Chaos (39 page)

Sasha smiled crookedly. "Bright day, Highness. Well, Eminence, I suppose."

Culebra laughed. "I think my name will suffice. Meet my sister; I've told her about you many times."

Obediently Sasha turned to the fierce-looking woman who stepped up to stand beside Culebra, extending a hand in greeting. "My lady."

"Cortez works fine," Cortez said. "You're nearly as pretty as my little brother, but not as pretty as the Unicorn."

Gael snorted and rolled his eyes. "I cannot believe the Duke of Krasny is standing on the roof of the Citadel as a reborn Licht. I cannot believe you were the child of chaos. What is going on?"

Sasha shook his head. "I don't know where to begin." He really didn't. After all he had done, he had expected a cold reception at absolute best. If they had simply shown up and killed him again …

Raiden strode across the roof to stand right in front of him as the others hastened out of his way. Even David slid out of the way as the two gods stared at each other. Raiden's eyes were as deep and dark as the sea, etched with a pain that Licht shared, a pain he wished with every element of his being that he had not caused. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

"I'm sorry, too," Raiden said. "We excelled at not listening to each other. It was easier to blame one another for mistakes we both made. I've had nine hundred years to accept that. Whatever your mistakes, Licht, you were not alone in making them. We, every one of us, did things we should not have, helped to bring our fates down upon us. That aside …" he reached out and twined a strand of Sasha's hair around his finger. For the first time, Sasha noticed it was not the dark red it had been before, but was lighter and more of a red-gold. "You're not the same. Not a one of us is."

Sasha just continued to frown. Raiden's mouth quirked and with a nod, conceded, "That doesn't mean you won't be made to atone for all that you did, because you went too far and you know it. But you're not just Licht, you're Krasny—"

"I prefer Sasha," he cut in. "Krasny belonged to Pozhar and my home is Schatten now."

"Sasha, then," Raiden said with a smile. "Sasha does not deserve to suffer for Licht's crimes. As I said, you've changed. I cannot punish a man who is nothing like the one who tried to destroy the world."

"Do it anyway, because I'm still Licht," Sasha said.

Nodding, Raiden said, "Confinement. You will not leave Schatten until we all agree you may. How long that will be, I cannot say. And your power will be limited in scope until we feel you have earned the right to the whole of it."

Sasha nodded. "So be it," he said and winced as he felt the binding spell fall over him, locked in place by the powers of the other nine. It was a constant ache, the lack of freedom, the lack of power, as if his wings had been clipped and his senses muffled.

But it was a kinder punishment than he deserved. "Thank you."

"As to your shadow …" Raiden continued, narrowing his eyes thoughtfully at David.

"Whatever his crimes, it was his bond to me that drove him and broke him," Sasha said, moving to stand in front of David. "And like me, he is not the same."

"That may be true, but he still must be punished as well," Raiden said.

Nankyokukai stepped up to Raiden's side, folding his arms across his chest. "Strip him off his power and his connection to the Seers and the other people of Schatten. If it is a shadow he wants to be, then let it be so—a harmless, powerless shadow that can go nowhere on its own, but must always be near that which casts it."

"So be it," Sasha said, and he tugged David close as he cried out from the abrupt removal of all the power and freedom he had possessed as Teufel. "David …"

David pushed away enough to look up and smiled faintly; he looked slightly in pain, but happy. "I'm fine. It's more than I deserve, and I'm better off without it."

Sasha kissed him, then looked back to the others to softly say, "Thank you."

Raiden nodded and stepped away, and Sasha tensed all over again as Gael and Freddie approached him. "I'm sorry," he said again, though the words were woefully inadequate. It had been far too easy to take advantage of the Faerie Queen's jealousy and hatred. She was the only one who had gone along with him so easily, even eagerly. "I never meant—I should not have fed her pain—or fed upon it."

"She made her choices," Gael said quietly, pale eyes sad but accepting. "If you used her, she let you, and that was her choice. At least in you there is a Licht to be saved and nothing of the hateful, bitter, vengeful man who was bent on destroying all of us."

Freddie nodded. "Raiden is correct when he says you're different. The Duke of Krasny we knew—whom we
all
knew—could never be that terrible Licht. If a mortal was destined to take up that mantle, we're glad it's you, Krasny—Sasha."

Sasha swallowed, nodded. "Thank you. I will try not to fail a second time."

They each kissed his cheeks, then stepped away, and Sasha swallowed as Raz finally approached him. "I know I sensed happiness for you, my little spark, but I admit this is way beyond what I anticipated." Raz leaned up and kissed him softly. "I will miss your presence amongst my children, but I will very much enjoy calling you brother."

His eyes flicked to David and his smile widened, turning playful. "And here we have the real reason behind Sasha's rise to power and the opening of Schatten's borders." He dragged David forward and kissed him as well. "Hello, pretty little shadow. It is good to see you too have changed for the better. Take better care of him this time, hmm?"

"I will," David said. "I promise."

"Good," Raz replied and then turned with a flourish. "Then I say that, for now at least, all is taken care of here. Let us leave our brother to tend his country and set it to rights. We will trouble you further on another day."

In a rush of feathers and a rumble of thunder, the gods were gone, leaving Sasha and David once more alone on the roof.

David laughed, only a touch of hysterical disbelief in it. "I can't believe we're alive. I'm still not certain why."

"I'm content not to question it for now," Sasha said. "All I want is to restore Schatten and take my beautiful shadow to bed."

Twining around him, tilting his head up for a kiss, David replied, "That sounds like a fine plan to me, my light."

Sasha obediently bent to give the requested kiss while below them, the bells of the Citadel began to ring.

Soft lips pressed a lingering kiss to the back of Fritz's neck, eliciting a smile and shivers of anticipation. He leaned back against the warm body behind him, shivering again as knowing hands smoothed along his sides and bare chest before dipping to wrap loosely around his waist. A gentle breeze wafted through their room, carrying the sweet scent of Licht blossoms and the sounds of the people of Sonnenstrahl far below.

Drache nuzzled against the side of his neck, then whispered in his ear, "What do you See?"

"I See what you See," Fritz said with a soft snort, tangling his fingers with Drache's at his waist. Power rippled through them, power that grew in strength the longer they spent time together, slowly reforging their torn soul. His eyes glowed as he cast out, falling into a trance. "I See …"

A man who understands the ways of the sky and the sea, a man treasured by the gods and the people, grown into his power and place. He guides the Land of Storms with a firm, but gentle hand and keeps calm the heart of chaos.

A sad soul is reborn into a happier life, given a chance to become the Tsar he could not find the strength to be before. He is helped by the priest with a heart of fire, and together they repair once and for all the rift between Zhar Ptitsa and the children of fire.

Respect for death and destruction, understanding spread by way of wandering priests with red roses at their throats. A land of misery ruled by one becomes a land of joy guided by two.

Two also proves to be stronger than three, and people flourish under the loving Voices of Joy and Sorrow.

The cruel grip of an untouchable Queen rapidly fades from memory, leaving life pure and strong once more.

Trust is a hard thing to earn, an even harder thing to regain once lost, but time heals all wounds and the people of Schatten slowly leave the dark to enjoy the light so long denied them. Nothing is yet forgiven, but more and more people walk the roads to Sonnenstrahl.

He broke out of the trance, let go of his hold on Drache's hands, and turned in his arms to twine his own around Drache's neck. "And I think we both know what Sasha is doing with his little shadow in Gold Rock."

"Come and do things with me," Drache said, nipping playfully at his lips.

Fritz laughed and drew back slightly. "Now? We have mass—"

"Not for two hours," Drache said. "I have not had you to myself, except to fall asleep exhausted, for the past two weeks. Sonnenstrahl can take care of itself for a couple of hours." He kissed Fritz softly, but with hunger, making him shiver, skin prickling wherever Drache's nails grazed it. "I have need of you, other half. Indulge me."

Smiling, Fritz replied, "Always." He let go of Drache enough that he could push him gently across the room and down onto their bed, the blankets still a tangled mess from hasty, sleepy fumbling in the dark. As heady as everything between them had always been in dreams, it paled in comparison with reality. Nothing was more intoxicating than being able to truly touch and taste and feel Drache, to be able to reach out and know the voice in his head was a living, breathing person, his true other half.

He looked down at Drache, noticing for the first time that his long hair was loose, a waterfall of gold against his skin and the mussed bedding. Being able to look at him, touch him, still stirred a deep ache. Fritz was not certain he would ever truly believe he was not permanently lost in a dream. Drache smiled at him, warm and fond, affection humming through the bond that they would always share. "What do you See?" he asked softly, though he Saw it for himself just fine.

Drache's lavender eyes glowed as he reached up to tug Fritz down. He flipped them, hair spilling all around, a curtain of gold that smelled like sunshine and incense. Taking a soft kiss, he then drew back so that they were only the barest distance apart, and replied, "Two as one, one as two. Night and Day. Life and Death. Chaos and Order. Harmony as far as the eye can See."

Megan is a long time resident of m/m fiction, and keeps herself busy reading, writing, and publishing it. She is often accused of fluff and nonsense. She loves to hear from readers, and can be found all around the internet.

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