(The Dark Servant)Midnight Matters, A. Ellas [primary phonics books .txt] 📗

“Healing herbs of course. I have professional interest in them.” The egg-heavy lizard clicked some more. Rak suspected that the garden would soon be bug-free and mastigi-full. “I’m off to check the Ylion,” Dethrian said as he stroked the mastigi. “You’ll have a note soon. And, ah, you will send back this one, yes?”

“Of course,” said Rak. “She is yours now.”

“Truly?” Dethrian’s smile creased his entire face.

Why do sunnies always question whether something is true? If it wasn’t true, I wouldn’t have said it. “Truly,” said Rak. “They do not have room in their little heads for much, certainly two owners is beyond them, so I have imprinted you on her.” At home, people would routinely march in and demand that Rakunimprint a mastigi from them, their child, their pet…

Dethrian laughed. “We are suspicious souls, aren’t we, those of the sun. Quite used to lies. My thanks, cousin. I will take exquisite care of her. Sun’s blessing on you.” He walked out talking to the little lizard, who clicked back.

Rak retained a straight face until the door closed, and then he chuckled.

Jisten joined him. “I think that man needed a pet, and now he has a portable one.”

“Not only portable, she is easy to take care of.”

Jisten scribbled on a piece of parchment. “I’ll send a note to Mother. Tebber would be the best choice for messenger. Can you recall him?”

Trelo clicked happily. Rak sent the blue lizard after Tebber.

“Such amazing little wings,” Jisten said.

“There is not much difference between a mastigi and a dragon,” said Rak. Scorth opened his eyes and glared.

“He said it!” Jisten pointed at Rak, grinning hugely. “Not me!”

Rak affected innocence. “What? It is merely a matter of scale!”

“Dragons are not winged geckos!”

Jisten laughed. “You’re right. The little lizards

do

look like geckos.”

Since the issues involving the prince were settled for now, Rak stretched out on the cot. He was tired himself, and the sun was climbing high in the sky, far past his normal bedtime. He pulled his hood up to shade his eyes and fell asleep even faster than the prince.

Chapter Six: Massage

Jethain woke up snuggled against the furnace that was Scorth. He rolled over and pushed his back against the black man. “You’re my brother’s bonded partner? How long have you been married?”

“We’ve been bonded for many years,” rumbled Scorth sleepily. “Not married. My kind doesn’t marry.”

Jethain pushed harder against Scorth. “Not marry? Why? Do you mate with others?”

“Of course I mate with others. None of my kind marries, that would be ridiculous. We mate and move on.”

“And Araken doesn’t mind? Doesn’t hold a grudge against those you mate with?” Jethain rubbed against Scorth.

“Rak likes all my kind,” said Scorth. He snuggled closer to Jethain.

“Thank you for coming in bed with me.” Jethain ran one wool sock covered foot up and down Scorth’s leg.

“I don’t mind, I’m hotter than a basking stone at midday.”

Jethain hummed agreement. “Want to do more? If you think Araken won’t mind.”

“More what?”

“More in bed,” Jethain said. “I feel strange.”

“I can read to you if you want to fall back asleep. Or how about a massage? Rak likes those.”

“Massage? That sounds great. If you’re sure that Araken won’t mind.”

“Why would he mind a massage?” asked Scorth, tone baffled. “He might be jealous, but upset? Hardly.”

“Jealous? You can mate with others but he’d be jealous over a massage?”

“I give really good massages. That’s what he’s tells me. His neck and back are always tense.”

“Oh, that kind of jealous,” Jethain breathed a sigh of relief. “My tension is lower in my back.”

Scorth rolled Jethain over and massaged the man’s lower back.

“Lower,” Jethain moaned. Scorth kneaded lower, just above the buttocks. “Lower,” Jethain begged.

Scorth moved to the man’s thighs. “You should have told me it was your legs that hurt.”

“Not my legs,” Jethain said. “Between my back and legs. Please?”

“Your buttocks hurt?” Scorth sounded astonished. “Are you constipated?”

Jethain lifted up his head and looked at Scorth. “No!”

Scorth blinked at him. “Okay.” His hands kneaded Jethain’s butt.

Jethain laid his head on his arms. “That feels

good.”

Scorth continued to knead his butt, but he never touched more private areas.

“Scorth, do you find me attractive?”

This was a question humans had asked Scorth before. Usually young, uncertain ones. Carefully, he said, “You are a handsome human.”

Jethain looked at Scorth coyly over his back. “Handsome enough to mate with?”

“For a human, you are handsome enough,” evaded Scorth.

“Do you not mate with humans?” Jethain asked.

“No, I do

not

.”

Jethain blew out an exasperated breath and laid his head down.

Rak got up and blinked owlishly at them. Jethain wondered if the noise had awoken the priest or something else. He watched glumly as Rak padded over to the side of his bed with an expression of polite concern on his face.

“Hello Araken,” Jethain said.

“Xai, Jethain. Is there a problem?” “No,” Jethain said, trying and failing to stifle his surge of depsression. “Thank you, Scorth, for the massage.” He rolled over on his side, glad that he hadn’t pulled down his satin bedpants like his instincts had screamed for him to do.

Rak touched Jethain’s shoulder. “You do not sound as if nothing is amiss. What is wrong?”

“I just feel strange,” Jethain said. “Did you use any healing magic on me? Or anything like that?”

“ Ix, I have not. Strange, how?” Rak sat on the edge of the bed, his leg pressing into Jethain’s side. The contact felt good. Wrongfully, but delightfully, good.

“Lonely,” Jethain said.

Rak squeezed his shoulder. “I am sorry. Do you want me to stay with you?”

“No, I want Jisten,” Jethain said, in a moment of total honesty. Rak’s leg pressed against him felt good, and he imagined that Jisten’s would feel even better. “Oh, sorry, brother. That was rude.”

“I will get him,” said Rak. “He said that he needed to check on his men, so this might