Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 82371 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 412(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 275(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82371 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 412(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 275(@300wpm)
He was very creative.
Carrick should’ve put him to work cleaning the kitchen instead of insisting that he could do it all himself.
“That is correct.” Carrick quickly scanned the now spotless kitchen. “Would anyone like coffee or something else to drink?”
That seemed to be Lorne’s breaking point. “No, we have to talk about invisible dungeons.”
Moving faster than I’d imagined he could, Lorne had his hand wrapped around his mischievous mage’s arm and was dragging him into the living room before I could blink. “This isn’t funny anymore. I can’t handle it.”
He couldn’t handle Carrick’s politeness? The vague answers about building the dungeon? If there was a dungeon? How obsessively he’d cleaned the kitchen?
Living with the two of them was going to drive me insane.
“What can’t you handle, monkey?” Trailing after them and trying to decide which one of them I was supposed to be saving, I watched as Lorne dragged Carrick over to the chair that seemed to be the mage’s favorite and pushed him down into it.
Carrick was doing a good job of keeping a straight face and attempting a dry expression, but I’d gotten to know him well enough to know that he was pleased with himself or with the situation in general.
Did he like making Lorne nuts?
As Lorne plopped himself down on Carrick’s lap, he folded his arms across his chest and glared at his naughty mage. “I demand communication.”
Oh, that was interesting.
Something like pride flashed in Carrick’s eyes before he nodded. “I concede to communication.”
They were both insane, but it seemed to work for them, so I was going to do my best not to obsessively worry over it.
“Thank you.” Looking like a regal little prince, Lorne waved one hand in a continue gesture that seemed to have Carrick trying not to laugh…or maybe imagining spanking him.
It was a toss-up.
“I can plan for something I can’t see because I know what I want it to look like and I have the ability to create it.” Carrick decided to start from the point where he’d made Lorne insane and it seemed to have been a good decision.
But I was stumped.
Was he talking like beam me up, Scotty type of shit?
“I should’ve paid more attention in school.” Pouting, Lorne seemed slightly less angry but not happy yet. “You can’t make something from nothing. Not really. I remember that.”
We both should’ve paid more attention because that was all I knew as well.
This was one of those points where I wished they’d done more mixed science and magic classes in high school. We’d had to learn about female anatomy in Sex Ed, but no one had thought explaining mage magic to dragons was an important thing?
“I’m sure you did very well in school.” Carrick kissed Lorne’s nose, chasing a bit more of Lorne’s crankiness out with the sweet gesture. “Communication between mages and dragons is not always easy.”
Duh.
“It’s hard.” Lorne’s glare shifted to a sad frown. “They’re all so magey.”
He wasn’t wrong, but Carrick managed not to get derailed by it. “Every mage has different skills and that’s usually affected by bloodlines and, some have hypothesized, by the regions where we were originally from. Sound familiar?”
When Lorne and I both nodded, Carrick slipped back into his professor mode, which was kind of cute. “Good. Well, we all also learn basic spells in school.”
Lorne perked up, straightening as his arms came down to rest on his lap. “The taking care of yourself, your community, and your family ones. I remember that.”
But his smile didn’t last long. “But healing a cut and tending your garden properly won’t build a house.”
“My family is very good at manipulative magic.” Carrick paused but continued when it was clear we had no idea what he was talking about. “We’re the ones who get called when buildings need to be inspected or to have charms applied. One of my grandfathers built the history room in the library, and if we’d have been called in to hide it, no one would’ve ever found it.”
Lorne’s glare was back. “Like. My. Dungeon.”
I wasn’t sure what Lorne would do if Carrick kept fucking with him about the dungeon, but thankfully we didn’t need to figure that out because the mage was smart and nodded. “Yes, like your dungeon.”
Giving a huff, Lorne nodded curtly. “Thank you.”
Adorable.
“You’re welcome.” Carrick paused for a split second before continuing. “I created the space once things started progressing with Monroe. No one else has been in it. I didn’t originally hide it to frustrate you, but it seemed like slowly introducing the idea would be prudent since you didn’t know me very well.”
Lorne was softening under the logic and the fact that he’d been right. “Yeah, you shouldn’t walk up to someone and just say, ‘I’m your mate. Wanna see my sex dungeon?’”
I managed not to laugh, but I’d have never been able to take the conversation as seriously as Carrick was. He shrugged and looked like it was the most logical discussion he’d ever had. “It wouldn’t have come across well.”