

out of air and fast. But what could he do? He wasn’t a fighter. That
was Abraxas.

“This is getting boring.” The spirit feigned a yawn.
Layden took a deep breath. He needed to focus and conjure his

powers. He could do this. Abraxas and Devon were counting on him.
He clutched his fists.

“Well, if I’m boring you, why don’t you put an end to this?”

Layden taunted, encouraging the spirit to take the bait. The spirit’s
eyes narrowed.

“Are you testing me, boy?” He flicked his tongue against his teeth

as he raised his hand and pointed it at Layden.

“No. I’m daring you.”
The irritation was obvious on the spirit’s face. He apparently

didn’t like being called out.

“You arrogant little brat. How dare you speak like that to someone

as great as me.” Beads of liquid began to pool in his palm as he
summoned forth yet another stream of water. There was no running
this time. Layden reached up and met the burst of water head-on,
outstretching his own hand.

Devon in Wonderland

Water was his specialty. As a descendent of the spirit that stood

before him now, Layden hoped he could best him. The water began to
circle around his outstretched wrist. He focused his energy. Conjuring
water for a water dragon was easy. Manipulating its properties to
change its state was complicated.

Layden felt his draconic powers course through his blood as he

grasped the stream.

“Game over.” A slow grin spread across Layden’s face as he

forced his energy out of his hand and into the liquid. A cracking
sound erupted from his fingertips as the water began to freeze. A
momentary look of shock came across the spirit’s face before his
powers reached the corporeal being, turning him into ice.

Layden watched as the spirit crumpled to the ground, shattering

into pieces. The spell was lifted and the enchanted pond fell to the
rock floor, releasing its contents and Devon onto the ground. His
gasps for air were followed by a loud thud as Abraxas collapsed to the
ground in a heap. Layden rushed to his side, checking his vitals and
shifting his head in his lap.

“Is he…okay?” Devon panted, crawling toward them, shivering

from the cold. Layden wrapped his arm around Devon for warmth as
he curled to his side.

“I’m not sure. Are you okay?” He looked down at Devon with

worry in his expression.

“Yeah.” He nodded. “Just a little cold.”
“Mmm.” Abraxas groaned as he came to.
“Oh thank god,” Layden said, breathless, as tears began to pool in

his eyes. He couldn’t bear the thought of losing him, even if Abraxas
was the biggest ass in the entire world.

“I think I broke some ribs,” Abraxas declared. His voice was

raspy as he coughed out the last part and winced in pain. Layden
leaned forward to get a better look and noticed the crumpled mess of
his lower rib cage.

Jana Downs

The mixture of panic at seeing Abraxas hurt like that had tears

falling one right after the other as he smiled down at him. He was
going to be okay. That was the important part.

“Hey now, why the sad face? You know it’d take more than that

to kill me.” Abraxas coughed as he reached up to wipe away Layden’s
tears.

“What’s going on?” Druis’s voice interrupted them, and the rest of

the group came running into the room.

“We found the gem,” Devon explained. “It’s over there.”
He pointed with a shaky finger in the direction of where the

enchantment had collapsed, and sure enough there was a small blue
stone glimmering in the puddle of water.

“Awesome.” Dru beamed as he rushed to pick it up. Asher and

Ezekiel on the other hand noticed Abraxas’s injuries and came
rushing to his side.

“What happened?” Asher demanded.
“The Azure clan ancestor was guarding the stone. It nearly killed

us.” Layden’s eyes narrowed as he spoke. “I was unaware obtaining
these gems was going to be so risky.”

“Ah! It’s cool. Nothing we can’t handle.” Abraxas dismissed

Layden’s concern as though his near-death experience was some kind
of joking manner. “Besides I saw you take down that ghost like he
was nothing.”

Abraxas pushed himself up, clutching his side as he did so.

Layden didn’t find this funny at all. Asher held out his hand for
Abraxas and helped him to his feet. Layden stood and reached for
Devon, draping a warm arm around his shoulders.

“I think we need to get out of here before he catches cold and so

Ezekiel can check out Abraxas’s injuries,” Layden said, still not
convinced that Abraxas was okay.

“Yes. We also need to plan our next move more carefully since I

now know there’s potential danger surrounding the other gems,”

Devon in Wonderland

Druis added. His tone was serious and authoritative as he held up the
gem, trying to get a better look at the details.

“Well, we’ve got one down. That only leaves four more to go.”

Cerilius grinned, and Layden found it irritating. How could he be so
happy about what had just happened?

“Whatever.” Layden shrugged, pulling Devon with him as he

made his way back out of the cavern. He’d be happy if he never saw
another cave again.

* * * *

It was nearly nightfall when they finally exited the cave. The

ground was partially moistened, Devon noticed, and he suspected it
must’ve rained while they were inside.

“Aw man. All the supplies!” Druis’s aggravation was noticeable

as he rushed to the soaking-wet camels where all their camping gear
was equally sopping.

“How do the tents look?” Asher joined him in the inspection.
Devon sighed. Could this day get any worse? How often did it

rain in the freaking desert? Granted they were on the outskirts but
still. Devon limped to a semidry place to sit, just grateful to be out of
the damp and dingy cave.

“Easy, Abraxas, you’re going to worsen your injuries if you don’t

lie down and let me look at you.” Ezekiel’s motherly tone made
Devon smile. He really was a gentle soul.

He watched with amusement as Abraxas tried to play off his

injuries, but Ezekiel wasn’t taking no for an answer. He managed to
wrestle Abraxas down long enough to bind his ribs and give him
some pain medicine.

“Would you like for me to start you a fire?” Layden’s voice

caught him by surprise as he turned to face him.

Jana Downs

“If it wouldn’t be too much trouble.” He smiled warmly at him.

Devon watched as he collected what little dry wood he could find for
Asher to ignite.

“You know, I never got to say thank you,” Devon called. He

blushed when he caught sight of Layden’s flexing back and shoulder
muscles as he laid a particularly heavy pile into the fire pit he’d made.
He turned to look at Devon, sweat glistening down his chest.

“For what?” he asked, shrugging as he ran a hand through his hair.
“For saving me, of course.” Devon’s eyes met Layden’s, and he

couldn’t help the smile that spread across his face.

“Oh that. That was nothing. I was only doing what any normal

person would do given the circumstances.”

Devon shook his head. “Not in my world. Most would’ve saved

their own asses first. So thanks.”

Layden sat down next to him and motioned Asher to come on

over and start the fire.

“What are you guys talking about?” Abraxas’s voice boomed

behind them as they both turned around simultaneously.

“I was just thanking Layden here for saving me.” Devon tucked a

strand of hair behind his ears.

“Oh, well I guess I’d better say thanks, too, since he did prove to

be quite the little hero today.”

Devon caught the intense stare Abraxas gave Layden as he spoke

the words with a smile. There was definite chemistry between the two
of them. Were they a couple? Had they been a couple? He wasn’t
sure.

Figures. All the good ones are always taken.
“I’d rather you not thank me. I much prefer you being a cynical,

uncaring asshole.” Layden abruptly stood and stormed off, heading
toward Cerilius and Druis.

Abraxas sighed. “I can never do anything right with him.” He

moved to sit down next to Devon.

Devon in Wonderland

“Maybe you should just try to talk to him. My brother always told

me communication was the key to having a successful relationship.
Although I can’t actually attest to its effectiveness since I have never
had a successful relationship…” He trailed off, realizing he was
beginning to babble again.

Abraxas cocked a half smile. “You are amusing, human, but I

think it’d take a lot more than talking for me and Layden to ever work
things out. Besides, there’s someone else he likes now.” His eyes
shifted to Devon’s as he raised his eyebrows.

“Oh! I–uh–that’s not necessarily true,” Devon stammered as

Abraxas’s grin widened.

“There’s no point in denying it. I saw you holding his hand the

other night, and I see the way he looks at you when you’re not
looking.”

Devon’s lips thinned as he paled.
“You were spying on us?” he asked incredulously.
Abraxas shrugged. “Not spying, per se. I just went looking for

Layden when I realized he wasn’t in his tent. That’s all.”

Devon wasn’t buying his innocent act. “That doesn’t mean he

likes me.” Devon’s gaze narrowed in on Abraxas’s rugged,
handsome, and slightly irritating expression.

“Sure it does. I’ve known Layden far longer than you, and I know

when he likes someone.” There was a long pause as his expression
became somber and he stared intensely at the now-blazing fire.
“Besides, there’s someone else I like as well.”

When Abraxas turned back around his eyes were filled with such

intensity that Devon’s breath hitched.

“There is?” His voice was barely a whisper.
A wicked grin spread across Abraxas’s face. “Yes, and I wanted

you to know my intentions before you made up your mind. I like you,
Devon Avalon, and at the end of this journey I want you to think
about your options.”

Jana Downs

He stared at him, speechless for a moment. He couldn’t believe,

not one, but two gorgeous men were interested in him. Never in his
entire life had he been the center of so much attention. There had to
some ulterior motive. This just didn’t make any sense to him. Maybe
they really did want to become king that bad, so bad in fact that they
would resort to seducing him.

“I’m flattered, but well, I’m leaving at the end of the two months.

I don’t think it’s such a good idea to even let myself think of starting a
relationship with either one of you. Besides, if you guys want to
become king that bad, I don’t mind choosing one of you. You don’t
have to pretend to like me for that.”

Devon stood up with a forced smile on his face as he tried to hide

the hurt. “I’m going to go and see if the camping gear is all right. I’m
pretty exhausted from today’s events and would like to go to bed
soon.”

“Devon, wait. That’s not what I—”
But he didn’t stop to listen. Devon couldn’t hear Abraxas’s denial,

because deep down inside he knew he was lying. No man that
gorgeous had ever been interested in his bookwormy self. He just
prayed that he could hold out on his desires for both men for two
more months. Then he could go home and put all this behind him.

* * * *

Well, that was smooth. Abraxas chided himself as he watched

Devon walk away from him. He sighed in frustration as he stood and
made his way after him.

You’re following him, the voice in the back of his head taunted,

and he shrugged. No. I’m hungry and the food just happens to be in
the same direction, he responded without thinking. Great, now I’m
talking to myself.

“I’m sorry, Devon, but it looks like your tent was destroyed in the

downpour earlier. I’m guessing one of the camels probably brushed it

Devon in Wonderland

against the rock when they tried to get under the trees and it tore the
canvas,” Druis said apologetically.

“Damn it. That’s just my luck. I really wanted a nice dry change

of clothes, too.” Devon sneezed as he shivered from the chill of the
breeze.

“Just what I was afraid of, you’ve caught a cold,” Layden said as

he wrapped an arm around Devon. Something about the gesture
pissed Abraxas off. He found himself oddly jealous of both of them.

“Here, I’ll fix you some tea,” Ezekiel offered as he stood and

made his way over to the fire with his pot and some water.

“No really, it’s fine. I just need to rest a little.” Devon smiled,

causing Abraxas’s heart to skip a beat. God he was beautiful and he
didn’t even realize it.

“Well, since your tent’s destroyed, you can take mine. I don’t

care.” Layden’s thoughtful tone was really starting to irritate him
now.

“Really? But I couldn’t possibly take your bed. I could sleep on

the floor or something. I wouldn’t mind.” Abraxas watched as Layden
smiled at Devon with a tenderness he’d only ever reserved for him,
and he clenched his fists in frustration.

“That’s okay, love. I’ll take the floor as long as you don’t mind

sharing a tent with me.”

Love? He has a nickname for him now? That’s it.
“Hey now, I don’t think it’s right you two sharing a room. For all

we know you could just be trying to seduce him for the crown. Isn’t
that right, Devon?” His tone was harsher than he’d intended, but he
was just so damned pissed off by the entire situation.

How dare he accuse Abraxas of having an ulterior motive for

liking him and then turn around and bat his eyelashes at Layden while
he sweet-talked his way into his pants. It was bullshit.

His temper flared as he tried taking deep breaths to calm himself.

Logically, he knew Layden really was just being a gentleman. He was
always like that, thinking of others. That was one of the things

Jana Downs

Abraxas liked most about him when they’d first met. So why did his
actions all of sudden bother him? Was it just because they were
directed at Devon instead of him? Could he really be that jealous?
The last thought that entered his mind made him stop. Maybe he was
overreacting.

“Abraxas is right.” Cerilius’s agreement caught him off guard as

he did a double take at the green dragon. They had never seen eye to
eye. Never.

“I am?” He blinked incredulously.
“He is?” Devon stated, perplexed by the sudden turn of events.
Cerilius nodded his head. “Yeah, I think the dark one over here

makes a valid point.”

Abraxas snorted at the nickname and glared.
“Maybe he’s right,” Druis said as he intervened to keep the peace.

“Why don’t Abraxas and Layden both share a tent with Devon? That
way you can keep an eye each other and we don’t have to worry about
dealing with the fact that your tent had also been ruined, Abraxas.”

Abraxas glared at Druis, certain he was doing this on purpose.
“Why don’t I just sleep out here, since it’s going to be such a

problem?” Devon offered and all the men turned to look at him like
he was crazy for even suggesting the idea.

“You’re joking, right?” Dru bluntly stated as he raised his

eyebrows at him. “We can’t leave you exposed to the elements,
unprotected. What kind of men would be if we did that? No, your
only options are to share a tent with Layden and Abraxas since
Layden’s is really the only one big enough to hold more than one
person or to take my tent and I’ll sleep out here on the ground. You
decide.”

Abraxas watched as the human shifted uncomfortably, unsure

about what to pick.

“Fine,” Devon said at last, his bottom lip pouting in protest. “I’ll

share a tent with Layden and Abraxas. Now if you don’t mind, I’m
going to go drink my tea in peace and try to get rid of my headache.”

Devon in Wonderland

Devon turned, taking the tea Ezekiel was holding out for him, and

headed toward the fire. Layden glared at Abraxas for a long moment
before following Devon.

Abraxas grabbed one of the drinks from the cooler and followed

after them, annoyed at the entire situation. Sleeping with Layden was
the last thing Abraxas wanted, but Layden’s tent was the largest and it
didn’t really make sense to ask one of the others to give up their space
if what Druis said was true and his tent had also been ruined.

* * * *

“So why did you agree to Abraxas’s obviously jealous outburst?”

Ezekiel asked suspiciously as he raised an eyebrow in Druis’s
direction. Dru grinned from ear to ear and shrugged.

“You know as well as I do he and Layden need to work through

their problems. They used to be best friends when they were younger.
I just hate to see them grow apart because of their families.” He
smiled innocently, but Ezekiel wasn’t buying it.

“Uh-huh. Sure, and what does Devon have to do with your

reconciliation plans?” He took a sip from the bottled water as he
leaned against the cooler and watched the three sitting around the fire
as Asher played a bit of his violin.

“I think they may need a little push is all.” Dru shrugged.
Ezekiel shook his head. “And you think Devon will be that push?

What happens when they start fighting over him? You ever think that
far ahead in your scheme? You know dragons are jealous creatures by
nature.”

Dru just grinned. “See, Zeke, that’s why you got to always look

on the bright side of things. I simply don’t think that’ll happen, and it
won’t. You know I’m a bit of a romantic. Besides, it keeps Cerilius
off my back. He’s paranoid one of them is gonna seduce Devon to
become king. As if Abraxas and Layden are that underhanded.”

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Ezekiel snorted. “You’re a mess, Dru. An absolute mess. I think

your optimistic attitude is going to cause nothing but trouble. I like
Abraxas and Layden just as much as you, but I worry about Devon.
You know as well as I do that the dragon nature is always close to the
surface. I’d hate it if something bad happened.”

“Yeah well, that’s why I have you. You’ll keep an eye on ’em for

me, won’t ya?” He winked, and Ezekiel rolled his eyes.

“I don’t have time to be playing games. I do have a kingdom to

worry about, you know,” he said with a false sense of seriousness.

Dru just smiled. He knew him too well. They had been best

friends too long not to know each other inside and out.

“All right, all right,” Ezekiel agreed. “I’ll keep an eye on them for

you.” There was no way he could ever really tell Dru no.

“That’s what I thought. Now, help me put up the tents, blondie.”

* * * *

“I don’t understand. Things should be progressing at a much faster

rate. Why aren’t they consumed with jealousy by now?” Maeva
demanded for no one but herself to hear as she stared into her magic
mirror. Tapping her fingers lightly against her chin, she began pacing
her study.

The spell had worked, she was sure of it. The attraction between

them was obvious, but still they ignored their emotions and desires.
She needed something to amplify her spell. Something that was sure
to make them consumed with desire and jealousy.

Looking at the stock shelf, she began sifting through her potions

and herbs. Her gaze fell upon the Dragon Ambrosia, an elixir made
for the gods, and she reached for the vial carefully. The potion was
powerful, and there was no known cure for its effects. This would
ensure that the other dragons would no longer be able to resist the
temptation.

Devon in Wonderland

She made her way to the mirror, summoning their sleeping

quarters. One drop was all she needed and Devon’s pheromones
would be completely and utterly irresistible to Layden and Abraxas.
Their dragon instinct would take over. There would be no more
control. She lightly tapped out a single drop and watched as it fell
through her portal onto the pillow reflected in its glassy surface. Now
all she had to do was wait for them to sleep. Come tomorrow, her
pawns would be exactly where she wanted them.

“Let the madness begin…”

* * * *

Devon moaned as he felt Abraxas’s hot breath against his flesh.

He could feel his desire coursing through his own body as though
they were one. His lips moved closer to Devon’s exposed nipples,
teasing them with his tongue. He gasped at the sensation.

“Easy, love. You don’t want to spoil all the fun just yet.” Layden’s

low, husky voice from above caused Devon to open his eyes. He was
greeted with the sight of Layden’s naked form, staring down at him
with a devilish grin planted on his lips.

“I’m not spoiling all the fun. I’m just getting started.” Devon

could hear the amusement in Abraxas’s voice as he returned to
trailing kisses along his abdomen. Lower and lower.

“Abraxas, I—” he panted just as he reached the hard cock nestled

between Devon’s legs. Unbelievable pleasure wracked through his
body as Abraxas didn’t pause. His tongue danced across his
mushroom-shaped head, sending a jolt of desire through Devon. His
eyes rolled to the back of his head as Abraxas took him deeper into
his mouth.

“You like that, love?” Layden asked as he reached for Devon’s

erect nipple.

“Yes.” His voice was breathless as the feel of Abraxas in between

his thighs sent shivers down his spine. He licked and sucked every

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inch, sliding Devon’s cock in and out of his mouth, driving Devon to
the edge before he pulled back. Devon looked down and was met with
Abraxas’s mischievous, lust-filled gaze.

“Now comes the fun part.” He grinned as he pushed himself up.

“He’s all yours, Layden.”

Devon glanced up at Layden, unsure of what torturous pleasures

he had in mind.

“Go on, Layden. Fuck him.” There was no teasing, no easing into

it. Layden slicked his hard cock with some lubrication and positioned
himself in between Devon’s legs. In one swift moment he shoved his
dick deep inside. Pain and pleasure from the sensation nearly sent
Devon over edge as Layden began pounding in and out of his tight
hole.

“Open your mouth,” Abraxas ordered.
Devon did as he was commanded. Abraxas’s thick cock pressed

inside his mouth, and Devon eagerly took him deep inside his throat
until he couldn’t take anymore. He pulled back and swirled his tongue
on the head of Abraxas’s dick, lapping at the traces of pre-cum that
had begun to form. Devon moaned at the taste of him and reached for
more, working Abraxas’s balls and thick shaft to bring him more
pleasure.

“Fuck,” Abraxas groaned as he entwined his fingers in Devon’s

hair and forced his cock back down his throat.

Devon loved the feel of both men moving in and out of him at the

same time. His muscles tightened as Layden hit his sweet spot,
threatening to make him come. Layden wrapped his hand around
Devon’s hard dick, stroking it in rhythm with the pace he’d set. Devon
moaned against the cock stuffed in his mouth. He was close to coming
completely undone.

“That looks tasty. Can I have some?” Layden asked as he ground

his hips, driving himself deeper inside Devon.

Devon in Wonderland

Abraxas pulled from Devon’s mouth, and Layden leaned in closer.

He’d never had a threesome before, but he found himself oddly
attracted to the idea of watching both men touch each other.

His gaze fixated on them as Layden bent down and took Abraxas’s

cock into his mouth. Layden slid his cock back inside Devon, sending
another rush of desire straight to his cock.

The sight of Abraxas fucking Layden’s mouth was enough to drive

him over the edge. Devon threw his head back as he came, his
muscles tightening uncontrollably around Layden’s cock. Two thrusts
later and he joined him, filling Devon full with his cum.

Abraxas shoved Layden from his dick and growled. “I want to be

inside him when I come.” He panted as though he were trying to
control himself, and Layden flashed him a wicked smile.

“Be my guest.” He pulled out from inside Devon. His legs were

already shaking from the orgasm. He felt Abraxas shove two fingers
deep inside his tight hole before pulling them back out and licking
every inch of Layden’s sticky seed off.

“You both taste divine.” Abraxas’s voice was velvet as he pressed

himself against Devon’s entryway.

Abraxas rocked his hips, setting a rough and hard pace.
“That’s it, Abraxas. Harder.” Devon’s encouragement must’ve

done him in because his two thrusts later, Abraxas came, his cock
buried deep inside Devon. Abraxas collapsed on top of him as Devon
tried to catch his breath and slow his erratic heartbeat.

“God, I needed that,” Layden said as he joined them, curling next

to them both and wrapping his arm around Devon.

Abraxas leaned up and placed a kiss upon Layden’s lips. Devon

gazed onward, watching as their tongues mingled with one another.
He licked his lips anxiously as they reluctantly pulled away from each
other.

“How I’ve missed you, my Layden,” Abraxas said, breathless. He

cocked a half grin before pulling away from Layden’s attentions to

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look down at Devon. “And you, Devon. How I’ve hungered for you
since the moment I first laid eyes upon you.”

Devon met Abraxas’s tender gaze with his own and smiled.

Reaching out, he pulled Abraxas toward his lips. The kiss set fire to
every fiber inside him as he let Abraxas surround his senses. His lips
danced across Abraxas’s as his tongue teased him mercilessly. This
was where he belonged.

* * * *

The erotic dream didn’t end with Devon waking as he slowly

opened his eyes to find himself passionately returning Abraxas’s kiss.
Before his senses could return, Layden’s fist collided with Abraxas’s
jaw, knocking him to the ground.

“What the hell do you think you are doing?” Layden exclaimed,

shaking his hand from the impact of the punch.

Abraxas sat up from his fallen position on the floor as he rubbed

his bruising jaw.

“I uh—” Abraxas started, searching for some kind of explanation.
“You ‘uh’ what? Tripped? Fell?” Layden was shouting now as

Devon sat up, looking from one man to the next.

“I don’t know what came over me okay? I must’ve been sleep

walking or something.” Abraxas’s eyes narrowed as he picked
himself up off the floor.

“Sleep walking, that’s a new one,” Layden scoffed. “Yeah, right. I

know you only wanted to sleep in here so you could put the moves on
Devon yourself. How lame were you for insinuating that I would try
something so sneaky and underhanded. I’m not the one that needs to
be watched, obviously.”

The coldness in Layden’s tone echoed in the room as Devon

watched him stare down Abraxas, his arms folded across his chest.
Devon didn’t know what to say. He wanted to stop the fighting, but
every thought that came to mind sounded lame.

Devon in Wonderland

“Layden, I’m—”
“Don’t. Say. It,” Layden said through clenched teeth, and the

tension in the room increased exponentially. “Don’t you dare say
you’re fucking sorry.”

Devon could’ve sworn he saw Layden’s eyes tearing up, but the

lighting was too dim to be sure. Abraxas stood silently frozen by
Layden’s words, and Devon could tell he desperately wanted to reach
out to him. So did he for that matter.

“You’re a lying bastard. You swore to me that I was the only one

for you.” Layden’s voice broke as he tore his gaze away from
Abraxas and ran a hand through his messy hair. He slumped back
down onto his makeshift bed on the ground.

Silence lingered in the room as Abraxas stared longingly after

Layden before returning to his own bed.

Devon didn’t say anything, couldn’t say anything. This wasn’t his

battle, and yet something weighed heavy on his heart, knowing that
his presence alone had been the cause of all this.

“You lied, too,” Abraxas said at last. “I know you like Devon.”

The hurt in Abraxas’s voice was evident.

Devon closed his eyes and lay back down. Silent tears slid down

his cheek as he bit his lip to keep from making any sound. He didn’t
want this. He didn’t want them fighting over him, especially not when
there was already so much tension between them to begin with.

For the rest of the night, he tossed and turned, trying to ignore the

guilt and hurt he felt. He couldn’t help the fact that he was attracted to
both of the men, and he hated that he seemed to be causing them
nothing but suffering. Tomorrow he’d just have to insist that he sleep
outside. Devon didn’t know if he could take another night of this.

Jana Downs

Chapter 5

Their travels the next day were tiring and awkward. Layden and

Abraxas were back to not talking to each other, and Devon was
exhausted from the lack of sleep the night before.

“I think here’s a good place to stop for lunch,” Dru said eagerly as

he turned to face the rest of them.

“Oh, thank the god.” Asher breathed a sigh of relief as he sat

down the backpack he’d been carrying for the past hour. They took
out their rations and began to eat in silence. By the look of it,
everyone was tired and worn out from traveling so much.

“Why don’t we rest a couple hours?” Devon offered, looking at

Druis, who was currently stuffing his mouth full.

“Hmm?” He swallowed and smiled. “Sure, good idea. I think we

could take a little break from walking.”

Devon looked to Layden and Abraxas for conversation, but they

were too busy trying to avoid eye contact to notice. Not that he
should’ve really expected any different after the fight they had the
night before.

Sighing, Devon stood up and made his way over to the cooler for

some more water. As he grabbed a fresh bottle and made his way
back to his seat, Ezekiel’s sketch he was working on caught his
attention. Devon moved in closer to look over his shoulder for a better
view. He was talented, to say the least, and Devon watched as
Ezekiel’s hands moved effortlessly over the page, sculpting an exact
replica of his subject matter out of nothing as he did so.

“That’s beautiful,” he said in awe as he admired the drawing of

him, Layden, and Abraxas.

Devon in Wonderland

“Thank you.” Ezekiel tucked his long hair behind his ear and

blushed a little at Devon’s compliment. “Why don’t you join me?”

He moved over to where there was room for both of them on the

rock he’d been using as a seat.

“Do you care if I take a look at your other drawings?” Devon

asked eagerly, and Ezekiel nodded as he handed him his sketch pad.

With gentleness, Devon turned the pages, examining each piece of

art and admiring the attention to detail. He was halfway through his
sketchbook when something about the particular drawing he was
looking at made him stop. It was a simple sketch, not too much
shading, but there was something in the expression of the two young
boys holding hands that called to him. There was a sadness to their
eyes as they stared out at him from the page.

“Who’s this?” Devon asked, pointing to both boys as he looked up

at Ezekiel.

A warm smile spread across his face. “That’s Layden and Abraxas

when they were younger.”

“You knew them when they were little?”
Ezekiel nodded. “Yeah. We used to all meet at the white dragon

palace sanctuary and play when we were kids while our parents
conducted council meetings with the king.” His fingertips lightly
touched his sketch as though he were remembering a different time
and place. “They used to be real close, inseparable even, but all that
changed after Layden’s parents forbid him from seeing Abraxas, and
now so much has changed with Layden becoming clan heir and the
death of his brother. Sometimes I think that if Alex had taken the
Azure clan throne, there wouldn’t be so much tension between them.”

His expression became somber as he looked toward the two men

who were completely oblivious to their conversation.

“Alex is Layden’s older brother?” he asked.
“Yes. May I?” He reached for the sketchbook.
“Oh, sure.” Devon handed him the book readily and watched as he

began flipping through the pages. He stopped on a portrait of a frail-

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looking man with long black hair. His big beautiful eyes held a hint of
vacancy as he stared out the window.

“This is Alex,” Ezekiel stated with admiration.
“Wow.” Devon raised his eyebrows. “He’s gorgeous!”
Ezekiel nodded. “His beauty is most revered across the lands, but

hardly anything else is known of him as he’s never been seen outside
the Azure palace walls. Even though he was next in line to be clan
heir, for some reason Layden’s parents chose Layden instead.”

“But why didn’t he become the clan heir after his brother’s

death?” Devon looked at him, perplexed.

He shrugged. “Who knows? No one’s said anything, only that

Layden is to be clan heir and that as clan heir he must be here to
compete for the throne and bring pride to his people. If you ask me,
though, I don’t think he wants to be clan heir, let alone King of all
Draconia.”

“What makes you say that?” Devon asked as he met Ezekiel’s

gaze.

“I think it’s mostly because I know what it’s like to have to take

on the responsibility of an entire kingdom and not want it.”

“You didn’t want to become king either?”
Ezekiel shook his head. “No. I much prefer the confines of my

painting studio back home. After my parents’ death during the Fae
Wars, I became clan leader at a young age. I have no interest in
becoming king. Taking care of my own kingdom is enough
responsibility for me. The only reason I’m here is to show my support
and represent my people. I know I can’t handle the responsibility of
rebuilding my own kingdom and ruling over the other clans, but it
brings a sense of pride to them just knowing that I’m here. It’s
something they need right now to lift their spirits. Plus, it’s not all
bad. I get to see my old friends again.”

Ezekiel looked around the campground and smiled. “Even if

they’re being stubborn, it’s still nice to have a break from my duties.”

Devon in Wonderland

Devon’s brow furrowed as he studied Ezekiel. “The Fae Wars?

What was that?”

“It was an attack from the neighboring Fae kingdom. They killed

a large portion of my people in their rampage to get to the White
Dragon City where they continued their slaughter, killing every last
white dragon within the city confines. That is except for the late king.
I don’t really remember it since I was just a toddler when it happened,
but I do remember having to work with my advisors to help rebuild
the cities.”

“It must’ve been hard on you, having so much responsibility at

such a young age.”

Ezekiel shrugged. “It was at first, but I’m used to it now. I just

want peace and happiness for my people. I think that’s the most any
good ruler can hope for.”

“All right, let’s move out! We need to hurry if we’re going to

make it to the Saffron Temple by nightfall,” Dru called, interrupting
the conversation. Ezekiel stood and began packing up his supplies.

“Hey, Ezekiel, isn’t that near your clan?” Devon asked as he

helped him gather his drawing utensils.

“Sort of. It’s actually near the remains of what used to be the

Saffron palace before it was destroyed in the War. It was my home
once upon a time.”

Devon handed him another notebook. “You know, I’m sure

everyone would understand if you didn’t want to come with us for
this one.”

“It’s okay, really. I think I’ll be all right, but I’ll let you know if it

bothers me too much.”

Devon flashed him a warm smile. “Okay. I’m going to go get my

things together before Druis yells again.” He turned and headed
toward his things.

“Hey, Devon.”
He turned back around at Ezekiel’s call. “Yeah?”

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“Thanks for listening. It’s nice to have someone to talk to every

once in a while.”

* * * *

“This is it. This is where the second gem is supposed to be,” Druis

said eagerly as they stared out at the pile of rubble.

“And exactly how are we supposed to find it in all this rock?”

Asher cocked an eyebrow at Dru as he gestured to their surroundings.

“Simple. It’s supposed to be in the underground temples. There

should be some kind of passageway leading down to it. The rest will
be up to Devon.”

“How did I know you were going to say that?” Devon groaned.
Druis grinned. “So it’s settled then. Let’s go ahead and start

searching. There’s a few hours of daylight left. Abraxas, can you tie
up the camels in the shade while I, Layden, and Cerilius prepare some
supplies?”

Abraxas nodded and went to do as he was instructed.
“Hey, Zeke, why don’t you and Devon start getting enough water

for us to carry since we won’t be able to drag the cooler down there,”
Dru called over his shoulder before following Layden and Cerilius
toward the technical gear to see what they might need to bring.

Devon looked at Ezekiel and half smiled. “Guess it’s just me and

you then.”

He grabbed a couple bottles of water and packed them in the

assortment of backpacks.

“Hey, Ezekiel,” he called over his shoulder. “Can you hand me

Layden’s bag so I can put some water in it?”

He waited a couple of minutes, but there was no response.

Turning around he spotted Ezekiel staring off in the distance at the
ruins. He approached him and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Devon asked.

Devon in Wonderland

Ezekiel raked a nervous hand through his hair. “Not really. I don’t

think I can do this.”

His amber eyes met Devon’s. “Hey, it’s okay. I told you, you

didn’t have to come with us. I’ll even talk to Druis.”

He sighed a breath of relief. “Thanks. Hopefully, he won’t be too

mad.” Ezekiel cast an apprehensive look over his should in Druis’s
direction.

“He’ll be fine,” Devon reassured him. “I’ll see to it.”
“Thanks,” he said as his gaze shifted uncomfortably to the ground.
“Hey, do you think you could prepare me some of that tea? I’m

not feeling too well, and it always seems to do the trick after a long
day. Plus, I’d really like some with my dinner when we get back.”

Ezekiel nodded enthusiastically at his offer. “You bet, Devon.

You be careful, though. The Saffron clan’s magics are powerful, and I
only hope you guys don’t run into any trouble like we did last time.”
His brows furrowed in concern.

“Don’t worry. I’ll have the rest of the guys with me. Now let’s go

finish packing.”

* * * *

Devon was beginning to hate damp, cold places. The musty smell

that filled his nostrils caused him to sneeze for what had to be the
hundredth time since they’d first found the entrance to the
underground temple. He much preferred the dry, desert wasteland on
his explorations.

He squinted his eyes, trying to see the path ahead as Cerilius held

the light in front for him. The rest of the men were following behind,
waiting for some kind of signal that he’d found the gem. The only
thing Devon was able to sense was a faint signal off in the distance,
but nothing definitive.

“Have you found it yet?” Dru asked for the seventh time, and

Devon rolled his eyes.

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“No, Druis. Like I’ve said before, it’s still a faint signal.”
“But we’ve been walking for hours,” Asher complained, and that

made him smile a little.

“Toughen up, boy. We’ve got a mission to fulfill.” Dru slapped

Asher’s back, and he groaned at the sensation.

“Yeah but you’re not the one who’s had to carry everything today.

I’m so tired!”

“Asher, you’re ridiculous—” Devon slipped midway through his

sentence as his foot came into contact with a slime-covered rock.
Cerilius reached for him, catching him just before he fell on his ass.

“Thanks.” He looked up at him, and Cerilius smiled.
“Don’t sweat it. Just be careful. We’re getting close.” Cerilius’s

eyes narrowed in the dark abyss that awaited them. Just as they started
progressing forward again, a deep rumble sounded and the ground and
walls began to shake.

“What’s going on?” Devon exclaimed. Cerilius reached out and

touched the crumbling walls. A green energy surrounded him as he
closed his eyes.

Almost instantaneously, he opened them, only this time panic was

reflected in his stare.

“It’s a cave-in. Everyone follow me!” Cerilius ordered, turning to

the rest of the group, but it was too late. Devon watched in horror as
the ceiling collapsed on top of them. He covered his head with his
hands, anticipating the blow, but Cerilius lunged forward, knocking
both of them out of the way just in time.

He looked on in shock and disbelief as the rock continued piling

high, separating him and Cerilius from the rest of the group. A
moment later, all vibrations had stopped and the only evidence left
was the giant rock wall, trapping them inside the cave, and the stirred-
up dust around them.

“No!” Devon exclaimed as he pushed himself from the ground

and ran toward the wall. Cerilius was right behind him, grabbing his

Devon in Wonderland

wrist before he even had time to reach the first rock. He turned toward
him with tear-filled eyes.

“If you’re not careful, it’ll collapse on top of you,” he warned.
“But what if they’re still alive! They could be hurt,” Devon

pleaded as his lip trembled at the thought of anyone of them being
fatally wounded.

“Devon,” a faint voice from the other side called, and

instantaneous relief consumed him.

“I’m here! Are you guys all right?” he yelled back.
“Yeah, we’re fine. We managed to get out of the way in time.

What about Cerilius?”

Devon could tell it was Abraxas speaking even though his voice

was muffled by the dirt wall separating them.

“He’s fine. We’re both okay.”
“All right, we’re going to try to dig a way through to you guys.

Hopefully it won’t take too long since we need to try to find this gem
tonight before there are any more cave-ins.”

Cerilius cursed as he kicked a loose rock. “Damn, this is going to

take all night and we’re already exhausted.”

Devon turned and looked at him. “Don’t you have the power over

earth? Is there anything we can do to help them?”

He cocked his head in his direction. “No, I’m afraid if I use my

powers I might cause another cave-in. It’s too risky.”

Cerilius thought for a moment. “I do have an idea, though. Hey,

Dru,” he called.

“Yeah, Cerilius?” Druis’s reply sounded closer this time.
“Devon and I are going to continue onward and search for the

gem. That way we can conserve time since we don’t know how long
the stability of this underground temple is going to last.”

An uneasiness settled in the pit of Devon’s stomach at his words.

He didn’t like this idea, especially after the last encounter he had
when they were searching for the gem, but Cerilius made some valid

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points. It would save them some time, and time was something they
didn’t have the luxury of wasting if this cave-in was any indication.

There was a long moment of silence that followed his proposal,

and he knew Druis was weighing the risk in his mind.

“I’m not happy about this, but go on and we’ll catch up.”
“What do you mean we’ll catch up? Devon could be put in

danger!” Layden’s voice protested in the distance, and his concern
brought a smile to Devon’s face.

“Yeah, what the hell are you thinking, Dru?” Abraxas growled.

He was happy to see them agreeing again, even if it was temporary.

“Don’t worry. I’ll be fine,” Devon said with confidence. He

couldn’t let them see his worries. It would only make them more
upset. He needed to be strong. He turned toward Cerilius with
confidence.

“Let’s go.”

* * * *

The temple room was thankfully free of cave-ins as Devon and

Cerilius walked through the doorway. The room was huge in
comparison to the tiny corridors they’d been navigating for the past
hour, and Devon wondered how the others were doing.

“This is it,” Devon whispered nervously as he felt the pulsating

energy of the gem emitting from the center of the room. Cerilius
stepped in and he followed close behind him.

“Who dares to enter the sacred temple of the Golden Dragon?”

The voice seemed to come from everywhere at once as Cerilius and
Devon turned to pinpoint the source. A flash of blinding light from
the pillar in the middle of the room answered them as they stumbled
backward, shielding their eyes.

When the light dimmed, Devon looked up. Before him stood, or

rather floated, another non-corporeal entity.

Devon in Wonderland

“Let me guess, you’re the Saffron clan ancestor sworn to protect

the gem, yadda yadda yadda.” Cerilius waved a hand of dismissal and
grinned. The corporeal being lifted its chin and smirked.

“And who are you?”
Devon found his bravery and stepped forward. “We’re the ones

that will be taking it now if you don’t mind.” He placed one hand on
his hip and readied himself. He’d be prepared this time.

The spirit shrugged. “Fine with me.” He pulled out the gem from

the pillar and held it up for them to see before swallowing it. Devon
watched in disgust as he could see the gem travel down his throat into
his stomach through the spirit’s translucent cavity.

“Whoever dares to pull it from my body can have it. It’s that

simple.” The wicked grin that spread across the being’s face made
Devon suspicious. Nothing in this land was ever simple.

“Ew. That is so gross.” He shuddered and looked at Cerilius. He

raised an eyebrow at his slightly paled complexion.

“I’m not sticking my hand anywhere near that thing,” Cerilius

exclaimed as he took a step backward.

Devon shook his head.
“Fine,” he sighed stepping forward. “I’ll do it.”
“No, wait, Devon. You don’t understand. The Saffron clan has the

power to—” But his warning came too late as Devon reached out,
passing through the semi-permeable putty material, and grabbed ahold
of the stone.

The spirit grinned as his suddenly solid hands wrapped around

Devon’s wrists. Panic filled him as he struggled to free himself from
the sentient being’s grip.

Something was wrong. It was as though he could feel the life

draining out of him. His vision blurred as he felt his strength leaving
him.

“Foolish boy.” The spirit’s voice filled his mind as he lost the last

of his strength. The spirit’s words echoed around him, and darkness
enveloped his consciousness.

Jana Downs

Chapter 6

Cerilius rushed to Devon’s now-limp form just as the spirit

vanished from sight. His skin was cold to the touch, and he feared the
worst. Golden dragons were notorious for their healing abilities but
even more known for their power of death itself. Moving as fast as he
could, he grabbed the gem from his hand and stuffed it in his pocket
before lifting Devon into his arms. How foolish he’d been to bring
him here by himself. If he died now, he’d never have a shot at
becoming king.

Cerilius made his way back through the rubble as fast as he could,

cursing himself for causing the damned cave-in to begin with. He’d
only wanted some alone time with Devon. He saw how cozy he was
getting with the rest of the clan heirs, and when the opportunity arose
for him to potentially get some of his own alone time with him, he’d
impulsively acted by separating them from the rest of the group. He
looked down at his paling form and cringed. Druis would have his ass
if anything happened to him. He had to hurry.

He could see the rest of the group running toward him now.
“What happened?” Layden asked, reaching him first.
“It was the Saffron clan ancestor. We’ve got to hurry and get up to

Ezekiel. He’ll know what to do.” There was obvious panic in
Cerilius’s tone as he rushed past them all toward the exit.

“The tunnel’s not big enough for us to maneuver his unconscious

form through, and who knows how long it’ll take us to clear a path
big enough,” Druis stated as his eyes narrowed on Cerilius. Cerilius
didn’t dare meet his stare. He was too afraid of the anger he’d see
reflected in Druis’s gaze.

Devon in Wonderland

“I don’t have that much control over the earth to move that much

rubble without causing another cave-in,” Dru added, noting his
limited abilities. “But you could at least try, Cerilius. I know you’re
stronger than me. You might be able to get us through without killing
us.”

Cerilius nodded and passed Devon to Abraxas.
“God he’s so cold,” Abraxas stated as he held Devon closer to his

chest and followed Cerilius to the cave-in.

“I need some space.” Cerilius gestured to the others to stay back

as he bent down and placed a hand on the wall of debris standing in
their way. He closed his eyes and focused his powers much the same
way he’d done when he caused the cave-in. A green aura emitted
from him as he connected his spirit with the earth. Earth was a green
dragon’s specialty, and as the Jade clan leader, clearing an area like
this was a piece of cake.

Opening his eyes, he forced his power outward, into the rock. The

rocks began to move on their own. Some of them moved to the side,
while others moved back into the hole from which they fell. When he
was sure he had a hold on every loose rock, he motioned for the
others to pass through.

“I’ve got it. Come on.”
Abraxas and Layden went first as they rushed with Devon to the

exit. Asher and Dru followed. When he was sure everyone was safely
out of the way, he, too, passed under the rock and released his hold on
the debris. Gravity instantaneously acted upon the rock he’d been
holding and the passageway became once again sealed off from the
outside world.

The light at the end of the tunnel told them they were close as they

dashed out of the tunnel and headed toward the encampment.

“Ezekiel!” Layden called once they were in sight of him. He

turned at Layden’s distressed tone and began running to meet them.

“What happened?” he asked when he saw Devon’s limp body.

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“We were in the temple and the ancestor of the Saffron clan

appeared before us with the gem. He said if we wanted it we had to
take it from him and then he swallowed. I tried to warn Devon, but it
was too late. He reached in him and pulled it out. Something
happened. It was as though he drained the life out of him,” Cerilius
explained, unsure of what else to say.

Instant panic crossed Ezekiel’s face. “Quick lay him down near

the fire.” He pointed to the fire pit he had built while they were in the
tunnel. “If we don’t hurry, he’s going to die.”

Abraxas did as he was told and placed Devon on one of the

blankets next to the heat of the flame.

“What do we have to do?” His face was filled with alarm as he

stared up at Ezekiel. Ezekiel motioned for everyone to sit around
Devon, and they obliged. He positioned Devon’s head and placed his
hand on his chest.

“I’m going to connect us through to his soul. It’ll be up to you to

find him and convince him to come back. His will is the only way he
can survive this.”

“And if we can’t find him and convince him to come back to us?”

Druis asked, raising his eyebrows at Ezekiel.

“If you don’t, he dies.” Ezekiel’s gaze narrowed pointedly at

Cerilius, and he swallowed nervously.

“I don’t understand. What happened? What did that thing do to

him?” Cerilius asked a little apprehensively.

“I don’t have time to explain it right now. The longer we sit here

discussing it, the harder it will be to find Devon and bring him back.
Now, everyone, put your hand on his body and close your eyes. This
may be a little painful.”

Cerilius did as he was told. Ezekiel’s chanting began, and small

electrical pulses coursed from Devon’s skin to his fingertips. A flash
of white light engulfed his senses, sending him hurtling toward an
unknown destination.

Devon in Wonderland

* * * *

Layden opened his eyes to an almost-empty void. There were

various corridors veering off in many different directions. He turned
around to get his bearings, but it wasn’t like any room he’d ever been
in before.

“Where are we?” Abraxas’s tone was filled with curiosity and

astonishment as he suddenly appeared next to him.

“I don’t know. I think we’re inside Devon’s consciousness. I keep

seeing flashes of images of him appearing in the distance,” Layden
whispered softly.

“That’s exactly right,” Ezekiel said as he materialized behind

them.

“What do we do now?” Druis questioned. Asher and Cerilius

appeared next and moved in closer.

“Now you find him. I need to stay here and keep the connection

open. It’d probably be best if you split up.”

Dru nodded in affirmation.
“All right. Layden and Abraxas go that route. Cerilius and Asher

follow me. Don’t forget we have to hurry, so be quick and sharp in
your searches.”

Abraxas grabbed Layden’s wrist and pulled him in the direction

Druis had pointed them in. They headed off at a sprint, taking the first
corner they came to and stopped. From the ground to higher than they
could see were rows and rows of panels, displaying interactive images
of what appeared to be Devon at various stages in his life.

“Whoa,” Abraxas said as he took in the sight before them.
“You can say that again,” Layden agreed.
“Come on, let’s keep going.” Abraxas motioned for Layden to

follow him, and he obliged. They passed dozens of Devon’s
memories of his brother, and Layden couldn’t help but notice how
close they seemed to be. They were nothing like him and his older

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brother. Devon’s smile was so warm and he looked happy when he
was with him. Layden wanted to always see him this happy.

They continued, going deeper into his consciousness. The further

they traveled, the younger his memories seemed to be getting. There
was some of him and his father. More often were the ones of him
telling Devon stories about dragons. Layden stopped to watch one
particular scene where he was showing Devon a map of their lands
he’d found on a recent archeological dig.

“Come on. We gotta keep moving.” Abraxas turned to see what

had caught his attention.

“I know,” Layden stated, but gave no indication that he was ready

to leave. “He just looks so happy and carefree here. Nothing like how
he is back in our world.”

Layden looked up at Abraxas, meeting his gaze. “I like seeing him

happy.”

There was a long moment of silence before Abraxas responded.
“I know,” Abraxas agreed as he moved closer. “But we have to

keep searching or we won’t ever have the chance to see him happy
again.”

Layden nodded, and they continued making their way through the

mountains of thoughts and memories. They moved deeper and deeper
into Devon’s mind. The surrounding temperature was near freezing at
this point, and there were few panels of memories now.

Layden shivered. His kameez and thin pants weren’t the best

outfit for the sudden climate change.

“I don’t think he’s back here,” Layden stated skeptically.
Abraxas held out his hand and motioned for him to be quiet. He

pointed in front of him, and Layden’s eyes followed the direction.
Directly ahead of them was the largest panel they’d encountered so
far.

“What is it?”

Devon in Wonderland

Abraxas shrugged as they approached cautiously. The screen

showed an image of an older woman, smiling as she sat near an open
window. It was more of a photograph than a memory.

“That must be his mother,” Abraxas noted. “I wonder what

happened to her. She doesn’t appear to be in any of Devon’s other
memories.”

All of a sudden, the screen dimmed into darkness. Layden and

Abraxas exchanged a brief confused look before continuing to stare at
the blank screen.

“Murder,” Devon’s voice echoed from all around the room. “My

mother was…murdered.”

Blood red droplets began to form on the screen as the image of

four-year-old Devon crawled out of bed and made his way down an
empty hallway.

“Mama?” His small voice called as he paused at a doorway. There

was no answer. Layden and Abraxas looked on as his tiny hand
reached for the doorknob. Layden was silently screaming at him not
to look, knowing the fate that awaited him from Devon’s earlier
words.

He pushed open the door and peered in. The scene before them

was so gory and grotesque Layden had to turn away before he became
violently ill. There were so many body parts in so many pieces. Why?
Why would anyone do something like that to another person?

Devon’s screams sounded, and Layden shut his eyes tightly.
That poor boy…How horrible. Layden repeated the thoughts over

and over again in his mind, trying to forget the image that was forever
burned inside his memory. No one should ever have to endure such
tragedy or see something so horrific.

Layden felt Abraxas’s hand on his shoulder, and he turned to him

for comfort, trying to control his breathing and to stop the tears that
seemed to pour out of him against his will.

“That’s…” he breathed.

Jana Downs

“I know,” Abraxas said in understanding. The scene was just too

horrible to speak of out loud. It took him a while to compose himself,
but reluctantly they began their search, careful not to glance back in
the direction they’d just come from.

Abraxas broke the silence first. “It must’ve been hard for him to

go through all that. It really makes you think of things differently,
knowing that at any moment your life could be taken from you.”

His rambling was irritating Layden. Now wasn’t the time to be

contemplating their own immortality when Devon was near death.

“Yeah, what’s your point?” he snapped. Abraxas didn’t take the

hint.

“Well, I mean it just makes you think about the things and the

people you live for. It makes you think about how so much time is
wasted on petty fights and wars. I guess I should have a little more
appreciation for the people I have in my life and be grateful they’re
still around for me to care about. I just think I should fight more for
the people I love…like I’m fighting for you.”

Abraxas looked at him with tenderness in his eyes, which only

made Layden’s temper boil more. How could he say something like
that?

“You’re fighting for me? You can’t be serious.” Layden stopped

and turned to look at him. “You’ve never fought a day in your life for
me, Abraxas. Look at us. You let our families tear us apart. I loved
you, and yet you did nothing when my parents locked me in the
palace. You never came, not even once, to see how I was doing. You
never even tried!”

All the things he’d been holding inside for so many years seemed

to just burst out of him as Abraxas stood there looking at him in
shock.

“Layden, I–I did. I came every day. Didn’t you know?” His

pleading expression caught Layden off guard. This was not how he’d
envisioned this conversation going. “I was never allowed anywhere

Devon in Wonderland

near the main entrance, but I always came. I came to Azure city with
nothing but the hope of just seeing you. Just for a few minutes.”

Liar, Layden wanted to shout, but the sincerity in Abraxas’s eyes

as he spoke told Layden that he wasn’t.

Abraxas pulled him into his arms, not allowing any room for

Layden to protest. Abraxas leaned down, pressing his lips to
Layden’s. The kiss was passionate, filled with the need and want
Layden had been suppressing for the past few years.

“Abraxas,” he whispered, breathless. Oh, how he’d missed that

wonderfully delicious mouth. The love he’d buried deep inside came
roaring back to life with just one touch. Layden didn’t care if their
families forbid their love. He didn’t care about what the others would
think about him. All that mattered was that they had found each other
again.

“We should hurry and find Devon,” Layden said as he pulled

away from Abraxas’s touch. As much as this moment meant to him,
he knew it was incomplete without him there.

Abraxas nodded. “Yes, I’ve become quite fond of him.”
They exchanged a knowing look. It was unusual for people in

their world to have two mates, but it did happen and something inside
Layden knew Devon was theirs.

Abraxas’s expression hardened as his gaze fixated at an

indiscernible point behind him.

“What’s wrong?” Layden’s brows furrowed in concern.
“I thought I heard something.”
Layden pursed his lips as he listened intently for any sound in the

cold void that surrounded them. Sure enough, off in the distance in
the direction they were headed in, Layden heard the soft whimpers of
what sounded like someone crying.

“This way.” Layden motioned for Abraxas to follow as they took

off running in the direction of the sound. For the first time since
wandering through this creepy place, he felt hopeful. He knew it was
Devon. It had to be him.

Jana Downs

A small shape curled on the floor in front of him had Layden

slowing his pace.

“Devon?” he said as he approached. The figure didn’t respond in

any way, but Layden knew it was him. Physically he looked fine.
Mentally he looked…broken. That was the only word that came to
mind as he looked upon his thin and pale, crumpled form.

“What is it? What’s wrong?” Abraxas asked in a concerned tone

as he knelt down next to Devon.

When he didn’t respond, Layden and Abraxas lifted him up.

Almost instantly he reached for Abraxas.

“Why?” he whispered, throwing his arms around his neck. Layden

looked up at Abraxas as though he might have a better understanding
of what he was talking about, but he looked just as confused as
Layden felt.

Devon shoved at Abraxas’s chest and looked up at them both with

tearstained cheeks. “Why do you both hate each other so much? Life
is too short for hate.” He spat the last in disgust. “My mother is dead
because of hate. Her murderers hated her and my father for being
wealthy. They hated me.”

Devon put his head in his hands and began rocking back and forth.

“I know hate, and you two don’t hate each other. So why do you
pretend? Why do you fight?” His voice was barely a whisper. Layden
didn’t know what to say. He didn’t know how to answer that question.
To be honest, Devon looked very much insane at the moment.

“We don’t hate each other,” Abraxas said, answering Devon like

he didn’t sound insane. “In fact, we love each other very much. We
are…used to be lovers.”

Layden watched Abraxas’s saddened expression at the correction

from present to past tense and realized in that moment just how much
pain he’d felt over their breakup. The separation had hurt him, too.
Abraxas really did care about him, and he’d been such a fool to think
otherwise. How could he have ever doubted him?

Devon in Wonderland

“We just lost each other along the way. But you helped us come

back together, and now we want to help you. We like you, Devon.”
Layden tried to reach him this time as he cupped Devon’s cheek and
pulled him toward him.

“I don’t believe you,” he said softly, but didn’t push him away.

“You just want me to make you king.”

Devon seemed so fragile in his arms as Layden clung to his shell

of a soul. For whatever reason, Layden knew the gods had brought
them together, and he didn’t plan on letting him go anytime soon. He
remembered the memories he saw of the young, carefree little boy,
and he vowed to bring that life back to him. He would teach him to
love and trust in life again. Death and sorrow didn’t have to be the
only things that filled his memories. There could be love and
happiness.

“I’m not lying to you, Devon. I do like you and so does Abraxas.

If you let us, we’d like to show you what it means to be happy again,
to feel loved again.” His words were convincing and filled with
assurance as he stood, lifting Devon into his arms. Abraxas stood as
well and grabbed hold of the hand closest to him.

“That’s right, Devon. I may have started this journey with the

hope of becoming king, but it was only so Layden and I could be
together one day. I wanted to put an end to our clan’s feuding and live
the rest of my life in peace with the ones I love. I never knew I’d meet
someone as wonderful as you, and I would never dream of using you
to become king. If you don’t believe me, let me show you the kind of
person I really am. Come back with us and give me a chance.”

Abraxas looked down at Devon. His pale complexion looked

pitiful as Devon stared longingly back at both of them before finally
nodding his head in affirmation.

A dark aura surrounded Abraxas as he summoned forth his power

and opened his mind to both Layden and Devon. Flashes of Abraxas’s
memories brushed across Layden’s mind.

Jana Downs

They were their memories. He could feel Abraxas’s emotions as

they held hands for the first time, kissed for the first time, made love
for the first time.

He could feel Devon’s presence and knew he was sharing the

experience with him. Further into Abraxas’s mind they fell as Layden
remembered his own version of the memories. Flashes of forbidden
love awakened him to rediscovering his emotions for Abraxas he’d
buried long ago. Then came the harder times as their young love
faded and the burden of both their birthrights became too heavy to
bear.

Their passion was replaced with doubt and insecurities as their

families pressured them until finally it ended with their messy
breakup. The pain Abraxas had felt at losing Layden and the
hopelessness that followed when he came to the Azure city day after
day, year after year, with no sign of the one he loved made Layden
feel ashamed for trying to convince himself that Abraxas had hated
him all those years.

The years kept speeding past them until they finally reached

present time when Devon had first arrived in Draconia. Layden could
feel Abraxas’s nervousness when he first laid eyes upon him, and the
emotions Devon had awakened inside him the first time they talked.

Then came the desire Abraxas had been harboring for Devon on

the night they’d kissed. It was the same attraction Layden had felt for
Devon himself. Whether their feelings were a blessing or a curse,
Layden didn’t know, but he knew there was no way he could ever
choose between them. They both stirred great passion and desire in
him, and now Layden knew Abraxas felt the same way.

When they had reached the end, Abraxas broke the connection

and a pained expression crossed his face as he looked at them both.

“Now do you see? I need you both to be complete and I think you

do, too, so what do you say, Devon? Are you willing to take a chance
on us?”

Devon in Wonderland

Devon wrapped his arms around Abraxas, pulling him close.

“Let’s go home.”

* * * *

It had been hours since they’d returned and Devon still hadn’t

gained consciousness. Ezekiel had reassured them that it may take a
while for him to regain his strength, but that he would be fine and
well when he did. Abraxas watched over him now as the fire blazed
brightly in the night time sky. At least his color had returned. That
alone had made him feel better.

He couldn’t stop thinking about his mother, though, and the image

of Devon stumbling upon her mutilated corpse was just…awful. He’d
asked the others if they had seen any of Devon’s memories when
they’d returned, but Druis, Cerilius, and Asher had all looked at him
like he was crazy. They told him they had found nothing but a dark
empty space, nothing like what he had described. Ezekiel had said it
was probably because they were never actually able to penetrate the
guards Devon had up to protect himself from the outside world. For
some reason Layden and Abraxas had managed, though, and that was
a good thing. If they hadn’t been able to reach him, it was very likely
that Devon would be dead by now.

“You about ready for bed?” Layden asked as he approached the

camp fire.

“Yeah,” Abraxas said as he stood. He bent down and lifted Devon

in his arms. He snuggled to his chest, and it brought a smile to his
face as he followed Layden to their tent. He gently laid Devon down
on the bed and covered him up.

“He’s still running a fever,” he noted as he placed the back of his

hand to his forehead. He was shivering now in the absence of the fire.

“What should we do?” Layden asked concerned.
“We could keep him warm with our body heat. It might help him

sweat out the fever, which will be good.”

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Layden nodded and pulled off his shirt and pants, stripping down

to his boxers. He crawled in next to Devon and wrapped his arm
around his waist. Abraxas did the same, and he cradled him to his
chest. He inhaled the human’s scent as he pressed his lips to the top of
his forehead.

He silently groaned in frustration at the hard-on between his legs.

It had been too long since he’d enjoyed the feel of a lover, and his
gaze flickered to Layden.

“This feels nice,” Layden murmured as he met his stare. “I don’t

know why but I feel connected with this fragile human, almost as
though we were destined to meet and be drawn together.”

Abraxas raised his eyebrows. “I thought you were jealous of my

obvious attraction to him. Are you trying to tell me you’ve been
feeling the same way I have?”

“Yeah, so what if I have?” Layden smiled, knowing full well

Abraxas had been intensely aware of Layden’s attraction to Devon.
“Our relationship has always been a little taboo, why not include one
more? Besides, that’ll take care of my jealousy problem since we’ll be
sharing.”

Abraxas chuckled at Layden’s suggestion. “I think we’d better

wait until Devon wakes up to see how he feels about it, but I’m glad
you’re open to including him in our complicated relationship. I don’t
understand this strange connection we have, but whatever it is, magic
or other, I don’t care. I just want to make you and him happy and I
swear I’ll never leave your side again.” He stared intently at Layden
as he entwined their fingers.

“I know,” Layden whispered. “Goodnight, Abraxas.”
Layden squeezed his hand gently, and Abraxas’s lips turned

upward into a half smile. “Goodnight, Layden.”

Devon in Wonderland

101

Chapter 7

“Damn it!” Cerilius kicked at a pile of books he had stacked in his

room. They scattered across the floor, and he frowned. The more time
passed, the closer Layden and Abraxas got to the human, and it was
pissing him off. He turned, nostrils flared, and glared at the mirror
sitting on his dresser. Maeva’s worried and frightful face stared out at
him.

“What’s taking so long? You told me you had taken care of

them!” he shouted as he walked over toward the enchanted object.

“I did, I swear,” she pleaded. He wasn’t buying it. He knew better

than to rely on others for help. He’d been better off just killing them
both in one of the caverns.

“Baby, please.” Her gentle persuasion calmed him a bit as he

lifted the sheet of glass, tracing a finger along the edges of her figure
as he did so. He licked his lips.

“Tell me again exactly what you did,” he stated in a calmer

manner.

She sniffled back her tears that she’d begun to shed when he’d

first started yelling.

“I–I,” she stuttered, and he waited patiently for her to compose

herself. “I bound their souls together and amplified their physical
attraction to the human in hopes that their dragon instincts will
become amplified. That, coupled with their already existing
animosity, should ensure fighting to break out amongst them at any
moment. That’s when you step in and convince Devon you’re the
right one for the job as king. See, baby? I did well, didn’t I?”

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He snorted and rolled his eyes. She was pathetic, but useful. He

would’ve never been able to kill off King Adonis if it hadn’t been for
her devious seduction and magics nor would he have been able to
steal the Night clan orb from his people. The fact that Abraxas’s
cousin had so ignorantly thought that the Azure clan was at fault and
demanded retribution that ultimately led to Reign’s death was only a
plus in his eyes. The less competition, the better. He would’ve never
expected quiet and shy Layden to be a threat.

“Besides, lover,” she continued, “didn’t I help you obtain the

Saffron orb of healing and death during the Fae Wars? Thanks to my
magics it was so easy for you to sneak in with the Fae and slaughter
Ezekiel’s family to steal their most prized possession. That orb has
the ability to harness the powers of a gold dragon. With it nothing will
stop us. And what about the Night orb that I helped you get a few
months ago? The one that will allow us the ability of a black dragon?
We can use that, too.” Her arrogance was irritating him.

“Yes, but I have yet to figure out how to use them. So far they’ve

proven useless to me. What good are those stupid orbs if I can’t
harness their power?” His anger seeped into his tone. Maeva’s
frightened expression caused him to hesitate as he took a deep breath.
“I’ll admit your ability to travel through time has come in handy at
collecting the orbs, but I’m afraid we won’t be able to use it to solve
this particular problem. The Dragon God Ryujin might not take too
kindly if he knew what I’ve been up to. I’m lucky he hasn’t noticed it
yet and you know messing with time, especially to prevent his
summoning, is a sure way to get his attention. That’s why we have to
do this right the first time, my love. Don’t you understand? You can’t
fuck this up. You better make sure Layden and Abraxas are taken care
of.” His eyes narrowed as he stared down at her.

“I know. I’ve got it all taken care of, I swear. Just please…please

don’t be angry with me.” Cerilius watched with amusement as tears
began to slide down her cheeks again. She was so predictable.

Devon in Wonderland

103

“Okay, baby. I know you’ve been such a good girl, and when I’m

king, I’ll make you mine forever.” He smiled as he played the part of
“devoted lover” well. She was nothing but a puppet on a string to him
and she couldn’t even see it.

* * * *

Anger and a deep hatred boiled in Ezekiel’s blood as he overheard

Cerilius’s conversation with the traitorous whore, Maeva. He
clenched his fists, trying to convince himself not to storm in their
right now and exact revenge for what Cerilius had done to his
people…to his family.

He couldn’t breathe. The air around him felt suffocating. He had

to get away from here before he did something stupid.

Stupid, yes, but it would be worth it. He shook his head. No, now

is not the time. He stormed off, heading away from the campground.

“Zeke, what’s up?” Asher’s concerned tone didn’t faze him as he

kept walking, not even slowing his pace.

He didn’t stop until a hand on his shoulder turned him abruptly

and he found himself staring up at Asher’s worried face.

“I asked you a question.” His eyes narrowed, and Ezekiel shuffled

his feet as he looked to the ground.

“It’s nothing.” He shrugged off Asher’s touch and began walking

again, this time at a slower pace.

“I know you better than that, Zeke, and I swore to your brother

before he passed away that I’d look after you.”

He sighed and shoved his hands in his pockets at Asher’s words.

Tears pooled in his eyes at the mention of his eldest brother. What
few memories he did have of his childhood had been filled with
images of his brother and Asher. They had been lovers. He sometimes
forgot that Asher shared the pain of his loss. He turned and rested his
head on his shoulder as he let the silent tears fall. Asher didn’t say

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anything more. He just placed a comforting arm around his shoulders
and waited for him to compose himself.

“I overheard them talking. They killed Demetri.” His brother’s

name came out breathless as he forced himself to say it. It had been
years since he’d spoken about him or his family.

“They killed all of them, and they started the fight that killed

Reign. They killed the king, and now they’re planning on tearing
Layden and Abraxas apart and converting Devon to their side.” He
clung to Asher’s shirt as he forced the words out of his mouth.

“Who did?” Asher’s tone was serious as he placed a firm grip on

his shoulder, pushing him upward until he met his stare.

“Cerilius and Maeva. I heard them talking just now.”
“How could you hear them talking? Maeva’s at the palace, and the

king died of an illness. The doctor even said so.”

Asher frowned.
“I don’t know how they did it! I just know they did. They must’ve

used some kind of magic,” Ezekiel stated defensively.

“But even if that were true, Cerilius wasn’t but a teenager when

the Fae Wars broke out. There’s no way he could’ve led an army and
killed your family. He couldn’t have killed Demetri.” Asher hesitated
when he said Demetri’s name. Ezekiel reached out and placed a
gentle hand on his cheek as Asher leaned against his palm.

“He mentioned something about time traveling. I think Maeva

may be a sorceress of some kind and a very powerful one at that.” He
watched as Asher’s jaw hardened.

“Listen, Ezekiel. If Cerilius and Maeva have done the things you

said, then they aren’t above murdering to get their way and that
includes you. I want you to promise me you won’t do anything
stupid.”

“But what about Layden and Asher?” Ezekiel protested.
“Promise me?” The urgency in Asher’s tone caused Ezekiel to

hesitate.

“I promise,” he said.

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“Good. I’m going to talk with Druis about this. Don’t worry. We

won’t let anything bad happen to Layden or Abraxas.” His reassuring
tone did little to ease Ezekiel’s worries, but he nodded in agreement
anyways. For now he’d have to trust in Asher and hope that they
weren’t too late in stopping Cerilius and Maeva.

* * * *

Devon stared across the room at Layden as he watched him

slowly undress. His muscled physique was causing a throbbing ache
between his as his cock hardened in anticipation of his touch.

“You weren’t forgetting about me, were you?” Abraxas said as he

entered the room in nothing but a towel wrapped carelessly around
his waist.

“Of course not. We were just getting ready for bed.” Layden

leaned in and placed a quick kiss to his lips. Abraxas reached in
between his thighs and began stroking Layden’s hard cock.

“Mmm, you feel good.” Abraxas bit Layden’s bottom lip before

pulling away to stare at Devon.

“What is it, Devon?” His brows furrowed as he made his way

over to the bed, dropping the towel as he did so.

“Nothing.” He blushed, pulling the covers over his naked body. “I

just don’t understand what I’m doing here. You and Layden seem
perfectly content without me. I just complicate things.”

“No, baby,” Abraxas said softly as he closed the distance between

them and gently brushed his cheek with his hand. “You complete us.”

* * * *

Devon awoke suddenly, his body aching with desire. The feel of

two men pressed against him didn’t help. He was a little disoriented
as he ran a hand through his hair. The last thing he remembered was
grabbing the Saffron clan gem and then the feeling of utter

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hopelessness. Somehow Layden and Abraxas had found him and
saved him? Was that right?

“Mmm, glad to see you’ve finally woken up,” Abraxas said as he

looked up at him through his sleep-filled eyes.

Devon smiled. “Sorry I woke you.”
“Don’t worry about it. It’s no big deal. We were worried about

you since you didn’t wake up after we saved you. Ezekiel said it was
because you were still weak. You were running a pretty high fever, so
Layden and I decided to sleep with you to help you sweat it out. I
hope you don’t mind.”

“What’s going on? Is Devon okay?” Layden’s sleepy voice

interrupted their conversation as he sat up, rubbing his eyes.

“It’s okay, Layden. Devon just finally woke up.”
Devon’s heart skipped a beat as he caught sight of Layden’s

defined muscles in the shadows.

Their eyes met, and Layden licked his lips as though he could

sense Devon’s desire. His heart beat erratically inside his chest as the
memory of his dream came flooding back to him.

Layden leaned in close. So close in fact, Devon could feel his

breath against his neck as he inhaled his scent. Layden’s hands
pressed against his waist, and his cock jumped in anticipation.

“God you smell a thousand times better than my dreams. It must

be your pheromones my dragon’s reacting to because I can’t seem to
keep my hands off of you.” His hand traveled lower, resting on
Devon’s thigh.

“Dreams?” he asked, breathless as Layden trailed kisses along his

neck. “You’ve been having dreams, too?”

He sat up almost instantly and looked at him.
“You mean you’ve been dreaming about us as well?” Layden

asked, and Devon nodded. He and Abraxas exchanged glances.

“What? What does that mean?” Devon looked at them perplexed.

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“Usually dragons can only share dreams with their true mates. It’s

supposed to be one of the signs, indicating that they are destined by
Ryujin to be together,” Abraxas explained.

Devon raised his eyebrows. “So does that mean you think we’re

mates since I’ve been dreaming about both of you?”

“I don’t know,” Abraxas answered honestly. “The only sure way

to know that is to stand before Ryujin’s judgment and pass his test,
but that could also mean death if we failed so I don’t know what this
means. I just know I’m having a really hard time controlling my
animal instinct to claim you right now.” His eyes darkened with
desire, but he didn’t move.

“Me, too,” Layden agreed. “It’s almost as though there’s

something about your scent that’s perfectly in tune with my dragon
side and every instinct in me now says to make you mine.” Layden’s
breathing was heavy as his gaze raked Devon’s body. The tank top
and boxers he had on seemed like very little clothing now.

He couldn’t deny the impulse inside that demanded he oblige their

desires. He’d never felt something so strong in his entire life.
Everything about this felt…right.

“I wouldn’t mind,” he admitted with a blush. He’d never been one

to sleep around, but he was finding himself needing them with such
ferocity that he couldn’t deny the impulse despite his better judgment.

Abraxas let out a low growl before his lips collided with Devon’s.

It was all the affirmation he needed, and his kiss was rough and
demanding as he explored every inch of Devon’s mouth.

“You taste even better,” he said, pulling back and lifting Devon’s

shirt above his head. There was no going back now as passion
consumed his every rational thought. Devon reached out, pulling
Layden to him as he captured his lips with a confident kiss. There was
a little hesitation in his touch at first, but Devon quickly gained
confidence as he felt Layden’s rough hands wrap around his waist.

Abraxas stripped, shredding every last bit of clothing. He was

already hard and eager for Devon’s touch. Devon flashed him a

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wicked smile before pulling him closer. He needed them both, and he
needed them now.

Devon’s hand wrapped around Abraxas’s cock as he eagerly

lapped at the bulbous head. Abraxas ran his fingers through Devon’s
hair as he encouraged him further.

“That’s it, baby,” he moaned as Devon moved his hard cock in

and out of his mouth. He swirled his tongue on the head before taking
all of him deep in his throat. He loved the feel of Abraxas inside him.

Layden pulled on Devon’s underwear, seeking to free his hard

cock. Devon spread his legs, giving Layden what he wanted, and
Layden slipped a slick finger into his tight hole as he took Devon’s
cock into his mouth. He whimpered at the sensation.

The feel of Layden sucking on his cock drove him crazy as he

took Abraxas deep into his throat. His pleasure became more and
more intense as he neared orgasm.

Layden slipped another finger inside, stretching his tight hole.

Devon groaned as he nearly came undone just from Layden’s touch.
His sounds of pleasure were muffled by Abraxas’s hard cock as he
fucked his mouth, taking control of the pace. Devon could sense
Abraxas was nearing the edge when he pulled his cock out of his
mouth.

He looked up at Abraxas with pleading eyes, yearning to feel him

inside his tight ass.

“Not yet, love. I want to savor this moment.”
Layden stood up and moved to Abraxas. They kissed as Abraxas

reached between Layden’s legs, stroking his erect cock.

The image of watching the two men touching sent another wave

of desire coursing through Devon’s body as his hand wrapped around
his own thick cock.

Layden whimpered, and Abraxas moved from his dick to his ass

and tight hole.

“Abraxas,” Layden whispered breathless.

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“I want to watch you fuck him,” Abraxas stated as his gaze raked

over Devon’s body.

Layden grinned. “Your wish is my command.”
Layden grabbed a bottle from the side table and poured an ample

amount of lube into his hand. He leaned Devon against the bed as he
positioned himself between Devon’s thighs.

Devon’s breath hitched as he felt Layden’s cock press against his

tight hole. He’d dreamed about this moment since the first time he
laid eyes upon them.

Layden’s hands roamed across his small waist, bracing Devon’s

hips as he inched himself inside. The feel of Layden’s hard cock
filling his hole was unlike any other sexual experience. It was almost
as if their souls were one as he became intensely aware of not only his
pleasure, but Layden’s as well.

Layden moved his hips, setting a slow rhythm as he shoved

deeper and deeper with every thrust.

“How does he feel?” Abraxas’s voice was masked with desire and

want as his gaze fixated on their lovemaking.

“He feels unbelievable,” Layden panted. “He’s so tight around my

cock.”

Devon arched his body in eager anticipation of each pleasurable

thrust. He gripped onto Layden’s shoulders, kissing him as Layden
drove inside him deeper.

Abraxas moved behind Layden and poured a good amount of

lubrication into his hand. Layden shoved into Devon and spread his
legs, allowing Abraxas access. Abraxas slid his cock into Layden,
gradually stretching his tight hole until he’d taken every inch of his
cock.

Layden began moving his hips, pinned in between both men as he

fucked Devon and Abraxas fucked him. Their bodies moved in unison
as all three men came together.

Devon’s eyes rolled to the back of his head as he felt himself

nearing climax. Layden gripped Devon’s hips as he slid in deeper,

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hitting Devon’s sweet spot. Devon cried out as he came hard, his
sticky seed spilling onto his abdomen.

Two more thrusts and Layden joined him, filling Devon’s tight ass

full. Abraxas came last, his cock buried deep inside Layden. They
collapsed in exhaustion onto the bed, each one panting, trying to catch
their breath. Abraxas wrapped an arm around Devon, pulling him
close.

Devon enjoyed the feel of both men as Layden placed a gentle

kiss atop his forehead. Devon smiled weakly, feeling whole for the
first time in a long while. He fell asleep with the comfort in knowing
that they’d both be there when he woke.

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Chapter 8

Devon stretched as he opened his eyes.
“Good morning, sleepyhead,” Layden said as he pulled on his

pants. He gave him a sideways grin as he sat up and swung his bare
legs over the edge of the bed just as Abraxas walked through the tent
entrance.

“I brought you some of Ezekiel’s tea.” He leaned in and placed a

chaste kiss on Devon’s lips before carefully handing him the steaming
hot cup.

“Thank you,” he said with a smile. He could definitely get used to

this. Abraxas motioned for Layden to follow him back outside, and
Layden pulled on his shirt.

“Uh, yeah, we’ll be waiting outside.” He pulled on his shoes and

stumbled after Abraxas.

Devon took a deep breath and sat his teacup on the nightstand.
He closed his eyes as he remembered last night. Shivers ran down

his spine, and he could almost feel Layden and Abraxas’s touch on his
skin. Mixed emotions filled him as he thought about them. When he’d
first arrived in Draconia, the only thing he could think of was getting
back home to his work and brother. Now he didn’t know what to
think. He didn’t expect to fall so fast and so hard for two very
gorgeous men.

Could he really return home, knowing he may never feel their

touch again? He didn’t want to think about that. He just wanted to
allow himself this moment of pure happiness. It had been so long
since he’d felt anything like it. He could deal with reality later. For

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now, he just wanted to pretend that there was a chance that they could
all be happy together.

He slipped on some shoes to match his outfit and made his way

out of the tent. Everyone was already waiting for him.

“How are you feeling?” Ezekiel asked.
“I’m feeling much better actually, so where are we headed

today?” He turned toward Druis as he approached with a map in hand.

“I think our next destination is the Mercer clan. If you’re up for it

that is?” His worried expression warmed Devon a bit. He was almost
beginning to feel like they were family. Druis reminded him so much
of his brother with the way he always seemed to look out for him.

“I’m up for it. Thanks to everyone, I feel great. Better than ever.”

He smiled reassuringly. The truth was he still felt a little fatigued, but
he didn’t want to hold everyone up. Two months was suddenly
starting to feel like not enough time.

“All right then, let’s finish eating and then we’ll start packing

everything up,” Dru ordered, and everyone headed in their own
direction.

“Here.” Abraxas handed him a plate of food. “Ezekiel made

breakfast.”

“Oh, thanks,” he said, taking the plate of food.
“I’m gonna go help Layden with the tent.” Abraxas motioned

toward Layden, who was busy pulling the stakes out of the ground.
Devon could’ve sworn he saw Abraxas’s cheeks turn a faint pink
color as he ran his hand through his dark hair and cocked a half grin
as he looked him up and down one last time before walking off.

God, he was so damn sexy. Devon watched his tight ass walk

away as he headed in the direction of their tent. He licked his lips as
he remembered just how sexy he was, naked and hard for him.
Shaking his head, he pulled his attention from Abraxas and began
looking for somewhere to sit down.

He spotted a rocky area and began walking in that direction,

enjoying the feel of the warm sun on his skin. He was almost giddy

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with joy as he couldn’t keep himself from smiling. Today was
definitely going to be a great day.

* * * *

They walked through the gates of the Mercer clan, and Devon was

in awe at how magnificent the city looked. There were people
bustling about the dirt streets with carts and mules. The market was
like something out of an old-world fairy tale book. Everyone was
dressed in tunics and sari-styled clothing, and Devon was glad he’d
decided upon the tunic this morning.

“This is where you live?” he asked incredulously as he turned

around, taking in the full sight of the city.

“Yup.” Asher grinned. “I actually live over there.” He pointed to

the building that towered over all the other buildings in the city. The
architecture was reminiscent of an Asian-styled imperial palace.

“It’s so big,” he said as he stared in awe at the massive structure.
“Well, I am the clan leader so I guess you’d expect me to live a

little bit like a noble,” he teased. “If you’re interested, we could stay
the night here and finish our search for the gem in the morning?”

Devon nodded eagerly at Asher’s offer.
“Can we, Dru?” he asked with pleading eyes, and Druis sighed in

defeat.

“I guess. It’s already late afternoon anyways, and it beats staying

another night in tents. Are you guys okay with that?”

Dru looked to the rest of the group, and they nodded in agreement.
Asher led them through the palace entrance, into the imperial

gardens. Flowers decorated either side of the walkway, creating an
ethereal scene, like something in a painting.

“There are so many flowers. How do you keep them all

maintained, especially with the desert heat?” Devon wondered aloud.

“This was my mother’s favorite place. She was in charge of them

when she was still alive. I took over the hobby after her death, and my

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servants help when I’m not here, constantly watering them and
making sure they’re properly nourished. It’s a lot of work, but I enjoy
doing it. It makes me feel like a part of her is still with me.”

Devon nodded. He understood what the garden meant to him.

Devon felt the same way about his archeological work. Every time he
discovered something new, it always reminded him of his father and
he felt like wherever he was, he was looking down on him with pride.

“Big brother, you’re home!” a small child’s voice called out and

was followed with a dozen more “big brothers.” They were instantly
ambushed by six small children, most under the age of ten, as they
rushed toward Asher’s open arms.

“We’ve missed you so much!” the smallest young girl spoke as

she threw her arms around his neck.

“I’ve missed you, too, Kara.” The warm smile that spread across

Asher’s face was different than the tough exterior he’d been
portraying since the start of their journey, and Devon was beginning
to see that there was a softer side hidden within Asher Mercer.

“Come on, big brother. We want to show you what we made for

the festival tonight!” The one called Kara tugged at his hand with her
tiny fingers as the others joined in, pulling him toward the entrance.
He glanced back at the group as he was being dragged.

“Feel free to make yourselves at home. I’ll, uh, be back in few

minutes,” he explained before disappearing behind the doorway.

“That Asher has his hands full,” Dru noted, shaking his head and

making his way after him through the door.

“Were those all his siblings?” Devon looked up at Abraxas and he

nodded.

“Yeah, mostly he’s more like a parental figure to them since their

parents died when he was a teenager. He’s had to practically raise
them all.”

“They were killed in the Fae Wars,” Ezekiel explained, answering

Devon’s unasked question. “They died during the war like my
parents. I admire him, though. He’s always been so strong. He even

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took care of me when I was young. I don’t know how he did it, but
Asher definitely has a heart of gold, and god help any man who
threatens him or his family.”

Ezekiel’s gaze narrowed on Cerilius. An awkward silence filled

the room as everyone followed Druis inside the palace.

The inner chamber had huge vaulted ceilings with intricately

detailed crown molding that rimmed the edges of the walls in golden
hues. The walls themselves were painted a deep crimson-red color,
which contrasted nicely with the trim. Ahead of them was a large
staircase with two veering paths leading in the opposite direction. In
the center of the wall at the top of the stairs was a large portrait of
what appeared to be Asher and his siblings along with his parents.

A man dressed in a fine suit greeted them as they walked through

the doors. “Welcome to the Mercer Imperial Palace. Please follow me
to the seating area. Lord Asher will be with you momentarily.” He
bowed, motioning them to follow him through the left doorway. They
walked into a luxuriously decorated seating room, and the butler
gestured to the seats. Cerilius, Druis, and Ezekiel each took one of the
chairs as he, Layden, and Abraxas sat on the sofa.

“Can I get you anything to drink or perhaps some sort of snack

while you wait?” His friendliness made Devon instantly like him.

“I’d like some tea, if you don’t mind?” Devon asked with a smile.
“Not at all and what about you gentlemen?” The wrinkles around

his eyes crinkled as he smiled back at Devon before looking at the
others. They each shook their head no, and he bowed respectfully out
of the room in pursuit of Devon’s tea.

Abraxas put his arm around Devon and grinned as he looked

down at him. Devon’s heart skipped a beat at the sight of his devilish
good looks. Layden reached for Devon’s hand and entwined their
fingers.

Devon was intensely aware of the rest of the group staring at their

public displays of affection, but nobody commented. Thank goodness.

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Devon didn’t know if he was ready to handle questions about them
and their odd relationship.

“Sorry about that.” Asher’s voice boomed as he came through the

doorway.

“It’s cool,” Dru responded nonchalantly.
“Big brother, don’t forget to ask them,” Kara called from the other

room, and Asher shook his head, smiling.

“I won’t, Kara.” He turned around with a wide grin on his face.

“She wants to know if you would like to attend the Summer Festival
we’re having tonight?”

His eyes scanned the room as though he were trying to read

everyone’s reaction. Devon was intrigued. He loved learning about
new cultures, and this would be the perfect opportunity for him to see
what the people of the Mercer clan were like.

“I’d love to. What about you, Layden? Abraxas?” Devon glanced

to both men sitting on either side of him.

“Sure.” Abraxas shrugged.
“Sounds good to me,” Layden agreed. The rest of the group

nodded in indifference, but Devon could feel his excitement already
starting to build.

“Good. So it’s settled then? Tonight, we shall celebrate the

coming season and our success with the first two gems,” Asher stated.
“I’ll have the servants prepare your rooms immediately, so that you
can get ready. The celebration starts in an hour.”

* * * *

“Have you spoken with Druis yet?” Ezekiel’s question startled

Asher as he entered his private chambers. He turned to see Zeke just
as he closed the door behind him. He was dressed in a sage tunic and
had his hair pulled back with a thong at the nape of his neck. Asher’s
breath caught at the sight of him. He looked almost identical to
Demetri, and a sudden pain filled his heart.

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“I spoke with him last night,” Asher answered, returning to his

own wardrobe. He was debating between the silken black tunic he’d
recently had made for him and the traditional crimson garb of his
family.

“What did he say we should do?” Ezekiel approached him until he

stood next to him.

“He said we should keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn’t

do anything suspicious.” Asher fixated his gaze on his clothing
options, too afraid to trust his emotions to chance looking at Ezekiel.

“Well, I’ve been doing some research and I think I know what

kind of spell Maeva did to enthrall Layden and Abraxas with Devon.”

“Oh?” Asher raised his eyebrows, chancing a peek at him from

the corner of his eye.

“Yeah, I think it was a soul binding spell. It’s very powerful.

Luckily, I found this herb that’s said to reverse its effects.” He lifted
up a small pouch with some dried leaves inside to show him.

“I don’t know.” Asher rubbed his chin with his hand as he

inspected the contents of the bag. “They seemed awfully happy earlier
today. Maybe the spell backfired on her.”

Ezekiel stared at him pointedly and snatched the bag out of his

hand defensively. “You don’t know that! For all we know this could
just be the beginning, and besides, it won’t affect any real emotions
they may have for one another, just the spell. Shouldn’t they have the
right to decide if they want to be together or not?”

Ezekiel looked at him with accusing eyes, making Asher recall a

memory of Demetri staring at him with those same accusing eyes.

“Shouldn’t we have the right to decide if we want to be together

or not?”

Asher could still hear the words he spoke on that day as they

echoed across his mind. They had been arguing over their duties as
clan heirs and whether or not their relationship should be sacrificed
for the sake of their duty to their family and people. Asher had tried to
be the rational one, telling Demetri there was no point in continuing

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with their love affair since they would just be forced apart by their
duties, but when he looked at him with those beautiful amber-colored
eyes with tears forming and trickling down his cheek, he’d caved, too
weak to lie to himself and to Demetri.

The memory brought with it a ripping pain inside his soul, and he

turned his back to Ezekiel, too afraid he would see inside his
thoughts. Zeke didn’t need him to be reminding him of all that he’d
lost.

He bit his bottom lip until he tasted blood at the thought of

Cerilius. He couldn’t believe that lowlife had been the one behind the
death of everyone he’d cared about. He’d pay for it. Asher would see
to it, but now wasn’t the time or the place.

“I know,” he said at last, and he felt Ezekiel place a gentle hand

on his shoulder. He wiped away the tears that had formed before
Ezekiel saw them and turned around with a smirk on his face. He held
his hand out for the herbs.

“Here, I’ll tell my cooks to put some in their food tonight. That

way they should be cleared of any enchantment placed upon them by
nightfall and free to listen to their own hearts’ desires as they wish.”

A slow smile spread across Ezekiel’s face as he handed him the

pouch.

“Thanks, Asher. I just hope we can keep Maeva and Cerilius from

doing anything else. I know it must be hard on you, especially since
you were best friends with both Layden and Abraxas growing up and
now that you’re competing for the throne and all.”

Asher shrugged. “Layden, Abraxas, and I are still great friends,

and I honestly I have no interest in the throne. You of all people
should know that.” He lightly pushed his shoulder and winked at him
as he grabbed up the black tunic, finally making his decision.

“I have way too many responsibilities here to even think of ruling

over the rest of the clans. Abraxas and Layden are much better suited
for the job. I just hope Devon’s decision doesn’t cause disastrous
problems for them in the future. You know how their clans are.

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They’re constantly fighting, and I’m afraid without the mediation of
the white dragon race there’ll be war breaking out between the two
Draconian factions before long.” He spoke his worries aloud as he
pulled off his traveling clothes and made his way to the bath his
servants had prepared for him.

“I know what you mean.” Ezekiel sighed as he headed in the

opposite direction toward the door. “Who knows, maybe fate will
bless us for once.”

He left the room without further comment, and Asher stripped off

the rest of his clothes before sinking neck-deep in the hot water. It
warmed his tired and aching muscles as he closed his eyes, grateful
for the relief. He sighed in hopelessness and prayed to whatever deity
was listening, for all their sakes, that they could stop Cerilius and
Maeva once and for all. At least then, they had a chance at happiness,
however slim that chance may be.

* * * *

The dinner Asher had prepared for them was more like a feast,

and Devon had savored every last mouthwatering bite. He had
forgotten what a real meal tasted like and was glad that they had
decided to stay the night in his palace.

They made their way outside and down the palace steps. The full

moon shone brightly in the sky as night settled upon them. The warm
breeze felt good against his skin as the traditional clothes Asher had
given him glistened under the stars. It was a sheer white tunic
complete with a gold embroidered belt and intricate beadwork.

This was definitely not something Devon would wear back home,

but he was enjoying Abraxas’s and Layden’s lingering gazes as they
watched him throughout the duration of the entire evening. He felt
sexy and confident as he turned to face Layden and Abraxas.

“Did I mention you look incredible?” Abraxas grinned as he

looked Devon up and down.

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“Only about five hundred times since dinner.” He smiled playfully

at Abraxas as both men extended their arms for him. Devon linked
their arms, and they walked the rest of the distance down the staircase
together.

Devon couldn’t help but notice how formal their attire looked.

Abraxas wore a black silk tunic with a white sash around his hips,
used to hold the nicely donned scimitar he’d brought mostly for looks.
Layden on the other hand had on a royal-blue tunic with a golden
sash. Devon noticed he had a weapon attached to his side as well. It
was a rapier with a dark-blue handle. He glanced to the others of their
group and realized all the clan heirs had weapons.

“What are the weapons for?” he wondered aloud, asking no one in

particular.

“Every clan heir has their own family weapon that they’re trained

with at an early age. We carry it with us to not only symbolize which
clan we hail from, but also as a sign of our royalty. You see, each
weapon is fused with our own insignia magics and emits a special
aura, letting others know who we are,” Layden explained.

Devon took a second look at the rapier around his waist. It looked

ordinary to him, but he guessed it must be something to do with their
dragon blood that enabled them to sense the auras surrounding them.

Drums and flutes from the festival greeted them long before

Devon even saw the masses of people. They rounded the corner and
were instantly greeted by a thousand smiling faces, cheering their
beloved leader. He watched as Asher and his siblings took their place
in the designated seating areas set aside for the royal family.

There was a huge bonfire in the center of the clearing and Devon

was held captivated as he watched the Mercer clan people manipulate
and control the flames, making them dance around their skin as they
moved their hips to the rhythm of the tribal music.

“That’s incredible,” he said, fascinated by the red dragon-born

people’s ability to control fire. He had seen a little of their powers

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from his journeys with Asher but had no idea they were capable of
anything like this.

Layden cocked a half grin as he sat down in one of the vacant

seats Asher had designated for them. “If you think that’s amazing,
you should see Abraxas and his clan when they celebrate the coming
of the rainy seasons. Anything within a ten mile radius runs the risk of
being electrocuted.”

Devon looked at Abraxas and smiled. “I could believe that.”
Abraxas raised his eyebrows in their direction but didn’t

comment.

Asher’s siblings began running around them, singing songs to the

tunes that filled the atmosphere, and Devon was enjoying watching
how happy everyone was and seeing how lively their culture and
traditions were. At one point during the night, there was even a group
of professional dancers that took center stage in front of the fire. They
performed a well-choreographed routine mimicking the movements of
the red dragon they were impersonating as their bodies were covered
from head to toe in body paint and various costumes that were used to
symbolize the anatomy of the dragon itself.

As the night dragged on, Devon was beginning to feel restless. He

longed to join the others in their dance but was unsure if it would be
appropriate to do so. As though reading his mind, Abraxas stood and
offered his hand.

“Would you care to join me?” His voice was low as Devon stared

up into his turquoise eyes. His luscious lips were curved slightly
upward as he waited for his response. He glanced at Layden.

“You want to dance with us?” Devon asked.
“Sure.” Layden ran a hand through his black hair as he stood up.

Devon took Abraxas’s extended hand and let both men lead him to
the crowd of people surrounding the fire.

A cool breeze filled his lungs as he inhaled the burnt embers from

the flames. The beat of the drums pounded loudly in his ears, and he
began to twist his hips in rhythm with the music. Layden gripped his

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hips, and he pressed his hard body against Devon’s backside. Devon
ground his ass against him, and Devon could’ve sworn he heard a low
growl escape Layden’s lips.

Devon wound his arms around Abraxas’s neck as he moved in

front, positioning Devon in between him and Layden. He placed a
firm hand on Devon’s waist and began to sway in time with Layden.

Devon tossed his head back, exposing his neck. He could feel

Layden’s lips against his skin as he trailed small kisses along his
shoulder. Abraxas leaned forward, claiming his mouth with a
demanding kiss. Devon could taste his desire as Devon’s hands
roamed across Abraxas’s chest, feeling the muscles underneath the
silk material.

He could definitely see himself falling for these men. Whenever

they touched him, it was as though every nerve ending inside him
came alive. He’d never felt so wanted in his entire life.

They danced for what seemed like endless hours, losing

themselves to the music as it flowed through them. All sense of
reason was lost in their lust, which only seemed to build in intensity
with every touch between them until they could no longer deny
themselves the urge to return to their bedchambers and succumb to
their desires.

* * * *

Layden’s lips were like heaven as Devon lost himself in the feel

of the hands that roamed across his body. He wasn’t even aware of
when the dancing had ended and they had arrived back inside his
bedroom. All he knew was how much he needed to feel them.

His heart was racing as Abraxas nibbled on his hip bone, slowly

removing the bottom half of Devon’s outfit. Layden raised his hands
above his head, his lips never leaving Devon’s mouth, as he pushed
Devon down on the bed. He pulled off his top and ran his rough

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fingertips across Devon’s exposed nipples. He gasped at the sensation
as he closed his eyes.

He could feel their desire and the pleasure that their taunting

touches promised. Devon reached for Layden as he stripped off his
clothes. He was already hard, and Devon licked his lips in
anticipation.

His hands roamed the length of Layden’s cock as he swirled his

thumb against the tip. Layden pushed Devon against the headboard
and positioned himself so that his cock was pressed against his lips.
Devon didn’t hesitate as he eagerly lapped at the beads of cum that
were already starting to form, enjoying the taste of him. Layden
buried his hands in Devon’s hair and pushed him down onto his hard
cock until Devon’s mouth was completely filled with him.

“God, that’s hot,” Abraxas commented as he pushed apart

Devon’s legs. He shoved two slicked fingers inside his tight hole, and
Devon moaned at the sensation.

“Mmm, that feels good, baby.” Layden groaned as he quickened

the pace, burying his cock deep in Devon’s throat, forcing him to take
his full length.

Abraxas teased him mercilessly with the fingers buried inside

Devon, preparing him to take his cock. When the pleasurable
sensation stopped, Devon whimpered in protest, but Layden held him
firmly, preventing Devon from moving to see why Abraxas had
suddenly stopped with his touches.

His whimpering was quickly answered with the firm press of

Abraxas’s hard cock against his entrance. He inched his way inside,
allowing Devon time to stretch around his cock. When he was all the
way in, Devon’s muscles tightened, squeezing his hard cock with
eager anticipation. Layden pushed his cock deeper into his mouth
until Devon was sure the back of his throat would be bruised
tomorrow, but he didn’t care. All that mattered was Layden’s pleasure
and the feel of Abraxas’s cock moving in and out of his tight hole.

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Devon loved the feel of both men buried deep inside him. It was

as though they knew exactly what he needed. Abraxas gripped his
hips, pulling him closer him with every thrust. Devon felt his muscles
tighten around his dick. He was so close.

His heart was pounding inside his chest, and he ground his hips in

eagerness. Abraxas fucked him hard and fast, taking his own pleasure
from Devon’s body.

They both did.
Layden came first, spilling himself down the back of Devon’s

throat as Devon swallowed every drop. The sensation of him filling
his mouth while Abraxas fucked his ass sent Devon over the edge. He
came hard, moaning in ecstasy as he felt his muscles contract around
Abraxas, squeezing him tighter and tighter until he, too, came.

Layden removed himself from Devon’s mouth and lay down next

to him, resting his head on Devon’s chest. Devon stroked his hair as
he lay there, completely sated. Abraxas moved next to him and gave
Devon a chaste kiss on the lips before placing a protective arm around
them both.

He was beginning to feel like this was where he belonged as he

entwined his fingers around Layden’s hand.

“Goodnight, Devon,” Abraxas murmured.
“Yeah, goodnight,” Layden said with a sleep-filled tone.
“Goodnight,” Devon sighed.
His mind began to drift the instant he closed his eyes. A deep love

for both men was slowly melting the ice around his heart as Devon
desperately clung to the feeling of belonging that only Layden and
Abraxas could offer him.

* * * *

“The spell isn’t working.” Cerilius’s glared at Maeva from the

enchanted mirror. She didn’t understand. Maeva was sure that her
spells had been successfully cast. The only question remained was,

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125

why hadn’t Layden and Abraxas become consumed by their jealousy?
No dragon born had ever been able to resist the impulse to claim their
mate, especially if another male was threatening them. They should
be fighting to the death over the human by now or at the very least
arguing.

“I don’t understand. Are you sure—” she began, only to be

interrupted by Cerilius’s angered shouts.

“Yes, I’m bloody well sure they’re not fighting. Hell, they were

all over each other tonight at the bonfire, like it was normal to see two
guys drooling over the same guy with no animosity.”

He was on the verge of losing his temper again, Maeva could tell.

She tried to calm him.

“It’s okay, baby. Don’t worry. I’ll look into it and fix it, I

promise.” She batted her eyelashes innocently at him, trying her best
to distract him.

He sighed, and his nostrils flared.
“You better,” he warned. “I won’t be happy if you fail again.”
She exhaled in relief, grateful he wasn’t too mad at her.
They talked a little while longer before saying goodnight. It

pained her to see his image disappear inside her mirror as her heart
ached with his absence. It won’t be much longer now, she tried to
reassure herself.

We’ll be together soon.
Maeva tried to imagine what their life together as rulers of all

Draconia would be like. Their future was full of possibilities and
endless power.

Oh god, the endless power.
She gnawed the bottom of her lip as desire coursed through her at

the thought. She shook her head and resisted the urge to cave into her
physical needs. She needed to check on Devon and his two dragons.

She waved her hand across her mirror and summoned forth the

human’s image into its reflection. The sight that filled the glass
completely dumbfounded her. She couldn’t believe what she was

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witnessing. Never in all her years amongst the dragon race had she
seen two male dragons share a lover, but yet there they were, clearly
in a happy three-way relationship. She tossed the mirror on the bed in
disgust.

She hadn’t expected this. She rubbed the place between her eyes

as she fought off a sudden tension headache that was building in
intensity. This was going to be a problem. She couldn’t tell Cerilius
just yet, not until she had come up with a solution. Reaching for her
spell book, she began to look for new ideas to solve her little problem.

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Chapter 9

Layden moaned against Abraxas’s mouth as Abraxas spread his

thighs. Abraxas was already lubricated and ready for him. Their night
of passion hadn’t been enough to sate him. Instead Abraxas had
awoken this morning with a craving to feel his cock buried deep
inside his lovers, and that was just what he’d planned on doing. He
pushed his throbbing member inside Layden as he wrapped his legs
around his waist. He was gentle, giving Layden’s body time to adjust
to his intrusion. He licked at the vein on the side of Layden’s neck
and glanced in Devon’s direction as he lay on the bed, naked with his
legs spread and his fingers buried deep inside his tight hole.

God, he’s beautiful.
Abraxas shoved the rest of his length inside Layden’s. Layden

whimpered, and Abraxas felt his muscles contract around his cock.
He tried to keep control of his desire, reminding himself to take his
time. He began a slow pace, working himself in and out of Layden. It
didn’t take long for Layden’s body to remember his touch as he began
to grind his hips, coercing Abraxas to fuck him harder and deeper.
Abraxas obliged as he drove his dick in Layden’s tight ass.

“Mine,” Abraxas growled, and Layden nodded in

acknowledgment. “Both of you are mine.” His eyes flashed in
Devon’s direction as he moaned at the feel of his fingers sliding in
and out of him.

“Yes, I’m yours, Abraxas,” he said, breathless.
Abraxas fucked Layden, bringing him close to coming as he

stroked the length of Layden’s cock with his free hand. Just before he

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came, Abraxas withdrew from him, reluctantly pulling himself out of
Layden.

Layden looked at him with pleading eyes that begged him to come

back, and Abraxas shook his head.

“No, I want you inside Devon when you come.” Abraxas’s gaze

darkened with desire at the thought of his Layden coming inside
Devon’s tight hole. Layden furrowed his brow but didn’t protest as he
made his way over to Devon. He lifted Devon’s hands above his head
and replaced his fingers with his cock. There was nothing subtle in the
way Layden fucked him. He drove into Devon hard, and Abraxas
imagined just how good he must feel around his dick.

Abraxas wasn’t about to let Layden off so easy, and he

maneuvered himself behind Layden, coaxing his thighs apart, until he
had access to his ass. Layden turned to give him a questioning look.

“I want to fuck you while you fuck Devon,” Abraxas explained.

The lust in his voice was undeniable, and he didn’t wait for Layden to
respond. Instead he shoved his own hard cock inside Layden’s tight
ass. The sensation had Layden bucking against his cock and moaning
in pleasure. Abraxas could only imagine how good it must feel to be
in between them, having his dick buried deep inside Devon and then
having his ass fucked with every retreating thrust.

Abraxas took control of the rhythm, forcing Layden in and out of

Devon’s ass. It didn’t take much before Abraxas felt Layden’s
muscles begin to tighten around his own throbbing sex. Layden
spilled his desire in Devon, sending him over the edge as he drove
into him one final time. Abraxas quickly joined them as he buried his
hard dick deep inside Layden’s tight ass, filling him full with his cum.

His heart beat wildly as the tingling feeling of bliss filled his

body. He wanted nothing more than to crawl back in bed with both
his lovers, but he knew they didn’t have the time for that. Instead, he
stood up, grinning like a fool, and ran a hand through his disheveled
hair. He looked down at Devon and Layden, soaked in sweat from
their lovemaking.

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“Who’s up for a shower?” He cocked a half grin and held his hand

out to help them up.

* * * *

Devon couldn’t stop smiling. It was as though all his worries and

fears had been washed away and the only thing he could think of was
Layden and Abraxas. He stood in his light-colored, ripped blue jeans
and black tank top, staring out at the miles of desert sand that
stretched out before them. He held his hand above his eyes and
squinted to see if he could see anything other than sand dunes in front
of them.

“So where are we headed?” he asked Druis, who approached with

a bottle of water in hand.

“Just a little ways north.” He pointed in the general direction. “If

you look hard enough, you can see the volcano from here.”

Devon’s eyes narrowed on the direction he’d pointed in, and sure

enough there was a distinct outline of some mountainous structure. It
looked farther away than it was from the desert heat’s distortion.

He sighed. “This is turning out to be one hell of a vacation.”
Dru just grinned and continued walking as Devon glared at his

backside and wished he were back in Asher’s palace, curled next to
Abraxas and Layden instead of out here in the desert heat, trudging
toward an active volcano.

He felt someone wrap an arm around his shoulders and pull him

forward. Devon looked up to see Asher’s smiling face as he raised an
eyebrow at his startled expression.

“Come on, babe. There’s nothing to worry about. You forget, I

have power over the fire domain.” He held his hand up and conjured a
flaming sphere to demonstrate, and Devon rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, yeah, show off.” He shrugged Asher’s arm off but smiled

warmly back at him. “Call me a pessimist, but collecting the past two

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gems hasn’t exactly gone easy for me, and I seriously doubt this next
one’s going to be a piece of cake.”

“It’s okay, Devon,” Layden said reassuringly as he tossed him a

bottle of water. “You forget I have power over water. There’s nothing
that I can’t handle in that volcano.”

Devon took a swig of the water and eagerly gulped it down.

Layden’s reassuring words did little to comfort his fears. Something
in his gut told him that whatever waited out there for them was not
going to be a walk in the park.

“We’ve got your back, love. Please don’t worry,” Abraxas’s

seductive tone whispered near his ear as he came up behind him. He
wrapped his arms around Devon’s waist and placed a gentle kiss on
his cheek.

He sighed in defeat. It was no use. So long as he had Layden and

Abraxas in his life, he felt as though they could overcome any
obstacle.

But you won’t have them in a few more weeks.
The reminder lingered in the back of Devon’s thoughts. Looking

at them now, leaving was the last thing he wanted, but he didn’t see
any way around it. In less than a month, he’d be returning to his own
world and back to everything he’d thought he’d wanted, but
now…now he didn’t know what he wanted. His heart was telling him
to find a way to stay, and his mind was telling him to be rational.

Logically he hardly knew them, and what if their relationship

didn’t last? Then would he be stuck in a world with no career and no
family? And what about Brandon? He couldn’t just abandon him. He
was probably already freaking out. Devon furrowed his brows as the
smile slowly faded from his face.

“What’s wrong?” Layden drew his eyebrows together as a

concerned expression crossed his face. He placed a hand on Devon’s
shoulder.

Devon stared up into his beautiful blue eyes and smiled weakly.

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131

“It’s nothing,” he lied. “I’m just nervous about the next gem, but I

know it’ll be fine.” He couldn’t tell them his fears. He was afraid of
what they’d say or worse…what they wouldn’t say. What if they
didn’t want him to stay? That was a very real possibility, and as much
as it pained him to think about it, he had to be prepared.

“Here. Take this.” Abraxas reached for his pants leg and revealed

a hidden dagger he had placed there. He handed Devon the beautifully
crafted piece of metal, enclosed inside a leather sheath. He turned the
surprisingly lightweight weapon over in his hands, inspecting every
inch.

“Wow, thank you.” His surprise was evident as he looked up at

Abraxas with gratitude in his eyes.

“No problem.” He cocked a half grin. “It was given to me by my

father when I started my warrior lessons, and I thought you might feel
a little safer if you carried it.”

“But, are you sure it’s okay if I have it? I mean, it must be special

if your father gave it to you.” His excitement quickly dissipated as he
looked down at the ground.

Abraxas placed his hand under his chin and lifted Devon’s gaze

until it met his.

“Devon, it’s fine. I have plenty of other weapons he’s given me

since then. Besides, I think it suits you and you need to have
something to protect yourself, especially going into such a dangerous
place.”

He tilted his head to the side and cupped Abraxas’s face with the

palm of his hand. “Thanks. It means a lot to me,” he said softly.

Abraxas kissed the inside of his hand and grinned.
Devon slid the weapon into his boots, allowing for easy access,

and continued following the others toward the volcano. He had to be
strong and be prepared for any outcome, even if the outcome ended
with him leaving the only two people he had ever really cared about.

* * * *

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The sun hung low on the horizon. Night was approaching, but

Druis had insisted they push on. The looming shadow of the cave was
cast overhead as Devon hesitated in the entryway. He really didn’t
want to go down there. The heat from the volcano rose up and
warmed his skin as the smell of sulfur filled his nostrils.

Sighing, Devon could see no way around it. The unmistakable

signal of the gem they sought was emitting rather strongly from the
direction in front of him. He glanced back at the group of expectant
men and licked his lips.

“I’m picking up the signal from inside here,” he said reluctantly.
Druis checked his maps. “That’s close to its last known location.

We should go ahead and see if we can’t find it.” He looked up at
Devon with raised eyebrows.

“Fine,” Devon said with reluctance. He made his way past the

charred rock and headed deep inside the cave. He kept pressing
onward until he could no longer see the rays of sunlight trickling in.

“Here, allow me.” Ezekiel pulled on his shoulder, stopping him

from moving forward any further. He could hardly make out his shape
in the darkness that surrounded them as Ezekiel lifted his hand.
Dancing lights flew almost instantly from his fingertips into the space
above them, illuminating the path for them.

“Thanks,” he said, grateful to finally be able to actually see where

he was stepping. He looked out at the space they were in and realized
the small entryway they’d passed through was opening up into a much
larger room.

Devon carefully made his way down the remaining rocks and

jumped to the flat dirt ground below. Moving to the side, he made
room for the rest to follow. He glanced around, taking in their
surroundings. It was a sight unlike anything he’d ever seen before. In
front of them was a river of flowing molten lava that disappeared
underneath the stone wall. On the opposite end was a wall completely

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covered in the red-hot liquid as it cascaded down, filling the river
below.

“Which way?” Dru asked, jumping down next to him.
Devon closed his eyes and tried to focus on the gem’s presence.

When he was sure he’d pinpointed it, he opened his eyes and cringed.

“What? What is it?” Dru’s voice was filled with concern, but

Devon didn’t bother turning to look at him. Instead, he pointed a
shaky finger in the direction of the gem.

“Aw, shit,” Dru cursed as he looked at where he was pointing.

The wall of oozing lava was clearly in their way, and Devon dreaded
to see how they were going to get around this one. He looked hopeful
to Asher and a big Cheshire cat grin spread across his face.

“What? That’s what you worried about? That’s nothing.”
Devon stepped aside, allowing Asher room. “All right. Let’s see

you get past it.”

Devon watched Asher approach the waterfall of lava. He held a

hand up, reaching into the liquid, and Devon grimaced in anticipation
of the injury he was sure to come. But to Devon’s surprise there were
no screams of pain to follow. Instead, the cascading liquid separated,
parting to expose a hidden passageway behind the waterfall. Asher
glanced back at Devon and smiled.

“See, what’d I tell you? Nothing to it,” he stated as though it were

normal for people to stick their hands in molten lava and not suffer
fatal injuries.

Devon shook his head and walked past him, hesitating only

slightly as he passed under where the lava had previously been.

He could feel it more strongly now. The gem’s presence was

unmistakable as the force of its strength nearly knocked him down.

“It’s definitely here,” he said, grabbing hold of a neighboring wall

for balance as he adjusted to the power resonating inside the room.

“Yeah, but where?” Asher’s question confused him at first, but

then he noticed the mound of treasure piled from floor to ceiling that
had caught his attention.

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“Why can’t anything ever be easy?” He groaned as he reluctantly

made his way over to the pile to begin sorting it out.

* * * *

“I think I’ve found it!” Devon exclaimed. They had spent what

felt like the past five hours sorting through all the treasure before he’d
discovered the unusual gem. He wasn’t sure at first, but holding it in
his hand now he knew that this was what they’d come after.

“Are you sure? I mean, it looks kind of plain compared to the

others,” Cerilius questioned. Devon ignored him.

“Here, let me see it.” Ezekiel held out his hand, and Devon made

his way down the heap of stacked gold and jewels. Before he could
reach him, the gem’s energy fluxed, knocking Devon on his ass as he
instantly released the stone. The gem didn’t fall to the ground.
Instead, a red light emitted from it as it pulsated with energy.

“Get ready,” Abraxas ordered and the men drew their weapons in

anticipation while Devon scrambled to his feet.

The Mercer clan ancestor appeared from the gem in a flash. He

looked around the room at the group of men, and a wicked grin spread
across his face.

“You think you can come in here and take from me?” His eyes

flashed red as the room began to shake. “Think again.”

Lava oozed from the ceiling and Devon had to jump out of the

way before it landed where he’d previously stood. The liquid began to
pool as humanoid shapes began forming from all seven of the
openings. Devon moved in closer to Layden and Abraxas as he drew
the dagger Abraxas had given him.

Not that it would be much use against lava creatures.
The humanoids moved toward them, incinerating everything they

came into contact with along the way. They were completely
surrounded.

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135

“Now what?” Abraxas asked over his shoulder at no one in

particular.

“Now we fight.” A vicious grin spread across Asher’s face as he

licked his lips in eager anticipation.

* * * *

The first two sluggish creatures lunged at Layden, but he was

prepared as he conjured enough water to turn the molten forms to
rock, freezing them in place.

“Nice,” Abraxas complimented. “Now you just have to take out

five more.”

Layden looked at him with panicked eyes. “Five more? I’d be

lucky if I got one more. There’s not enough moisture left in the room,
and my powers are depleted.” He held his hand up to show the few
droplets of water left in his palm.

“Shit,” Dru cursed as he tried to fend off one of the creatures with

a mound of dirt he’d summoned. It didn’t even faze the humanoid as
it melted through the rock.

“Be careful, Dru. If you use too much power, you’ll bring down

the cave,” Cerilius warned as he dodged the lava form in front of him.
Devon stood there, unsure of what to do. He looked at his dagger.

This isn’t going to be much help.
He backed against the far wall to give the others more room to

fight, not that there was much fighting going on. None of the others
could even get close to the molten forms for fear of coming into
contact with the creatures and being incinerated.

His gaze shifted to the spirit. If he could only get close to him,

maybe he could find some way to stop him. Devon stepped in his
direction. He raised his hand defensively before Devon had time to
react.

“Pathetic. This is growing tiring. I think it’s time to speed things

up a bit.” A ball of fire materialized out of thin air, and the spirit

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hurtled in Devon’s direction. He glanced around trying to find a place
to move to, but there was nowhere for him to run. The creatures had
enclosed around them.

Asher turned and charged in front of him, knocking Devon into

the wall behind him as the flaming sphere engulfed Asher.

“Asher!” Devon exclaimed as he pushed himself up from the

ground and scrambled to his side. The flames were already dissipating
when he reached his limp figure. He pulled him closer to inspect the
area where the fire had impacted. His clothes were completely seared
through, but amazingly there were no marks on his body. Devon
touched his chest. It was surprisingly cool. Asher’s eyes fluttered
opened, and a sideways grin spread across his face as he looked up at
Devon.

Devon helped him to his feet, and Asher brushed off the pieces of

dirt that clung to him during the fall.

“Glad you’re okay,” Dru said breathlessly as he hurled another

rock toward one of the creatures, attempting to slow it down. “But
we’ve got a bit of a problem.”

He gestured to the additional lava forms that had surrounded

them. They were growing in numbers.

“Don’t worry. I told you, I got this covered.” Asher closed his

eyes. A red light engulfed his body as he lifted his arms in the
direction of two of the creatures. With a flick of his wrist, they
disintegrated into a pile of rubble. He moved to the remaining
creatures and easily disposed of them. Devon stared at him in shock.
He knew he had power over fire, but he had no idea he could do
something like this.

“I’m impressed,” the spirit said, sounding a bit surprised.
Asher turned to look at him, his cocky attitude evident in his

posture. “You should be. Not every red dragon has such control over
their powers. It took me years to master them, and believe me, I’m not
afraid to use them, even if it’s against my family ancestor.”

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Asher’s eyes narrowed as though he were daring the spirit to come

any closer.

The spirit gave an audible sigh as he held up the gem. “You have

proved to be a worthy opponent, and I can only say I am proud to
have someone as gifted as you leading my people.”

He tossed the stone in Asher’s direction. Asher reached out and

caught it. “Thanks, old man,” Asher called after the spirit just as it
faded out of sight, the remainder of the treasure disappearing along
with him.

“Only two more to go.” Asher tossed the gem to Druis. “So what

now, oh fearless leader?”

Druis raised his eyebrows and looked him up and down. “Now we

get the hell out of here and get you some clothes.”

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Chapter 10

Abraxas sat on the edge of the bed with his elbows on his knees

and chin resting gently on his fists. He could hear the others’ laughter
from outside the tent reminding him of what he was missing. Sighing,
he pushed himself back against the mattress. He laid there in nothing
but a pair of pants as he thought of what tomorrow would bring.

He dreaded going to his hometown. He had finally found

happiness in his life. He closed his eyes, and images of Devon and
Layden danced across his mind. The corners of his mouth turned
upward at the thought of them. They were the reason for his current
state of bliss, but he knew all that was sure to end when the reminder
of who he was and who Layden was and all the million reasons of
why they weren’t meant to be came crashing down around him.

His family had a way of doing that—reminding him that there was

no happily ever after and that at the end of the day it didn’t matter if
he loved Devon or Layden. Devon would return to his own world in
less than a month, and Layden would still be his family’s hated
enemy.

He raked a hand through his dark hair, pushing back the strands

that normally hung low in his eyes, and stared up at the cloth ceiling
of the tent. He could hear Layden and Devon approaching, but didn’t
bother sitting up to greet them. Devon’s shadow overcast him, and he
felt the weight of the bed shift as he sat down next to him. He looked
down at him, the tips of his long auburn hair hanging in front of his
emerald-colored eyes.

“What’s wrong, Abraxas?” He furrowed his brows.
“Nothing. Just dreading tomorrow.” Abraxas shrugged.

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139

“Is it because you’re worried about your family?” Layden

positioned himself on the other side of him and placed a hand on his
stomach.

“Yeah,” Abraxas sighed, sitting up and pushing away their

comforting touches. He didn’t need their sympathies on top of
everything else.

“Abraxas?” Layden pleaded after him as he stood and walked to

the far end of the room.

“What?” Abraxas snapped. “What do you want from me?” he said

softly this time as he turned and met Layden’s eyes with an
unguarded expression, exposing all his worries and fears. “Are you
going to tell me it’ll be okay? That nothing’s going to happen?
Because it will. I know my family, and somehow they’ll ruin this
happiness I have with you. Both of you,” he added as he looked at
Devon.

“Besides.” His gaze sifted to the ground. “Devon has to return to

his own world in a few weeks, so why are we even kidding ourselves.
This relationship can’t last.”

Devon took his hand in his, and Abraxas glanced up at him. The

corners of his mouth were pulled up into a reassuring smile as he
squeezed his hand.

“It will be okay. Even if I have to return to my own world at the

end of the two months, I’ve already made up my mind to enjoy what
happiness I have while it lasts.” His expression was comforting as he
spoke, and all Abraxas wanted to do was to wrap his arms around him
and never let him go.

“No one’s guaranteed a happy ending, and I think we just have to

make the most out of what time we’re given. No matter how short it
is,” he stated softly as he leaned in and pressed his lips to Abraxas’s.

Abraxas closed his eyes and kissed him with everything he had.

His fingers entwined in Devon’s hair as Devon pressed his body
firmly to his, deepening their kiss so that he could explore every inch
of his delectable mouth.

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Abraxas lifted his smaller frame with ease and laid Devon down

on the bed, lifting his shirt above his head. Passion consumed
Abraxas’s every thought as he hungrily kissed Devon’s exposed skin.
His scent filled his every breath as Abraxas desperately clung to the
moment. He would remember this. Always.

He tugged at Devon’s pants until they fell free, falling somewhere

below on the floor, and he traced the outline of his waist with his
rough fingertips. Closing his eyes, he relished in the feel of Devon’s
soft skin.

Layden’s tender touch against his cheek caused him to open his

eyes and meet his gaze. Abraxas reached out and grabbed Layden,
pulling him closer. Their mouths were within inches from one
another, and Abraxas met Layden’s ice-blue eyes. Passion, lust, and
desire swirled into a pleading moment of hesitation as Layden stared
back at him. Abraxas closed the distance between just as Layden’s
lips parted.

He kissed him with a need beyond explanation as his hand

traveled further down Devon’s body, reaching the confines of his
boxers. He pushed past the thin material, seeking access to his hard
cock. Devon whimpered as Layden wrapped his arms around
Abraxas, clawing at his exposed backside. Abraxas could feel
Layden’s erratic heartbeat as he pressed his chest to him.

Abraxas maneuvered his hand down Layden’s stomach, shoving

past the top of his pants until his grasp reached his already hard cock.
Layden moaned against his mouth at the sensation of his touches, and
Abraxas trailed kisses down to his exposed neck, sucking and biting
on the sensitive area.

Layden buried his hands in Abraxas’s hair, encouraging him

onward as Abraxas pushed Layden down to the mattress, laying him
next to Devon. He began working at the buttons on Layden’s pants,
pulling them off him in one swift motion. Devon reached for Layden
until their lips met, and Abraxas watched as Layden’s hands groped at
Devon’s exposed ass.

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Devon ground his hips against Layden’s hand, and Abraxas

couldn’t take his eyes off the sight of them as Layden’s hard cock
jutted out from in between Devon’s legs.

Abraxas licked his lips before acting on impulse. He bent down

and pressed Layden’s cock to his lips, taking him into his mouth. He
swirled his tongue on the head before slipping the hard dick in
between his lips. Layden thrashed against him at the sudden
sensation, his hips moving in eagerness for more. Abraxas gave him
what he needed, sucking and licking every inch.

“Fuck, Abraxas,” Layden said breathlessly. Abraxas reached

inside the side table and found the lubrication he was looking for. He
stood up, replacing his mouth on Layden’s cock with his hand as he
undid his own pants.

Abraxas reached for Devon, pulling off his underwear.
“What are you—” He looked at him with swollen lips from

Layden’s kisses.

“Come here. I want you to straddle him.” Abraxas helped Devon

up as he placed one leg on either side of Layden. Abraxas grabbed
Layden’s thick dick, smearing it with a good amount of lubrication
and positioning it against Devon’s tight hole. He pushed on Devon’s
hips, guiding Layden inside him.

“Damn he feels good.” Layden gasped.
“Fuck him,” Abraxas ordered, and Layden obliged. Abraxas

watched as Layden’s cock slid in and out of Devon before taking the
lube and smearing it on his own erection. He pressed against Devon’s
already stuffed hole and eased himself inside. Devon didn’t fight him.
Instead, he welcomed the double penetration, relaxing his muscles to
make room for both cocks.

They began a slow pace, and Abraxas could feel Layden’s dick

sliding against his own as they fucked Devon together. Abraxas
reached around, finding Devon’s hard cock with ease. He stroked his
dick at the same pace as their fucking, and Devon threw his head
back, his body overcome with pleasure.

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Abraxas took the opportunity to bite down on his exposed throat

as he drove himself inside with such a need he was sure he couldn’t
stop if the Dragon God himself came down and ordered him to.

“Mine,” he growled against Devon’s flesh. The friction of

Layden’s cock as it pounded inside the hole they shared was more
than enough to send him over the edge. He needed them both now.
Abraxas held Devon’s hips firmly in place as he lost control. All
gentle inhibitions were gone now as he fucked him, seeking only his
own release.

“Abraxas, I’m going to come,” Devon panted as his muscles

contracted around both of their cocks.

“Come for me then.” His order sent Devon over the edge as he

came hard, spilling his seed into Abraxas’s hand. Abraxas didn’t stop
fucking him. He and Layden both continued pounding inside his tight
ass until they’d reached their limit, coming in unison.

They all three collapsed on the bed, panting in exhaustion and

sweating profusely. All his fears had been washed away with their
lovemaking. The only thing that mattered was the moment they
shared now, and nothing could ever take this away from him. Abraxas
closed his eyes and lost himself in the blissful happiness and the
knowing reassurance that whatever troubles tomorrow brought
wouldn’t matter so long as he had Layden and Devon by his side.

* * * *

Home. The word didn’t inspire warm and welcoming feelings as

Abraxas painstakingly climbed the steps leading to his clan’s
kingdom. He didn’t want to be here. It was obvious in his demeanor
as his posture was filled with hostility and tension, but Ezekiel had
insisted they stop for a break and some dinner. Everyone had agreed,
even Layden, which surprised the hell out of him.

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143

He figured Layden would be the last person wanting to step foot

inside the Night Kingdom. But he’d convinced him with a reassuring
smile and a promise that nothing bad was going to happen.

The reassurance was quickly disappearing now, though, as the

looming archway drew closer and closer with every step. He had a
sick feeling in the pit of his stomach he couldn’t quite shake, and he
got the sensation that no matter how peaceful their visit was, he
wasn’t going to be able to eat a bite.

“Greetings, Lord Night.” The guard on the left of the passageway

bowed respectfully. The other guards did the same, and Abraxas held
up a hand to acknowledge their greeting as he and the rest of the
group passed into the city.

The streets were bustling with people headed in various

directions, and it was hard to navigate the crowds as they pushed to a
clearing on a street corner.

“So where do you want to eat?” Devon asked with excitement in

his voice. Abraxas resented his ignorance at the trouble that lay ahead
as he pinched the bridge in between his eyes, fighting off a tension
headache.

“How about back outside the city walls?” he seethed. He felt

Devon grab hold of his hand, and he glanced down at him with a
pointed stare.

“Come on, Abraxas. It’s not so bad.” Devon’s smile washed over

him, and he relaxed a little. He really shouldn’t be making a big deal
out of this.

“How about we go to one of my favorite bars?” He sighed, caving

in to his overtly good mood.

“Sounds wonderful. Where’s it at?” Devon looked around, trying

to see above the crowd. Abraxas draped his arm around his shoulder
and began dragging him in the correct direction.

“So which bar is your favorite?” Dru asked as he walked next to

them, struggling to keep up with Abraxas’s fast pace while carrying
an armful of equipment.

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“The Devil’s Snare.” A cocky smirk spread across his face as he

glanced at Dru from the corner of his eyes.

“You’re taking Devon to the Devil’s Snare?” Dru raised his

eyebrows and gave Abraxas a skeptical look.

“Hey, it’s my town, my choice, and I want to go there. Besides,

he’s got me for protection,” Abraxas stated with a grin as he rounded
the next corner, leading them into the slums of the city.

The bar was in sight now as the large sign indicated its exact

location. The place looked rough with drunks stumbling out of what
was left of the front door to take their brawls into the streets.

“This looks like my kind of place,” Asher said eagerly as a wide

grin spread across his face.

Abraxas could feel Devon’s hesitation as they approached the

entryway.

“What’s wrong, love?” he asked with false innocence.
Devon glared up at him and shrugged off his arm.
“Nothing,” he said nonchalantly before turning away from him

and marching through the door as though he owned the place.
Abraxas cocked his head to the side as he watched his ass in those
skintight blue jeans.

Damn. He licked his lips at the view.
“You are unbelievable, Abraxas Night,” Layden accused as he

casually nudged his shoulder and pushed his way ahead of him.

Abraxas jogged after him, suddenly eager to see his prim and

proper Layden in the midst of all the drunks. Today was looking
better already.

The inside of the bar was so loud, and Abraxas could barely hear

himself think. He saw Dru had already commandeered one of the few
tables in the room for them, and Abraxas grabbed an empty chair
from the bar as he headed toward the group.

Layden was noticeably uncomfortable as he sat next to Devon

with his lips pursed and eyebrows furrowed.

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145

“Come on, Layden. It isn’t that bad.” Abraxas grinned from ear to

ear as he sat down on the other side of Devon.

Layden rolled his eyes in obvious annoyance. “When do we get

some food?”

“Ah, just a second.” Abraxas stood up and snapped his fingers. A

petite blonde wearing a form-fitting T-shirt and short skirt that barely
covered her ass came bouncing in their direction with a smile spread
across her face.

“Abraxas! I didn’t know you were stopping by today.” She

beamed as she approached him with open arms. Abraxas welcomed
her embrace as he leaned in and gave her a gentle hug with a soft kiss
on her cheek. He couldn’t help but notice Devon and Layden as they
watched his interaction with her.

“So how have you been, Leontii?” Abraxas looked her up and

down. She looked good and healthy, much better than the last time
he’d seen her after his jerk of a cousin had broken her heart.

“I’ve been okay. Just taking each day as it comes.” Her amber-

colored eyes sparkled up at him, and he could tell she still wasn’t over
what had happened. Not that he blamed her.

“So what can I get y’all to drink?” She forced a smile and turned

to the rest of the table.

“Well, fancy seeing you here, cousin. I thought you were off

traipsing through the desert with the other lame clan heirs.” Abraxas
cringed as the familiar voice called behind him.

Leontii turned abruptly, and Abraxas didn’t miss the look of

horror that crossed her face before turning to meet Sven’s eyes.

“Oh, well hello to you, too, Leontii. I see you’re finally brave

enough to show your face around town again.” Sven cocked a
menacing half grin as he looked her up and down, slowly running his
tongue across his lips. He was disgusting.

“I uh…” Leontii’s voice was trembling, and Abraxas noticed her

hands start to shake. “I’ve got to go.”

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She turned and headed toward the back of the bar. Abraxas’s eyes

flashed with anger. Sven was a jerk in need of a good ass kicking. His
snickering at Leontii’s reaction only irritated him more.

“That wasn’t necessary,” Abraxas spat through clenched teeth.
“Hey, the bitch deserved it. She needs to take a hint sooner or

later. I dumped her for a hotter and better version. Ain’t that right,
sweet cheeks?” He fondled the scantily dressed redhead standing next
to him, and she giggled in response.

Abraxas sighed and crossed his arms. “Don’t you have

somewhere to be, Sven?”

Sven shrugged. “And miss out on the fine company you have

here? I think not.” Sven pushed past Abraxas and rounded the table.

“I see you decided to bring all the clan heirs here for some of our

fine dining.” His sarcasm wasn’t missed. Abraxas clenched his fist as
Sven’s gaze roamed the table, landing finally on Devon.

“Well, well. What a beauty we have here. Allow me to properly

introduce myself, my name is Sven. Sven Night.” He extended his
hand as Devon glared up at him.

“I think you’d better leave,” Layden said, sensing Abraxas’s

uneasiness. The water dragon stood up and placed himself firmly in
between Devon and Sven.

Sven’s eyes narrowed. “You think I’m going to take orders from a

punk like you? I’m not scared of you. My brother’s already proven
what a bunch of pussies the Azure clan is when he took care of that
spoiled eldest brother of yours. If you don’t think I can do the same,
just try me.” Sven snapped his fingers, and four of his goons stood up
from their seats around the room.

They were prepared for a fight, and the odds were against Layden.

Sven was baiting him with his brother’s death, and Abraxas knew
Layden was only seconds away from losing his temper.

“Leave him alone, Sven,” Abraxas warned as he cursed himself

for bringing them here. He didn’t think Sven would dare to show up
at this place after the way things ended between him and Leontii.

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147

“You’re defending him?” Sven reeled, but Abraxas held his

ground.

“Yeah, I am, and as clan heir I’m ordering you to back off.”

Anger filled his tone now as he pushed his way in between Layden
and Sven.

“You’re pathetic. You don’t deserve to be clan heir if you’re

going to defend a lowlife like him. Why don’t you just quit and go
live with the Azure clan since you’re so keen on defending their
pathetic excuse of a leader?” Sven spat, and Abraxas lost it. Rage
coursed through his blood as his fist collided with Sven’s jaw.

“You bastard! How dare you speak about a clan heir with such

disrespect.” Abraxas’s voice carried over the now-silenced bar as he
continued to pummel Sven, feeling only mildly satisfied with each
blow.

No one in the room moved to help Sven. Instead, they all watched

in horror as their soon-to-be clan leader wailed on him to no avail.
Abraxas was beyond pissed. It wasn’t just the way he’d talked about
Layden. That had only been the catalyst. Sven had this coming to him
for a long time. He was always making snide comments about his
ability to rule, always treating others as though they were worthless,
and after he’d seen what that bastard had done to poor Leontii, the
sweetest girl he’d known growing up, Abraxas had finally had
enough.

Dru intervened, pulling Abraxas off of Sven. His breathing was

ragged as the adrenaline coursed through his veins and he looked
down at the crumpled, sobbing heap on the ground.

“I don’t want to ever hear you say another word about the Azure

clan or their heir, and if I so much as hear of you showing your face
around this bar again harassing Leontii, I’ll personally come find you
to finish the job. Am I clear?” His eyes narrowed and his nostrils
flared, but he resisted the urge to finish where he’d left off.

“Ye–e–s,” Sven whimpered.

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“Yes, what?” Abraxas raised his eyebrows, reminding Sven of his

place.

“Yes, Lord Night.” Sven raised himself to a kneeling position and

lowered his eyes to the ground as he addressed Abraxas by his formal
title.

Abraxas turned to look at the rest of the group. “If it’s all the same

to you, I’d prefer to leave now.”

They nodded in agreement and silently followed him out of the

bar, Sven stumbling out before them in a sprint, probably heading
home to cry to his mother, who would undoubtedly be contacting his
own parents to inform them of what their disappointment had done
this time. But Abraxas didn’t care. He just wanted to get the hell away
from him and fast.

“Abraxas, wait!” Leontii’s voice caused him to hesitate at the

door. She ran to catch up to him and placed a tender kiss on his cheek.

“Thank you.” Her eyes were filled with a hopeful light for the first

time in weeks. He was glad. Maybe now she could finally feel safe
again, knowing she didn’t have to constantly look over her shoulder
for Sven’s stupid ass.

“No problem, Leontii. Just pick a better one next time.”
A warm smile spread across her face and she nodded. “I will. I

promise.”

* * * *

The night was still young, but they had decided to go ahead and

set up camp. Devon was looking rather pale, and it was beginning to
worry Layden. He and Abraxas had sent him to bed hours ago as they
finished eating their dinner near the campfire. Layden mostly picked
around his plate, too concerned for Devon’s well-being to have much
of an appetite for anything. Devon hadn’t said anything or complained
all that much, but he could tell something was wrong.

“He’ll be fine,” Ezekiel said reassuringly.

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149

“Huh?” Layden looked up to see Ezekiel standing in front of him,

watching him for god only knew how long.

“I said, he’ll be fine,” he repeated
“I just don’t understand what’s wrong.” Layden furrowed his

brow as he thought about the events of the past few weeks. Nothing
stood out to him.

“I think he’s mostly homesick. His body isn’t used to being in a

foreign environment. Couple that with the excessive traveling and the
recent events, I’d say being in a different world is finally taking its
toll on him. Nothing to worry over just yet. I’m sure with a good
night’s rest he’ll be better than ever.”

“Yeah,” Layden mumbled as he stood and headed toward the tent.

He wasn’t tired, but he couldn’t stand not being near him. He was
aware of Abraxas following him as he pushed past the entryway and
began pulling off his shirt.

He made his way to the side of the bed. Seeing Devon’s peaceful

expression eased his worrying a bit as he brushed a strand of hair
away from his face.

“You okay?” Abraxas’s soft voice caused Layden to meet his

concerned gaze.

“Yeah,” he said as he crawled in bed next to Devon.
“You don’t seem okay,” Abraxas countered.
“I’m just thinking.”
Layden pressed his lips to Devon’s bare shoulder and wrapped his

arm around his waist. Abraxas lay down next to him, pulling him
close.

“What are you thinking about?”
Layden sighed. “Just about us. About what we’re going to do in a

couple weeks and…” He trailed off, unsure of whether or not he
should voice his thoughts. It pained his heart to even think of the time
when they would have to part ways.

“And?” Abraxas pressed as Layden turned to look at him.
“And I’m glad you stood up for me today.”

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A puzzled look crossed Abraxas face as he furrowed his

eyebrows. “That makes you sad?”

“No. That doesn’t. It just made me realize how hard it’s going to

be for you if we continue our relationship.” Layden averted Abraxas’s
gaze. He wouldn’t be able to say it if he looked into those damned
piercing blue eyes that seemed to see into the very depths of his soul.

He needed to get this off his chest. He had to give Abraxas an out.

It wasn’t fair of him to ask him to renounce everything he’d ever
known, his entire family, all for what? For love with the Azure clan
heir? Their relationship would never be accepted, let alone allowed by
their people. The only way that could even be a remote possibility
would be if Ryujin himself blessed their relationship, but not even
that mattered to Layden because in the end none of that even matter.
Devon would still be returning to his own world, and they would be
left without him.

Layden closed his eyes, too afraid that Abraxas would see the

tears he was trying to hold back. He reached for Devon’s hand and
squeezed tightly.

Without him…there would be no us.
“Layden.” Abraxas’s warm hand brushed against his cheek. The

compassion in his tone made him open his eyes as he let the warm
liquid escape and the tears began to roll down his cheeks.

“I’ll understand if you want to just be friends. I didn’t think about

this before. I mean, I know why you had to break up with me,”
Layden offered. He’d planned on that sounding much more confident.
Instead, it came out in a choked sob as Abraxas pulled him to his
chest. He couldn’t stop the tears now, and Abraxas waited for him to
finish as he held him close, running his hands through his hair and
placing gentle kisses on his forehead.

Layden finally managed to get his emotions under control as he

laid there raw from crying so hard. Silence filled the room, and
Layden pressed his ear against Abraxas’s chest. The sound of his
heartbeat calmed him.

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“I don’t want to be friends.” Abraxas’s voice broke the silence,

answering Layden’s offer. Layden went to move to where he could
look at his lover, but Abraxas’s firm grip on his shoulder held him
place.

“I know what it’s like to lose you once,” Abraxas continued. “I

won’t make that mistake again, Layden. And if there’s anything I can
do to be with both you and Devon, then I will fight with everything I
am, because without both of you, I am nothing. I remember how it felt
when you weren’t with me, the many nights I spent lying awake
because the agonizing hole in my chest that you used to fill wouldn’t
let me rest. I don’t ever want to feel that way again.”

Abraxas lifted Layden’s chin until their eyes met. The love he

found there hit Layden like a tidal wave. God he loved this man. His
heart melted as warmth filled his soul, and Layden leaned forward
until their lips met. How could he ever let him go?

* * * *

Maeva flicked her tongue against her teeth as she stared pointedly

at the image of the two men before her.

Damn, they’re irritating.
Love was something she hadn’t factored into her equation, and

why should she have? Love between the Azure and Night clans was
unheard of.

Cerilius wasn’t going to be happy with her. The only plan she’d

managed to come up was playing off of the human’s ever weakening
body. If she could speed up the process and ensure Devon’s defenses
were completely destroyed, then she might have a chance.

“Maeva, you had better come up with a plan. We’re running out

of time.” Cerilius’s voice brought her out of her thoughts as she
looked down at his brooding face staring up at her from the mirror.

She gnawed her bottom lip and casually tossed her long hair

behind her shoulder, exposing her bare skin for his lingering eyes.

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“Of course, love.” She batted her eyelashes playfully as a wicked

grin slowly spread across her face. “I just have one small favor I need
from you.”

She watched his eyes glow a vibrant green color as his muscles

tensed in his jaw. He held his temper, though, which was a first.
Maeva had yet to determine what it was about her that seemed to
always piss him off. She really did try her hardest.

“What is it, Maeva?” His irritation was unmasked.
“I just need you to slip some of that herb I gave you before you

left to Devon. Not enough to kill him, though, just enough to weaken
him.”

His eyebrows raised in suspicion. “You mean the belladonna?”
Maeva nodded enthusiastically. “That’s the one.”
A slow half grin spread across his face as he left out a soft sigh.

“Your wish is my command.”

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Chapter 11

The room was cold. That was the first sensation Devon had when

he opened his eyes to the dark void. The familiar room greeted him as
the old nightmare began. It had been years since he’d had this dream,
and despite his protests, he knew it wouldn’t be over until he saw it
through to the end.

His small form unwillingly swung his legs over the edge of the bed

and headed toward the noises coming from down the hallway.

“Momma?” the tiny voice called.
Don’t do it. Don’t do it. Devon silently pleaded, but he knew it

was no use.

He was only a silent observer, bound by the reality of the events to

come and destined to relive every painstaking moment over and over
again.

There was no answer to the little boy’s calls. There never was. As

he approached the looming door, Devon tried his best to gain control
of the childlike form he was bound inside and prevent what he knew
was coming.

His attempts were futile, and he watched in horror as he reached

with his tiny hand for the doorknob.

Please…Devon silently sobbed, but it was too late.
The door swung open, and the blood-stained images that were

burned inside his memory were repainted in the scene before him.
Devon tried to turn away, but he couldn’t as he stared into the hollow
eyes of his mother from across the room.

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“Momma?” the tiny voice called again, this time with hesitation.

His bare feet crossed the distance between them as his mind seemed
almost incapable of comprehending the scene before him.

He reached out and touched his mother’s blood-stained cheek.

The coldness of her flesh finally registered with his childlike mind.
Tears pooled in Devon’s eyes as he screamed over and over again.

“No! Momma!” He didn’t want to believe. Couldn’t believe, but

yet there was no denying it. His mother was dead, and the image of
her stiff corpse clinging desperately to the blood-soaked sheets as she
laid that distorted position with that fearful expression frozen on her
beautiful face would forever be burned in the back of his mind.

* * * *

Devon awoke to the sound of his own bloodcurdling scream. His

blood ran cold as he sat up, drenched with sweat, trying to catch his
breath.

“Devon?” Layden’s sleep-filled voice called, but he didn’t turn

around. He was too focused on clearing his mind of the nightmare.

“Devon, you okay?” Abraxas said more forcefully as he sat up

and pulled him toward him. He looked up at him with tears pooling in
his eyes.

“No,” he said as he threw his arms around Abraxas’s neck and

began sobbing against his chest.

Abraxas placed a comforting arm around Devon and patted his

back. “It’s okay. I’ve got you. It was just a dream.”

The words provided no comfort, but he was grateful for them

nonetheless.

“It wasn’t just a dream. It really did happen.” A pain filled his

heart as more tears slid down his cheek.

“What was it, love?” Layden asked as he ran a hand through his

hair, pulling it away from Devon’s face.

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He himself up and looked at Layden. “I just…it was just a dream

about the night my mother died.”

Understanding and empathy filled Layden’s gaze as he opened his

arms. Devon leaned forward and let him comfort him. Layden held
him tight, and he could feel his love surround him. He never wanted
him to let go.

“I’m afraid,” Devon finally admitted.
“Afraid of what?” Abraxas asked as he moved closer.
Devon reached for his hand. “I’m afraid of lots of things like not

seeing my brother again, whether or not I’ll still have a job if and
when I get back.”

“Oh,” Layden breathed. His tone was unfeeling but the sudden

rigidness of his muscles told Devon he’d upset him.

“But mostly I’m afraid of what will happen after we find all the

gems and the Ceremony is complete, because—” Devon paused as he
forced himself to admit his feelings to them. “Because I don’t really
want to leave. I want to stay here with you both. I–I love you. I love
you both.” Devon looked up at them with unguarded eyes, silently
hoping that they felt the same way.

Layden’s stoic facial features provided him with no indication of

his feelings, but gradually he saw his guards slowly melt away and a
warm, sincere smile spread across his face.

“We love you, too.” Abraxas’s loving tone washed over Devon,

and it was just what he needed to hear.

“Nothing would make us happier than to be with you.” Layden

wrapped his arms back around him as Devon let both his men
embrace him. Abraxas placed a gentle kiss upon his forehead.

“You have found a way to capture our hearts. You alone have

brought us closer together.” His kiss traveled to Devon’s lips as his
senses filled with the black dragon’s scent.

“I know the fates have blessed our meeting, and Abraxas and I are

prepared to fight for you. Whatever the cost. Even if it means

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traveling across the planes of existence, we will find you again,”
Layden spoke softly.

Devon could feel his warm breath on his bare shoulder as his

hands encircled his waist, pulling him closer.

Their gentle touches turned rough with need as he felt their hands

roaming his body, touching every inch of exposed flesh. They
stripped him with ease, laying him back against the mattress and
Devon closed his eyes, enjoying the sensations inflicted by their
touch.

Their kisses covered him, sending shivers of desire through his

entire body, mercilessly teasing him. He gasped as Layden’s mouth
found his cock and his tongue flicked across the mushroom-shaped
head.

“Layden—I,” Devon breathed as his body was wracked with yet

another wave of pleasure. His torturous touches were joined by
Abraxas’s as he spread his legs wider apart, making room so that they
both had access to his hardening cock.

Devon nearly came undone as both their tongues covered every

inch of his dick. But their touches didn’t stop there. Abraxas stripped
off his boxers, exposing his thick cock. There was no hesitation in his
movements as he smeared an ample amount of lubrication onto
Devon’s ass and shoved his hard cock inside.

Devon cried out as Abraxas filled him full. He fucked him hard

and fast, bringing him to the edge.

“That’s it, baby. Come for me.” Abraxas cocked a half grin on his

face, never slowing his pace. Devon’s heart was pounding in his chest
and his muscles were tightening around Abraxas’s dick with every
thrust.

“God, you’re so fucking tight.” Abraxas growled as he buried

himself deep inside. Two more thrusts and they both were crying out
in ecstasy as they came simultaneously and Abraxas filled him full
with his cum.

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“My turn,” Layden demanded, shoving Abraxas out of the way.

Devon didn’t know if he could take any more, but the raw desire
reflected in Layden’s eyes made him reach for his other lover.

Layden didn’t have to use any more lubrication as he slid his hard

dick into Devon’s wet hole, allowing Abraxas’s cum to serve as the
slick for his cock. Abraxas reached in between their mingling bodies
and found Devon’s cock. He stroked its length, reigniting his desire as
Layden filled his ass until he couldn’t take anymore.

Another orgasm wracked his body as Devon cried out. His

muscles spasmed around Layden’s cock, but still he kept going,
fucking him through the orgasm until every last tremor of pleasure
had left his body. Only then did he come.

Abraxas and Layden both collapsed in exhaustion, and Devon let

his endorphin-filled mind carry him off into a state of bliss where no
more nightmares were there to haunt him.

* * * *

“Good morning,” Cerilius said as Devon walked out of the tent,

rubbing his eyes. He was still a little exhausted from the night before.
He felt drained of energy, almost, but was determined not to let that
hold him back today.

“Good morning.” Devon smiled as he approached the campfire.
“Here, have some tea and breakfast. I made it this morning.”
Cerilius handed him a plate full of food and warm cup of black

tea.

Devon eyed him suspiciously. “You’re in an awful good mood,”

he said as he took a sip of his tea.

“How is it?” Cerilius asked, ignoring Devon’s statement.
“It’s good. Thank you.” Devon watched him walk back to the rest

of the food he had cooking, whistling as he went.

“So what’s on the agenda for today?” Devon asked, looking up at

Druis.

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But it was Asher that answered as he stepped out of his tent.

“We’re not too far from the old Night Temple where the gem was last
found. Druis says we don’t even have to pack up camp.”

Devon watched as he picked up his long sword and swung it over

his shoulder. He flashed Devon a sideways grin and winked. “For
extra protection. Them Night ancestors are going to be no walk in the
park if you know what I mean. They were right bastards when it came
to illusion spells, and I want to be prepared for whatever we’ll be
facing.”

Devon cringed as his stomach churned. He pressed his calf to the

inside of his boot until he felt the sheath of the dagger Abraxas had
given him. Its presence there comforted him a bit as he tried not to
think about what they were up against.

“Hey, don’t worry. I’m sure my temple will be the easiest one

yet.” Abraxas’s kind eyes did little to reassure him. He’d caught a
glimpse of their fierceness the other day, and Devon would bet money
that their ancestor would put up one hell of a fight before handing
over that gem.

“I’m not worried,” he lied. “Let’s go ahead and get ready. The

sooner we get this over with, the sooner I can spend more time with
you and Layden.”

* * * *

“This is it,” Druis said as they finally arrived at the Night temple

entrance. Devon stared up at the giant stone wall as a wave of nausea
churned his stomach. He didn’t know why he was getting so worked
up over this.

Abraxas stepped in front them and sliced open his palm with the

short blade he had readied. He placed the wound against the wall, and
faint black inscriptions began to glow around the area. The lines
trailed upward from the encryptions to the top of the stone before
cutting at sharp right angles in opposite directions. Devon watched as

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they continued in this fashion until what looked to be the outline of a
doorframe appeared. Sure enough, as soon as Abraxas gave a hard
push against the wall, the two doors swung open, allowing them
entrance into the temple.

They entered the dark room cautiously. Asher was the first one

inside. “I can’t see anything. Ezekiel, can you get us some light?”

“Yeah, I’m working on it. Give me a sec. I need to concentrate.”

They each followed close behind Asher as he slowly made way for
everyone to fit inside.

Devon jumped as the doors slammed shut behind them and

darkness enveloped them, taking away what little light they had to
begin with. The eerie atmosphere had him reaching out, trying to find
Abraxas and Layden as his eyes strained to see. His fingers sliced
through the empty space.

“Abraxas? Layden? Where are you?” he called, but there was no

response. His heart pounded inside his chest as his palms grew
sweaty.

“Come on, guys. This isn’t funny. Dru, Ashe, Zeke, anyone?” The

panic was obvious in his tone. He licked his suddenly dry lips and
held his breath as he listened intently for any kind of familiar sound, a
snicker or a laugh perhaps from the cruel joke he hoped they were
playing on him.

A few more moments of silence passed and nothing. Not even the

faint sound of someone breathing. It was as though everyone had
disappeared, leaving him alone in this desolate room. He had a bad
feeling about all this. He reached for the dagger stashed inside his
boot just as a pair of glowing red eyes appeared in the far corner of
the room.

“Come on. I’m not afraid of you,” he challenged the entity as he

palmed the hilt of the dagger. Adrenaline coursed through his veins as
he watched in horror as the other parts of the spirit slowly formed out
of the darkness.

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“Not afraid, are you?” The voice was cold and taunting as the

spirit moved in front of him, taking Devon by surprise. Devon
stumbled backward a few steps before finding himself pressed against
the door he’d just entered through.

“Let me enlighten you, little boy, of just what you have to fear.

For I hold the power to take everyone you care about away from
you.”

A light engulfed the room, and Devon flinched at the sudden

brightness.

“Take a look, pet. See all the things I’ve collected.” Devon looked

around the rather plain room. Nothing out of the ordinary caught his
attention at first, until he noticed the moving objects in the mirrors on
the wall that didn’t quite fit with his reflection. He stepped forward
for a better look. The closer he came to the mirrors, the more he
realized that they weren’t ordinary wall decorations. The images that
were reflected in them weren’t of the room. They were of Druis,
Ezekiel, Asher, and Cerilius. Panic had him moving from one mirror
to the next.

Please no!
But the sinking feeling in his stomach knew that the next one must

contain his beloved Layden and Abraxas.

“Devon!” Their distorted voices called to him as he ran up to the

mirror that contained their reflection.

“No!” His voice was strained as he sank to his knees. Tears

pooled in his eyes, but he desperately fought them back. Now wasn’t
the time to get emotional. He needed to remain calm and think.

“Oh, but I’ve saved the best for last.” The spirit’s maniacal tone

had him slowly turn toward him as Devon tried to prepare himself for
what he was about to see.

What could be worse than being separated from Layden and

Abraxas?

His eyes rested on the last mirror held by the spirit. The reflection

of his brother stared back at him.

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161

“Devon? Devon, is that you? What’s going on? Where am I?”

Brandon pressed his hands against the solid glass surface, and he
watched as Brandon tried to break the barrier separating them.

“Give them back. Give them back to me, you monster,” he spat

through clenched teeth as rage consumed him.

“Now what would be the fun in that? You know what I think?”
“I don’t give a damn about what you think.” His grip on the

dagger tightened despite his knowledge of the uselessness the weapon
would be against a spirit.

“I’ll tell you what. I’ll give your friends back, if you can defeat

your strongest opponent. Keep in mind that if time runs out, they’ll all
become permanently trapped in my mirrored world.” A slow grin
spread across the spirit’s face.

Devon looked from mirror to mirror before finally resting on his

brother’s worried face. How could he say no?

“Fine. You have a deal.”
“Excellent.” The spirit waved his hand, and an hourglass

appeared, tracking the seconds as they passed. With another wave of
his hand, a full-bodied mirror appeared on the wall in front of him and
Devon’s heart skipped a beat as he waited to see what opponent the
spirit would choose for him.

He took a brave step closer, shocked to find that it was just an

ordinary mirror with his own reflection. There was no evil villain or
monster.

“Is this some kind of a joke?” he asked skeptically as he turned

back to look at the spirit.

He smiled without a response.
“God, what an idiot.” The voice came from inside the mirror, and

Devon turned back around, unsure of what he’d just heard. Was his
reflection really talking to him?

“Yeah, I’m talking about you,” the reflection answered.
He stood in disbelief as he watched his lips move of their own

accord in the reflection.

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“You really are pathetic. I mean, look at you staring stupidly at

me wasting precious time as your friends and family imprisoned
within the mirrors.”

“I’m not stupid.” It sounded lame in comparison, but it was the

only response Devon could think of.

What did one say to your own reflection anyways?
The mirrored image snorted at his statement. “Well, you may not

be stupid, but you are rather pathetic. I mean look at you standing
here, pretending to be doing everything you can so that when
everything’s said and done and your friends are forever lost to their
families you can sleep better at night by telling yourself you tried
your best. We both know that’s not true. Just like with your mother.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.” The warning in his

tone did little to intimidate the mirrored reflection.

“Oh, don’t I? I am you. I know all your secrets. I know you heard

those thieves that broke into your home the night your mother died. I
know you laid awake in bed, pretending you were asleep, trying to
convince yourself the screams you heard were just a nightmare.”

Tears trickled down Devon’s face as the memory of that painful

night came flooding back to him. The sounds of his mother’s screams
filled his head as he collapsed to the ground.

“I was only a child! What was I supposed to do?” He said the

words thousands of people had told him over and over again
throughout the years, but they did little to comfort him. He never
believed them, not even now.

The reflection laughed. “You were always a coward, Devon, and

now your time is almost up. Soon everyone you’ve ever cared about
will be gone forever. It doesn’t bother me, though. I think they’d be
better off trapped here with me anyways. You don’t deserve their
love. You’re such a weak and pathetic person. Just give up.”

The words stung, and Devon closed his eyes, letting the pain wash

over him.

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His thoughts replayed the reflections words over and over again.

He thought of Layden and Abraxas. Images of their time together,
making love and comforting each other through the hard times.

None of this is real and you know it. Come on, Devon. Think.
A knowing calmness washed over Devon as he looked at the

hourglass. Only a few more grains of sand remained, but it was
enough time for him to do what he needed to.

“You are a part of me, and as such, I cannot simply deny you

away.” He smiled softly, realizing the trick the spirit had played on
him. Devon clutched the dagger and pressed it against his chest.

“I won’t be a coward this time. I will save them. I will save the

ones I love most.”

He didn’t hesitate. He forced the sharp, piercing end of the blade

as deep as he could inside his chest. The warmth from his blood as it
poured out of the cut trickled down his hand before he collapsed to
the ground. He closed his eyes, remembering the few precious and
happy memories he had of Layden and Abraxas before the
nothingness consumed him.

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Chapter 12

“Devon!” Layden screamed as the spell was broken, releasing

them from their mirror imprisonment. He and Abraxas ran to his side.
There was blood everywhere. So much blood. Layden lifted his head
into his lap. His skin was already growing cold.

“Ezekiel! Do something!” Abraxas’s voice was broken by the

tears that were streaming down his face. Ezekiel pushed past them,
taking Devon into his arms, engulfing him with a vibrant yellow light.
Layden had never seen Ezekiel use so much of his power. He only
prayed to the Dragon God Ryujin that they weren’t too late.

Layden held his breath as he watched the wound in Devon’s chest

slowly close, until the only evidence of the event was the copious
amounts of hot crimson pools of liquid still left behind.

“Is he okay?” Layden met Ezekiel’s eyes with small amount of

hope he was holding onto. The disappointment in Ezekiel’s eyes
spoke a thousand words with their silence, and Layden felt the world
spin around him.

“N–no he’s fine. He has to be fine. The wound is healed!” The

disbelief in Abraxas’s voice sounded far away as Layden fell to his
knees.

“What do you mean? Are you saying my brother’s dead?” Layden

was faintly aware of the stranger that had been trapped inside the
other mirror as he came running toward Ezekiel. He was stopped by
Asher and Druis before he reached Devon.

“Calm down, everyone.” Ezekiel’s tone was final as he

commanded the room into silence. “I’m not saying he’s dead. I–I
don’t know what’s wrong with him. His wound was healed in time,

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but his body is unresponsive to my magics. It’s almost as though he’s
too weak to regain consciousness.” Ezekiel’s eyes met Druis’s. “Dru,
we have to return to the palace at once. I need my medicines, and he
needs to be in a stable environment.”

“But we only have two more weeks to find the last gem! How are

we supposed to do that without Devon? We wouldn’t have even been
able to get the Night clan gem if he hadn’t been here.” He held up the
small black stone that Devon had sacrificed himself for. Layden
became enraged by Druis’s lack of concern for his lover. He stood
and rushed toward him, slamming the taller man into the wall before
his fist collided with Druis’s jaw.

“Don’t you have a heart, you uncaring bastard. He’s dying! Can’t

you see that?” Tears blurred his vision as he continued to take his
anger out on Druis. Only when he felt a calming hand on his shoulder
did he look up to see Abraxas standing over him. Layden stopped
midswing, held only by Abraxas’s disapproving stare. Layden threw
himself into Abraxas’s arms, sobbing into his chest.

“Easy, love. We’re all upset about the situation. I’m sure Dru

didn’t mean for it to come out as selfish as it sounded. We’re all in
shock. None of us planned on this happening.”

“Will someone please answer me? What the hell’s going on here,

and why is my brother unconscious?” the stranger interrupted, and
Layden turned to look at him now.

“It’s kind of hard to explain. Did I hear you right? Are you

Devon’s brother?” Layden asked, wiping the remnants of his tears
from his face as he looked at the dark-headed man who shared a
resemblance to his mate. The man nodded in affirmation, and Layden
extended his hand.

“Layden,” he offered. The man hesitated but reached out and

shook his hand.

“Brandon. Now will someone please explain to me what’s going

on?”

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“Cerilius, why don’t you take Brandon outside and talk with him

while I speak with the others about what to do?” Dru ordered. Cerilius
pursed his lips but nodded without a verbal protest.

“Come on, Brandon.” Cerilius opened the doors with ease and

motioned for Brandon to follow.

“But what about Devon?” Brandon stared down at Devon’s

lifeless form.

“He’s in the best hands. I promise.” Asher’s words seemed

enough to convince him as Brandon reluctantly followed Cerilius
back out into the desert.

Ezekiel carefully handed Devon over to Abraxas. “I know we

need the last gem, but he’s not going to make it another week. I don’t
even know if he’s going to make it now.”

He turned on Druis, who was leaning against the far wall with his

leg propped up, rubbing his bruising jaw. Layden expected more
protests from his leader and clenched his fists in anticipation. He
didn’t care who he had to fight to save his lover.

“I know,” Druis’s admission caught Layden off guard as he stared

at him in surprise. “We need to get him back.”

“You mean it?” Layden questioned in disbelief.
“Yeah, I do. I just wish I knew of a way to locate the gems

without Devon’s help. I think it’s best if we hurry this process along
so he can return to his own world. It’s just a hunch, but I think being
in our world is taking its toll on him.”

“I think you’re right, Dru. I’ve thought the same thing, too.”

Ezekiel walked toward Abraxas and brushed a strand of Devon’s
auburn hair from his pale face. “The stress of being in such a new
place could be the reason he’s been growing weaker and weaker. I
think time is pressing and we should focus on how to find the other
gem as soon as possible.

“I may have an idea,” Asher spoke up, surprising everyone in the

room. “I’ve been working on trying to locate the gems by scrying for
them like Ezekiel did with the first one. It’s a long shot, but I think

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I’ve mastered the technique enough for us to find the last one without
Devon.”

Dru’s expression was unreadable as he sighed. “All right, it’s

settled then. Tomorrow morning, Cerilius, Asher, and I shall head off
in search of the last gem and you, Layden, and Abraxas will take
Devon back to the palace.”

“What about his brother?” Ezekiel furrowed his brow as he asked

the simple question.

“I’m not sure. It would be best if he went with you to the palace,

but I don’t know how he’s going to react to flying on the back of a
dragon.”

“I don’t think that matters at this point. What’s more important,

worrying about his peace of mind or his brother’s life?” Layden had
to admit that Asher was right. It didn’t matter what Brandon would
think of shape-shifting dragons. Devon’s health should be more
important.

“For now, why don’t you and Layden take Devon to bed and try

to get some rest. Ezekiel, Asher, and I will finalize the plans for your
departure first thing tomorrow morning.” Dru pushed open the door
for him and Abraxas. Layden let Abraxas go first as he carefully
carried Devon’s limp figure outside. Layden silently followed the
taller man to the tent.

He helped him place Devon in the bed before covering him up.

They stared down at him in silence for a long moment. He looked so
peaceful, and the color had returned to him. Maybe he’d wake up
before tomorrow and everything would be okay.

“He’ll be all right,” Abraxas declared as he placed a hand on

Layden’s shoulder, pulling him close. Layden stared up into his soft
blue eyes. It was the most unguarded he’d ever seen Abraxas.

Layden pressed his palm against his chest, feeling his heart

beating beneath his shirt. “We can’t lose him. Without Devon, I–I
don’t know where I’d be. He brought us together again.” Abraxas

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wrapped his arm around Layden. He let his warmth surround him as
he closed his eyes and pressed his head to his lover’s chest.

“Easy, love…I’m here.”

* * * *

“So everyone knows the plan?” Druis looked around the

encampment, his eyes meeting many confused and worried looks. He
had to be strong. He was their leader, and they were expecting him to
be their strength.

“Let me get this straight.” Brandon was the first one to break the

silence. “Ezekiel…Right?” He glanced at the quiet man standing next
to him for confirmation that he’d gotten the name correct.

Ezekiel nodded, and Brandon nervously cleared his throat to begin

again. “He’s going to turn into a dragon, fly me and my brother back
to a palace of some kind, and then he’s going to be okay?” The look
in his eyes met Druis’s own with a glimmer of hope. Hope that Druis
couldn’t in good conscience feed. He hardened his expression, as he
always did before giving orders.

“Ezekiel’s going to try his best. That I assure you, Brandon.

Abraxas and Layden will also be accompanying you to the capital.
Asher, Cerilius, and myself will continue our search for the sacred
gems to summon the Dragon God in order to petition the Dragon God
to send you back with your brother.”

Everyone agreed. Everyone except Cerilius that was.
Druis narrowed his eyes on the taller man. He might have a couple

inches on him in height, but Druis would bet his life he could take
him in a fair fight. Then again, Cerilius never fought fair. His clan’s
leader had always played the game best when it came to being
underhanded and ruthless.

“I’m sorry, Druis, but I received notification last night through my

direct connection with my sister that she has become ill and I must
return to my home at once.” He was lying, Druis was sure of it. The

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slight curvature of his lips as he mentioned his sister, Faylnn, was all
the proof he needed. He was definitely up to something.

“Are you sure you can’t travel with us by foot at least to the Jade

Clan gates? We need help carrying all the supplies and walking the
camels.”

Cerilius shook his head. “Unfortunately, no. Faylnn said it was

urgent.”

Druis sighed. “All right. Send my regards to Mistress Faylnn.” As

a person he knew Cerilius was up to no good, but as a captain he
couldn’t exempt the others from their duties and not let Cerilius go
home to his family.

“I’ll be sure to send a fighter in my stead.” Cerilius nodded in

Druis’s direction.

More like a spy.
Druis thanked Cerilius for his thoughtfulness.
“We’ll contact Ezekiel when we’ve found the final gem,” Dru

said, finalizing the plans. They said their good-byes, and he watched
as Layden and Abraxas carried Devon’s limp body into the clearing
with Brandon following behind. Cerilius walked ahead of them, his
head held high. Druis could smell the deceit he exuded even from
afar.

He held his arm out to stop Ezekiel from following after them.

“He’s up to something.” It was a warning Dru whispered so only he
and Asher could hear. Zeke nodded curtly as his amber eyes met his.

“I know. I expect to find him at the capital within a day’s time.

Don’t worry. I’ll keep an eye on him, and Devon will be in good
hands so long as he has Abraxas and Layden by his side.” Ezekiel’s
tone was hushed and determined. Dru knew he’d do everything in his
power to protect Devon and the crown until he could get back. He just
hoped that everything didn’t include sacrificing his life.

“I swear to you we will find the final stone of Raj soon. Just try

your best to keep everyone safe until then,” Dru stated through pursed
lips.

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They exchanged looks and he could see the worry behind Asher

and Ezekiel’s eyes, but neither one of them said another word. He
watched as Ezekiel slowly made his way across the land to the
clearing where he would transform and carry the others back to the
capital.

“Hey, Zeke,” Asher called. Ezekiel stopped and cocked his head

to the side. “Just…stay alive for me, okay?” Asher curved his lips
upward into a half smile, and Ezekiel returned the gesture before
continuing on his path toward the others.

“Looks like it’s just us left.” Asher’s fake enthusiasm did little to

ease the tension Druis carried on his shoulders. Sighing, he picked up
his maps and motioned for Asher to follow. They grabbed what
supplies they could carry by hand and began making their way toward
the final stone of Raj, the gem of the Jade clan.

* * * *

Another day had passed since they’d arrived at the palace, and

still Devon did not stir. Ezekiel had been performing every healing
ritual his people had taught him, but his condition didn’t seem to be
getting any better. At least he wasn’t getting worse. Ezekiel was
grateful for that. He wrung out the wet cloth and dabbed his forehead.
He was still running a bit of a fever, but it had gone down since when
they first arrived.

“Any change?” Abraxas’s deep tone interrupted his thoughts as

his voice filled the room. Ezekiel turned to see his large frame
standing in the doorway.

“His fever has gone down a little bit more today.” He could at

least offer him some good news. Abraxas made his way next to him
and laid a heavy hand on his shoulder.

“Thanks for everything you’ve done. I know he wouldn’t have

even made it this far it if hadn’t been for you.”

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Ezekiel smiled to himself at Abraxas’s words, but the feeling

didn’t quite warm his heart. He wasn’t in the clear yet. “It’s no
problem at all, Abraxas. You know I view you as family. Besides,
Devon is innocent in all this. It’s the least I can do for him. How’s his
brother dealing with all this?”

“Brandon? He’s doing surprisingly well, considering how much in

shock he was after you transformed into a dragon in front of him.”
Abraxas gave a sideways grin at the memory of Brandon fainting
when Ezekiel had first transformed.

“Mostly, though, I think he was relieved to see his brother was

okay. Apparently, the last time he’d spoken with him they had made
dinner arrangements and he never showed.”

“That’s good. I’m glad to hear he’s doing all right. I had some tea

herbs prepared to help relax him just in case.” Ezekiel lifted the small
mesh bags of tea leaves for emphasis. “I think I’ll go ahead and give
them to him while Devon’s stable.” Ezekiel stood to leave. He made
his way down the hallway, turning into the throne room.

Cerilius’s slender frame stood leaning against the throne,

whispering into Maeva’s ear something Ezekiel was sure he was glad
he couldn’t hear if the flushed look on Maeva’s face was any
indication of what he was saying.

“How is your sister fairing, Cerilius?” He tried to hide the sneer

and resentment in his voice. He knew too damn well that there was
nothing wrong with Faylnn.

“Oh, hello, Ezekiel. I didn’t see you there.” The broad grin

plastered across Cerilius’s face as he spoke only made Ezekiel that
much more aggravated at the situation. He clenched his jaw shut. He
wasn’t good at keeping his cool. Not like Druis was anyways. He
wished he were here to deal with this. His stomach churned just
looking at him.

“She’s doing much better. She just missed her eldest brother, but

you wouldn’t understand that, would you?” The coldness in his eyes
sent a pain straight to his heart.

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Family was something Ezekiel would never have, and Cerilius

was the reason. He clenched his hand into a fist as he tried to resist
the urge to take his life. Anger and vengeance were short of clouding
his judgment, but he couldn’t think of himself right now or his lost
family. Right now he had to be the leader of the Saffron clan, and
leaders didn’t commit murder or crimes of passion in broad daylight.

“Oh, my apologies, did I say something too crass? Faylnn is

always telling me I need to learn proper social cues.”

“No, it’s nothing.” He held his hand up dismissively and

continued to make his way across the throne room. He couldn’t deal
with this now. “Send my regards to Mistress Faylnn.” He quickly
exited the room before Cerilius had a chance to reply.

He could feel himself losing control over his powers as the energy

in the hallway cackled around him. He needed to clear his mind and
get some air. Ezekiel racked a hand through his hair as he made his
way toward the gardens.

“Are you okay?” Brandon’s voice startled him as he turned to

greet the voice that called after him.

“Fine. Thank you. Here’s some tea.” He shoved the contents in his

hand and continued toward the gardens.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Brandon asked once more as he

jogged after him.

Ezekiel threw open the doors and welcomed the warm air as the

sunlight flooded the courtyard.

“I just can’t stand him.” He could no long hold his tongue. “The

nerve of that man, first he slaughters his own race, my people…my
family.” The tears he’d been holding back broke free as they streaked
down his face. He clenched his jaw as he let the emotion roll over
him.

“Now, he’s trying to take from the only thing I have left, my

friends, and there’s nothing I can do about it. I have to think of my
own clan. I have to be their leader. I can’t risk it all just to get

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revenge.” He was gasping for air now as his ranting left him feeling
breathless and light-headed.

“No, you can’t.” Brandon’s words caught him off guard as he

looked up at him for the first time. “When my mother died, all I
wanted was to get the bastards that had harmed her, but I had a
responsibility to my brother and my father. I had to be there for them,
help them through the hard times, and care for Devon when my father
passed away.”

He leaned against the wall and stared out at the courtyard. “Of

course, on the other hand, I wasn’t ever actually faced with the man
who killed my mother, so I can’t say I’d blame you.”

A half grin spread across his face as he wiped away the remnants

of Ezekiel’s tears. Standing up, he looked out at the setting sun and
the beauty of the flowers and plants shimmering in the disappearing
light of day.

“Just so you know, I’ll do everything in my power to protect your

brother,” Ezekiel swore. “This is not his battle to fight nor will I sit by
and watch as two of my closest friends are torn apart by his
suffering.”

Ezekiel’s eyes narrowed, and he glanced up at the taller man.
Brandon gave a quick nod. “Neither will I. Let’s just hope it

doesn’t come to that.”

Ezekiel pursed his lips and let out a long sigh before responding.

“I hate to say it, but I think it already has.”

* * * *

Waking up, Devon was finding it difficult to breath. The air in his

lungs burned as he gasped for relief. His head was pounding. His
vision was blurred.

“Devon.” The voice was muffled. He reached up with a shaky

hand and found the source of the sound.

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“Wha–what happened?” The words came out hoarse, and Devon

had to cough to clear his throat.

“It’s okay. You’re safe now.” The room became more focused as

Devon stared up into the faces of the two people he loved most.

“Layden? Abraxas?” He looked around the unfamiliar room and

then back into the eyes of the two men staring at him with worried
expressions. “Where are we?”

They simultaneously let out sighs of relief, and tears of joy began

to pool from Layden’s eyes.

“He’s all right, Abraxas. He’s going to be okay!”
The shouting was making his head hurt even more.
“Of course I’m going to be all right. Why are you yelling so

loudly?” He groaned as he tried sitting up.

Abraxas’s rough hands held him firmly in place. “Easy, love. Let

me help you.” Devon could feel his muscles flex as Abraxas lifted
him.

“What happened?” Devon repeated, still confused by what was

going on.

“Well,” Layden started as he exchanged a look with Abraxas.

“After we went in search of the Night clan stone, you stabbed yourself
in an attempt to save our lives and your brother’s.”

The memory was vague, but he could still feel the sharp pierce of

the blade. Devon rubbed the small scar on his chest that was aching
with the memory.

“Ezekiel was able to close the wound, but you were still too weak

to gain consciousness and you started running a fever, so Druis
thought it best if Ezekiel, Layden, and I took you back to the palace to
recover while he and Asher finished finding the last gem.” Abraxas
ran his thumb underneath Devon’s chin and placed a chaste kiss upon
his dry lips.

“But everyone’s okay? My brother? Where’s Brandon? Is he all

right?” Panic flooded Devon as he struggled to find the edge of the
bed.

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175

“He’s fine. Everyone’s fine. Just relax.” The reassurance in his

eyes calmed Devon’s racing heart, and he let Layden ease him back
down into the bed.

“If it makes you feel any better, you can see him this afternoon.

Right now you should really take it easy. You’re still running a bit of
a fever.”

Devon took a deep breath and let his lover’s comfort him.
“I’m so glad,” Devon mumbled. “I was so worried. I couldn’t bear

the thought of losing you two.”

He was still fatigued, and he felt himself slipping back to sleep.

“Promise me you won’t go anywhere.”

“I promise, my love,” Layden said as he placed a kiss upon his

brow.

* * * *

“I need to speak to you.” Ezekiel’s voice whispered across the

darkened room as Layden stirred from his slumber. He reached
blindly in the darkness as he carefully pulled himself away from
Devon’s sleeping body. He stumbled to the doorway where Ezekiel
and Abraxas stood waiting. Layden yawned and rubbed his eyes as he
dragged himself down the hallway behind the two men. They quietly
made their way into Ezekiel’s room. He closed the door behind them.
Brandon was already there waiting on them.

“What’s this all about, Zeke?” Abraxas said as he stretched his

arms out and sat down on the bed.

“This is about Cerilius.”
Layden looked at him quizzically. “What about Cerilius? He said

his sister was fine.”

Even in the faint light of the room, Layden could see Ezekiel

purse his lips at Abraxas’s statement.

“That’s not what I wanted to say.” He cleared his throat. “I think

there is something you should know about Cerilius. Druis, Asher, and

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I have kept it from you in our travels, but I think it best if you are
made aware of the situation.”

“What situation? What are you talking about?” Layden furrowed

his eyebrows.

“What Ezekiel is trying to say is that, Cerilius has been trying to

manipulate the situation this entire time so that Devon would name
him as the next king.” Brandon stood up and made his way next to
Ezekiel. Silence filled the room as Layden and Abraxas focused on
what Ezekiel had to say.

“He’s been working with Maeva, using the dark arts to manipulate

the flux of time. He was the cause of the Fae Wars and responsible for
my family’s death. He was even the one who stole the Night family
orb which ultimately resulted in Reign’s death.”

The information was overwhelming. Layden tried to comprehend

what he was saying, but the words just wouldn’t register. There was
no way Cerilius could be doing the horrible things he spoke of. But
somehow Layden believed what Ezekiel was telling him.

When the orb of the Night family disappeared, everyone had

blamed the Azure clan. The orbs were rare objects held by each clan
leader and the Night orb in particular had the ability to mimic a black
dragon’s powers if the person wielding it was strong enough to
harness its energy. To say it was a highly desirable device was an
understatement and the fight that eventually ended with Reign’s death
was inevitable. The Night clan had hated the Azure clan for centuries.
It was only a matter of time before something like that happened. But
Layden had known the truth. He knew the Azure clan never had any
part in the orb’s disappearance and now it all made sense.

“I’m telling you this because I’m concerned. Cerilius is here in the

palace. There was never anything wrong with his sister. He only
wanted to be here so he could be closer to you two and Devon. I don’t
know what he and Maeva are planning, but I expect you to be on
guard.”

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“So, why didn’t you tell us sooner? We could have helped figure

something out.” Abraxas raised an eyebrow.

“Druis didn’t want to worry you. You both were getting along for

once, and to be honest…” He paused, unsure of whether or not to
divulge the information. “I suspect your initial attraction to Devon
was due to a spell cast by Maeva in hopes that you would fight to the
death over him. You don’t need to worry about that, though. I’ve been
giving you special herbs to counteract Maeva’s spell. The effects
should be completely out of your system by now.”

The words settled with a bad taste in Layden’s mouth. That

couldn’t be true…could it? “Why are you telling us this now?” The
anger seethed in Layden’s tone.

“Because,” Ezekiel’s said as his eyes narrowed. “I have been

summoned by Druis. They managed to obtain the last and final stone
of Raj, but the man Cerilius sent in his place has badly injured Asher.
Druis is afraid if he leaves to return to the palace, Asher might not
survive.”

Abraxas paced the room, clenching and unclenching his fists. His

eyes flashed red as electricity swirled around him. “Give me one good
reason I shouldn’t take his life tonight.”

“Because you do love Devon. Both of you do and if you kill him

you’ll be put on trial, maybe even put to death. Who will lead your
people? Who will watch after Devon? Besides, if Maeva has the
ability to travel through time, she’d be able to easily stop you. We
need to wait, until we can get an audience with the Dragon God
Ryujin. Then maybe, we can put an end to this once and for all.”

“He’s right.” Layden hated to admit it, but all they could do was

protect Devon until they could come up with a better plan or speak to
the Dragon God.

Abraxas stopped his pacing. The energy in the room calmed a bit,

and he sighed. “I know.” The admittance came with reluctance, but
Layden knew Abraxas understood what they must do.

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“You go to Asher, heal him, and return with the final stone of Raj.

We’ll keep an eye out for Cerilius until you can get back with Druis
and Asher. But as soon as you return, I will take care of the situation
before he does anything else that could harm us or anyone else.”
Abraxas was trying to hold in his temper as he spoke the words.

“It should take me no longer than two days’ time to return. I shall

hurry back as soon as I can.” Ezekiel’s somber expression flickered
with the light of candle.

“So it’s settled then. We shall watch over Devon until Ezekiel can

return,” Brandon concluded.

Everyone nodded in agreement. Despite their plan of action,

Layden couldn’t help but feel like this was only the beginning of their
troubles. He knew Cerilius too well, and he had this sneaking
suspicion that there would be more bloodshed to come from him
before this was over.

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Chapter 13

His body felt on fire, every fiber in his being alive as Devon

welcomed the embrace of his two lovers. He didn’t want to leave. He
didn’t want to return to his life without them. Layden placed gentle
kisses on his neck, trailing down to his collarbone as Abraxas
desperately grabbed at his waist. He needed their touches like he
needed the air in his lungs.

“More,” he whispered just as Layden’s mouth suckled on his

nipple. Abraxas tore at the confines of his boxers, revealing his hard
cock.

“Looks like somebody wants us.” He growled before taking

Devon into his mouth.

Cries of ecstasy erupted from his lips as he let the wave of

pleasure consume him.

“I need you now.” Layden’s penetrating stare was filled with lust.

He could feel his desire. His muscles were glistening with sweat, and
the hardness of his cock was pressed against his leg. He watched as he
pulled Abraxas from in between his thighs to kiss his lips.

“Please,” he begged as the ache between his legs burned with the

desire to be sated. The two men turned and stared upon his naked
body with a hunger that sent shivers down his spine.

“Please what?” The half-cocked grin Abraxas flashed him caused

Devon to hesitate.

“Please fuck me.” The words were barely audible as he spoke

them.

Layden forced his legs apart and positioned himself above him.

Devon’s breath hitched when Layden inched his cock inside. He

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breathed in the water dragon’s scent as he ran his fingers through his
tousled mess of hair.

“That’s it, love. Take all of me.” Layden’s rhythm was fast and

hard, demanding of his release. He wrapped an arm around Devon’s
waist and lifted him as he rolled Devon on top of him, never missing a
stride while doing so. He reached for Devon’s ass, spreading his ass
cheeks apart for Abraxas’s viewing pleasure.

The thought of Abraxas watching him as he fucked another man

nearly sent him over the edge. Abraxas was so close to him, he could
feel his breath on the back of his neck. He reached with one hand and
grabbed Devon’s cock. Devon jumped as his fingers squeezed tightly
on his cock.

“Abraxas,” Devon moaned, and Abraxas pushed his own cock

into Devon’s hole. Both men stretched him to his limit as they rocked
their hips.

Devon tightened around both his men as he neared release.

Layden pushed deep inside, harder with every thrust as Abraxas
matched his need until they were all three moving together toward
one goal.

“Layden…Abraxas…I–I.” He gasped to catch his breath, but his

pounding heart wouldn’t let him. He kept climbing higher and higher
with every slick pound of the hard dicks pressed deep inside him.

“I love you! God, I love you!” Devon shouted as he felt himself

spiraling over the edge into bliss. His muscles spasmed around their
cocks as they greedily sought the same release. Two more thrusts and
both Abraxas and Layden joined him, filling him full with the
remnants of their lovemaking.

They collapsed together on the bed, dripping wet with the sweat

from the heat of their passion.

“I love you as well,” Layden panted with a broad grin spread

across his face.

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181

“And I love you both more than there are stars in the nighttime

skies,” Abraxas agreed, breathless as he stretched his arms behind his
head.

“Promise me something,” Devon murmured as he nuzzled into

Abraxas’s chest.

“Anything,” he agreed without waiting to hear his request.
“No, I’m serious.” Devon sat up to look at him. His aquamarine

eyes sparkled in the candlelit room. “I want you both to promise me
that no matter what happens in the future, you will never forget me.”

A silly request really, but it meant something to him. He had spent

his whole life surrounded by people who never really saw him. He
didn’t want to become just another fleeting memory, forgotten with
the passing of time.

“How could we ever forget about you, Devon?” Layden’s smile

calmed his worries almost instantly. His ice-blue eyes stared into his
own with such love and compassion that he couldn’t picture a world
without him in it.

“We’ll never forget you.” Abraxas wrapped his arm around him

and pulled Devon back to his chest. “Now rest, love. Tomorrow we
shall think of heavier things. Tonight, I just want to be with you and
Layden.”

“I think I can live with that.” Devon inhaled the scent of his

dragons and closed his eyes. All he needed to soothe him to sleep was
the sound of their hearts beating as one.

* * * *

“It’s been three days since Ezekiel left.” Abraxas growled as he

paced their room. Devon and Layden watched their lover from the
bed.

“Calm down, Abraxas. I’m sure everything is fine,” Layden tried

to reassure him.

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Abraxas let out an animalistic growl in protest. “We have only a

few days left until the ceremony. What if he doesn’t make it back in
time?”

“Can’t we just postpone the ritual until he returns?” Devon asked

as he stared up at Abraxas.

Abraxas met his gaze with concern reflected in his eyes. “The

laws of the ritual are very strict. The veil only allows for the Dragon
God to be summoned within two months after the death of the king. If
we don’t make the deadline, you’ll be returned to your world and the
kingdom will fall into complete chaos, each clan fighting for the right
to be king. It would be horrifying and who knows what the outcome
would be. Right now, the only thing keeping us together is the fact
that we are bound by the old king’s laws, but all that changes once the
two months are up.”

“I don’t understand,” Devon stated. “How does the king keep the

clans together? What makes him so different from all the other clan
heirs?”

“The king keeps us together,” Layden explained. “He is blessed

by the Dragon God with certain abilities that enables him to demand
obedience from all clans. No dragon can disobey a direct order from
the king. He’s the reason we have survived the threats from
neighboring vampire and fae kingdoms.”

Devon’s lips pursed. He now knew the gravity of the situation.

Everyone was counting on him and yet he’d been unable to complete
the task given to him. King Adonis had chosen him and he felt like
such a disappointment. His gaze shifted to the ground. “I’m
sorry…I’m sorry I haven’t been able to finish finding the gems. This
is all my fault.”

Abraxas placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “Devon, it’s

okay. You have nothing to be sorry for. You did the best you could.
Hell, you’ve sacrificed your life on more than one occasion for the
gems we have collected. No one blames you.”

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Layden’s kind eyes looked down at him as he wrapped his arms

around Devon’s waist. “Besides, you needed the break. You had to
regain your strength for the summoning and your return home.”

Devon’s heart sank at Layden’s words. They were meant to

reassure him but all he’d done was remind Devon that in just a few
days they would be separated forever. “I don’t want to go home.
Brandon and I have even discussed it. He’s okay with it, really. In
fact, he’s thinking about staying, too. No one’s been able to figure out
a way for him to get back home and I don’t want to leave him or you
two behind.” Devon was grasping at straws as he looked up at
Layden.

Layden’s eyes narrowed. “We don’t know if you can stay. The

magics the late king placed upon you will send you back. We should
focus on completing the Ceremony and asking for the Dragon God’s
blessing. That’s our only hope.”

“Can’t we find someone who can summon me again? What about

if I choose one of you to be king? Can’t you just will me back here?”

Layden shook his head as pain filled his gaze. “I wouldn’t want to

risk it. Summoning spells are very dangerous and usually only work
out if they are blessed by the Dragon God. I’m not willing to
endanger you.”

“But there’s a chance. The Dragon God might sanction our

relationship and then Devon could stay here.” There was a tone of
desperation in Abraxas’s voice as he challenged Layden’s pessimism.

Layden sighed. “I don’t how we can even think of sustaining this

relationship. You know how rare it is that the Dragon God interferes
in a mortal’s life and what about our clans? The only way they would
sanction our relationship is if one of us became king and ordered them
to.” Devon could see the truth in Layden’s words. He didn’t want to
have false hope

Devon smiled at him, taking his cheeks into his hands. “Layden,

it’s simple. I’ll choose one of you to be king. Then you can ordain our
relationship and if the Dragon God wills it, we’ll be together.”

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“I think you should choose Abraxas,” Layden said after a long

moment.

Abraxas looked to his lovers. “What are you saying, Layden? You

can’t just give up the throne. What about your family?”

“My family is not my concern right now. I never wanted to be

Clan Leader let alone King of all Draconia. You’ve been preparing
for this your whole life. You have the plans to unite our clans. You
want to make things peaceful again so that we can be together. Hell,
just maybe you can do it. Then you and Devon can go before the
Dragon God. I know you’ll pass the test. At least then, Devon could
stay with us. I wouldn’t mind being the third wheel.”

“Whoa, wait a second.” Devon did not like the idea of them

excluding Layden. He meant just as much to Devon as Abraxas did.

“Yeah, no one’s talking about excluding anyone.” Abraxas’s gaze

fixated on Layden. “We’re either all in this or we call it quits now.”

Silence lingered between the three of them as they exchanged

meaningful looks. Devon spoke first, knowing full well what his
decision was. “I’m in. We’ll petition the Dragon God for Abraxas to
become king and for him to sanction our relationship.”

Layden nodded at last. “Me, too. At least then we can say we

tried.”

“Okay, so we’re all in agreement. Now why don’t we go into

town and try to find a Scryer. They should be able to pinpoint
Ezekiel’s and Druis’s location. We can at least see where they are and
how far away they are from the capital,” Abraxas said, coming up
with a plan of action.

“That sounds like a great idea,” Layden agreed.
“Okay, let me get dressed.” Devon went to stand up but was

stopped by Layden’s strong arms.

“Are you sure, you’re up for it? I can stay here with you if you

need me to.”

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Chapter 14

“Do you think he’ll like it?” Layden asked as he looked to

Abraxas, holding up the small silver ring. They had found a matching
set of simple rings for all three of them, each engraved with the words
“forever and always” around the band.

“I’m sure he will. Hopefully, it’ll lighten his spirits. I think the

thought of leaving us is really bringing him down.” Abraxas picked
up some boxes before handing a few coins to the clerk. “Speaking of
Devon, where’d he go? I told him not to wander off.”

Abraxas looked over his shoulder for the smaller redhead.
“He just went inside that shop.” Layden pointed to the antique

store behind Abraxas. “I’m sure he’s fine.”

Abraxas shrugged. “Yeah, you’re right. I’m just paranoid with all

that’s been happening. It’s been a week since we’ve been consuming
the herbs to counteract Maeva’s spell. What if Devon changes his
mind? What if he wakes up one day and doesn’t care about us
anymore?”

Layden raised an eyebrow at the dragon standing in front of him.

“You know that stuff only works to incite desire. It doesn’t make
someone fall in love with you. Devon’s feelings are real. If they
weren’t, we’d know something by now.”

He held out the three rings for Abraxas’s inspection. “His spirits

are just down, but I think this might cheer him up. We should give it
to him when we get back to the palace.”

Abraxas nodded. “Sure.”
A broad grin spread across Layden’s face. “Can I take the credit

for picking it out?”

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Abraxas rolled his eyes. “It’s supposed to be from both of us,

remember?”

“Yeah, yeah.” That was only partially true. It had been his idea

after all.

“Hey, Devon. You ready?” Layden called just as Devon stepped

out of the shop. His face was pale and his eyes looked like he’d been
crying. Layden shoved the rings into his pocket and rushed to his side.

“What’s wrong?” He asked, placing a hand on his lover’s

shoulder.

Devon stared up at him, coldness reflected in his gaze. It was

nothing like the warmth from earlier. “I’m fine. Can we go back now?
I’m feeling a little tired.”

Layden glanced to Abraxas. “Sure, Devon. We’ll go back and you

can take a nap.”

They walked in silence the entire way to the palace. Devon’s

demeanor hadn’t improved at all. In fact, he looked worse. Layden
had thought that he would be in better spirits after hearing the good
news about Druis and Ezekiel being only a day away.

They walked through the palace doors and headed down the

hallway. Devon slipped inside the bedroom, insisting that he needed
some quiet time. Layden and Abraxas resisted the urge to follow him
as they gave him the space he needed.

“I’m worried about him,” Abraxas stated after an hour had passed.

They sat on the sofas in the living room across the way, keeping a
watchful eye on Devon’s door.

“I’m sure he’s fine,” Layden said, trying to reassure his lover, but

there was no conviction in his voice.

“Excuse me,” Maeva said as she entered the sitting room. Layden

and Abraxas’s eyes narrowed on the traitorous bitch. Layden’s hand
balled into fists. What he wouldn’t give to have a shot at her and
Cerilius both, but unfortunately, it was too risky to go at them alone.
With Maeva’s time traveling abilities, she’d probably do something to
stop them before they even had a chance to get close. Their only

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option was to wait until the Ceremony. She wouldn’t dare use her
powers in front of the Dragon God.

“Hello, Maeva,” Abraxas said, maintaining his calm composure.
“Was there any news of Ezekiel and Druis’s whereabouts?”
Layden shook his head. He didn’t want her to know they were

almost to the palace gates. He didn’t trust her. “I’m afraid not, but we
did find a nice present for Devon, so if you don’t mind, we would like
to go on and give it to him.” Layden had wanted to wait until Devon
got up from his nap, but being around Maeva was making his dragon
nervous. He needed to see his fragile human for reassurance.

“I’m afraid I can’t let you do that.” Her mocking tone was

beginning to get on Layden’s nerves.

“And why not?” Anger boiled inside him. How dare she keep

them apart.

“Devon requested to not see you for the rest of his time here.”

Maeva placed one hand on her full hips.

“Bullshit!” Abraxas shouted. “He hasn’t said anything like that to

anybody. We’ve been with him the whole time.” He pushed the
smaller-framed woman aside with ease and headed for the door.

“I wouldn’t go in there if I were you.” Maeva’s warning did little

to deter him or Abraxas. They pulled open the door and were appalled
by the site that greeted them.

Devon lay in bed, snuggled close to Cerilius’s chest. Had he been

in here the entire time with Devon? The only way that was possible is
if he were waiting for him in his room before they’d even returned to
the palace.

“What the hell is going on? Devon?” Layden demanded the

explanation, though none was really needed.

Devon stirred and casually looked over his shoulder at the two

men who had disturbed his sleep.

“Maeva, I thought I made it clear to not be disturbed.”
“I’m sorry. They demanded to see you. I couldn’t stop them.”

Maeva’s tone was filled with false sincerity.

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189

“Fine,” he sighed as he sat up. “What do you want?”
Tears welled up in Layden’s eyes as he stared at him. Devon was

his. This wasn’t right. Something had to be going on. It must be some
kind of joke.

“Devon? Why…” He couldn’t finish the sentence. He couldn’t

bring himself to ask the question.

“Why am I in bed with Cerilius?” Devon raised an eyebrow with

an amused look on his face. His gaze was cold, nothing like the
Devon Layden knew.

Devon leaned back and placed a kiss upon Cerilius’s lips and

Layden’s heart sank. So it was true. The reality of the image before
him wasn’t comprehensible. He felt the world around him swirl as a
sharp pain stabbed him over and over again inside his chest.

“This is some kind of magic.” Abraxas turned to Maeva. He was

shaking uncontrollably.

Maeva shook her head innocently. “You know no magic can

control love.” But that didn’t exclude lust.

“Yes. As you can see, I am perfectly fine. I’ve just changed my

mind. I don’t want to go before the Dragon God. I think it’s best if we
just end our relationship now. There really isn’t any point. Besides,
don’t pretend like you weren’t only interested in me because you
wanted to be king.” The anger in Devon’s voice was real, and Layden
stared at him, dumbfounded.

“But, Devon, I love you! Please don’t do this.” The tears were

falling down his cheeks in endless cascades now.

Devon’s eyes narrowed. “I can’t do this anymore. Guards,” Devon

called to the men standing outside his room, and four large-framed
guardsmen entered the room.

“Yes, Devon?” the taller one spoke.
“I want these two removed from the palace. I’ve already made my

decision on who shall become the next king. Their presence is no
longer needed.” Maeva nodded in affirmation, giving the guards all

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they needed to execute Devon’s wishes. Most of these poor saps
didn’t know just how evil this woman really was.

“But what about the ceremony.” Layden was desperate now. He

looked to Abraxas for support, but his lover had gone rigid. He
couldn’t read his emotions.

“No, Layden. If Devon wants rid of us, then we shall leave.”

Abraxas grabbed Layden’s arm and dragged him out of the room.

“Wait! I’ve got to give him the present!” Layden fumbled through

his pockets and pulled out the small box and laid it on the dresser as
Abraxas pulled him out of the room.

“Devon, please…please don’t do this,” he called one last time.
But it was too late. The door slammed shut in their faces as the

guards ushered them down the hallway away from their human’s
room.

* * * *

Devon collapsed as soon as they were taken out the room,

doubling over with pain. Tears fell from his eyes as he sobbed
silently.

“You did well.” Cerilius placed a hand on his shoulder.
Devon pushed him away. “Don’t touch me!” He glared up at him

with hatred in his eyes.

His lips turned upward in a sneer. “Have it your way, brat.” He

walked over to Maeva and put an arm around her waist.

“Look at it this way. You only have to keep the charade up for a

few more days. Then you can name Cerilius king and return to your
own world,” Maeva said with a casualness to her tone.

Devon stared up at her. “Layden and Abraxas will see through

this. You’ll see. They’ll come save me and my brother!”

Maeva let out a high-pitched laugh. “Think again, my dear. After

I’ve exposed their relationship to their families, they won’t be able to
set foot into the capital, let alone reach the palace gate. So even if

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191

they do figure it out, they will be arrested on sight. Besides…” She
paused and walked to Devon. She lifted his chin with one fingertip
until he had no choice but to meet her cold eyes. “Do you really want
them to try to save you? You’ve seen what I can do them. You know I
have your brother locked in my dungeons as we speak. One cry out to
them and I’ll see they are both put to death along with your pathetic
excuse of a brother.”

Devon knew what she said was true. Cerilius had been there,

waiting for him in that antique shop and he’d shown Devon just what
they were capable of. The images of their cruel actions in the Fae
Wars were still burned in his mind and the sight of his brother locked
in the dungeons was more than enough to bring Devon to his knees.
He couldn’t bear it if something happened to his brother.

Satisfied with Devon’s submission, Maeva turned away from him

and wrapped her arm around Cerilius. “Come on, lover. Let’s leave
the boy to himself. We have some celebrating to do.” They both left
the room, and the door fell shut with a click, indicating that he was
once again locked inside the room.

Everywhere he looked, he was reminded of his lovers.
“Layden…Abraxas…” he whispered, but knew they would not

answer. He was alone. Standing, he went to the dresser and opened
the small box Layden had left for him. He picked up the beautiful
ring, turning it over in his hand.

“Forever and always,” he read aloud. More tears fell as he clung

tightly to the gift. He could cherish it forever. He only hoped that in
time, they would see he was protecting them and that he did love
them, with all his heart.

Devon threw himself onto the bed and cried until he couldn’t cry

anymore. Dry sobs wracked his body as he fell asleep from the
exhaustion.

* * * *

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The night air was chilly as Abraxas and Layden walked the

outskirts of the city. They had been blacklisted by their families and
clans. Maeva’s display of their lovemaking in her magic mirror had
ensured that there was no safe place left for them to turn to, not even
their parents would listen to them. They were lucky their powers
hadn’t been stripped from them, but that was all they had left. With no
home and no protection, Layden and Abraxas had wandered the
streets. Two days had passed and Abraxas imagined Druis and
Ezekiel had made it back to the palace. The Ceremony would take
place and that would be the end of it.

“I just can’t believe it,” Layden mumbled, interrupting Abraxas’s

thoughts. Abraxas couldn’t either, but he had no choice. Right now
his main concern was finding a place for him and Layden to sleep. “I
mean, there must be some kind of reason. What if there was a spell
that could manipulate Devon’s emotions?”

Abraxas didn’t want to think about this.
“There’s nothing we can do about it now. Devon has made his

decision.” He didn’t want to think about him. The hole in his chest
was still too fresh to even say his name out loud without feeling some
sort of stabbing pain. Layden grabbed his arm and turned him toward
him. He had tears in his eyes, and Abraxas could see the hurt.

He brushed them away with the touch of his hand and cupped

Layden’s cheek. “Don’t cry, my love. I’m here.” Two days had
passed since they had been kicked out on the streets and disowned by
their families. Tomorrow was the ceremony. He knew Layden wanted
to go back to the palace. To demand to see Devon once more, but
Abraxas knew if he had changed his mind, he would’ve come with
Druis to get them. So far there had been no sign of Druis or Devon.
That left one conclusion, that he still didn’t want them by his side.

More tears streamed down Layden’s cheek as he came to the same

conclusion Abraxas had.

“Come here.” Abraxas wrapped his arms around him as he pulled

him to his chest.

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193

“I just don’t understand…” Layden sobbed quietly into his shirt.

“Why does everyone want to leave me?”

Abraxas knew he was talking not only about Devon but about him

as well.

“Oh, Layden,” he sighed into the top of his head. “I’m so sorry for

hurting you in the past. I was only trying to become stronger so that I
could end this feud between our clans and be together. If I had known
how much I would hurt you, I would’ve never done it. I only thought
it would make things easier on you with your parents and their
pressure on you to quit hanging out with me.”

“I know, Abraxas. I know. I just…want to quit hurting. I don’t

want to ever be without you again, and I wish with all my heart that I
could just go back in time one week to savor all our memories with
Devon.”

Abraxas just held him close. He just wanted to see him smile

again, but he knew it would be a while before that happened. “Come
on, love. Let’s go see if we can’t find a place to sleep.”

“Hey, Abraxas,” Druis’s familiar voice called from behind him.

He turned with a pointed stare.

“What are you doing here?” Abraxas didn’t mean for his tone to

be cold, but it came out harsh and unfeeling.

“I just thought you would want to know that something is going

on with Devon.”

Abraxas rolled his eyes. “Yeah, we know. He didn’t want us

around anymore.”

Druis raised an eyebrow. “You seriously believe that?”
“Well what exactly are we supposed to believe? He had us thrown

out of the palace.” The words stung as he spoke, but he needed to say
them. He needed for Druis to believe them. He didn’t think Layden
could take much more of this back and forth.

“He’s being blackmailed.” Druis’s explanation gave him false

hope.

“Do you have proof?” Abraxas eyed him suspiciously.

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“I found his brother in the cells along with the guards I had

entrusted to keep a watchful eye on him. They’re being tried for
treason.”

Layden and Abraxas exchanged a look. Could it be true?
“What can we do? We can’t even get anywhere close to the

palace, and the ceremony will be over after tomorrow.” Abraxas
shifted as he stepped closer.

Druis shook his head. “They’re doing it tonight. Ezekiel and

Asher are waiting for us. We have to move now.”

“But how are we going to get in? The entire place is surrounded,”

Layden asked as his jaw hardened with outrage.

“We’re going to have to fly.”
Abraxas nodded in understanding. “Come on, Layden. Let’s

shift.”

* * * *

Devon entered the ritual room dressed in formal robes. His hands

were shaking as he held up the scroll he was supposed to read from.
Each gem was nestled in its place, waiting for him to unlock their
power and summon forth the Dragon God. His heart beat loudly in his
chest. He didn’t know if he could do this.

He could feel Maeva’s and Cerillius’s eyes on him as he made his

way to the center of the room. He tried his best to ignore them and
instead focused on Ezekiel and Asher who were standing in front of
him.

Devon read the summoning incantation, his voice trembling from

the uncertainty of what was about to happen.

“Ryujin, you have been summoned to decree a new king for your

land. I bequest that you appear before me so that I may recite my
decision as is the duty of the Dragon God’s priest.” A rumbling shook
the room and Devon struggled to keep his footing. Was this the
Dragon God?

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195

The confused look that crossed Maeva’s and Cerilius’s faces made

Devon doubt that it was his invocation that had caused the
earthquake.

“Now,” Asher ordered. Flames erupted from his fingertips,

encircling Devon in a ring of fire as Ezekiel launched himself at
Cerilius. One touch was all it took and Devon watched in horror as
the gentle healer sucked the life from the clan leader.

His dead body slumped to the floor, and Maeva’s screams filled

the room. The far wall crumbled and three dragons stepped inside the
space, shifting back to their human forms as they did. It was Abraxas,
Layden, and Druis. They had come for him.

He went to rush to their side, but Asher’s grip stopped him.

“Finish the incantation. Maeva could still travel back in time.”

Devon glanced to the old bitch and saw her fumbling with some

trinket around her neck as a mystical glow surrounded her.

“Dragon God Ryujin, I summon you,” Devon finished reading the

words off the page and a blinding light engulfed him, transporting
him to the white room he’d first encountered when he came to
Draconia.

“I see you have completed your task.” A loud voice filled the void

as the same dragon he saw the first time he’d stepped through the
rabbit hole materialized in front of him. “Are you ready to name the
heir to the throne of Draconia?”

Devon nodded. “Yes, but first I have a request.” He gnawed on his

bottom lip as he shifted uncomfortably. It wasn’t every day a person
came face-to-face with a god.

The Dragon God stared down at Devon with a look of surprise as

he waited to hear what Devon had to say.

“Please stop Maeva. All I want is for the world of Draconia to be

safe. I’m begging you.” Devon dropped to his knees and bowed his
head. He didn’t know what else to do. If Maeva returned to the past,
then this would all be useless.

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“Maeva…yes, I have noticed she has been meddling with magics

she shouldn’t.” The Dragon God’s form distorted and was replaced
with a very human-looking figure. He stood well over six foot tall
with pale skin and tousled turquoise hair that fell in front of his
penetrating stare. Devon fixated his gaze on the floor, too afraid to
meet the God’s stare.

“Why do you care what happens to the people of Draconia? After

today, I will return you to your world and you will be unaffected by
the consequences of this realm.” The question posed threw Devon off
guard and he dared a glance at the being responsible for bringing him
to Draconia.

“Because, what she’s doing is wrong!” Devon declared, finding

his confidence to fight for what he believed in. “Over the past two
months I have come to care for the people of this world very much,
more so than my own world. The dragons are a strong race with
promising clan heirs that can really do something great for their
people. But, Maeva threatens that future. She’s unstoppable with her
ability to time travel and I’m determined to do everything I can to
stop her.”

Devon was left breathless as he waited for the Dragon God’s

response. His heart was racing and his palms were sweaty. If this
failed, then that was it. There was no hope.

The Dragon God’s gaze narrowed on Devon. His expression was

unreadable. “I have been watching you, Devon Avalon. I have seen
all that you have sacrificed for my people and I have seen all that the
clan heirs have endured for their people. Rest assured, I will strip
Maeva of her powers. She will no longer be allowed to manipulate
time, but there is one condition.”

Devon stared dumbfounded at the Dragon God, surprised he had

granted Devon’s request. “Yes?” he asked with hesitancy.

The Dragon God’s lips curved upward into a semblance of a

smile. “You must bring peace to my people.”

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Devon was speechless. How could he guarantee peace to

Draconia? “I don’t understand.” Devon furrowed his brow.

With a wave of his hand, Abraxas and Layden both appeared next

to him.

“What the—” Abraxas began. He met the Dragon God’s gaze and

stumbled backward. “Y–you’re the Dragon God Ryujin?”

The being before them nodded. “Yes and I have agreed to put an

end to Maeva’s time traveling abilities on one condition.”

Abraxas and Layden exchanged looks. Devon had never seen

them so nervous.

“In order to bring true peace to the land of Draconia, the feud

between the clans must stop, starting with the ongoing Azure and
Night clan feud. Devon, I present to you a choice. Choose a side.
Whoever has gained your favor will be crowned king and whoever
you don’t choose shall cease to exist.”

Devon looked up to the Dragon God, unsure if he’d heard him

correctly. He couldn’t choose between Abraxas and Layden. Tears
pooled in his eyes. “I can’t! How can I choose between them?”

The Dragon God shrugged. “It’s up to you, human. If you really

care about my people, then you will do what you must to ensure their
future.”

Layden placed a reassuring hand on Devon’s shoulder. “It’s

okay.”

Devon shook his head. No it wasn’t. Nothing about this was okay.

He met Layden’s soft gaze. There was nothing but love and
acceptance reflected in his eyes. “Choose Abraxas. You know he’s
the right choice.”

“Now wait a minute, Layden,” Abraxas stated, stepping closer.

“There’s no way I’m going to stand by this decision. I can’t live in a
world without you in it. Choose Layden.”

Devon looked from each of them, unsure of what to do. They

were both willing to sacrifice themselves for the other but Devon just

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couldn’t do it. He couldn’t bring himself to declare anyone. Tears
trickled down his cheeks as a feeling of hopelessness came over him.

“I can’t,” he said at last. “I love them both so much. I can’t choose

between them…please…”

“Is that your final decision?” the Dragon God asked. “Are you

willing to risk everything for your lovers?”

“Devon, don’t do it!” Layden pleaded. “Stopping Maeva is more

important. She’ll kill us all.”

“Shut up!” Devon shouted. He didn’t want to hear this. This was

asking too much of him. “I can’t do it, okay? Don’t you get it,
Layden? I love you both more than anything! How could I condemn
one of you? Could you choose between me and Abraxas?”

Layden stood speechless as he glanced from Devon to Abraxas.

After a long while, Layden shook his head. “No…I couldn’t.”

Sighing, Devon turned to look at the Dragon God. “I’m sorry,” he

stated with sincerity in his voice. “As selfish as it is, I can’t choose
between them.”

The Dragon God nodded. “Your love for one another has been

noted and you have passed my test.”

“Test?” Abraxas asked. “What test?”
A small smile tugged at the corner of Ryujin’s lips. “To see if you

are worthy enough to be pass my judgment and rule my land.”

The Dragon God stepped closer and placed a hand on Devon’s

shoulder. “Your love for your men is all I need to see. If you keep
your heart the way it is now, I know my people will find peace.” He
looked to each one of them. “May you never forget the way you feel
for each other in this moment. Cherish each other until the end and
spread your love throughout the lands. Abraxas Night and Layden
Azure, in my name, I declare you both King of all Draconia.”

“But what about Maeva?” Devon asked, unsure of whether or not

to believe in the hope that was being offered.

The Dragon God’s lips twitched as though he were suppressing a

smile. “I’ll see to it she’s dealt with accordingly.”

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With the wave of his hand, a portal leading back to the realm of

Draconia opened. Devon didn’t know what to do. Was this it? Would
Layden and Abraxas really get to rule over Draconia? Would he be
returned back to his own world, never to see them again?

Devon looked to the Dragon God, unsure if he should ask for

another favor. His erratic heart pounded loudly inside his chest as the
burning question lingered in his mind.

“You may stay with them if you like, Devon. I do not take

pleasure in seeing true love torn apart. I’m a bit of a romantic, I guess
you could say.” The Dragon God’s expression softened for the first
time and Devon could see just how much he really did care for his
people.

“What about my brother?”
Ryujin shrugged. “It’s up to the kings now. They have my

blessing and my power. If Brandon wishes to return to his world, I’m
sure they could handle that.”

“Thank you,” Devon whispered. He didn’t know what else to say.

What could he say to the being that had given him his world? He took
his lovers’ hands and with one final glance back at the God, he
stepped through the gateway leading back to his new home.

* * * *

A blue light surrounded Layden and Abraxas the moment they

returned to the temple. The mark of the Dragon God’s declaration was
branded on their chest in the form of an emblem etched into their
skin. The Ceremony was complete and Draconia had two new kings.

Maeva’s screams of anger and hatred filled the entirety of the

room. “You’ll pay for this!”

But as soon as the words left her lips, a blue light engulfed her

body and she vanished. The only indication that it was the Dragon
God who had interfered was the resounding echo of her scream as he
carried out his end of the deal.

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It was finally over. All of their struggles and fears had been put to

rest and now all that was left was for the new kings to take the throne.

Druis looked to each one of them. “What happened?”
“The Dragon God Ryujin gave his blessing for both of us to be

king since Devon couldn’t choose.” A smile spread across Abraxas’s
face as he spoke. “And we can finally rest easy in knowing that
Maeva and Cerilius won’t be around to mess with our futures
anymore.”

Druis’s eyes widened with surprise. “I’ve never heard of the

Dragon God granting us permission to have two kings before. This
has to be a first in Draconian history. What shall we do now?”

Asher stepped forward, grinning like the Cheshire cat. “We

celebrate of course.”

* * * *

The day had been long and Layden yearned for it to be over with.

It had been days since he’d enjoyed a nice warm bath and comfortable
sheets. He walked into the king’s bedchambers—their bedchambers
now—and stripped off his clothes, making his way to the already
prepared bath water. The tub was large enough to constitute a small
pool and could easily accommodate all three of them. He was barely
aware of Abraxas calling after him as he slipped his sore feet beneath
the warm liquid.

“Layden, we have to finalize the invites for tomorrow’s

coronation ceremony.” Abraxas followed him, paperwork still in
hand.

Layden cast a look over his shoulders to his lover. “Get Druis to

finish them. He’s our advisor now, isn’t he?”

Abraxas pursed his lips but handed the stacks of letters to Druis,

who was standing in the doorway.

Druis flashed a smile at Abraxas. “I can take care of this, go enjoy

your men.” He stepped aside, allowing Devon entrance in the room.

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201

The door shut behind him and they were alone for the first time all
day.

Abraxas let out a sigh as he pulled off his shirt. “Care if we join

you?”

Layden nodded, already feeling the calming effects of the water

on his aching muscles.

Abraxas stepped inside the tub and groaned at the feel of the

warmth. Layden’s gaze fixated on Abraxas as the liquid trickled down
the hard planes of his chest. “Come on, Devon. The water’s just
right,” Abraxas offered.

Devon stood at the opposite end of the room, uncertainty in his

gaze.

Layden furrowed his brow. “What’s wrong, love?”
Devon shook his head as he tried to hide the tears that were

forming. “I’m so sorry…” His apology was barely a whisper.

“You have nothing to be sorry for,” Abraxas said, immediately

jumping to his defense.

“But I do. I treated you both so horribly.”
Layden stood, stepping out of the tub and walked across the

marble floor to Devon. He placed a hand on Devon’s shoulder, mostly
for support on the slippery floor but also for reassurance. “You didn’t
have a choice. You did what you thought you had to in order to
protect your family. Thanks to you, we’re all alive and Brandon is
safe in Druis’s care.”

“But the things I said—”
Layden pressed a finger to Devon’s lips. “I know you didn’t mean

it, Devon. I know you love me and Abraxas more than anything. You
proved that when you stood before Ryujin, declaring your feelings.”
He took the fragile human into his arms, grateful to have him near
once more. “I love you, Devon Avalon, and I will always love you, no
matter what.”

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Devon clung to him for a moment before Layden felt him relax

into their embrace. “I’m just so happy,” he whispered at last. “I’m so
happy that we can finally be together.”

Layden lifted Devon’s chin and placed a kiss upon his lips. The

touch sent a rush of desire straight to Layden’s cock as he grabbed at
Devon’s slender frame, pulling him close.

When Layden finally pulled back, they were both left breathless.

He reached for Devon’s hand and felt the silver ring around his finger.
“You’re wearing it?”

“Of course,” Devon said. “I’ve worn it since you gave it to me.”
Layden extended his own hand and showed him the matching ring

on his finger. “Abraxas and I both have one. We bought them at the
market. Do you like it?”

Devon nodded. “I love it.”
The smile on his face made Layden’s heart skip a beat as they

walked hand in hand to join Abraxas in the bath. Devon slipped out of
his clothes, standing naked before both of them and his auburn hair
fell in front of his lust-filled gaze. Layden and Abraxas exchanged a
knowing look before they reached for their human, determined to
show him just how much they really did care for him.

* * * *

“I present to you the new Kings of Draconia,” Druis announced to

the mass of people that had gathered for the crowning ceremony.
Cheers erupted as Abraxas and Layden waved to the people.

The crowning ceremony had been long and boring but it was a

tradition that was required by the laws of the land. Devon was just
glad it was finally over. With the people’s cheers following them,
they were led by the guardsmen back inside the palace where they
were greeted by the clan leaders and Brandon. Each of the leaders
were dressed in their formal attire designed to represent their
individual clans.

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203

Asher and Ezekiel moved closer to shake Abraxas’s and Layden’s

hands first.

“Congratulations,” Ezekiel beamed.
“Yeah, congrats,” Asher added.
A small smile tugged at the corner of the Layden’s lips. “Thanks.”
Ezekiel approached Devon, giving him a hug and wishing him

well. “You can always call me if you need anything.”

Devon nodded. “I will, Zeke. I promise.”
“Well,” Lady Azure said, interrupting the heartfelt moment as she

and her husband stepped forward to greet their son. “I see the Dragon
God has bestowed his blessing on this union.” Her emphasis on the
last word made her displeasure at the situation known. Layden’s
father refused to look Abraxas or Layden in the eye as he stood tall
and tense.

Layden’s lips pursed and Devon could see his anger rising. Devon

placed a reassuring hand on his lover’s shoulder, providing
instantaneous relief to the building tension. “Thanks for coming,
Mom, Dad.”

They nodded in unison and turned to leave, eager to be as far

away from the Night clan as possible. Layden’s father cast one last
look over his shoulder. “I am proud of you, son.”

Before Layden had a chance to respond, his father shifted forms.

His massive frame filled the entirety of the room before he took flight
through the open doorway. His wife joined him and they disappeared
in the skyline.

Abraxas’s father snorted as he approached his son. “Thank god

they’re gone.”

Abraxas raised his brow at his father. “That’s King Layden’s

parents you’re speaking about.”

His father shrugged. “I don’t care who they are, they’re still my

enemy.” But his voice held less conviction as he glanced at Layden.
“You know I mean no insult to you, King Layden.”

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Layden nodded and Devon could tell he was just as anxious as he

was to be done with this whole ordeal.

“Congratulations, son. I look forward to seeing what you

accomplish as the new King of Draconia.” He extended his hand and
Abraxas took it. Every muscle in his body was rigid. “Your mother
sends her wishes. She wasn’t feeling well today.”

Abraxas nodded. “Tell her I said hello.”
Satisfied, his father turned to leave. “I’ll expect you to call and

check in every once in a while.”

“All right,” Abraxas agreed. They watched as the Night leader

disappeared through the doorway. The moment he was gone, Abraxas
and Layden let out a sigh of relief. They had told Devon about their
parents and the tension they had grown up in but Devon hadn’t really
understood what they meant until now.

“Well, that wasn’t as bad as what I thought it was going to be,”

Layden offered.

Abraxas snorted. “Speak for yourself. I’m just happy they’re

gone.”

Devon wound his arms around Abraxas’s waist and smiled up at

him. “Give them time. You can’t expect them to start getting along
after one day. The fact that they could tolerate each other without
breaking out into a fist fight is an improvement from the stories you
told me about.”

Abraxas glanced down at Devon and sighed. “You’re right. I

know it’ll take time. I’m just so tired of the tension.”

“It will get better,” Druis offered. “With Ezekiel and Asher on

your side and Faylnn set to take the Jade clan throne, you have plenty
of people supporting you and Layden as King.”

Abraxas pursed his lips. “Do you really think Faylnn will be in

support of us?”

Druis nodded. “I’ve already spoken with her. She will be crowned

clan leader tomorrow and is scheduled to come show her support.

Devon in Wonderland

205

Apparently, she’s endured her share of beatings at Cerilius’s hand and
trust me when I say, she’s more than grateful.”

“Well, at least that’s one person I don’t have to worry about.

What’s on the agenda for the rest of today?” Abraxas’s authoritative
tone reverberated throughout the room, but Devon could see the
exhaustion weighing on his features.

Druis gave him a weak smile. “Nothing, my King. The affairs of

the kingdom have been pushed back until tomorrow. I figured you
and Layden would need a break after everything you’ve been through
today.”

“Thanks,” Layden said, standing next to Abraxas and entwining

their fingers. He glanced to Devon. “Shall we retire for the evening?”

The proposition held a hint of desire and Devon was more than

eager to be alone with his dragons. He nodded, saying his good-byes
to Asher, Ezekiel, Druis, and his brother.

They stepped inside their bedchamber—a place Devon was

getting used to calling home.

Devon reached for Abraxas first. Their lips collided and a flood of

desire flowed through his body. He wondered if he would ever tire of
being theirs.

A low growl sounded from Layden as he watched Abraxas pull

off Devon’s shirt. Devon glanced back at the water dragon, reaching
for his other lover. “Why don’t you come join us, my King?”

206

Jana Downs

Epilogue

A year had passed since Abraxas and Layden had been both

named King of Draconia. Brandon had decided to stay with Devon,
making Draconia their permanent residency, and Devon couldn’t have
been happier.

A knock at the door sounded, and Devon glanced up just in time

to see Druis stick his head in. “You ready?”

Devon nodded as he cast one last look in the mirror. Today was

their wedding day, the day he’d been waiting for since the Dragon
God had given their relationship his blessing.

Druis walked him down the hall to the throne room where

everyone else was waiting for him. The music sounded, and Devon
linked his arm with Druis, happy to have him in his father’s place.

“You got this,” Druis said reassuringly. It did little to ease his

nerves.

Devon took his first step down the aisle and his eyes locked on the

two men he was about to pledge his life to. All his fears and anxiety
faded until nothing but his love for them remained. Abraxas had a
warm smile on his face as Layden reached out, taking Devon from
Druis.

The priest they’d hired began with the formal blessing as he spoke

the vows in the ancient Draconian language. When all was said and
done, they locked hands, each one adorned with the rings Layden and
Abraxas had picked out for them.

Abraxas pledged his love first, then Layden. The priest finally

addressed Devon as tears cascaded down his cheeks. He turned to
look at his lovers. There was nowhere else he’d rather be.

Devon in Wonderland

207

“Do you, Devon Avalon, pledge your undying love to each of the

dragons standing before you through the spiritual bond blessed by the
Dragon God Ryujin?” the priest asked Devon at last.

A smile spread across Devon’s face as he met Layden and

Abraxas’s gaze. “Forever and always, I pledge my love to you.”

THE END

WWW.JANADOWNS.COM

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jana Downs lives in the beautiful mountains of Western North

Carolina with three cats, one dog, several dozen fish, and a very
understanding partner-in-crime who hates to read but makes
exceptions for her stories.

You can usually find her either watching bad reality TV, buying

way too many books on Amazon, or dreaming up another man or two
to occupy her time because life is good but several drop-dead
gorgeous nonexistent men is just better.

For all titles by Jana Downs, please visit