Love is Always Write Anthology Volume 7

continued at Corin's alarmed look. "Your capabilities. I should report those to the priesthood. They'd be very interested in recruiting you, between your amount of energy and your sensitivity to demons."
    "Oh," Corin said. He supposed that made sense. "What happens then?"
    "I said should," Rafferty said, smiling a crooked smile that didn't look very happy in the candlelight. "Not that I would. If you want to go home, I won't say a word."
    "Why?" Corin asked. "Won't that get you in trouble?"
    "I'd have to tell them about your energy, but not about your sensitivity. They wouldn't force you to join the priesthood, and I can pretty easily convince them that you don't want anything more to do with priests after everything you've been through," Rafferty said, shrugging. He looked away again, looking unhappy and tired and strained.
    "What if I do?" Corin asked quietly, hoping he wouldn't regret this in the morning. "I mean, with conditions."
    "Conditions?" Rafferty repeated, looking at Corin again. He looked away quickly, and Corin hesitated, not entirely sure he was doing the right thing.
    "I'd have to be trained, right?" Corin asked. He didn't know the first thing about using his spirit energy, so that was a given. "But then they'd probably put me to finding and banishing demons, because I'm sensitive to them?"
    "Probably," Rafferty agreed, giving him a puzzled look. "Why?"
    "I … I don't think I'd trust just anyone to teach me," Corin said slowly. "I've only ever met one priest who wasn't after my energy for something evil, and how would I know that anyone else is being straightforward?"
    "I wasn't straightforward with you," Rafferty pointed out. "What are you suggesting?"
    "I'd do it," Corin said, shifting nervously and hoping Rafferty didn't laugh in his face. "But only if you trained me. I want to know how to use it, and I don't want anyone else to be sacrificed. If I can help, I want to."
    Rafferty was silent for a moment before he nodded. "I can probably convince them to let me train you, especially if I say the other option is you walking away. With your sensitivity, they'd probably accept any terms."
    "I don't want you to if you don't want to," Corin said, fumbling over the words when it occurred to him that maybe Rafferty wouldn't be keen on having him around any longer.
    "Oh, no, it's fine; I don't mind," Rafferty said quickly, turning towards Corin quickly. "I'm not the best teacher."
    "I think you'll be the best teacher," Corin said quietly and flushed because he hadn't meant to say that aloud.
    "You give me too much credit," Rafferty said quietly. "I will do my best."
    "That's all I want," Corin said then stood up, only wobbling a little. "We should probably go make sure everyone else is okay?"
    "Good idea," Rafferty said, standing. He wavered, nearly falling, and Corin moved to catch him automatically. Rafferty grabbed his arms for balance, and Corin instinctively slid an arm around Rafferty's waist to steady him, putting Rafferty much closer than Corin had anticipated. Corin froze, sure his face was going to catch fire.
    Rafferty didn't move away, even though he was steady on his feet, and Corin couldn't make himself move. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been this close to someone who hadn't been a relative—at least a year—and it was Rafferty, who felt warm and smelled of oranges and cloves, and there had to be a reason Rafferty's touch went straight to his cock, right?
    Corin wasn't sure which of them moved—maybe it was him, maybe it was Rafferty, or perhaps it was both—but in the next breath, Rafferty's lips were sliding against his. Corin's breath hitched in his throat, and he shut his eyes, returning the slow, gentle kiss as warmth spread through his chest. He tightened his grip around Rafferty's waist, pulling him closer and drawing the kiss deeper, not wanting the moment to end. It did, unfortunately, but Rafferty didn't pull away, instead leaning against Corin easily as though he belonged in Corin's arms.
    "Are you sure?" Rafferty asked quietly. His back was to the candle, casting his face completely into shadow so Corin couldn't gauge his expression.
    Acting on instinct instead, Corin didn't reply verbally but kissed Rafferty again, hard and sure this time, not pulling back until both he and Rafferty were breathless. Rafferty's fingers dug into his arms, but he returned the kiss full measure, leaving Corin dizzy and no small amount aroused.
    "If I had the energy, I'd show you just