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Eladehl slapped my elbow away. "I am not that kind of man, Wraythe."
"Aw, but you look like you could be. Bet you end up ass up by morning."
He snagged the bottle and started walking, expecting me to follow. Naturally, I did, but I was also chuckling at him. All he'd need was one more prod to convince him that this was a good idea. We both knew he wanted to fall into a lover's arms tonight. I did too. Sadly, our lover was off playing in high society, and even if we did see her, there was no way she'd stay after the celebration. I might get to steal a kiss, though.
Outside, the halls had cleared quickly. One priestess and her guardian were jogging toward the center of the temple, but that was all. With his bottle clutched by the neck, Eladehl strode toward the nave, aiming for the stairs down to the first level of the basement. The one where Priests of the Body and the most honored patrons would be milling around, waiting for the lights to dim and the show to start.
But seeing the space empty was very different from when people crowded every available inch. Glancing up, I checked the banister for the tenth-year students. It was still empty, which meant we had a little more time. So, dropping a hand on Eladehl's back, I steered him deeper into this mess, pausing when I spotted Shiran.
"See that guy?" I asked, letting Eladehl follow my eyes. "That's the guardian who was sent with the bottle. I can only guess the pretty guy beside him is Cayden."
Eladehl's feet paused in surprise. Cayden wasn't his usual type. He wasn't muscular and manly. He had more of an ethereal look to him. His body was lean and graceful, his face almost feminine. It wouldn't surprise me at all if the guy had a closet full of women's clothing at his disposal; he was that pretty. It was also a rather popular fetish for the aristocrats, making it easier to sneak a man into their homes if he looked just like a woman. Plus, cross-dressing had the allure of the taboo. It was something Eladehl had never tried.
Not that Cayden was dressed like a woman today, though. Still, his shirt had lace at the cuffs. His vest was fitted a little too tightly at the waist, giving the impression of womanly curves. His attire was the sort that would look good on either gender, yet still allowed him to be seen as a man in this group.
"Talin would hate him," Eladehl said dryly.
"He wasn't asking Talin to stick his dick in him," I pointed out. "And what's the point in the Darkest Night if not to experience new and depraved things?"
He glanced back at me, light shining in his dark eyes. "I think you've talked me into it. Let's go introduce ourselves."
This was where I took over. Moving before my best friend, I wedged a path through the crowd, aiming for the man from the hall. When we got close enough, Cayden looked up, his eyes flaring in surprise. Slowly, his guardian turned to see what had captured his attention.
"Shiran," I greeted him. "I assume you're Cayden?"
"I am," the guy said.
So I stepped over. "Let me introduce you to Eladehl, my ward. Ela, this is Cayden and Shiran. Sounds like they live down the hall."
Eladehl looked the man over, making no point in hiding it. "So the bourbon is from you? Care to share a drink with me before you..." He let his eyes drop to the man's pants. "Show off?"
"Sure," Cayden said, glancing up to the railing. "But I'm sure we don't have time for glasses. Students are here."
"That was me last year," Eladehl said.
"And I was you." Cayden reached to steal the bottle from his hands. "This is my first showing for the Darkest Night, but I made the cut." He quickly peeled away the wax coating and released the stopper. "So what do I have to do to convince you that we should celebrate that together, since both of our partners are away for the night?"
"Rough or gentle?" Eladehl asked.
Cayden tilted the bottle up and swallowed gulp after gulp before passing it to Eladehl. "Rough. I'm a submissive, Eladehl. That's my specialty. Iamthe bitch. I want you to treat me like one."
Instead of matching his swallow, Eladehl caught the man's jaw and pulled him in for a hard, intense kiss. "I hope you plan to prove it, since it looks like you'll be getting the chance shortly."
But Cayden had just melted into his arms. Before my eyes, that darkness Eladehl always tried to choke down flared to life, and Cayden was fueling it. I had a feeling the pretty little man had no idea the monster that hid inside my best friend - in truth, I could only guess at it - but I had a funny feeling we'd both find out tonight.
"Hey?" I asked Shiran, careful not to disturb our wards. "You happen to know if the Baron of Temptation is here tonight?"
"Nah," he said. "Heard that between the previous man's death last year, the wife bearing a child, and the priest brother causing some kind of stir, they're celebrating at home." His eyes narrowed. "Why?"
"Because the priest you're talking about is Ela's partner's guardian. Just wanted to make sure there weren't about to be some hard feelings."
"Not tonight. When the ceremony is over, meet us at his room?" Shiran said.
Not helpful. "And which one is that?"
"Chrome handle. Not black." Then he slapped my back lightly. "Don't worry, I'll walk you through this. Just be glad it's a priest for his first time."
"Huh?"
