Free RW1 Ravyn's blood by Jana Downs Page A

Salvatore blushed deeper. “Well, you don’t really need to explain that–just–who are you?” He stumbled, directing his question to Alex. The Master of Haven gave the demon a calculating look. Finally, after a significantly awkward pause in which Dageus buried his face in Alex’s neck, he spoke.
    “I am Alexander, Master of Minnesota.”
    Salvatore looked relieved. “I was hoping it wasn’t just one of your minions that had messed with his mind. Thank God. Would you mind releasing him from your Thrall now? He’s beautiful, but he sort of has an obligation to fulfill. He is my fifth Ravyn, after all.”
    Alex looked at him strangely. “I don’t have his mind in Thrall. He belongs to me. My lost lover, Kalel. Though he doesn’t seem to remember it.” Alex gave him a sweet smile. “I intend to remedy that as quickly as possible.” Salvatore’s mouth dropped open.
    “Excuse me?” Salvatore growled low in his throat.
    Alex looked him full in the eyes, and they had a sort of “man of the house” pissing contest that only people who are used to getting exactly what they want can participate in. Dageus sighed and struggled to unwrap his legs from around Alex’s waist.
    “I think that’s my cue to leave,” he murmured. Alex tightened his grip around his waist, and he seemed to panic at the thought of Dageus going anywhere.
    “What do you mean leave? You just got here!”
    Dageus went to give a scathing remark at his hurried reply but stopped short when he saw the near tears building in Alex’s striking blue eyes. On impulse, Dageus gripped his cheek and tipped his chin so that their lips were scant inches apart.
    “ Je t’aime, mon coeur .” He spoke softly. He didn’t know where the words came from or what language it was in, but he spoke them with a reverence that defied explanation. Alex’s eyes widened in surprise, and he closed the distance between them and gave him a sweet, chaste kiss.
    “ Je t’aime aussi, mon petit ,” he replied with a soft smile in his voice.
    Salvatore watched the exchange in silence. In a hard voice, he finally spoke as the two lost themselves in each other’s touch once again, completely forgetting the gaze of the Dragon Prince. Dageus promised himself that he’d reply. In just another minute. Just one more minute.
    “That’s enough, Dageus,” Salvatore said sternly as they fell into a passionate kiss. They ignored his command and gripped onto one another in a passion-born embrace.
    Salvatore sighed. “You asked for this, Dageus.” He heard the Prince mutter before he felt the beginnings of real power race towards him. The Prince stretched his long-unused powers toward his Ravyn and tightened the metaphysical rope that bound them together until it was a painful reminder to the warrior who it was bound to it. Dageus cried out in pain and fell hard to the floor. Alex was too shocked to even bother to catch him. Salvatore raised a brow as Dageus crawled toward him on his knees, small sounds of pain emitting from his throat in regular intervals. Dageus knew that it was the first and only time he’d ever had to remind one of his Ravyns of their duties. For extra measure, Salvatore struck out once again to punish him, and Dageus convulsed on the floor, his eyes rolling back in his head as his body shook and twisted as currents of electrical energy flowed from Salvatore into him.

    * * * *

    “Stop it!” Alex demanded in a panic, observing the convulsions of his dearest.
    His own power rose to meet Salvatore’s. The power of the two clashed in the air above Dageus’s head. Salvatore growled, and the rest of the Ravyns ran to him, flat out from across the darkened stage. They surrounded the two warring beings, and power was a thing so palpable that it thickened the air with a humid quality. Dageus continued his thrashing on the floor. Frowning, both men forced their power a notch higher. Dageus cried out and gripped his head as the power pinged off his mind like