Origin (Scales N' Spells #1) - A.J. Sherwood Page 0,50
Ravi confirmed, scraping up the last of his icing.
Sasha shuddered. “More like, he fights scary. You never know what strange move he’ll use to attack with. I swear he lies awake at night, thinking of how to be more efficient in killing things.”
“I think he actually does do that,” Ravi confirmed seriously. He shrugged it off just as easily.
Warin tilted his head back to look up. “Hoheit, I think Cameron should be pulled into game nights. It’s an excellent way for him to really make friends with people.”
“I quite agree. I’m not sure what the plan for the next game night is. Has anyone asked Ranulf?”
“No, we just thought of it,” Sasha explained.
“Ah.” Making a decision, Alric extended a hand to Cameron. “Come, let me introduce the two of you. It’ll be easier to ask him directly.”
“Yeah, okay.” Cameron popped up, coming around the very long table in order to reach Alric’s side. As he walked, the thought came to him that every moment he spent near Alric, his perception of the man changed. He’d initially only seen a very handsome man with a gentle smile. Now, when he looked at Alric, he saw not only the king, but the man himself—the flaws, strengths, and hopes that embodied this man. And the more he learned, the more interesting Alric became.
Cameron really disliked shallow people who had no hobbies or personality, like they were unformed lumps of clay. He’d unfortunately met a fair share of them in his life. Alric was anything but. The man was complex, and intriguing, and he really had to stop drawing Cameron’s attention like this. As it was, Cameron couldn’t tell if Alric shared the attraction. And if he did, why wasn’t he interested in making a damn move?
It was a little frustrating. Cameron felt the burn of it.
Alric drew him to another table and hailed a man who was built much like a tank on legs. Not fat, just solidly built and with a bushy beard halfway down his chest. “Ranulf.”
“Yes, Hoheit?”
“Our guest wishes to join in on game night.”
“We’d be happy to have him.” Ranulf left the chair with more agility than Cameron expected and came around to shake hands. “Hello, Cameron.”
“Cameron, this is Ranulf,” Alric finished the introduction. “He’s in charge of all the mechanics in the castle, including the vehicles. A very handy man. Ranulf, what game is set for this upcoming session?”
“Halo. We’ve not had a good Halo night in ages. You ever play that one, Cameron?”
“Me and every other boy in my generation, seems like,” Cameron answered with a laugh. “I haven’t picked it up in ages, though. Hopefully muscle memory comes back to me. What time?”
“We generally start at seven. We’ve got a gaming room set up in the right wing, up near Ravi’s room. I think we have enough controllers to go around.”
“Ranulf!” someone called.
Ranulf turned at the hail. “Oops, looks like something’s not working right. Give me just a minute, Cameron, Hoheit.”
“Sure.” Cameron watched him go for a moment. “So he’s sort of the clan’s handyman?”
“That’s a good way of thinking of it,” Alric agreed. “There’s little the man can’t fix.”
“I’ll remember that.” Turning back to Alric, he studied the man more carefully. What he saw, or rather the absence of it, relieved him. “I’m glad you’re feeling better.”
Alric’s expression turned puzzled. “I’ve been fine all day.”
Snorting, Cameron drawled, “Liiiies. Lies and slander. You were obviously in pain earlier when addressing the whole clan. We all picked up on it.”
The king went abruptly still, dark eyes sharp on Cameron. “How could you possibly tell?”
“You get little pain lines here,” Cameron lifted a hand and traced a line out away from Alric’s eye with his thumb, a gentle caress. Alric’s eyes darkened perceptibly at the touch, and wasn’t that fascinating? Playing with fire, Cameron upped the ante a bit and deliberately caressed the tip of Alric’s bottom lip as he traced another line around his mouth. “And here. I noticed them when I was standing next to you.”
“I see,” Alric replied, voice a touch hoarse. “My mistake. I thought I was hiding it well.”
“I really wish you hadn’t tried.” And look at that face. Alric clearly liked Cameron touching him. Cameron may or may not be oblivious at times (Cassie claimed he missed cues all the time) but right now? This moment? A blind eye couldn’t miss Alric’s reaction. The King of the Fire Dragons didn’t have as good of a poker face as he thought he did.