“You know that you can eat with us in the dining room, right?”he asked.In fact, most of the mages and the dragons had made it clear that Graham was welcome to do so.
Graham’s cheeks flushed.He was looking everywhere but at Emory.“I know,” he said quietly.
“I mean, I understand keeping snacks in your room, but that looks like a lot of snacks.”
“I just don’t want to bother anyone,” Graham murmured, his voice so soft that Emory wouldn’t have heard him if he hadn’t been a dragon shifter.
He understood feeling like a bother more than a lot of people.He didn’t feel like this was his home or like he belonged, so he got it.Things were different for Graham, though.Emory had always been on the mages’ side.He’d always wanted Carlyle to pay for what he’d done.Graham, on the other hand, had been on Carlyle’s side.He’d been working with him, helping him hurt people even though he hadn’t hurt anyone himself.
“You wouldn’t have been allowed to stay here if you bothered the people who live in this place,” Emory said gruffly.“I wouldn’t worry too much if I were you.”
“I don’t know how I’m supposed not to worry,” Graham murmured, then hesitated.“How are you doing?Are you feeling better?”
“I’m fine.”
“Because I could help you with your wounds if you want.I realize I’m not a mage, but I do know how to treat those.”
He said that like he had years of experience, and maybe he did.Emory didn’t know anything about Graham’s past.He didn’t know how the man had ended up with Carlyle, why he’d stayed with Carlyle for so long, or how he felt about losing his brother, although Emory could guess that.He was curious, but at the same time, he was also wary.He didn’t trust Graham.How could he?
But Emory and Graham would always be linked in some way.They couldn’t avoid it.From what Emory understood, Graham was distantly related to Carlyle, which was how he and his brother were able to get Carlyle out of the gemstone the mages had trapped him in.Carlyle had been Emory’s mage and the love of Emory’s life.Emory would never be able to forget or ignore that, no matter how long he lived.
He and Graham were linked through the most awful man possible, and there was nothing either of them could do about that.
“I appreciate the offer, but I’m fine,” Emory said more gruffly than he wanted.He didn’t want to scare Graham off, and he was grateful for the offer, just like he’d said, but he didn’t need to be fussed over.He hadn’t in a long time, if ever.Carlyle had never been the type to fuss over anyone, not even the dragon he’d claimed he loved.
Maybe that should have clued Emory in as to what had been happening behind his back.
“It’s really not a bother,” Graham insisted.
“The mages took good care of me.I’m fine.”
Graham cocked his head and stared at Emory in a way that made Emory uncomfortable.
“You haven’t gone flying,” Graham said.
For a moment, it felt like Emory was thrown back into his relationship with Carlyle.Carlyle had always been able to see through his lies.He’d always known.
“I’m fine,” Emory said, telling himself that Graham wasn’t Carlyle and that he couldn’t treat him as if he was.He couldn’t allow his fear and disgust to take over.Even though the man wasn’t innocent by any means, he hadn’t committed the atrocities Carlyle had.He hadn’t taken Emory’s dragon from him, and it wouldn’t be fair to Emory to treat him as if he had.
“I don’t need your help,” Emory said.“But again, thank you for offering.”
Graham continued watching Emory for a moment before he finally nodded.Emory was relieved.He didn’t know what to make of this man, and he didn’t think that spending time with him was a good idea.Luckily for him, he didn’t have to.
“I have to go,” he said, pointing toward the end of the hallway.He didn’t wait for Graham’s reaction.He fled, feeling like an idiot but not being able to help himself.
Graham made him feel many different ways, and he didn’t know how to deal with that.He didn’t know what to think of it.
He didn’t know how to stop.
Chapter Two
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GRAHAM WAS DOING HISbest to stay out of the way.He couldn’t avoid going downstairs for meals because he knew that someone would notice and come and find him, but the rest of the time, he stayed in his room as much as he could.It was kind of boring, though, even though he had a TV, and he was pretty sure he could get anything he wanted if he asked for it.
He wasn’t going to.The mages and their dragons had already done more than enough for him.The last thing he wanted was to bother them more by asking them to entertain him.
That didn’t mean he couldn’t entertain himself, like he was today.He didn’t think anyone had noticed him sitting in the window seat in his room, looking down at the courtyard.Everyone was too busy.Today, the dragons were training, even though Carlyle was a thing of the past.