“You don’t even know what I’m going to say.”
“I have been with you for the last six months. I know you have not done anything to hurt me so therefore, you could not possibly owe me an apology.”
“Ell, I hired Wesley. I brought him into your life—”
Ellery laid his hand over Chrysander’s mouth. “Do not dare take any blame. It is not your fault. There is absolutely no way you could have known he would do this to me. When you hired him it was centuries ago, and he was good at his job. You wanted a competent office manager. Wesley was that, he just decided I was…well, I do not know what he decided or why, but it has nothing to do with your decision to hire him.”
“I wish we knew what possessed him to do that,” Chrysander said after lifting Ellery’s hand and giving it a kiss.
“I do not know if he will answer me, but it is a question I have to ask before he dies.”
“I understand. I hope he’ll give you some insight. You deserve it.”
“I need to talk to Zane too.”
“He didn’t know, Ell. He couldn’t have known what was in that mug.”
Ellery’s eyes grew dark with irritation. “Do you think I do not know that? My trust in Zane is implicit. Since Wesley’s arrest, he has gained back some of his confidence, but I can see in his face that he is still blaming himself to some degree. Like you, he has nothing to be sorry about. I intend to make sure he understands that, but it will have to wait until I know I have more time. I do not want to miss a minute with you.”
“I love you so damn much.”
With gold-dusted fingers, Ellery traced Chrysander’s mouth as he smiled. “I know. I do not question it. I love you too.”
“I want a cure.”
“Me too, but I will settle for a treatment.”
“I want to break that wizard into a million pieces.”
“He was foolish. Irresponsible. But it was Wesley who orchestrated this. The wizard had no issue with me.”
“I agree but without his magic, we wouldn’t be sitting on a bunch of pillows in Aleksander’s backyard.”
“He should be charging us rent.”
Chrysander rolled his eyes after pressing his lips to Ellery’s again. “Good luck. King D’Vaire is stubborn and proud. He won’t take a damn cent.”
“He is an incredible man.”
“So are you.”
Ellery shrugged. “All I have done for the last six months is lie around.”
“You also stank up the backyard after eating too much fruit.”
“Not very gentlemanly of you to remind me.”
“Did you want some fruit or veggies while you can properly digest it?”
“Maybe next time. For right now, all I need is to be close to you.”
“Are you running out of time?” Chrysander asked, already saddened by the idea of losing the opportunity to just be with Ellery like this.
“My dragon is making himself more known, but I am okay for now.”
“I have always been proud of being a dragon. I met you, and for the first time I wanted nothing to do with dragonkind because I was convinced you wouldn’t survive your first shift. Now I’m sitting here once again wishing you were just an ordinary elf.”
Ellery gave him a half smile. “I was never an ordinary elf. I was not like the others, even before I knew I was a dragon. When I found out I was part shifter, I was desperate to be anything but an elf. Now I wake up every day wishing I could be one. Yet, I am still proud to be a dragon, even if my beast needs to learn his limits.”
