Excerpt from "Chains of Reflection"

Hadrian felt the tears run down his face, and air burn within his lungs, yet his feet still carried him deeper within the forest. His breath was loud and ragged in his ears as he finally began to slow, one arm looping around his body as he struggled to calm himself.

My pathetic boy…

Hadrian shivered and a strangled sob escaped him. It hurt, it hurt so much. Gods it wasn't the whip, it wasn't the blood, it was the words, the disappointment of his father. He had failed his father, all his life he had been nothing but a useless disappointment. Even now he failed, even now he betrayed.

"Gods, why?" he wept softly.

He stood within the cradle of the trees, the moon cold upon the snow and his skin. His arms dropped limply to his sides and he stared forlornly at the snow before him. He looked back over his shoulder, the woods silent behind him. He should…go back. There was nothing for him here, but what remained behind?

Hadrian's eyes closed a moment and then he turned away. It would be for the best if he just disappeared. If he went back, if he returned, then it would all happen again. More memories, more pain. Alone he could find someway or someone to break the geas, and then…

"Where are you going?"

Leather creaked as Hadrian's fingers curled into fists.

"Nowhere," he whispered, his eyes sliding closed. "Nowhere at all."

"You were planning to run off," Caled stated flatly.

"What of it?" Hadrian asked, a little anger suddenly filling his voice. "What does it matter to you?"

"Have you forgotten the geas?" Caled snapped.

"I will see to it," the sorcerer murmured. "I will break it."

Caled's mouth thinned.

"And then?" he asked softly.

Hadrian remained silent.

Suddenly Caled's arms were around him, the mercenary clutching him close as Hadrian gasped in surprise. Caled's breath washed over his neck and Hadrian closed his eyes silently.

"Why do you hold me?" Hadrian whispered. "Do you see death in me again?"

"Yes," Caled answered, his arms tightening. "And I won't let it take you."

***

Hadrian lay in Caled's arms, a fire crackling brightly before them. The sorcerer had refused to return to camp, but had agreed to stay with Caled. Silver eyes closed as he regretted his promise. He wanted to flee, now. Something terrible was waiting to rise from the past and take him, and he needed to escape while he still could. He shifted and Caled's arm tightened.

"What are you thinking of?" the mercenary asked.

He ached from the memory of his wounds, a dull pain radiating out from his heart. Bitterness flooded his veins as he realized he couldn't even be certain which punishment he had relived. He didn't even know which transgression his father had whipped him for. There had been so many.

Submit to me…

Where had those words come from? What did they mean? It had felt like a shadow washing over him, one that threatened to swallow him whole. Something bigger than him and something that he could not face. Hadrian's hands tightened upon Caled's arms.

"Nothing," Hadrian answered.

Caled snorted slightly and nuzzled against the sorcerer's soft hair.

"You're a poor liar, love, always have been," Caled said. "What did you see? What did he show you?"

"Nothing," Hadrian said again, his voice dead now.

Caled stared across Hadrian, the soft skin lit by firelight and still oddly pale. The mercenary gently traced his fingers across Hadrian's chest and hugged him close.

"Shh," he murmured. "It's alright, Hades."

Hadrian's eyes clenched shut at the whispered words and he shivered violently. This kindness injured him, this kindness burned him.

My useless son…

Hadrian bit his lip. This kindness hurt him, but it was all that was keeping him sane. If Caled let go now, if Caled pushed him aside, or left him behind, then Hadrian would have nothing left to cling to but his father's cold hand. Gods, even Caled's burning hatred was better than that. Tears pooled in his eyes and gloved fingers clung uselessly to the blankets beneath them.

"If…If I told you I was cold…" Hadrian whispered.

Caled frowned slightly and he felt another tremble run through Hadrian.

"If I told you I was cold," the sorcerer breathed again. "Would you warm me?"

Caled blinked slowly, and he felt a sad hungry ache pulse through him. He leaned forward and nuzzled against Hadrian again, his arms strong around the sorcerer's body.

"Are you cold?" Caled murmured.

Tears poured down Hadrian's cheeks.

"Yes, I'm cold," he whispered. "I'm so cold, Caled."

Caled's hand splayed across his chest, the mercenary pressing Hadrian tightly to his body.

"Then I'll warm you," Caled breathed.

Light kisses trailed down Hadrian's cheek, the mercenary's lips soft and gentle as they slid down his throat. Hadrian sobbed and Caled clutched him closer.

"I'll warm every part of you."

Hadrian shivered as his tunic scraped up across his skin, the fire and cold of the snowy night warring across him. Caled's hand stroked down his side, the roughness of the mercenary's skin real and welcome against him. Caled guided him onto his back and tugged his tunic free, fingertips now sliding down teasingly over him. He arched beneath the mercenary, Caled shifting to stretch over Hadrian's body, shielding him away from the cold and moon and all the world. He stared down at Hadrian, his eyes tracing over smooth skin and glittering tears, and a wave of possessiveness washed through him. This was his sorcerer, his Hades, and no one would ever have any part of him, not his heart, not his flesh, not his past, and not his future.

He belonged to Caled and Caled alone.

Caled leaned forward and slowly drug his tongue up Hadrian's cheek, gently lapping at the warm tears upon his skin. Hadrian clutched at him, another cry escaping him as Caled ran his fingers down the sorcerer's sides.

"I'll burn you up," Caled promised.

He opened Hadrian's breeches, his lips still lightly painting across the sorcerer's face. Caled's palm gently cupped the sorcerer's hip, Hadrian still clinging almost desperately to him.

"I'll light you on fire," the mercenary breathed.

"Caled…"

He pulled the sorcerer's breeches and boots free, a long gasp puffing over him as his fingers trailed over pale skin. Caled attacked the sorcerer's neck, his lips and tongue tracing down Hadrian's pulse, teeth nipping and marking as he slid down. Gods how could he have ever forgotten this taste? Sweet and dark and everything he hungered for, that was Hadrian. He licked his fingers and then pulled one nipple between his teeth.

"I'll pour heat inside you," Caled whispered, his hand sliding between Hadrian's legs to press against the small bud within his buttocks.

Hadrian cried out and arched hard, his hips thrusting insistently down against Caled's fingers. The mercenary pressed inside, his tongue sliding back up to tease across Hadrian's collar bones.

"I'll fill you with fire," Caled whispered.

Hadrian's fingers curled in his hair, a pleading mewl sliding from the sorcerer's lips.

Gods, Caled knew that sound.

There had been a time when Caled had used every talent he knew to draw such sounds from Hadrian's lips. He had spent days mapping out the sorcerer's body to find every curve and pulse that could drive Hadrian into his arms. Caled's eyes closed as Hadrian arched closer to his body. His fingers scissored within the sorcerer, the pale body surging around him, wanting him.

"I'll give you heat," Caled murmured.

He ripped his breeches open and slid between the sorcerer's soft thighs, his eyes sliding over Hadrian's trembling body with open desire. One hand folded gently around the pale sex before him, Hadrian's back arching as he thrust forward. Caled stroked him then, one long squeeze that touched upon every nerve in Hadrian's body. The sorcerer cried out and then thrust his hips forward again, demanding Caled's touch. Hadrian felt as if he knew every patch of skin upon Caled's hand, as if he could feel every scar upon the mercenary's palms. Gods he wanted more.

His legs fell apart, spread upon the blanket in an invitation Caled could not ignore. The mercenary smiled, his features catlike in the flickering light, and pulled his hands free from Hadrian's body. The sorcerer keened with need, but Caled simply brushed his hands soothingly over Hadrian's thighs and smirked hungrily down at his pale lover. Caled lifted one long leg to rest upon his shoulder, Hadrian's breath fast now.

"I'll warm you up," Caled breathed again.

Caled surged within the sorcerer.

Hadrian cried out, his fingers scrambling over the mercenary's shoulders as Caled claimed him with deep swiveling thrusts. The sorcerer sobbed as every emotion within him swirled together and was lost beneath the pleasure of Caled's touch. Rough palms slid beneath his body, clutching at his shoulders as Hadrian was folded almost in half. Every thrust buried deeper, every touch burned upon his skin, every fire threatened to undo him.

"Caled!" he sobbed. "More, please more!"

"Hades," Caled panted and slammed into the sorcerer again.

He nuzzled into the sorcerer's neck, breathing him in, tasting his flesh, Hadrian's hard cock rubbing maddeningly against him. Caled wanted to touch him everywhere, he wanted to feel every inch of pale skin beneath his hands. He thrust forward again, needing to fill Hadrian, needing to pour that fire he had promised.

"Hades," he breathed again and bit down into the soft skin of the sorcerer's throat.

Heat surged within Hadrian, every part of his body on fire now as Caled burned them together. Hadrian arched hard, his eyes staring blindly up as the fire shot from his body and slid between them. And still Caled thrust within him again and again, Hadrian crying out now as tears slid down his cheeks. He burned, he burned everywhere.

"Are you warm now, love?" Caled whispered. "Are you burning?"

"Yes," the sorcerer cried.

"You burn for me," Caled breathed. "You burn because of me."

"Yes, Caled…"

Pleasure stretched between them, their hands slipping over sweat sheened skin as both rode through bliss. Hadrian's hands tightened upon Caled, but he knew that soon he would lose this touch. Caled's eyes touched across his, and something unspoken passed between them. Then the mercenary was pulling free, his eyes sliding away from Hadrian as the sorcerer lay spent and shivering before him. Caled stared into the fire and then ran a hand over his face.

"What did he show you, Hades?" Caled whispered. "What made you so cold?"

Hadrian's eyes closed and pain washed over his face.

"Please Caled, please no."

Caled turned back at the barren pain in the soft voice and watched as the sorcerer rolled onto his side, his body curling tightly upon itself. Pale arms wrapped around him tightly and he trembled as if the cold had already found him again. Caled's eyes closed a moment and then he gently spread the sorcerer's clothing and cloak to cover him. He wrapped his body around Hadrian's shaking form and pulled him close.

"Go to sleep," Caled murmured. "I'll keep you warm tonight."