Ellisandre
Their boy raised his eyes as they shut the door behind them.
His gaze was exhausted and haunted and yet he had the air of one who had done what he meant to do.
Ellisandre ran their eyes over the bed, the familiar leather wrapped around Lisa’s chest and shoulders, more shaped to his figure than it had ever been to Sevastyan’s.
“You gave it to him.”
Sevastyan nodded, his hand coming up and touching the buckles and straps. He was holding Lisa like he was precious. Like an ancient Greek soldier who couldn’t let go of a fallen comrade.
Ellisandre’s chest rose and fell. They didn’t need to be able to smell the scent of sex and sweat in the room to know that Sevastyan had taken Lisa. The way the slave clung to Sevastyan’s arm even in sleep was evidence enough.
Sevastyan looked this way and that, as if coming back to himself. “I should get up. Check on Rei.”
“Your boy is curled up in a ball on the couch working like the world will end if he stops. Working in a good way. He’s happy.”
Sevastyan closed his eyes, pain lines creasing his forehead. Ellisandre crossed to his side and laid their hand against his face. He was cool to touch. “I’ll bring you water and leave some for your fox.”
They stood and went out. Rei’s eyes flashed up from the laptop.
Ellisandre nodded in his direction and went to the kitchen, retrieving two glass bottles of water.
Back in the bedroom, Sevastyan drank in nearly desperate gulps.
Lisa didn’t stir. It was possible he was getting the first good sleep he’d had since he’d been forced to stay with Alexi.
“I should check on Rei,” Sevastyan whispered, setting the empty bottle aside.
“I can stay with him,” Ellisandre gestured at Lisa.
Sevastyan shook his head. “His bond is only to me, for now.”
Ellisandre nodded in agreement. They offered Sevastyan their hand and helped him from the bed, replacing Sevastyan’s body with pillows and letting Lisa continue to sleep. There were a couple of new marks on the slave’s arms but they looked too old to be from their encounter with Sevastyan.
“He had a breakdown with Alexi,” Sevastyan murmured, putting on a pair of jeans and nothing else.
Sevastyan stepped close to Ellisandre and rested his forehead on their shoulder. “Thank you.”
Ellisandre brought their arms up around him. “Always, Vast. Always.”
“We have a lot of work to do. Don’t ask either of them to come out of their headspaces. There’s a party in New York I’ll likely be invited to attend. Alexi has laid down a challenge for it. And my mother is watching.”
“Tell me the prize.”
“Time.” Sevastyan met their eyes, shadows in his depths. “Status. They think I’m moving to take my place in the upper ranks. That I’m finally playing the game.”
“Because you are.”
Sevastyan nodded. “Killing Dirk was my opening shot.”
“Literally,” Ellisandre noted.
Sevastyan’s lip twisted to the side. “I’m not as poetic as you.”
“Oh, but you are,” Ellisandre half smiled in return.
“Lisa surrendered,” Sevastyan said. “It’s not enough, not yet. I need time with him. He’s not naturally submissive.”
“Jun and his group are filming their music video in a run-down church on the twelfth,” Ellisandre said. “I could bring Rei and leave you two alone. There will be security on site. Collin, Richard, Damian, all of 5N, Alice, and others will be there, so the place will be fully covered.”
Sevastyan blinked slowly. “Anyone else and I would say no. But you believe you can hide him, and let him see Jun?”
“Leave it to me.”
“He hasn’t seen Jun in person since they took him.”
“I’ll keep him safe,” Ellisandre said. “When this is all over, he’s going to have to learn to breathe free air.”
“Only with you. And no one sees him. Only you.”
“What’s yours is mine.” Ellisandre squeezed Sevastyan’s hand.