Family of Lies: Sebastian (21 page)

“That’s funny, I haven’t seen your fickleness die with age.”

“I take it back. You’re becoming as mouthy as Diana.”

“Sebastian,” Lord Piadas said as he placed a large pile of books next to him. “You go through these and also skim for anything relating to Light’s Teardrop. That was its old name because of its shape, and these books look older than the ones I brought with me.”

“I understand,” Sebastian said, allowing the ambassador to change the subject since he had drugged the man, after all.

Sebastian squinted at line after line, but he found no mention of the stone before they took a lunch break. His wine and food didn’t taste all that flavorful, but Sebastian suspected it had to do with the fact that he was still aroused. Off and on during the day, he remembered the magic racing through his body. It would have been easier to handle if he had been able to find release. That horny prince did without any problems, but the spell had finished while Sebastian was still unsatisfied.
I wonder how serious Turren was about not cleaning his britches
, Sebastian thought, chuckling despite how foolish the prince was.

“You have a very pleasant laugh, Sebastian,” Lord Piadas said. “I’m sad I don’t hear it often since I cannot see you smile.”

“You’re not missing much,” Sebastian said.

“This is interesting but not related to our search,” Frederick said as he held up three books. “I’m finding more than a few books about the Silver Forest. I had no idea Alchone was interested in it.”

Lord Orwell snorted. “That fool had plans on taking it back, and those books wouldn’t have helped him.”

“It amazes me how your family has the best luck holding the land,” Lord Piadas said. “Usually anyone who holds it is cursed with deaths or affected by the forest itself.”

“That’s because my family gives it what it wants. Magical lands are easy to maintain if you just listen to them,” Lord Orwell said. He looked at Sebastian. “What, no snide remarks?”

“My silence was reward for you saying something intelligent. I’m a firm believer in positive reinforcement.”

“You’re not as cute as you think you are, Sebastian.”

“But the kingdom is thankful for you looking after it so well,” Lord Piadas said. “There has been a remarkable decrease in deaths except for that tragic duel.” He shook his head. “Killing themselves on each other’s blades, such a waste.”

“The forest does strange things to people,” Lord Orwell said as Sebastian concentrated on his food. “I think I’ll take a longer break and take my son with me. He wouldn’t be wandering around forbidden parts of the castle if he wasn’t growing bored. Excuse us, my lord,” he said with rare politeness.

Sebastian stood with him and left his half-eaten plate behind without a word. His father led him to an inner garden that had a fountain in the middle. With a wave of his father’s arm, wards to block listeners surrounded the room, and Sebastian was beckoned to sit next to him on a stone bench.

“Eventually people will forget about those two idiots,” Lord Orwell said.

“I didn’t need you to help me. I was perfectly fine during the conversation.”

“I honestly don’t know why people think you’re as good a liar as me, because you’re horrible at it.” Lord Orwell laughed. “But it’s not a bad thing.”

“I’m fine,” Sebastian insisted.

Lord Orwell leaned forward and pressed his hand inside of Sebastian’s hood. His fingers brushed Sebastian’s cheek and came away wet. “Their deaths were not your fault. You cannot control everyone’s reactions to you.”

A sob escaped Sebastian, and his father cradled him closer. “How long am I supposed to live like this?”

“I don’t know, but we’ll protect you as long as we can.”

S
EBASTIAN
SIGHED
as he entered his luxurious room.
I can’t believe I cried on Father’s shoulder.
His head hurt from stress, and there wasn’t anything in the damn books. A small burst of magic tingled from the inside of his cloak. He sighed again even though everything was going according to his plan. The connection opened up as soon as Sebastian’s magic answered the call. Turren appeared lounging on his bed. “What do you want?”

“You sound strange,” Turren said.

“My voice always sounds like this.”

“No, you sound hoarse like there’s something wrong.”

“I sound tired from looking at books all day,” Sebastian said.

Turren smiled. “I never thought I would hear you complain about books.”

“There’s a difference between skimming for key words and reading for enjoyment. The former is tedious.”

“I’m sorry that my crisis is tainting your love, but I am grateful that you’re working so hard to solve this mystery,” Turren said.

“I do serve the king when ordered.”

“I prefer to pretend that your sole motivation is my well-being.”

Sebastian shook his head. “You would think that.”

“You sound a little better now.”

There was no smugness in his voice, so Sebastian allowed the comment to pass. “How is the royal heir spending his days?”

“With advisors and going through every conversation I ever had in Anerith.”

“Conversations with Trenton Keyes?”

Turren straightened on the bed. “You’re not supposed to know that name.”

“I know a lot of things I’m not supposed to,” Sebastian said. “You still haven’t answered the question.”

Shaking his head, Turren blew out his breath. “I can’t tell you that.”

Sebastian grinned under his hood. “Are you sure?”

“I don’t care how sexy your voice sounded just now, I will not tell you.”

“But Turren, my dear prince, you expect me to trust you but refuse to give me the same respect. How contradictory of you. And I went through the trouble of enchanting our mirrors so we could be honest with each other.”

“It is not a matter of trust, and this is sensitive information. I can’t discuss him even if I wanted to.”

“What about an exchange of a truth for a truth?” Sebastian asked.

Turren frowned at the mirror. “Are you offering to reveal yo—”

“No,” Sebastian interrupted him. “I’m not offering to show you my face. I won’t lie about that.”

“You’re not denying that you can be untruthful?”

“A time or two, but lying for our conversation right now won’t do me any good,” Sebastian said.

“What other truth could be worth that intelligence?”

“Do you want me to go first? I’ll drop it if you don’t believe it’s satisfactory,” Sebastian offered.

Sapphire eyes narrowed at Sebastian, and Turren shook his head. “I am a prince, but my confidence pales next to yours. I accept your terms.”

“When you came into our forest, one attacker was still alive. If I let you die, he offered to kill me quickly. I refused, and he let me know that disemboweling me would bring him pleasure. I still chose to defend you,” Sebastian said. “Luckily, the forest disposed of his remains so there were never any questions. Is my truth worth information about one man?”

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Turren whispered. “Why do you hide so much?”

“I’m giving you this truth now. Was the possible loss of my life worth your truth?”

Turren sat silent for several moments, and Sebastian began to think the prince wouldn’t speak, but then he said, “Trenton was still in Anerith when I arrived. He was on trial for his crimes, and you joke about my silver tongue, but his trial counselors made me look like an infant.”

“So he was put on trial,” Sebastian said.

“In private where they thought people would feel easier about stepping forward. I sat as a witness so no one could say the proceedings hadn’t been fair.”

“I still say an arrow in his throat could have saved everyone a lot of trouble.”

“Normally, I would chastise your bloodthirstiness, but I agree with you.”

Sebastian raised an eyebrow. “The honorable prince has such dark thoughts?”

“You didn’t see him, Sebastian. Trenton is not a normal man, and he walked through those doors without the slightest remorse in his countenance. Two of those scheduled to testify against him turned up dead even though they were in protective custody.”

“When did you speak with him?”

“After the trial. He walked out of the throne room just as confidently and made to pass me by. He stopped as if I was an afterthought and asked me what I thought about the events. Wasn’t it a shame that they were putting a foreigner through such a farce just to make the sitting king look good?”

“And you said?”

“I told him cowardice is hard to judge when I would have chosen death over serving a tyrant.”

Sebastian smiled. “How wonderfully snide of you. I’m almost proud.”

“My father wasn’t when he learned what I said. If he’s not after me for magical reasons, then this might all be malicious intent.”

Sebastian shook his head. “The way Trenton escaped justice speaks of a mind that’s too careful to go after a prince out of spite. His actions speak of a need to get rid of you. Is there an aspect of your powers that negate the Heart of Light’s magic?”

Turren shrugged. “I have no idea, and that doesn’t explain why he isn’t after my mother too. Our magic is similar to each other’s.”

“You never read about anything close to the Heart of Light back in Anerith?”

“Nothing.” Turren sighed. “That was my only conversation with Trenton, and he never mentioned the stone. You still haven’t told me how you know his name.”

Sebastian had already provided Turren with one truth, so he didn’t really owe the prince anything. “I came into a bit of information that he is the person behind your trouble. That is all I know.”

“Did you learn this from your father?”

“All you need to know is that I will try to find out more,” Sebastian answered. “You should also be cautious. You are Queen Anne’s son, but Trenton is too powerful to take lightly.”

“People keep telling me,” Turren said. “I wish this would all end. I want to spend peaceful afternoons with you and not worry about assassins. Thank you for saving my life.”

“Honestly, I did it because I was pissed off. That bastard had a lot of nerve threatening me on my own land.”

Turren laughed. “You shouldn’t say things like that because it makes you sound like your brothers.”

“It’s not foolishness if your opponent is inadequately qualified to face you.”

“An opponent I did weaken just a little.”

“So say the losers in battle.” Sebastian tsked.

“Their blades were poisoned.”

“It’s your fault for being cut by such amateurs.” Getting more comfortable, Sebastian fluffed the pillows and spread out on them.

“Are you tired?” Turren asked.

“No,” Sebastian said. “You said that you’re feeling stressed from all your adventures, and I’m not having a great day myself.”

“Except you didn’t tell me why.”

“Shush and listen, or I’ll change my mind,” Sebastian threatened. Turren remained quiet so Sebastian continued. “Remember how you said that you needed my permission to perform a certain task? You have it for tonight.”

Turren blinked and scooted closer to the mirror. “Excuse me?”

“You have my permission to do what you want.”

Turren’s face scrunched up. “Are you mocking me?”

“Is that a no?” Sebastian asked. “I could just go to sleep.”

“No!” Turren shouted, and he looked over his shoulder to make sure no one outside his room had heard. “No,” he whispered. He licked his lips and slowly unbuttoned his pants. When Sebastian made no protest, he slid them down to his knees. “May I ask why you’re suddenly letting me do this?”

“I think I like obedience. You agreed to enchanting our mirrors, and you were very cooperative tonight. It’s nice,” Sebastian said as he moved his hand beneath his cloak and into his pants. Sighing, Sebastian met skin and grabbed his cock.

“Oh Gods, I can’t see but oh Gods, you’re touching yourself.” Turren pulled down his underwear. Taking himself in hand without cloth barring Sebastian’s view, he stroked himself firmly.

Sebastian watched and gripped himself harder. He should have thought of oil, but he didn’t want to move. Maybe he would remember next time. He frowned.
This was a whim and there is no reason to repeat it
, he thought as Turren moaned his name. Sebastian admitted he was thinking too much and concentrated on the flesh in his hand that grew slick with his seed.
That’s better
, he thought as the moisture made it easier to move his hand faster. He was too hard to move freely with his pants in the way, so Sebastian took his cock fully out.

“Fuck!” Turren said from the other side of the mirror.

Sebastian smiled. With his cock free of his cloak, he thrust into his gloved hand, more seed coming out to Turren’s unobstructed view. Turren’s grunting deepened, and Sebastian looked at the mirror. Turren no longer lay back but faced Sebastian with his legs spread and was rubbing his cock from base to tip. His blue eyes glowed, and Sebastian had no doubt that his eyes were doing the same. Pleasure built in his balls, and Sebastian spilled into his hand.

“Bastian, Bastian.” Turren’s movements became frantic, and he didn’t blink as he found his own release, keeping Sebastian in his vision the whole time.

Sebastian continued stroking himself, but the mirror suddenly went dark as the connection was broken. Nothing magical had ended it, so Sebastian didn’t know what had happened. Shrugging, he got up and found cloths to clean himself with. As he got comfortable in the bed again, the mirror’s connection reactivated and a blushing Turren reappeared. Sebastian narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “Did you get your mirror dirty?”

Turren coughed. “Maybe just a little, but I cleaned it.”

Sebastian stretched his arms out. “I’m sleepy now, so I’m going to bed.”

“Your cock is very nice, and I bid you good night.”

“Good night, you pervert,” Sebastian said before ending the connection. He closed his eyes and sighed. “I’m an idiot.”

S
EBASTIAN
SLEPT
through most of the morning but finally got out of bed. “I’m getting too used to these luxuries,” he muttered as he ran the bath. Hot, bubbly water scented with cinnamon filled the tub, and Sebastian inhaled deeply. “Why does everything have to be so damn perfect?”
Going back home is not going to be pleasant.
His cloak opened like a tent around him, and Sebastian undressed with his body still covered by the cloth. When he stepped into the bath, the cloak moved with him, settling over his head as a sort of dome. As Sebastian bathed under magelight he had summoned under the hood, he thought this was one thing he wouldn’t miss about being away from home.