Tauran’s heart skipped when he recognized Kalai’s voice. He pulled the door open.
Kalai stood on his doorstep, arms wrapped around himself, absolutely soaked to the bone. He only wore an undershirt and he shivered visibly from cold.
“Kalai?” Tauran stepped back to allow him inside, eyes scanning Kalai’s slender, shivering form for blood or injuries. When he found none, he left him by the door to fetch a towel from the bathroom. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m sorry I woke you.” Kalai looked miserable. He took the towel from Tauran and rubbed it through his hair, making it stick wildly in all directions. “I went to see Arrow after dinner. He was fractious. Inconsolable. He’s scratched up the sliding doors and started digging into the floor. I tried to calm him, but he’s so worked up. He’s never been locked up like this before.”
“It’s okay,” Tauran said, stroking Kalai’s shoulders. His shirt was so wet he might as well have gone for a dip in the lake. “We’ll go over there. See if there’s anything we can do. What time is it?” He waved Kalai along and stepped into the bedroom. Rummaging through his travel bag, he pulled out a dry shirt and a pair of trousers.
“Almost midnight,” Kalai said. “I’m sorry. This is such an inconvenience.”
“It’s not,” Tauran assured him. He handed him the clothes. “These probably won’t fit you well, but they’re dry. Do you, uh...”
Before he could finish his sentence, Kalai pulled the wet shirt over his head. He held it awkwardly, looking for some place to put it down, and it took Tauran an embarrassingly long time to drag his eyes from Kalai’s naked torso and take the shirt from him. He took it to the kitchen and hung it over the back of the chair to dry, then stole a look over his shoulder.
Kalai was exceptionally well-made. Faint muscle defined his slender form. Like on his cheekbone, a few dark freckles dotted the golden skin on his arms and back. Tauran’s gaze lingered on one right in the middle of Kalai’s lower back before Kalai pulled Tauran’s shirt over his head and obscured the view.
Kalai’s hands went to the buttons of his soaked trousers, and Tauran drifted away, sitting by the kitchen table to seem less like an ogling creep. If the situation had been different, he might have made a different choice.
They left the apartment, Kalai waiting under the awning of a nearby produce store while Tauran hailed one of the last carriages of the day. The driver wasn’t entirely pleased. Customarily, rides ended at midnight, and it was eight minutes to midnight when Tauran and Kalai climbed into the back of the carriage. Kalai apologized to the driver, but Tauran couldn’t find it in him to feel guilty.
By the time the carriage halted at the edge of the ruined district, the pouring rain had lessened to a light drizzle, and they managed to make it to the Solar Tower damp rather than soaked.
Arrow’s yelps and roars of frustration were audible even in the entrance hall. When they reached the top of the stairs on the sixth floor, it became apparent that Kalai hadn’t exaggerated.
The floor surrounding the stairs was almost entirely carved up, long jagged claw marks extending in a fan-shape from the stairs, as if Arrow had attempted to expand the entrance enough for him to fit through. The sliding doors were scratched up just as bad. When Arrow spotted them, he spread his wings and glided over to them, coming to a running stop. He cooed softly, pressing his nose against Kalai’s chest.
“Sorry, buddy,” Tauran said. He stroked the smooth scales on Arrow’s neck, making the dragon raise his head. Tauran tried not to think about how easy it was to touch him, now. He traced the cut on Arrow’s leg, now a fresh scar. “He’s terribly bored,” he said. “No wonder, when he’s used to the whole world being open to him.”
“Maybe coming to Valreus was a mistake.” Kalai sighed and sat on the floor. Promptly, Arrow flopped down beside him and stretched out on his side, fitting his left wing across Kalai’s legs.
“Hey, now.” Tauran slid down on one knee slowly. “Things are a little tough right now, but Arrow isn’t suffering. He’s being dramatic because he’s bored, but a few days in a tower won’t kill him. It won’t be long before the saddle is done. Then things can really start to change.” Tauran winked. “In