Chapter 13
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The Parth Forward
The early morning light slanted through the narrow window of their quarters, casting soft rays across the rumpled bed where Jace and Connor lay. The chill of dawn clung to the air, but it was nothing compared to the heat that had filled the room the night before.
Jace shifted beneath the blanket, his gaze drawn to the soft rise and fall of Connor's chest. Despite the comfort of the bed, his mind was anything but at rest. The events of the previous night lingered like shadows on the edge of his thoughts--Nicholas, their shared time together, the unspoken tension that had remained even after Nicholas had left to return to his own chambers.
But it wasn't the encounter with Nicholas that haunted Jace now. It was the choice that lay before him. The king's offer, the promise of a place at Nicholas's side, leading the guards of Crown's Keep and protecting the kingdom from within...it was tempting. But tempting didn't mean it was right.
Connor stirred beside him, his light brown hair tousled and his eyes still heavy with sleep. He rolled over onto his side, and pressed his muscular ass up against Jace at the same time. Jace rolled onto his side as well and slid closer to Connor, enveloping him. There was no need for words--at least, not yet.
Jace let out a quiet breath, his hand brushing gently over Connor's chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart beneath his palm. He hadn't thought it possible to feel this way--to have something so solid, so real, with someone like Connor. But here they were, and nothing--not even Nicholas--could change that.
"You're thinking too much," Connor murmured, his voice rough from sleep.
Jace smiled softly, though the weight in his chest remained. "I can't help it. There's a lot to think about."
Connor shifted, sitting up slightly and leaning on one elbow to face Jace. His eyes were still bleary, but there was a flicker of understanding in them--he knew what was weighing on Jace's mind. "It's about Nicholas, isn't it?"
Jace hesitated, then nodded. "His offer...it's been on my mind. I've been thinking about what he said--about staying here, about leading his guards."
Connor's jaw tightened slightly, but he didn't interrupt. He waited, his gaze steady, as if bracing for whatever Jace was about to say.
"I won't lie," Jace continued, his voice quieter now. "There's a part of me that feels like I owe him something. I've been away for so long, and he needs someone he can trust. But..." He paused, his eyes locking onto Connor's. "It's not the life I want anymore. I've changed after spending so much time outside of the Keep--too much time out there, maybe. I'm not made for castle walls, for leading men behind and just waiting for the danger to move closer. I belong out there, facing the dangers head-on."
Connor's eyes softened, and though his lips parted slightly, he remained silent, waiting for Jace to finish.
"I've made my choice," Jace said firmly, the weight lifting from his chest as the words finally left him. "I'm going with you. Nicholas has Vazzo--he would be a far better captain of the guard than I would ever be. Nicholas needs someone like him here. But I--" He reached out, his hand finding Connor's. "I need to be out there with you. We still have a mission to finish."
Connor's grip tightened around Jace's hand, the relief clear in his expression. "Are you sure?" he asked quietly. "You don't have to choose me, Jace. If you feel like you need to stay, I--"
"No," Jace interrupted, shaking his head. "I'm sure. I'm going with you."
For a moment, neither of them spoke, the gravity of Jace's words settling over them. Then, with a deep exhale, Connor shifted, sitting up fully. He rubbed a hand over his face, thankful the tension between them had eased.
"I'm glad you've made that choice," Connor said softly, his voice filled with quiet relief. "Because there's something I need to show you."
Jace's eyes stayed glued to Connor as he moved from the bed and walked to a table in the corner of the room. Connor's ass was beautiful. Jace instantly felt his own cock begin to thicken, but he knew this wasn't the time for pleasuring each other. Connor retrieved a stack of scrolls from his pack on the table--the scrolls they'd been using to decipher the location of the dragon eggs.
"I've been pouring over these," Connor said, unrolling one of the scrolls and spreading it out on the bed between them. "Every free moment I've had, I've been trying to figure out exactly where the eggs are. And I think I've finally got it."
Jace leaned closer, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the intricate symbols and markings on the parchment. Connor's finger traced a path across the map, his voice steady as he explained.
"The remaining eggs are scattered across the kingdom. From what I can tell, the original nine Venamages safeguarded them in accordance with the supposed power of each dragon." Connor's eyes were wide now, but Jace wasn't exactly following his train of thought.
"It seems as though, coincidentally, we managed to start off the retrieval process by locating the most powerful egg first," Connor continued, his excitement was beginning to make sense to Jace now.
"Some of the eggs are hidden together, and some are hidden individually. I've mapped out where they are located, and I've determined that there should be three eggs, all located together, in the south, near the center of Manthe. Another very powerful egg, from one of the greatest dragons recorded, should be in a cave near the Voltai Sea, just on the border of Kepstead and Everlye."
"Well, that will certainly make it easier to retrieve them all," Jace said as he nodded.
"Don't you see?" Connor began again. "We can send other knights to Manthe, and they can retrieve those eggs, and we can go to Voltai to retrieve the most important egg!"
Now it finally clicked for Jace. He was embarrassed that it had taken him so long to put the pieces together.
"That's brilliant!" Jace said as he took Connor's face in his hands and pulled him in for a kiss. He had to fight the urge to continue kissing him. "We can stay here for a week, assemble a trustworthy team--I believe some of my former men from COCK are positioned here now--and we can train them on the retrieval process!"
"Exactly!" Connor grinned, happy that it was finally all coming together.
"I like it," Jace said after a moment, his voice filled with quiet determination. "It makes sense. We'll take on the hardest part of the mission. If anyone can survive that place, it's us."
Connor gave him a small, but genuine, smile. "I knew you'd agree."
Jace smiled, leaning forward to press another soft kiss to Connor's lips. The warmth of their bond grounded him in a way that nothing else could. The doubts, the uncertainty--all of it melted away in the face of what they shared. They had a mission, and they had each other.
He continued to kiss Connor, and his hands began to roam over Connor's naked body. He squeezed Connor's broad shoulders before lowering his hands to the heaving chest. He pinched each of Connor's nipples as he began to kiss him harder.
Jace pushed Connor onto his back and climbed on top of him as he began to kiss his way down Connor's body. First his neck, biting him softly, and then moving down to his tight abs. As Jace's mouth trailed lower, Connor's breath quickened.
By the time Jace threw the blanket from the bed, he was greeted with Connor's throbbing cock, begging for attention. Jace dove down onto it, taking it all the way down his throat. Connor gasped and threw his head back against his pillow. Jace's hands traveled up Connor's body, and again he punched Connor's nipples, eliciting a low growl from him.
Jace sucked harder, sensing that Connor wouldn't last much longer. His intuition was correct, and Connor arched his back promptly and began to shoot ropes of cum down Jace's throat.
"Mmmm," Jace moaned contentedly as he swallowed every drop. He made his way back to Connor's face and shared a deep, passionate kiss with his lover.
When Jace pulled back, his eyes met Connor's once more, and there was no doubt left in his heart. "We'll go after the hardest one. And we'll succeed."
Connor nodded, his eyes filled with the same determination. "We'll do it together."
As they rose from the bed, the scrolls still spread out before them, Jace felt the weight of his choice settle fully into place. He had chosen Connor, chosen the road ahead, and no matter what dangers they faced, he knew he had made the right decision. He would inform Nicholas at once and begin assembling knights for their mission immediately.