![\"The](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dreamspinnerpress.com\/store\/images\/cover_images\/DreamThousandLG.jpg?resize=240%2C360\")
Excerpt: Chapter One<\/p>\nExcerpt: Chapter One<\/p>\n
Forgotten<\/p>\n
NERIAH ran down the narrow passageway between the hedgerows, stumbling over roots and rocks. His bare feet were now bloody, but he knew that he could not stop. The guards who pursued him had but one goal in mind: his death. His eyes burned with unshed tears at the memory of what he had seen as he fled his room in the palace. He swore under his breath that he hadn\u2019t had the presence of mind to grab his sword. He was unarmed. Vulnerable.<\/p>\n
Why are they trying to kill me? What have I done to warrant this? Why would Father-?<\/p>\n
\u201cOver here!\u201d shouted one of the men.<\/p>\n
He could hear footsteps close behind\u2014the guards would soon overtake him. He brushed his long dark hair from his eyes and threw off the silk jacket he wore, tossing it under one of the large bushes. He followed this by removing his shirt and the silk scarf around his head\u2014the bright fabrics were too visible. He pulled the gold earring from his ear and struggled to remove the rings from his fingers, shoving them into his pockets as he continued to run, panting, toward the high wall that surrounded the palace.<\/p>\n
I have to get over the wall, he thought as his lungs began to ache from the strain of running for so long. At least on the outside, I have a chance.<\/p>\n
The wall loomed above him now with its smooth, white stone, and he looked around in desperation, trying to spot something upon which to gain a foothold. And then he saw it\u2014a climbing rose, ancient and knotty, unyielding. It stretched up against the wall, attaching itself tenaciously to the grooves between the stones. Beneath it on the ground were yellowing rose petals, the remnants of early summer now left to decay. He ran toward the vine just as the palace guards had spotted him.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere he is!\u201d one called to the others, pointing toward the garden wall.<\/p>\n
Neriah grabbed the gnarled stem of the ancient rose, ignoring the pain of its thorns as they dug into his soft hands. He clambered up, clutching one of the smaller branches that climbed high above the garden. The branch bent with his weight, and he began to fall backward, managing at the last moment to get hold of another branch and steady himself. He felt his knees burn against the smooth stone as he struggled upward, reaching the top of the wall. Winded, bloodied, his face covered in dirt, he stood at the top and looked back at the palace, its deep blue and gold turrets silhouetted against the sky.<\/p>\n
Mother, he thought as he fought back tears, I\u2019m sorry I couldn\u2019t save you. I promise I\u2019ll avenge your death.<\/p>\n
One of the pursuing guards began to climb the rose after him, causing the old vine to shudder and shake beneath the man\u2019s weight. Neriah looked down at the street below. Several vendors had set up their stalls beneath where he stood, their booths covered with bright fabrics attached to simple wooden poles. There were more shouts from behind him in the garden as he teetered on the edge, trying to find a spot to land.<\/p>\n
They\u2019ll kill you if you stay, he reminded himself as he looked at the tops of the stalls and wished that they weren\u2019t so far down.<\/p>\n
He saw his mother\u2019s face in his mind\u2019s eye, recalling her battered body on the marble floor and the lifeless glaze of her eyes. They had been looking for him\u2014he was sure of it\u2014and she had refused to tell them where he was. Her sacrifice had saved his life. She wanted you to live, he told himself. He frowned and, gathering his courage, jumped.<\/p>\n
\u201cIS HE dead?\u201d came a voice at the periphery of his consciousness.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. I fixed his body. He\u2019s just asleep, Kuri,\u201d replied a second voice, deeper than the first. \u201cBring me the blanket.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ll be banished for saving him, you know,\u201d said the first voice. \u201cWe can\u2019t help humans. Not unless we\u2019re commanded.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI won\u2019t let him die here,\u201d answered the second voice. \u201cJust bring me the blanket. Now.\u201d<\/p>\n
He heard the sound of footsteps, then felt strong hands tucking something warm around his aching body. He struggled back to consciousness and looked up into a pair of amber eyes that sparkled like sunlight and reminded him of the finest jewels his mother wore. The thought of his mother made his heart ache, but something in the compassionate gaze of those almond-shaped eyes put him at ease, and he felt the pain begin to recede.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t try to speak,\u201d said the young man who leaned over him. \u201cYou must rest for now. Don\u2019t worry. You\u2019ll be safe here.\u201d<\/p>\n
HE AWOKE again to absolute darkness. He struggled to sit up, panicked that the guards had found him. He imagined himself in the dungeons below the palace, his arms bound to his sides. But as the haze of sleep and exhaustion began to clear, he realized that his arms were held at his sides by the blanket that was wrapped around him.<\/p>\n
\u201cPlease,\u201d he whispered into the blackness. His voice was hoarse, his mouth parched. He felt himself pulled upward, and gentle fingers brushed his matted hair from his face.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s all right,\u201d came the reply. It was the same warm, high baritone he had heard before\u2014the voice, Neriah guessed, of a young man. \u201cYour body has been mended. But you haven\u2019t had anything to eat or drink since I found you two days ago.\u201d He felt the coldness of metal pressed to his mouth, the cool liquid soothing to his dry lips. \u201cDon\u2019t drink it too fast. Your body won\u2019t tolerate it.\u201d He slowed his gulps and relaxed, allowing his weak body to be supported.<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you,\u201d he said, his voice sounding less rough.<\/p>\n
\u201cCan you sit on your own?\u201d the young man asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think so,\u201d he answered as he found the wall behind him and rested his weight against it.<\/p>\n
He heard footsteps, then the sound of a small oil lamp being lit. He blinked to focus on his companion, who looked to be about sixteen or seventeen\u2014his own age. \u201cI am Tamir,\u201d replied the young man, whose hair was a deep red in the lamplight. He wore simple cotton clothing\u2014the shalvar kameez of a peasant\u2014and his long hair was tied in a high ponytail with a piece of green fabric. Neriah found himself captivated by the exotic beauty of the boy.<\/p>\n
\u201cTamir,\u201d Neriah repeated, \u201cyou\u2019ve been very kind to me.\u201d<\/p>\n
The edges of Tamir\u2019s mouth turned upward in a tender smile. \u201cWhen I found you at the edge of the market, I feared you were dead,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am called\u2026,\u201d Neriah hesitated, afraid to reveal his true name, \u201cSheva.\u201d He hated to lie to his savior, but his fear was great, both for his own safety as well as Tamir\u2019s.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m pleased to have met you, Sheva,\u201d Tamir replied, sitting cross-legged in front of Neriah. \u201cDo you think you can eat?\u201d<\/p>\n
Neriah nodded, feeling his belly complain. Tamir handed him a small flatbread. Neriah tore a piece of the bread and began to eat it with relish. \u201cI\u2019m sorry I cannot offer you more,\u201d Tamir said, pleased to see his companion\u2019s fine appetite. \u201cPerhaps tomorrow\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou needn\u2019t apologize,\u201d Neriah interrupted, gazing at his rescuer. \u201cI can\u2019t thank you enough for all that you\u2019ve done for me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWere you being chased?\u201d Tamir asked as Neriah continued to eat the bread. \u201cI heard that you were atop the palace wall\u2014that you fell.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2026,\u201d Neriah began, unsure of what to say. He wanted to tell the other boy the truth\u2014that he was a prince, that he had done nothing wrong, and that his mother had died to save his life\u2014but he found himself oddly tongue-tied. Despite his unease, he felt a strange sense of peacefulness radiate from his companion.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s all right,\u201d Tamir said, \u201cyou needn\u2019t tell me anything. I\u2019ve been in a fair number of fights myself. Kuri said the Royal Guards were searching the marketplace.\u201d<\/p>\n
Neriah coughed on the bread, having inhaled a bit of it in his alarm at the news. Tamir put his hand on Neriah\u2019s back and, with a deft flick of his wrist, hit Neriah between the shoulder blades. The piece of bread on which Neriah had choked flew out of his mouth.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sorry, Sheva,\u201d said Tamir, looking wretched, \u201cI didn\u2019t mean to startle you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m fine, Tamir,\u201d Neriah replied as he tried to calm his racing heart. \u201cI guess I just ate a bit too fast for my own good.\u201d Their eyes met, and Neriah took in the strong lines of Tamir\u2019s jaw, noting the soft indentation of his cheek and the dimples at the edges of his mouth. He is beautiful, he thought, admiring the ethereal quality of Tamir\u2019s eyes. His next thought was one of grief and self-reproach. How could you even think such a thing at a time like this? He felt tears threaten and clenched his jaw. He would not show weakness to anyone, let alone a stranger. He was, he reminded himself, still a prince.<\/p>\n
\u201cSomething is wrong,\u201d Tamir ventured, noticing Neriah\u2019s hard expression. \u201cThose men. Why were they after you, Sheva?\u201d<\/p>\n
Neriah wiped his eyes and frowned. \u201cI\u2026 I stole something from them,\u201d he lied as he forced the image of his dead mother from the forefront of his mind. \u201cThey chased after me. I thought they would kill me.\u201d He looked at his hands and said nothing more. A lie and the truth. He hoped it would suffice as an explanation of how he had come to be injured.<\/p>\n
Neriah needn\u2019t have worried, for Tamir replied, \u201cYou don\u2019t have to tell me more. You should rest. Tomorrow, when you are stronger, you can make your way out of the city, if you wish.\u201d<\/p>\n
Neriah studied the other boy\u2019s face for a moment. If he\u2019d wanted to turn me in, he would have done so by now, he thought. Still, he hesitated. Why would this boy\u2014this commoner\u2014wish to help him?<\/p>\n
\u201cI promise no harm will come to you while you sleep,\u201d Tamir added, as if he had read Neriah\u2019s mind. The effect of these words upon Neriah was almost magical. Neriah knew, in that instant, that Tamir spoke the truth. Too tired to argue with himself over the wisdom of this blind trust, Neriah just said, \u201cThank you,\u201d and lay down upon the makeshift pillow once more.<\/p>\n
NERIAH awoke sometime later, Tamir\u2019s body pressed against his own, warm and comforting. Without thinking, he wrapped his hands around the young man\u2019s chest, burying his head against Tamir\u2019s back, desperate to think of something other than the dangerous future that awaited him outside these walls. He heard Tamir sigh, and he released Tamir from the embrace, afraid that he had overstepped the boundaries of their newfound friendship.<\/p>\n
It was then that Tamir rolled over and reached for Neriah. Neriah could smell the other boy\u2019s sweet fragrance, which called to mind jasmine and spices. They lay that way for the longest time, neither of them speaking. \u201cI haven\u2019t been truthful with you,\u201d Neriah admitted, \u201cI\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShhh,\u201d Tamir replied, pressing his fingertips to Neriah\u2019s soft lips. \u201cI do not need to know. I just wish I could ease your pain.\u201d<\/p>\n
The lamp, which had been burning since Tamir had lit it hours before, now guttered and died. Neriah reached for Tamir and ran lithe fingers through his crimson hair. It felt like silk in Neriah\u2019s hands. \u201cI am sorry to have put you through this,\u201d he said. \u201cI don\u2019t deserve such\u2014\u201d But his words were cut short this time, not by Tamir\u2019s fingers but by his lips, pressed against Neriah\u2019s.<\/p>\n
Neriah felt his pulse quicken. The kiss broke and Neriah began, \u201cTamir, I\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d Tamir interrupted. \u201cI should not have touched you. I beg your forgiveness.\u201d<\/p>\n
Neriah opened his mouth to speak, to tell Tamir that he had done nothing wrong, that he wanted this too. Instead, he kissed the redhead. He had never lain with another man before, but his need to possess those full lips was so great that he found he could not help himself.<\/p>\n
Their kiss deepened, and Neriah\u2019s desire for the young man beside him grew. His hands sought the smooth skin of Tamir\u2019s chest of their own accord. He felt the hard muscle beneath the warm skin and, in the darkness, he kissed Tamir\u2019s shoulder. He heard Tamir gasp in pleasure as Neriah\u2019s hands probed beneath the boy\u2019s cotton shalvar, and he felt Tamir\u2019s hardness grow beneath his fingers.<\/p>\n
\u201cSheva,\u201d whispered Tamir, pulling Neriah\u2019s hands away, \u201cPlease\u2026 let me pleasure you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Neriah tried to protest, but Tamir\u2019s gentle lips met his own, and Neriah found that he had no will to resist him. Tamir pulled Neriah\u2019s pantaloons away, tracing Neriah\u2019s body with his fingers. Neriah felt dizzy, overwhelmed by the other boy\u2019s touch. None of the women he had lain with had ever touched him in this way, nor had he responded to them so powerfully, despite their beauty. \u201cPlease,\u201d he moaned, as Tamir began to cover his body with feathery kisses. He could not think\u2014he didn\u2019t want to think\u2014he just wanted to forget the ache in his heart.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet me take away your pain, Sheva,\u201d Tamir said, finding Neriah\u2019s hard length and kissing it. Neriah inhaled sharply and closed his eyes. It was at once the sweetest and most stunning revelation of Neriah\u2019s young life\u2014not the fact that it was a man pleasuring him thus, but that he could feel anything so overwhelming, so wonderful, even as his heart grieved.<\/p>\n
How does he know? Neriah wondered. And yet the truth was plain\u2014Tamir understood the depth of his pain and his need.<\/p>\n
When he thought he could stand it no longer, that his release would come at Tamir\u2019s warm lips, Tamir freed him from his mouth and clasped his arms around him. Neriah, overcome, claimed Tamir\u2019s lips once more and they held each other. And in that brief moment, Neriah knew he would never know anything as warm and reassuring as Tamir\u2019s arms.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet me guide you,\u201d Tamir whispered, licking his hand and taking Neriah\u2019s erection in it. Neriah, understanding what was to come, did not protest, but moved to press against the tight place between Tamir\u2019s buttocks. What followed was pure bliss, and Neriah\u2019s sorrow evaporated as he lost himself in the warmth of his companion. Tamir\u2019s soft skin was more beautiful than any woman\u2019s, the way his body molded to Neriah\u2019s like the most sensual of kisses. Neriah knew that Tamir, too, shared the same joy as he, for Tamir\u2019s cries of pleasure mingled with Neriah\u2019s own in the dark stillness of the night.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy would you do this for me?\u201d Neriah heard himself say afterward, his breath ragged with release.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause I could,\u201d came the answer, along with the arms that encircled him in blissful warmth.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut you know nothing about me. You owe me nothing,\u201d Neriah persisted, uncomprehending.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut I do know you, beloved,\u201d Tamir replied, his voice like the sigh of the wind through an orange grove in Neriah\u2019s ear. \u201cYou are kind and brave and strong. It is the least I could do for you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Still entwined, the two boys fell asleep, Neriah\u2019s head against Tamir\u2019s chest.<\/p>\n
Tamir awoke at daybreak and, for the longest time, just watched Neriah sleep. His eyes traveled along the prince\u2019s well-defined jaw to his high cheekbones, following the hollow of his cheeks to the slender nose and dark eyebrows. Unable to contain himself, Tamir traced his fingers over Neriah\u2019s graceful lips for a moment, then reached to pull a narrow gold chain from around his own neck. Dangling from the chain was a jade pendant, etched with a depiction of the moon and two stars. He fingered the pendant for a moment, and his eyes filled with tears.<\/p>\n
\u201cI cannot come with you, my Prince,\u201d he said with great tenderness as he kneeled over the sleeping Neriah and placed the chain around his neck. \u201cBut perhaps, when you sleep, you will dream of me.\u201d<\/p>\n
He touched his hand to Neriah\u2019s forehead and whispered, \u201cNow, forget me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Buy from Dreamspinner Press<\/a><\/p>\n Back to the Backlist Strikes Back!<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.emlynley.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/04\/Backlist.jpg?resize=468%2C60\" "\\"Backlist")
<\/a><\/p>\n