Chapter 30
Alex sorted through the stack of written correspondence Ben had waiting for him on his desk.
He found that as long as he kept busy, even with the most mundane of tasks, he could cope with not thinking constantly about Dorian.
He’d been summarily dismissed by Circet after delivering Dorian to Handor, and his immediate departure had left him rattled and bereft, and he’d spent the following day hiding when anyone asked him how he was doing.
Karl had called him out, told him it was fine to be unhappy, but he wouldn’t let him mope away on his own.
For the last three weeks, he’d spent every free minute looking for something to occupy his thoughts.
The jobs he’d been putting off had been done, new projects he told himself he didn’t have time to do had been started, and he had managed to reorganise Ben’s filing system, which he’d been threatening to do since not long after he’d started at Crofton Hall.
He’d been carrying the small silver ball around with him, waiting for the sign he would be allowed to visit Dorian.
Alex had hoped that his feelings might start to wane if they put some distance between them, but if anything, the time apart had confirmed how much the fucking scaly bastard meant to him.
Ben had told him that the minute he heard, he could drop everything and go.
He’d always known Ben was a considerate boss, and as much as he didn’t like his employer being involved in his love life, he was grateful for Ben’s understanding.
It always surprised him how much physical mail Ben received, almost as if the vampires had refused to communicate via modern systems if there was an archaic alternative.
He’d finished rationalising the twenty-seven invites Ben had received for next month when the little silver ball began to vibrate in his pocket.
Alex fished out the device and held it up.
He’d been sent some very sparse instructions a few days after returning home and knew he was to wait for the vibration to stop, and then he could send an acknowledgement and open a portal.
Finally, the sphere stilled. His response made it glow gold for a second, and after leaving a note for Karl, he opened a portal without waiting for any further reply.
The first visit was limited to a few hours, but he didn’t complain in case they wanted to make it shorter.
As well as missing Dorian, Alex had been intrigued to find out more about Handor.
He’d asked Chris, but either he was being truthful and knew very little about the place beyond where it was and a few contacts, or he was not telling.
Alex’s curiosity had not helped overthinking his concerns for Dorian, and all he could hope for was that Dorian had been able to settle into his new home.
Like the previous time, the portal opened into a green meadowland.
He had expected to have been greeted by someone, but there was no one there, and he wondered if he had misunderstood the instruction somehow.
A flap of wings overhead chased away his anxiety as he saw the familiar, beautiful scarlet and gold scales.
Dorian landed in front of him, and all thoughts of playing it cool evaporated, and he ran straight for him into Dorian’s open arms.
“It’s so good to see you,” he said, somewhat muffled as Dorian’s wings closed around him.
“Oh, Alex, there’s nothing better than having you in my arms.”
Reluctantly, they broke the embrace. “As much as I’d like to spend your entire time here holding you, I want you to see some of the city. I know you’re the sort to worry if you don’t know what’s going on.”
He laughed. “No point denying it, I suppose.”
“I think you can manifest your wings here,” Dorian said. “According to Circet, this place is between the realms.”
Dorian had never seen his wings; where they weren’t on display naturally, they were tiring to manifest, and he didn’t get the same level of use from them, so they tended not to be worth the effort. “I can try. Will soon see whether I can get any benefit from materialising them here.”
He unfurled his wings. Dorian made a delighted cooing noise. “They are so pretty. Gold like my scales.”
Alex flapped his wings a couple of times, and he floated off the ground with ease compared to the human realm. Alex suspected he’d be better received if he flew to Handor rather than be carried by Dorian. “Lead the way. Let us go see your new home.”
“I’m not sure I’ll ever be ready to call this place home. Everything is so different.”
Dorian needed reassurance, and Alex would encourage him to try to integrate. “You have to give it time. So much has changed for you, it’s only natural that you’re going to be unsettled for a while.”
“I’m never going to be one of them. They’ll always see me as the odd little dragon.”
He glided back to the ground. “Little?”
“Yeah, most of them are at least twice my size.”
Dorian, as a human, was held up as a prime example of what everyone wanted in a man. His shifter dragon form was equally as fine, but in Handor, he would still stand out, but not in the way he was used to.
“You’re not getting picked on, are you?”
He shook his head. “No, they’re all being nice. Too nice, like I’m a kid. A bit patronising if I’m honest.”
“I suppose they are getting used to you as well. Who are you with most of the time?”
“Jani and Joniz, who are two members of the Firestarter family. They’re a couple, and it’s like I’m their new grandson. In some ways it isn’t too far off, as I don’t know anything and keep asking loads of questions. One of the elders suggested putting me in school.”
Alex tried not laugh but couldn’t stop a snigger from escaping. “Sorry, but I can’t imagine a dragon school.”
“Not a school in the sense of books and stuff, but more what the nestlings do to grow into being useful dragons.”
Alex didn’t think Dorian enrolling in a programme to teach him how to be a dragon was a bad idea, but if he were to be surrounded by kids, most of whom, by the sound of it, would grow bigger than he was, then that would be a bit odd.
“I would’ve thought you’d need a more tailored programme.”
“Thankfully, Circet stepped in and cut off the idea.”
Alex would only be allowed to visit for a few hours, and he wanted to make as much of their time as possible. “How about you show me where you’re living?”
Dorian took off, and Alex did the same, although it soon became apparent that Dorian could fly a lot faster than Alex and had to slow down.
The distance was further than he’d estimated, and as they flew over the city, which was made up mainly of towers around garden squares, he was beginning to flag and was knackered when they finally set down in front of a red clay tower.
“This is home, I suppose,” Dorian said.
Alex followed him inside. He spotted Dorian’s nest immediately, including his favourite blanket from childhood, and he’d placed his belongings on the shelves closest to a mound of spare pillows. “Your nest looks comfy.”
“Want a cuddle?”
“I thought you’d never ask.”
Dorian headed over to his nest, settled down and lifted a wing in invitation. Alex wasted no time joining Dorian, and for the first time in weeks, he felt truly happy again as Dorian held him. “I’ve missed this so much.”
“Knowing I would get to see you is what’s been keeping my spirits up.” Dorian nuzzled him with his snout. “I know I promised to try to acclimatise, but every day there’s something else I don’t know how to do or can’t do because of my size or lack of experience.”
“It’ll get better,” Alex said. “You had to make a choice, and this was the best one at the time; you just need to be patient.”
“Has Chris made any progress?”
He didn’t want to give Dorian false hope. “He’s following up with the warlocks and Simon. They’ve got a couple of potential leads, but nothing concrete yet.”
“I guess we’ll just have to keep being patient. At least you’ll be able to visit.”
He’d been told once a month, it wasn’t enough, but it was better than nothing. “I look forward to you showing me around.”
“I was given a lecture on making sure you didn’t wander anywhere on your own and to keep to designated areas.”
He stroked Dorian’s scales, remembering the feel of them. “You can’t really blame them. This is a special place, where dragons can feel safe, and I’m an elf. We’re not known for being kind to each other, let alone other species.”
“That was mentioned as well. It’s been suggested I take you to the flowering ground for your first visit. Very pretty spot, and no risk of you getting close to anything that you could cause damage to.”
The dragons could have insisted on several rules before they let Alex visit, so he wouldn’t do anything that would risk them not letting him come back.
His magic would work here; he could cause chaos, but then he’d never see Dorian again, and his life would be even less meaningful than it had already become.
Dorian unfurled his wings. “You’re not going to meet anyone today either,” he said. “Next time will be different, but I get the feeling several of my kin don’t think you’ll be back a second time.”
“No doubt they think me a fickle creature, like most of my species.”
Dorian nuzzled him. “I know better.”
He would keep coming unless Dorian told him to stop.
Dorian was still learning what it was like to live like a pure dragon, but at some point, he would make real friends, maybe one would become more, and Alex would step away.
That would not be for a while, and until then, he would make the most of seeing this place so few non-dragons had the chance to visit.
“We should show them that I know how to behave, and there is no reason to worry about my visits.”
He was scooped up into Dorian’s arms and yelped as Dorian sniggered and flew to the platform at the top of his tower. Alex looked out across the city, and the towers felt closer together from his vantage point. “I hope you get on with your neighbours.”
Dorian huffed. “It’s not what I’m used to. They’ve given me space, but there’s a desire for me to socialise, and I’m so close I can hardly say no. Not when they consider me family.”
Another facet of the dragon world that would take Dorian some time to get used to. “I’d worry if I thought they were ignoring you.”
“But there should be a balance.” Dorian pointed a talon towards the horizon. “We’re heading in that direction. Once we’ve cleared the boundary of the residential areas, I’ll carry you the rest of the way. Your wings won’t be used to the distance.”
He should argue, but he had been tired from what had been a relatively short flight from the portal point, and being carried by Dorian meant he was curled up in his arms, and he had no complaints on that front.
They set out, Alex a little wary as he didn’t usually fly at these heights.
He could see Dorian was keeping a close eye on him.
He was buffeted by the wind, and he couldn’t keep up with Dorian.
As he was about to call out, Dorian swooped up to him and pulled him close.
“It’s not safe for you up here. If I get any grief for carrying you, I will tell them to fuck off.”
They flew on, Alex pressed close to Dorian and feeling safe in his arms. The city was behind them on the horizon, and a shimmering light cast the ground in a silver glow. As they approached, Alex could see a carpet of silver flowers reflecting the daylight. “This is stunning!”
“I can’t wait to lie with you amongst them. My beautiful elf.”
He’d never thought of himself as being a romantic fool, but Dorian had caused a change in him even Kagin hadn’t managed. Maybe it was his age, or that he seen so many terrible things that he was ready to allow a little softness into his existence.
Dorian landed and carefully set him down, before he flomped backwards and patted his belly. “The best leaning post in the land for your use only.”
Alex went willingly. The flowers were as pretty up close, and their smell was heavenly as he stretched out and leant against Dorian. He didn’t flinch when Dorian rested his claw around his middle, trusting him to be gentle with his talons.
“Handor can’t be all bad, if it has places like this,” Alex said.
“It’s nowhere near as good when you’re not here to enjoy it with me. I promise I’m trying to find my way, but some days I can’t help but think I should have chosen to be human.”
Alex sat up and turned to face Dorian. He reached up and stroked his snout.
“We both know that would have been a disaster. You’d have hated being reliant on aeroplanes to fly, to live among the paranormal folk as a human would have destroyed your soul.
I understand that being here is difficult, but I know what it’s like to start somewhere new, and it will get better. ”
When he’d first turned up on Crofton lands, he thought his life might as well be over, but he’d rebuilt and was happy most of the time. If things had turned out differently, he and Dorian would be having a conversation about a normal elf negotiating dating a movie star.
“It’s just so hard.”
“It will get easier. I promise. I’m not going to stop visiting unless you ask me to. So, you’d better start collecting more places like this for me to see. I can be a bit demanding as a guest.”
He curled back up next to Dorian. They wouldn’t have much longer before his time was up, and he was determined to be as positive as he could while he was here. He idly brushed his fingers against Dorian’s scales, and they slipped into a comfortable silence and watched the sun slowly start to set.
The silver ball in his pocket vibrated, and he knew it was time for him to leave. But he would be back, would continue coming back, and would help Dorian in any way he could, so that he could have the happy and long life that he deserved.