Chapter 24: The Four-Fold Night

The Dean gave them the gatehouse, because it had the thickest walls on the cliff.

It was one round stone room with a hearth and a bearskin.

A single huge bed filled half of it, built for a garrison.

"Is this sufficient?" the Dean asked, at the door.

"It's perfect," said James.

"I will not ask why you need it."

"Please don't."

"I will station guards at the foot of the stairs, facing outward."

"Thank you, Dean."

She shut the door.

The latch fell.

For a moment all four of them stood in the firelight and did not move.

Then Grant took off his coat.

He folded it over the chair, as he always did, and began to unbutton his shirt.

"Don't fold it," James said.

Grant stopped.

"Throw it."

Grant threw the coat across the room.

It landed in the hearth, and Harry reached out with two fingers and pulled it back out before it caught.

"Don't help," James said.

"I like that coat," said Harry.

"Strip, all three of you. Now."

They stripped.

It took less than a minute, and none of them looked away.

James stood in front of them and did not touch anyone.

He felt the heat in every inch of the room.

Grant was hard already, flushed along the collarbone.

Harry had loosened his hair, and the silver on his ribs shone in the fire.

Felix was grinning, shy and wicked, with his cock curved up against his stomach.

"Felix," James said.

"Yes?"

"I read your letter."

Felix went red to the hairline.

"Don't write to me again," James said, and took his chin in one hand. "Did I get it right?"

"I..."

"Write to me again."

"I will write you every day," Felix said, hoarse. "I'll write you in the sky."

"Good."

James kissed him, hard, and Felix opened his mouth with a whimper.

Behind him, Harry stepped in against his back and bit his shoulder.

Keep reading free with an account. Start He Took the Heirs' Emblems, Then Became Their King from Chapter 1, then sign up free to read the rest of this chapter.