Age Of Cardin – (book 2 – Circle Trilogy) 2432i

CIRCLE TRILOGY

Book 2

AGE OF CARDIN

Leigh Jarrett

Smashwords Edition

Copyright Notice

This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidences, and dialog are drawn from the author's imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

CIRCLE TRILOGY – BOOK 2 - AGE OF CARDIN Copyright © 2021 by Leigh Jarrett. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. All trademarks are the property of the respective owners.

Published by Steambath Press (self-published) Smashwords Edition

eBook Edition published May 2021 ISBN: 978-1-927553-56-5

Chapter One

The Cardinian palace was a flurry of activity as the empire's military began arriving. The palace was designed with four distinct wings that Leo believed would be best utilized if the primary wing was allocated as the military headquarters, including enough offices and accommodation for all the key staff . The second wing off to the left of the military offices would be the Cardinian monarchy public offices. The third wing already contained the kitchen and enough accommodation for the service staff, the ballroom, an enormous dining room, and the throne room. It would be left untouched. Straight through to the rear of the palace was the current private living quarters, or royal wing, of the Cardinian Royal Family. The royal wing was separated into six spacious bedchambers with an office and lounge attached to three of them, two servant's chambers, a private dining room, and a large common space or living room. All the rooms were interconnected outside by means of shady courtyards containing an abundance of fountains, lush gardens, and seating. Sebastian had transported Leo ahead of everyone so he would have enough time to prepare himself before directing the staff toward the proper wings as they arrived. Leo also needed to speak to his family regarding their relocation to Mycea. The decision had been made. It was just a matter of informing all those involved. Leo had started as soon as he had arrived. Sunna had agreed it was better if she stayed out of the military's way. She was excited to move to Mycea because Zyphera, Leo's ex-wife, had become like a daughter to her over the years. She had missed her terribly since she moved away. Leo knew he would be sad to see his mother go. He had barely seen her in years, but he believed it was better if she was not anywhere near the empire's military base; it was likely to become far too dangerous. Leo had just stepped into his father's private office when the first of the fleet ships started to land on the lawns outside the office windows. He approached his father, Prince Leopold, standing at a window gazing out, scrubbing his hand across his mouth.

Leopold turned to face Leo. His coloring was more ruddy than usual, and he was scowling. "What is the meaning of this?" he asked curtly. "I authorized the relocation of the empire's military to Cardin." Leo crossed the room to the desk and sat down at it. He didn't have time to explain. He rifled through some of the papers on the desk then started opening drawers until he found the one he was looking for. It was sealed with a conjured lock; it just required a quick spell to unlock it. He removed an ancient, faded document, the Cardinian royal stamp, and some red wax. He looked around. That was all he needed. He opened the document and added his name beneath that of his father, held the wax over the document, and heated it with a spell. Once there was enough melted wax in the space beside his name, he pushed the ruling monarch stamp on his ring into it and said a spell over it to lock the impression in place. "You need to leave my office, Leopold," Leo said. "I have a lot of work to do, and your gawking is distracting me." "What kind of ships are those? Leopold turned back toward the window. "Where did you get them from?" "We built them." "But how …?" Leopold continued as seemingly endless numbers of ships landed on the palace's lawn and the sand beyond. "That's confidential." Leo rose from the desk, his desk, and snapped his fingers at the guards standing by the door. It was time for the monarchy on Cardin to change hands. "Get him out of here. He's been cleared to move to Mycea with my mother." "Leo." His father struggled against the hands of the guards. "What is the meaning of this?" "It means you're leaving." Leo smiled. "And a new day has dawned on Cardin." He pursed his lips as his father was dragged from the room. A new day—my way.

Leo wandered over to the window, pleased he had managed to dispense of his father so easily. He made a rush for the door that led out onto the lawn; Sebastian's ship had landed. He had to stand well back as the propulsion system slowed down its air intake. He could see Sebastian in the cockpit shutting down all the systems. When Sebastian finally threw open the cockpit cover, Leo sprinted over to the ship. "Can I see the ship's computer now?" he asked, unable to contain his excitement. Sebastian laughed as he removed his helmet and placed it at his feet. "What? I'm not going to get a Glad to see you made it alive, or I missed you … anything like that?" "I never doubted for a minute you'd make it in one piece. And, of course, I missed you. How was the flight? Any trouble at all?" "Actually, there was. Every group we sent out had to make it past some Marjar ships sitting outside the shipyard. The cloak you designed worked marvelously, except for the three ships it malfunctioned on. Those guys have never flown so fast in their lives. They opened the ships up completely. Leo, it was amazing! The Marjar didn't even blink. Our ships were so fast, I don't think they detected them at all." "Since I did such a good job, can I see the computer now?" Leo grabbed one of the ladders they would be using while they completed the landing bays' construction, climbed up to the cockpit, and slid into the co-pilot's seat behind Sebastian. "Try not to break anything. These computers are touchy. I'll type in my and transfer control back to you." "I've already typed it in, Seb." Leo stood and kissed the top of Sebastian's head, then sat back down and ran through the navigation software. "How do I get the coordinates to display on the … never mind, I've got it." "I have a present for you. It is not that special. We're installing them in every office in the palace, plus a bunch in the hallways for the service staff." Sebastian turned and kneeled on his seat, stretching over the back of it. "But I've brought you a special one." He reached above Leo into a storage bay behind his head and

removed a small package. Leo's eyes lit up at the sight of the handheld computer within the wrapping. "I can carry this with me everywhere?" Leo asked. "Yeah, it's completely portable. It's connected into the main computer wirelessly." "This is like a dream come true for me, Seb. Thank you." Leo rose and kissed Sebastian's head before he hooked the computer to his belt and clambered back out of the ship. Sebastian finished shutting down all the systems on the ship then climbed down to follow Leo into his office. "Did you get the transfer paper signed and sealed?" "Yeah, it's all done." Leo sat at his desk and fiddled with some of his father's personal items before pushing the whole lot into the garbage bin. He unhooked the computer from his belt and set it up on the desk. "I've made a decision about something." "That sounds ominous." Sebastian pulled one of the chairs closer to the desk so he could sit beside Leo. Without any instruction from him, Leo set up his own on the computer and brought up the engineering department's schematics and project program. There was a message waiting for him from Meshia regarding g an employment contract. Leo opened the message and turned the computer toward Sebastian so he could see it better. "Meshia offered me this job a while back, and I turned him down, as you know. At the time, I told him I was content to hang out with you and be a dancer, and I was … but now that we're here with the empire's severely lacking military—" "Hey, it's not that bad." "Yes, it is. You have no idea." Leo leaned forward, kissed Sebastian, and settled back in his chair. "He's offering me the job again." "Are you going to take it?" "Not exactly. Seb, how much do you know about the history of the Cardinian Empire?"

"Only what they taught in Mycean history books—nothing." "Then I'll start from the beginning. What we refer to today as the empire was originally called the Cardinian Empire." "I knew that much." "I'm surprised they even mentioned it." Leo sat back, prepared for a lengthy discussion. "So, the entire Cardinian Empire, which included all the same planets as the empire rules today, was ruled by an Emperor from the capital city of Ashti here on Cardin. To maintain that rule, the Cardinian Empire had an immense military that was so technologically advanced it was completely unrivaled … even by today's standards." "So, what happened?" "Two hundred and thirty-seven years ago, the Cardinian Empire's military detected a massive fleet of foreign military ships entering their interplanetary airspace." "And then what?" "Nothing. There are no official records after that." "Well, that's not much of a history lesson, Leo." "I'm not finished, silly." Leo rose from his chair and dropped himself into Sebastian's lap. Being without Sebastian for even one night had him craving his touch. "According to Cardinian legend, the approaching ships landed on Cardin and found nothing but the shifting sands, a few small villages, and this palace. The city of Ashti and the Cardinian military equipment had disappeared. The Emperor, however, was found sitting in his throne room in full regalia, calmly playing the harp and singing to himself." "I think I might have heard that story." Sebastian smiled as Leo's arms found their way around his body. "It's a well-known tale about arrogance and dishonor on Cardin. According to the story, the Emperor did nothing to save his people. He just sat idly by as the planet was invaded. I, however, know the full truth. But I'll get to that later."

Leo tucked his head against Sebastian's neck. "They killed the Emperor and sold everyone they could catch into slavery. After that, they left the Cardinian people alone. But by that point, the rest of the empire had developed a taste for Cardinian slaves and prostitutes, so the slave trade continued, and the stigma grew." "What happened to the city of Ashti?" "Before I tell you, I need to ask you something. You do realize that it was the Supreme Council who supplied the Marjar with those ships that attacked Mycea?" "Yeah, Meshia and I figured that out a while back, but how did you know?" "I compared the old sighting records from the Cardinian Empire's military against the Marjar fleet ship schematics. They're almost identical. The Supreme Council hasn't changed the design of their fleet ships in over two hundred years."

"Wait …. it was the Supreme Council that attacked Cardin?" Sebastian lifted Leo from his lap and rose to his feet. He looked out the window at the drifting sands of Cardin and instantly felt at peace. This was his home, and these were his people. His heart ached at the thought of an entire civilization of intelligent, beautiful, and loving people being turned into slaves for the entertainment of the masses. It wasn't in their nature to fight back. They had the intellect to design destructive weapons, but they were too gentle to use them. Even he had shied away from using his new conjuring abilities as a weapon. Sebastian smiled to himself. Things had changed. He wasn't afraid to use those abilities now, and he had the command of an entire military that would follow him anywhere. Now, he knew for sure who his enemy was. The Supreme Council wouldn't see them coming. "Are you all right, Seb?" Leo whispered. "I want to resurrect the Cardinian Empire." Sebastian turned away from the window and took up a seat at Leo's desk. The idea had just leapt into his mind as Leo was speaking.

"How are you going to do that?" "You mean, how are we going to do that?" Sebastian grabbed Leo's computer and fired off a message to Meshia. "It's going to be a massive undertaking, and I'd like the three of us to work together on resurrecting and ultimately ruling the new Cardinian Empire." "You want the three of us to work together … as a team?" Leo screwed up his face, the brows on his face so furrowed, it made Sebastian smile. "In theory, it could work," Leo said. "But you would be asking Meshia to give up a lot … the old empire could no longer exist—all of that would be gone." His chest heaved. "Plus, he would have to relocate to Cardin, wouldn't he?" "It wouldn't make sense to transport him in every day. He needs to be here. We're going to be working some pretty long hours." Leo sighed. "Can't we manage this without involving Meshia?" "Leo, you know that's not possible. By not involving Meshia, we may as well be starting a war with him." A small smirk lit up Leo's face. "I don't have a problem with that … since we have control of the entire empirical military." A sharp laugh escaped Sebastian's lips. "Leo!" "I'm kidding." Leo reached for Sebastian's hand. "I was hoping to have you all to myself. I don't like the idea of Meshia lurking around." "I'll ask him not to lurk." "Funny." "Leo, you'll always be first in my life. You know that." Sebastian gripped Leo's hand tighter and lifted it to his lips, brushing a kiss across Leo's knuckles. Leo would always be the first person in his life—always. "You're my husband," Sebastian continued. "I chose to bind myself to you, and

only you, because you're the one I want to spend eternity with. Meshia could never take your place." Leo huffed out a sigh. "I know," he whispered, then motioned for Sebastian to check his computer. A message had come through. "Meshia says he's interested in opening a discussion with us about the Cardinian Empire," Sebastian said, reading through the rest of the short message. "What do you want me to tell him? I'm willing to shut down the entire idea if you object to it." Leo shrugged his shoulders. "I'm up for it. Just remind his royal pain in the ass that if we go through with this and he moves to Cardin—this is my house, and you're my husband, so he better mind his manners." He dropped his hands onto his hips. "I can and will make his life a living nightmare if he pulls any superiority crap." Sebastian couldn't keep a straight face. If Meshia had any thoughts of continuing as the head monarch, he had another thing coming. Despite his size, Leo was a force to be reckoned with. This venture of resurrecting the Cardinian Empire would be split evenly, three ways, whether Meshia liked it or not. "Maybe I'll let you tell him," Sebastian said, grinning. "Mm …. well that brings me back to my decision, actually. We're going to need the city of Ashti and all it contains to bring the military up to date." "What are you talking about?" "You asked me what happened to the city of Ashti." Leo rolled Sebastian's chair over and removed a wooden box from one of the desk drawers. He opened it and removed a large ornate key. "You know those books you've been using to revive ancient technologies," he said. "They're all very ancient Cardinian. The level of technology Cardin reached before the Supreme Council arrived was far more advanced than that." "How could you possibly know that?" "Seb … trust me."

"I do, but what does the key have to do with it?" "This is the key to the lost city of Ashti and its military equipment." "Leo, that makes no sense." Sebastian picked up the key and looked it over. There was nothing special about it. It was just a key. "But it does, Seb. When Ashti was built, it was designed specifically to withstand a massive amount of weight. It was built over a massive pit on a structure that made it possible to lower it into the ground." "An entire city … that could lower into the ground?" "Yes. And that's exactly what happened. The emperor sunk the city and all its military equipment into the sand to protect it." "Leo, that's ridiculous. Someone would have found it by now." "No one's been looking, Seb. This key has been sitting in this desk for centuries. The only explanation I ever got from my father was that it was symbolic—a key to the past glory of the Cardinian Empire. But I don't believe that. I think it really does open the door to the city of Ashti. Unfortunately, the only person who knew how to use it … the emperor, was killed." "Then how are we going to do it?" "I know how to do it, in theory. I went down to the entrance a couple of times when I was a kid, but there's a powerful spell keeping the door hidden. I couldn't get the spell to budge, but I think you could probably crack it." "I don't know, Leo. We could be wasting our time." "Seb, give me your hands. There's far too much information for me to push to you. I'll let you in … see what I read for yourself." Sebastian gripped Leo's hands and pushed deep into his consciousness. Leo had been a curious child, always looking for something new to read, and one day he had accidentally discovered a secret room behind one of the s of his father's

library. The books in that secret room contained an inventory of items that Leo had never heard of before and maps and schematics for a city that no longer existed. He had spent weeks sneaking back into that room and reading through all the books. After discovering the Ancient Technology and Machinery books in the palace's library, he realized what the lists of items meant. Sebastian broke the connection and fell back into his chair. "Show me where this door is," he said as he stood from the chair and grabbed a water skin and dust mask, and headed for the door to outside. "You won't need those." Leo motioned to him. "It's this way." Leo led Sebastian to the far end of the office and pulled out one of the carved decorations on the shelves to reveal a secret . He pushed lightly, and it opened the shelving to reveal a dark ageway. "Who knows about this?" Sebastian asked as he peered inside. "It's not a secret, really. The has a habit of popping open on its own. Sometimes my brother and I would hide in here when it was time for bed. But our nanny always found us." "Didn't anyone ever wonder what it was for?" "Not really. To anyone without conjuring abilities, the ageway doesn't appear to go anywhere. Everyone assumed it was used for storing valuables before the mechanism broke." "What about Dunlor? You'd think being that he's a wizard, he would've noticed something." "Mm … no. Dunlor has likely never been near this . My father didn't like him nosing around in the royal wing, especially after Dunlor told him about my conjuring abilities. I think my father thought Dunlor had done something to me … to bring them on. I used to have to sneak out for my conjuring lessons with him." Sebastian stepped into the interior after Leo.

"You could store wine in here," he said. "Only on the first level." Leo lifted his hand and cast a light into the darkness. A series of torches sprung to life, illuminating a short stretch of stone cobbling that appeared to drop off after a few feet. "It starts to get pretty wet the deeper you go," Leo continued as he started down what would be the first of many steps cut into the rocky ground beneath the palace. As Sebastian followed Leo, the ageway became narrower and darker. The air became cooler every time they descended to a new level. There was a definite sensation of moisture in the ordinarily dry Cardinian heat. They turned a final corner and ran into a dead end. "This is it?" Sebastian ran his hands over the cold, damp bricks. "I can feel the weave of the spell, but it's complex." He laid his cheek on the wall and closed his eyes. The weave was tight and incredibly intricate. He searched it for any imperfections he could exploit, but there were none. "It was a powerful wizard that put this in place. I don't know that I can break through it." He placed his face back on the wall and concentrated; there had to be a flaw somewhere. He ran his mind over the spell's smooth surface, checking it for sureness and quality. He was about to pull away when he noticed a minuscule difference in the energy being emitted throughout different sections. "Leo, I think someone left an additional key!" "What do you mean?" "Someone left a key to get back in. It's like a back door into a computer program. Often the maker of a program will leave a way in that byes any security that might be in place. I think the maker of this spell left a way in." "How do we use it?" "I'm not sure." Sebastian sat down on the ground to think. He lowered his head onto his knees and puzzled through the pattern of energy he had detected. Not having any breakthroughs, he asked to see Leo's official monarch ring. Leo slipped it off and handed it to him. It did not have the pattern he was looking for on it anywhere.

He was playing with the ring and rubbing his fingers over its surface when he noticed an engraving on the inside. He turned it over and tried to decipher the worn markings. "What are you looking at?" Leo reached for the ring, and Sebastian ed it to him. "That's the wizard's mark for the spell attached to this ring." "The pattern is close, but it's hard to tell because it's so worn. Has that ring been ed down through a lot of generations?" "I think it might have belonged to the emperor in the story. Do you think the ring is part of the spell?" Leo handed it back to Sebastian, and Sebastian slipped it onto his right index finger, the universal position for a wizard. "Only one way to find out," Sebastian said as he placed both hands on the wall and closed his eyes. The pattern was glowing brightly for him now, and it was pulsing out a series of long and short sounds, like music. He concentrated on the sound pattern, searching for any inconsistencies in the rhythm, but there were none. "Anything?" Leo asked. Sebastian smiled, nodding. An idea had occurred to him. "The emperor was a musician, wasn't he?" He listened carefully to the key of each sound and easily duplicated it with his voice. The wall shuddered beneath his hands, shaking loose centuries of dust. Both Sebastian and Leo backed away as the surface of bricks disappeared to reveal a large metal door. Sebastian held out his hand and took the key from Leo, then hesitated. "Do you think we should open it without Meshia?" Leo groaned and rolled his eyes, leaning against Sebastian. "Probably not. Being that he's part of the team." Sighing heavily, he wrapped his arms around Sebastian's neck. "I love you, you know," he said. "I love you too."

Setting the key on the ground, Sebastian hoisted Leo up, encouraging him to wrap his legs around his waist, then turned him, pressing Leo's back against the wall. "It's cold down here," Leo said. "Warm me up, Seb." "Mm—" Sebastian lowered his mouth onto Leo's and forced his tongue into the warmth, lapping at the immense desire building in Leo's tiny body. It felt like home. There was no other way to describe it. His relationship with Leo was special. He and Leo moved together as one, always instinctively knowing what the other needed physically and emotionally. And right now, Leo needed to feel like he was more important than anything else going on in their lives at that moment. And he was in Sebastian's mind. Nothing was more important to him than Leo's happiness. Leo shifted his hips, hauling the knee-length sarong he was wearing up around his waist. His breath trembled, heaving with anticipation as he struggled to find a way into Sebastian's clothing. The belt buckle between them finally relented, and Leo let Sebastian's pants drop to the ground. That was going to be the extent of their foreplay. "Please, Seb." Leo's voice rose as he clung to Sebastian's shoulders, peaking in a soft whimper as Sebastian thrust up into him, jamming him against the wall. "Don't ever leave me," Leo whispered. Sebastian stayed his hips. "Leo—never." Setting an urgent kiss against Leo's lips, Sebastian began a gentle caress, forcing Leo to rise and fall in his arms. He could stay in moments like this with Leo forever when they were truly connected, mind and body. "Never?" Leo sighed against Sebastian's throat. "Never," Sebastian replied. "Never without you." "Until the end?"

Sebastian stopped and adjusted his stance, burying his face in the cool strands of Leo's hair. "Until the very end and beyond," he said as he brushed his lips across Leo's ear." Just you and me … I promise." "Show me, Seb," Leo mewled quietly as Sebastian pressed higher into him. "Love me." "Always." And with the feel of Leo's heart racing beneath the surface of his skin, the exquisite taste of his mouth, and the scent of his desire slicking up the space between them, Sebastian pursued the intense serenity awaiting him. Leo was his entire world. Nothing was more important. Not Meshia, not the Cardinian Empire, not his own life. Nothing. Cresting deep inside, Sebastian clung to Leo, rocking him gently against the wall until the last shudder left his body. He lowered Leo onto his feet and sunk onto his knees, brushing the sarong aside. The scent infusing the soft skin surrounding Leo's sex was beyond intoxicating. He descended on Leo, slicking up his skin, and hummed in contentment around him, taking him all the way in. Leo braced his hands against the wall, thrusting his hips. He closed his eyes and dropped his head forward, allowing the sharp tendrils of his hair to dance against his cheeks. The two men matched their rhythm. "Mm … Seb, wait," Leo whispered as he brushed a hand across the smooth surface of Sebastian's hair, reaching for the tie that held Sebastian's hair in place. He sprung the tie loose and let the tresses cascade over Sebastian's shoulders. A few strands landed on his thighs. Leo slammed his hands back against the wall as Sebastian sent a surge of love up through his body, infusing him to his core. Leo dug his fingers into Sebastian's shoulders to keep his balance as he fell forward and cried out, reclaiming Sebastian as his own for another day. Sebastian settled on the ground at Leo's feet, grinning up at him.

"Okay," Leo said, adjusting his sarong. "You can retrieve his royal pain in the ass now." His delicate arms crossed his chest. "Just promise me one thing." "Anything, Leo … you know that." Leo dropped his hands to his hips and pursed his lips as Sebastian struggled to his feet and retrieved his pants. Leo's eyes were cast downward, and he was biting his lip. "Leo?" Sebastian stepped forward, lifting Leo's chin. "Promise me," Leo said, "that at the end of each day, even if you've been off messing around with Meshia, you'll come home to me … to our bed—that I'll never have to wake up without you." The desperation in Leo's eyes almost sunk Sebastian back onto his knees. The thought of spending an entire night with Meshia hadn't even crossed his mind. His place was with Leo, each and every night; surely Leo must know that. "Leo …," he said. "If you want me to break things off with Meshia, I will. Our marriage and your happiness are more important to me than all this other stuff, Meshia included." Leo shook his head. "No. I want you to have this … with him. Your love for Meshia is different than ours. I know that." His eyes brightened as he touched Sebastian's face. "I watched you fall in love with him, . It was painful to see you developing those feelings for him, but—" He shrugged. "It was also beautiful seeing your face light up when you talked about him. Until then, I hadn't realized you were even capable of falling in love—caring for another person more than yourself." Sebastian cut his gaze away. If he had only told Leo, he was in love with him sooner. They could have had so many more years together already. "I'm sorry I never told you, Leo," he said as he re-tied his hair into a knot at the back of his head. "Just how much you meant to me for all those years. I was so afraid of losing you."

"I know that now." Leo stepped closer, wrapped his arms around Sebastian's waist, and nestled his head against Sebastian's chest. "If it wasn't for Meshia," he said, "pushing you to risk everything for love, you might never have told me you loved me. If it wasn't for him, we might never have been married." Sebastian laughed warmth across the top of Leo's head. It's true. "Let's keep that little revelation to ourselves," he said. "Meshia would not be impressed." "On that note—have you ever pulled Meshia through before?" "No, but …" Sebastian lifted the key then smiled at Leo with a devilish look that sent Leo into a fit of snorts and giggles. "Stand back. Meshia may come through swinging." Leo backed away from Sebastian, giving him plenty of room. The resulting scene had them both struggling to restrain their amusement. "What the fuck!" Meshia stumbled and fell onto the ground at Sebastian's feet, then leapt up and spun around, staring about wildly. "I was in a meeting, Sebastian." "I think you'll find this much more interesting." Leo walked back down the ageway and approached the metal door prompting Sebastian to give him back the key. "And where are we exactly?" Meshia asked, looking around. "We're deep under the palace," Leo replied. "This door leads to a tunnel that connects the palace with the sunken city of Ashti." "Sunken? The legends say it was destroyed." Meshia stuffed his hands into his pockets as Sebastian pressed his hands to the door. The lock was heavily

corroded from centuries behind the moist wall, but it eventually gave way, and the door allowed itself to be pushed open into a pitch-black space. He peered in and searched around on the wall, feeling for some kind of switch to illuminate the interior. A smooth round button finally presented itself, and he pushed hard on it. The lights flickered to life and revealed a short hallway with another door at the other end. "Great, another door," he said. He was the first to approach it and was surprised to feel the defense mechanism's heavy hum. "And it's seriously wired." He closed his eyes, seeking out the power source, and quickly disabled the door, which immediately slid into the wall and activated some lights on the other side. All three men stepped through into a vast space that contained what appeared to be transport pods. Round, white metal vehicles, looking much like pearls. There were eight of them, resting on docking bays set in a semi-circle. "What do you think these are for, Leo?" Sebastian asked. Leo scanned the interior of the space. "My guess is we can use them to get from here to the city. The city of Ashti is down here somewhere." "Leo, I've flown over Cardin hundreds of times," Meshia said, pressing a finger into Leo's back and shoving him. "There's no city of Ashti. It probably never existed in the first place … you're delusional if you think it's down here." "I'm not delusional, Meshia," Leo retorted, whipping around. "Just because you're too fucking stupid to comprehend the physics behind sinking a city—" He jumped, startled when Sebastian wrestled him away from Meshia's reach. "Guys, drop it, all right?" said Sebastian. "Well, he is," Leo added, struggling to break free, but Sebastian had a tight hold on him. "You should have seen him when I tried to explain simple propulsion." "You think you're so smart," Meshia continued, surging closer to where Sebastian was containing Leo. "Tell me, Prince Leozeuramun. How come no one has found this city of yours before? Hmm. I'll tell you why. Because it's not there!"

"It is there." Leo squirmed fruitlessly in Sebastian's grasp. "It's not—" Meshia said, then turned his back defiantly. "You're such an ass, Meshia." Meshia looked over his shoulder. "Look who's talking." Sebastian rolled his eyes at the childish exchange between the two men. He was beginning to wonder if they would be able to work together at all without killing each other. He held Leo tighter, fearing he would go off again, sending Meshia past his limit of restraint, igniting his Mycean anger, but Leo pushed a message to him stating he would behave, then struggled out of Sebastian's arms and approached one of the pods. The likelihood that it was still operational was slim. Leo climbed into one. Some of the lights came on as he ran his hand over the , but the pod didn't power up. "Seb," he said. "Could you open up the on the side and see if everything is intact?" "It looks like some of the components are badly corroded." Sebastian poked around inside the electrical . "I'm going to see if I can salvage some parts from the other pods." "Excellent idea." Leo slid out of the pod and took Sebastian's place at the electrical . "I'll check the wiring over and start pulling some of these corroded pieces out of here." Sebastian flipped open the on the next pod over. He began harvesting an assortment of components, motioning for Meshia to follow him so he could hand him each piece. If they could find enough working parts, they might be able to make at least one of these pods run. If Leo couldn't figure it out, there was no chance anyone else could. "What do you want me to do with these?" Meshia asked as he reluctantly accepted the armload of parts.

"Allow me," Leo said as he left the pod and approached Meshia. He pursed his lips. "Your job, your highness, is to simply stand there and look gorgeous while we fix this thing," He reached around and gripped Meshia's ass firmly in one hand as he sorted through the wires and components in Meshia's hands; Meshia weighed down with parts, unable to respond. "Such an ass ... seriously," Leo whispered under his breath. "Careful, Leo." Sebastian looked over at Meshia and tried to gauge his annoyance level in case he had to step in. Surprisingly it wasn't too bad. Meshia looked mildly amused. Great. He was probably planning his retaliation. "So, Meshia," Sebastian said, attempting to distract him. "What are your thoughts on resurrecting the Cardinian Empire?" "Like I said, I'm interested. But you two need to convince me." Meshia glared at Leo as he circled around behind him and out of sight. "I agree that the Cardinian Empire never should have been torn apart, and if you're right and the Supreme Council were the ones that did it ... I'd have a personal interest in seeing retribution under the banner of the Cardinian Empire." Leo snorted. "Well, then, pay attention." He continued working on the pod he was squatted beside and proceeded to detail how resurrecting the Cardinian Empire could be achieved if the three of them worked together as a cohesive ruling party. It appeared to be going over well with Meshia. He didn't interrupt to ask questions while Leo spoke, and Sebastian could see that Meshia was listening intently. The ideas were sitting well with him, even if it meant he had to work with Leo. Mid-sentence, Sebastian slammed his hands together in excitement from where he was seated in the pod they were working on. "The power cells haven't lost any power at all!" he exclaimed excitedly. "That is fucking amazing! This piece of junk is more advanced than our latest shuttles. Look at the computer on this thing, Leo." It only had seating for four, but it was more than they needed for its purpose.

If Ashti did, in fact, exist. Sebastian slid into the driver's seat and powered the pod up. As he looked around, he realized that if this pod was any indication of the level of technology they were about to discover, there was no doubt in his mind that the Cardinian Empire would rise again. Leo leapt into the pod's enger seat before Meshia had a chance, relegating the grumbling monarch to the back seat. Sebastian took a few seconds to figure out the pod's controls, but he soon had it hovering then hurtling down the long tunnel at great speed. It was responsive and intuitive to maneuver. Sebastian ran his hand over the controls. The display mapped out their location in the tunnel, indicating turns and the occasional drop in their path. It was a breeze to drive compared to one of the fleet ships. He was enjoying the feel of the speed without the added complications. The display showed they would soon be approaching the area that was once the capital city of Ashti. The pod shifted slightly as Meshia leaned forward in his seat to speak to Leo. "I won't be making you a king." "You won't be making me anything." Leo tucked his hands into his lap. "If we go through with this, it will be a team effort. So, as long as I have an equal say, I don't care about the title." He twisted around and leaned against the back of his seat with his face right up in Meshia's. "But on the subject of titles … an empire is supposed to have an emperor, not a king. Who was the idiot that switched to a kingship without changing the empire to a kingdom? It was probably one of your stupid ancestors, wasn't it?" "Leo, I'm warning you—" Meshia sat back and crossed his arms. He groaned as Leo pulled himself up on his knees and hung even further over the back of his seat. "Warning me about what?" Leo replied. "Are you planning on turning me over your knee and spanking me if I misbehave?" "Don't tempt me."

"Oh, now I am scared. His kingship without a kingdom is going to teach me a lesson in manners. Maybe you should start by—" Sebastian brought the pod to rest outside a set of large glass doors, ignoring the bickering. He was more interested in what he could see behind those doors. There appeared to be a few light-colored marble stairs covered in sand. He stepped out of the pod and approached the doors on his own; Leo and Meshia were still sitting in the pod arguing with each other. When he pulled open the glass doors, the scent of stagnant air washed over him. He peered over his shoulder at Leo and decided he was safe enough. If Meshia was going to explode, he would have done so by now. Following the stairs, Sebastian emerged into what looked like a temple. He completed his ascent, marveling at the opulent and intricate design of the interior. He had thought the Cardinian palace was ambitious in its design, but it paled in comparison. Ornate columns soared sixty feet to the ceiling, colossal—marble with engravings finer than those found in the palace. Remnants of chipped, light blue paint dotted the walls, and immense god-like figures of granite looked down upon them. The old religion—long since abandoned. Sebastian shivered. "We need to find the control , Seb," Leo said as he came up the stairs behind him. "Did you two finish your discussion?" "No, I think I wore him down. He just gave up." "So, where is he?" "He said he needed a minute to collect himself." "Right," Sebastian said and laughed, then sighed. "I think we should try looking for the control up there behind those statues. It looks like there's a room up

there." "What is this place?" Meshia made his way up the stairs and began weaving his way through the columns. "I'm assuming the temple of Ashti," Sebastian replied, then left Meshia to take in the vastness of the building; the floor space easily covered fifteen thousand square feet, maybe more, and heavy layers of sand were lying in drifts and piles across the entire area. Meshia jumped out of the way as a stream of sand poured down from the ceiling then tapered off. Sebastian and Leo made their way up a set of stairs. They entered a room at the top. "Meshia, you need to come up here with us in case this whole building comes down," Sebastian shouted, then ducked back into the room he had emerged from. "You're not serious," Meshia replied and took the stairs three at a time as the building began to vibrate. More sand landed on his shoulders and in his hair before he stepped through the doorway into a small, slightly more contained space. Leo was standing at what appeared to be a control and screen. "I'm not sure what sequence they're looking for, Leo," Sebastian said. "Maybe we should wait and do this another time." "Seb, it's not like we can go away and ask someone." "What exactly are we trying to do?" Meshia looked at the screen. "We're trying to raise the city back up above the surface," Leo replied sharply. "Like I said, the emperor hid the city to protect it. But the people that were left behind had no way of retrieving it. Everything should still be here." "Everything," Meshia said, then crossed his arms. "Even the starships?" "I don't know how you know about those—"

"I know stuff, Leo," Meshia countered. "I'm the king. I am supposed to know stuff. That's my job." Leo briefly shoulder-checked Sebastian, who shrugged at him. Sebastian had no idea how Meshia knew about the intricacies of the Cardinian Empire's military equipment. "Yes, they should be down here somewhere," Leo replied. He headed to an opening overlooking the central pavilion of the temple, leaving Sebastian at the controls. "Of course, I'll have to repair and upgrade all of them, but I think you'll be impressed by what they can do." "You're going to upgrade them," Meshia said flatly. "Those starships already have capabilities beyond—" He stopped. Leo was facing him straight on now, hands on his hips. "Interesting …" Leo reached for a wall to steady his balance as the ground began to shake more violently. "We're in this together now, Meshia, so you better start sharing." It was about to start again, the bickering. Sebastian rolled his eyes and initiated a sequence of commands on the console. The ground tilted beneath their feet.

Meshia grunted at Leo and nodded, not wanting to commit to anything in specific. Sharing was not in his nature. The source of his knowledge came from the destroyed library in the Mycean palace. There were entire volumes of references to blue prints of great ships. He had never been able to track down the blueprints, though. The warships on Mycea, they'd had to develop themselves. And it seemed Mycean engineers were not as clever as their Cardinian counterparts. His disgruntled mood changed to apprehension when plumes of sand dust rose from the floor, making it difficult to breathe. As sand began pouring down from the ceiling in heavy pockets, rapidly filling the room, he watched in morbid fascination as Leo, in his attempt to reach Sebastian, was engulfed by an ocean of sand, disappearing from view.

The sound of Sebastian screaming in terror startled him. He had never heard such intense anguish in Sebastian's voice before. An anguish he knew would never be equaled if he were the one lost. Perhaps this was the answer. Let Leo perish so Sebastian would be his and his alone—but he couldn't do it. Watching Sebastian, it tore at his heart to see the man he loved claw at the sand, helpless, frantic, trapped near the controls; his panic mounting as his repeated attempts to retrieve Leo using spells failed. Resigned, Meshia pulled hard at the sand's weight and threw himself forward in an attempt to reach Leo. His hands combed through the sand, searching, and finally made with Leo's body. He was completely limp, and Sebastian's anxious sobs filled the room as Meshia pulled Leo free of the sand, lifted him above its surface, and cradled him in his arms. He blew a breath of air toward Leo, attaching a spell of his own, and Leo coughed, clearing his lungs as he clung to Meshia's shirt, the sudden appearance of tears leaving trails in the dust that covered his face; his pink tongue licking sandy lips. "Meshia, I am so sorry … about everything," Leo whispered hoarsely, then tucked himself tightly against Meshia's neck and sobbed, his body shaking. "It's all right." Meshia rubbed his thumb across Leo's cheek, attempting to wipe the steady stream of tears away. The act of affection caused Leo to look up, his breath catching as he sniffed and shook. "We'll work things out," Meshia added as he looked at Leo properly for what was probably the first time since they had met so many years ago. He studied Leo's teary, sand-encrusted eyes and the soft, dusty contour of his mouth. Sebastian loved this man. For reasons utterly unfathomable to him—but Sebastian loved him, and the thought of losing someone so important to Sebastian was too painful to even contemplate.

Chapter Two

Judging by the décor, the office Meshia was standing in had belonged to Princess Sunna, Leo's mother. Floral patterns and rosy colors overwhelmed the space. He sat behind the desk. It would do, though. Sebastian and Leo had both set up in Prince Leopold's old office. They had insisted they would be more efficient if they were in the same space. That and they would be sharing the attached lounge and bedchamber as well. It made sense to keep everything together. Meshia grunted. He wanted to be at the far end of the hallway from Sebastian and Leo to not encroach on their privacy. Plus, it was still painful seeing them together. He would have to put up with Princess Sunna's décor until he could have the space redecorated. The decision had been made in his mind. He was doing this. Going through with bringing about the revival of the Cardinian Empire. He lifted his feet onto the desk and leaned back. His decision was more than his wanting to please his Cardinian lover. Yes, the man he loved was reclaiming his heritage, and he wanted to do everything to him, but it was about more than Sebastian being Cardinian. Meshia slid open one of the drawers and looked over his shoulder at the filing cabinets. There should be enough space for everything he needed to bring from the old empire offices. He grinned. It would be a wonderous thing, moving to Cardin—being in close quarters with Sebastian again. Once Leo's reinstated one-year of monogamy for Sebastian was over, he would have access to him at any time of day. He would be right down the hallway from him. A soft knock on the door had him looking up. "So," said Sebastian as he stepped into the room, "will it do?" "Mm …" Meshia rose from his seat and walked toward Sebastian. He folded him

into an embrace and kissed the side of his neck. "I'll make it work." Sebastian slid his hands onto Meshia's face. "The flowers aren't going to annoy you?" Meshia smirked. "I thought about taking the quarters across the hall from you and Leo. Easy access to you. But then decided Leo wouldn't appreciate being anywhere near the amount of noise we tend to generate, so I decided on this one. Flowers and all." "And here I thought you'd like the idea of annoying him." "That again …" Meshia sighed. "Leo has a habit of bringing out the worst in me." "When he grabbed your ass, I thought for sure you'd drop those parts and throttle him." Sebastian brushed his thumb across Meshia's lips. "I prepared myself to step in." "You love him." Meshia rolled his eyes. "The angels only know why." He kissed Sebastian. "I'm willing to put up with a lot when it comes to Leo." A lot. His hate for Leo was as strong as ever. He was annoying, and he was standing in the way of the life he wanted to have with Sebastian. One where he could have Sebastian to himself. One where he would be the one married to him. "Thank you." Sebastian smiled. "For putting up with him and for saving him. You know I will never be able to repay you for that." "I still owe you. Besides, having you in my life is payment enough." Meshia set his hand on Sebastian's and squeezed it. "How is he?" Sebastian released Meshia's face. "Still coughing. Vomited a couple of times. It's not so much a healing thing as a getting all the sand out problem. He's asleep now." "He's tougher than he looks."

"You have no idea." Sebastian pursed his lips. "Before he fell asleep, he told me something you are going to like." Meshia placed his hands on his hips, peering at Sebastian. Please. "There is only one thing I want." One person, one lover in my arms—forever. "Then you are being granted your wish." Sebastian squealed as Meshia rushed at him and wrapped him up in his arms. "Leo says we don't have to wait the year." "Why the change?" "I guess he's grateful you saved his life." "So, he's given me a present." Meshia grinned. Sebastian snorted out a laugh. "In a sense, I suppose." Meshia knew precisely where he wanted to start. He grabbed Sebastian's belt buckle and hauled him toward the desk, nearly tripping in his haste. He spun Sebastian around until Sebastian's ass was against the desk. The sound of Sebastian's belt being unbuckled echoed throughout the room. Meshia dropped to his knees at Sebastian's feet and hauled his pants off his hips. "Not wasting any time, are we?" Sebastian laughed and stroked his hand through Meshia's hair as Meshia sucked his stiffening cock into his mouth. It was perfect. The feel of Sebastian's cock in Meshia's mouth was like coming home. The feeling on his tongue—the taste and scent of his spiced honey skin. When they had been together last, back on Mycea, before Sebastian and Leo had taken off for Cardin, they had not spent much time with subtleties. Their lovemaking had been frantic, desperate, and destructive. There were some significant repairs currently underway in his bedchamber back on Mycea. Taking his time to enjoy Sebastian was almost bringing him to tears. "Ah …" Sebastian gripped tighter to Meshia's head then stroked his hand down the back of Meshia's neck, forcing his face forward.

Meshia coughed and clutched Sebastian's ass with one hand to increase the pressure. He coughed again, and Sebastian released him. He slipped his lips off Sebastian's cock. He looked up at him. "Fuck, I love this." Sebastian grinned down at him. "I'm kind of enjoying it, as well." Meshia's hand encased Sebastian's cock, pumping it. "No, I mean in general." "Really …" Sebastian cocked an eyebrow at him. Meshia smiled. It had been a slow realization. When he and Sebastian had first been intimate back in the tent on Kronos, he had avoided with Sebastian's cock. Only touching him when they were getting each other off at the end. For the most part, they had relied on the friction of their cocks between their abs. Sebastian had sensed he was reluctant and kept things easy between them. Now, having Sebastian's cock in his mouth was a highlight of their lovemaking. Meshia hummed as he licked one side of his shaft and took his cock back in. With Sebastian's reputation, Meshia had been concerned about inviting him to his tent that night. But he'd had to know before he died. He had wanted to know what it felt like to hold the commander of his third battalion against his skin. Feel his mouth on him. To kiss him. Sebastian alternated between digging his fingers into Meshia's shoulders and grasping at his neck, hauling him closer. Meshia sighed with contentment as the warm rush hit the back of his throat. He pulled away slowly and grinned. There really was nothing like it. Meshia rose to his feet as Sebastian reached down and grabbed his elbows, his lover's eyes frantic, seeking. He launched himself at Meshia's mouth, his tongue pushing its way inside. Clutching him, Sebastian searched his mouth, his tongue tangling with his own, the waning desperate aftershocks of fulfillment consuming his Cardinian lover.

He truly was perfection. "Mm … better." Sebastian licked his lips and laid a single kiss back on Meshia's. He reached down and stroked his hand along Meshia's hard cock through his pants. "I wish I could reciprocate, but I need to get back and check on Leo." "That's fine." Meshia stroked Sebastian's cheek. "We'll have plenty of time." Sebastian furrowed his brow, biting his bottom lip. "Are you sure you're all right with dismantling the empire? You're not just doing this for me, are you?" "Ha, are you kidding?" A full grin lit up Meshia's face. "If my father is still alive and he hears about this, he's going to be livid. It'll probably kill him." "And that's a good thing …" Sebastian placed his hand on Meshia's shoulder. "That is a brilliant thing. To see all he worked for—what his ancestors worked for … pulled apart by his only son. Nothing could make me happier." Sebastian sighed. "It was really that bad … with him." "My father is a tortuous maniac. I want nothing more than to see him on his knees, clutching at his throat as he keels over dead." "Wow. Okay." Meshia had never told Sebastian much about his father. What he had endured at his hands. What his father had done to his mother. Torture didn't even touch the sick, twisted things he had put her through. The prospect of tearing apart the empire brought him great joy. Your behavior with Sebastian was not so far off. His gut clenched. Thinking about his father's debauchery brought back the memory of his own atrocities when he had beaten and branded during that hunting trip. When he had taken what wasn't his to take. Taken something sacred to Sebastian.

His happiness was all he could ask for—and that included Leo. "You should get back to your husband." Sebastian strode toward the door. "You know, we can spend our time together talking sometimes. Don't get me wrong, I love the fucking, but you mean more to me than that." Meshia smirked. "You sure about that?" "I love you, Meshia." Sebastian blew him a kiss as he left the room. "I love you, too," Meshia whispered to himself. Sebastian knew how much he loved him. How much he wanted to spend every second with him. But the reality was, Sebastian was married. He loved another. Another that Sebastian had told him he loved on an entirely different and profound level of devotion. His love for Leo was stronger than it was for him. And that was something he had to live with.

They finally hammered out an agreement regarding the new Cardinian Empire's running, which meant he needed to speak to Lakeda before transporting his personal belongings and staff from Mycea to Cardin. He hadn't found her in her office, so he had gone to her chamber only to discover it was locked. He had been forced to hammer on her door repeatedly until she finally opened it. "What?" Lakeda shouted at him as she threw open the door and motioned for him to follow her back into the room. "Did I do something?" "How could you have done anything? You haven't been here in weeks," Lakeda retorted, glaring fiercely at Meshia. "Perhaps next time you take off to Cardin, you might consider sending your queen a message so she knows what's going on."

"I've been busy," replied Meshia. A fisted hand sunk onto Lakeda's hip. "Doing what exactly?" she asked. "Deconstructing the empire." Meshia sat down on the edge of Lakeda's bed and watched the expression on her face change. "I've left copies of all the paperwork in your office." "You're toying with me. What's up?" "No toying. We're resurrecting the Cardinian Empire." "We?" "Sebastian, Leo, and I." Meshia directed Lakeda to sit beside him. "Look, I'm not obliged to do so, but I've left a report in your office outlining the Supreme Council's involvement in the destruction of the Cardinian Empire and their current alliance with the Marjar. It will explain everything. I promise." He pulled a thick booklet of paper out of his shoulder bag and handed it to Lakeda. She flipped it over, then held the booklet up, waving it in Meshia's face. "What's this?" she asked. "It's a legal document Leo drew up. You need to read and sign it," Meshia replied flatly. He groaned in frustration when Lakeda rolled her eyes at him. "All right. In summary, the new Cardinian Empire's headquarters will be in Cardin, of course, so I will be relocating and taking all the necessary staff with me. I've made provisions for you to keep Zoltar and Finnion for your own personal comfort, but you will be expected to give up your position as queen." Meshia held up his hand to keep Lakeda from interrupting. She was squirming furiously beside him. "Sebastian will find a new commander for the second battalion since the military is now on Cardin, and Leo will take over any of your other tasks related to the monarchy."

"And what am I supposed to do?" Lakeda asked. "Stay here and manage the Neter colony. It needs to be done, and you're the only person I trust to keep order around here." Meshia rose from the bed, brushing a smear of white fur from his pant legs. Lakeda must have acquired a cat in his absence. Usually, that would have annoyed him—but not anymore. "Please read through the document. Sign it and send it on to Cardin." Lakeda tossed the papers near her pillow and straightened out her skirt before settling her hands in her lap. "And that's it? Just like that—" she said. Meshia took note of the sharp glint accompanying Lakeda's words. He needed to watch his step or risk having his balls twisted into an unnatural configuration. "Lakeda, please," he started cautiously. "You've been a brilliant queen, but honestly, there's no place for you on Cardin. This new Cardinian Empire—" "Not even as your wife?" Lakeda interrupted. "Zoltar can run the Neter colony on his own. You and I have been working well together this past while since Sebastian married Leo." "Look." Meshia sat back down on the bed. "I would offer you a choice, Lakeda, but there really isn't one. You don't want to follow me to Cardin." He grasped her hand and ran his thumb over the soft surface of her skin. "This past couple of months with you have been nice. You have been there for me, but I can't—I can't be that person with you anymore. I know it sounds selfish, but I need this time alone with Sebastian. I love him, Lakeda." "I know you do, but Meshia, you can't—" "But I can," Meshia replied. "Once the doors to the royal wing close at night and the servants are away, I get to hold him and kiss him—be with him. I can take him back to my chamber and make love to him—have him fall asleep in my arms." Lakeda exhaled sharply through her nose. "I see. And I'm assuming Leo enjoys the same privileges."

"Of course … they're married." Lakeda blinked and moved to speak, then appeared to change her mind. "Fine," she said, pulling her hand away. "I'll sign the papers and send them on to Cardin." Lakeda rose from the edge of the bed and crossed the room to the door, opening it for him. "Because you're right," she said. "There is no place for me in this new Cardinian Empire of yours. Perhaps I'll find what I'm looking for here on Mycea."

Chapter Three

The ancient city of Ashti finally emerged from the drifting sands of Cardin after weeks of stops and starts, stretching Leo's patience to the limit. He had barely slept since they had begun. As it turned out, there had been very little conjuring involved when the city was sunk. It had been done almost strictly through mechanics, and with mechanics came the possibility of broken cogs, corroded electrical s, and a million other things that could and had gone wrong. Leo had gathered a team of qualified engineers originating from every remote corner of Cardin to repair the platform structure that the city set upon. Still, even with that complete, the sand itself was posing a problem of its own. It kept pouring back into the open spaces under the city each time the platform was sitting at a slight angle, making it impossible to level it back out through lowering it—and raising it wasn't always possible because the cogs on one side kept jamming. There had been more than a few moments when Leo thought they were going to lose the entire city to the depths of the pit beneath it. After a particularly sleepless night, Sebastian had stepped in and recruited the warships to help with the operation. They had become invaluable, making quick work of shifting the excess sand by way of large excavator claws attached to their undersides. It was midday by the time Sebastian arrived to take a look at what had emerged. Before them, the city towering up was a spectacular study in ancient Cardinian design, but it was also a spectacular mess. Leo had sent crews in to remove as much of the sand as possible, but the whole place was going to need to be swept and hosed out once they had enough water to do so. "Wow … this is going to take some work," Sebastian exclaimed as he headed for the first street that came into view. Leo picked up his pace to keep up with him. They wandered down streets lined by two and three-story townhouses and shops constructed mainly of pink and grey marble that must have been imported from somewhere: the windows and doors gaping holes, their wooden fittings torn away by the sand. Inside the doorways, Leo could see the flattened remnants of

what had once been the contents. "Do you have a map, Leo? The city is larger than I thought it would be." "No, but I think if we head down to the right here, we'll find the court house, the library, and the—." Leo stopped in his tracks and starred up at a pillared, decadent building adorned in immense statues of characters from popular Cardinian fable and legend. "It's the theatre, Seb." "We will definitely check that out at some point," Sebastian replied. "Maybe even organize a few performances for the troops. But first, we need to find the starships. Meshia won't get off my back about getting them operational." Sebastian smirked and snorted, expelling a short laugh. "Not that I have a problem with him being on my back, but—" "Seb, don't. I don't want to hear about it." Leo peered down one of the many side streets. "Those starships are massive. I can't imagine where they've hidden them." Sebastian rubbed a knuckle across his sun-chapped lips. "I'll see if I can sense them." He closed his eyes, his breath slowing. "I think I have something." He jogged toward the city's main concourse but stopped at the edge of the space. The paved concourse was easily five acres in size and surrounded by what would have been expansive gardens, courtyards, and water fountains at the height of the old Cardinian Empire. "I don't get it," Sebastian said, scowling. "Something is not right." "What's wrong?" Leo asked him. "They should be close," Sebastian replied. "I can feel that something large has been here." He strode off toward the center of the concourse and stopped when he reached it. "The starships' energy is intense. I can feel the vibration in my bones." "Then where are they?" "Oh, fuck!" Sebastian shouted, then ran at top speed back toward Leo and

pushed him further away from the concourse, knocking them both onto the ground. Lying in a heap, they looked up in astonishment as a column of five starships began descending from the sky. No, no—no! "Oh, Seb—they're coming down on top of each other! There's not enough room for them to land … you have to stop them!" "And how am I going to do that?" Sebastian exclaimed. "I have no idea how I called them in the first place." Leo squirmed out from beneath Sebastian's arm, pushing it aside so he could see the concourse more clearly. "Meshia is going to kill us," he muttered, clinging to Sebastian. "Actually, kill us." He cringed as the first ship touched down on the ground, with the second one coming down close behind. This is a disaster. As soon as the first ship landed and powered down, the ground beneath the concourse gave way, and the ship lowered into the ground. Leo sat straight up, silent, but Sebastian was more exuberant by the display of technology, slamming his hands together and laughing as a second platform emerged from the side of the concourse opening. The process repeated itself until all five ships were tucked neatly away in a storage hangar, all now suspended beneath the city in the depths of the pit. "That was unbelievable," Sebastian said. "Yes, but there are supposed to be at least six ships," Leo replied. "I wonder what happened to the rest." "Your guess is as good as mine," replied Sebastian. "It looks as if the ships were being stored on one of Cardin's moons. Maybe the rest are still stuck up there." "Oh … I don't think so, Seb." Leo grasped Sebastian's arm and pointed toward where a starship was careening through the sky, out of control. The massive warship could carry over two hundred fleet ships and the six hundred people required to operate a ship that size. It was going to feel like a small city colliding with the ground if it landed too close.

Leo's hand closed tighter on Sebastian's arm as the ship spun off and began an awkward final descent. "Well, at least we found one more." He flinched as the ground shuddered and rolled beneath their feet, followed closely by a thunderous explosion that spewed a billowing plume of black smoke into the air in the distance. "That's going to be a challenge to repair." Meshia grunted behind them. He had arrived in time to see the starship make its undistinguished entrance. "You have to fix it, Leo. We need all of them." He approached the pit, spotting the staircase, and headed toward it. "Are the other ones down here?" Leo exhaled in exasperation. "Seb, please, could you—" "Sure. I can make sure he doesn't touch anything," Sebastian offered, then turned to follow after Meshia but stopped before he reached the staircase. "Leo?" he asked, turning back. "What's the capacity for this city when it's fully functioning?" "I don't know. Maybe ten, twelve thousand." "Good, because I'd like to move at least four thousand trainable people here as quickly as possible. We have a lot of work to do." "I'm one step ahead of you, Seb. I have my structural engineers checking the buildings to make sure they're safe. After that, we'll tackle the electrical. I don't want to use the windmills because we'll end up taxing the system too much with what we're going to require. And that is where I'm headed next. To find the old fusion reactor so I can get a team working on it."

Sebastian smirked. "What would I do without you?" He immediately regretted saying it. Leo's shoulders slumped forward, and he dropped his gaze, scuffing at the sand with his feet. He seemed resigned to continue, but the thump of something falling followed by a string of obscenities coming from the pit caused him to look up. "You better get down there, Seb, before he breaks something," Leo shook his hair out, dispensing a fine layer of dust into the air as he stuffed his hands into the folds of his sarong and retrieved his water skin. "And please don't forget," he

added, then rinsed out his mouth and spat the swilled and gritty remnants onto the sand at his feet. "We're supposed to meet with Dunlor tonight." "I'll be there," Sebastian replied, shielding his eyes from the sun as he trekked backward toward the pit. Leo's crestfallen demeanor concerned him. Ever since Meshia had begun working with them, Leo had gradually become more and more withdrawn. His usual confidence and bubbly personality had all but disappeared. "What about dinner?" Sebastian asked. He and Leo had rarely missed a dinner together in the seventeen years they'd known each other. He crossed his arms, confused. "Leo?" Leo shook his head. "No. You concentrate on keeping an eye on that boyfriend of yours so I can get some work done." "Leo, what the—" Leo's hands shot to his hips. "What? I agreed to this partnership, Sebastian, but I have yet to see what his royal—" He motioned with agitation toward the pit. "— what Meshia has to offer this endeavor and us for that matter, other than his consent." "Don't—" Sebastian stepped forward, pointing a finger. "This isn't about Meshia's contribution. He is integral to the success of the Cardinian Empire, and you know it. We've discussed this at great length, you and I. Without Meshia's lineage, political ties, and previous office, the governing bodies of every other planet in this empire might turn against us." He pursed his lips and shook his head. "This is about last night, isn't it?" Leo scooped a hand through his hair, clenching a handful. He dropped his voice to a harsh whisper. "You promised me, Seb—you promised me you'd come home to our bed at the end of each day. At no time did I say you could bring him with you." "Leo, I told you. I thought you were working." Sebastian stepped back as Leo's eyebrows shot up in astonishment. They had already been through this, but apparently, his explanation for Leo finding him and Meshia partaking in a bit of nude wrestling beneath their sheets still wasn't

adequate. "Our bed, Sebastian," Leo stated, placing extreme emphasis on the first word. "That is our sanctuary from the world. A place where we can hold each other— express our love and commitment to one another—a place that should not include him." Sebastian peered over his shoulder at the pit. A fresh assault of sound followed by a verbal barrage pervaded the swirling, dusty air. He needed to get down there before Meshia did irreparable damage to one of the ships, or possibly himself. "Go," Leo said, waving Sebastian away. "Call me if he gets out of hand. I'm sure we can find somewhere to strap him down."

Dunlor's cavern was located below the Cardinian palace in a fairly complex maze of naturally occurring caves and tunnels twisting their way deep beneath the surface of the planet where it was unlikely he would be disturbed—and where the royal family would be protected if any of his spells went terribly wrong. He had been the resident wizard on Cardin for nearly fifty years. An unusually long time for such a post, but Prince Leopold, Leo's recently relocated father, had insisted on always having one on staff to help him deal with unreasonable people. Dunlor had been meaning to head upstairs and welcome the three monarchs, but some unusual energy coming from them had caused him to reconsider until he'd had a chance to research a few things. He had been pouring over some ancient texts when Leo had shown up at his door that morning, requesting a meeting. Pinned to his seat by the force of Leo's uncharacteristically unstable energy, he had sent Leo on his way, setting an appointment for later that evening, giving him enough time to gather some information and arrange a protective ring around his main room. He rose to his feet when he heard Leo and Sebastian approach his door, bracing himself. He stumbled backward, knocking over his stool as the combined force of their energy came through the door. "Dunlor, are you all right?" Leo rushed to the wizard's side with Sebastian close

behind, but Dunlor swung his arm out, fending them off as he reached behind himself, groping for his staff which was propped against a table. "Just stay back … I'm fine." Dunlor continued to pan around. Once he had the staff firmly in hand, he drew a short line on the dirt floor in front of him, dividing himself from the two men. The pushing force of their energy relinquished, but only slightly. "I know this is a strange request," Dunlor said, brushing the loose strands of black hair off his plump face. "But could I get the two of you to hold hands … both hands?" He sighed with relief, righting himself, as the men ed hands. He would be able to stand firmly on two feet while in their presence now. "Do we have to stay like this?" Leo asked. "Yes, please do." Dunlor stepped out from behind his line and began walking a circle around the men. Keeping his distance. Encoming them was the faint trace of something he suspected he might find—something of supposed myth and legend. A force so rare that even the eldest of the wizards had discounted its existence. "My, my, my," he muttered. Right here in his humble cavern, a Cardinian bond hummed and glowed protectively around its inhabitants. The other wizards would be so incredibly jealous. He smirked happily despite having employed a half-hearted effort to remain professional. "Dunlor?" Leo questioned. "Just a second," responded Dunlor, waving his hand in the air to quieten Leo's interruption. The bond definitely hadn't been there when he had seen Sebastian and Leo last. When they'd married in the palace. He clucked his tongue in fascination. The reasons and circumstances surrounding the bond's existence needed to be investigated thoroughly and at extraordinary length. A list formed in Dunlor's mind—books to track down, wizards to speak with, investigative spells to be cast. There was so much to be done. "Dunlor?" Leo questioned again.

Dunlor blinked, broken from his thoughts. "I'm sorry, Leo. What is it you wanted to see me about this evening? Trouble in the bedroom, perhaps? Energy levels dropping? Libido issues?" "Not a word out of you," Leo warned as he shot Sebastian a glare. Sebastian popped his mouth closed, and Leo turned his attention back to Dunlor. "No, we're fine in that department. But you know how Sebastian's conjuring abilities have changed ..." His nose wrinkled, then he hauled Sebastian's hand up with his own to rub aggressively at it. "Mine have changed as well," he finished. "How so?" Dunlor questioned, tightening the grip on his staff. Perhaps Leo already held the key to the circle's existence. "Just small things," Leo replied. "Things beyond the basic ability to heal. We think there may be a love component causing the shifts in our abilities." "Leo, you are mistaken about that," Dunlor replied, then laughed to himself as Leo glared at him. Leo hadn't changed a bit since he was a child. He was as demanding and incontrovertible as ever. Dunlor ed the first time Leo had shown up at his door. He had only been about four years old. How he had managed to find his way down those dark stairs, he could not comprehend. That was the day he had discovered Leo's conjuring abilities. Leo had brought him an injured butterfly from the royal garden cradled carefully in his tiny hands, wanting it to fly again. Being amiable toward the young prince, Dunlor had placed his hands over the butterfly to heal it, but Leo had smacked his knuckles and glared at him, insisting he learn to do it himself. He had played along and told Leo how to conjure the spell. When tiny, slick bubbles of silver and pink had left Leo's delicate fingertips, exciting the surrounding air, and the butterfly had stretched out its perfectly healed wings … he had almost ed out. Because historically, Cardinians couldn't conjure. This small child, however, could—and at a very high level. Leo had been so delighted with himself, he had started jumping up and down and clapping his hands together, giggling as he watched the butterfly dance about the room. The conjuring lessons had started soon after that. They had been a trial in themselves, controlling Leo's exuberance. Now, he had two Cardinians

that could conjure standing before him. And they were looking for answers. Answers he wasn't entirely sure he knew the validity of himself. "The first shift in Sebastian's abilities happened while he was off in the wilds of Mycea with Meshia, correct?" Dunlor asked, already knowing the answer. The detainment and subsequent escape of the two monarchs from the Supreme Council prison ship had caused a significant stir amongst the wizarding community. There had never been an official explanation of why the two powerful and highly decorated men had been so far from empire headquarters and how they had become prisoners of the Supreme Council. He squinted at Leo. There was a good possibility young Prince Leozeuramun knew the answer to that riddle. "Leo," Dunlor inquired further. "Do you have any reason to believe Sebastian was thinking of you at the time?" "No, but—" Leo began, then fell silent. Dunlor cocked his head to one side. What an unusual thing, Leo cutting himself off short like that. He decided to push further. "Were the two of you seeing each other at the time?"

"Yes and no," Leo replied, then rolled his eyes when Dunlor grunted his disapproval at the ambiguous answer. Motioning for Sebastian to follow him over to a short, wooden bench so they could take up a seat at the very edge of the room, Leo clarified. "We were sleeping together as friends," he said. "Soon after we met each other," Sebastian added, bumping Leo playfully. "And we ended up falling in love, didn't we?" Leo smiled and leaned against

Sebastian, nodding in agreement as he tucked his body in close to the man he had been longing to embrace since their disagreement on the concourse that afternoon. Within moments of walking away, Leo had lowered the veil he had intended on shielding his consciousness with for the remainder of the afternoon and allowed Sebastian to push through with the most ridiculously romantic gestures and apologies imaginable. All of which reminded him why he fell in love with the oversized Cardinian man of legend in the first place. If their hands hadn't already been clasped tightly together, he would've been reaching for him. In a lot of ways, Sebastian was the quintessential Cardinian— perpetually innocent, playful, loyal, and well-meaning. Qualities that had been bred out of his own family line a long time ago. Sebastian had rekindled much of that joy in him during their years together—that absolute love of life. He would never be able to thank Sebastian fully for that. He was a different person than before he met him. A different person than the Cardinian monarchy had groomed him to be. "We fell in love," Leo whispered, nodding. "We did. And maybe that's why Sebastian survived your knives. Because he knew I couldn't live without him." He lowered his gaze, studying the floor, ing how he had been prepared to lie motionless in the mud and drown himself that day on Kaenum. Thankfully Krunk had come to his rescue. His skin tingled as he shook the memory off. "The very first time Sebastian transported himself," he said. "When he surprised me in my Cardinian palace bedchamber, he thought I was in danger. He was trying to rescue me." "I see," replied Dunlor, tapping his lip. "Well, I suppose it's possible, but I'm not convinced. And it certainly doesn't explain why every wizard in the empire was brought to their knees following a huge energy ripple originating from Mycea before Sebastian flew you here to Cardin." Leo squeezed Sebastian's hand and pushed a message to him.

"He's going to figure it out eventually." Sebastian nodded. "I know. Just not yet."

Dunlor stepped back, examining the two men ed together, their smooth tanned skin glistening in the firelight. They both exuded incredible confidence. But there was also something else. They were definitely keeping something from him. He set a subtle but powerful compliance spell adrift, letting it linger beneath his fingertips, undetectable, but it evaporated, dispelled before he had even had a chance to send it off. His brow wrinkled in disbelief. The only telltale sign of its dispeller being a smirk pulling at the corner of Sebastian's mouth. "Yes, well—" Dunlor mumbled beneath his breath. Leo smiled, bumping Sebastian with his elbow. "We did have a strange thing happen on the way to the landing bay, didn't we, Seb?" He looked to Sebastian for confirmation. "We did," Sebastian agreed. "I was holding Leo's hand, and we were in a hurry. We had turned down the last tunnel when Leo tripped. Meshia grabbed his arm to stop him from—" Dunlor's chin snapped up from his chest, suddenly alert, where he had moments before been resting it, discouraged. "Meshia was there?" he asked, tightening an invigorated stranglehold on his staff. Perhaps this was the key. He pointed at Sebastian. "Were you in physical with Meshia as well?" "Um …," Sebastian stalled. "I think I might've been resting my hand on Meshia's shoulder." "Did you feel a hum?" Dunlor inquired further. "Definitely," replied Leo. "We all felt it, didn't we?" "Yeah," Sebastian agreed. "It was strange."

Dunlor lowered his staff to the ground, tapping it twice, deep in thought as he perused his memory for details of what he had read earlier in the day regarding the causal triggers pertaining to the initial presentation of a Cardinian bond. This one appeared to be different, requiring three components rather than two, which might explain why it was unstable. One component was missing. "So," he mused. "It seems Meshia is connected with the two of you as well. Have you had any other strange things happen while you've been in his company?" Leo nodded, pressing his forehead into the crook of Sebastian's armpit, where he closed his eyes. He heaved out a sigh and squeezed both of Sebastian's hands tightly in his own, likely digging his sharp, manicured nails in to the hilt, but Sebastian did not flinch in the slightest. "When we started raising the city," Sebastian began quietly. "Sand poured into the room we were in." He stopped and cleared his throat. "If it hadn't been for Meshia, Leo would have perished beneath the sand. I was rendered completely helpless. I couldn't conjure no matter how hard I tried." "You couldn't conjure," Dunlor pondered. "And yet there was a ripple caused by an ability change that day." "There was?" asked Leo, looking up. "Mm," replied Dunlor. "Most definitely. I am going to consult with some of the other wizards. But I think it is safe to say all three of you will have to come back and see me. Hopefully, we can figure this thing out."

Sebastian grunted his acknowledgment and led Leo to the door, keeping their hands firmly clasped until Dunlor closed the door behind them. The length of their visit in the damp cavern had managed to chill him. He shivered and reached for Leo's hand, which was colder than his, warming it in his own as he hurried them away. "Should we head up to bed?" Leo asked as he followed Sebastian up the steep, rock-hewn steps. He reached forward, clinging to Sebastian's belt to keep from slipping back. "Or did you have more work you wanted to do with Meshia first?"

"No, I had my fill of his royal highness today." Leo groaned and slapped Sebastian's ass to keep him moving. "Ha … ha." "No, seriously, Leo," Sebastian corrected, grinning at Leo's misunderstanding. "He just about drove me insane today. I'm all yours tonight." He stopped, turned, and stroked a hand along Leo's cheek. "It's still early. Maybe we can organize a picnic on the bed and play a few hands of cards before we turn in." Leo beamed up at him. "I'd love that, Seb." "Then it's set. Be prepared to have your ass whipped." A smirk lit up Leo's face. "Promises promises ..."

Chapter Four

The mahogany surface of the large, round table in Meshia's private office had their maps, star charts, and equipment schematics, lists, and progress reports strewn about on it. All three of them were leaned over it, working on their own reports before presenting them to the others. Sebastian ed the file Leo had requested to Meshia to along. Leo fluttered his lashes and curtsied, extending his hand to a fictitious tutu. "Thank you, Your Majesty." He took the file from Meshia's hand and snorted out a laugh as he set it in front of himself. He flipped it open, and the lines on his face creased in concentration. "Shut it, Leo." Meshia crossed his arms, grabbed a pencil, and made some notes. Sebastian hummed to himself. The two men tolerated each other much better now, and most importantly, Leo's playful side was emerging again. There had been some missteps the first few weeks that Meshia had been there. The incident when Leo had found Meshia with him in their bed. Never to be repeated. A couple of nights when he had fallen asleep in Meshia's bedchamber and almost not made it back by morning. And one time when Leo had walked in on them out in the courtyard nearly with each other's clothes off. Other than that, he had kept his promise to Leo. Their bed was for them alone, and every morning when Leo awoke, Sebastian was in their bed alongside him. Leo, feeling more secure, had started to loosen up, initiating some lighthearted teasing when it came to Meshia. And Meshia, to his credit, had stopped responding in anger. Instead, deflecting each incident like a deluge of rain off a Mycean broad leaf tree. Sebastian loved them both for it. Their ability to work together depended on their willingness to bury whatever resentments there might be between them. The rise of the Cardinian Empire depended on them getting along.

Meshia made his way around the table and deliberately knocked Leo against the edge with his hip. Leo just grinned and swatted at him. Sebastian shook his head and smiled. Seeing Meshia partake in a bit of spirited retaliation had surprised him initially. Now, it was a regular part of their interactions. Meshia, despite the grumbling, was enjoying himself. The three of them working on this project together was stressful, but they were all rising to the rigors required of them. Meshia ran his hand down Sebastian's back, stopping just above his ass. "I finished looking through those agreements. I've made a few changes, minor ones, but as soon as Leo has updated them, we can send them out to the planets under the empire's rule." Sebastian took a sip of his drink then set it on the table. "Do you think we'll have any trouble with any of them?" "I don't think there will be any fuss. They're not giving up anything. In fact, they are gaining a lot, as we're in a much better position to protect them now." Leo padded over to Meshia's side of the table and sorted through the paperwork and notes Meshia was working on. He nodded a few times as he scanned them over. "Good catch, Meshia. I'll make those changes." Sebastian grinned and took another drink. Before him, two powerful men that could easily be at war with one another. Instead, working together. He wasn't sure if a simple fact had occurred to Meshia; that the ships Cardin possessed could have wiped out the old empire's military and Meshia's rule over the entire region. That Leo could be the one in charge of everything. Emperor Leo of the whole damned Cardinian Empire. He smirked and set back to work.

Dunlor had spent the better part of a month discussing the intricacies of the

Cardinian bond with every other wizard in the empire. After that time, they had gone away and individually combed through the endless volumes of ancient script at their disposal until a reference to the unusual bond the men shared was finally found. He was extremely excited to share what they had discovered when the door to his cavern swung open, and the three men stood in its entrance. "Do we need to hold hands again?" Leo looked over at Meshia. "Because I don't want to in his case. I might catch a disease or break out in assholes." Surprisingly, no response from Meshia. Dunlor found this unusual, given the king's propensity to anger. Perhaps, the men had worked out their differences. One could hope that was the case. "That won't be necessary," he replied. "If I'm correct, the three of you will balance each other out, and I won't be affected." He motioned for the men to take a place in the middle of the room. "Please. Come in. We have a lot to discuss." Meshia grumbled as he strode into the room, his mind clearly elsewhere. Leo poked him hard in the ribs. "You're not listening," he hissed. "Listening to what? I don't even know why I'm here." "Then maybe you should be listening—" Leo reached up and flicked Meshia on the earlobe—hard. A moment of outright disbelief ed in Meshia's eyes; anger firing up behind them, then he relaxed, smirked, and his eyes narrowed. A shrill shriek of delight escaped Leo's small body as Meshia grabbed him and put him in a headlock. "Am I going to get my spanking now?" Leo squealed in jest. "Oh, no," Meshia replied, hoisting Leo closer to his body. "This is so much worse." And without further warning, Meshia launched into an assault on Leo's most ticklish areas, resulting in a steady stream of high-pitched giggling, screaming, and hiccupping from Leo as he squirmed in Meshia's arms.

"Stop," Leo gasped finally, struggling to break free. "What was that? More?" Meshia teased, running a thumb up into Leo's armpit. He snorted through a laugh. Leo's screams were absolutely deafening. "I'm sorry, Leo," he shouted, taunting him further. "But I can't hear anything now! You need to be quiet so we can listen to the nice man talk about conjuring!" "Stop," Leo shrieked again. "Seb … make him—" Sebastian shook his head, smirking. Dunlor checked his disappointment as he watched the childish display. This was going to be more difficult than he had expected. He had been hoping Meshia would be a stable force, but it seemed he was prone to the same nonsense as the other two. Which was odd. Because he had always heard the opposite. He grabbed his staff firmly in one hand and brought it down on the floor, sending out a rumble that silenced the men. "Thank you for your attention," Dunlor said. "I've called you all here because, after much research, I've determined that all three of you are inexplicably linked together by what is called a Cardinian triad bond or circle." "How did that happen?" Leo escaped Meshia's grasp and pushed him away. "I've heard of double bonding, but triad?" "Yes, I'm confused about that as well," Dunlor replied. "Leo, you were right, though. This type of bonding does require a love component, so the bond between you and Sebastian makes sense. But what I don't understand is—" He pointed toward Meshia, who sheepishly avoided his gaze by looking away. "Why is he here?" "What difference does it make?" Leo backed up and grabbed hold of Sebastian's tunic. "Surely we can figure this circle out without pulling it to pieces," Sebastian added. "What do the books say?" "No. No books," Dunlor replied. "We need to understand what's driving this specific triad circle."

"But why?" Meshia asked. "Why is it so important that we know anything about this circle at all?" Dunlor stepped forward. "Because … a circle such as this cannot remain stable unless the three of you learn to control it. That much, the books are very clear about." He looked at each of the men individually, judging their response. They were definitely keeping something from him. "Gentlemen, if we can't figure out what this circle needs, it could self-destruct, taking all three of you with it." Dunlor sniffed with satisfaction. There it was—fear, flitting across Sebastian's eyes as Leo clung to him. But Meshia appeared unfazed. Or did he? Dunlor tapped his finger against his lip as Meshia's attention began darting equally between Sebastian, Leo, and the floor, the shimmer of a spell dancing back and forth between his thumb and forefinger, ready to be released at a moment's notice. Something was making him very nervous. And he knew exactly what it was. "I can teach you the skills to control it," Dunlor continued as he settled into pacing the room. "But only if I have all the information—" He stopped in front of Meshia and gripped his face as the monarch tried to turn away from him again. "Which one is it?" Dunlor asked him. "I don't know what you're talking about," Meshia replied. "Really ..." Dunlor peered over his shoulder in Leo's direction. He was clinging to Sebastian, shivering, but Meshia didn't appear overly moved by Leo's apparent distress. Leo wasn't the link. It was the other Cardinian. The king and commander. Dunlor turned back to Meshia, dropping his voice to a whisper. "Does Sebastian know?" "Of course he knows," Meshia blurted, then shrunk back, crossing his arms.

"We've been seeing each other for years." "And—" Dunlor encouraged. "All right, yes—" Meshia grumbled. "We're in love with each other." "Thank you. That wasn't so hard, was it?" Dunlor chided then strode into the center of the room, placed his staff in a small niche in the floor, and closed his eyes, not because he was about to weave a spell, but because he needed a moment to collect himself. The brutal and fearsome Mycean king of the old empire had been having an affair with a man … and a Cardinian empirical commander, no less. Strange didn't begin to cover the dynamic of this group. He shifted his feet, steadying his stance. Luckily, the three men were all high-ranking officials. Antics aside, he should be able to work with them. "Now that we know where to start, we can begin," he said, then opened his eyes, ready to proceed. "The triad bond was activated when the three of you ed together in a connected circle on Mycea," Dunlor explained, then stopped. Meshia appeared distracted. "Meshia, did Sebastian not fill you in on that?" he asked. "Yeah, the hum on the way to the landing bay—" Meshia scrubbed a hand across his face. "So, you're saying if we had never hung on to each other like that, this wouldn't be happening?" "That's correct," answered Dunlor. "But there are a few other interesting components regarding the circle's spring into existence. For instance—a triad bond can only be formed when all three people can conjure. And at least one of them has to be Cardinian. As you know, very few Cardinians are born with the ability to conjure, so these bonds don't come up very often." Dunlor circled the room, increasingly animated, touching each of the men on the shoulder as he ed by. "You three are additionally unusual," he continued, "because there are two Cardinians that can conjure, and the one with the strongest conjuring abilities, Sebastian, is in love with the other two links. There are immense possibilities with your circle."

"Such as what?" Meshia asked, nodding in Leo's direction. Dunlor flicked his hand toward Leo to proceed. Apparently, Meshia trusted Leo's opinion over that of a wizard. "Well," Leo started, crunching up his face in thought. "I certainly think we could work the circle to our advantage when it comes to running the Cardinian Empire." "How so?" Sebastian asked. Dunlor stepped back in. He had been the one doing the research. "While the circle is invoked, you'll be able to share and combine your energy and your conjuring abilities with each other. Eventually, you won't need to be in physical with one another. You'll be able to communicate and work together over immense distances." "Sebastian?" Meshia wandered closer to where Sebastian and Leo were standing. "That's close to what the two of you have together already, isn't it?"

Leo furrowed his brow. This was not what he wanted—to let Meshia in. He touched Sebastian's pantleg, then gripped it between his fingers, fiddling with the material. "We can't share anything more than our thoughts." Leo cut his gaze across the floor, contemplating what allowing Meshia into his and Sebastian's private world might do to their relationship, to their own special bond, because in reality, they shared much more than their thoughts. It was a skill they had developed over time, allowing them to bare their emotions fully, exposing the depth of their love for one another as they lay in each other's arms. "This would be much more powerful," he added. Sebastian smoothed his hands along Leo's shoulders and pushed a subtle message to him, reminding him of the commitment they had made to each other the day they were married. "No matter what, we will always be together, to the very end, just the two of us. Bringing Meshia into our world won't change that." He kissed the top of Leo's head, and Leo relaxed against him.

"What about the ripple you felt when Meshia saved me?" Leo asked Dunlor, changing the subject. "I can feel the difference in his energy, but I can't pinpoint a specific change." "I'm not sure. Perhaps it will become apparent in time," Dunlor stated, then clapped his hands together. "All right, any questions before we get started?" "Started on what?" Meshia questioned. "Why your training, of course," replied Dunlor. "But—" Meshia started. Sebastian lowered his hands from Leo's shoulders, grasping Leo's hips instead. "Dunlor's right, Meshia. We need to do this now. The sooner we have control of this thing, the sooner we can use it. And then, of course, there's the it might kill us thing ..." Leo rubbed a knuckle under his nose, weighing out what was about to happen. He only had one question. "Is this going to hurt?" he blurted out. "Because it hurt when Sebastian shared his energy with me back on Kaenum. I can only imagine what three of us together is going to do." Dunlor nodded his head. "Yes, well … you'll likely feel an initial hum like you did in the landing bay on Mycea when you initiated your circle. It might become painful for a second or two. But it should ." Leo rolled his eyes and shook out his hands, preparing himself. Should. "You'll be all right," Sebastian said, accentuated by a playful jab in Leo's side. "You're tougher than you look, ?" "Hah," Leo retorted but secretly smiled to himself. "Once you get past the initial connection," Dunlor continued. "I'll talk you through the rest of what I need you to do."

Sebastian started by holding out both hands, nodding to Meshia to take one of them. Meshia took Sebastian's hand then extended his other hand out to Leo, who grasped it tightly, shut his eyes, and reached for Sebastian's— The initial hum was all right, but then a painful burn set in as their individual energies combined and began to run the circle between their bodies. All three men accepted the pain as it ed through them, with only the tiniest of whimpers coming from Leo. Within seconds of initiating the circle, the pain transformed itself into a deep sense of mind-numbing, body relaxing euphoria. "Now, I want you to concentrate on the energy," Dunlor instructed. "Visualize it radiating out from your bodies into the center of the circle." Sheets of shimmering, colored light began to emanate from all three of them into the space before them. They managed to hold it for a few seconds before it shot back at them like a shockwave, knocking them and Dunlor to the floor. "That didn't go very well," Leo complained as he righted himself but remained seated on the floor. He drew a hand across his face, smearing through a trail of blood running from his nose. Oh, great. "Should I be bleeding?" "I didn't think it would start so soon," Dunlor whispered, then held up his hands as Meshia and Sebastian both leapt up and raced toward him. "Gentlemen, please. Calm yourselves." "Calm ourselves?" Sebastian shouted. "What's happening?" "The colors of your individual rays," Dunlor explained. "They need to display as the single color of dark purple. The circle is not entirely stable or at full strength until it reaches that color." "That's not what Sebastian asked you." Meshia launched forward and gripped Dunlor's arm, bending it up behind his back. He hauled up on it, causing Dunlor to cry out in pain. "Please, no …," Dunlor cried.

"Why is he bleeding?" Sebastian demanded. "Because," Dunlor gasped. "Each time you invoke the circle and fail to keep it stable, the weakest of you will suffer." "And you didn't think to tell us that before we started?" Meshia cursed then twisted Dunlor's arm further up behind his back. A distinct pop echoed throughout the room, and Dunlor screamed, begging to be released. He might have sunk to his knees if Meshia hadn't been stringing him up by the wrist. "How do we get it to turn purple?" Sebastian stepped forward, running his hand up Meshia's arm. "Meshia …" "I don't know … please," Dunlor cried. That's enough. "Let him go, Meshia," Leo called out from the far side of the room. "I'm fine. It's just a little nosebleed." Meshia grunted, and Dunlor fell to the ground. "We need to try again," Leo stated as he stood ready with his arms outstretched. He pushed a message to Sebastian, demanding he not argue with him—that they were doing this. "But, Leo—" Meshia started but stopped short when Sebastian shook his head. Leo smiled. Sebastian knew it was pointless arguing with him. Meshia would just have to learn. The men invoked the circle three more times, each time coming closer to holding it steady. But each time, Leo ended up with a nosebleed. Leo was spent by the end of the session, having expended significant energy fighting off a vicious headache. Sebastian eventually called a stop to it and took Leo back to their chamber to heal him. They could try again tomorrow.

The daily sessions in Dunlor's cavern were frustrating and, at times, far too telling. They had managed to learn how to control the flow of energy without it

coming back on them, but whenever Dunlor asked them to try and combine their conjuring abilities, the only thing they ever achieved was a glimpse into each other's consciousnesses, which had upset Leo because he had glimpsed an image of Meshia and Sebastian in bed together—again. "Do you ever think of anything else?" Leo chided, annoyed. "Seriously, Meshia, I think you are purposely pushing those images into my mind to irritate me." "Why would I purposely try to irritate you?" Meshia replied, laughing as he scratched his head in feigned confusion. "Argh—" Leo exploded. "You are such an ass." Leo broke from the circle and headed for his and Sebastian's chamber to heal the latest bout of bleeding. He wasn't in the mood to deal with Meshia's juvenile stunts today. He had received a message from Zyphera that morning saying she was pregnant. The news had floored him. He flipped open the note she sent and dropped onto the edge of the bed, running his thumb over her swirling scrawl. She had assured him it wasn't his and that they hadn't slept together the night he had shown up at her door and downed an entire bottle of alcohol. But the very idea had shaken him up. Bringing a child into his already complicated life would have screwed everything up. "Hey, Leo?" Meshia prompted as he pressed open the door to the chamber and peered in. "Can I come in?" Leo folded the note and tossed it onto his bedside table. He would hide it away out of Sebastian's sight later. He didn't want the love of his life to know how close he had come to betraying him. "What do you want now?" he asked. "I've got enough on my plate without you messing with me." Meshia stepped in and closed the door behind him. "I want to apologize. I'm really not doing it to irritate you. I promise." Leo shook his head. "I know. I just wish you could learn to keep it to yourself."

He shifted over as Meshia sat down on the bed beside him and smirked as Meshia tossed a cushion at his head. "Stop," Leo whispered as he dragged his fingers through his hair, smoothing and realigning the slick, blue-black strands. "I can't," Meshia said, twisting the request. "He really is all I can think about sometimes." Stretching out behind Leo, Meshia snagged a pillow from the bed and held it to his face, inhaling. The scent of Sebastian's spiced honey skin would be heavy on its cover. A soothing numbness traveled up Leo's legs, infusing his chest and throat as he watched Meshia tuck the pillow into his arms and curl up on the bed. "You really love him, don't you?" "More than anything," Meshia replied, then absentmindedly brushed a stray hair from Leo's face. "We're a sad pair, aren't we?" Leo laughed, batting Meshia's hand away. "He definitely has the two of us tied up in knots." He slid off the bed and grabbed a bottle of wine and two glasses from the bedside wine cabinet. "I'm glad you came to see me." "Yeah, me too." Meshia sat up on the bed and took the glass Leo offered him. "No more stupid stuff, I promise. I'll do my best to keep those images away from the circle." "Good," replied Leo, smirking. "It was becoming tediously repetitive calling you an ass all the time."

Chapter Five

The hot Cardinian sun streamed in through the open windows, turning the sheets covering Meshia's body into a limb entwining sweat lodge. His eyes fluttered open, and he stared up at the ceiling towering above him, using the edge of his pillowcase to dab at the perspiration beading on his forehead. There was little chance he would ever become accustomed to the relentless heat on this planet. It was stifling in comparison to the damp cool of Mycea. He licked his parched lips and looked to his bedside table for the ever-present carafe of cool water. The effort to reach it seemed too much. He closed his eyes again. He felt sorry for the military that weren't Cardinian and had to live out in the open, baking in their inadequate tents. At least he was able to retreat to the palace's relative coolness at the end of each day. There was little that could be done to correct the military housing situation at the moment. The business of resurrecting the Cardinian Empire was stretching their resources to the limit. Not to mention their personal sacrifice. Where finances were running lean, time not already allocated for empire building was practically non-existent. They were all suffering in their own way. They were only six months into resurrecting the Cardinian Empire, and they still had so much work to do. Meshia threw his arm across his eyes to shield them from the lid-penetrating light, wishing he didn't have to be up yet. Usually, he would have been up long before sunrise, managing the construction of the landing bays and storage hangars needed to house and maintain their fleet ships, but today was different. Leo had insisted they take the day off, promising it would include a cooling activity. Unfortunately, it would just be the two of them. Sebastian had been away on reconnaissance for weeks, mapping out the entire interplanetary region under the Cardinian Empire rule and scanning those same planets for anything unusual. The last thing they needed was a repeat of Marjar's leap in technology, surprising them. Mycea and the entire Neter colony had barely survived his own arrogant oversight all those years ago.

Meshia shifted his legs around, searching for a cool spot—there weren't any. He groaned in discomfort and had begun fanning himself with the damp sheets when Leo flew into the room, leaping onto the bed with giddy excitement. "Are you ready for a day of relief from the heat?" Leo sprung up and down on the bed near Meshia's head, making Meshia feel nauseous. The heat already had his head swimming, and the added movement was too much. "Leo, stop! You're going to make me throw up," Meshia complained, then rolled over and grabbed one of Leo's ankles, which immediately stopped the bouncing. Leo dropped to the mattress and arranged himself cross-legged at Meshia's side. "We should be going before it gets too hot," he said. "We've got quite a bit of desert to cover." "You said there'd be water, right?" Meshia buried his face back in his pillow. He released a spell to cool it and contemplated whether or not he really wanted to get up at all. Leo had promised him their day off would include lots of water, but trekking across the desert to get to it didn't appeal to him. He couldn't imagine how far they would have to go because even with the constant supply of water being shipped to the planet in addition to the drilling of new wells, water was scarce here. Being stuck in the middle of the desert without water was not on his to-do list. The whole trek had better be worth it. "There will be," Leo replied. "I promise." Meshia was skeptical, but he trusted Leo. And he needed some reprieve from the heat. Being Mycean, his body was accustomed to the lush, cool rain forest that was the norm on Mycea, not the scorching, skin chafing, blast furnace environment of Cardin. He decided it was worth taking the chance. "Where exactly are we going, Leo?" Meshia sat up in bed and reached for Leo's hand, fiddling playfully with his fingers. Leo was an extremely tactile person, always needing to be touched. He had made an unusual concession, accommodating that need, because truthfully, he found it comforting with Sebastian not around to spend time in Leo's company. They shared a special bond, he and Leo, in the depth of love they held for the

man they shared company with. They both loved Sebastian with the full depths of their souls. He traced his thumb down the supple skin of Leo's palm, grinning as Leo reacted to the sensation, squirming in his grasp. It had been months since they had called their truce, easing the atmosphere between them. Except, soon after, their truce had been tested, strained by Sebastian's absence. At first, they had reacted badly, verbally attacking each other, then over the following weeks, much to Meshia's fleeting chagrin, he and Leo had become friends. "It's supposed to be a surprise." Leo jumped up, leaping from the bed to begin rooting through the drawers beside the bed, where he extracted a traditional Cardinian outfit that in Meshia's limited experience looked suspiciously like an enormous sheet. "Now get your naked ass over here so I can put this on you," Leo said as he draped the bulk of the material over his left arm. "You'll never figure it out for yourself." "Yes, bossy," Meshia teased as he rolled toward the edge of the bed, dragging the sheet with him and placed his feet on the floor. "I have to it, Leo," he said. "I'm excited about today. Anything to get a break from this unrelenting heat will be a welcome change." "And I promise you, you are going to love it." Leo motioned for Meshia to stand. "Up," he said. "Don't be shy." Leo snorted out a laugh and smacked at Meshia's thigh, flashing him a comical wink. "It's not like I've never seen one before," he added. "Funny," Meshia said as he reluctantly rose to his feet, uncomfortably exposed. However, he remained as still as he could with his arms outstretched as Leo draped his body in the long piece of white, billowy material. Occasionally, Leo's hands would brush across his skin, and he would be forced to hold his breath and concentrate on something else.

Leo's mannerisms and personality were entirely different from Sebastian's, but the similar facial features and Cardinian coloring were making a habit of confusing his body. He concentrated on reminding himself that Leo wasn't Sebastian, successfully maintaining his composure. He breathed a sigh of relief regardless when the final layer of material was folded and tucked into place. "The camels are packed and ready to go." Leo stepped back to examine his handiwork. "I've gathered enough water for about four days in case we get stuck somewhere." "How far are we going?' "Actually, we are going to be very close to the village of Amar where Sebastian was born," replied Leo as he re-wrapped a portion of his own clothing that had come loose during his exuberant bed bounding episode. "Do you want to check it out while we're there?" "I'd like to see where he comes from," replied Meshia. "Do you think there's a chance we'll find his parents?" Leo shook his head. "It's unlikely. Cardin doesn't keep good birth records. But we could always ask around." He stretched out his hand for Meshia's. The tactile thing again. Meshia took it and followed Leo outside to the courtyard, a space that would have usually been vacant but this morning contained two of the most cantankerous creatures Meshia had ever had the displeasure of procuring. A shiver rippled through his body. He detested camels. They were incredibly temperamental and unforgiving, and he had yet to meet one that didn't take an instant dislike to him. Unfortunately, the use of horses was out of the question on Cardin. They would never make it further than the outskirts of Ashti. He snapped his fingers at the camel's trainer, indicating he was ready, and the gruff beast dropped onto its knees at its trainer's command, huffing and snorting the whole way down. "I think she likes you," Leo teased as he adjusted his position so he could re-tie his water skins in place before directing his camel toward the gate. "Are you

coming?" Meshia snatched the reins from the trainer and climbed onto the beast's back, a shiver of anxiety running straight up his spine as the camel regained its footing. He really hated camels. They were only about two hours out when Meshia emptied the second of his water skins. He couldn't understand how Leo was able to stand the heat—and how he managed to navigate the seemingly endless waves of sand. Each one looked identical to the last. He was about to untie his third skin when, as if out of nowhere, in the distance, he spotted the outline of a short but steep mountain range surging up out of the sand. He shifted in his seat. There appeared to be shade there, and if his eyes weren't deceiving him, it looked as if there were huts and other buildings scattered under the overhang of jagged rock. "What's that?" he asked Leo. "Do people live there?" "That's the village of Amar where Sebastian was born," Leo answered, pointing off into the distance, away from the village. "We're going to head to the north end of the mountain first, then we'll make our way back to the village in time for dinner." "How much longer until we get there?" "It's going to be another couple of hours. It's further than it looks. The desert has a way of tricking your eyes." Leo slowed his camel and came up alongside Meshia, reaching for the reins to bring the camel to a halt. "You look like you're suffering a little," he said. "How's your head?" He reached out his hand and placed it on Meshia's forehead. "My head's fine, but this heat is brutal. I don't know how you can stand it. You're not even breaking a sweat." "Comes with being Cardinian, I guess." "Yeah," Meshia responded as he gazed off in the direction of the mountain. There had to be water there. Without it, the village of Amar couldn't exist. The thought of water kicked up his thirst again, and ignoring the fact he'd be working on the third of only six water skins allocated to him, he untied one, drinking a portion before dumping a steady stream of it over his head.

"You shouldn't do that." Leo grasped hold of Meshia's arm, removing the water skin from his hand. He tied it back into place. "It's a waste, and the water will attract the sun to your skin." He leaned closer and adjusted the material of Meshia's clothing, so it was covering his head. "There, that's better." He wiped the bridge of Meshia's nose with his fingers, dispensing of the water droplets beading there before turning his camel back toward the mountain. Meshia remained where he was for a moment, silent, watching Leo amble on ahead of him. If there was ever a time he wished Sebastian was with them, this would be one of them. He threaded the improvised crop between his fingers, picking at the rough end with his thumbnail. Leo certainly wasn't Sebastian. Where Sebastian was ferocious on the battlefield, slicing through flesh, Leo was fierce in his ability to seek you out, expose your vulnerabilities and embrace them. He was his very own unique blend of infallible intellect, humor, unerring warmth, and internal strength. Meshia strangled the crop in his fist—and such incredible beauty. There was no doubt about that. He looked up to the sky, wondering where Sebastian was now. The presence of a vapor trail stirred his imagination. They would be together again soon. Keeping that in mind, Meshia cracked a stinging lash of encouragement onto his mount's flesh, driving him forward to catch up with Leo.

The cooling shade provided by the massive rock formation towering above the village of Amar continued to grow as they approached. By late afternoon, Leo led them straight into it, hugging tight to the rock face, seeking protection from the heat. It would be another hour before they rounded the north end of the mountain range where a large crevice would become visible; a gaping break in the rock containing a cave his brother, Seth, and he had come to countless times throughout their childhood.

A wave of sadness radiated throughout Leo's body as he turned the final corner, trudging toward the familiar entrance and the crushing memory of all the good times he and his brother had experienced there. He pulled up short and stared off into the dark, cavernous space. He had given up so much to stay with Sebastian on Mycea. His intention had always been to return to Cardin someday, to his brother. But then he had met Sebastian, and all his plans changed. Never for a moment did he think staying with Sebastian would mean never seeing Seth again. He twisted the wedding ring on his finger, ing the day he and Sebastian had taken their vows, and smiled. His brother would have wanted him to have the happiness he had found. "We need to dismount here," Leo said as he broke from his thoughts. "We have to walk the rest of the way in." Without waiting for a response from Meshia, Leo turned and hissed a command that had Meshia's camel sinking to its knees. "How far in are we going?" Meshia asked as he followed Leo into the cave. But Leo didn't answer. He didn't have to. Meshia shivered and breathed in the cold, moist air flowing out from the interior and stepped into a large open space with a vast pool of water at its center. Within seconds Meshia had unraveled the layers of cloth from his body and leapt into it. Leo watched in delight as Meshia emerged from its depths. "How is it?" he shouted. "Glorious," Meshia exclaimed, then disappeared beneath the surface of the water, popping up at the far side. "Aren't you coming in?" he asked. "In a second," Leo answered, fidgeting with his sandals. The truth was he felt self-conscious about getting naked and swimming around with Meshia. They had spent so many years hating each other. It felt strange. He rubbed at his nose. That wasn't entirely true. Not really. In an attempt to delay further, Leo folded up Meshia's discarded clothing before removing his own.

"Incoming!" Leo shouted as he raced toward the edge of the pool and launched himself into the air, landing directly beside Meshia, swamping him. He swam to the surface and took a deep breath, only to be dunked back under. He'd had plenty of experience of roughhousing while swimming with Seth and grabbed hold of Meshia's leg, pulling him under with him. They both emerged coughing and laughing as they splashed each other. "Oh … I needed this," Meshia exclaimed while dipping and re-emerging from the water. "Did you used to come here a lot when you were a kid?" "My brother and I used to come here all the time," Leo answered. "Seth was my best friend. We did everything together." When Leo headed toward the edge, Meshia followed, swimming over to where Leo was gripping the pool's edge and pulled up beside him. "Leo, I'm sorry I didn't tell you about your brother and his family. A good friend of mine has told me on several occasions that I can be a bit of an ass sometimes." "You have a smart friend." Meshia grinned, nodding. "Yeah, he really is." "You don't have any siblings, do you?" "No." Meshia shook his head. "My father took off when I was five and only returned for a few years when I was fifteen. He left again when I was crowned king at eighteen." "That must have been hard on your mother." "It eventually killed her," Meshia confessed. "The possibility of him returning. She stopped eating. I watched her die—it was horrible." Leo took a moment to study the subtle changes in Meshia's expression. What he saw surprised him. Losing his mother had completely devastated him. "I'm so sorry," he said. "I can't imagine what that would have been like. Losing your mother like that." "I was just a kid. It seems like a lifetime ago, but I still miss her." Meshia swam away from the wall and ducked beneath the water. He resurfaced serenely and

returned to Leo's side. "You would have adored her," Meshia continued, then smiled half-heartedly. He scrubbed a hand across his face as if the water was bothering his eyes. "She was a brilliant woman. I think she had more books than you. Can you believe that?" A shattered laugh escaped Meshia's lips, and he looked away. Meshia," Leo whispered as he cupped Meshia's face in his hand, turning it back and demanding his attention. "You don't have to be so strong around me. We're friends now." "I know," Meshia replied, then took Leo's hand from his face and squeezed it before releasing it into the water. "It's hard for me to talk about this stuff." "Well, I'm here for you if you need me to be." "Thanks, Leo," Meshia whispered, his forehead now pressed against a rock face. "Leo, I really am sorry I didn't tell you about your brother," he said finally. "You should have been there for your family, especially your mother. I know how much you love her." Leo settled a kiss on Meshia's shoulder, then pushed off from the side and swam into the middle of the pool. "Let's leave all that behind us," he said. "Those days have ed." Meshia groaned in frustration and ducked beneath the surface of the water, resurfacing some distance away. "How are you at holding your breath?" Leo asked. "Pretty good," Meshia replied. "Why?" "There's another section to this cave," Leo explained. "You get to it by diving down and then through that cave wall there." He pointed to the wall directly behind him. "Are you game?" "What's over there?" "You'll see," replied Leo, grinning with excitement.

"All right," Meshia agreed as he swam over to where Leo was treading water and followed his lead, taking a deep breath before diving straight down. As they approached the wall, the water became darker, more challenging to navigate, but Meshia stayed close enough to keep a visual on Leo's feet. They emerged gasping for air in a smaller cavern that was completely different from the one they had just come from. This cavern's walls were coated in crystals, sparkling brilliantly due to the many beams of sunlight finding their way through openings in the rock. The pool was shallow enough that you could stand in it and slightly warmer. Meshia spun himself in a circle, taking it all in. There was even a small waterfall cascading into the far side of the pool. "So, what do you think?" Leo asked. "Pretty spectacular for a natural occurrence, isn't it?" "It's beautiful. How did you find out about it?" "Everyone knows it's here," Leo replied as he swept his hand through the water. "The main pool can become crowded, especially in the summer months, so this smaller pool is used by couples who want a little privacy." Ducking beneath the water, Leo swam toward the waterfall and grabbed a pink crystal from under the flow of water. "Once you're in here," he said. "All you have to do is place one of these pink crystals in this opening here." He swam back toward the wall separating the two pools and placed a crystal in a space illuminated by the sun streaming through the side of the cave. "The sunlight from the opening up there causes the crystal to light up, signaling this pool is in use." "So, how many times have you used this pool?" Meshia swam toward the waterfall, positioning himself beneath the steady flow of water. "This will be my first time," Leo said.

Meshia spun back around, blinking and wiping his eyes. Leo had swum up behind him, and as Leo moved closer, Meshia paddled backward, intending to remove himself from the developing situation. But his mind sputtered to a stop, defenseless when Leo pinned him against the rocky edge of the pool and ran his

hand up Meshia's chest and around to the back of his neck, pulling himself in close enough to wrap his legs around Meshia's waist. "Leo, what are you doing?" Meshia whispered. "It's quite simple, actually," Leo replied. "We have been spending a lot of time together, and I'm finding myself attracted to you." Meshia expelled a quiet, "Oh …" Seemingly pleased with Meshia's response, Leo tucked his bottom lip between his teeth and ran his arm further across Meshia's shoulders, pulling himself even closer. Meshia stroked the back of his hand along Leo's cheekbone and cupped his face, caressing his earlobe. Leo hummed with contentment. So beautiful. "Leo," Meshia started. "I'm flattered, but my relationship with Sebastian … that's not normal for me. I don't like men." "Are you sure," Leo purred as he shifted around Meshia's waist, encouraging an immediate, telling response. "Damn it, Leo. That's not fair." Meshia sighed and ran his hands down Leo's back and along his thighs, hitching Leo closer to his hips. His body stirred again as Leo's smooth, firm ass came to rest against his thighs. "Thought so," Leo said, then lowered his forehead to Meshia's. "You don't need to get all freaked out. I just want to kiss you." "We can't, Leo." "But we can," Leo replied as he brushed his fingers along Meshia's lips, then ran his tongue over his fingertips. "You taste so good," he whispered. "Please." Meshia's chest heaved with the tremendous effort required to control the rising temptation flooding his body. He was lying to himself if he denied the existence of the intense cravings for Cardinian flesh that had been torturing him.

He missed Sebastian, but for weeks now—it had been Leo he wanted. "And what would Sebastian think of me kissing his husband?" he asked, clearing the possibility from his mind. This wouldn't just be a betrayal of his relationship with Sebastian, but of Sebastian and Leo's relationship as well. It was out of the question. "He knows I've been thinking about you," Leo replied. "And he says I can explore those feelings further if I want to." Meshia peered down at the plump, luscious lips tempting him. The strong scent of cinnamon wafted off them. He was yearning to taste them. "Are you sure?" "Yeah," Leo whispered, then licked his lips. "Baby, please." Meshia grunted, uncertain, but allowed his hand to drift up Leo's back to grasp a handful of his hair. He twisted his fingers in it, increasing the rapid-fire rate of Leo's breath across his lips. "Baby, please," Leo whispered again, then slipped two fingers into his own mouth, sucking and slicking them up before offering them to be shared. The taste of cinnamon was strong as Meshia took Leo's fingers into his mouth, caressing and savoring them with his tongue. When Leo smiled at him, Meshia itted there was so much more to this man that he had yet to discover—and he really wanted to know more. Meshia released Leo's fingers reluctantly and quivered with anticipation as Leo's breath whispered up to his lips, awaiting permission. "Just kissing, Leo," he said, with a hint of hesitation, adding, "Please … I don't want to hurt you."

Leo exhaled a shaky promise and descended on Meshia's mouth, consuming not only the tangible presence of it but the image of longing he had created in his mind. His hands swept into Meshia's hair, nails dragging up along the back of his neck, confirming the luxurious texture of the shorn blond locks. And the taste— Meshia's mouth was like nothing he had ever experienced before; subtle and unassuming—so unlike the man. But there had to be more.

Not reaching the depth of fulfillment he desired, Leo deepened the kiss, and Meshia groaned, struggling beneath him, yanking heavy on his hair, refusing to release him. Leo managed to break free, but he could see that Meshia's control was failing by the desperate look in his eyes. He'd pushed him too far. He'd pushed them both too far. His body responded to the desire he saw building in Meshia's eyes, his cock hardening and pressing into the space between them. "Leo…," Meshia whispered so soft, tender—concerned. "It's all right, baby," Leo responded as he ran his thumb along Meshia's smooth, flushed lips and into his mouth, teasing his tongue. Slick and wet from Meshia's tongue, he withdrew his thumb and inserted it into his own mouth. That taste—the temptation was too much. He couldn't contain a soft moan of desire as he thrust his thumb back into Meshia's mouth, the image of being filled by this man permeating every fiber of his being. "Damn it, Leo," Meshia grumbled, then closed the gap between them, crushing Leo's body against his, grabbing at his ass, and driving his angry shaft against Leo's taut, quivering stomach as he attacked Leo's mouth, demanding far more than Leo had intended on giving him when he'd set out to seduce him—before the slow, simmering heat between them had ignited. Leo gasped, filled with anticipation, as Meshia lifted him straight up out of the water and deposited him on the edge of the pool. Gripping the pool edge, Meshia looked up at Leo. But it wasn't him. Someone else was lurking behind Meshia's eyes, someone dangerous. Leo's heart skipped a beat somewhere between fear and lust. He had healed Sebastian enough times to know what the potential risk was. But right now, the only thing he could think about was his urgent need to feel overpowered by this compelling man he now

ruled the Cardinian Empire with. He decided against stopping him. Crying out and overcome by flashes of panic, Leo dug his fingernails into the rocky edge of the pool; the euphoric combination of pleasure and pain taking over his entire body as Meshia took a firm grip of his cock, pressing the excess skin tight to his body so he could suck aggressively on the head. The intensity of Meshia's assault was terrifying and exhilarating, and Leo found himself gouging deep, vibrant lines into Meshia's shoulders as he fought to retain his hold on reality. When glimpses of sunlight began to spin crazily in front of his eyes, Leo knew there was no going back. That was his last coherent thought before the cavern floor came up fast, colliding with his chest as Meshia hauled them both away from the water and tossed him onto it. The rough surface of the rock floor tore painfully at Leo's hands and knees once he righted himself, and he screamed as Meshia slipped into him and began battering him, his powerful thrusts forcing the side of Leo's face and torso against the sharp rock face, flooding his entire system with endorphins. Within seconds of the initial onslaught, Leo was riding a torturous adrenaline rush of pure, shock-filled ecstasy.

The smooth rock beneath him had cooled, becoming a frigid slab as the sun began to set. Leo's entire body began to shake violently, partially due to the increasingly chilly air but mainly because of the unrelenting pain radiating through to his core. He could taste blood in his mouth and opened his eyes to see a steady stream of it coming from the side of his face and making its way into the pool. A quick scan of his injuries had him wondering how he had managed to survive the experience at all. But deep down, he had known that Meshia, even in a state of violent arousal, would never let things get completely out of hand. Meshia cared about him too much.

"Baby?" he whispered over his shoulder, then listened as Meshia rolled over behind him and dropped into the water. He jumped at the sound of Meshia's voice directly in his ear. "The water is still warm," Meshia said. "I'll heal you in here." Leo groaned as gentle hands lifted his broken body off the cold rock and lowered him into the water. It was at this point he truly felt the extent of his injuries. A whimper of pain escaped his lips as Meshia adjusted his hold, cradling him close to his body. "I've got you," Meshia whispered, then kissed his forehead. The tingle started deep before extending to Leo's limbs as Meshia began weaving a rudimentary healing spell. It wasn't as efficient as one Leo would have done for himself, but it was done with such care and affection that he decided to tuck himself up against Meshia's chest and enjoy the sensation of being healed by him. The result was unexpected. Meshia's spell was so warm and tender that Leo soon felt himself drifting off to sleep. His eyes fluttered open with surprise when he felt his face being covered in soft, affectionate kisses. "I'm sorry I hurt you," Meshia said. Leo blinked. "I'm all right now." "No," Meshia replied, shaking his head. "It shouldn't have happened. I shouldn't have taken you like that." "Mm," Leo mused. "And maybe I shouldn't have kissed you like that," he teased as he pinched playfully at Meshia's chin, then tapped a solitary finger on Meshia's bottom lip. "Leo—" Meshia laughed softly and pulled Leo closer. "What you were doing with your mouth … that wasn't kissing." "So you liked it?" "What do you think?" Meshia asked, then settled a gentle kiss on Leo's lips,

lingering close as he separated from them. "Next time, give me some warning, so I don't hurt you again." Leo's face screwed up in confusion. That hadn't been the intention—a repeat. "Who said there was going to be a next time?" he blurted, then swam away from Meshia's arms, diving below the surface. He resurfaced in the main pool and swam toward the edge, but after a few minutes of waiting, Leo climbed out and crept his way along the rock face that held the pink crystal. Once he was below it, he pushed it through to the other side, where it fell into the water. He pulled himself up on a jetty of rock and peered through the hole. Meshia was sitting at the edge of the pool with his feet in the water—looking thoroughly dejected. Leo leaned against the rock, watching him. Their actions had significantly changed their friendship. He hadn't intended on doing anything more than kissing. Having a full-on sexual relationship with Meshia hadn't even crossed his mind. At least not until now. ittedly, over the past few months, he had discovered a whole other side to Meshia; the side Sebastian had likely fallen in love with; his gentle, caring, vulnerable side. And over the past few weeks, he had often found himself seeking out Meshia's company. He hated to it it, but he needed him. Distracted, Leo's foot slipped, sending a shower of loose rocks splashing into the water. Meshia looked up but quickly turned away after spotting Leo staring through the opening at him. "I want to go home," Meshia demanded, then dove into the water, reappearing in the main pool. After emerging from the water, he reached for the cloth that made up his clothing and held it up in disgust. "I need you to help me with this stupid thing." "Fine." Leo crept back along the rock face and sprung to safety near where Meshia was standing. "But the sun is almost down. I'm going to need some light in here to help you with that."

"Whatever," Meshia muttered. "Mm …," responded Leo, and deciding to throw caution to the stars and follow his heart instead of his intellect for a change, he snapped his fingers, releasing a spell that sent shrieking pink sparkles high up into the cave. It had the desired effect. Meshia looked up and watched as the sparkles exploded into cascades of tiny pink hearts. "It should take us about an hour to get to the nearest inn," Leo said. "And you'll have to buy me dinner first. Is that enough warning for you?"

The village of Amar was fairly typical for Cardin. There were probably only a hundred people living there, most of which worked in the various brothels and gambling establishments that littered the sand-covered streets. Meshia and Leo had decided to keep their identities a secret, posing as a wealthy Mycean trader and his slave. They spent a few moments practicing on the ride to the village, but Leo had become frustrated, finding it extremely difficult to keep his mouth shut and behave submissively, much to Meshia's amusement. They had given up, deciding to hope for the best instead. "There's the inn I was thinking of," Leo said, flicking his hand toward a decrepit two-story building, sandblasted and pitted by decades of exposure to the elements. "It's mostly frequented by locals because there's no brothel attached to it. Hopefully, someone will be able to tell us something about Sebastian's family." "It looks kind of shabby." "Welcome to Cardin," Leo exclaimed, slipping from his camel. He tethered both his and Meshia's and directed someone from the inn to tend to them before opening the inn door for Meshia in the most outrageously flamboyant fashion he could muster, eliciting a chuckle from Meshia. Once inside, he managed to play his part irably, standing quietly at his master's side while Meshia arranged for a room. Leo did, however, clear his throat to remind him that he expected to be fed before retiring upstairs. Meshia, gripping Leo's shoulder, pushed his way into the dining room off the main lobby, clearing the stunned inhabitants from a table that had a clear view of

the door, as was his preference. He dropped into his seat and ordered dinner for the both of them, grinning at Leo's apparent struggle to remain silent. The meal that eventually arrived was barely sufficient, and the beer was flat, but it was wet, which was what Meshia was most concerned about. After a few pints, he began to relax in the unfamiliar setting and looked around at the faces surrounding him. Most of the patrons were Cardinian, but there were a few Naran soldiers that Meshia didn't recognize as being from any of their battalions. He concluded that they were probably freelance, picking up work from the highest bidder. His attention wandered back to Leo, and he couldn't help smiling shyly when Leo dropped him a subtle wink. "Hey, Mycean! Does your slave sing?" someone shouted from behind them. A large group of men, probably from Kaenum by the looks of them, had turned around. They were all extraordinarily intoxicated and had become increasingly louder over the past hour. Meshia chose to ignore them rather than engage them in any meaningless banter. He was surprised when one of the men careened around the table and grabbed hold of Leo. Normally a merchant wouldn't care if someone grabbed his slave. But Leo wasn't a slave, and Meshia most definitely wasn't a merchant. If the rest of the men hadn't jumped on him, Meshia would have opened the man's throat with the long blade that had appeared in his hand. As it was, most of the men came away with some fairly significant injuries. Chairs were torn aside, tables toppled over, and plates and tankards strewn about the floor. The wall at one end received considerable damage when Meshia smashed a man into it, securing him there with a hand around his throat. In the end, the Kaenum men apologized and decided to leave. Meshia sheathed his blade. The sound of Leo whimpering brought Meshia's rage back under control and had him pitching his way through overturned tables and broken chairs to find him. He pulled Leo out from beneath a pile of furniture, guilt-ridden by the injuries

Leo had sustained on of his ingrained reaction to the threat. The keeper of the inn, who had been standing out of the way in the dining room entrance waiting for the fighting to subside, flew into the room in a rage, grabbing Meshia by the arm and pulling him into the main lobby. "I hope you have a lot of money, merchant," the keeper said. "Because that little outburst of yours is going to be expensive." "How much?" Meshia asked, then looked over his shoulder toward the dining room. Leo was still in there, and he wanted to get back to him. He turned back toward the innkeeper, amused to see him staring wide-eyed at his open money purse. When they left the palace that morning, Meshia had grabbed the nearest bag of coins sitting on his bedside table. The workers' wages and the supplies needed to refit all the old Cardinian ships and buildings was expensive, and he had taken to keeping large bags of gold coins easily at hand in his chamber. He sighed and grabbed a couple of coins, tossing them at the keeper so he could return to the dining room where Leo was sitting to one side, sniffling and shaking as he held his arm across his body. "Is it broken?" Meshia knelt in front of him and ran his hands down Leo's arm. "That's a nasty break, Leo. You should probably heal it yourself. I'm not very good." "I don't want to heal it myself," Leo replied quite stubbornly, holding his arm out to Meshia. "I want you to do it." "Why?" "It feels nice when you do it, baby." "But, Leo …" Meshia paused, recalling how Sebastian had warned him against defying Leo when his stubborn streak arose. It would be a losing battle. The cock of Leo's eyebrow confirmed that. "Let's get you upstairs first," Meshia said, deciding to take Sebastian's advice.

"And I'll do my best to patch you up." To guard against any further mishaps, Meshia lifted Leo into his arms and carried him out through the dining room doors into the main lobby, where the keeper gave him another shocked look. He grunted with amusement. "I guess they don't get many merchants with bags of gold that carry their slaves around in this village," Meshia said, laughing as he ran Leo up the full flight of stairs. Meshia's jovial demeanor shifted when he stepped into the room he had reserved. It was a cramped space with two narrow single beds, neither of which would accommodate his height—and they would be forced to sleep apart. Determined to make it work, Meshia set Leo on his feet and removed the mattresses off both beds, throwing them down onto the floor, side by side. He grabbed some extra pillows and blankets from the closet, spreading them out on the ed mattresses. "There, how's that?" he asked as he reached for Leo, helping him to settle in without hurting his arm. It was beginning to swell and bruise badly at the breakpoint.

"Perfect," Leo whispered, overwhelmed by the care and attention Meshia was bestowing on him. Until recently, he never could have imagined that Meshia had a gentle side. He smiled. It suited Meshia in an awkward kind of way; his rugged, muscular body fussing with the details of cushions and blankets. "Maybe you could give me some pointers," Meshia said, running his fingers over Leo's fracture. "I'm usually in a hurry when I heal myself—being on the battlefield and such. I tend to use a stick it back together and wrap it up method." "That would explain some of the bad s I found in your bones when I healed you," Leo replied simply, deciding against telling Meshia he had been forced to repair some of the handiwork he had botched back in the cavern. Some things didn't need to be shared.

He took Meshia's hands and laid them carefully on his arm. "Imagine all the fibers that make up our bones and flesh," he began. "Start by taking those individual strands into your mind and then slowly start weaving them back together. Keep breathing deeply as you work, and try not to think about it too much. Just let it flow … your body will know what to do." And with the confidence of one born into the monarchy, Meshia barrelled ahead, but he worked carefully. Leo could feel him checking his work numerous times. "Leo?" Meshia whispered, then kissed Leo softly on the cheek, smiling as Leo's eyes fluttered open, sleepy and content. "That was nice," Leo said. "I like being taken care of." "I guess Sebastian is a bit labor-intensive, isn't he?" "Sometimes," Leo replied. "But we take care of each other mostly." He rolled onto his side, studying the intricacies of Meshia's face. "You're absolutely gorgeous, you know that?" "I've been told that," Meshia said, then turned away as an uncharacteristic flush rose in his cheeks. "But it means more coming from you." "Tell me about you and Lakeda," Leo pressed on, encouraged by Meshia's show of vulnerability. "Did you love her?" "Wow … um … no." Meshia scratched a hand through his hair. "She was my queen, and she was ionate about the empire. But I never really spent much time getting to know her." "She's a fascinating woman. You should take the time." Meshia nodded his head. "What about you and Zyphera? What happened there?" "It was an arranged marriage for the sole purpose of producing heirs … need I say more. She's a wonderful friend, though." "You never …?" Leo shook his head.

"Have you ever been with a woman?" Meshia ran his fingers along Leo's arm, up his shoulder to his neck, fondling the delicate, unadorned lobe of his ear. "You and Sebastian are the only people I have ever slept with," Leo replied with a hint of embarrassment, then rolled himself over, so his back was tucked against Meshia's chest. "Leo …," Meshia stammered, then lulled into momentary silence. "I had no idea," he said, completing his thought, or part of it at least. "I don't know what to say," he finished. "Just hold me." Leo snuggled closer to Meshia's chest and shut his eyes. He was about to nod off when Sebastian pushed into his mind, anxious to speak to him. An unprecedented sense of panic descended on him, and he struggled out of Meshia's arms. "What's wrong?" Meshia asked, his voice concerned. "Sebastian's calling me," Leo replied. "Well, then answer him." Meshia pulled Leo back against his body and tucked his face into the back of Leo's neck, breathing in the spicy cinnamon aroma of his skin. He shuddered through a breath and kissed Leo's neck. "Hey, Seb," Leo answered finally. "Where are you?" "I'm back at the palace. The mission wrapped up early." "Successfully?" "Yeah," Sebastian replied, then paused. "I was hoping you'd be here. I was looking forward to climbing into bed and holding you." Leo shifted in Meshia's arms. "Me too, Seb." "I'm sensing the two of you out near Amar? Did you take Meshia to the caves?"

"Yeah, the heat was getting to him. He's good now, though." "That's good. So, are you on your way back?" "No, we've decided to stay the night in Amar." Leo waited out the ensuing silence. "Is he with you now?" Sebastian asked. "Yes, he's right—" "Is he staying in your room with you?" "Seb …" "No, it's all right. You don't have to explain." "But, Seb—" "No, Leo. We talked about this already. I'm all right with it." "But we never talked about this—about taking it further." Leo allowed Meshia's hand to slip into his, reassuring him. Leo pulled Meshia's hand to his lips, rubbing the rough fingertips against his skin. "Seb, if you want me to stop—" he started. "No," Sebastian stopped him. "I know how much you love me. And I know you wouldn't be there if Meshia didn't mean something to you. But you have to promise me one thing." "Anything. You know that." "Tell Meshia to be gentle with you." "I will." Leo sighed, leaning back against Meshia's chest. The hum and shift of Meshia's body as he brought him closer felt as warm and comforting as the feelings he was developing for the man. He reached back, cradling Meshia's face to encourage him, and shivered with delicious excitement as the chaffing,

evening scruff of Meshia's skin graced the crest of his ear. "Leo," Sebastian interrupted. "You know I love you." "I know," Leo replied, pushing through his distraction. "I love you too, Seb." He closed his eyes to aid in his concentration. "Are you absolutely sure you're all right with this?" "Just keep your promise," Sebastian replied, then broke the connection. Leo hesitated for a moment, temporarily unsure, then rolled over to face Meshia. He traced a finger along his lips. "Sebastian says you're supposed to be gentle with me," he said. "So, we shouldn't tell him about what happened in the cave." "That would be wise." Leo laughed then made a game of trying to catch Meshia's bottom lip in his teeth. When he finally caught it, he pulled it into his mouth and sucked it delicately until he heard the sound he was looking for. "Shall we try this again?" he asked. "Absolutely." "Are you sure, baby?" Leo teased. "I mean, with you not liking men and everything … I wouldn't want to corrupt you." "Shut it, Leo." "Are you planning on making me," Leo replied as he began the process of stripping Meshia out of his clothes. He was going to take his time with him. Build him up. Ravish him. Challenge him to pace himself and then ride him hard until they came together, drenching them both in perspiration and seed. He wanted that more than anything. To become one with him—to have Meshia claim him. He hadn't felt that way since the day he met Sebastian. And that scared him a little. He settled into the bedding, meeting the ferocity of Meshia's desire as he took his mouth, driving away any residual doubt that may have been lingering in his

mind.

Chapter Six

Since arriving back on Cardin and finding himself essentially abandoned, Sebastian had assisted his mechanic with a complete post-mission service on his fleet ship, including Leo's latest weapons upgrade. Then he had headed into Ashti to evaluate the progress being made on the repairs to the damaged starship and perused Leo's latest drawings and schematics in some detail, making notes and writing suggestions in the borders. He had written a song, performing it for the rather surprised and wide-eyed palace staff scurrying about the kitchen trying to make dinner. He had tried everything he could think of to distract himself, but it was late, the sun would be setting soon, and Leo and Meshia weren't back from Amar yet. And it was driving him crazy. Sebastian rose to his feet, pacing the courtyard. He trusted Meshia implicitly, but it was Leo—his precious Leo. Nothing bad could happen to him. He contemplated pushing out to Leo for the fiftieth time that day but decided against it for the fiftieth time. He didn't want to intrude on their time together. Their time together—Leo and Meshia's. Sebastian slipped into the hammock he had been contemplating simply hanging himself with and scrubbed a hand across his face. Leo had brought up the possibility he might be attracted to Meshia over a month ago—and he had given Leo his blessing to explore those feelings. He twisted his hands into the mesh of the hammock, gripping and wringing, welcoming the pain brought on by restricting his circulation. He hadn't expected Leo to stray from his side so readily, to seek Meshia out—to sleep with him. He closed his eyes, releasing his grip, and prayed that the hammock's swinging

motion combined with the cooling wind accompanied by the sun's descent would calm him. He pinched at his nose and sucked in a wet, raspy breath, attempting to rein in the realization that Leo was no longer his … and his alone. His own Mycean lover now shared intimate knowledge of the man that meant so much to him. Tears spilled from his eyes as he opened them. Leo's lithe, fragile body, a body known only to him, had now been shared—his innocence lost. Meshia had caressed his skin, kissed his mouth, tasted him— been serenaded by Leo's soft, mewling cries as he came. Sebastian's hand shot up, clinging to the connecting rope of the hammock above his head as he fought the upheaval, the overwhelming urge to empty the contents of his stomach all over the flagstone courtyard. Only the sound of Leo's breathy and excited voice and the thwacking patter of his bare feet running across the smooth stones of the pathway toward him pulled him out of the tailspin, rescuing him from his spiraling misery. "Seb," Leo shrieked as he leapt into Sebastian's outstretched arms, enveloping him in a tangle of arms and legs and lips, covering Sebastian's cheeks and eyelids in kisses before launching into a more aggressive attack on his mouth. Sebastian hummed against Leo's lips, welcoming the ion and love guiding them. He hadn't lost him. "Oh, Seb," Leo whispered against Sebastian's lips. "I missed you so much." He kissed Sebastian again, immersing his entire being in the depth of Sebastian's love for him.

Meshia stood at the far end of the courtyard, watching as the two men held one another, talking in a flurry, interrupting each other as they tried to fill the other in on what they had missed—and how much they had missed each other. Sebastian hadn't even given him a second glance. And Leo seemed to have forgotten him completely.

He sniffed and was about to make his way inside when Sebastian shouted over at him. "Where do you think you're going?" "I was going to find a high-pressure hose," Meshia joked, trying to appear as though he wasn't overcome by debilitating uncertainty. Sebastian released Leo but kept in with him, a possessive hand resting lightly on Leo's shoulder. "The sand was a bit much for you, was it?" he asked Meshia. "I feel like a piece of sandpaper, seriously."

Sebastian felt the pull of a smile teasing the corner of his mouth, but Meshia was obviously distressed despite his attempts to appear otherwise, so he kept it in check. It would do Meshia good to suffer a little. He had certainly suffered waiting for them to return. "Get cleaned up and meet us in our lounge," he said. "I'll get dinner brought in, and the two of you can bring me up to date." "Should I bring all the project files?" Meshia asked. "I already have them in our office," Sebastian replied. "I took the liberty of looking through everything while I was waiting for the two of you to return from Amar. I also made copies of all the surveillance data we gathered. I think you'll both find the information very interesting, but I'm particularly interested in Leo's take on what we found." He ruffled Leo's hair, attempting to lighten his own mood. Leo's lack of sleep was obvious; his fatigue apparent by the lines around his eyes. But he was also glowing—happy. He stroked Leo's cheek. Meshia had treated him well. Treated him with the respect he deserved. He felt slightly better. "I hope you two managed to get some sleep," he added, "because we're going to be very busy tonight." "Sleep?" Leo snorted and made a goofy face at Meshia.

Meshia blinked, unsure of whether he should react to Leo's provocative response. His gaze cut across Sebastian's expression, attempting to read it, but the practiced, steely look on Sebastian's face gave nothing away. His thumb instinctively slipped to the hilt of his knife, poised and ready. He couldn’t be sure how okay Sebastian really was about his sleeping with Leo, regardless of Leo's assurances. For all he knew, Sebastian might be contemplating cutting his throat in his sleep. Or killing him right here in the courtyard. A subtle wink from Sebastian in his direction had Meshia's hand slipping from his knife's hilt, relieved. He had trusted Sebastian with his life untold times over the years. It was heartening to discover that even this, his night with Leo, Sebastian's husband, didn't change things between them in that respect. "I'll see you two in about an hour," Meshia said. "It's going to require some effort to get all this sand off." "Hurry back, baby," Leo sighed, batting his eyelashes at Meshia. His heart swelled with relief.

"Leo, stop," Sebastian said, chuckling at the deep crimson rising in Meshia's face as he ducked away from them into his chamber. "You are so bad," he added, turning to Leo. Leo snorted out a laugh. "But he's so much fun to tease." "Mm… true, but—" Sebastian replied. "You can harass him later. Let's concentrate on getting you cleaned up first." "I don't know if that's even possible after the incredibly dirty night I had," Leo replied, then giggled and squirmed excitedly as Sebastian took his hand and pulled him toward their chamber.

"Leo, please—" "Who knew his royal highness was so adventurous," Leo continued. "I never thought he'd be into—" "Leo, don't—" "I'm just saying. You never told me—" "Leo, I'm serious. I don't want to know." Leo grunted through an exhalation. "Fine," he agreed. "You were busy with the starships while I was away," Sebastian said, changing the subject. He knew well and good what Meshia was into. He didn't need Leo telling him about it. The visuals in his mind were already plaguing him without the added confirmation. "They're something else," he carried on as they strode toward their chamber. "I can't wait to take one out for a test drive." "And who says I'm going to let you," Leo teased, then smacked a hand across Sebastian's ass as he took off down the hallway at top speed. He was easily overtaken by Sebastian's longer stride and shrieked with joy as he was snapped up. "I didn't realize I had to ask permission," Sebastian said as he threw Leo up over his shoulder and entered their bedchamber. He had to navigate through piles of damp towels, clothes, and discarded shoes to reach the far end of the room. Leo had obviously been having trouble selecting outfits while he was away. The thought made him smile. Meshia didn't have that advantage over him. Leo lived with him—and always would. Leo was his husband.

"I'm sure we could come to some kind of arrangement," Leo replied, squirming atop Sebastian's shoulder. "Mm … I like the sound of that." Leo sighed contentedly as Sebastian dropped him down onto the bed. "I missed you so much, Seb." "I can see that," Sebastian said, glancing around the room. "No, silly," Leo said. "I missed you." Leo reached his hand up, brushing Sebastian's face with his fingers. "It's just not the same," he said, "when I can't touch you." "I know. I don't like being away from you for that long either." Sebastian leaned over and kissed Leo but pulled back and brushed a dusting of sand off his own lips. "You really are sandy," he said as he walked to the bathroom, starting up both the shower and bathtub faucet. "This is going to require my special spray and dunk technique." "As long as it doesn't require scrubbing," Leo replied. "I'd like to keep my skin if possible, please." Stripping off his clothes and leaving them in a pile on the floor, Leo followed Sebastian into the bathroom. "Tell me about the planet of Marjar," he said. "It's actually a fair-sized planet—thousands of hectares of forested areas, huge bodies of water, and a lot of fully equipped military bases." Sebastian directed Leo into the shower. "Close your eyes," he said, then sprayed Leo down with the handheld showerhead, starting at his head, soaking his hair, and ending at his feet, washing a large portion of the sand particles coating Leo's body into the drain. "We were right about the Supreme Council being involved with the Marjar," Sebastian continued. "I saw a few Supreme Council ships land at some of the Marjar military bases."

"What kind of detection system do they have?" Leo asked as he reached for Sebastian's hand to help him into the bathtub. "It's pretty old … I didn't even get a warning on my ship's cloaking system." Sebastian handed Leo some soap and waited while Leo ran it over his skin, assisting him with his back. He settled a soft kiss on Leo's shoulder. "Let me shampoo your hair," he whispered. "Mm …," Leo hummed. "I missed that." He relaxed into the tub, allowing Sebastian to lather up his hair and create the inevitable series of crazy spikes before rinsing him down. "Up," Sebastian said, draining the tub and directed Leo back to the shower to thoroughly rinse off while he refilled the tub. "You've brought me all the surveillance images?" Leo asked as he slipped back into the freshened bathwater. "Everything," Sebastian replied. "What is it you're looking for?" "I'm not sure yet. I'll let you know if I find it." "Leo, you had me map that entire planet—" "Yes, and you will be the first to know if I find anything." Realizing it was pointless to argue further, Sebastian pulled the plug on the bathtub and reached for a towel to dry Leo off after he emerged from the water. He took special care with his task, as was their usual routine, brushing across Leo's skin with his hands, seeking out any spots that he may have missed. His lips came to rest on Leo's stomach, kissing it, the scent of cinnamon infusing his being right to his very soul. Nothing—not even Meshia could break the bond they shared. "Some of the cities on Marjar are fairly significant in size," Sebastian said, removing himself from the floor at Leo's feet.

"And there's a lot of activity happening around the trading ports," he continued. "I didn't recognize the insignias on the ships going in and out of them. But I have images." "You've included those images with the others?" Leo asked as he left the bathroom, grabbed a rumpled bathrobe off the floor at the foot of the bed. He wrapped himself in it as he climbed onto the plush bedding and tucked a pillow under his head. "Everything is there," Sebastian replied, "including some stunning pictures of Cardin's moons I took for you." "You did?" Leo whispered. Sebastian lay down on the bed and pulled Leo in against him, reveling in the renewed closeness between them. As the High Commander of the Empire's military, he had decided it was necessary to remain with his mission team and not transport himself back to Cardin each evening to be with Leo. Being away from him had been more difficult than he had ever imagined it would be. "When I came home last night, the moons were glowing so brightly they reminded me of you," Sebastian said with some hesitation. Speaking his emotions aloud was infinitely more complex than simply pushing them to Leo. Hearing his own words as they left his lips made them more real somehow. His heart thundered in his chest, overwhelmed; his thoughts fully exposed. "While I was away," he continued. "I would close my eyes and picture you in my mind. And when I did, my heart would glow as brightly as those moons did last night." A soft whimper of pure love permeated the air between them. "Oh, Seb," Leo whispered as he raised his head. "That is the sweetest thing you've ever said to me." "Mm …," Sebastian mumbled, then laughed softly, shaking his head. "You know my life would mean nothing without you." "I know … you're my whole world too, Seb."

"Leo …," Sebastian digressed. "I was thinking about something else while I was away. Something I hadn't realized before." He brushed his fingers along the side of Leo's face. His hand was shaking. He ran it into Leo's hair and settled his lips against Leo's temple, breathing in the scent to calm his nerves. "At that first audition," he continued, "when I was watching you warm up … I felt a sense of calm come over me." He paused, unsure of how to proceed, then smiled, ing. "But later in the day, you started calling me the most horrendous names, so the feeling ed." He paused again, embarrassed that he had been such an idiot all those years ago. "But looking back," he said. "I realize now that every time I saw you after that … it felt as if my soul became complete." "You've felt that way since we first met?" Leo whispered before becoming overwhelmed into silence. Streams of tears were streaking his cheeks. "Seb," he sputtered. "Were you in love with me?" "I was. I was just too stupid to realize it." Sebastian hugged Leo tighter and wiped the tears from his face. "I didn't even know I liked guys back then, never mind being in love with one of them." "Did you feel the same way about Meshia when you met him?" Sebastian pulled away, turning Leo's face toward him, his brow furrowed with confusion. "Why would you ask me that?"

Leo shrugged. "I'm just curious." His mind was churning through some of the emotions he had encountered while Meshia had been caressing his body into the bedding at the inn—making love to him. There were no other words for it, the gentle attention Meshia had bestowed upon him while whispering words of longing and affection against his lips. It had been so much more than sex. Leo swallowed the panic rising in his throat and turned his attention back to Sebastian. "When Lakeda first introduced the two of you," he clarified. "Did you

have those same feelings?" "No, of course not," Sebastian replied as he untied Leo's bathrobe and ran his fingertips across Leo's chest, circling each nipple before descending down to his stomach. "You still feel a bit sandy," he remarked. Leo arched his hips up and squirmed against the bedding, attempting to manipulate the position of Sebastian's hand. "How is it different with Meshia?" Leo persisted as he guided Sebastian's hand lower, trailing Sebastian's fingers back and forth between his thighs. "I'm not sandy down here," he tempted. "It's hard to explain," Sebastian replied. "And besides, you are seriously making me lose my train of thought." "Mm … good. But please, Seb, I need to know." Sebastian's voice dropped, deepening as desire filled his chest. "I don't love Meshia like I love you," he said. "I've never had those same feelings for him—ever … only for you." Sebastian's breath caught as Leo's stomach tensed beneath his hand. He shut his eyes. "I would die for you, Leo," he finished. "Now that our lives aren't defined by my military allegiance to him, I don't know if I could say the same about Meshia."

Chapter Seven

The lounge attached to Meshia's bedchamber had become the center of coordination for the three monarchs, with enough room to spread out all the maps, images, and massive schematic sheets that accompanied their quest to resurrect the Cardinian Empire. The dinner that had been brought in for them had gone cold and had been replaced—twice. All three men were leaning over the massive table at the center of the room, intently keying information into their computers and checking details with one another. The consensus was that they were about eighteen months away from completion on most of their major projects, including renovating the landing bays and repairing and upgrading the starships. But Sebastian could see that Meshia had other things on his mind. "Can I see the inventory list for the hand-held armory again?" Meshia asked, grinning as Leo ed it to him. It was Meshia's favorite. From years of experience, Sebastian knew Meshia loved nothing more than being on the ground against the enemy. "Don't get too excited," Sebastian said. "The whole idea is that we won't have to use any of this stuff." He grabbed the inventory list out of Meshia's hands and ed it back to Leo. "I know, but it makes me happy regardless. I can dream about shredding Marjar to pieces with my bare hands, can't I?" "Dream away," Leo said. "But this is where I forfeit my say. It's been a long day. I'm too tired to stay awake any longer." He threw a few files and his computer into his bag, picked up his glass from the table, and walked around the table to see Sebastian, the overwhelming fatigue making him appear even more delicate and vulnerable than usual. "I'm going to bed," Leo said, then settled a kiss on Sebastian's lips and bumped him affectionately with his hip. "If you come in late, please don't wake me up."

Sebastian grinned and tossed a hand across Leo's hair. "Yes, dear," he teased, then turned back to what he was doing but glanced up toward the door that led out into the hallway. Meshia and Leo spoke quietly to one another—Leo tucked against the door frame and Meshia hovering above him. Sebastian leaned against the table, needing the as he watched them. Meshia was running a shy hand along Leo's arm and laughing softly at something Leo had said. He couldn't tear his gaze away from them. He wanted to, but he couldn't. Sebastian blinked and sucked in a breath as Meshia kissed Leo lightly on the lips before whispering goodnight to him. He stumbled hard against the table. The look on Meshia's face as he'd kissed Leo— "What the fuck, Meshia," he whispered under his breath. "I'm sorry," Meshia apologized as he crossed the room toward Sebastian. He stopped short of reaching for him. "What the fuck, Meshia?" Sebastian repeated loud enough to be heard this time, then affixed his hand across his mouth, his eyes searching Meshia's for clarification. "I'm sorry," Meshia apologized again. "I shouldn't have kissed him in front of you like that. I wasn't thinking." Sebastian shook his head and lowered his voice. "No—Not that." After ensuring Leo had left the room, Meshia grabbed a bottle of Cardinian cacti liquor and two glasses and motioned for Sebastian to him out in the courtyard where it was cool. "What then?" he asked.

Sebastian stepped out into the night air and ran his hands across his hair as he looked up toward the familiar field of stars. He shrugged away when Meshia stepped in close to him. "What?" Meshia asked again. "The way you were looking at him—" Sebastian sat down on a bench and took the drink Meshia offered him. After throwing it back, he wiped an arm across his mouth and leveled his gaze at his Mycean lover. The building tension in his neck had him rolling his shoulders back. A satisfying crunch restored some function. He jerked his head to one side. The question was simple, really. "How deep are you?" asked Sebastian. Meshia's features creased then softened. "I don't know, Sebastian," he answered. "Leo's amazing." Sebastian nodded. "I'm well aware of that," he replied. "That's my husband you were kissing. I know he's amazing. That's why I married him." Meshia's brow furrowed. "I thought you were all right with this," he said, then threw back two quick shots and refilled Sebastian's glass. "Leo said he spoke to you seeing each other." "Seeing each other?" Sebastian laughed. "Just because Leo slept with you … and let you kiss him goodnight in there—" He motioned toward the interior of the lounge, giddy with uncertainty. "It doesn't mean he wants to be in a relationship with you. You're jumping to conclusions." Meshia lowered his gaze. "Sebastian, I—" he started.

"No," Sebastian disagreed, shaking his head. He didn't want to hear this. What Meshia was about to say—it couldn't be. The hammock swung as Meshia slumped into it. He gripped the edge and settled his feet on the ground, steadying himself. "I'm sorry," he finished. "But Leo and I —" "Leo and you?" Sebastian gasped out another laugh of disbelief as he raked a hand through his hair, releasing it from its tie to cascade over his shoulders. "You talked about this?" "We did," Meshia replied. "He wants to keep seeing me." Sebastian looked away toward the patch of lawn running the far end of the courtyard. The night crickets had increased in numbers since he had left, covering the green blades of grass in an undulating mass of bronze. Many things had changed while he had been away, including his lovers' affections toward one another. He turned his attention back to Meshia. "And you?" he asked. "You know damn well I want him, Sebastian," Meshia replied, clearly annoyed at having to verbalize it. He scrubbed a hand across his face. "How could I not?" Sebastian released a sigh and shook his head. "I don't know," he replied. This couldn't be happening.

"Where does this leave us?" Meshia cupped his hands over his face, prepared for the possibility of a heart-wrenching rejection from Sebastian. The long silence following his question had him contemplating what his response might be if Sebastian wanted to end their relationship. He tipped his head forward, resting his forehead against his steepled fingertips.

"Sebastian," he prompted. Sebastian had his back turned, arms folded across his chest. The dramatic rise and fall of his shoulders had Meshia reaching for the hilt of his knife. Either Sebastian was struggling to control his emotions, or he was preparing to take him down. It turned out to the former. When Sebastian turned back toward him, the anguish in his expression was evident. "You truly have feelings for Leo," Sebastian asked. Meshia nodded in acknowledgment then swiped a thumb across his lips. The simple gesture of doing so flooded his mind with memories of Leo's delicate fingers pressing into his mouth, fondling his tongue, and feeding him the tenderly combined results of their lovemaking. His next breath barely filled his lungs. "Meshia," Sebastian said, apparently repeating himself. Meshia looked up in surprise, a telling smile gracing his face. "You've been seeing him since you came back from Amar?" "We've been making time for each other throughout the day when you're busy." Whenever Sebastian was working in Ashti, and they found themselves alone in the palace, Leo and he had been seeking each other out. Leo had become his lover. And so much more than that. "I'm not trying to take him from you," Meshia added. Sebastian nodded. "I don't understand why Leo hasn't said anything to me." "He wanted to, but I asked him not to." "Why?"

"I wanted to make sure we were serious …" Meshia sighed. "And, are you?" Meshia nodded, then looked up at him. "So, where does that leave us?" "Still in love, I hope." Sebastian took a sip of his drink. "I only have one thing to ask." "Anything." "Be good to him." "Always." Meshia extended his hand, reaching out, inviting Sebastian to him. He grinned at Sebastian's reluctance and prompted him forward. Within seconds Sebastian was draped neatly across Meshia's chest, nuzzling in as he stroked a hand up onto Meshia's face, scrubbing his thumb across the lightcolored stubble. "Did you miss me while I was away?" Sebastian asked. "You know I did," Meshia replied as he relaxed into the hammock. It felt nice to have Sebastian's strong body folded over him like this. Leo was such a delicate thing in comparison. He smiled as he ed the sound of Leo giggling and squealing with delight as he tickled him with his tongue this afternoon; the soles of his feet, the crease of his groin, and the back of his neck being the most fun to torture him with. "But you're thinking about him, aren't you?" Sebastian asked. Meshia didn't answer, choosing instead to pull Sebastian to him and take his mouth. He only lingered for a moment, then motioned for Sebastian to sit up before sitting up himself. "It's getting cold," he said. "Yeah, I should go." Sebastian hauled himself out of the hammock and stretched out the tension in his shoulders. "Leo won't have bothered with the extra blankets with me home."

"He'll be fine for a few more minutes." Meshia's hand found its way onto Sebastian's hip, pulling him back to turn around. "I wasn't suggesting you leave," he clarified. Sebastian lifted Meshia's face and peered into his eyes. "Then what were you suggesting?" "That I've missed you." Sebastian grunted and pinched Meshia's chin firmly in his hand to keep Meshia's face turned upwards, watching him. "Do you still love me?" he asked. Meshia blinked in confusion. "Of course I do," he said.

Sebastian relaxed his grip on Meshia's face, instead reaching for his hand, and helped him to his feet. He moved in close, uncertain, and tucked his face against the nape of Meshia's neck, breathing him in, his body aching for Meshia to reassure him. But they needed to approach this differently tonight. "Show me," he whispered. Meshia grunted his acceptance and dropped his hands to his sides. He jerked forward, almost losing his balance when Sebastian hooked his thumbs into the edge of his pants, tugging at them. "Take these off," Sebastian said, then stepped back as the cold night air caressed the skin of Meshia's thighs, stippling the toned, muscular surface in seductive little bumps. "Everything," Sebastian continued. "And when you're done, I want you over at

the wall. There's a rope attached to the camel tether over there." He waited while Meshia removed the rest of his clothes. They both needed this occasionally. To be relieved of the stress accompanying those in power. But this was more than that. Sebastian's gaze wandered over the bare flesh of his Mycean warrior as he knelt in the dirt, hands folded neatly behind his head, his lips pressed to the wall with that grubby piece of rope in his teeth, waiting. A groan rumbled in Sebastian's chest as he adjusted himself. There was such beauty in Meshia's submission, his body aching to be tethered and heated—and used. He reached for the crop they kept on hand for this purpose, testing its sureness, then removed his own shirt. With Meshia's ability to heal, this would go long into the night. He'd need to pace himself. Leo would need to find another blanket. He ran the crop along the quivering muscles of Meshia's spine and down between his legs. Meshia's hips tilted obediently in response to the request, awaiting the sting, his taint exposed. "Say please," Sebastian said. A whimpered please graced the stone pressed to Meshia's lips. He bit down on the rope, dispensing a musky, gritty residue of camel hair and soil in a continuous trail of spit that pooled onto the ground at the base of the wall. Gorgeous. Sebastian could think of few things as beautiful as his obedient Mycean lover on display.

Meshia clenched his eyes shut, waiting. Aside from the steady rise and fall of Sebastian's breath, there was complete silence in the courtyard behind him. He fought to keep his attention fixed on the wall before him, clenching and releasing the rope as a distraction, the frayed edges burning his lips and irritating his tongue.

A light tap on his ass had Meshia scrambling to press his chest against the wall and raise his hands up over his head, his body heaving with instinctual reluctance as Sebastian removed the rope from his mouth, bound his wrists, and hoisted them into place; the metal ring of the camel tether high enough up the wall to have Meshia's shoulders screaming as his knees lost with the ground. Digging his toes into the soil to relieve some of the strain, Meshia knew the relief would be short-lived. The crop came down hard on the soles of his feet, one and then the other, sending jolts of sharp pain rocketing up his spine. He released the breath he had been holding and allowed his body to swing free, his shins dragging across the soil until the underside of his hardened cock came to rest against the cold stone wall. He closed his eyes as Sebastian's hand reached between his legs for it, binding its engorged length to his balls and pulling it back taut to be tethered together with his hands to the ring above his head. He arched his back in an attempt to ease the tension hauling on his groin and was rewarded with a crack of the crop on the swollen fullness of his bound sacs. He sucked in a breath, reminded in that moment of his intense love for Sebastian; and Sebastian for him. As the final ropes were added to his ankles, rendering him helpless, he relaxed.

Chapter Eight

Months had ed since Sebastian returned from his latest mission to find his lovers' affections toward one another significantly changed. To their credit, Meshia and Leo had been discreet by Cardinian standards, but the new connection between the two men was painfully obvious; Leo's seductive smiles and playful winks once reserved solely for him were now being shared in abundance. Leo was naturally flirtatious, always had been. Still, the way he teased Meshia was unsettling. All the suggestive touches and deliberate flashes of skin—it was difficult to watch. The sun had long since set, and the race back to the palace didn't make up for how late Sebastian was running for the evening's nightly meeting. He had spent far too long conducting an assessment of the upgraded weapons array on the fleet ships. Leo had assured him that everything had been tested and approved already. Still, he had wanted to run his own diagnostics in an attempt to maintain a working understanding of Leo's ongoing improvements. Running in through the servants' entrance and into the kitchen, Sebastian sent the staff into a panic, leaping to and fro as they tried to avoid his frenetic strides. He was pleased to find an assortment of sliced meats and vegetable stuffed pastries in one of the massive fridges lining the back wall. Grabbing a basket from the shelf, he piled it high before leaving the kitchen in search of his corulers. He entered Meshia's lounge, arms loaded down, the basket in one hand and a stack of files in the other, and an apple he had snagged from the hallway clasped between his teeth. Sebastian stepped into the room confident but approached the back of a sturdy, high-backed sofa positioned to face the fireplace with an increasing degree of caution. He had heard voices coming from the room before he entered, but now the only

sound appeared to be coming from the other side of the sofa. The scent of chocolate permeated the air. Sebastian peered over the edge of the sofa to find Meshia perched carefully above Leo's naked, writhing body, licking and kissing his way across Leo's stomach, cleansing Leo's skin of the melted chocolate Leo had obviously painted his body in; judging by the residual mess on his fingers. Sebastian froze in place, watching as Leo arched up against the attention of Meshia's lips, moaning softly as Meshia slipped a set of chocolaty fingers up inside him. Leo's knees came up, his breath escaping in sporadic bursts. When Meshia burrowed deeper into Leo's body, humming with arousal, his tongue and fingers working to bring Leo to climax, Sebastian felt numb. When Leo called out Meshia's name followed by cries of, "Baby, please," Sebastian stepped away from the sofa and tossed his files onto the table with a loud thwack. Two heads popped up above the back of the sofa. "We thought you weren't going to show up." Meshia jumped up and started frantically re-buttoning his shirt. "You're three hours late." Meshia ducked down again to help Leo find his clothes. He was putting Leo's socks on for him when Sebastian approached the back of the sofa again. "We need to set some ground rules," Sebastian said. "I don't ever want to walk in on something like that again." "I'm sorry, Sebastian," Meshia replied. "When you didn't show up, we started in on the wine, and then … well then this happened." He lifted Leo into his arms and made for his bedchamber door, taking a few of the pastries from the basket that Sebastian had brought in. "We've had too much to drink. It would be pointless having a meeting tonight. I'll bring Leo back in a few hours." "Meshia! What the fuck!" Sebastian stammered. "You can't just take him—" He was stunned for a moment until he ed who he was dealing with.

Meshia always got what he wanted, and right now, he wanted Leo. "Can I speak?" Leo turned himself in Meshia's arms, so he could see Sebastian. "Meshia—put me down." Leo collected himself once back on his feet and grabbed one of the pastries out of Meshia's hand. "If you two are going to fight over me, I'm going to bed." He made a production of kissing both men goodnight, then marched out of the room. "Thanks a lot, Sebastian." Meshia threw his arms up, stormed out of the lounge into his bedchamber, and slammed the door behind him. Sebastian dropped onto the sofa and closed his eyes. He needed to figure out how he really felt about the relationship between Meshia and Leo. It didn't bother him in theory, but seeing them together on the sofa like that had upset him. Meshia obviously knew his way around Leo's body, kissing him and touching him in ways that would bring Leo the greatest pleasure. He shouldn't know those things. Sebastian rested his head against the back of the sofa, inhaling the scent of chocolate. But he does. And he had said he was all right with that. But Meshia feeling he had the right to take Leo off to his bedchamber whenever he chose— Unacceptable. He fell over to rest for a minute, to think things through, but the scent of cinnamon was still strong on the sofa cushions where Leo's naked body had been laying, prompting him to sit back up and remove himself from the sofa. He needed to speak to both of them before he could clear his mind of any doubts. It took a few minutes for Meshia to answer his door. When he did, he was breathing heavily and had a scowl on his face that had Sebastian reconsidering whether or not he really wanted to be alone in a room with Meshia—without a weapon. "Can I come in? I'd like to talk about you and Leo." Meshia reluctantly let Sebastian into his bedchamber.

Sebastian's foot brushed against the leg of a toppled chair The room looked as if it had been attacked by a broad sword. And sure enough, there was the sword stuck into a chair by the fireplace. "Sorry about the mess," Meshia said. "I'm sorry I upset you. But I'm having a bit of trouble." Sebastian cleared some of the debris off the edge of the bed and sat down. He was relieved when Meshia sat down quietly beside him. "When I saw the two of you together in the lounge, it freaked me out. Obviously, that's what's changed about your friendship over the past few months since Amar —" "Friendship? It's more than a friendship." Meshia stood and walked over to the sword and removed it from the chair, making Sebastian apprehensive about continuing. Meshia turned the sword over in his hands and examined the blade, and then took a long sweeping cut at the air. "This is going to need to be repaired. It's completely off balance." "Enough with the sword. You can't intimidate me with it." Sebastian rose and took the sword out of Meshia's hands and stuck it back in the chair. "I love you and Leo, and I want what's best for everyone." He took Meshia's hand and led him over to a partially intact sofa in front of a large window with shredded curtains. "You really did a number on this bedchamber. It's been a while since I've seen you take apart furniture quite like this." Sebastian leaned back and settled himself against Meshia's chest, pulling Meshia's arm around to hold him after they both were seated. Meshia held him tight and kissed the side of his face making Sebastian feel content that Meshia would remain composed. "I was upset," Meshia said. "I really wanted to spend some time with Leo tonight. We're both so busy during the day, and then we have those meetings every night, and at the end of each day, he goes home with you, and I'm left alone." "You're not left alone. I come to see you a couple of times a week." Sebastian

reached his arm up and wrapped it around the back of Meshia's neck, and pulled him closer, taking his mouth gently. "And I'm glad you do … I love you, Sebastian." "I sense a but coming." "But … it's different with Leo. The relationship I have with you is a continuation of our positions within the monarchy … it's a power thing, but with Leo, I can be myself without all the other crap. Even though we're running the Cardinian Empire together, Leo has a knack for separating the two for me. My relationship with him has got nothing to do with rank and position." "So, if I hadn't been a commander in the military, you wouldn't have been interested in me? Is that what you telling me?" Sebastian sat up and turned to face Meshia. "Honestly," Meshia replied. "I don't think so." "Ouch—that hurts." "Come on. We've been together for a long time. You know I love you, but there's always going to be that line between us that I'm not willing to cross. How often have I ever opened up to you about anything?" "Rarely. And to be honest, it was your position as king that had me chasing after you. That and those gorgeous eyes of yours." "So, we're all right then? I don't want our relationship to suffer because of Leo. But I need him, Sebastian." "He is pretty incredible, isn't he?" "He is. And you know, one of the most amazing things about him is that you can't pretend to be someone else around him. He'll seek you out and totally expose you. It's a very liberating experience being in his presence." "I'm glad to see you get him."

At least Meshia understood what having Leo in one's life meant. Sebastian laced his fingers into Meshia's. He sensed Meshia wasn't finished, and that terrified him.

"It's more than that, Sebastian," Meshia started. It had to be said—damn the consequences. Sebastian deserved to know where his heart had landed. His love for Sebastian required that of him. "I've fallen hard," he blurted. "Sebastian … I'm in love with Leo." Meshia clung tight to Sebastian as he spoke, ensuring Sebastian wouldn't leap up and attack him. He wouldn't blame him if he did. His love for Leo had been entirely unexpected. He waited for Sebastian to respond. It had been a strange transition going from hate to love. All the things that had irritated him about Leo in the past had become the things that endeared Leo to him the most. His constant bossiness had become an expression of how much he cared, his incessant giggling had become the sounds of his joyful nature, and his opinionated statements were a true reflection of his brilliance. Meshia relaxed when he felt that Sebastian wasn't going to jump up and fight him. Sebastian sighed. "If you're in love with my husband, then I need you to understand something." He paused, and his chest heaved through a breath. "Leo is the center of my universe, and I don't make a single decision without thinking about how it would affect him." He grasped Meshia's hand in his and turned around, staring into Meshia's eyes. "And since you say you love him, I expect you to do the same. My world would fall apart without him, and I'm entrusting you to protect him as fiercely as I

would." "That goes without saying." Meshia steadied his breathing. "I promise you, I would die for that man." And that was the truth. Life without Leo would have little meaning.

Sebastian waited up but finally decided to go to bed alone. He had come back to his chamber after talking to Meshia and found Leo awake and waiting for him. There had been a silent exchange of looks, then Leo had given Sebastian a kiss and left the chamber, making his way down the hall to Meshia's. After many hours of lying awake, Sebastian heard his door open. He could barely make out the silhouette of Meshia carrying Leo, bundled up and fast asleep in a thick blanket. Sitting up, Sebastian pulled the covers back so Meshia could place Leo gently beside him. They nodded to one another then Meshia left the room. Leo was sleeping so peacefully that Sebastian didn't want to disturb him by touching his beautiful face and chose to lie quietly and watch him sleep instead. Leo stirred slightly and wiggled in to tuck himself up against Sebastian's chest. "Hey, Seb. What time is it?" "It'll be morning soon." "I'm sorry. We must have fallen asleep." "You still smell like chocolate." "We may have melted some more." Sebastian stroked Leo's arm. "Leo—you and Meshia. What's happening?"

"He told me he loved me tonight." Leo rearranged himself, so he was facing Sebastian. "Of course, he was drunk at the time, so I don't know how serious he was." "He wouldn't say it if he didn't mean it. That man does not feel love easily." Sebastian brushed some stray eyelashes from Leo's cheek. The sun was starting to come up already, and light was streaming into the bedchamber. "And what are you feeling?" "Meshia likes to take care of me, and he makes me feel special." Leo reached out for Sebastian's hand. "Actually, it's more than that. He makes me feel like I'm the most treasured and precious thing in the world. It's nice, but I'm not in love with him. "He's gentle with you?" "Like I'm breakable." "You are breakable, Leo." Sebastian laughed softly and kissed Leo's forehead. "And you are the most treasured and precious thing in the world to me." "How do you feel about what's happening between us?" "I'm not surprised Meshia fell in love with you. You're a fascinating and beautiful person. I'm delighted in a way to hear he loves you." "Really?" "Leo, you're the most loving person I have ever known. You deserve to be loved in abundance." Leo sighed, smiling. "It's an incredible feeling knowing you both care for me as much as you do, but my heart will always belong to you, Sebastian. You are the love of my life, the guardian of my heart, and the keeper of my soul." "Have you been reading those poetry books again?" "Maybe. But it's true. I love you so much, Seb." "I love you too." Sebastian held Leo tightly to him and enjoyed the cozy feel of

his body and the soft noises he always made when he was content. They could sleep for another couple of hours.

Dunlor was pleased to see all three men had managed to show up for the impromptu, early morning session. The servants had made him aware of some unusual activity that had been happening over the past few months, and he was hoping it would have some effect on the men's ability to better control the circle. He had been letting them practice on their own and hadn't seen them since before Sebastian had gone away on his mission, so he was unaware of any changes that might have occurred. He knew that Meshia and Leo had become friendlier with each other over the past months, but lovers … that was monumental. A new dynamic had entered the circle, and he was curious to see what effect it would have on their ability to control it. "Why do we have to be here so early?" Leo complained. "I was planning on sleeping for another couple of hours." He yawned and leaned against Sebastian's chest. "I received some information last night about your personal interactions with each other over the past few weeks that might impact your ability to control your circle." Dunlor scanned the men for a reaction and was perplexed when all three of them ed understanding. He hadn't expected that Sebastian would know anything about it. "Is it a bad thing?" Meshia stepped forward defensively and headed toward Leo and Sebastian. "Because it's not going to change." He reached out and took Leo's hand in his and stepped closer as Sebastian put his arms around him and Leo and pulled them tight to his body. The hum was audible even to Dunlor as he witnessed a pale purple light emanating from the men. This was definitely going to change things.

Chapter Nine

A fierce windstorm whipped up overnight, making it impossible to work outside. According to the weather reports, they would be trapped indoors for at least another five or six days. Large sand drifts were building up along the doors and windows of Sebastian and Leo's chamber as the wind buffeted against them. Leo actually found the sound of the wind howling to be very comforting, reminding him of the days when he and Seth would be trapped in the palace, and they would be forced to become inventive when it came to occupying themselves. One of their favorite activities had been taking over the throne room, which was always empty during a storm. It had fantastic acoustics to write and perform plays for their mother. Leo had suggested the idea to Sebastian, who had jumped at it. They both felt deprived of the thrill and fulfillment of performing and figured they deserved a little time off. Their chosen audience would be fairly significant, consisting of the palace staff and as many of the men and women from Sebastian's battalion as would fit into the large space. Word of the performance had been circulating around the Third Battalion, and they were all very excited to finally see their commander on stage. The Third Battalion soldiers had nothing but respect for Sebastian as their High Commander and as a man. The troops from the First Battalion weren't nearly as accepting of people's differences. It took a different kind of person to want to serve under someone like Meshia. He'd been a strict and brutal leader and had ruled the men of his battalion through fear. Of course, Meshia's personal relationships with Sebastian and Leo were confidential and restricted to the royal wing. Still, some of the palace's staff had been leaking rumors to the outside, and there was growing suspicion amongst Meshia's former battalion that was not sitting well with them. They had not been invited to the impromptu production because Leo had convinced Meshia to take

a small part in the play, wearing a costume that, although somewhat tame compared to his and Sebastian's, would seriously undermine his authority within the rigid views of his reassigned battalion. A small room off the side of the throne room was doubling as the offstage area and the dressing room, leaving very little room to move around. They had enlisted the help of about ten palace staff from the royal wing to act as backstage crew, and they were busily running back and forth between the small room and the stage area that they had managed to curtain off for the production. Sebastian's band had already been living in the palace. He had moved them to Cardin a few months previously so he could continue writing music with them. They didn't have as many speakers as they would have liked, but during rehearsal, they had been pleasantly surprised to discover that the throne room was specifically designed to direct sound from the throne area to all the corners of the large room, giving the once ruling emperor the ability to address all those in the room without shouting.

Meshia was sitting in the dressing room on a stool that Leo had set up in front of a large mirror and a table currently covered in a wide assortment of makeup. The bustling activity of the staff behind him was making Meshia feel selfconscious. "Please try to keep your eyes open," Leo said for the umpteenth time. "I know it feels weird and tickly, but I can't get a good line with this glitter unless you keep your eyes open." "I don't know how you guys do this every day." Meshia was not enjoying the application of the makeup itself, but he was enjoying having Leo apply it. He watched as Leo intently examined his face and added more touches where required. Occasionally, Leo would catch him staring and would break out that beautiful smile of his. Meshia could not get enough of being in Leo's presence, especially during their off time when his bubbly personality and crazy facial expressions often had Meshia crying because he was laughing so hard. He had never felt as happy and adored as he did when he was around Leo. Except, maybe, when he had been with his mother.

"You are going to be absolutely stunning, baby." Leo dabbed at the lightener he had applied beneath Meshia's eyes to show them off. "You're already gorgeous, but you are going to be jaw-dropping by the time I finish with you." "Wow! Leo, he looks amazing." Sebastian stopped applying his own makeup and looked over in the mirror to see the progress on Meshia's. Leo was about to apply Meshia's lip color when Sebastian jumped off his stool and stopped him. "Hold it! Don't put that on him yet." "Why?" Leo held the lip color in one hand and examined his work. "What's wrong?" "There is no way he is going out there looking like that before I get a chance to kiss him," replied Sebastian. "I'd be far too distracted on stage thinking about it." "Fine, just don't touch the rest of his face." Leo stepped away from Meshia's stool and started to touch up his own makeup in the mirror, but the men kept bumping into him as they kissed, which prompted him to move over to Sebastian's stool. The backstage crew was becoming visibly uncomfortable by the display of affection as they ed through the room, bringing in various props and the last of the backdrops. "Guys, you need to finish up." Leo tapped Sebastian aggressively on the shoulder. "You're freaking out the crew." "I think that made things worse." Sebastian adjusted the hardening length of his cock and backed away from Meshia. "How much time do we have until curtain?" "You are not taking him off somewhere and mes his hair and makeup ... and costume." Leo swatted at Sebastian's hands as they began to run over Meshia's body. "Enough! Let's see some of that sexual energy of yours up on stage rather than back here."

The second commander of the First Battalion, Felic, had arrived at the palace to

speak with King Meshia. He had heard the circulating rumors and wanted to address them as soon as possible, so he could put the men's minds at ease regarding their former commander. He had been told that the three monarchs were putting on a musical comedy to raise everyone's spirits as they waited out the storm, so he had headed for the throne room. One of the backstage crew pointed out the dressing room's direction, and he had just stepped through the door. Unfortunately, Sebastian was still running his hands over Meshia's body, and Leo was using his special lip gloss technique to remove the excess from Meshia's lips. "So, it's true." Felic sneered in disgust and spat on the floor at Meshia's feet. "What the hell are you doing back here?" Meshia leapt from his stool and flew across the room, pinning his once second in command to the wall, pressing his forearm against his throat. "Now, what am I going to do with you? Protocol dictates that I kill you." "Just let him go." Sebastian came up behind Meshia and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Everyone is going to find out soon enough anyway. I know this is hard for you, Meshia, but you knew we couldn't keep this a secret forever. Dunlor is going to be discussing the details of our triad bond with the military this week. The other commanders and officers will have questions regarding our relationship … we've talked about this." Meshia, distracted, dropped his guard and didn't see the dagger drawn by Felic and plunged into his chest, directly through his heart. He immediately collapsed onto the floor, sending a final surge of energy through the bond he shared with the other two men.

Sebastian was about to cut the man down when a powerful spell released from Leo's hands had the man's skin boiling. He stepped back. Meshia's second stumbled about the room and screamed in agony as the boiling entered his body and slowly began to cook him. Leo ran to Meshia's side, flipped him onto his back, and checked for a pulse. "He's not breathing, and he's got no pulse."

Ripping open Meshia's shirt to make skin , Leo grabbed Sebastian's hands, placing one on Meshia's chest and the other in his own. "I'll focus on mending the hole. You keep everything moving." He nodded to Sebastian and slipped the knife out. Sebastian closed his eyes and concentrated on the flow of blood and oxygen circulating through Meshia's body. He was thankful Dunlor had covered all the body systems with them. It made their healing techniques much more effective. He took a deep breath and held it. The stench of the bubbling body behind him was becoming increasingly distracting. Blood—oxygen. Blood—oxygen. He needs to stay focused on Meshia. They couldn't lose him. His absence from their lives would bring about immeasurable suffering. "What's that smell?" Meshia coughed and struggled to sit up, but Leo encouraged him to stay lying down. He placed Meshia's head in his lap. "Is that my second?" He peered past Sebastian to the man on the ground, his skin still bubbling slightly as it cooled. "He tried to kill you." Leo stroked Meshia's hair and wiped the occasional tear off of Meshia's face as they fell from his own eyes. "He did kill you. You were dead, baby." "How …?" Meshia clutched his chest. "Did you save me?" he touched Leo's face. "We both did." Leo looked over at Sebastian and smiled. There was a hint of something in Leo's eyes that made Sebastian nervous. Extreme relief—and something else. Meshia struggled to his elbows. "Did you need to roast him like that, Sebastian? That's a little brutal even for you, don't you think?"

"Don't look at me. I didn't do it." Sebastian sat back from the two and crossed his arms. "Leo?" Meshia said. "You did this? That's not like you." "He killed you—" Leo's whole body shook and convulsed to the point Sebastian decided to carry him out through the back hallway into the living room to calm him down. Meshia stretched out on the sofa, and Sebastian helped him arrange Leo neatly on his chest, his legs dangling down the sides of Meshia's legs. "I'm going to grab a blanket. I think Leo might be going into shock. Keep an eye on him, and try to keep talking to him. Tell him everything is all right, we're all safe … you know the drill." Sebastian ran from the room and headed down the hallway toward his chamber. He was stopped in his tracks by an older Cardinian woman in traditional Cardinian slave's clothing. She had just left the door of the private office in his chamber. "You shouldn't be back here. How did you get in?" "I'm sorry … I'm looking for a man by the name of Sebastian. I was told he works here, but I can't find anyone to ask." "Everyone is in the throne room. Is this important, or can it wait until tomorrow? I'm in the middle of an emergency." Sebastian's heart tugged as a look of sadness came over the woman's face. "My master has only given me a few hours to find him." "Well, you found him. Can you follow me to grab a blanket, and then you can fill me in on what you need while we're walking?" The woman followed Sebastian into his bedchamber and helped him rummage through a pile of stuff at the end of the bed, looking for a warm blanket. Sebastian eventually hauled the one right off the bed rather than spending any more time trying to navigate the room's clutter.

"What's the emergency? Maybe I can help." The woman ran along behind Sebastian, keeping the end of the blanket from dragging on the floor. "My husband killed someone, and he's a little stressed out about the whole thing." "Oh …"

Serafin wasn't sure if this was the man she was looking for after all. It had been surprising enough when one of the soldiers outside had hurriedly directed her toward the palace. She had heard that Sebastian had become a soldier over the years, so she had expected him to be outside with the others. This man she was following was tall and muscular, so he obviously hadn't grown up on Cardin, where food was scarce. The clothing and makeup were a bit unsettling, and she wasn't sure how that fit in with his work in the palace. Perhaps the rumor about the three monarchs was true, and Sebastian was one of the slaves directed to service them. Very little was known about the new monarchy of Cardin in her village. She knew that there were three of them … one being the king that came from Mycea. One of the others, the prince of Cardin. Other than that, she knew nothing about them. The business of the empire was not something that was ever talked about on Cardin. There had been some news when Prince Leozeuramun returned temporarily, only to take off again. She was pleased to hear he was alive at least. It had been quite the mystery and source of scandalous stories as to why he had disappeared on the night of his wedding. She wasn't sure where Sebastian fit in.

"Hey, how's he doing?" Sebastian approached the sofa, pleased to see Leo had stopped shaking and was cuddled up quietly on Meshia's chest, making his contented noises.

"He's almost asleep," Meshia mouthed to Sebastian as he carefully shifted himself out from underneath Leo's body to remove himself from the sofa. "I may have brought it on …" Looking up, Meshia noticed the woman that had followed Sebastian into the room and directed his gaze from her to Sebastian and back again. He smiled at her and motioned for the two of them to follow him back down the hallway to their private lounge. "That was a bit surprising. I didn't think Leo had it in him to kill someone like that." Sebastian flopped down on the sofa and patted the seat beside him for the woman to him. "That man in there," Serafin said. "His name is Leo? He's your husband?" "Yes. Prince Leozeuramun. You don't live anywhere near the palace, do you? We married a couple of years ago. I thought everyone would have heard about it by now." "We don't get much news in my village. I live about two weeks travel away by camel. My master came to the palace to conduct some business with the monarchs. He has only given me a few hours to find my son." "Your son? I thought you were looking to speak to me?" "I'm so sorry to waste your time." Serafin fussed with her clothing. "You are obviously the wrong person." "Who did you think you were looking for?" Sebastian touched the woman's arm as she rose to leave. "A merchant and his slave came to the village of Amar over a year ago, asking for information about the parents of a child named Sebastian who had been sold into slavery when he was two years of age. It took a long time for the message to reach me, but eventually, I received it. I was overjoyed to hear he was still alive and that someone was trying to find me." She sighed and settled her breathing. "A month ago, my master told me of his plans to visit the palace, and I convinced him to bring me along because the message said I could find my son here."

Serafin raised her eyes. Meshia laughed, and she shrunk back against the sofa as he approached her and held her face in his hands. "I am honored to finally meet you, Serafin." "Serafin? Sebastian's face lit up. "You're my mother?" "I'm not sure—" Serafin looked to Meshia for clarification. "How did you know my name?" "Because I was the merchant asking for information about you. My slave boy for the day was Prince Leozeuramun." "You two did this for me while you were in Amar?" Sebastian leapt up and grabbed Meshia, and kissed him. "I can't believe it. And here I thought you two were late because you'd been—you know—all day." "What's going on in here?" Leo wandered in through the door with the blanket trailing behind him. He tugged on it to get it to stay on his shoulders, but it kept falling off. Relief lit up his sleepy face when Sebastian came to his rescue and wrapped him up in it, seating him beside him on the sofa. "Leo, I would like to introduce you to my mother, Serafin." Sebastian laughed as Leo clapped his hands together and held them to his face, covering his mouth. "Serafin, this is my husband, Prince Leozeuramun, who seems to have recovered." He hugged Leo and settled a soft kiss on his cheek. "And you are?" Serafin looked over at Meshia. "That's King Meshia." Leo batted his eyelashes at Meshia, causing him to blush. "Your Majesty." Serafin jumped up and curtsied deeply. "Serafin, you don't have to do that … family to the throne doesn't—" Sebastian motioned for Serafin to come back to the sofa. "Serafin, I'm sure you've heard there are three monarchs. King Meshia is obviously one of them, and so is Prince

Leozeuramun, so you can probably figure out who the third one is." "I don't understand. That can't be true … you were a slave." "My official title is King Sebastian of Cardin, High Commander of the Cardinian Empirical Forces. But you call me Sebastian." He winked at Serafin and held out his hand for her to take a seat again. "I was your two-year-old son that was sold into slavery, but my life has taken some interesting turns since then." "You're the Sebastian of Cardin the traveling minstrels sing of?" Serafin clasped her hands together and held her breath. "Um … yeah, that would be me." "Is everything all right in here? There's a dead body in your dressing room." One of the crew peered in at them. "The twenty-minute curtain has been called." "We'll be right there." Leo threw the blanket off and pushed Sebastian to get off the sofa. "How can you think about performing after all this drama?" Meshia asked. "We're professionals, but you can stay behind if you want," replied Leo. "You did die after all." "Not a chance … I didn't get all this makeup on for nothing." Sebastian grabbed Serafin's hand and smiled at her with a look that resulted in her face lighting up with joy. "Where are we going?" Serafin had to run to keep up with her son's long strides. "Leo and I were professional entertainers … the military thing came afterward for me. We're putting on a show tonight." Sebastian led her into the dressing room and sat down at his makeup table to touch up any smudges around his eyes. He looked over his shoulder and was relieved to see that the body was gone. "The king thing … much later. I'll explain tonight after the show."

"I can't stay … my time is almost up. My master will come looking for me, and he'll be angry if I'm not ready to go." "You say he came to see one of us today?" Sebastian threw a tissue at Leo. "Did you have some scumbag slave trader come to see you today?" "I only had one today … the storm kept the rest away." Leo was up on the stool straddling Meshia's lap while he busily reapplied his makeup. His fingers were lightly smudging the lines beneath Meshia's eyes. "Meshia, could I use some money to buy out my mother's contract?" Sebastian opened a container of glitter and began applying it liberally to his face, chest, and shoulders. He couldn't see why Meshia would deny him such a request. His mother was worth more to him than she would be to any slave master. The compensation would be minuscule compared to what they were spending on reviving the Cardinian Empire. Meshia would grant his request. Meshia reached for his hand. "Absolutely." "There … now you can stay." Sebastian reached out and squeezed Meshia's hand before turning back to his makeup.

Meshia enjoyed the additional attention being paid to him by Leo, especially because he was so close to him, sitting on his lap. Leo finished the eyeliner and threw the pencil onto the table, and turned back toward him. He leaned forward and lay down on Meshia's chest, whispering into his ear away from where Sebastian could overhear. "I almost lost you today." Leo breathed softly with emotion. "And I don't know what I would have done without you because I … I love you … so, so much." He kissed Meshia's ear and removed himself from his lap. "So, are you two ready?" Sebastian stood at the door with Serafin, ready to direct her to a seat in the audience and take his place backstage. "Um … yeah." Meshia stood from his stool and hung on to the table for . His knees were shaking so severely after Leo's proclamation, he could barely stand. "I just need to talk to Leo for a minute. You go ahead." Meshia waited

until Sebastian left the dressing room and all of the backstage crew were gone. "Did I hear you right, or was I dreaming?" "Is that something you've dreamed of?" Leo wrapped his arms around Meshia's waist. "You know I have. I've never loved anyone as much as you." "Meshia, are you sure?" "Never. Never before have I loved someone this much." "I love when you say that. I have been having a lot of intense feelings for you for a long time, but it wasn't until I was faced with your death that I realized I loved you. I used to hate you so much. How does that happen?" "Yes, how does what happen?" Sebastian stepped into the room. Leo was holding Meshia tightly to him, Meshia was on the verge of tears, and Leo was looking up at him, his features soft, delicate—loving. "Are you serious, Leo? You're in love with him?"

Meshia was awestruck by the ease at which Sebastian and Leo stepped onto the stage as if nothing unusual had happened before the show. His heart was still hammering with the realization that the beautiful spirit he was in love with thought he was worthy of having his love returned. He had never thought it possible to have that much love surging through him. Leo was right. It was a strange thing indeed to have the hatred he had held for Leo for years be ebbed away, replaced by tolerance, then acceptance, then affection—then love. He had to concentrate on what he was doing on stage and used his years of public speaking to quell his personal emotions while he delivered his lines and followed the carefully orchestrated set of movements he had been practicing for days. He was surprised when the audience responded with hearty rounds of laughter as

he began his first scene encouraging him to loosen up and have a bit of fun with his part. He was glad none of the soldiers from his old battalion were in the audience when Sebastian started in on a set of songs he had pulled from his last somewhat risqué show. Sebastian's Third Battalion had insisted they wanted to see what the furor had been about years before, so Sebastian had worked some of the songs into today's performance. The soldiers of the Third Battalion became extremely raucous, whistling and hollering, while Sebastian went through his usual routine of sexually aggressive gyrations but went completely silent as Sebastian started singing. Meshia let out a short laugh as he watched their mouths drop open in awe. He scanned the audience for Sebastian's mother; she was in the front row, and tears were running down her face as she listened to her son singing. Meshia had finished all his parts in the performance, so he made his way over to Serafin to sit beside her. She grabbed onto his hand as he took a seat next to her. "His voice is so beautiful. His grandmother had a voice like that. She used to entertain the village with songs of love and hope." "He's pretty amazing." "You love him as well, don't you?" "Is it that obvious?" "Only to a woman's eye. I'm sure this particular group of soldiers has no idea about your love for Sebastian … or Leo." "You're good … I am so happy we found you." Meshia wrapped his arm around Serafin's shoulder and pulled her close, completely throwing off the people seated behind them. Public displays of affection weren't exactly in Meshia's repertoire. The rest of the show went off without a hitch, and the men were soon in the dressing room, with Meshia enthusiastically trying to remove the makeup from his face.

Sebastian arrived last as he had directed a staff member to take Serafin to one of the empty bedchambers and get her set up. Then he sent another person to find her master to pay him what he was due for Serafin's freedom. "Now, where were we?" Sebastian sat down on his stool and applied some darker eye shadow and extra glitter to his eyes. "Meshia, you shouldn't take that off … I think we should make him wear makeup every day. Don't you think so, Leo?" "Here, let me do you up with some day makeup." Leo grabbed some cream, removed the rest of Meshia's stage makeup, then applied a light coat of foundation, mascara, and black eyeliner. "See, that's not so bad. It makes your eyes look even more amazing than they already are. They really are his best feature, don't you think so, Seb?" "I'm sure I could think of a few other things … one in particular." Sebastian laughed as he watched Meshia's face turn crimson beneath the makeup. "All right, guys … stop." Meshia leaned forward and examined his face in the mirror. It really wasn't that bad. It reminded him of some of the paintings of his ancestors. Some had worn heavy, black liner around their eyes. He smiled at the potential implications of that. "I'll wear it, but I'm not doing it myself. I'm liable to put an eye out." "Now, we just have to do something about your clothes." Leo giggled as Meshia turned to look at him in horror. "Kidding …" Meshia rifled through the assortment of brushes on the table and began putting them away in their container. "So, are we going to continue the conversation we were having before we got called on stage?" "I don't know that there's much else to say … Leo loves you, and I have to live with that," Sebastian replied. "He's obviously discovered your hidden lovable side." Sebastian ducked as Meshia threw a makeup sponge at him. "Just don't get all hot and heavy around me, or I may have to vomit." He grunted as Meshia wrestled him off his stool and took him to the wall, pinning him there, his arm across Sebastian's throat. Meshia's hot breath buffeted against the skin of Sebastian's neck as he whispered harshly in his ear.

"For your sake, I'm glad you're accepting this because now that I know he loves me … he has become the center of my universe as well." He pushed harder against Sebastian's throat. "I love you, but my main priority will be Leo's happiness. Don't you dare stand in my way." "His happiness is what justifies my existence," Sebastian whispered. "Tread carefully around his heart, or I will be forced to kill you." "Same." "Then we understand each other?" "Absolutely." "What are you two whispering about?" Leo perched on the edge of his stool, looking as if he was prepared to run. He leapt down and made his way over to the door as Meshia gave Sebastian a final shove against the wall and walked away. Meshia grabbed Leo's hand on the way past and pulled him along. They were making their way across the throne room when they ran into Krunk and quite a few of Sebastian's soldiers. "What are you doing with Leo?" Krunk stepped into Meshia's path and stopped him with his body. "Let him go, Your Majesty." "I'm not letting go of him, and if you must know, I'm taking Leo back to my bedchamber to spend the night with him, so get the fuck out of my way." Meshia was finished with the lies and the secrets. As Sebastian had pointed out, everyone would know about him and his relationships with the two men soon anyway. "Leo?" Krunk said. "It's all right, Krunk. I want to go with him." Half of Sebastian's soldiers had drawn their weapons. Meshia reached for his non-existent sword and swore under his breath. He had almost died once already today. He didn't feel like making it twice. He breathed a sigh of relief when he heard a familiar stride racing to their assistance.

"Lower your weapons!" Sebastian raced up and drew the sword from Krunk's hilt. Meshia took a defensive stance and pushed Leo behind his body to protect him. The only thing worse than being killed again today would be Leo being injured. Or killed. That would be his life over. "I'm sorry, Sebastian," Meshia said. "I dropped my cover, but I'm so sick of all the sanctimonious lies." He grunted in thought, and made a decision, ing Leo off to Krunk, then stepped toward the soldiers who had, for the most part, sheathed their swords. "Meshia, what are you doing?" Sebastian released his grip on Krunk's sword. "What I should have done years ago." Meshia wrestled Sebastian's hand off his arm and continued, making an announcement. "I'm gay, and I don't care who you tell … I'm tired of hiding. King Sebastian and I have been lovers for many years, but over the past two years, I've been seeing Prince Leozuramun as well … and I'm in love with them both. That's the whole thing … now, please leave us alone." Meshia turned and retrieved Leo from Krunk, then whispered to Sebastian. They needed some to talk this through—all three of them.

"I have to go, Krunk." Sebastian handed him his sword and turned to face his soldiers. "I know this is all very confusing, and I will come to speak to you about it soon." He held up his hands. "King Meshia mentioned that he doesn't care if you tell people. Please don't. Someone already attempted to kill him today." "It looks like I'll be starting work early." Krunk sheathed his sword. "You heard the Commander … he'll explain later. Go back to the barracks." Krunk bowed to Sebastian and directed him toward the door leading from the throne room into the royal wing.

"Thanks, Krunk," Sebastian said. "I hadn't realized you were here on Cardin already. Have you had a chance to see the starships? They're pretty amazing." Krunk laid his hand on Sebastian's shoulder and stopped the frantic pace he was setting down the hallway. "Sebastian … what's going on?" "Fuck … I don't know." He shrugged out of Krunk's grasp and covered his face with his hand. "Leo went after Meshia, Krunk, and I don't know why he did it." He sunk down onto the floor and leaned against the wall. "Now they're in love with each other, and there's nothing I can do to change that." Unable to contain himself any longer, he began to sob, rocking himself repeatedly into the hard marble wall. "I'm such an idiot … I love Leo, and I want him to be happy, but I shouldn't have given him my blessing to explore his feelings for Meshia." "Do you think Leo loves you any less?" "No, of course not." "Do you love him any less?" "No, I love him more every day." "Is his relationship with Meshia interfering with the amount of time you want to spend with him?" "Sometimes, but he tries to put me first." "Then I think you need to accept it and move on. You love them both, and life is too short for regrets. Love and enjoy them, and let Leo do the same with you and Meshia. Rejoice in the love that the three of you share." Krunk extended his hand and helped Sebastian to his feet. Sebastian wasn't sure what to say. He usually wasn't stuck for words, but the sentiment of Krunk's statement was causing a rush of emotion that was making it impossible for him to speak. He started to head toward his and Leo's chamber but then ed what Meshia had whispered to him and headed in that direction instead.

Krunk stood outside Meshia's bedchamber door as Sebastian poked his head in. It was all quiet and sounded like the two of them were asleep. "Do you mind sleeping on the sofa in here tonight?" Sebastian asked Krunk as he stepped through the doorway. "I'll arrange a better security detail for Meshia in the morning." "No, that's fine." Krunk headed into the room and made his way over to the sofa. Sebastian closed and locked the door and climbed into Meshia's bed beside Leo. This is what Meshia had wanted. Some quiet time so the three of them could reconnect. The room was silent except for the soft conversation that had started in the bed. "Hey, Seb." Leo turned to face Sebastian and ran his fingers across Sebastian's lips. "I love you." He could see it in his eyes in the dim light; Leo's love for him hadn't changed. He touched Leo's chin. "I love you, too." "Sebastian?" Meshia rolled over and peered over the top of Leo's shoulder. "I wasn't sure you were going to come." He reached across Leo and stroked Sebastian's face. "I'm sorry about what I said to you tonight. I could never kill you. I love you too much." "I love you too." "You two can be ridiculous," Leo said. "This is kind of fun, though … it's like a slumber party, and I get to be in the middle where it's cozy and warm. Just try not to roll over on me." "Krunk's here too as security," Sebastian said. "He's over on the sofa for the night." "Really?" Leo's head popped up. "Hey, Krunk."

"Hi, Leo. Good night, guys." Krunk rolled over to face the room and set his sword on the floor in front of him. He could be heard chuckling as Leo began giggling quietly as he squirmed around, trying to get comfortable up against both men.

Chapter Ten

The storm had unexpectedly cleared overnight, and the sun had come back out. The gardeners had been out early sweeping out the courtyards and cleaning the fountains, so they could turn the water back on. The courtyard outside the living room had been set for breakfast with place settings for four. Sebastian was anxious to see his mother again. His plan of spending time with her the night before hadn't worked out. They had all fallen asleep together. It had been more than nice. The men had awoken early to sun streaming in through the windows, so they had spent some time discussing the dynamics of their relationships with one other. They had finally been forced to get up when the third reminder for breakfast had shown up at their door. By the time they arrived, Serafin had finished her breakfast and her second cup of coffee. "I'm sorry we're so late, Serafin." Sebastian bent down and gave his mother a quick kiss on the cheek before taking the seat beside her. "We're taking the morning off, and we were having a bit of a personal meeting this morning." Sebastian snapped his fingers at a servant to hurry up with his coffee and stopped mid-air when he saw the look on his mother's face. He looked across the table at Leo lounging sideways in his chair as one of the servants handfed him orange slices. And Meshia was reprimanding someone because they had accidentally touched his fork. "This must look really bad." "No, it's fine." Leo swung back to being seated and picked up his napkin, swatting at Meshia's hand as it edged its way up his leg under the table. He shrieked, giggling, as it

found its target. "Guys, cut it out. You're embarrassing me," Sebastian said, then ducked as a grape flew at his head. Meshia grinned at him from across the table. A step too far. A mischievous glint lit up Sebastian's eye. Meshia jumped up from his chair and ran for the lawn with Sebastian close behind. Meshia might be stronger, but Sebastian was faster and soon caught up with Meshia and tackled him to the grass. Leo ran to the edge of the courtyard and clapped his hands together, laughing and hollering, encouraging them. Serafin came to stand beside him and looked on with disapproval as the two men fought to hold each other down. Meshia finally managed to pin Sebastian beneath him and took the opportunity to taste his mouth. The wrestling slowed, and Sebastian succumbed to being overwhelmed.

"And this is where we head back indoors." Leo walked over and poked Meshia in the ribs with his foot. "I'm taking Serafin inside … try to keep it down out here." He held out his arm for Serafin to take and led her into the living room. He went to seat her on the most comfortable chair but then realized she would see what was happening on the lawn from there, so he directed her to sit on the sofa and took a seat on the comfortable chair himself. He quite enjoyed being able to see what the two men were getting up to. "Sebastian seems happy," Serafin said. "He is, but he's under a lot of stress. Meshia and I were both groomed for these types of positions to some extent. Meshia more so than me, but we have grown up around it. Sebastian hasn't, so it's hard for him." "He's done so well … how did it happen?" Leo relaxed in his chair and recounted the story of Sebastian's life to Serafin,

starting from when Lakeda's family had bought him through to their latest endeavor of the Cardinian Empire. He happened to look out the window as he spoke of their most recent plans and stopped to lick his lips as he became momentarily distracted by the men's current activity on the lawn. "As I was saying." Leo pulled himself away from the enticing scene outside. "All three of us have given up our lives to resurrect the Cardinian Empire. We typically work eighteen hours a day, so when we get a few minutes or like today a few hours to ourselves, things can get a bit over the top." He stood and walked over to the window to look out. "But they really should know better. Could you excuse me for a moment?" Leo closed the curtains over the windows and slipped behind them to the door leading to the courtyard. He walked around the courtyard and across the lawn, looking for Sebastian and Meshia, but they were nowhere to be seen. He was relieved that they'd had the sense to head off somewhere more private and was about to return to the living room when he heard their voices over in the next courtyard. A giant cactus partially obscured his view as he walked closer, and he decided to remain behind it when he heard what they were discussing. "If it's bothering you, why don't you ask him why he pursued me like that? Leo would never lie to you. But as you know, we had been spending a lot of time together." Meshia ran his hand up Sebastian's arm to his shoulder. "And I may have been flirting a little." "You were flirting with Leo? Where was I during these flirting episodes? I can't believe I missed seeing that." "He's gorgeous, Sebastian … how could I not want some of that?" "That is a sentence I never thought I'd ever hear come out of your mouth." Sebastian grabbed his shirt from the bench and pulled it on over his head. "I'm glad to see you're embracing your true self. I love you, and I will be here for you, no matter what." "I know, but it's still going to be hard. My entire reputation as a ruler has been built on glory and valor and all sorts of manly stuff." "Who says you're any less of a man? Who you choose to sleep with and fall in love with doesn't undermine your ability to be a—"

"Strong, powerful, and dominant man." Leo stepped out from behind the cactus. "I never meant to pursue him like that, Sebastian. Meshia has always exuded a sense of raw male authority and power, and in the past, it was one of the reasons I disliked him so much. But as we worked together and became friends, I realized his ominous presence made me feel increasingly weak in the knees, and I found I liked that feeling." "So, you felt a need to take him off to the caves?" "I honestly took him to the caves to cool off … but once we got there, and we talked for a while … I wanted to kiss him, and you said I could explore my feelings for him if I wanted." "I never thought you'd actually do anything about it. What happened to me being the love of your life?" "You still are, Seb." Leo sat down beside Sebastian and held both his hands. "You always will be, and Meshia knows that." "But you let things go so much further than kissing." Leo brushed his thumbs across Sebastian's skin. Sebastian would always be his first love—the man he loved most. "That was never my intention." "I can't believe you gave yourself to him willingly." "What are you trying to say?" Meshia jumped up and grabbed Sebastian by the collar of his shirt. "I have too much respect for Leo to take what he isn't willing to give." "Really?" Sebastian said. "So, you would have stopped if he had asked you to?" "Of course." "Did you hurt him? I know what you're like, and he surprised you by wanting to kiss you. How badly did you hurt him?" Meshia lowered his head. "Sebastian, I would never do it again. I've never hurt him since. I promise. He was all right. I was able to heal him on my own."

Leo released Sebastian's hands. Now Sebastian knew the truth. Leo had hoped he would never find out. This would change things. The fact Meshia had injured him at all meant Sebastian might stop trusting him.

Meshia reached for Leo's hand and pulled him to his feet, so he could hold him against his chest. He was getting a sick feeling in his stomach that this could all go terribly wrong if Sebastian decided to object at this point in their relationship. He realistically couldn't go on living without Leo, and he knew if Leo was forced to choose between them, it would always be Sebastian. "I decided to give myself to him," Leo said. "I needed to know what it felt like to be overpowered by someone like him. I wanted to know what you saw in him, Seb. Why you kept going back to him every other night even though our relationship was good." "So, you got what you wanted," Sebastian said, crossing his arms. "He overpowered you. Why did you want to keep it going? Why wasn't the one time enough for you?" "You love him, Seb. You know there's more to him than what you see on the surface." Leo tucked his head against Meshia's shoulder. "That day, he showed me the other side of himself. The loving, caring side—and I couldn't let him go after that." Sebastian exhaled and approached the men. Meshia held his breath. Sebastian seemed a lot calmer than he had been expecting. "I love you both," Sebastian said, "and it actually sings to me the fact that you love each other. I just needed to know what happened." Meshia's body relaxed, but he continued to clutch Leo to him, permitting tears of relief to spill down his face. Sebastian lifted Meshia's face up to look at him. "I'm sorry, I scared you," he said. "I know how much Leo means to you." He

leaned forward and kissed Meshia on the lips, then brushed his fingers through Leo's hair. "I would never try to separate the two of you."

Serafin had waited for Leo to come back from the courtyard, but he was taking too long, so she decided to head back to her chamber. She was ing one of the lounges when she saw her son alone on the attached courtyard attempting to turn his pants right side out so he could put them back on. She waited until he had them on before she stepped out into the courtyard, just in time to see Meshia flying past with Leo, shrieking and giggling, slung over his shoulder. "You have a rather strange life, son," Serafin said. "Hi, Serafin. Sorry for taking off on you like that. It's rare for us to have some time off, so we have a tendency to get a bit crazy when we do manage to get some." Her son did look tired. A morning off sleeping in would have been a good idea. "Leo mentioned that. Why do you have this morning off?" "Meshia's bodyguard, Krunk, ordered us to stay in the royal wing until he can figure out the level of threat on Meshia's life. He's going to be bringing us some of our paperwork after lunch, but for now, our time is our own." "Why is Meshia in danger?" "Two reasons. The man Leo killed yesterday was Meshia's old second in command. The rest of the battalion is probably wondering what happened to him, and they will be looking for answers. I'm surprised we haven't heard any rioting coming from the front of the palace yet." Sebastian tucked the pockets back the right way into his pants. "The second reason is Meshia came out of the closet last night in front of the wrong people. Told them he was gay, then continued on and told fifty of my battalion soldiers about him and Leo and me. They'll forgive me the transgression, but they hate Meshia. I asked them not to, but I'm sure the news is all over the camp by now. I just hope Krunk and Dunlor can manage to do some damage control out there. Again … very surprised there's no rioting."

"You probably need to do some damage control from this side as well. Before I was captured, my job was making sure the village chief's image was always one of authority and power. I was pretty good at it too. Maybe I could help." "What do you have in mind?"

Sebastian was intrigued as Serafin outlined a plan to present an image of power and infallibility to the rest of the Cardinian Empire that might help quash any potential attacks on their authority. "So, what do we need?" Sebastian extended his elbow for Serafin to take. "Appropriate clothing." Sebastian smirked. "I know just the thing." He led Serafin to some rooms he had discovered full of imperial clothing that Leo's father, Prince Leopold, had insisted be remade each time the fabric began to wear thin. Everything in the room was practically brand new, and many of the outfits were in states of incompletion, allowing them to be altered. Serafin released Sebastian's arm and browsed through the massive assortment of clothing, shoes, hats, and cloaks. "What's this room back here?" Serafin stood in front of a large metal door, looking for some type of mechanism to open it. "I'm not sure. I haven't spent much time in here." Sebastian laid his hand on the door and heard it click as he discreetly conjured the lock open. He pushed it, and a light automatically came on to illuminate the interior. The glare from the contents of the room was blinding. "I would say this is where all the jewelry is kept—" Serafin cupped her hands to her mouth. "This is perfect. Nothing says omnipotence like masses of jewels. I'll have a seamstress start, then we need to work on your presence, including group body placement and poses. What you'll say—what you'll do. It has to be precise." "Sounds like the posturing I do when I'm on campaign. It comes naturally to

Meshia because he really is a pompous ass, and Leo's a quick study, so we should be able to pull it off." Serafin placed her hand on Sebastian's arm. "I'm sure of it." Sebastian looked around the room. "What else?" "We'll need to use the throne room. Set up properly. Can you find where all the furnishings are being stored? I noticed there is nothing in there." She tapped her lip in thought. "How long do you think Meshia and Leo will be? We really need to get started." "They have a tendency to take their time with each other. Unlike Meshia and me … we just get right down to it." He blushed as he realized what he had just said to his mother. "Don't worry about offending me … I'm not a complete prude. I can see you love each other. That's good enough for me." "I am so pleased Meshia and Leo tracked you down. It will be nice having someone else around here that gets us." "I never dreamed I would have an opportunity to spend time with my son. I thought I'd go to my grave without ever seeing you again." Serafin reached out her arms and took Sebastian into them, squeezing him tight. "I am so proud of you already." She patted his arm. "But enough of that. We have work to do." Sebastian rounded up as many staff from the palace as he could to start scouring the palace for the throne room's contents. Everything was found after a time, most stored beneath the palace. A team was assigned to clean everything and another to set it all up in the room. Now, they just needed Meshia and Leo. He delayed for as long as possible before he went and knocked on Meshia's bedchamber door. His intrusion was met by a string of obscenities as he opened the door.

They were far from finished. "I'm sorry, but this is fairly urgent." He cast his eyes toward the floor, but not before seeing Leo seated atop Meshia, drawing Meshia's cock in and out of his body, his gorgeous tanned hips rocking, his back curving—his soft voice moaning— The sight had made Sebastian's face flush—and his cock twitch. "This had better be good." Meshia helped Leo off him and reached for his pants. "It is." Sebastian hazarded a glance. Both men were pulling on clothes. He felt safe enough engaging them directly … despite how hard their cocks still were. Angels help me. He sighed. "Serafin has come up with an idea that I think will gain us some respect." He rubbed his lips with his hand. "Actually, more along the lines of making people fear us." "Fear us." Leo tipped his head to one side. "Who is ever going to fear me?" Meshia touched Leo's shoulder. "After what you did to my old second in command, I would say most everyone has a reason to fear you." Leo crossed his arms. "I don't know that I could do that again." "And hopefully, you won't have to." Sebastian stepped toward them. "All we have to do is help people realize they are dealing with three powerful wizards—" Leo snorted. "That sounds incredibly weird." "It's true, though," Meshia said. "And especially together. What Dunlor has been teaching us … we need people to see that, so we can feel safe again." He scrubbed a hand around the back of his neck. "This is all my fault, isn't it?" Sebastian knew Meshia would come back to that eventually. It was in a moment of elation that he had exposed the truth about his relationships. Sebastian had been there before.

Feeling like Leo's love for him made him invincible. And in some ways, it did. Despite Leo's love for Meshia, he felt solid in his relationship with Leo. Leo would never intentionally do anything to hurt him. He trusted him. He felt safe with him. Invincible. He looked at Meshia. Some of those same feelings flowed in their relationship. Combining their energies under Dunlor's instruction had given him more insight into Meshia's life. What he had endured at the hands of his father. How he had suffered. How it had scarred him. Leo would have seen that as well. They had never discussed it, but he felt certain Leo's perception of Meshia had changed as the days of their working combined spells unfolded. How could it not? Meshia had hints of his father in him, but he would never be the vicious beast his father had been. itting his love for two men in the presence of a battalion had proven as much. And his tenderness toward Leo—it was breathtaking. Sebastian turned to leave. "Meet us in the imperial dressing room." Meshia and Leo were back to clinging to one another as they both nodded. Sebastian smiled and closed the door behind himself. There was something very special happening between them. He would give them a few more minutes before harassing them again. Serafin was busy with one of the seamstresses when Sebastian returned. She had set up the outfits she had picked out on some mannequins designed for the job.

"I have placed you as the central figure," she began. "Not because you're my son, but because you're Cardinian, and your stature is more formidable than Leo's. Your outfit is this one here with the extra layers of material and the royal crown." "Meshia is not going to be pleased about that." "I'm not going to be pleased about what?" Meshia and Leo had arrived sooner than Sebastian had anticipated, and judging by Meshia's mood, it was because they had cut their intimate conversation short. "Are you sure you don't want him in the middle?" Sebastian asked. "Meshia was born with the arrogant ruler thing ingrained in his personality." "No, it has to be you," replied Serafin. "It's important that the Cardinian Empire appears to be headed by a Cardinian." "She's right, Sebastian. I don't mind," Meshia said. "This is all for show anyway. Plus, you are the High Commander. It's the military we need to win over more so than anyone else." "I love the outfits." Leo ran his hands over the opulent material, feeling the silk, velvet, and leather textures. He fingered the multitude of metal studs, jewels, and sequins attached to the items of clothing, including the shoes. "What about the makeup?" he asked. "I think it should be heavy and seductive to match the emotion of this clothing." "I think if you can manage that," Serafin replied, "it will add to the image we're trying to portray. Sebastian, did you find some foot guards the right size for those uniforms?" "Yeah, I found six soldiers from the Neter colonies' old royal guard that will work out fine. They're already getting changed." Serafin took over and ran the men through the gamut of allowable stances while they were on the throne. She covered the protocol regarding answering questions and the proper etiquette expected of Meshia and Leo as they filled their roles as second in command. Meshia grumbled a bit but played along.

After an hour of instruction, she sent the men off to do their makeup and clapped her hands together in delight when they returned with their faces set in so much powdered glitter that they looked like celestial gods. Leo had done their eyes with heavily contoured dark glittery eye shadow and thick black lines, making their eyes look seductive yet soulless. Once they donned the clothing set out for them, they were practically unrecognizable. Krunk had been called to meet with them in the throne room and had arrived as Serafin checked over the room and directed the men to their positions on the throne. "What the hell?" Krunk laughed as he entered the room. Sebastian was half reclined on the throne chair with a look of disdain set on his face. Meshia leaned on the chair to Sebastian's right with a look of complete indifference, and Leo sitting on the left arm, looked positively bored. "That is amazing. You look like the kings of some ancient and powerful dynasty … very creepy in a formidable way. Are you going to work some conjuring in?" "Who can conjure?" Serafin stopped what she was doing and approached the men. "We can all conjure … wizard level." Leo jumped down from the stage the throne was set on. "Seb is the most powerful, though, but we're ed by a Cardinian triad circle, so we can share each other's abilities if we need to … but it makes my nose bleed." Serafin clasped her hands together. "Then I need to make a modification." Sebastian grinned, close to laughing. His mother was in her element.

By early afternoon, all the commanders and officers and some other officials were handed notices requiring them to appear immediately in the throne room. They were anxious to seek explanations from the monarchs and made their way quickly to the palace with hopes of challenging their authority. They were dumbfounded as they entered the throne room to see three very royal and powerful-looking men upon the throne.

Once the room was filled, one of the foot guards brought the butt of his spear down twice on the floor to signal that everyone bow. Some did, some didn't. All those who didn't were forced to their knees by the guards. Meshia looked up to the high ceiling and started a slow vortex of pink, blue, and white clouds spinning above the heads of those gathered. Leo added some other colors and starlike structures to the vortex. Sebastian took the carefully balanced ball of energy he had been playing with and threw it up into the vortex, adding some harmless thunder and lightning. The people before them ducked and cringed as the rumble of thunder shook the room. The entire apparition spun menacingly and then disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. The three monarchs changed their positions as scripted by Serafin to begrudged acceptance that they were going to be expected to speak. Sebastian snapped his fingers at one of the foot guards and whispered some fallacious command into his ear, after which the guard nodded his acceptance and returned to his post. Sebastian cleared his throat to begin his speech. "There are a couple orders of business I wish to address. Firstly, as you all know, we are days away from bringing the Cardinian Empire back to its former position of power. We need to be prepared for the Supreme Council's response, but I want you all to know that every person under my command has sured my expectations, and I am confident that as the new Cardinian Empire soars into existence, they will meet the challenges put before them with courage and dedication." Dunlor entered the back of the room, and his mouth dropped open. Leo stood and motioned for Dunlor to approach the throne. "Your Majesty." Dunlor bowed to Sebastian, then Meshia and Leo in turn. He turned toward the audience. Without any preamble, he completed a simplified explanation of the Cardinian triad circle and how it affected the three monarchs' relationship. How the combined force of their conjuring abilities was unprecedented. He waved off the sounds of throats clearing, indicating people had questions.

"These three men have given up their lives so the Cardinian Empire will rise again." Dunlor made a sweeping motion toward the men as he continued. "The success of this campaign rests heavily on their ability to keep the triad circle stable, and once again, these men have given back to the Cardinian Empire by meeting the requirements of the circle." A high-ranking Naran officer from Meshia's old battalion stepped into the aisle, and Dunlor nodded to him. "You're telling us the reason these three are together is because of the triad circle. That is bullshit, and you know it." He glared at Meshia then appeared to crumble under the weight of a spell. Meshia smirked as he brought his hand back to his side. "Let me handle this." Sebastian stood and stepped off the stage onto the floor. "Most of you have known me my entire military career, and I would hope I can count many of you as being amongst my friends. I have prided myself on my ability to be fair and honest in my dealings with each one of you, and I am going to continue with that." He sat down on the edge of the throne platform, removed his crown, and set it beside him. "The truth is, I'm in love with the two men behind me. They are both courageous and honorable men, and I am humbled by their willingness to love me in return." He stood and began a slow walk down the center aisle, taking the time to try and meet each person's eyes. "The two of them used to be enemies … but they vowed to work together peacefully so that we might achieve our goal of a Cardinian Empire. Over time they became friends, and then they grew to love one another. It fills me with hope that two people so opposed could overcome their differences and build something new together." He returned to the throne platform and lifted himself onto it. He stood between Meshia and Leo. "We stand before you, three men bonded together, not by depravity, but by love and truth. It is because we believe in a universe that will someday be filled with love and truth that we will strive to bring victory and honor to this new Cardinian Empire." The three monarchs then reclaimed their positions on the throne and waved away any further questions thrown at them.

After the outfits were hung up in the imperial dressing room, the men headed to Sebastian and Leo's chamber to remove the makeup and get cleaned up. Meshia had never been in their bathroom before and was stunned by the assortment of creams, hair products, makeup, nail polish, and containers of glitter on their counter. "How can you two find anything in here?" "You just have to know where everything is," Leo replied. "We have a system that we follow. It's actually extremely organized." "I'll take your word for it." Meshia sat on the edge of the tub and closed his eyes as Leo started removing the heavy layers of eye makeup. Once he was finished, Leo handed Meshia a hot cloth to finish cleaning his face. After Meshia set the cloth aside, Sebastian took over and set to work reapplying Meshia's day makeup. Meshia still couldn't get over the amount of time and effort required to maintain his look. "This is so much work." "This is nothing. You should be here on waxing day." "Waxing day? I'm afraid to ask." "You didn't think Cardinians were naturally hairless, did you?" Sebastian winked at Meshia as he finished his makeup. "Do you want to give it a try?" Leo was working on his own makeup in the mirror and caught the look of terror in Meshia's eyes, sending him slipping onto the floor in a fit of giggles. "Am I done?" Meshia leapt up and looked in the mirror before stepping over Leo on the way out of the bathroom. He cleared some clothes off the bed, lay down, and closed his eyes. He was just about asleep when he felt the bed sag on either side of him, and two warm bodies fold over him. "That was quite the speech you gave today, Sebastian." Meshia smoothed Sebastian's hair before pulling him close.

"I figured if I told them the truth, they would have an opportunity to understand where we are coming from, and then if they decide to follow us, they will be doing it with real conviction, and we'll feel secure that the people ing us know the truth and we won't have to hide anything." "It's a risk … the entire military could decide they don't want to follow us." Meshia shifted himself so Leo would be more comfortable. "I completely agree with the decision you made, though. We need to have people ing us that believe in us and not just our cause. You're definitely the right person to inspire that confidence." He reached for Sebastian's hand and brought it to his lips. "Thanks … so I guess we just wait and see what they decide." Sebastian snuggled in closer to Meshia's chest and ran his fingers down the side of Meshia's face. "Leo?" Meshia looked down. Leo was fast asleep. He looked over at Sebastian and smiled as Leo made his contented sounds. "He's so adorable when he does that." Sebastian reached across Meshia's chest to brush some of the hair from Leo's face. Meshia sighed with contentment. There was a level of peace when they were all together.

The word came back from the military by way of Krunk. It wasn't even close to being unanimous in one direction or the other. Only a few soldiers from the Third Battalion decided they could no longer the monarchy, but almost all of Meshia's old First Battalion and close to one-third of the soldiers from the other battalions decided they wanted nothing to do with the new Cardinian Empire. "What about the pilots?" Leo asked.

"All of the starship captains, pilots, and other spacecraft workers you," replied Krunk. "They were surprised the foot soldiers hadn't figured out the three of you were together. I think because they're generally new recruits and you two have been spending most of your time in Ashti working with them, they haven't experienced you any other way." In total, they were down from over one hundred thousand troops to just under sixty thousand. Meshia felt guilty that it was his battalion that had caused the most damage to their numbers. He'd had no idea his soldiers hated him as much as they did. It had taken Sebastian and Leo hours to convince him that the past didn't matter and that he needed to focus on continuing the development of new leadership skills.

Chapter Eleven

Another massive sandstorm whipped up out of nowhere, sending the military and the three monarchs into the tunnel connecting Ashti with the palace to wait out the storm. It was a severe setback considering they were finishing up the final inspections and training sessions. The schedule had been especially brutal for the past three months; all three men were being run off their feet, ensuring the captains, officers, pilots, and crew were completely prepared for the official launch of the Cardinian Empire in ten days. The most decorated commanders of the empire's remaining military had been trained by Meshia to become the starships' captains. They were thrilled with their promotions and had risen to the challenge brilliantly, mastering the ships' command and their crew with ease. Sebastian had chosen the brightest of the Cardinian fleet ship pilots to help him figure out how to pilot the massive starships and then train the others. After the initial learning curve, they had achieved an impressive level of skill. They had been showing off to Sebastian by bringing the massive ships to within an inch of the landing bay ramps, hovering motionless, and then entering the bay at a crawl. Leo had spent the past year interviewing and training the engineers and maintenance staff required to run and service each one of the starships while in flight. He was reasonably satisfied they would perform well enough to keep the ships in the air. The men grabbed the nearest pod and powered it up to head back to the palace. Sebastian still considered himself to be the designated driver when it came to the pods. Leo was too slow, and Meshia had a tendency to bump into things. Unfortunately, the ability to drive a pod was not something that could be shared within the circle. They had tried last week for fun.

They had wrecked one of the pods mid-way and been forced to walk the rest of the way back to the palace, eating into what little time they had together to relax. Despite their schedule, the three had been spending numerous hours a week invoking their circle. It was comforting to be that close to one another during times of heavy stress, and Leo's nose bleeds had practically stopped, so they knew they were getting close to controlling it. "We need to practice while we're further away from each other," Sebastian said. "Have you two completed your training with the fleet ships and ed the exams?" "I pretty much perfected it after a week." Leo grinned at Meshia. "I've finished my training." "Show off … I took a month in the simulator before I even considered going up in the real thing, but I'm done now." "Let's take some ships out soon and see if we can maintain a connection over a few thousand miles." "It should be easy," Leo said. "We've communicated between Mycea and Cardin plenty of times." "Yes, but Meshia hasn't. he's not Cardinian … even though we're sharing, telepathy doesn't come as easily to him." "I think he's doing wonderful." Leo smiled over at Meshia and reached for Meshia's hand, lifting it to his lips. Sebastian pulled into the landing bay, opened the door to the palace, and took the stairs two at a time. He had to slow down and wait for Leo and Meshia to catch up. He looked up and down the staircase and wondered if there was any way to put in an elevator. Leo finally appeared around the corner with Meshia right behind him. Sebastian smiled. It was nice the way Meshia followed Leo around like that, always watching out for him. "So, what do we have planned for the rest of the afternoon since we can't finish our inspections?" He opened the into Leo's and his office and waited for the other two to walk through before securing it and pushing the bookcase back

into place. "I think I'd like to lie down." Leo reached out for Sebastian's hand and started pulling him in the direction of Meshia's chamber. "And I wouldn't object to a little attention from the two of you." "Out of the question, Leo." Sebastian pulled back and let go of Leo's hand. "There is no way I feel comfortable with that." "Why not, Seb? Haven't you wondered what it would be like?" "Honestly … no, I haven't." "We already share so much while we're in the circle together … and there's so much love between the three of us. Sleeping together would be a perfectly natural extension of that." Sebastian crossed his arms. "No, it wouldn't." "Please … just sit and watch us for a while, and see how you feel about it." Leo grabbed Sebastian's hand and continued to pull him toward Meshia's chamber. Sebastian let himself be dragged along but twisted around to talk to Meshia. "You seem awfully calm about the whole idea. Have you two been planning this?" "We've talked about it." Meshia grabbed Sebastian's other hand and brought it to his lips. "We love you and want to share this part of ourselves with you." Sebastian rolled his eyes and exhaled a heavy breath. I should have seen this coming. They entered Meshia's bedchamber, and Sebastian reluctantly took a seat on the sofa. He would watch for a few minutes then be on his way. He cringed when Meshia and Leo started kissing and running their hands over each other's bodies. It felt odd, watching. He knew every contour and curve of both their bodies more intimately than his own. He held his breath as Meshia ran his hands in the exact places that Leo enjoyed the most, and Leo did the same. He fiddled with the wedding ring on his finger.

Of course, they know their way around each other's bodies. Meshia pulled Leo's shirt off over his head, discarded it on the floor, and moved his mouth down Leo's neck and across his chest, gently flicking his nipples with his tongue. Sebastian looked down at the floor, a twinge of response emerging as Leo moaned softly. He had heard that sound so many times before. It always got him going. He licked his lips and looked up. A heavy breath escaped his chest. Meshia had sunk onto his knees. He gazed over at Sebastian, his face flushed, his features soft as he undid Leo's pants and released him. There was so much love in those eyes. Sebastian's heart hammered in his chest. His resolve to refrain from participating vanished when Leo groaned in response to Meshia's tongue and lips working their way along his hard cock. He approached the pair and took Leo's mouth hungrily in his own, running his hands over Leo's body, down to where it met Meshia's mouth. He kneeled and nudged Meshia away from his task and attacked Meshia's mouth, savoring the cinnamon taste of Leo's skin on Meshia's lips—and tongue, then took over what Meshia had started. Leo's cock was warm and wet from Meshia's mouth. Sebastian's cock pressed against the seam in his pants. He had to it, sharing Leo in this way seemed inevitable. Meshia stroked his hands down Sebastian's back to his ass, pulling at his clothes. Sebastian undid the tie in his pants and slid them off his hips. Meshia's fingers found what they were seeking. Sebastian groaned around Leo's cock, his hole twitching and jumping as Meshia's fingers danced over his skin there.

Leo squirmed, running his hands into both men's hair. "Now …," he whispered. "I want you both now." Sebastian and Meshia rose to their feet, slowing for a moment to lay their lips along Leo's neck. They inhaled the scent of his skin then stepped away. Sebastian stepped out of his pants and removed his shirt, and tossed it aside. He helped Meshia do the same. Leo took both their hands and led them over to the bed. "Lie down, Meshia," he whispered. As Meshia stretched out on the bed, Sebastian took Meshia's cock into his mouth, humming with satisfaction as Leo climbed up and enveloped Meshia's mouth. He needed more. Sebastian reached out and touched Leo's foot. The hum of their circle was immediate. Intimate—serene—and unifying. "Seb." Leo lifted his leg and straddled Meshia's waist, his back to Sebastian, and backed up as Sebastian released Meshia's cock from his mouth. Sebastian stroked Meshia's hard cock with his hand. This was not something he ever imagined he would be doing. He pressed the tip of Meshia's cock against Leo's hole. Leo slid down onto it in one swift, smooth movement. It was beautiful—watching Leo taking Meshia into his body. Becoming one with him. Sebastian ran his fingers along the connection between them, then leaned down, angled his face, and ran his tongue over it, Leo's ass descending time and again against his cheek.

Leo reached his hand back and touched Sebastian's head. "Ah … yes, Seb." Sebastian lay a row of kisses up Leo's spine. Needing some attention of his own, Sebastian lifted himself onto the bed. He swung his leg over Meshia's chest, facing Leo. Meshia's hands landed on his ass, crushing—parting. Sebastian moved back until he could feel Meshia's hot breath on his hole. He gasped as Meshia's tongue made . Tiny wet circles and jabs followed, messing with Sebastian's concentration. He reached forward, stroked Leo's face, and brought it to him, taking Leo's mouth. The kiss was deep and desperate—amplified by the circle again invoked. The tingle and calm of the energy flowing between them had them melting into one another. Leo rose up and down in front of him. Sebastian kept time, wanting to feel the movement of Leo's body against his lips. Leo and Meshia ed as one—rising, falling. The image was exhilarating. Leo slipped off Meshia's cock and released Sebastian's mouth. "Turn around, Seb." Sebastian turned himself around until he was face to face with Meshia. His hand shot into Meshia's hair, and he attacked his mouth; the scent and taste of his spiced honey heavy on Meshia's lips. He smiled against Meshia's lips as Leo slid his cock into him. He pushed back on it, taking Leo's cock all the way in. The gentle rock of Leo's hips, both hands on Sebastian's hips, driving into him. It was more than he could have imagined. His connection with these two men. He never wanted this to end. He had been in many situations with multiple partners before but never when those partners meant this much to him. Never

with a bond of love ing them. Meshia pushed on Sebastian's shoulder. "Switch to me." Leo slipped his cock from Sebastian's ass and backed away as Sebastian switched to Meshia's cock, grunting as he took him in. Leo brushed his hand up and down Sebastian's spine. "Seb …" Leo moved closer, his hips and hard cock pressing against his ass. Sebastian stared down at Meshia. "You want me to …" "Yeah." Meshia nodded. "Are you all right with that?" "It's been a while." Sebastian laughed. "You two really have been planning this." A grin lit up Meshia's face. "We love you." Sebastian kissed Meshia then looked back over his shoulder at Leo. "Love you both." He nodded his head, and Leo moved closer, his fingers and the head of his cock pressing against Meshia's cock. Meshia stayed his thrusting and gripped Sebastian's face. There was no getting around it. This was going to hurt. Sebastian sucked in a breath as Leo pushed in alongside Meshia's cock; the bulk of both men stretching him. He coughed out a grimacing laugh, then reached back and tapped Leo on the hip. What followed … blinding pain ebbing away to pure mind-shattering ecstasy. Both men he loved stroking him—loving him. Leo's hot breath cascaded over his back, and Meshia dove back into his mouth. He could stay in this moment forever.

Leo was the first to stir and was surprised to see they were lying beneath a dark purple dome of light that almost encased the entire bed. Its surface was

transparent enough that he could see the room beyond, but it flashed so brilliantly with small sparks of energy that trying to look out through it was painful on the eyes. "What the fuck is that?" Meshia opened his eyes and rolled over. "It's our dark purple light." Leo squirmed out from beneath Meshia's arm and climbed onto Sebastian's chest. He stroked Sebastian's face and kissed his lips, but he didn't appear to be making any progress in waking him. Leo gasped and giggled as Sebastian wrapped his arms around him and hugged him tight against his chest. "Are you trying to wake me up?" Sebastian asked teasingly. "Seb, open your eyes … we have our purple light." "Ow … you could have warned me the thing was going to blind me." Sebastian closed his eyes again and pulled a pillow over his head. "Now, what are we supposed to do with it?" "I'm not sure. I don't think Dunlor was convinced it was ever going to change." Leo tapped Sebastian's pillow and looked at Meshia. "Do you think it changed because we slept together?" "That is one twisted circle if that's the case." Sebastian tossed the pillow off his face and shielded his eyes. "I can't believe we did that." "Since when have you been shy about group sex?" Leo poked Sebastian hard in the ribs. "I plenty of times hauling your ass out of some party or another because you were getting carried away." "Guys, please," Meshia said. "I don't need to know about that stuff." He turned onto his side until he was facing them. "That was different … I didn't know those people." Sebastian laughed and lifted Leo off his chest, and rolled him back between Meshia and him. "I think what scared me most was I didn't know what to expect from the two of you … together. What you're into as a couple. It's not something Leo and I have ever talked about."

"So, what do you think now?" Leo nudged Sebastian until he rolled onto his side, so he could back himself up against Sebastian's chest. He smiled at Meshia, who was now face to face with him, and shivered as Sebastian ran his fingers down his arm, along his waist, over his hip, and down his thigh. Meshia sat himself up slightly. Leo sighed as Meshia's tongue followed the same trail as Sebastian had left with his fingers. "I'm going to assume you're both all right with it." He was thrilled the two men he loved seemed willing to continue with the current arrangement. He had enjoyed the feeling of security and warmth he had experienced earlier but had been apprehensive about bringing up the possibility of making it permanent. He looked up at the dark purple light and smiled, then closed his eyes to better appreciate the sensation of Meshia and Sebastian working their way over his body with their mouths. They had just flipped him over onto his stomach and parted his legs when they were interrupted by someone hammering on the door and calling their names repeatedly. "Does that sound like Dunlor and Krunk to you?" Meshia rolled over and went to throw the covers off when he felt Leo's hand on his arm. "Dunlor probably felt something. But it sure took him a while to find us?" Leo climbed out from beneath Sebastian and crawled to the end of the bed, pleased to see the circle had stayed invoked as he slid off the bed away from the men. "You two stay there and keep my spot warm. I'll talk to them." He grabbed Meshia's shirt from the floor and pulled it on over his head. "That's barely covering your ass, Leo," Sebastian said. Meshia laughed as Leo shook his ass at them. With Leo out of bed, Meshia rolled into Leo's place and tucked his face against Sebastian's chest. Leo looked over his shoulder at them and smiled. This was his family now—these two men that meant so much to him. Leo unlocked and opened the door to the sight of two very anxious looking faces.

"What happened?" Dunlor came rushing into the room with Krunk close behind him. "It was like an earthquake in my head … I went looking for you three in Ashti, but I was told you had headed back to the palace. I couldn't get a ride back here until now." "We got the light to go dark purple … see." Leo pointed over in the direction of the bed. "I don't see anything, Leo." Dunlor scanned the room. "I can't even detect your energy signature … or that of Meshia or Sebastian. Are they in here?" "They're in bed. We were having … a nap." Leo walked across the room, climbed back onto the bed, and crawled under the covers. He was cold. "Is it possible that because the circle is at full strength, it's protecting them from detection?" Krunk pulled up a chair beside the bed and sat down. "That's what I would do … if I was a purple light thing." Dunlor slowly paced the room. "All three of you can definitely see it?" He approached the bed to speak to them. "Where's Meshia?" "I'm under the covers," Meshia said as he pulled down the blankets, flipped himself over, and pressed his back against Sebastian's chest. He emitted a couple of soft noises. "What's wrong with Meshia?" Krunk rose to his feet. "Why would you think anything is wrong?" Leo shuffled himself closer to Meshia and held Meshia's face in his hands. "Look at him," replied Krunk. "He's acting like you, Leo." "He has been awfully calm and cuddly recently." Leo closed his eyes and scanned Meshia's body. "Dunlor, is it possible that Meshia's changes are to do with his temperament?"

"I suppose so. It would not be beneficial for the circle to have someone angry and argumentative." "I'm not angry and argumentative, am I?" Meshia smiled at Leo, who was still holding his face. "Not at all, baby." Leo kissed him gently and pushed himself closer, so he could feel Meshia's body up against his. He moaned softly as Meshia took his mouth, and Sebastian reached over and ran his hand up the length of his body, pulling them both to him. "Um … we're going to leave you three alone—" Krunk cleared his throat. "By the way, Lakeda has been on Cardin for a few hours. Apparently, she didn't have security clearance to be in the palace, but I am sure her paperwork has cleared by now. I can't imagine who the idiot was that would risk pissing off that woman." Meshia suddenly came back to life, pulled himself away from Sebastian's arms, and climbed out from between him and Leo. "Leo, give me my shirt." He started to rummage around on the floor, looking for the rest of his clothes, and caught his shirt as Leo threw it to him. "Krunk, hand me my belt … it's that one over there. I have no idea where my manservant is … you'll need to help me get showered and dressed." "You're not serious." "What?" Meshia threw up his hands. "Do you expect me to do it myself?" Krunk sighed, shaking his head. "I can't believe I'm doing this … here." He handed Meshia the belt then followed him into the bathroom. "I'm going to leave," Dunlor said. "But I need to see the three of you sometime today so we can talk about what we need to do next." He crossed the room to the door and peered into the lounge before leaving and closing the door behind him. "Should we get up, too?" Leo snuggled in against Sebastian and ran his hand affectionately across his chest. "I really don't want to." "We should, but we'll let Meshia find out what Lakeda wants. We could have some dinner while he's doing that." Sebastian threw back the covers, lifted Leo

out of bed, slung him over his shoulder, and carried him to the bathroom. "I'm starving … excuse me, Krunk." Sebastian pushed past Krunk to get to the shower Meshia was already occupying. "I'm going to wait outside." Krunk left the bathroom and sat down in the bedchamber, cringing when he heard Leo squealing. He got up and left the room when Leo began moaning and swearing.

Lakeda had managed to arrive before the sandstorm hit, but she had been held up in the military office trying to get clearance to enter the rest of the palace. Meshia hadn't left any instructions regarding her identity or her security clearance. When she finally had the paperwork required to enter the royal wing, she was told that the men were in Ashti and wouldn't be returning for hours. She had been left to wait in the living room. She was settling in with a drink when an older Cardinian woman entered the room and sat down in a chair across from her. She sat quietly and watched Lakeda before she decided to speak. "My name is Serafin. I've just recently arrived in the palace." "I'm Lakeda … you look familiar. Have we met before?" "Not exactly, but I'm told I resemble my son." "Sebastian?" Lakeda set her glass down and clasped her hands together on her lap. "I'm not sure if you know who I am, but I want to apologize for what my family did to yours—" "I know who you are, and if it wasn't for your family buying my son, he wouldn't be where he is today." Serafin clapped her hands together at the end of her statement as if to close the conversation. She smiled warmly at Lakeda. "We won't discuss it further." "How did he find you?" Lakeda asked, agreeing to move on, despite how strange it made her feel. Her family had stolen this woman's son from her when he was a toddler.

Surely, that required some discussion. "Actually, it was Meshia and Leo who found me. Two years ago, they took a couple of days off and went to Amar—" "I'm sorry to interrupt, but are you certain it was Meshia and Leo? I'm not sure how well you know them, but those two absolutely hate each other. I can't imagine them spending any time in each other's company without killing each other." "It was a surprise for Sebastian." Serafin fidgeted with her skirt, her brow furrowed. "They left messages around the village inquiring into my whereabouts. It took a while for the messages to reach me, but eventually, they did." "Sebastian must have been so excited. I'm sorry I missed it … your son has been my best friend for as long as I can ." "Yes, he's told me all about you. He'll be very pleased you're here." Serafin turned to look toward the door. "I can't understand what's taking them so long." "Why? Are they here?" "Yes, they have been here all afternoon. Didn't anyone announce you when you were asked to wait in here?" "I was told the men were in Ashti." Lakeda stood and set her drink down. "Can you show me where they are?" "They're right across the hall in Meshia's chamber. They must be working on a big project … they've been in there for hours." Serafin's hands fluttered to her mouth. She leapt up and stepped in front of Lakeda. "I think I might be mistaken. You stay here, and I'll check." Lakeda followed Serafin as she rushed out of the room, across the hall, and knocked lightly on a large wooden door. Her sigh of relief was audible when Meshia answered the door. Lakeda wasn't sure what she had been expecting to find. "Lakeda is here," she said. "She's in the—"

"I'm right here," Lakeda announced. "Meshia, husband of mine, could we have a word?" Meshia gave Serafin a quick kiss on the cheek. He exhaled softly as he entered the lounge. "So nice to see you, Lakeda." "Why am I not on the secured list of visitors? Did you think I would never come to Cardin?" Back in the living room, Lakeda threw herself down on a sofa. "I can't believe you would assume I was never going to come and visit." In reality, it had been two and a half years since she had seen him—but still. Some authorization to be there would have been nice. "I'm sorry." Meshia poured himself a drink and took a seat on the chair across from her. "Are you—are you really?" Lakeda crossed her legs. Meshia shrugged. "It was an oversight." When he returned to the bar to refill his glass, Lakeda was stunned he wasn't arguing with her. He appeared incredibly calm. "What's wrong with you?" she asked, perplexed. "Why does everyone keep asking me that?" Meshia laughed as he threw some ice into his glass. "I'm happy … that's all." He grabbed his drink and went to sit beside Lakeda. "Things are good with you and Sebastian?" "Things are amazing right now." Meshia blushed and turned away. When he turned back toward her, a huge smile burst across his face, and he beamed at her. "Wow! You really are happy. I don't think I've ever seen you smile like that. It looks good on you." She brushed her hand along his cheek and smiled back at him. "Did you have a chance to talk to Serafin?"

"Yes, she's a lovely woman, and she tells me you and Leo found her. That was an incredibly nice thing to do for Sebastian." Lakeda laughed and tucked her feet up onto the sofa to get more comfortable. "I'm surprised you didn't kill Leo. You must love Sebastian a lot to put up with Leo harassing you the whole time you were away." "Actually, Leo didn't bother me at all. We work together every day … we've learned to get along with each other." "Sebastian must be pleased that the two of you aren't fighting with each other." "Yeah, he gets very excited when the two of us get on." Meshia chuckled and blushed. When he looked up, Lakeda was staring at him. "What? He's pleased about it, all right?" "You're freaking me out. I've never seen you like this before." Lakeda smudged her thumb across Meshia's eyelid. "And what's with all the eye makeup?" "Long story." The door crashed open, and Leo fell into the room onto the floor with Sebastian close behind. Meshia set his drink down and jumped up to help Leo to his feet. "What are you two doing?" Meshia straightened out the collar on Leo's shirt. "Eavesdropping," Leo replied, then jumped when Sebastian pinched him. "Ow! Sorry, my mistake. We just happened to be leaning against the door to the room you were in … unintentionally listening." "Lakeda, I'm so happy to see you." Sebastian rushed into Lakeda's outstretched arms and picked her up, swinging her around and holding her close. "It's been such a long time. Are you here on official business, or is this a real visit?" He took her hands and sat down beside her. "I wanted to make sure you weren't working too hard. And I'm curious to see the city and all the military stuff you have been working on. You must be so excited —" Lakeda scowled, distracted as Meshia rushed to Leo's side at the bar. They were

speaking quietly, and Leo was directing Meshia as to what he wanted to drink. Leo took the glass from Meshia's hand, stirred it slowly with the straw, put the straw in his mouth, and played with it, moving it in and out of his mouth, almost suggestively, then handed the straw to Meshia. Lakeda almost fell off the sofa when Meshia put the straw in his mouth and winked at Leo. "Nice going, you two. You couldn't put it away for one visit." Sebastian rose to his feet then took a seat on the other side of Lakeda to block her view. "Just ignore them. Honestly, they drive me crazy sometimes. They're just messing around to irritate me." Meshia smiled at Leo, tossed an ice cube at him, and walked back to sit across from Lakeda. "Can you two go and eavesdrop somewhere else? Or better yet, start that little job we were talking about … I'd like to finish my conversation with Lakeda." He waited until the men left the room then moved to sit beside Lakeda. He took Lakeda's hands firmly in his. "Why are you here?" "I know what you said before, but I want to move to Cardin. I can't stay on Mycea any longer. I'm dying of boredom. Zyphera and Sunna have been wonderful, but I feel more comfortable with you and Sebastian. We've always worked well together, and I want to help with the Cardinian Empire." "Why would you want to put yourself through that? You would have to live here with us in the royal suites. There's nowhere else for you to stay that's secure." "I know you want to be with Sebastian, and that's fine. I'll stay out of your way. In the evenings, you won't even know I'm here." "That wouldn't bother you. Seeing us together?" "Why would it?" "Lakeda … I know you had feelings for him. It was obvious every time you were around him. I was surprised when Sebastian told me you had never slept together."

A tinge of color rose in Lakeda's face. "That was a long time ago." "You came close, though, when he shared his energy with you …" "He told you about that?" "Sebastian thought it was important I knew." Meshia smiled. "Thankfully, he has kept the details of the rest of his sexual antics over the years to himself." "Wise move on his part." Meshia tipped his head and scrubbed a hand across his mouth. "Actually, you know, we could use you around here. I'd have to run the idea by Leo and Sebastian first, though." "Leo and Sebastian?" Lakeda furrowed her brow. Meshia had used Leo's name first—before Sebastian's. It was telling. "You and Leo weren't joking around earlier, were you?" "No." Meshia shook his head. "And that's something you need to know if you're planning on moving here. Leo and I started seeing each other six months after I moved to Cardin." Lakeda placed a hand on her throat—silent. He had to be joking. She lowered her hand to her lap. "You'll have to forgive me if I appear stunned … but you hate him." She reached for Meshia's hand, grasping it. Surely, he wasn't telling the truth. "You have never had any respect for Leo. You wanted to kill him—you threatened to kill him."

Meshia laughed at the memory. "I'm so glad I didn't. It turns out there's more to Leo than I ever could have imagined. He's a beautiful and enlightened spirit who makes my life worth living."

Lakeda's hand fluttered to her mouth. "You're in love with him?" "And miraculously, he loves me back." "How does Sebastian fit into all this? He and Leo haven't separated, have they?" "No, they haven't." Meshia left the sofa and made his way over to the bar. If Lakeda was going to start a lecture, he needed to numb himself to it. "We're together. All of us." Lakeda sat back and closed her eyes, rubbing at her temples. "And everyone is all right with this?" "We were just talking about it before I came in here. They're moving their stuff into my chamber as we speak. It doesn't make sense for them to keep a separate chamber if they're going to be sleeping with me every night." "That's more than I needed to know." Meshia wiped a finger across his lips. "Are you sure you want to move here?" "Meshia, I've never seen you this happy. If your twisted relationship with Sebastian and Leo is what's making you this happy, I'm not going to judge you for it." "I wish everyone felt that way." "Why? What happened?" "We lost a huge portion of our military. Almost the entire First Battalion resigned because they didn't want to follow me anymore." "They always were a narrow-minded bunch. Look at how they used to harass Sebastian for being Cardinian. You're better off without them." "I suppose. It was a bit of a shock, though." Lakeda approached Meshia at the bar and turned him toward her. She wrapped

her arms around him and pulled him close, resting her head against his chest. "You guys are my family. I love you and Sebastian both … in my own way … and I'm sure Leo will grow on me. Please let me stay." Meshia released a heavy sigh. "Fine … let's go find them. We'll talk it through first, but I'm sure they'll be all right with the move." Meshia smiled as Lakeda beamed up at him. There was only one thing. "Don't make me regret this."

Chapter Twelve

The move to Cardin was more straightforward than what Lakeda had expected. She had very few belongings she could call her own, and it had only taken her a few weeks to get the running of the Neter colony handed over completely. She'd given the job to Zoltar. He was smart, and he was capable, and she didn't want him coming with her. Their encounter had not been a one-time thing, but she didn't want to encourage him by asking him to move to Cardin as her bodyguard. Lakeda's new chamber in the Cardinian palace was as far away from the men's as was possible. She was thankful for it. Some of the staff had told her the men's lounge was often clothing optional in the evenings, and she definitely didn't want to run into them or witness any of their antics. It would be difficult enough seeing Sebastian with the two men—clothed. It had taken her a while to get up to speed with the computers, but Leo had been very helpful, spending hours with her going over the finest details of how to best use the programs to get the most out of the information that was stored in them. He had surprised her. Truly. Leo was surprisingly intelligent, patient—and funny. Her first trip to Ashti had taken her breath away. She never could have imagined that such a city existed anywhere in the empire, let alone on Cardin. The architecture was breathtaking, and the gardens had been lovingly restored with an abundance of greenery and colossal fountains depicting scenes of love and beauty. It was a city bustling with people, art, and culture, and Lakeda loved it. She was busy in the marketplace looking for a small gift of appreciation for Leo

when she ran into Sebastian. Actually, he came up behind her, grabbed her around the waist, and swung her around in circles. She did her best not to scream, but one bubbled up out of her. "What are you looking for?" he asked, setting her down. "You're lucky I wasn't carrying a dagger. You shouldn't sneak up on people like that." "I wasn't sneaking … I was looking for you." Sebastian grabbed her hand and led her away from the marketplace. "Where are we going? I wasn't finished shopping … Sebastian." Lakeda looked toward the main concourse as a deafening sound permeated the air. Sebastian was grinning at her as he continued to pull her along toward the ship that was landing. "It's been a few days since we took the starships out. Leo had some minor modifications to make, but they're ready to go now. We'll be leaving tomorrow for Marjar. I want to show you one before we take off." Lakeda stammered at the sight of the colossal ship. "Meshia said they were massive, but I had no idea. How many floors does that thing have? It looks like a small city." "The landing bay can accommodate two hundred fleet ships, but we've opted to take at least four of the old warships on each one, so we'll have a few less than that. There are three hundred shared chambers, fourteen dining rooms, ten large lounges, five entertainment complexes, and there's even a theatre on one of them. Do you want to take a look?" Lakeda squeezed Sebastian's hand. "Lead the way." The starships were like something out of the distant future. Lakeda was having difficulty wrapping her head around the fact that these were real, and they belonged to the Cardinian Empire. That Cardinians had built them over two hundred years ago.

The entire tour took over four hours, and Lakeda thoroughly enjoyed it. She was pleased she would be staying on Cardin with Meshia and Leo while Sebastian went to Marjar. Space travel had never been one of her favorite things. Thankfully, her job required her to stay in the military offices. Paperwork was more her speed. When they returned to the palace, to the men's private lounge, Leo was flying about frantically looking through reams of maps and images. Meshia was chasing after him, shouting his name, and trying to get a grip on him, but was being completely unsuccessful. He let out a sigh when Sebastian approached them. "He's completely freaking out," Meshia said. "I have no idea what he's talking about. Something about Marjar not being what it's supposed to be … I don't understand." Lakeda stepped out of the way.

Sebastian ran up behind Leo, scooped him off his feet, and shuffled him across the hall into their chamber. Meshia was about to follow, but Sebastian closed the door in his face. "You found what you were looking for, didn't you?" "I knew something wasn't right, Seb. There's a slight indent in one of the valleys between those two mountain ranges in the southern hemisphere. It's barely visible, but the latest pictures that came back were taken as the sun was going down, and you can see a shadow. Get the pictures. The light is better in here anyway." Sebastian left the bedchamber and pushed past Meshia to get the pictures from the lounge. He maneuvered around Lakeda, who was standing in the middle of the room, looking confused. He grabbed some photos, went back across the hall, and locked Meshia out. "What are we looking at?"

Leo spread the pictures out on the bed, overlaying them to create one large image. "Right here." He pointed to an area that had an unusually symmetrical outline on its surface. "That shouldn't be there. Unless a completely round asteroid hit Marjar at some point." "I don't understand what the significance is." "Sebastian, Marjar doesn't show up on any ancient Cardinian Empire maps. I thought it was because the planet of Marjar wasn't part of the Cardinian Empire at that time, but that's not what it is. I think the planet of Marjar didn't exist until the Supreme Council showed up." "Where did it come from? How did it get here?" "My guess … it's the Supreme Council's mother ship." Leo picked through the rest of the photos and lifted a superimposed image he had drawn. Sebastian smoothed the parchment out with his hand as Leo tapped on the page. "I traced all the unusual lines on the planet's surface, and this is what I came up with." He handed it to Sebastian and sat down on the edge of the bed. "A ship the size of a fucking planet, Leo. What the hell are we going to do? We have no idea what they have hiding in there. What if they've only been sending out their old ships to throw us off?" Sebastian fell back on the bed and held the tracing up to the light. "We need to get in there and see what we're up against." "Should I get Meshia and Lakeda?" "Yeah, we're going to need everyone to figure this one out. Can you call down for the commanders as well?" Their private lounge was soon filled with people that generally would not have been allowed access to the royal wing. All twenty of the top commanders and all the starship captains were in attendance at the emergency meeting. It had been decided that the Supreme Council ship needed to be infiltrated so that details of what lay inside could be relayed back to the Cardinian Empire. An argument was underway because Leo had suggested he would be the best person for the job.

"I'm sorry you disagree, but think about it," Leo said. "I'm the only person that is going to know what to look for technology-wise, I'll be able to relay the information immediately through the circle, and I'll have you two to protect me." "Theoretically, if we were to agree to this," Sebastian said hesitantly. "How would you get onto Marjar? You're Cardinian. You wouldn't exactly blend in." "The Marjar keep Cardinian slaves, don't they?" answered Leo. "Transport me in amongst their next shipment. They'll set my price high because … they just will, and I'll be bought by someone fairly high up in the hierarchy. Once I'm in at that level, I should be able to locate information regarding the interior of the ship." "He's making sense to us." One of the senior commanders stepped forward after conferring with the others around him. "Obviously, we're taking a risk sending him in undercover, but Prince Leozeuramun is the only one that can pull this off." "I don't like it." Meshia pulled Leo tight against his body. "Leo, I'm not comfortable with this either," Sebastian said. "It makes sense in theory, but it makes me feel sick to my stomach. What if something happened and I couldn't transport you out of there in time?" "We need to think about this." Meshia looked at the gathered of the military. "We'll talk it over tonight, and we'll let you know what we decide in the morning." He took Leo's hand and headed toward the door of their bedchamber, with Sebastian following close behind. Once Sebastian ushered the men into their bedchamber, he turned and nodded to the military commanders and captains that had stopped to stare and closed the door. They had just received an unprecedented glimpse into the lives of their rulers. The three men prepared for bed without speaking. The possibility that this might be the last time they spent time together like this for a while weighed heavily on them. Their routine together started in the bathroom, where Leo removed everyone's makeup, and Sebastian ed around the hot clothes required to wipe away the body glitter that they had all started wearing on a regular basis. Meshia retrieved Leo's nightshirt from the warming tray and pulled it on over his head,

and Sebastian lifted Leo onto the counter so he could brush his hair. The routine went off as usual, except Leo was weeping softly as he got into bed. Meshia and Sebastian climbed in on either side of him and pressed him closely between their bodies as they watched over him. The decision was made upon whispering lips.

The next morning, Sebastian ran black dye through Leo's hair to remove the blue hue. Meshia had to turn away when Sebastian cut into Leo's hair and started shredding the ends. Leo looked in the mirror, tears leaving wet streaks on his cheeks. He wasn't worried about his hair. He could conjure it back. It was how Meshia reacted that had tears welling up in his eyes. The depth of Meshia's love for him was on full display. "Baby, it's all right." Leo touched Meshia's face. "It's just hair." Meshia toyed with the hair on the counter, gathered up a small bunch, and held it to his nose. "I know, but I've spent so much time with that hair in my face when I'm trying to fall asleep …" He smiled. "And I wouldn't have it any other way." "I love you." Leo looked at Sebastian. "Both." Meshia kissed Leo's hand. "And we, you." "We're almost done." Sebastian reached for Leo, helping him to slip off the counter. They worked together to wash Leo down to remove any remnants of glitter or herbal body oils that might still be sticking to his skin, and Serafin arrived with a modified version of what she had been wearing the day she had arrived at the palace and helped Leo into it. She looked Leo over and determined that, although his outward appearance would for a stunning and thus very expensive slave, he would be setting himself up for scrutiny as soon as he opened his mouth and spoke. It was decided that Leo would pretend he couldn't speak. It might lower his price

and place him lower on the hierarchy of potential buyers, but it was necessary. "There's a slave transport ship that runs from the south to the northernmost city every week. It contains slaves that have been marked as unfit for manual labor. Those most suited to domestic work or entertainment." Dunlor kneeled beside Leo, holding a glowing red hot ring of metal in his hand. "I'm going to mark you for entertainment because that is where you're more likely to encounter the officials you need to complete your mission. Unfortunately, I can't find a way to do this authentically through conjuring, so we have to go with the real thing. I'm going to apologize in advance … this is going to be quite painful." "Just do it," Leo said and braced himself, but he was completely unprepared for the flesh-piercing pain of branding. He screamed in agony, causing both Meshia and Sebastian to drop to their knees at his side. His shuddering breath and quick inhalations had Dunlor motioning for the men to invoke their circle to keep him from going into shock. "You need to get him stabilized quickly. There isn't much time left for you to transport him onto the slave ship." The light was fading in and out, Leo's head throbbing. Stars burst behind his eyes. Dunlor held his hand over Leo's head and snapped his fingers at the men. "He's fine. Send him now, Sebastian." "But he's almost unconscious." Sebastian rubbed the tears from his face as he leaned over Leo and kissed his lips. "I love you." He ran his hand down the side of Leo's face as he moved away so Meshia could say goodbye to him. Leo tried to return the sentiment, but his mind was too muddy. Meshia broke down as he lifted Leo to his chest and held him. He whispered something into his ear then kissed him softly before setting him back on the ground. Leo was mulling over Meshia's words when black fuzz crept in around the edges.

"Sebastian, can you get a lock on the ship?" Meshia asked. "Yes, I'm tracking its movement." Meshia sighed. "Do it." Sebastian looked down at Leo, closed his eyes, and transported him to the slave ship.

Leo was awoken by the horrendous stench before anything else and rolled over onto his knees, so he could crawl into a corner to vomit, but his path was blocked by a mass of huddled bodies, all shivering from the cold. His skin was still warm from the heat of the Cardinian sun, but that would soon fade, and he too would feel the chill of the evening air over Marjar. His sudden appearance hadn't drawn any attention as most of the slaves were either asleep, unconscious, or as was the case with the old woman leaning against him; dead. Leo shivered as he pushed the woman's body away from him and repositioned himself next to a slightly larger man that might provide him with some heat if he sat close enough. The man turned and glared at Leo as he moved closer but snorted his consent after thoroughly looking Leo over. The people in the slave hold spilled to one side, along with the dead bodies, urine, and excrement covering its floor as the ship banked hard. Leo couldn't contain his nausea any longer and repeatedly vomited down the front of his clothing. He brushed away the remains of it after ing what he'd had for lunch. The daily delicacies he enjoyed were not the types of foods one would typically find in a slave's stomach. He groaned at the thought of what, if anything, he was going to end up eating until he completed his mission. He had become reaccustomed to the palace's chefs. The ship leveled out and engaged the reverse thrusters, bringing it down to the

ground. Rumbling—grinding. The door crashed open, and many Marjar slave traders with clubs and whips ran into the space to herd the slaves out of the ship and into a large corral with an electrified fence. Leo tried to stay ahead of the Marjar, but being slighter in build than most of the other slaves, he ended up falling back and ultimately received the sting of a whip across his back, which he healed instinctively and continued on his way. He fell headlong into the corral where more Marjar were sorting their way through the latest shipment of slaves. Their language of clicks and hisses permeated the air. It was a complex language but one he had mastered as a child. "Look at this one!" Leo was grabbed and pulled along by one of the Marjar slave traders. He cringed. The Marjar were ugly, horrible creatures. Their skin was a sickly greenish-black and rough to the touch, and they had small spikes protruding from their flesh at regular intervals along their arms and legs. Leo flinched as one of the spikes of the female dragging him grazed his thigh. "I haven't seen one this pretty in a long time." Leo gasped as he was flung onto the stage at the front of the corral. The Marjar on the stage rolled him over roughly with his spiny foot to examine Leo's face, then reached down and hauled him onto his feet by his hair. "He should fetch a healthy profit." The slave trader examined him more carefully and was taken aback momentarily when he opened his mouth to look at Leo's teeth. "Your last master took excellent care of you; let's see why—" Cringing at the intrusion, Leo's clothing was removed, and his body checked over for imperfections. "Very nice indeed. I don't know who owned you before, but you must be extremely good at your job … there's not a mark on you." Leo smiled smugly as he saw the price being marked on his bare chest, then stumbled to keep from falling as the flow of slaves headed to the auction arena began moving. The channel to the arena narrowed slightly, and a fierce jet of water shot across

its width. He closed his eyes and ran through the water, pleased that some of the horrendous smell would be removed from his skin. The arena was filled with hundreds of Marjar, making him feel self-conscious about his nudity. He looked around at the other slaves and contented himself with the fact that they were all on display. There was no reason he should stand out from the others. Then Leo took a second look at the other slaves and realized he was kidding himself … he was going to stand out as if he had been painted pink and covered in glitter. Cardinian royal family genetics, the benefits of a charmed healthy life of a prince, and the lack of tattoos on his flawless skin were causing people to stare. He closed his eyes as he felt the color rise in his face. Luckily, he was quickly hauled from the arena … having been purchased within seconds of appearing in front of the crowd. A dark-colored robe was thrown at him, and he pulled it on over his head and followed the Marjar motioning to him. They ed through a long hallway and out into a courtyard where a carriage was waiting. He stood by its side and waited … he was surprised and relieved when the carriage door opened, and he was directed to climb inside. He was not in the mood to ride on top or run alongside as he had seen his own servants do. It was dark inside the carriage, and it took a few seconds for his eyes to adjust. He was pleasantly surprised to see a Mycean man sitting across from him but almost ed out when he recognized the eyes. When the man introduced himself as Amundar, Leo just about choked and had to recover by pretending to have a cough. The carriage's rocking motion allowed Leo to close his eyes and pretend to be asleep so he could figure out what he was going to do next. Leo sighed to himself … what were the chances of traveling all the way to Marjar and being bought by Meshia's father? Sebastian was right … the circle was twisted. He couldn't push out to Sebastian and Meshia for advice. Amundar was a wizard and would sense the increased energy flow. Leo shivered. Amundar could probably detect a difference in his energy already. The circle blocked anyone from detecting his conjuring abilities as long as he

didn't use them, but his energy signature would appear unusual to a well-trained eye like Amundar's. He couldn't wait to get out of the carriage … once he learned where he was going to be working, he would be able to formulate a plan to quickly determine what Amundar was doing on Marjar before making any other decisions.

Amundar watched the new slave as he slept, then moved closer to investigate the strange energy coming from him. He changed seats, so he was seated beside him and brought his face up close to the slave's neck. He laughed to himself as he sensed the slave's heart rate increase. He wasn't asleep at all. His breath became heavy and thick as he ran his hand up the inside of the slave's leg to investigate what he had under his robe. Amundar was always on the lookout for male Cardinian slaves of extraordinary beauty. It was a new obsession after decades of denying himself the pleasure. If he was lucky, one day, he would find the exact one he was looking for. This one looked vaguely familiar, but then most of the more exquisite ones looked alike.

The carriage abruptly came to a stop outside a large villa in the middle of nowhere. Leo jumped down out of the carriage when the door opened and waited for Amundar to exit. He wanted to run into the villa and find a place to hide before Amundar tried to touch him again, but that wasn't going to help him find out why Amundar was on Marjar. Leo obediently followed Amundar into the villa and was relieved when he appeared to be handing him off to another slave. "Get him cleaned up and brought back to me," Amundar said. The slave bowed. "Yes, sir." "And move that other slave out of my bedchamber. I want this one instead."

Leo's stomach churned violently as he was pulled along by the slave Amundar had spoken to. He needed to come up with a plan quickly. He couldn't use his conjuring abilities to protect himself from Amundar. His own individual abilities were no match for Amundar's, and if he invoked the circle, the Supreme Council would sense it immediately. All their preparation work on Cardin could be in jeopardy if he lost his nerve. He was almost in tears when the slave hauled him down a set of stairs and opened the door to a small but sufficient bathroom. "You heard the master, clean yourself up." He was shoved into the room. The water was barely hot enough, but Leo managed to scrub away the slave ship smell from his skin. His current plan was to openly offer himself, so Amundar wouldn't change his mind about having him in his bedchamber. The whole arrangement made Leo's skin crawl, but at least it would get him alone with Amundar. Once there, he wasn't sure how he would broach the subject of Amundar residing on Marjar. After he had dried off, he rooted through the drawers of a dresser in the corner of the room. He found a pair of scissors, some colorful old scarves, and some broken costume jewelry. He set to work evening out his hair and weaving a few thin shreds of the colored scarves into it. He broke some of the jewelry down to attach to his hair and other pieces with more of a golden color. He ground it down into a powder and poured it into a small container. He dug around some more and just about cried when he spotted a purple eyeliner pencil tucked into the back corner of the bottom drawer. Purple was not his thing, but he wasn't going to be fussy. He grabbed the robe he had arrived in and used a washcloth to clean away any smell and soiling that might have come off his skin from the ship, then cut it into an appropriate shape for his body. Once he was finished cutting, he spat into his hand and rubbed the spit into the cloth. By the time he was finished, the entire garment was permeated with the scent of cinnamon. He put it on over his head and used the scarves' braided remains to cinch the waist, leaving just enough thigh showing to be enticing without being rude. Turning to face the mirror, he used a mixture of his saliva and the gold dust to

dress his eyes. He sharpened the eyeliner with his thumbnail and ran some beautiful lines above and below his eyes. Once he was satisfied with his look, he stepped out of the bathroom and made his way back upstairs. Leo entered the lounge that was positioned just off the dining room. It was an average-sized room with two overstuffed sofas near the center and a high-backed chair facing a roaring fire. It was in this chair that Amundar was seated, watching the flames. Gathering his courage, Leo walked around to the front of the chair and climbed into Amundar's lap. He breathed a sigh of relief when Amundar simply wrapped his arms around him. He should have been prepared for Amundar's roving hands, though; it was one of Meshia's habits as well. He was about to close his eyes and hold his breath to block out the sensation when the bell was wrung for dinner. He leapt down and took off for the kitchen to wait until Amundar finished his meal. He was met by a slave cleaning the pots and pans used in the preparation of the meal. "So you're the new one," the slave said. "You've caused quite a stir already. Where did you get all that stuff you're wearing?" "It was all in the bathroom downstairs … I just had to modify everything a bit. I've had some experience deg costumes, so it was pretty easy to play with …" Stop talking. "What's your name?" This was something they hadn't discussed before he left Cardin. He thought briefly, and the name Seth came out. "It's nice to meet you, Seth. You have your work cut out for you. Amundar is extremely demanding and abusive when it comes to his chamber slaves, but you look like you know what you're doing." "Yeah, I've had years of experience sleeping with Myceans." Leo peered out into the dining room … it was uncanny how similar Amundar's mannerisms were to Meshia's. They were definitely father and son in their looks, but their

personalities were nothing alike from what he now knew. Meshia's aggression was tame in comparison to his father's. "Who did you serve before?" "Hmm … um, King Meshia." "Amundar's son? Does he know?" "Definitely not, and I'm not planning on telling him. You wouldn't happen to know why Amundar is on Marjar, would you." "Oh, sure. He's looking for a conjuring Cardinian named Sebastian." "Really? Why is he looking on Marjar?" "At some point, every slave ends up on Marjar. He visits the slave auction every week … apparently, this Sebastian is quite the beauty, so he is always on the lookout for him." "Why is he so interested in this … Sebastian?" "Apparently, there's some prophecy where Sebastian brings destruction to someone … it involves sand people or something … I don't know. All I know is that he wants to be part of it." "Does he follow what's happening in the rest of the empire?" "No. Information about what's happening in the rest of the empire is impossible to get on Marjar." Leo peered out into the dining room. Amundar was finishing up. "I'll see you later. I was nice to meet you—" "Zurec." "Zurec." Leo thought that was strange … he had a cousin named Zurec that had gone missing years ago. He turned back to look at him but didn't see any family resemblance. He pushed his way through the doors and followed Amundar as he climbed the

stairs to his bedchamber. What Zurec had told him was encouraging. It sounded like Amundar was probably still on the side of the empire, but Leo couldn't understand how he had managed to live amongst the Marjar without being detected. He hadn't even bothered to change his name, and surely the Supreme Council would know he was there … even Leo could feel the hum of his energy, and he wasn't trained to look for it like the Supreme Council wizards. He was entirely distracted by his thoughts as Amundar closed his bedchamber door behind them. He didn't feel the burn of the spell until it was too late.

Leo leaned over the edge of the bed and threw up; the blood that had found its way into his stomach now soaking the white bed linens. He couldn't take much more of this … Amundar had been at it for hours. He had no memory of how he had ended up in Amundar's bed, but he could recall in disturbingly vivid detail what had happened while he had been in it. As he lay there, while Amundar took a break, his mind floated about aimlessly, and his ears buzzed from the spell Amundar was using to control him, a spell that had compelled him to comply with Amundar's every request. And Amundar's requests had left his body in extremely bad shape. Sore and broken didn't begin to describe it. Leo's body had automatically started healing itself, a recent development in his abilities. Still, it was becoming too weak to continue for much longer without Leo guiding it with his mind. A cool breeze came in through the window beside the bed that felt refreshing on Leo's face; the coolness reminded him of the fields outside the Neter colony where he and Sebastian used to walk after a rainstorm. He was reaching out to take Sebastian's outstretched hand in his mind when Amundar flipped him onto his back. "I think you've had enough." Amundar loomed over Leo breathing heavily from the exertion of the evening's activities. "You're very talented … with your body and with your healing spells." Amundar laughed as Leo groaned beneath him. "You thought I wouldn't notice the flurry of healing going on so close to my

skin." Amundar ran his hand down Leo's face and across his chest. "You are absolutely exquisite … and you can heal yourself. You're a dream come true for someone of my tastes." Amundar climbed off Leo and lay back on the pillows beside him. Leo breathed a sigh of relief as Amundar started a healing spell that was thankfully interwoven with one for alertness and a sense of well-being. The ringing in his ears was replaced by the sound of the light wind outside the window, and he was soon able to stretch out and begin a detailed assessment of any remaining injuries. He rolled over to see Amundar staring at him. "Before I decide to keep you, I need to know the extent of your conjuring." Amundar reached behind him and grabbed a container full of hot washcloths, and handed one to Leo. He waited while Leo took one cloth after another and cleaned the blood from his face and neck. "No more washcloths. Conjure the rest away." "What?" "Oh, so you can speak … I thought you could only moan sweetly—you're quite vocal when you cum." He nodded at Leo. "Conjure the rest of the blood away and show me some tricks. I want to know what else you can do besides heal yourself." Leo's hands balled up in irritation. "I don't do parlor tricks, and I don't use conjuring for things I can do myself." "And why is that?" Amundar cocked his head to one side, an eyebrow raised. "Because if you use conjuring for everything, you may as well be dead." Leo threw the last of the washcloths back in the container. "What would be the point of living if you never did anything yourself. If you just sat on your ass all day conjuring up your heart's desire." He slipped off the bed and started looking for his clothes under the blankets. "It's the little things in life that make it worth living. The simplest of experiences, the sensations, the tastes, the routines of everyday life with those you love." Leo stopped as a tear escaped down his cheek. He swiped it away and continued tossing the blankets around. He finally found his robe and threw it on over his head. He took a deep breath and shuddered before looking in Amundar's

direction. "I can't believe what you did to me ... what you put me through." Amundar squinted at him. "Who are you … really?" "What difference does it make?" "I want to know who you are. And don't tell me you're a Cardinian slave because after hearing you speak, that would be the most ridiculous lie I've ever heard." Leo closed his eyes and carefully examined Amundar's energy and found that while Amundar was powerful, he was no match for what he had access to if he decided to invoke the circle. He wasn't playing this game anymore. If the Supreme Council detected an energy surge from the circle, they would just have to move up the launch date for the Cardinian Empire. He was going to take a chance that Amundar was on their side. Opening his eyes, Leo saw Amundar staring intently at him with a look of curiosity. "That was quite the scan," Amundar said. "I feel positively exposed. Did you find what you were looking for?" "Yeah, that you're a sick bastard, but I already knew that." Leo crossed the room, opened the door, and poked his head out. He snapped his fingers at one of the slaves standing in the hallway. The man was taken aback but approached tentatively. Leo spoke brusquely to him for a moment, then slammed the door in his face in frustration. He turned back to face Amundar, who looked positively amused at the exchange. "Seriously, who are you?" asked Amundar again. "Just give me a minute … I usually do things myself, but apparently, you don't have the means by which I can clean myself up properly, and I can't think straight looking like this." Leo exhaled loudly and closed his eyes. The transformation was gradual at first, beginning with the blood. It progressed to bringing his hair and nails back to their usual state of perfection and completed with immaculate makeup, stunning clothing, and jewelry. Amundar was in hysterics by the time Leo finished.

"I knew it. I knew I recognized you," he said. "You know who I am?" "You look older now, of course, but you were a gift given to me many years ago by your brother, Prince Seth." "You knew who I was back then?" "Of course, Prince Leozeuramun. I figured you must have run away for a good reason. Who was I to question it? That's why I didn't keep you. I'm not in the habit of sleeping with other monarchs. You should have said something when I bought you." "Unbelievable." Leo dropped into a chair by the window and pushed it open wider to see across the valley to the lit vineyards in the hills. The planet of Marjar was an amazing feat of engineering. Looking out the window at the landscape like this, you would never suspect that it surrounded a large metal ship. "What side are you on?" He needed to stay focused. The euphoric qualities of Amundar's healing spell were still buzzing around in his head, distracting him. For the moment, he was glad of it. He didn't want to what Amundar had done to him. As long as he could find out what he needed. "I'm sorry. I don't understand." Amundar climbed off the bed and grabbed for his robe. He stood beside Leo and looked out the window in the direction Leo was staring. "You tried to wipe the Marjar out of existence, and now you're living here amongst them. I don't get it." Leo pushed the chair away from the window and turned to face Amundar. "Tell me what side you're on because from my perspective, there are only two sides; the Supreme Council and the empire. And I want to know who you . And please don't say yourself, because that would be the wrong answer." "I've only ever ed the empire." "Then I don't understand how you can continue to live amongst the Marjar after what they did. Did you know that when the Marjar attacked Mycea, they

captured Meshia? They forced him to imprison thousands of Mycean people. They stripped him down and whipped him in public arenas." Leo grabbed the chair and tossed it across the room. "Your own son … I don't care how much of a maniacal bastard you are. You don't let that happen to your own son. Where were you? Why didn't you warn him? Surely you were aware of the Marjar's intention." Amundar sat down on the edge of his bed and rubbed his hand across his face and around the back of his neck. He cleared his throat and shook his head. "I had no idea they had launched an attack on Mycea. It's difficult to get any information here." He cleared his throat and ran his hand across his eyes. "Is Meshia all right?" "He's fine. Meshia is a true king and an incredible man that's more than capable of handling himself." "Do you know my son well?" "I sometimes hang out with him and … someone else." "How did you end up on a slave ship?" "I lost a high-stakes bet. We get bored sometimes. But you could have killed me. What the hell is wrong with you, anyway?" Leo returned to the window to watch the glow of the rising moon. The Supreme Council must have pulled it into Marjar's orbit somehow. "Why are you looking for a Cardinian named Sebastian?" "How did you hear about that?" "I have ears—" "I need to find him … he is a wizard of astronomical proportions." "How do you know that?" "There's an ancient prophecy that says, "A great circle of purple light will fall upon the people of the sky, and they will be judged. The sand wizard and his

brothers will hold counsel and decide their fate. The tree wizard will share power and rectify all that has been taken, and the son of the sand will rise up and bring honor to those most ancient of beings."" He sat forward excitedly. "Do you see?" "No. You surmised from that age that there's a Cardinian wizard named Sebastian running around out there?" "The sand wizard is real. I felt his energy surge when he was born and tracked the residual energy signature to Amar, but he was no longer there, and his mother didn't know who the slave trader was that took him. Recently, his energy has been rippling through, combined with a new force I can't identify. Sebastian is destined to lead the empire against the evils of the Supreme Council and their Marjar soldiers. I need to find him so I can guide him in that quest. I know more about the Supreme Council and the Marjar than anyone else in the empire." Amundar raced over to his jacket, pulled out a worn picture, and handed it to Leo. "This is a picture of him when he was fifteen. His energy was all over the picture when I found it." The picture was of Sebastian in one of the musical theatre productions they had worked on together. He was wearing some crazy getup they were using for the blacklight effect. Leo flipped the picture over to see the words Sebastian - 15 written on the back. It was in Sebastian's own handwriting. "Is that why you're living on Marjar?" Leo asked. "You're looking for this Sebastian." "At some point, every slave ends up on Marjar. I abandoned my family on Mycea, so I could spend all my time looking for him. The Supreme Council has to be stopped before they take over the empire." "I'm sure if they were planning on doing that, they would have done it already." Leo handed the picture back to Amundar. "You've been poking away at my energy field for far too long. It's getting annoying … stop it." "It's all bumpy and inconsistent. Why are you really on Marjar?" "Do you know how to get into the ship?" "That's why you're here—" Amundar removed his robe and started rifling

through the clothes in his closet. "It's not that exciting. It was probably the height of technology in its day, but now its only working function is to maintain the environment on the surface. I use one of its old entrances to store my gold in. I'll show you if you like." Amundar turned to face Leo with a look of deep concentration wrinkling his face. "What are you up to? Is this part of your bet?" "There was no bet. I made that up." Leo picked the chair up off the floor and sat down. "I'm going to bring you up to date because I think you might be useful. I'm here on official military business for the Cardinian Empire." "The Cardinian Empire?" "Yes, the old empire no longer exists. The Cardinian Empire was resurrected almost three years ago." "What happened to the old empire?" "Your son shut it down." "Who heads up the Cardinian Empire?" "King Meshia, myself and … King Sebastian." "King Sebastian? Not my Sebastian … is it?" "It is … he's been living on Mycea since he was two. Lakeda's family bought him for her as a companion." "He's been on Mycea all this time … who's Lakeda?" "Your son's wife." Leo furrowed his brow. "You really don't know anything, do you?" "You said that Sebastian is a king. How did that happen? Meshia would have had to weave a spell like that himself." He rubbed a thumb across his jaw. "Why would he do that?" "Because the three of us are very close." Leo leaned forward in his chair. "You know that part of the prophecy about the brothers? That's probably us. We're bound together by a Cardinian triad circle, and we consult each other about

everything." "That makes sense … Sebastian is the sand wizard, Meshia is the tree wizard, and you must be the son of the sand." Amundar reached out and ed himself against the wall, grabbing at his chest. Beads of sweat appeared on his face. "Are you all right? You don't look so good." Leo approached Amundar and laid his hand on his forehead. He swore to himself as Amundar collapsed onto the ground. He had no desire to save this man that had violated him, except that he was Meshia's father and he might be useful to them. His preference would have been to let him die right there on the floor, but instead, he dropped to his knees and ripped open Amundar's shirt and threw a surge of healing energy straight into his heart. He continued the flow until he sensed a steady and even rhythm.

Sebastian's eyes flew open, and he looked out across the room for Meshia. He could feel him in the room … he sighed as Meshia's warm breath tickled the back of his neck. He must have climbed in behind him on the sofa while he'd been meditating and tracking Leo's energy. He tucked himself in closer and pulled Meshia's arm around his chest. He had been tracking Leo's energy patterns. There had been some sharp spikes that were to be expected if he was being run through a slave auction. And there had been several familiar spikes that were telltale signs that Leo was having sex with someone. He sighed. He trusted Leo's judgment. It must have been necessary to secure the information he was looking for. After that, there had been one bizarre spike that indicated he was healing someone close to death. He contented himself with the fact that if Leo was in trouble, he would push out to him. "Meshia, wake up." Sebastian rolled over and poked at him. He smiled when Meshia's eyes opened in front of his own. He ran his tongue along Meshia's lips and kissed him. He shrieked softly as Meshia grabbed him by the hips and took his mouth more aggressively.

Meshia pulled away and gazed into Sebastian's eyes. "I'm awake now." Sebastian grinned as his hand floated down Meshia's body, cupping his growing bulge gently. "That you are." Over the past few months, they had not been spending much time just the two of them. He and Leo always found time to be away from the group, and Meshia managed to see Leo on his own every few days, but the two of them hadn't been alone since they had all moved in together. "I've missed you." Sebastian brushed a few fingers along Meshia's lips and laughed when Meshia nipped at them with his teeth. "Yeah, it's been a while since it was just the two of us." Meshia grabbed Sebastian and flipped him onto the floor. He landed on top of him, ready to tear into him. "Meshia!" Sebastian held up his hands and pushed hard on Meshia's chest. "Not like that." He stroked Meshia's face and whispered to him. "I don't want you to hurt me anymore." "I thought you liked it." "I used to, but I want you to love me gently from now on." Sebastian looked into Meshia's eyes and saw a starry glint appear in one corner. It quickly turned to a tear that Meshia brushed away with his thumb. "Like when it's the three of us?" "Yeah … like the three of us." Sebastian pushed Meshia off and covered his face. "I want to hold him so bad. And fall asleep to those little noises he makes when he's happy—" "How is he?" Meshia lay down with his head propped up in one hand and drew circles on Sebastian's chest with the other. "I don't see anything out of the ordinary." Sebastian was just about to close his

eyes and enjoy the attention he was receiving from Meshia when Leo pushed through in a panic. "Seb! Get me out of here! Seb!" A massive surge in Leo's energy. "I've got Amundar with me. Please get us the fuck out of here!"

Chapter Thirteen

Their private lounge was suddenly filled with blue smoke and charged particles of conjuring energy. Sebastian and Meshia both ducked as a bolt of lightning made its way down the path Sebastian had opened up to transport Leo home. Sebastian scoured the path for any traces of a tether or a Supreme Council tracker. There was one tracker in place that he was having trouble shutting down until he invoked the circle. It had only made it halfway back to Marjar. As far as Sebastian could tell, there wouldn't be a way for anyone to read it unless it actually arrived back. He looked over to where Leo had landed in the middle of the room, and sure enough, he had who he assumed was Amundar with him. He spun as Meshia launched himself over the back of the sofa and managed to intercept him before he attacked his father. "Meshia, stop … he's unconscious." Sebastian used all his strength to try and hold Meshia from pushing past him. "Good. It'll be easier to kill him." Meshia pushed harder at Sebastian and finally knocked him off his feet. "Leo, get out of my way!" He drew a sword from above the mantle as Leo scrambled to one side. He was about to strike Amundar's head off when Sebastian tackled him from behind. "What the fuck has gotten into you? I know you hate him, but seriously ... calm down." "I saw the spikes you sensed in Leo's energy when you invoked the circle. I saw what you read from it." Meshia shoved at Sebastian until he finally released his hold. "Who do you think Leo slept with?" Meshia collapsed onto the floor and fell over, his body shaking. Sebastian decided to keep the circle invoked for now, just in case there were any other unexpected spells. He blocked off a portion of it and looked over in Leo's

direction, and motioned with his eyes over toward Amundar. Leo lowered his eyes and nodded his head but looked up to mouth the word rape to Sebastian. The agony and fury bubbled through Sebastian, ripping at his chest. Fucking bastard! Sebastian snatched the sword from Meshia's side and charged at Amundar, rage flushing his features and driving him to unprecedented levels of murderous bloodlust. Not Leo! The rest of the room fell away, his focus on the deviant laid out on the floor before him. Not my precious Leo. Amundar was about to die. Leo leapt in front of him. "Seb—stop!" He pressed his hand to Sebastian's chest. "We need him." He lowered his voice to a hushed whisper. "Don't let my sacrifice be in vain." "But, Leo …" "No, Seb—no." Meshia lifted his head from where it had been resting on his arm. "Tell me what happened, Leo … please. What caused that spike?" "It was one of the slaves at Amundar's villa," Leo began in his most convincing voice. "The slave ship was a traumatic experience for me, and I needed to be held. I'm sorry … I know it's not like me, but I was really stressed out." He tilted his head at Sebastian and waited for Meshia to respond. "My father didn't touch you?" Meshia asked. "No, of course not … he recognized who I was."

Leo looked up at Sebastian and sighed when Sebastian backed down. He stormed across the room, swiping the sword through the air in vicious curves. Leo sunk to the floor. Meshia rolled onto his knees and crawled across the floor to Leo, and collapsed with his head in his lap. Amundar was just coming to when Meshia started sobbing uncontrollably. "Amundar, don't try to get up." Sebastian knelt beside him and ran a scan to see if there were any other ailments besides the one Leo had healed. "What happened?" Amundar gasped. "You had a heart attack, but you're all right now." "Where am I?" "You're on Cardin. I transported you and Leo here." "Transported?" Leo snorted. "Least of your worries." "What's wrong with my son?" Amundar looked over at Meshia. Sebastian leaned in close and whispered to Amundar. "He was under the assumption you fucked Leo … who he is deeply in love with. Leo set him straight. If you know what's good for you, I suggest you go along with it." "Yes, of course." "If I had my way, you would be dead, but Leo insists we need you." Sebastian grabbed hold of Amundar's arm—tight. "Once we have no more use for you, I'll be coming for you."

Amundar looked up at the face he'd been searching for, for all those years. Sebastian's beauty was stunning, but ruling the Cardinian Empire was taking a toll on him, and it was beginning to show. His brow was permanently furrowed, and he was developing creases around his eyes from late nights and lack of sleep. They would discuss his threat to kill him in further detail later. Sebastian yawned as he sat down beside Amundar and performed a detailed scan of his energy and conjuring abilities. "You're really Sebastian." Amundar shivered as he felt Sebastian's high-level scan run through his body. He was in awe that Sebastian was managing to run such a detailed and mind-intensive scan while he was seemingly preoccupied with something else. "Who else would I be?" "I've been looking for you for thirty years." "Good for you … tag … you found me."

Sebastian rose and knelt back beside the other two men. He brushed his hand along Leo's face while rubbing slow circles on Meshia's back. "What do you need?" "I think we should take Meshia back to the bedchamber to lie down. I can fill you in on what Amundar told me." Leo grabbed Sebastian's hand and brought it to his lips. "I need to feel both of you holding me. That's what I need most right now." Sebastian helped Meshia to his feet and held out his hand for Leo to take. "Amundar, we'll see you in a few hours, but until then, I'll send Lakeda down to meet with you. Tell her everything you know about Marjar, including every detail about that ship." Sebastian stumbled under Meshia's body's weight, making the trip to the bedchamber more difficult than it should be.

Meshia was so distraught, he could barely himself. Leo pushed open the door and ran over to the bed to arrange the pillows. He was waiting in the center of the bed as Sebastian helped Meshia lie down. Sebastian directed Krunk, who was waiting in the room, to fetch Lakeda to their lounge to interrogate Amundar. Meshia pulled Leo up against him and nestled his face in the back of Leo's neck. They needed to be together—all three of them. Sebastian climbed over the two of them and positioned himself on the other side, so he was facing Leo. He held Leo's face tenderly in his hands and kissed his lips. Shifting over, he reached into his pocket and pulled out Leo's wedding band. He placed it back on Leo's finger. "I love you, husband of mine, and I'm never letting you out of my sight like that again." "Me either." Meshia muffled voice was barely audible. Leo sighed as Meshia's lips came to rest on the back of his neck. He rolled over to take Meshia's mouth. "What you said to me," Leo said as he released Meshia's mouth. "Before I left." "I meant it," Meshia replied. "I would cease to exist if you didn't return to us." "You wouldn't take your own—" Leo touched Meshia's face. "In a heartbeat, Leo." "Baby … no." Leo sniffed, wiping away some tears, and kissed Meshia's lips. Sebastian tucked himself against Leo's back and closed his eyes, reveling in the soothing sound and motion emanating from the two men as they kissed and whispered words of love to one another. He had no doubt Meshia was telling the truth. His love for Leo ran that deep.

Amundar stood in the open doorway and witnessed the exchange between the

three men, completely astounded at the power of a prophecy to fulfill itself. He reached over and closed the door in time to see a stunning Mycean woman headed his way. "Eavesdropping, are we?" Lakeda walked through the doorway into the lounge and directed Amundar to take a seat. "The men aren't discreet by any stretch, but regardless, you need to learn not to stare or listen ... the listening can be particularly disturbing." She sighed. "I'm assuming you're not going back to Marjar, so if you have questions, I suggest you ask them now because I may not be as accommodating later." "You must be Lakeda." Amundar held out his hand but dropped it when Lakeda glared at him. "I do have questions." "Fine … go ahead." "Is Meshia happy?" "Well, I must say, I wasn't expecting that to be one of your questions." Lakeda crossed her legs and relaxed back into a chair. "I've never seen him happier. Since he picked up with Sebastian and Leo, he's a changed man." "That must have been difficult for you." "Meshia and I were never close. We are closer now than we have ever been. And besides, he was never that interested in me in the first place. Now I know why." "So, there are no children?" "Of Meshia's … no." Lakeda picked at the edge of her skirt before folding her hands back in her lap. "Anything else?" "What happened to Ellie?" "I'm sorry. I don't know Ellie." "Meshia's mother, my wife … surely she was at your wedding." "You need to speak to Meshia. All I can tell you is she died shortly after Meshia took the crown." Lakeda covered her mouth as tears collected in Amundar's

eyes. "Oh … I'm sorry." "No, it's just unexpected." Lakeda narrowed her gaze. "Surely, you knew." Amundar sighed. "Perhaps." He had to smile. Lakeda was astute, much more intelligent than he had assumed his son would have managed to acquire in a wife. Amundar grunted with disappointment. Meshia was soft. His relationship with these Cardinian men was proof of that. They had somehow tricked Meshia into dismantling the empire. An empire he had worked so hard to strengthen—an empire he had given his life to. "Sebastian has some questions he would like you to answer regarding the ship on Marjar." Lakeda pursed her lips. "The ship that is Marjar." Amundar removed himself from the sofa and poured himself a drink. Alcohol was difficult to procure on Marjar. The Marjar had little use for it as it did not affect them. "What are your questions? As I told Leozeuramun, the ship is used mainly to dock ships, store supplies, and maintain the atmosphere and climate on Marjar." "We need to know about the movement of Supreme Council ships. Their numbers. The extent of their technology. Their plans for the empire." "That is far beyond my knowledge, I'm afraid." Lakeda released a sigh, "Well then, I don't know what use we have of you." Amundar clenched the glass in his hand. That won't do. Sebastian might hold true to his threat. "Perhaps, I'll think of something else. I've had a traumatic experience. Maybe I could rest for a while." He took a sip of his drink. "Is there a chamber available

for me?" "Of course … but can you give me a second?" Sebastian had poked his head around the corner of the bedchamber door, keeping his body out of sight. He motioned Lakeda over to him. Amundar couldn't make out what they were saying. "Is everything all right?" he asked when Sebastian disappeared. Lakeda closed the door behind Sebastian. "Yes, Sebastian has asked me to take you to Ashti for dinner. Apparently, there are going to be some executions tonight … he said the condemned are serious sex offenders … he thought you might be interested."

When it was invoked through physical , the circle's warm hum was much more enjoyable than when it was down telepathically. All three men had their eyes closed as they relaxed into what he had been told was a euphoric rhythm. They only stirred slightly when Krunk knocked quietly and entered their room. He made his way past the bed and grabbed Leo's computer from his bag, which was hanging on a chair by the window. Sebastian groaned and rolled over but stayed asleep. Krunk averted his eyes. Their nudity was to be expected. He had long since become used to it. Typically, when he entered their bedchamber, they were a tangle of bare arms, legs, and asses. He grunted out a soft laugh. Their love for one another was all that mattered. The Cardinian Empire wouldn't be where it was without it. Krunk booted up the computer and checked one of the programs Leo alone had access to. After ing the information, he crept over to the edge of the bed and shook Sebastian's shoulder to get his attention. He was very slow to respond, so Krunk pulled him away from the other two breaking the circle's physical connection.

"Sebastian, the Supreme Council are on their way." "What?" Sebastian roused, tossing the sheet twisting around his foot aside, and shook the other two men. "Hey, wake up. The Supreme Council is coming." "Don't panic," Krunk said. "They left Marjar with about one thousand fleet ships and ten carriers, but it doesn't appear they have any set destination. My guess is they will park themselves somewhere mid-space and wait for us to respond." "Are we ready to respond?" asked Leo as he grabbed onto Meshia's hip and pulled himself into a seated position. Krunk grinned. He had to laugh each time Leo managed to pull himself out from underneath the other two men. He couldn't understand how he didn't get crushed goofing around with them. They must have to be so careful … they must love him a lot. He threw a sheet at the three of them to cover up their nudity, then sat down on the end of the bed. "We're ready, and the troops are ready to embark on this mission." "Did the shield generator its final testing and inspection?" Leo brushed the hair from his eyes. "It's all ready to go." Krunk handed Leo his computer and crossed his arms as Leo fired up the program to initiate the shield. He wasn't sure what it was going to look like. They looked out the window as a faint blue grid pattern appeared in the sky. "That is so cool." Meshia climbed out of bed and went to stand by the window. "Do you know how many lives we could have saved if we'd had one of those on Mycea?" "Let it go, Meshia," Sebastian said. "I'm just saying, it would have saved a lot of the destruction." "We did what we could." Sebastian stepped up beside Meshia and touched his arm. "Please …"

"So, our ships can back and forth through that without any problems," Krunk asked as he stared out the window. "It's calibrated at a certain spell frequency," replied Leo. "It would take the Supreme Council years to figure out what the frequency is, by which point we could change it. If they try to land on Cardin or even fire on us, it will be like they've hit an impenetrable wall." "Any of their ships attempting to enter our atmosphere will become scrap metal," Meshia added. "Our ships, on the other hand, have been calibrated to fit with the shield. They sail right through." "That is amazing … you're bloody brilliant, Leo." "Thank you, Krunk." Leo slipped out of bed and headed for the door. "I need a drink. Does anyone else want one? I'm going to nip across to the living room. We're out in the lounge." "Just grab a bottle of something and bring it back here. Oh, and Leo, Lakeda seemed a bit annoyed at me earlier for being nude … keep an eye out for her." Leo stopped at the door. "They should be gone now, though, right?" "That was over an hour ago. They'll be long gone." "Okay, I'll be quick." Leo opened the bedchamber door, made his way through their private lounge, and across the hall into the living room.

Amundar saw Leo slipping into the living room, so he followed. Leo was kneeling down in front of the bar cabinet. He wanted to get one more look at him before committing himself to not looking. Leo's flawless skin enveloped the most sensuous collection of lean muscle and contour he had ever seen, and Leo's facial features and the soft sounds he made when aroused were angelically sublime. He ed the feel of Leo's flesh beneath his fingers and shuddered in exhilaration at the memory of what Leo had done with him. He wanted to touch his skin one more time, and then he would stay away from him. He started to formulate a spell, then reminded himself that this man before

him was one of the three most powerful men in the entire universe. And one of them, Sebastian, had already threatened to kill him. He averted his eyes and was about to leave the room when Sebastian ran in and grabbed him by the shoulders, nearly throwing him off balance. "Give me a reason, Amundar—" Sebastian looked at Leo. "Did he touch you?" "No … he was just looking, but I thought I'd call you anyway, just in case." Leo rose and approached Amundar. "I don't like that I can't walk around in the nude in my own home." "What do you want me to do with him? If I kill him now, we could have him buried before Meshia finishes his shower. We'll say he went missing in the desert." "Interesting idea … but I was thinking of something more drawn out. Perhaps we could strap him to the underside of your ship and have him burn up as you leave the atmosphere." "All right … I get the idea!" Amundar shouted. "I'll find a place to stay in Ashti. Tell Meshia I'll him when I get settled." He'd had enough of these men for one day. Tomorrow. Tomorrow he would figure out a way to infiltrate what they had started.

Leo collapsed into Sebastian's arms, sobbing once Amundar left. "I was so scared, Seb." He crumpled onto the floor, and Sebastian sat down beside him. He pulled Leo into his lap. "I thought he was going to come after me again," Leo cried. "Shh … you're safe now." "The things he did to me … he used a spell that made me do all sorts of

disgusting things with him. I couldn't stop myself … I was screaming stop in my mind, but my body wouldn't listen." Shaking and sniffling, Leo folded his arms around his body and cuddled tighter against Sebastian's chest. "Seb, it was horrible. I was in so much pain. The clips, the cuffs … all sorts of plugs. When he wasn't fucking me, he was sticking things in me … I was throwing up blood …" It had been the most horrific experience of his life. Sebastian kissed Leo's head. "I've got you … you're safe now." "I thought I was going to die." "I didn't sense it at all … why didn't you call me?" Sebastian gasped as tears streamed down his face into Leo's hair. "I could have pulled you home." "I couldn't call you. Amundar hit me with a spell to make me compliant. I was floating around in this strange fog, and I kept getting distracted. The only thing I could focus on was him and what he wanted. Seb … the things he made me do." "Leo …" Leo fell forward out of Sebastian's lap onto his knees and retched briefly but didn't manage to bring anything up. He coughed, then began sobbing again, and curled himself into a ball on the floor. "I just want to forget. Can we make me forget?" The sound of a lamp near the back of the room, as it went crashing against the fireplace, startled both men. They had assumed they were alone in the room, as they hadn't seen anyone. They looked over toward the back of the sofa to see Zoltar rising to his feet. His face was a deep crimson shade, and he was breathing heavily; the immense Naran was livid.

"Amundar did those things to you?" Zoltar crossed the room and knelt beside Leo. He had never paid much attention to Leo over the years. He was Sebastian's husband and nothing more. It had been surprising to learn Leo was Prince Leozeuramun, the reigning monarch of Cardin, and that he was an integral part of the Cardinian Empire's rise.

That had piqued his interest. But this—how could he not feel something for him. He had come to Cardin to visit Lakeda and been left waiting in the living room. She was apparently headed to Ashti for dinner. He had decided to take a nap while he waited for her. He had contemplated making his presence known as soon as he heard Sebastian enter the room and begin threatening Amundar, but then Amundar had left, and the conversation had unfolded. When Leo started crying, Zoltar assumed they would leave the room, but once they started speaking, he had been frozen by the magnitude of Leo's disclosure. He would have remained hidden if his anger hadn't caused him to toss one of the lamps at the fireplace. "Meshia doesn't know … please don't say anything to him." Leo sniffed and grabbed desperately at Zoltar's hands. "Please … he can't know." His body quivered, shaking, and he crawled back into Sebastian's lap and cowered against his chest. Sebastian rocked him, his own tears soaking Leo's skin as he held him and kissed his head. The two men clung to each other as they looked up at him. Of course, he wouldn't say anything. Zoltar poured a drink for each one of them. "What do you want me to do with him?" "We can't ask you to get involved," Sebastian replied. "It'll be my pleasure, trust me. I wouldn't be doing it just for you. Where has Amundar been all these years?" "He's been on Marjar, of all places. Apparently, he's been looking for me for the past thirty years. Something to do with some crazy prophecy." "I know the one. Amundar used to go on about it incessantly. The man is seriously disturbed. I was glad when he took off, and I could focus on Meshia and his mother." He brushed a hand across his brow. "She never recovered from his last visit, though—"

"What happened?" Sebastian took the two glasses Zoltar handed to him and gave Leo a sip of one. Leo wouldn't release his hold on Sebastian's waist. Zoltar ed them on the floor and leaned back against the bar. "She starved herself to death, Seb." Leo hiccupped and took another sip from the glass Sebastian offered him. "Meshia opened up to me about it. Went into great detail." "It was more than that," Zoltar said. "I'm going to assume that the spell he used on you was similar to the one he used on his servants, and unfortunately, his wife as well." Leo peered up from Sebastian's chest. "He used it on his wife?" "There were times when I was called by Amundar's own personal guards to intervene in his debauchery. I would enter his chamber to find a multitude of servants in a state of hypnosis doing unspeakable things to his wife. Sometimes, she would be in a state of hypnosis herself, but sometimes she wouldn't be … she'd be lying there screaming." Zoltar shook his head in disgust. "If he hadn't been the king, I would have killed him on the spot many times over." Zoltar sighed, ing. "Ellie got a break from Amundar for years, but he came back when Meshia was fifteen. Luckily, he took off again after Meshia became king, but she was so terrified that Amundar would return to torment her, she decided to kill herself. "Tobias wouldn't give her any herbs or potions, and she wasn't able to conjure, so her options were limited. I removed any objects from her room that she could harm herself with … but we couldn't make her eat or drink. It took two weeks for her to die, and it devastated Meshia; he loved his mother. He wasn't always as rough and serious as he is now." "You obviously haven't seen him recently." Leo released Sebastian's waist and took the drink from his hand. "He's an absolute sweetheart." "Who's a sweetheart?" Meshia entered the room and bent down to give Leo a kiss on the head. "Besides you, that is." He ruffled Leo's hair and almost tripped over Zoltar's feet. "Whoa … I didn't see

you there, Zoltar. This is an interesting drinking party. What's the occasion?" Meshia dropped onto his knees and brushed the hair from Leo's eyes. "Leo, you've been crying?" He cupped Leo's face and laid kisses across his cheeks, removing any remaining tears. "Why were you crying?" "I'm just so glad to be home." Leo climbed out of Sebastian's lap, threw his arms around Meshia's neck, and kissed him. "I love you so much, baby … I need you to hold me." Zoltar shook his head, mystified by what he was witnessing. He should know better than to be surprised by anything these particular monarchs got up to, but he would have bet money on Meshia and Leo's hatred for each other being eternal. Apparently, he was wrong. "Sebastian, could I speak to you out in the hallway, please?" "Sure … actually follow me to our chamber. I have to put some clothes on before Lakeda catches me." Sebastian closed the living room doors behind them and led Zoltar across the hall to their lounge, then into their bedchamber. He directed Zoltar off to one side to avoid tripping over Leo's stacks of books and the extra racks of clothing scattered about the room. Zoltar found his way across the room to the sofa and was surprised to see Krunk sitting there busily typing at one of the several handheld computers that could be seen lying about the room. He had headphones on and hadn't heard the men enter the room. He touched Krunk's shin with his foot, surprising him. "Hey, I didn't know you were coming for a visit," Krunk said. "Are you here to see Lakeda?" He closed the computer, threw it onto the bed, then cleared some of the clothes off the sofa, so Zoltar would have a place to sit down. "Brother, we have a problem," Zoltar said. "We need to eliminate Amundar, and we need to do it quietly. Meshia can't know about it." "I don't think Meshia would have a problem with you killing his father. I'm surprised he hasn't done it already."

"It's the reason that would give him the problem." Sebastian sorted through some of the clothes on the bed, tossing them onto the floor to find his favorite pants. He hauled back the covers of the bed and dug around at the bottom until he found them. "I think Amundar needs to disappear into the desert." "What did he do?" "He hurt Leo." Sebastian nodded to Krunk in a manner as to make his point clear. "But Meshia must never know. He's too fragile when it comes to Leo … it would crush him." "What are we waiting for?" Krunk slammed a tightly clenched fist into his hand. "I'm opting for bare hands … what about you, brother?" "I'm inclined to agree." Zoltar made a show of stretching out his shoulders. "Sebastian, we will come to see you once it's done." It was a few hours later when the two Naran brothers returned. They entered the dining room and took their seats at the table. Zoltar caught Sebastian's eye and nodded to him before setting into his meal. The men's hands were noticeably cut and bruised. Sebastian sent a healing spell across the table to repair the damage before anyone else would notice. Krunk nodded his thanks. And that was the end of it.

Chapter Fourteen

"Honestly, I couldn't care less, Lakeda." Meshia was busy sorting through the final orders before heading off to the military barracks to speak to the troops for Sebastian. Usually, the High Commander would be in charge of this task, but they were on such a tight schedule, they had reworked their job duties for the day. Sebastian and Leo were in Ashti preparing the starships for takeoff, so Sebastian had prepared a speech for Meshia to deliver to the battalions. Meshia was considering changing that plan. He would be content to drop off the orders and get out of there before someone lynched him. He had tried to win the troops over, but years of harsh leadership were not easily forgiven. "You're not the least bit concerned that your father is missing?" "No, I'm not!" Meshia threw down the papers he was holding onto his desk. "I hope the fucking bastard is rotting somewhere." "Are you sure he is as bad as you've made out? Maybe it was because you were young … a lot of boys have issues with their fathers." The color crept rapidly up Meshia's face as he fought to control himself, but the papers still remaining in his hands were being twisted and ripped as he tried to hold his body steady. Boyhood issues … Lakeda screamed as Meshia lifted the huge desk and tossed it onto its side, sending the papers and files that littered its surface onto the floor. "You have no idea what you're talking about!" Meshia's body heaved as his breath escaped in short, powerful exhalations. "My father … is one of the most perverted deviants imaginable. He has obviously charmed you … did he ask if I was happy?"

Meshia started picking up the papers off the floor and handed them to Lakeda to sort. "Did he cry when you told him my mother was dead? I've seen it all before … don't believe a word of it." "Maybe he's changed." "Lakeda, the man is mentally ill. He's completely psychotic. That's not something you can change." "I just think you should give him another chance." "Not going to happen." He glanced around, looking for the notes Sebastian had written up for him. "Look, I'm busy right now. Can we talk later? I have to go down to the barracks." He raised his eyes in contemplation. "Maybe you could come with me. That might be really helpful." "Sure, I'll get changed and meet you in the military offices." Bringing Lakeda along turned out to be a brilliant idea. The soldiers were more comfortable seeing Meshia with his queen, and they didn't harass him nearly as much as they would typically have. He gave his speech and handed out the last of the detailed orders that Sebastian had drawn up. Some of the foot soldiers were going to be loaded into the old warships and kept just out of striking distance of the Supreme Council. They probably wouldn't need them, but Sebastian felt more comfortable having them there just in case the Supreme Council decided to attack one of the Cardinian Empire's many inhabited planets. The plan was to take off in two hours and hopefully catch the Supreme Council while their night shift was on the bridge. Meshia and Leo were going to stay behind on Cardin and concentrate solely on the circle's invocation. Sebastian would be up in the lead starship, ready to open communications with the Supreme Council. The circle would offer the starships extra protection. If their shields began to falter, the three men could ensure they were brought up to full strength. Their demands were simple; they wanted the Supreme Council and the planet of Marjar to leave the Cardinian Empire's region of space. They weren't seeking

retribution; they just wanted to be left alone to govern the region for the benefit of its inhabitants. Meshia wasn't entirely convinced that the Supreme Council was going to comply. As king, he'd been dealing with them for a lot longer than Sebastian, and he suspected there was more to them than what they portrayed. He couldn't help but wonder where they had come from in the first place.

Leo looked at Sebastian in the mirror, examining more of Zyphera's handy work. Sebastian had arrived back at the palace and headed straight for their chamber to get changed. She had designed a very authoritative uniform that blended well with the uniforms she had designed for all the starship crew. He tied Sebastian's hair back and pulled it into a knot at the base of his neck. "It looks good on you," Meshia said as he ran his hands down Sebastian's muscular arms then wrapped him up in his own. "And the makeup is something else, Leo." Leo grinned. "Thank you, baby." He thought he had done a marvelous job of Sebastian's makeup, adding small sparkles of blue to match his eyes, along his jawline and cheekbones, in addition to the lengthened lashes and silver eye shadow. He had even added some fake tattoos along his temples, down his neck, and along his forearms. Sebastian looked very Cardinian, which was extremely important because Sebastian would need to transport himself over to the Supreme Council ship to deliver their message. Sebastian wanted to make sure he made a visual impression. Meshia and Leo went with Sebastian and boarded the starship to see him off. The bridge was busy with people doing last-minute checks of the instrumentation. Leo indulged himself by running a quick diagnostic of the weaponry system.

It came back full-strength and operational. As it should. The ship shook, rumbling beneath their feet, as the ship's thrusters were put on standby waiting for Meshia and Leo to disembark. "We have to go … we're holding everything up." Leo grabbed Meshia's hand and pulled him to where Sebastian was conversing with one of the pilots. "Seb, invoke as soon as you get there. We'll be waiting for you … and make sure you completely open up. I want to hear everything they're saying when you're speaking to them." "Yes, we've covered this. I know you're worried, but I'll be fine. I've got the two of you looking out for me … I love you both." Sebastian held each man in turn and kissed him firmly on the lips. "I've got it … go."

Meshia relinquished himself to Leo and followed him off the ship. "I don't want any distractions while we're invoked. I've got Zoltar guarding our chamber door, and Krunk is going to handle any tactical information coming into the military office." "We're all set then. This whole thing was a long time coming, wasn't it." Leo opened the door to the tunnel and led the way down the stairs. They turned the corner and looked at the transport pods, and burst out laughing. "Who's going to drive?" "You're not … I want to get there sometime today." Meshia hopped into the driver's seat and closed the door. "I've never seen anyone drive as slow as you … any slower, and we would be going backward." "Very funny … how come I beat you with the fleet ships, then?" Leo reached across and started playing with the console as Meshia took off down the tunnel. The sound of the starships leaving orbit could be heard echoing all the way down the tunnel. Meshia counted six in his head. They rode the rest of the way in silence.

Sebastian felt a bit apprehensive as they approached the Supreme Council fleet, but the feeling dissipated as he invoked the circle. Within seconds of sensing the circle's invocation, the Supreme Council's fleet ships started leaving the carriers … it reminded him of the time he had disturbed a hornet's nest when he was a child. "And it begins. Are you two ready?" "We're all set and comfy." Leo had been elected to be the spokesperson for Meshia and him unless something came up that he wasn't sure about. They had developed a technique whereby they could all share their consciousnesses, but when speech was more practical, they found it easier if they weren't all talking at once. Sebastian gave all the ships the command to uncloak and smiled to himself as the Supreme Council ships lit up and more fleet ships flew out of their carriers. He looked out at his own fleet perfectly positioned on all sides of the Supreme Council fleet. The Supreme Council had nothing to match his starships' authority; they were utterly defenseless against them. He swore as the high alert alarms started going off on his ship. A monolithic ship ed overhead on its way toward the Supreme Council fleet. "Hey, we have a problem," he said. "I see it," Leo replied. "It's not necessarily a problem. That ship doesn't appear to have anything more than basic defensive weaponry. Scan it quick and send me the results." "Who do you think it belongs to?" "Wherever the Supreme Council came from would be my guess." Meshia took over speaking while Leo read the results of the scan on his computer. "Seb," Leo began. "It appears to be a command center of some sort, which unfortunately means there are likely going to be more ships to command. I've sent some modifications to your detection system based on what I found. You shouldn't have anyone else sneak up on you."

"Thanks, Leo. I'm going to transport myself over to the lead ship and speak with the head council member. Maybe we can avert whatever they've started to put into play here." " to …" "Yes, Leo. I'll make sure you can hear everything first hand." Sebastian turned to the captain of the starship and nodded, then closed his eyes. Sebastian's appearance on the Supreme Council's lead ship's bridge took the head council member and the ship's captain by surprise. "What do you want, Cardinian?" The councilor crossed his arms. "I would think you'd treat me with more respect considering we have you surrounded." Sebastian remained standing while the council member took a seat in a command chair. The captain grunted, pacing the floor along the front of the bridge. "Tell me, Cardinian … where did you manage to steal those ships from?" "We didn't steal them. They were built for the Cardinian Empire … over two hundred and thirty years ago." "Hmm … they're quite advanced," replied the councilor. "Are you sure you should be letting slaves pilot them? Surely they don't have the intelligence to operate such complex …" A low growl left Sebastian's lips. The captain drew a weapon from his belt Sebastian had never seen before and pointed it at him. It unnerved him, not knowing what it was. It was time to finish up and get out of there. "I have a simple message to deliver to the Supreme Council. We are the new Cardinian Empire, and we request that you leave our region of space. We will not seek retribution against you for destroying our civilization and selling our dignity. We only ask that you take all your ships, including the planet of Marjar, and leave us."

"Aren't you clever figuring out Marjar is a ship," said the councilor. "I suppose that degenerate Amundar told you about it. It was quite alarming when he was suddenly transported off Marjar … Where is he? I still have more work for him to do." "Amundar was working for you?" "Yes … he wanted his crown back, and we came to an agreement, but apparently, that kingship no longer exists. So, are you some type of Emperor now?" The council member tapped a finger to his lips. "Maybe he would be interested in that." Sebastian clenched his fists. "You have our demands." He closed his eyes and removed himself from the Supreme Council ship and transported himself back to the palace in time to find Meshia tearing apart their bedchamber. Leo was hiding beneath the bed as furniture was thrown about the room. Sebastian grabbed Meshia, put him in a headlock, and pulled him to the ground. He held him down as best as he could. Meshia was grunting and thrashing his arms and legs, trying to free himself. "Seb, be careful," Leo reached out from under the bed, arms outstretched toward Meshia. "Please, don't hurt him." "Meshia, stop," Sebastian growled. "You're likely to hurt Leo." Meshia relaxed and stopped struggling. He leaned against Sebastian. "I need to find him and kill him. He's a traitor and a threat to the Cardinian Empire. No wonder he's gone missing … he's probably planning his next move. He was helping the Supreme Council all along." Meshia flipped over and grabbed Sebastian by his collar, and shook him. "And no Cardinian empathy from you … do you understand? You're not talking me out of this." "Meshia, he's not off planning his next move." Sebastian removed Meshia's hand from his collar. "The reason he's missing is because he's dead … I had him killed."

"You … you had him killed." "He pissed me off … I lost it. Zoltar and Krunk took care of him for me." Sebastian lay back on the floor as Meshia rolled away from him. "He's dead … really dead." "Yeah, I went and saw the body myself to be sure." Sebastian looked over at Leo under the bed and saw tears forming in his eyes. "Why didn't you tell me?" "It was going to be a surprise?" Sebastian got back on his feet, pulled Meshia into his arms, and buried his face deep into his neck. "I had to do it." He breathed heavily into Meshia's ear as he spoke, prepared to transport himself out if necessary. "Please tell me you're not mad I didn't confide in you." "I'm not mad … I'm a bit confused, but not mad." Meshia pulled Sebastian away and looked into his eyes. "I trust you had your reasons. I won't ask you any questions." "Thank you. We'll talk later. Right now, I need to get back to the starship. Leo, that alarm on your computer is going off pretty fierce … push me the results."

The next few hours were spent watching the Supreme Council's reinforcements show up and waiting for a response to their demands. Leo was frantically analyzing each Supreme Council ship as it arrived to determine its strengths and weaknesses. He fed the information into the starship and fleet ship computers, then modified the weaponry to penetrate the shields he detected on some of the ships. He was still working on why only some of the ships had a bizarre fuzzy shielding when Meshia sat down and wrapped his arm around him. Leo leaned his head against Meshia's shoulder and reached up to touch his face. "Hey, baby. Are you all right?" "I can't believe my father is dead."

"Are you upset about it?" Leo leaned forward and peered closely at the screen on his computer, and shook his head. He typed in a message for Sebastian to his findings. "I'm not upset … I'm relieved, but I can't figure out what Amundar could have done to push Sebastian to make a decision like that. I mean, it wouldn't be the first time Sebastian has had someone killed, but usually, we talk about it beforehand." "I'm sure he had his reasons. He doesn't make decisions like that lightly." "I know. I told Sebastian I wouldn't ask questions, but I think I'll talk to Krunk and Zoltar and see what they know." "Please don't do that. Just let it go … Meshia, could we talk about this later. Some of the Supreme Council ships are powering up their weapons systems." "Which ships?" "All the shielded ones. Sebastian has launched the first battalion of fleet ships in retaliation. Hopefully, the show of force will scare them into backing off." Leo typed a few commands in and watched the results come up. "They've initiated a scan of our fleet ships, and there's a flurry of communication happening between their smaller ships. I wish I could intercept what they're saying." "It would be pointless. They're probably speaking Marjar anyway." Leo stopped typing and looked over his shoulder at Meshia with a look of indignation on his face. "Meshia … I understand Marjar." He smiled as Meshia laughed. "Of course you do. Move over. I want to see what we're looking at." He grunted and closed his eyes. Leo hummed as he connected with Meshia then followed him over to what Sebastian was experiencing. He knew that looking out the bridge window at the scene unfolding made more sense to Meshia than the computer screen full of green dots and letters. He reached for Meshia's hand.

"Sebastian, this doesn't appear to be going well," Leo said. "No, I think we're going to have a fight on our hands." "What the hell was that?" Meshia clutched onto Leo as the room shook violently. "Sebastian, we're under attack down here. Can you send the Second Battalion back to us just in case the shield doesn't hold?" "They're already on their way." The door flew open, and Lakeda burst in, followed by Zoltar. She ran over to the window, looked up into the sky, and gripped onto the sill as another shockwave rolled through, shaking the palace. "Are you sure that shield is going to hold, Leo?" "There's no reason why it shouldn't. I hadn't ed for the amount of vibration it would generate, though. Zoltar, could you ask Krunk to send someone over to Ashti and have everyone gather in the tunnel and some of the lower buildings?" "Sebastian just released the Third and Fourth. They're starting to take fire." Meshia squeezed Leo's hand. "We need you in here, Leo." "Lakeda, you're in charge here for now," Leo said. "We need to go deep, so keep us safe until Zoltar gets back." He reached for Meshia's other hand as they closed their eyes. The first thing they did was check the integrity of the shield over Cardin. It was as pristine as if it had never been fired upon. They sought out the small fleet of Supreme Council ships sent to attack Cardin, and although they were unable to break through their shields and destroy the ships, they were able to fill the cockpits with sand, suffocating the pilots within. It wasn't long before Sebastian decided to leave the starship to its captain's command and the men to strengthen the circle further through physical , holding hands and breathing deeply as they wielded the incredible power now at their command. "Where do you want to start?"

"Their command ship. I have the schematics here." Leo brought up the Supreme Council's command ship's layout in his mind and indicated where the most effective areas would be to start a series of fires. "I'll start those … what about their communications system?" Meshia asked. "Seb will get to that after he finishes checking the shields on our ships and interfering with the Supreme Council's communications. I'm going to look around on those shielded ships of theirs and find out what's so important that it needs extra protection." "I'm sensing some ships headed toward Mycea." Sebastian opened his eyes and searched the room for Lakeda before going back under. "Our ships are good, and I've finished messing with their communications system. I'm going to head over to Mycea and get your family out, Leo. I won't be gone long."

Sebastian disappeared from the bedchamber and appeared in Zyphera's chamber with such a flash that it caused the small child standing there to start screaming. "Whoa … sorry, little guy." Sebastian kneeled and tried to console the small boy by making silly faces at him. He soon had him smiling through his tears and picked him up to go and find Zyphera. He knocked on the bathroom door and walked in, the steam rising from the shower as he approached it. He could see Zyphera inside and encouraged the boy to make silly faces with him against the glass while he knocked on it. Zyphera shrieked with laughter at the intrusion. "Sebastian!" She stepped out of the shower and grabbed a towel off the hook before turning to Sebastian and hugging him. "I'm so glad you finally decided to come to see him." "I'm sorry, Zyphera. When Leo told me you were pregnant … I wasn't ready." He shook his head. "But that's not why I'm here. The announcement of the Cardinian Empire didn't go as well as we had hoped, and now, it appears, we're at war with the Supreme Council, and they have ships headed this way. It'll be a few hours until they get here, and I've sent two battalions of fleet ships to protect the planet, but I want to get you and Leo's parents out of here and to Cardin, where

you'll be fully protected. If you could get some stuff together for you and …" He looked down at the small boy. "That's horrible. I don't even know his name. I'm sorry." "I decided to name him Seth after Leo's brother." Zyphera walked into the bedchamber and threw on a dress before gathering together some clothes into a bag. "Here, I'll take him." "No, we're good. Aren't we, Seth?" Sebastian blew a big kiss onto his cheek, sending Seth into fits of giggles. "Let's go find grandma and grandpa. Show me which way." Sebastian laughed as Seth pointed the way down the hallway. The trip back to the Cardinian palace with three additional people and a toddler was a bit bumpy. Sebastian was not used to transporting that many people and found it challenging to keep their images fixed in his mind when the image of Seth was distracting him so severely. He had intended on seeing the baby as soon as he was born, but the immense feeling of responsibility associated with a child had turned out to be too much for him in addition to everything that was happening with the Cardinian Empire. Now, he would have to face that responsibility, and he would have some explaining to do. Lakeda knew, of course, and they had discussed whether or not to tell Meshia and Leo. It had been decided that until everything with the Cardinian Empire was in place, it would be best to keep the child's father a secret. The night Zyphera moved to Mycea had turned into something entirely unexpected for Sebastian. She had been coming on to him, and he had been about to transport himself back to his and Leo's chamber when she had made a plea that made sense to him at the time. Cardin needed an heir, and Leo was in no way inclined to provide one, but Sebastian, being his husband, would be able to legitimately assume the responsibility. It was a feeble excuse, really, and he was unaware that her advances were perfectly timed to get her pregnant. It had been a long time since he had been with a woman, and he had never been with a Cardinian woman … his resolve had been weak.

When Leo told him Zyphera was pregnant, he had felt as though his knees would go out from under him. He had hoped the child would have blond hair and green eyes in the back of his mind. After all, Meshia had been coming on to her, but Lakeda had reported that the child was one hundred percent Cardinian. They landed in the hallway outside their private lounge, and Sebastian ran in to speak to Lakeda. "Leo's family is out in the hall. Could you get them settled?" He kissed Lakeda's hand then took off into the bedchamber to take his place with Meshia and Leo. He was interrupted by the sound of tiny feet running at him and shrieked in fake surprise as Seth grabbed his legs. He could get used to this. He and Leo had talked once about adopting a child. It had been a short conversation. One put on hold for another day. Now, it seemed, that day had come. Sebastian pulled the boy into his arms and covered his face in kisses. "Daddy has to play with his friends for a while. Go see Mommy and Auntie Lakeda. I bet they have cookies." He gave him one last kiss and set him down on his feet, directing him into Zyphera's waiting arms. He smiled and waved at him before turning his attention back to the men on the bed. "I don't know what to say … Daddy." Leo opened his eyes and shook his head. "You and Zyphera. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. He looks just like you." "You're not mad?" "Surprised." He reached for Sebastian's hand. "Not mad. Although there weren't any other Cardinians on Mycea, so I suppose I should have worked it out." "But we had only just been married, Leo." "You have a weakness, Seb. I'm not about to start punishing you for it now." Seb exhaled a deep sigh. "Meshia?" "I can't believe we have a son." Meshia squeezed Sebastian's hand tightly in his as he reed the circle. "I hope he's nothing like his dad, or we're going to have trouble on our hands." Meshia gasped as Sebastian elbowed him in the ribs. "Lock up your daughters … and your sons. Ow ..." He crumpled over as Sebastian tackled him onto the bed.

Sebastian loomed over him, breathing heavily, and kissed him. "We'll continue this later, and you can remind me what a bad boy I am." "Sounds like fun. Leo, are you in on this?" "Yes … but guys, we are in the middle of a battle here. Could we concentrate?" "Right," Meshia said. "Where are we at?" They reed hands. "The captains are doing a great job keeping the Supreme Council ships contained, and I do not see too many casualties on our side," Leo said. "There don't appear to be any more of their ships approaching, so what we see is what they've got." "That's a relief." Leo rolled his shoulders. "I'd like to take a turn at talking to this Supreme Council member. He must realize he can't win this thing. If he doesn't, then I can explain it to him." Sebastian closed his eyes. "Let's wait and see what happens first, Leo. Did you find out what was on those shielded ships?" "Yeah, each of the four ships is carrying a stone carving. Interestingly, if you place all four pieces together, they form a circle. I've got the image here." Leo retrieved the image from his memory and displayed it for the other two. "I've seen that pattern before." Meshia grasped the men's hands tighter. "The throne room … in the floor behind the throne. I was moving stuff around back there and underneath the carpet is a motif on the floor that looks exactly like the carving on those stones." "They must have taken them when they invaded Cardin." "But why are they carrying them around like that?" "Maybe they think they'll need them for something."

"I wonder what they're for." "Seb?" "I'm on it." Sebastian vanished from the circle and returned in a flash with one of the stone pieces in his hands. "This thing is heavy. I'm going to bring the rest straight to the throne room. We appear to be winning out there … they don't need our help right now." The rest of the pieces were easy to retrieve even though the Supreme Council went on high alert after the first piece was taken. Sebastian was in and out before the guards had a chance to react. Once all four pieces were in the throne room, they pulled back the carpet and examined the motif beneath. "It's definitely the same pattern. Let's lay the pieces on top and see if anything happens." Leo tried to push one of the pieces over but gave up in exhaustion. He sat back and directed the movement of the stones instead. Once they were all in place, they stood and waited. Nothing happened. "Well, that was pointless." Meshia sat down on one of the stones but leapt up again as he felt it shift. "It moved … when I sat on it." "Maybe we need to push on them." Leo stepped up on top of the stones and started jumping on one of them. It began to move, grinding stone against stone. When Meshia and Sebastian ed in, it wasn't long before all the stones were flush with the floor. They sat down around it and just stared at it. "Now what?" "I don't know." Sebastian rolled backward in time to catch Seth as he flew into the room. "Let's ask Seth." He pulled him close to his chest and ran his face along the skin of his neck. The scent of vanilla was strong and comforting. "Daddy needs your help, all right." "Yup." Seth rubbed his eyes then ran his hand along Sebastian's face, fingering the blue sparkles along his cheeks. "Pretty stars."

"Yeah, Daddy likes sparkles and stars." He turned Seth to face the stones. "Seth, this silly picture isn't playing the game right. What should we do?" Seth looked at the stones with deep concentration and climbed out of Sebastian's arms. He sat at their center and began running his hands over the patterns in the stones. As he did so, the stones lit up. Meshia blew out a breath. "Of course, he can conjure." "Shh …" Seth whispered as he crawled from one stone to the next until all the patterns of the stones were lit. He pulled himself back into Sebastian's lap and tucked himself in. "Are you sure he's not yours, Leo, because he's too smart to be Sebastian's?" Meshia shrieked as Sebastian shoved him over, prompting Seth to climb off Sebastian's lap to leap onto Meshia's back. Seth was rewarded when Meshia grabbed him and started tickling him, sending him squealing. Meshia laughed at the deafening sound. "I think he might be yours, Leo." Sebastian reached for Leo's hand. "You're sure you're all right with this …with him." "Why wouldn't I be, Seb?" Leo smiled and pointed at Seth. "Look at him." He reached forward and touched the stones. They had stayed lit, but nothing else had happened. "What about these?" he asked. "I'm not sure." Sebastian could sense a strange rhythmic pulse coming off them, but the only thing of significance that happened was that the Supreme Council fleet took off and parked themselves at the extremities of the Cardinian Empire's region.

Chapter Fifteen

After a few anxious weeks of waiting to see if the Supreme Council would return, life went back to relatively normal, except they now had a rambunctious toddler tearing up and down the hallways of the royal wing of the palace. Zyphera wasn't as attentive as Sebastian would have liked, and he often ended up entertaining Seth in their office as he tried to work. Also, there had been a few mornings when he had awoken to find Seth packed in between him and Leo. Seth was a lot more talkative now that he was familiar with his new surroundings and was often found following Leo, asking him questions. Leo knew the answer for everything, so he was a prime target for Seth's inquisitive mind. The question had come up as to what he should be calling them. Zyphera had suggested that Meshia and Leo be called uncle, but Seth had insisted on calling Sebastian simply Daddy and Leo and Meshia were Daddy Leo and Daddy Meshia. Sebastian loved it because, in his mind, it was the most accurate representation of the relationship Seth would end up having with the other men. Now that the royal wing was full of people, the men's personal activities were severely stifled. No more running around in the nude, much to Lakeda's delight, and no more goofing around in the living room or their private lounge during the day. They had repaired the lock on their bedchamber door to keep Seth from coming in but were often interrupted by him hammering on said door and shouting to be let in. They'd had to scramble more than a few times when Seth had run around the corner into their private courtyard. Meshia was becoming very annoyed at the lack of privacy. It was late in the evening, and Meshia and Leo were stretched out on the sofa in their private lounge. Leo was lying on top of Meshia, taking his mouth and moaning with enjoyment as Meshia ran his hands from his back to his thighs and up again. They had just flipped over, so Meshia was on top when Seth wandered

in and sat down on the floor, watching them. "Can I have kisses too?" "Damn it, Seth." Meshia climbed off Leo and attempted to straighten his clothes. "Why are you up? You're supposed to be in bed sleeping." He picked Seth up in his arms. "Leo, I'm going to take him back to bed and talk to Zyphera. This has got to stop, or I'm going to go crazy." "I'll come with you. I don't want you yelling at her." "You going to yell at Mommy?" Seth scrunched up his face and briskly wiped away the tears suddenly leaking from his eyes. "No … I'm not going to yell at Mommy." Meshia helped him wipe the rest of the tears off his face and kissed his cheek. "Seth, the daddies need time together at night when you should be sleeping. We play with you all day … you need to stay in bed at night, so Daddy Meshia doesn't get grumpy." "You want to do kissing?" "Yeah, something like that." Meshia pushed open the door to the room that had been made up for Seth. It was actually a servant's chamber, but it was larger than any of the chambers in the royal suites on Mycea. He tucked Seth into bed. "Why does no one do kissing with Mommy?" "Oh boy … let's leave that one for Zyphera." Leo pulled the covers up and set his hand on Seth's head. He closed his eyes, and within seconds Seth was sound asleep. "Did you just conjure him to sleep? Sebastian will kill you if he finds out. You know what his views are on that … I, on the other hand, think you're brilliant." Meshia scooped Leo up and headed back down the hallway toward their lounge. They were disappointed when they walked in to find Zyphera waiting for them. "Was Seth in here again?" "Yeah, he has a bit of trouble getting to sleep sometimes." Leo laughed as

Meshia fell forward while trying to set him down on the sofa. "Am I getting too heavy for you?" "No, I threw my back out yesterday playing with Seth." "You need to up your training schedule to what it was before. I told you that weeks ago … I'll talk to Krunk tomorrow and set up a new schedule for you. Your muscles need to be worked, or you'll get weak … and throw your back out. You are eleven years older than us." Leo encouraged Meshia to lay on his front on the sofa, then climbed on top of him to start massaging his back muscles. "I need to talk to both of you." Zyphera sat in a chair, twisting at the buttons on her sweater. "I'm going back home to Mycea." "What?" Leo sat straight up and turned to face Zyphera. "You can't do that … Sebastian will be devastated. He loves Seth … we all love Seth." "I know, and I'm glad you do because I'm leaving him here with you." Zyphera stood and started to pace the room. "I met someone on Mycea, and I want to be with him. It was difficult leaving him behind to come to Cardin, but now that everything seems to be calmed down with the Supreme Council, I want to go home. But Seth needs to stay here in the palace with his father. As a future monarch, he needs guidance to someday take over running the Cardinian Empire. He's not going to learn anything living on Mycea with me." "Have you talked to Sebastian yet?" Leo asked. "I was just in with him. He's understandably upset and stressed out about the whole thing." "I can't believe you're going to abandon Seth like that," said Meshia. "I'm not abandoning him. I'm protecting his future. You, three men, are the most amazing individuals I have ever come across. Each of you has something significant to offer Seth, and he will become an intelligent, caring, and capable ruler in your hands. "Please give him a kiss for me in the morning … my bags are packed, and Zoltar

is going to accompany me back to Mycea. Leo, I believe your parents are going to stay for a few more weeks to help Seth through the transition." "Zyphera, are you sure this is what you want?" asked Leo. "I'm entrusting you with my son's life because I believe in what the three of you stand for. Sebastian explained to me about your commitment to love and truth, and those are the types of values I want Seth to grow up with." Zyphera gave each man a kiss on the cheek before picking up her bags and following Zoltar down the hallway to the landing bay.

Dear Reader

I hope you enjoyed reading Age of Cardin, Book 2 in the Circle Trilogy. It was fun continuing to work with these characters. They are all very close to my heart.

Please take a moment to review this book on Goodreads and the online store where you purchased your copy of Age of Cardin.

Age of Tunisca, Book 3 in the Circle Trilogy ~ Coming Soon!

If you would like to touch base and say hello, you can email me at [email protected]

About the Author

Leigh Jarrett is an unabashedly queer, quirky, and ionate author of LGBTQ+ Romantic Fiction, her books embracing the full spectrum of the rainbow. Her published contemporary works include gritty and angst-filled romances featuring Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer characters. And her fantasy/paranormal series, "Drakkar Coven," is brimming with lust-driven vampires, werewolves, and shapeshifters.

Having been bullied as a child for being "different," writing and publishing LGBTQ+ Romantic Fiction has allowed Leigh to express her uniqueness, inspired by the LGBTQ+ community she calls home, her books highlighting their struggles while celebrating their diversity and affirming their most basic of human rights … to love and be loved.

In her hometown of Victoria, BC, Leigh can be found nestled up with her fabulously ive wife, her trusty laptop, or enjoying the wonderous outdoors that is Vancouver Island.

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To connect with Leigh Jarrett: Email: [email protected] Website: www.leighjarrett.com

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Other Books by Leigh Jarrett

Tekla Series Simply Marvelous The Stars On My Arm Two Nights A Week

Drakkar Coven Series Callum of Drakkar Coven Oleander, Son of Drakkar Alexander, Prince of the North To Catch a Raven's Eye

Shadows On My Soul

Healing Hands of E'lan

Christmas Blues