Bird of a Nest - Chapter 35: Chapter 35

It was dark. Pol'ar had put them in a private room with two single cots and left them to it. Pol'ar had drugged Cai'ress with pain killers for his wings, so the injured man not about to wake up anytime soon. Ryraso was exhausted, and Dyn'ad wasn't much better. For once, Ryraso didn't fight Dyn'ad as he pulled him into bed with him. Dyn'ad had Ryraso curled in his arms and under his wing. Ryraso had fallen to sleep pressed close, safe from anyone who might do him harm.
"What am I going to do with you?" Dyn'ad wondered, looking at Cai'ress. His broken wings were twitching from time to time. Signs he was as under as the healers had suggested. K'nairi rarely moved their wings while sleeping, ignoring to cover nestmates. Cai'ress' wings were trying to fly. It was almost sweet but the new scars covering the young k'nairi ruined the image, including the brand Ryraso had talked about.
"I suppose leaving him with a trusted noble is not an option," Tai'ray commented in a low voice as he joined them in the room.
"I doubt it," Dyn'ad snorted, not bothering to lower his voice. Ryraso wasn't going to wake up. "Ryraso isn't going to let us hand off our responsibilities to someone else. We caused this to happen, we are going to have to hold on to Cai'ress to fix it." Not to mention, Dyn'ad wasn't sure he could let go of Cai'ress after this. Somehow he'd managed to hurt the man twice. He wasn't going to let it happen a third time if he could.
"Nel'os won't let us let Cai'ress go without punishment for hurting Ryraso," Tai'ray sat lightly on Cai'ress' bed, looking down at the man he had accidentally sent to hell. "Ryraso is going to be furious at that idea."
"What would the punishment be?"
"Grounding for the next fifty years. Exile to one of the northern courts,"
"I think the grounding is done at the very least,"
Tai'ray glared at Dyn'ad. "This isn't a joke," he clenched his fists. "Nel'os wants Cai'ress to suffer. Ryraso wants Cai'ress to be fixed. Cai'ress doesn't even know yet that his wings are ruined. Pol'ar said it might be weeks before he's in a state where they can bring him off the drugs..." Tai'ray trailed off. "This is why I didn't want Nel'os doing the traditional thing of being a matchmaker. It always causes problems even when the Winglord wants wings of lovers," he exhaled, rubbing his brow.
"We do need to talk about that," Dyn'ad agreed. Tai'ray's eyes met his, panicked and definitely surprised. "Tai..."
"I don't..."
"Tai," Dyn'ad said again, forcing more of his head voice into the word. Tai'ray looked up at him and didn't try to speak this time. "This isn't working. We can't do this again, not Ryraso, not Cai'ress. Unless you're harbouring some deep desire to have more bonded than five, this ends now. No more courting. We declare we are no longer looking for more mates."
There was a moment of silence as Tai'ray took in those words. Ashamed as he was, Tai'ray's chest unravelled and his shoulder's lightened. "I'm fine with that," Tai'ray said, the relieve in his voice clear as day. It had never been his choice to do it this way. It hadn't been Dyn'ad's either. Instead, one of the traditions that as a nest of three, they had been unable to escape. "Though to be clear..."
"Ryraso will be our mate when he chooses. Cai'ress too if that's what the Goddess has in store for him. But no one else. Not for a long time," Dyn'ad shook his head and leaned his head on Ryraso's shoulder. "Not sure I'd have the energy even if I desired such a thing," he added in a slight tease.
Tai'ray's lips twitched upwards. "There is that," he acknowledged, looking back at Cai'ress again. He had never looked at the man too close. He'd seen the pretty eyes with long eyelashes, the manicured talons and the expensive clothes and that was it. His fingers smoothed over the blanket that tucking the man in. Why did he dislike Cai'ress? He'd been asked that, sometimes subtly others times not, by so many people and even now he could not find an answer.
"I still don't want him here, Dyn'ad. I don't know why. But, we caused this. If he is to remain in our lives, I will try to get over whatever it is making me dislike him. Not that he may want that after we have done. We let this happen, we..." Tai'ray trailed off. He took a deep breath. "We can't make him a consort, not after his actions. We also can't abandon him either."
"We are not abandoning him," agreed Dyn'ad. "It will be two against two on that if it comes to a fight."
Tai'ray flinched at that. Dyn'ad thought he was going to do so. Tai'ray wasn't sure how he felt about that. "So we declared we are no longer looking for mates. Do we stop Nel'os' sleeping around?"
Dyn'ad shrugged. "That's a conversation to have with Ryraso and Nel'os. Though, have you noticed? He hasn't been hunting in a while."
"I hadn't," Tai'ray admitted, but thinking back, it had been a while since Nel'os had felt the need to drag some random person into a cupboard to get off. He had expected with them being back in the palace for Nel'os to attend an orgy or something of that sort, but instead, he had been oddly celibate outside of the Royal circle. Tai'ray blinked as he realised as far as he was aware the only people Nel'os had been with had been the Royal nest. He hadn't even had sex with Ang'as. "We've been busy."
"Never stopped him before," Dyn'ad chuckled before his expression turned serious. "You would be happy with this?"
"Yes," Tai'ray nodded. "I had no desire for our nest to grow bigger than us three until Ry. And I think we would notice if someone else had the same effect on us all."
"I should hope so," Dyn'ad sent a pulse of love over the bond, almost as tease as he remembered that particular moment. Tai'ray heart had lit up almost blinding bright the day Ryraso appeared in their lives. Coupled with Dyn'ad and Nel'os growing interest and the three of them collectively had set their sights on the healer. Tai'ray responded in kind, his pulse a touch embarrassed but no less warm. Nel'os mind next to theirs was light and fluffy, the man asleep as they should be at this time of night. "Then, it is settled. We are finished courting for new members."
"Now we just have to deal with Cai'ress," Tai'ray scratched the back of his head.
"We deal with those who hurt him first. If he's not going to be awake for a few weeks, we can deal with that first. We can ask Herymi to guard him here while he rests. Then, we deal with the problems he causes when he wakes up," Dyn'ad said with an air of assurance. It was an easy plan. Except both Tai'ray and Dyn'ad knew why they were discussing it in person and not over the bond.
Nel'os was not going to make this simple for any of them. Not that Ryraso would either, but Ryraso was less petty than Nel'os. Not to mention, Nel'os had been the one to rescue Ryraso, the one to see Ryraso almost die. Dyn'ad had been the one to do so for Cai'ress. This was going to be a hard fight to face.
Cai'ress' wings tensed. A low moan came from his mouth, and he started shifted violently in his sleep. The cry turning into a wail and the movements turning frantic.
Tai'ray stood up frowning, not sure what to do about this. "I thought you said he's drugged?"
"He is. Must be a nightmare," Dyn'ad commented, already shifting to move over to him.
Cai'ress twisted, his injured wings brushed against the wall. A scream of pain left his lips instead. Tai'ray grabbed him, pulling the wings away from the wall and flipping him back to his stomach. He pinned the man down and started rubbing his back under where they joined, humming a lullaby, admittedly a panicked one. Slowly the thrashing stopped, and Cai'ress settled back down. Tears now were on his cheeks.
Ryraso was awake too, eyes unable to focus in the darkness but distinctly aware. "Tai?" he asked, his voice confused and still full of sleep.
"It's fine, Ry. Go back to sleep. Cai'ress must be having a nightmare," Dyn'ad reassured, rubbing Ryraso's side. "We have him, he's safe."
"Shouldn't be having nightmares," Ryraso muttered, but he was moments from going back under himself. "That's what the drugs are for. So the newly wingless can recover before the shock can settle in and destroy them."
"Given what he's been through, nightmares are not a surprise," Tai'ray shifted off Cai'ress. As his hand left Cai'ress back, the man's muscles tensed again. Tai'ray let his own wings cover him, and they relaxed. Cai'ress once again falling into a peaceful sleep. Tai'ray knew why. It was the same reason younglings would feel safe from the same action. He felt safe when Dyn'ad had his wings over him too. He wasn't alone. Someone was there keeping him safe.
"You're thinking," Ryraso noted. "Did I miss a discussion?" His eyes narrowed despite his inability to go back to sleep.
"Of sorts. Go back to sleep. It's nothing that can't wait until morning," Dyn'ad told him, keeping him in place as Ryraso tried to sit up. "Ryraso," Tai'ray shivered at the tone. Ryraso did not miss the edge in that tone either. He stopped moving, his hand still holding onto Dyn'ad's to try to pull him away. "You were stabbed in the torso. Hours later, you joined a circle to heal a man's limbs for 6 hours straight. You need your rest. We will keep you both safe."
"And Nel'os?"
"Is not here. And is asleep himself. He won't hurt you or Cai'ress tonight. I promise. Now sleep," Dyn'ad ordered.
"Fine," Ryraso breathed. "And I'm not afraid of Nel'os," he sniffed, turning over and burying his face into Dyn'ad's chest. "He tries to touch Cai'ress, I'll rip his balls off," he added with enough fire that Tai'ray very much believed it.
Dyn'ad kissed his hair. "I don't doubt it, my love,"
Tai'ray lifted his wings from Cai'ress momentarily, and the shifting began again. "I think, I'm stuck here tonight," he sighed, not sure how to feel about that. The last time he had spoken to the man, he had exiled him and sent him away, ignoring his begs. Sleeping next to him, even to chase nightmares away, without his consent or knowledge felt wrong. Which would Tai'ray prefer in this situation; the man who refused to listen to desperate begging or the one who didn't come to save him?
"If you don't feel comfortable, we could switch," Dyn'ad offered, not missing the uncomfortable look on Tai'ray's face, nor the feelings of uncertainty flowing over their bond. "Assuming Ry doesn't mind."
"Cai'ress would be happier too if it was Dyn'ad anyway," Ryraso yawned. "I assume."
"Please," Tai'ray bowed his head.
After a few minutes of shuffling around as they found their places, the three settled. Ryraso playing small spoon again to Tai'ray, kissing his cheek before trying to go back to sleep. It was oddly quiet in his head now without their false bond. Dyn'ad pulled Cai'rass half one him, Cai'ress snuggling in contently, unaware of who was now guarding his dreams.