Kei's Gift by Ann Somerville Read Free Book Online

the village, although the ore was little use directly to the village itself.
    “They’ve started. It was one of the lesser kilns, one they were thinking of knocking apart and rebuilding anyway. Meis originally thought it was kisu contamination, but now Rin believes the kiln was ready to give out. If any one blames himself for Ban’s death, it’s Rin.”
    “It’s ill luck. This talk of blame gets no one anywhere,” Reji said with some impatience.
    “People can’t help it,” Kei said, stepping through Reji’s front door into his small house. It seemed scarcely big enough to hold such a tall and brawny man, but Reji always said it suited him fine. Kei took their cups of beer and set them on the small table. “Someone they love dies or get hurt, of course they feel guilty.”
    Reji took Kei into his strong arms, and Kei nestled against him. He’d missed the feel of Reji against him, the way his long, dark hair felt under his fingers, how they fit together, two tall men almost of the same height, hip to hip and firm thigh to thigh. “Yes, and then two people I care very much about are left without their parents, for no good reason I’ve ever been able to see.”
    Kei pushed him away a little. “Ma was sick. Sick in mind and heart and she had no healer but me to help. I should have been here, don’t blame her. I don’t want to listen to this again.”
    Reji sighed. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.” He pulled Kei close and pressed a kiss on his forehead. “Sorry, little brother.”
    “Huh, not so much with the ‘little’, you big oaf. You know, Myka was right about one thing.”
    “Oh yes?” Reji asked, slipping his hands up inside Kei’s shirt, making him shiver.
    “You do stink,” he said, grinning, ducking away from Reji’s grasping hands. “We could wash each other’s backs.”
    “Maybe I want to bathe alone, since I’m so offensive,” Reji said, his quirked mouth making a liar of his tone.
    Kei insinuated himself close again and looked soulfully into Reji’s eyes. “Would you deny me this little pleasure, Rei-ki? I mean, it’s been two months since I was able to run my hands here,” he slid his hand up under Reji’s shirt and along the fine skin over his ribs, “or touch you this way,” his other hand cupped Reji’s groin carefully, applying a little pressure, “or lick your—”
    “Enough!” Reji growled as he crushed his mouth on Kei’s and kissed him hungrily. “Gods, were you always this infuriatingly desirable, or have you been practicing?”
    “Just...ah...missing you...oh, yes, do that again....”
    And then Kei gave up teasing, because he needed to concentrate on the wonderful things Reji was doing with his mouth and his hands, and talking was by no means what he wanted to be doing for the next few hours with his lover.

Chapter : Darshian 4
     
    “ The winds are with us, Arman. A good omen,” Jozo said, coming to the rail of the ship.
    “That it is. I hope the weather holds until we cross the mountains.”
    “I hope this blasted secret route is as good as the mapmakers claim,” Jozo replied, his lips pursed. “I don’t fancy being on top of an urs beast on a mountain pass if there’s a rock slide.”
    “Trust in the gods, Jozo,” Arman said calmly, slightly amused by Jozo’s anxiety. Jozo far preferred to travel by boat or on foot to riding an urs beast, disliking the hairy animals intensely—but there was no doubt they were supremely well adapted for the Darshian terrain. The smaller, lighter jesigs were fine on Kuplik and the rest of Kuprij, but would make heavy going of the sand and long mountain passes. Arman rode either as and when they were needed, and rather enjoyed the higher seat and rocking motion of the beasts. They made an imposing impression en masse, which was often useful in suppressing rebellion.
    “I’d rather trust in decent maps.” Arman frowned at his impiety, even though he too, like any decent military man, wanted good