n

n

n

"Magnus, where is the hunter?

" Lucien asked the fire mage who had been gone for a while. The redhead couldn't see through the eyes of his minions so the information he had was fairly vague.

n

"Gone,

" Magnus replied. All that was left of him was a pile of ashes. Even his bones and teeth had been consumed by the mage's intense black fire.

nLucien knew better than to ask more questions when Magnus was being deliberately ambiguous in his answer.

"Okay. Should we go back and help Alka?

" He was careful about sounding just casual enough.

n

"No, I would prefer we took a walk, Lulu. There are some things we need to discuss.

"

nLucien tried to read the fire mage's mood and failed, just like always.

"Alka needs our help,

" he replied, not desiring to have this discussion at all.

nThey both stared at each other, neither flinching away from the tension that was brewing between them.

n

"You're a practising necromancer,

" Magnus finally said.

n

"And you just murdered the hunter,

" Lucien replied.

"So what now, Magnus? Are you going to lecture me about my hobby?

" The redhead's brows were stubbornly set together like he was waiting to be berated for it. Necromancy was a dark art and everyone either hated or feared it. He knew this and yet Lucien had hoped that the fire mage would tolerate it for his sake.

nMagnus was surprised by the wariness in Lucien's tone.

"No,

" he replied.

"I've done bad things Lulu, and I am in no position to judge you or anyone else for that matter. I just hope that whatever you end up doing, you'll remember that you will lie on the bed you make.

"

nLucien nodded.

"I won't forget.

" His tone softened when he understood that Magnus wasn't going to take the moral high ground.

nThe fire mage smiled, diffusing the tension between them.

"So how about the walk to the lake?

"

n___

nBirds twittered and quarrelled loudly in the trees while Lucien and Magnus walked under them in a slow stroll.

n

"Magnus, why'd you kill the hunter?

" Lucien asked because curiosity was killing him.

n

"He was spying on you and had sensitive information about your activities. I had to kill him.

" He had done it to protect Lucien. The fire mage had always been fiercely protective of the redhead, and despite the years, his feelings about it hadn't changed at all. No matter how strong Lucien grew, Magnus would continue to feel the same way because he considered himself a guardian to the teen.

n

"You killed for me?

"

nThe fire mage turned and faced the redhead who had stopped walking. Lucien's eyes were wide with some unnamed emotion and it was starting to affect him as well.

n

"For your safety,

" Magnus clarified. He didn't want Lucien getting the wrong idea about why he had done it.

n

"Of course.

" Lucien understood that the fire mage wasn't comfortable with the implication that he had committed murder for Lucien's sake. He respected that but it didn't change the fact that Magnus had taken a life when he sensed a threat to Lucien. It was a twisted thought to feel happy about but the redhead was unrepentant.

"Is that what you wanted to discuss?

"

n

"Yes.

"

nA breeze blew between them and Magnus got a whiff of Lucien's sweet smell. A thought came unbidden to his mind. The teen was like a piece of delicious scarlet cherry candy. Did he taste as sweet as he appeared? And how the ** did his thoughts go there? The fire mage quickly dissolved away the inappropriate thoughts that came at him. Lucien was still a child, Red's influence notwithstanding. And even if he grew older, Magnus still wasn't going to lay a hand on him.

n

"Magnus?

" Lucien canted his head to the side and observed the fire mage's annoyed expression.

n

"Yeah, I'm sorry. Spaced out,

" Magnus replied. Lucien was a distraction and he needed to get away from the teen. Like yesterday. He would go find some interested party and they would have a lot of mind-numbing sex till he got out whatever messed up bug was affecting his mind.

n

"You space out a lot these days,

" the redhead said with a strange look in his eyes. Magnus suddenly felt nervous, like he thought Lucien could see the wayward thoughts that were creeping around the edges of his mind.

n

"Maybe we should head back and have this discussion after dinner,

" the fire mage suggested. They were all alone in a forest, just the two of them. He with his weird thoughts and a dangerous Lucien who looked like he was going to be up to no good.

nSo Magnus was a colossal idiot. He should have thought twice about this.

n

"Why?

" The redhead pressed closer.

"Do I make you uncomfortable, Magnus?

"

nLucien was nervous as hell because Magnus had that effect on him. Outwardly though, he appeared confident and in control of his wits.

n

"Lulu, you don't want to do this,

" Magnus warned him softly.

nThe redhead scoffed.

"Do what? Throw myself in your arms and kiss you till neither of us can breathe anymore?

"

nThe fire mage would have cursed if he wasn't trying to maintain control over the situation.

n

"Lucien,

" Magnus took a step backwards to put distance between them.

"This is inappropriate considering our ages. You're a child.

"

n

"A child,

" Lucien echoed.

"I left my childhood behind a long time ago, Magnus. And don't feel sorry for me. Syryn rescued me from slavers who would have sold me to perverts with not even a sliver of the conscience you're clinging so hard onto. I'm not some innocent virginal child being taken advantage of by you.

"

nMagnus didn't know how to respond to that.

"It still doesn't make it right. I can't give you what you want. I'm sorry, Lulu.

"

nThe redhead wanted to snap at magnus because his patience was being heavily tested. He had seen the fire in his eyes, knew that the mage was affected by him. Why couldn't he just toss away his tattered morals and have his way with Lucien?

n

"One kiss, Magnus. I'll stop bothering you if you give me that much.

" Lucien had too much self esteem to worry about his pride being affected by begging the delicious shapeshifter.

nThe fire mage swallowed. Lucien could sense the man's moral compass spinning and spinning into itself.

n

"Please, Magnus.

"

nLucien is 17 years old, the fire mage firmly reminded himself. Such crushes were transient, a passing fantasy that the redhead would grow out of. He could under no circumstances touch a single hair on the teen. Magnus wished he was a man with a weaker conscience because he was so tempted to give in and take what was being offered. Lucien, as beautiful and tempting as he was, was a child, and he would get over his heartbreak easily. The fire mage did what he deemed was the correct thing to do.

n

"I'm sorry, Lulu. I can't do this.

"

nThe irritated teen closed his eyes and forced himself to calm down. Since the stubborn mage was hell-bent on refusing him, Lucien would have to rethink his strategy. When he opened his eyes, the dissonance in it was replaced by calm.

n

"Okay,

" he replied..

"Let's head back then.

"

n