“Come here,” Levi said. “There’s room enough for both of us.”
Iason put out his cigarette and joined Levi in the hammock, gingerly, clearly trying to look graceful even though it was impossible for anyone—even gods—to do that in a hammock. “We have a perfectly decent bed inside.Now,” he added, after a moment.
“Yes, and I plan on taking advantage of it later, since Sophie being on a date means we’ve the house to ourselves.”
Iason scowled. “Sophie is too young to date. She’s out with friends.”
Levi rolled his eyes, wrapping an arm around Iason’s shoulders and yanking him down so he sprawled on top of Levi. “She’s on a date with Paris and Daphne. I can admit it, even if you can’t, and you know she has a crush on them.”
“They’re friends,” Iason said. “She’s barely old enough to have a crush.”
“Hmm. I don’t think that’s right, but if you want to be wrong about it—”
Iason placed a hand over Levi’s mouth. “I do, thank you very much.”
Levi bit at his hand, giving a threatening growl that made Iason smile and pull his hand away. Then Iason said, “Your teeth are too sharp for that.” There was a spot of blood on his palm.
“Oh.” Levi took Iason’s wrist and carried his hand to his mouth, licking at the slight wound. “That’s what I mean. My dragon isn’t as controlled as I’m used to. I tried to shift in the water last time I went swimming, but it didn’t work. I don’t think itwillwork until we decide what to do about our bond.”
“I still don’t know how we break itorhow we… make it permanent,” Iason said. “That’s not in any of the books I’ve found, and unless one of your siblings has some experience breaking a companion bond…”
Levi went still, and then the knowledge was there, as if he’d always known. “We say we want it. And then we have it.”
“It would be nice if it were that easy.” Iason sighed.
Levi kissed him. “It is that easy. We just didn’t know until it was time. I think this is how it happens for everyone. The bond is potential. We’ve seen that. Now we have to decide whether it’s worth it.”
“What’sit? Our bond? Eternity?”
“Yes. I think we both have to decide that it is. That’s what it is, really. A choice.”
“And you’re just now telling me this?” Iason pushed himself up, palms on Levi’s chest. It was hard to look threatening in a hammock, but he was trying his best.
“I just now realized it. I think that’s what Arwyn said happened with him. Azaiah, too. It’s fine,” Levi assured him. “We decide if we want it, and then we’re bound. If we don’t, then we’re not.”
“Do you know that you’ll get your dragon back, either way?”
“No,” Levi said. “It might be that this is as close as I get, if I stay bound to you.”
“That isn’t fair. You never asked to be bound, or to give it up. I took that choice from you.”
“You didn’t,” Levi corrected, smoothing his fingers over Iason’s clenched jaw. “I think if the potential hadn’t been there for us, you would have saved Sophie and I—the dragon—would have torn you to pieces. I don’t know what decided we might be something else, but it did, and now we have to choose.”
“How can you have the ego that you do, and be so easygoing?”
“I’m a god. We’re complicated.” Levi kissed him, a hand on Iason’s neck. “We have some time, but we should decide soon. I think if we don’t, I’ll turn into a dragon and won’t be able to shift back, and I don’t know if you can fit a bed big enough for us in the house.”
“Probably not,” Iason agreed, then fell quiet, gaze fixed on Levi.
Levi gazed back. “What is it?”
Iason finally looked away. He took a slow, deep breath. “Do you want it? The bond. Enough to take that risk? Because if you don’t, it shouldn’t be a choice at all. I won’t bind you like that, Levi. I’ve seen the damage it does, binding a person’s will when they don’t have any choice in the matter. The Archmage did it to the pleasure slaves he used as an army. He did it tome. I won’t do it to you, no matter how I feel about you.”
“I told you before, my wizard. There’s no taming me. And I know you wouldn’t. I don’t think I could have made a bond with a man who wanted to use me. Tame me. Keep me in proverbial chains.” Levi kissed him again. “I think that’s the only reason it worked.”
“I would find the one god contrary enough to bond with someone who had a death wish and an acute case of physical and mental exhaustion.”
Levi laughed his dragon’s laugh and tugged at Iason’s hair. He had it up in the smallest ponytail atop his head to keep it out of his eyes when he was working, and Sophie had crowed that he looked like a certain type of Starian noblewoman’s spoiled dog when she’d seen it. “Yes. Well, leave me to find the one human who didn’t jump at the chance to live forever. I thought you were all afraid of death.”
