22. Dante
22
Dante
T he doors to MAGIIC headquarters slid open as Dante and Sebastian stepped into the lobby. His steps were measured, his grip on the Inferno Blade firm. The gleam of its molten patterns caught the light, drawing a few curious glances from passing personnel, though most quickly averted their gaze when they noticed his expression.
Sebastian walked beside him, his silver-gray eyes scanning the room with casual interest, as if they’d just returned from a casual errand instead of a life-threatening mission. Dante envied that unshakable calm, though a flicker of guilt gnawed at the back of his mind. They hadn’t exactly followed protocol.
They entered the ARC briefing room to find Orion sitting at one end of the table, his arms crossed, while Professor Silverthorn stood nearby, her sharp gaze immediately locking onto Dante.
“Where the hell’ve you been?” Orion demanded.
Dante set the Inferno Blade carefully on the table, its glow dimming as it rested. “We got what we came for.”
Amara’s eyes narrowed as she stepped closer, her silver-rimmed glasses catching the light. “And at what cost?” she asked. “You went in without backup. Without authorization. Do you realize how reckless that was?”
“Yes. But, I believed it was necessary,” Dante said. “If we’d waited, the Heralds could’ve beaten us there. And then, there’s no telling what might happen.”
“Necessary?” Orion’s said, sharp and unwavering, stopping Dante in his tracks. He stood from his seat, leaning onto his hands, like he might jump over the table at him. “You took a consultant—not a trained ARC operative—into an unknown site without informing your team. What part of that screams necessary?”
His jaw tightened, but before he could respond, Orion continued, his tone hardening. “If you weren’t so vital our team, to stopping the Heralds and Malachi Lockwood, I’d have you on suspension right now. Without pay.”
The words landed like a blow. His amber eyes met Orion’s furious glare, fire sparking beneath the surface of his frustration, but he didn’t speak. He deserved every bit, had known it was coming. Because, although he wouldn’t admit it, Orion was right.
Sebastian arched a brow, stepping closer to Dante. While his silver-gray gaze remained impassive, there was no mistaking that subtle protective shift—an unspoken statement that he wasn’t letting Dante face this alone.
But Orion didn’t relent. “You might’ve come back with the Inferno Blade, thank fuck, but this mission isn’t just about you. You don’t get to make calls like this on your own, Reed. Not when lives are on the line.”
His fists clenched at his sides, his jaw tightening as he tried to hold his ground. “I knew we could handle it.”
“Did you?” Amara said softly, but her words carried a sharper sting. “What if you couldn’t? What if you didn’t come back? What if you’d left the team with nothing but questions and a missing operative?”
Dante exhaled, the fight draining from him as he glanced at the sword. “We made it back. That’s what matters.”
Orion’s eyes narrowed. “Of course that fucking matters. What also matters is that you understand this isn’t a solo mission, Reed. You’re part of a team. And when you act without consulting that team, you put all of us at risk. Do I make myself clear?”
“Crystal,” Dante muttered.
The professor nodded toward the sword. “You’ve done well, despite the risks. But don’t mistake success for justification. While an impressive find, it doesn’t excuse your actions. When this mission is over, we will be addressing this again.”
Dante lifted his chin. “Yes, ma’am. I understand.”
Sebastian finally spoke. “I feel like I should point out that I’m still alive. Even if I’m not a—what was it? Oh, right. I’m not a trained ARC operative .”
Orion shot him a sharp look, and he raised his hands in mock surrender. “Just saying.”
Dante held back his smirk.
Orion shook his head. “Get some rest. Regroup in the morning to assess our next move. Dismissed.”
Dante turned to leave, the Inferno Blade in hand, but Professor Amara stopped him. “Reed. Don’t make this a habit.”
“I won’t,” Dante said. He caught Sebastian’s gaze as they left the room, the consultant offering him a subtle grin. “What?”
“Just wondering when you’ll admit I was right,” Sebastian said, his grin widening.
“Not a chance.”
***
Dante swiped his badge over the panel outside the ARC dorms, the door unlocking with a quiet click. He stepped inside, the Blade gripped loosely in his hand, its glow dimmed but still alive with molten energy. His boots scuffed against the floor as he crossed the common area, heading straight for his private quarters.
Sebastian followed, his silver-gray eyes flicking over Dante with a careful gaze as he closed the door behind him. The space was simple but efficient, with muted tones of metal and glass accented by personal touches—a worn leather jacket draped over a chair, a stack of books on the side table. The skyline of Eryndia stretched beyond the wide window, the city lights casting a subtle glow across the room.
“You’ve got enough energy to light up half the city,” Sebastian said, leaning casually against the doorframe. “Want to tell me what’s going on?”
Dante didn’t answer immediately. He set the Blade carefully on the low table near the couch and grabbed a water bottle from the small fridge. He twisted the cap off with a quick, sharp motion, drinking deeply before setting it down.
“I’m fine,” he muttered, though his restlessness betrayed his words.
Sebastian tilted his head, stepping further into the room. “You’ve been ‘fine’ since we left the cavern,” he said. “But this? Pacing like a caged tiger? That’s not fine.”
Dante paused mid-step, glancing over his shoulder. “It’s the Blade,” he admitted, his tone quieter now. “Ever since I picked it up, I’ve felt… different.”
Sebastian’s brows furrowed as he crossed the room, stopping just short of the table. “Different how?”
Dante turned fully to face him, running a hand through his hair as if trying to shake off the excess energy. “It’s like it’s amplifying everything—my magic, my energy, my fire. It’s not bad, just… constant. Like it’s always there, pushing at the edges.”
Sebastian’s gaze flicked to the Blade, its molten glow pulsing as if it were listening. “And you don’t think it’s messing with your head?”
“No,” Dante said, his amber eyes meeting Sebastian’s. “It’s not like that. It’s… connected. Like it’s part of me now.”
Sebastian studied him, his expression a mix of curiosity and concern. “And you can control it?”
Dante smirked, his fire sparking in his hand before extinguishing with a thought. “You tell me.”
Sebastian stepped closer. “Then tell me what happened,” he said. “You disappeared into a flaming pit, and when I found you again, you were holding that thing and glowing like the sun. What did it do to you?”
Dante hesitated, his hand twitching as though tempted to grab the Blade. His gaze flicked toward the glowing weapon before returning to Sebastian. “It tested me,” he said. “Made me confront things I didn’t want to face.”
Sebastian didn’t move. “What things?”
Dante swallowed, his jaw tightening as memories of the illusions clawed at the edges of his mind. His father’s disapproval. Lucas’s condemnation. Sebastian’s cold rejection. He exhaled, his gaze hardening. “It showed me my doubts. My fears. Tried to convince me I wasn’t strong enough to take it. That I’d fail.”
Sebastian’s silver-gray eyes searched his face, the tension in his jaw softening. “But you didn’t.”
“No,” Dante said, his tone firmer now. His fire sparked in his hand before extinguishing with a thought. “I didn’t. Because I knew it wasn’t real. And I know what I’m capable of now. It’s a lot, Sebastian. More than I expected. But I can handle it.”
Sebastian nodded, his hand lingering on his arm for a moment before he stepped back. “I’ll hold you to that. But for now, maybe sit down before you burn through the floor.”
Dante smirked, sinking onto the edge of his bed. “I’m good. I promise. I just need time to figure this all out.”
Sebastian sat beside him, his posture relaxed but his attention focused. “Then take the time. But you’re not figuring it out alone.”
Dante glanced at him. “Appreciate the assist, Cyclone .”
Sebastian leaned back, his silver-gray eyes glinting with amusement. “Just doing my job.”
***
Dante leaned back on his hands, his amber eyes tracking Sebastian with an energy that hadn’t dimmed since they’d left the cavern. The fiery energy inside him buzzed, restless and untamed, searching for an outlet. “So,” he said, his tone edged with a spark of mischief. “What happens now?”
Sebastian tilted his head, his silver-gray eyes narrowing in curiosity. “Now,” he said, “you figure out what’s next.”
His smirk widened as he pushed himself upright, closing the space between them. “I think I’ve got an idea,” he murmured, his gaze locked onto Sebastian’s. The energy radiating off him was impossible to ignore, crackling just beneath his skin.
Sebastian arched a brow but didn’t move back, though his expression flickered with something between intrigue and caution. “Dante…?”
The gap disappeared as Dante leaned in, his hands gripping the front of Sebastian’s shirt with more force than necessary. The kiss that followed was anything but subtle—hot, demanding, and charged with all the fire burning inside him.
Sebastian stiffened for a moment, his hands hovering before finding their place at his waist. “You’re insatiable,” he said against his lips, his voice husky with desire.
Dante pulled back and looked down at Sebastian with a smirk. “Insatiable,” he repeated, his hands reaching behind Sebastian’s head and pulled him closer for another searing kiss. His fingers twisted in Sebastian’s hair, holding him in place as he dominated the kiss.
Sebastian chuckled softly, but the humor faded as his hands moved instinctively along his sides. The heat radiating from him wasn’t just figurative—his skin was warm to the touch, almost unnaturally so. When Dante shifted, tugging his shirt over his head in one smooth motion, that subtle glow he’d noticed became impossible to miss.
Sebastian’s breath caught as his gaze fell to his torso. Lines of fiery light twisted along his arms, chest, and neck—sigils that pulsed with molten energy, their patterns alive and shifting like liquid fire. The marks followed the contours of his muscles, disappearing before reappearing along his back as he moved.
“Dante,” Sebastian said, his tone sharper now. His hands stilled against his hips. “Do you feel that?”
Dante pulled back, his amber eyes glowing with excitement. “Feel what?”
Sebastian gestured toward the glowing lines on his chest. “This. These marks—they’re not normal.”
Dante looked down, his expression shifting to mild surprise as he took in the fiery sigils trailing along his skin. “Huh,” he said. “Feels fine to me.”
Sebastian’s hands tightened on him, his concern plain as he traced one of the markings with his thumb. The heat beneath his fingers was almost too much, like touching embers. “These don’t bother you?” he asked, his silver-gray eyes scanning his face.
“No,” Dante said, his tone firm but not dismissive. “They’re… part of it. Part of me.”
Sebastian hesitated, his gaze lingering on the shifting patterns. “This is that sword,” he said. “It’s done something to you.”
Dante smirked again, leaning closer until their faces were inches apart. “And you think that’s a bad thing?”
Sebastian’s reply was lost as Dante kissed him again, harder this time, his fiery energy surging outward in a way that made resistance impossible. The glow from the sigils brightened, bathing the room in a warm, flickering light as their kiss deepened.
Whatever Sebastian had intended to say dissolved as his arms wrapped around Dante, pulling him closer.
Sebastian responded eagerly, his hips bucking upwards as he felt his hard length pressing against his own. The heat between them was undeniable, and though the markings still tugged at the edge of his concern, he found himself unable to resist his allure. Whatever was happening to Dante, resisting him felt like an inferno, and right now, Sebastian wasn’t interested in being the water to his fire—he was the oxygen that fueled it.
His hands moved down to the button of Sebastian’s pants, popping it open with ease and pulled down the zipper. He slipped his hand inside, wrapping his fingers around Sebastian’s throbbing cock, stroking it.
“Dante!”
Dante smirked up at him with a wicked glint in his eye. “Easy there,” he said, stroking him with just the right amount of pressure. “I want you to enjoy this.”
He could only watch Dante as he sunk to his knees between his legs and closed his mouth around the head of his cock, his lips forming a tight seal around that sensitive flesh.
Sebastian gasped, his hips involuntarily thrusting upwards as his tongue swirled around the underside of his shaft.
His mouth was hot and wet and tight. He moaned around the cock filling his mouth, hollowing out his cheeks as he sucked hard and deep. Sebastian’s balls tightened at the sensation, his climax building at the base of his spine.
He gripped Sebastian’s hips, holding him in place as he worked him deeper into his throat. Sebastian reached down to twist his hands into his crimson hair as he swallowed around his cock. His tongue never stopped moving, his throat never stopped contracting around his shaft, pulsing around him as the pyromancer took every inch of him. His balls drew up tight against him, his climax just seconds away.
“ Fuck ,” he groaned, his fingers tightening in his hair as he reached his peak. “I’m gonna come, baby.”
Dante suddenly pulled away, leaving Sebastian bewildered, but then he straddled Sebastian once more, positioning himself above his erection.
“Feel that tight heat?” Dante said with desire, the urgency evident as he sank down onto Sebastian’s cock.
“Still so soft… from last night,” Sebastian groaned, his grip tightening on his hips.
Dante sucked in a breath as he sank down, his heat enveloping Sebastian completely. He began to ride him slowly as he adjusted to the intrusion.
The sigils on his skin glowed brighter as they fucked, their energy fueling his desire, as if drunk on their power somehow. It was overwhelming, but he couldn’t resist his allure. He was completely under his spell, lost in pleasure of their bodies moving together.
The room was filled with the sounds of their heavy breathing and the slap of skin against skin. The sigils on his skin glowed brighter and brighter, casting flickering shadows on the walls.
Sebastian felt his magic being consumed, but he didn’t care—he never wanted it to end. He was getting closer to the edge again, his hips bucking upwards as he tried to reach it.
“Almost there,” he gasped, teetering on the brink of release. His movements became more frantic as he chased his own release, his hips slamming down onto Sebastian with a force that left them both breathless.
Finally, with a cry of pleasure, Dante came undone around him, his orgasm triggering Sebastian’s own, spilling inside of him with a groan of ecstasy. They collapsed together, their bodies slick with sweat and pleasure.
The glow from the sigils faded as they caught their breath, their bodies still tangled together.
Sebastian knew he should be worried about what had just happened, but all he felt was a sense of satisfaction and contentment as he drifted off to sleep.