Branded (14 page)

“Huh?”

“When you blacked out, I mean.”

Asher didn’t answer right away. Maybe he was actually giving it some thought. “I don’t,” he said then. “Why do you ask?”

José shrugged. “Never mind.”

“I remember something about a hospital.” Asher sat back down. “A real one, I mean. Not that pseudo hospital in Crapton, or whatever that place was called.”

“Crigston.”

So Asher remembered none of their dream sharing. Just like it hadn’t happened. Not quite the way José felt about it. He remembered what he’d seen. What, sadly, he wouldn’t be seeing again. A shame, really. Maybe that was why he was itching to touch Asher, even when they were fighting. Which was completely ridiculous, of course. He’d known Asher was hot before seeing him. He’d kissed him and mapped out his skin, and walked away from it because Asher was… well,
Asher.
But now recent events made José feel like maybe he’d been unfair in his judgment.

It was too late though.

When José had tried to help him change his bandages the night before, Asher had snapped at him to keep his hands off. A complete change in tune from before his injury, or from before their bonding. It could be that something about the ritual made Asher angry at him, even if he didn’t consciously realize it.

It was as if José saving Asher’s life had destroyed all their chances at… at what? José shrugged the thought off. His mind was going strange places because his body was horny. “Could you give me some of that water?”

“I guess.” Asher nudged his hand with the flask and José took it from him, brushing his fingers as he did so. Keeping himself from grabbing Asher’s hand took some conscious effort. It was ridiculous. He didn’t know Asher well enough to want to start something with him.

“Hey, Asher,” he said, after taking a sip of the water. “What’s your favorite color?”

“What?”

“Your favorite color?”

“What do you care about colors?”

José took a deep breath. “Forget it.”

“What, first you ask, now you don’t want to know?”

“Chill, Ash.”

Asher fell silent. José heard him lie back down. Asher was excluded from guard duty, so he could go back to sleep if he wanted. “I don’t know why I want to yell at you,” he said then.

“Don’t worry about it. I’m sure it’ll pass.”

“I don’t like how you get under my skin.”

José pressed his lips together. How did you respond to something like that? A selfish part of him was happy to be getting to Asher at all, while another part wanted to apologize for not just getting under his skin, but right into his dreams, too.

“It’s good to know something can get to you,” José said eventually.

“Fuck you.”

Well done, José.

***

They came to a crossroads the following day. The lavalight wanted to take the left path, the elves wanted to go right.

“Think you can walk for a while?” Blind Guy asked Asher.

“Sure, I’m fine.” Asher hopped off the cart and stretched. He’d been looking forward to parting with these people. The snoring was awful and sitting on a cart was boring as hell. He needed to get some exercise. Blind Guy exchanged niceties with the strangers. Wishing them a safe journey and all that crap.

Asher yawned and looked around. The path the little bitch wanted to take went up a slope, leading onto a mountain. There were a few trees, but not many other plants growing in the area, maybe because it was always so hot. Asher enjoyed the sun on his skin and he thought he’d tanned a little. It had been almost winter back in the real world and Asher hated the colder months.

The strangers left waving. Lazily, Asher raised one hand to see them off.

“You sure you’re fine?” Blind Guy asked as they followed the path uphill.

“Perfectly fine.” Asher didn’t know how bad his wounds had really been, but in any case, his body healed fast. Maybe that was one plus of having magic around.

“Just wanted to make sure.”

Asher rolled his eyes at him. He didn’t need anyone to fuss over him, had never needed that. He looked back at the road ahead. To the right, smoke was rising up into the purple sky. “Hey, do you see that?” He glanced back to Blind Guy. “No, of course you don’t.”

“I can smell it.”

Asher started into a run before Blind Guy would spoil his fun. “C’mon, let’s check it out!”

Chapter 16 - Slipping

The ruins of a small town stretched out before Asher. Flames were nibbling at huts here and there, but most of the buildings had already burned out, leaving nothing but black, charred and empty shells of what they might have been. Smoke still rose in the air and made Asher’s eyes water as he walked deeper into the ghost town.

“Asher!”

He turned around to see Blind Guy catch up with him. Judging by the dirt on his clothes, he'd either run into a tree on his way or kissed the ground. A leaf stuck to his hair. Door number one, then.

“You know you wouldn't crash into so many trees if you'd just let me burn them.”

“Never!”

Asher stepped closer to him. “Let me take the decoration out.” He stroked the leaf out of Blind Guy’s hair. It was a little ridiculous, but when he drew his arm back, and he was face to face with Blind Guy, close enough to kiss, his only thought was
Damn, I want you to fuck me.

“What?” Blind Guy furrowed his brow.

Shit, had he said that out loud? Knowing himself, he probably had. Even the lavalight shot him a strange look before she fluttered off between the destroyed houses. Asher shrugged. It couldn’t be helped. There hadn’t been a day over the past week that he hadn’t thought about sex with Blind Guy, and what it would feel like. But his temper had run away with him time and time again. Asher didn’t know why, but he wanted to punch the man at the same time that he wanted to fuck him, and that was hella confusing.

“Never mind.” He made himself take a step back, then walked farther into the village. “Think there's still people here?”

Blind Guy fell into step beside him. Knowing him, he was probably glad Asher had dropped the topic of sex. “Maybe. Let’s just be careful.”

“Scared?”

“No. Smart.”

“Whatever.” Asher turned into another road. Some of the buildings here had pretty flames licking at the walls. It was the most beautiful town Asher had seen so far. If only it had been night already; it would have brought the fire out more.

Blind Guy stopped moving behind him. “There's someone in that building.” He pointed to his right. “And I think they're coming out.”

“Oh, good. Finally something's happening.”

“C'mon, we're not gonna stand around here in plain view.” Blind Guy tugged at Asher’s arm before he could protest and dragged him into the open doorway of a building to the left.

“You're such a spoilsport,” Asher said, looking out onto the road.

Blind Guy made a shushing sound and Asher rolled his eyes at him. Five people stepped out of a building farther down the road across from them. All of them seemed male. Two had cat ears and bat wings, the other three had blue skin; or scales. From the distance, Asher wasn't sure which. The catbats laughed. It looked like they held the blue guys captive, leading them down the road.

“They're coming this way.” Asher took a step forward. “I think we could take them.” But he couldn't even take another step before Blind Guy dragged him back farther inside the house—and pulled him against his chest. The sudden proximity sent a shiver through Asher. Damn his body for having an instant reaction.

“What are you—” his last words came out muffled as Blind Guy’s hand landed over his mouth.

“We're not fighting anybody,” Blind Guy whispered. His words fell against Asher’s skin, and, damn, Asher wanted his lips to follow. He closed his eyes.
Wrong time, wrong time…Pull yourself together.

“We’re totally fighting.” He brushed Blind Guy's hand away from his mouth and moved his arm up, trying to break free. “I feel like roasting someone.”

“No roasting today,” Blind Guy said in a low voice and tightened his grip by wrapping his other arm around Asher’s waist. Asher inhaled sharply.
Shit
. He needed to get out of this position if he wanted to be able to think about anything other than what that body would feel like on top of him. Asher tried kicking the other man, but the way he was held (so tightly!) made that difficult. “If you keep that up, I'm gonna—”

“Be quiet,” Blind Guy hissed. “And stop that! Don't get us busted!”

As the words left Blind Guy's mouth, a weird sensation shot through Asher. One that had nothing to do with desire. Like a shock wave, it spread from the tattoo on his back to every cell of his body. Not painful, but scary in the way it made him lose control of his actions. His foot hovered in mid-air, then moved to the ground and stayed there. Asher wanted to lift it again, but the command never even registered with his leg.

What…

Asher opened his mouth to demand an explanation, but it was like he’d forgotten how to form words.

What was
wrong
with him?

He couldn't even stomp his foot on the ground in frustration.

“Oh, shoot!” Blind Guy let go of Asher as if he'd been burned.

Asher whirled around to glare at Blind Guy. Was that a flicker of guilt on his face? It was gone too quick too tell. Blind Guy had something to do with this, though. Had to. But Asher still couldn’t shout at him. He could only grit his teeth and try to burn holes into Blind Guy’s unmoving form with his eyes.

The strangers laughed as they passed by the house. To hell with them. Blind Guy was hiding something. Had been lying all this time. Asher balled his hands into fists, fighting for control over his body.

“I know you're pissed,” Blind Guy whispered, then turned his head to the side. The little bitch was there. When had she come in?

Asher opened his mouth to say that pissed didn't come close, but he still couldn't speak.

“Can we settle this somewhere else though? There's still more of them around and…” Blind Guy trailed off. “Why am I even wasting my breath…” He ran a hand through his hair.

Narrowing his eyes, Asher grabbed that hand and locked his fingers around Blind Guy’s wrist. He was getting an explanation, and he was getting it now. He grabbed the bastard's other hand, too, and pushed him back against the wall. They were standing so close Asher felt Blind Guy’s breath on his face. Blind Guy swallowed, but didn't say anything, expression stoic.

Asher wanted to scream at him.
Do something! Say something! Tell me what the fuck you're hiding!

“Don’t worry,” Blind Guy said. “It’ll pass.”

What would pass?

Asher knew he should calm down, should at least try to, but he couldn’t. All the irrational anger he’d felt over the past days had suddenly found an outlet, and it was beyond Asher to reign it in anymore. His rage only grew fiercer with every second that passed without his body doing what he wanted.

“We should—”

“No!” Asher burst out. Oh! He could talk.

It was that moment Blind Guy chose to push him off and run.

Chapter 17 - Icy Heat

Asher stared after Blind Guy. Fucking coward! Asher dashed out of the house and spotted Blind Guy running down the road, following the lavalight. Asher chased after them. No way was Blind Guy getting away. Asher was faster than him. They both knew it. Why Blind Guy even bothered running was beyond him.

Asher was fast on Blind Guy’s heels as they raced past the first trees into the forest. Twigs whipped into his face, but his eyes never left Blind Guy's back. Just a few feet. If he reached out his arm, he could almost…! He pushed himself faster. Just a little…

“Stop running, bastard!” He lunged at Blind Guy and tackled him to the ground, clinging to his back. Blind Guy groaned beneath him.

“Get off me!” Blind Guy tried to roll over and throw him off, but Asher wasn't going to let go that easily.

“Fuck you! You're not running.”

Blind Guy's magic flared and it was all the warning Asher got before something burned his hands.

“Shit!” He drew back. “You son of a—” As soon as he let go, Blind Guy rolled onto his back and got up. Asher scrambled to his feet as well. Closing in on Blind Guy again, he shoved him up against a tree before the other man could do or say anything.

“Bet now you don't think trees are so damn great.” Asher’s eyes narrowed. How satisfying would it be to burn that tree and Blind Guy right down with it?

“We can talk if you let me go.” Blind Guy grabbed Asher’s arms and tried to push him off. Asher wasn't having any of that.

“No fucking way. You talk now.”

Blind Guy let his right hand fall to his side. Giving up so soon? ”Don't make me burn you.”

Asher huffed and tightened his grip on Blind Guy's shoulders. His hands still hurt, but that didn’t matter now. “You try that again and I transform.”