Chapter 9
Ducarius had bided his time throughout the day to get his thoughts in order and to ensure he did not overwhelm his mate by gluing himself to Drexley’s side, though the idea was tempting.
The evening meal was interesting, and not in a good way, but Ducarius hadn’t complained as Adney ignored him completely.
Adney had engaged Drexley in complex conversations about books Ducarius had never read.
Nor did he want to, which he would have been happy to tell Adney if the necromancer had asked.
Since he hadn’t, Ducarius had kept his mouth zipped and listened as Drexley spoke animatedly about spells he would never cast. Did it bother Drexley that he lacked magic?
Ducarius hoped not; the last thing he wanted was for his other half to pine for the impossible.
At least Ducarius could soothe himself knowing that after Adney’s inevitable death, Drexley would have plenty of people around to discuss his interests.
If things went well, Drexley would share a bed and home with Ducarius, and the Arch Lich was a notable scholar.
Ducarius could easily imagine Drexley and Chander swapping tidbits of knowledge.
It would likely forge a great friendship between the pair, and Ducarius was already devoted to the cause of fully incorporating Drexley into the Daray family.
Fueled by the image of Drexley sitting at the dining table with the boisterous Darays and hoping to hell he wouldn’t have to someday kill Baxter for discussing his dick in front of his mate, Ducarius ventured through the castle.
Although he could easily track the only other sentinel in the castle, it was likely unnecessary.
The place was gigantic, but the rooms were strangely allocated.
Besides the ample space devoted to Adney’s private chamber, the vast library, and the long dining hall, everything else was tiny and cramped.
It was obviously how Adney preferred it, but Ducarius had rolled his eyes at the way the few summoned skeletons bumped into and tripped over each other as they completed their chores.
So, given Drexley’s love of books and the castle design, Ducarius would bet everything in his bank account that his other half was back in the library.
The tall door of the room creaked as Ducarius opened it and smiled internally as he confirmed his hunch. This time the sentinel wasn’t alone, and Adney’s expression was not overly friendly.
“Ducarius, is there something you needed?” Adney asked.
Without an invitation, Ducarius stalked in and shut the door behind him. “I thought I would join you in the library this evening.”
“I thought you would be training as you did after lunch,” Adney remarked.
“But it would be better for Ducarius to read as training is ungentlemanly,” Drexley said with a crease between his dark blond brows.
Adney’s gaze cut to Drexley. “Of course it would, but Ducarius has shown little inclination since his arrival to behave as a gentleman. Otherwise, he would not be walking through my castle with glowing weapons at his sides.”
Squashing the immediate desire to question whether Adney objected to the blades themselves or the poison—as it would serve only to annoy the old man—Ducarius grabbed a seat in the sitting area near Drexley and his former necromancer.
“They are such an extension of myself I could not imagine going anywhere without them,” Ducarius stated as he stared at Drexley and wished he already had the ability to feel his emotions as he could read nothing on the other sentinel’s face.
“Among sentinels there is a single other man I know who ever went without his weapons for an extended period, and it was not his choice.”
“What are you suggesting, Ducarius?” Adney asked.
“I was not suggesting anything. Those are statements of fact.”
“Ah, yes, you cannot tell lies,” Adney retorted with a dismissive wave of his hand. “There is no conclusive evidence of that, and it would be foolish of me to take the word of a man I just met. One who has shown up at my home without an invitation.”
“I will offer my sincere apology for intruding upon your realm again if that is helpful,” Ducarius stated neutrally, though his aversion to the necromancer was growing.
It was probably unfair to hold so much against a man he had recently met, but the more Ducarius learned about Adney, the less he liked him.
It didn’t help that the necromancers had hurt sentinels for two thousand years and that Ducarius’s humanity had been stripped away by his own sorcerer while he’d lived.
“Have you tried again to teleport to your compound?” Adney asked. “As you know, my magic is crumbling as my death creeps closer, and you may find that my spell to keep you here may not be as functional as it was at the start.”
“As I explained to Drexley earlier today, the compound no longer exists. I live in a condo with my family. But no, I have not tried again to return to them. Although I miss them and look forward to being reunited with them in the future, my mate is here,” Ducarius said, noting the way color filled Drexley’s cheeks and wondering how such a simple thing could make him handsomer. “This is where Fate led me.”
“Or you slipped through a crack in a magical wall thanks to an old man being stripped of his magic as he slowly dies thanks to a cruel goddess who gave men like you immortality but not superior necromancers like myself,” Adney snapped.
Drexley’s eyes whipped to Adney’s face, and Ducarius scowled slightly, but he made no comment.
One thing Ducarius refused to mention was the immortality potion crafted by Chander and the rest of the talented people in Sorcery D’Vaire.
It was a secret known to few and could offer eternity to anyone not born immortal.
The potion was useless to them since it was in another realm, and Ducarius had been sworn to keep the information to himself.
At some point, it would be important for Drexley to learn that every Daray along with each person in the extended D’Vaire clan would live forever.
But it was far too soon to reveal it to Drexley.
And given that Drexley cared for Adney, it would not be helpful for him to learn that beyond the necromancer’s realm existed something that could save the sorcerer from his impending death.
“It was two necromancers and a warlock who are responsible for my immortality, not Fate,” Ducarius corrected.
“My people were not born like you. Our creation was designed and our souls ripped across the veil without our permission. We had already lived through what Fate wanted for us. There we were with the spirits of our mates until one day a woman obsessed with herself came up with the idea of a horde of assassins in thrall to her.”
“What?” Adney asked.
“Arch Lich Domitia thought up the idea of sentinels,” Ducarius explained.
“But it was not because she cared about the defense or protection of her people. Quite the opposite. She was amused by the thought of sentinels bound to other necromancers but enraptured with her thanks to what she believed was unparalleled beauty. She was a vicious, heartless person with no redeeming qualities and had no business ruling her people. Along with her mate, Domitia asked a warlock to help since she and Faustus lacked the magic to do it alone. That warlock was called Le’Terrius, and he thought her idea was absurd.
So, he changed the spell without her permission. ”
“What changes did Le’Terrius make?” Drexley asked as he closed the book on his lap and gave Ducarius his full, undivided attention.
The interest in his brown eyes made Ducarius’s cock twitch despite it being of a scholarly pursuit instead of a sexual one.
Promising himself he’d recall that look later as he enjoyed the fun new skill of masturbating, Ducarius focused on Drexley’s question.
“To protect every sentinel from any chance of becoming enthralled with Domitia or anyone else, he stripped us of the ability to feel attraction to anyone besides our mate. In fact, we lack the ability to identify beauty in others. He also made every sentinel gay. I think it humored him to imagine us pairing off with one another in Domitia’s face.
But perhaps that is because it would entertain me in such a case.
I did not have the opportunity to question Le’Terrius myself. ”
“How did you learn any of this, or is this another tale you have spun, like your inability to tell lies?” Adney asked, his eyes narrowed with suspicion.
“Since you refuse to believe in my honor, no matter how I answer a question you may find fault in it, but it was through my family,” Ducarius responded.
“Domitia and Faustus’s sentinels were created first and spoke to Le’Terrius on that fateful day.
Albrecht was Domitia’s sentinel, and he later dealt with Le’Terrius twice more, but his tale is emotional.
I am unwilling to have anything about it probed or disbelieved.
Maybe after I have gained the trust of both of you, I can expand further. ”
“It is wrong of me to speak ill of my leaders, but I cannot deny that my initial reaction to finding myself with an assassin was not an eager welcome,” Adney acknowledged.
Ducarius nodded. “It is a common sentiment among necromancers and one easy to understand. You were not asked for your opinion prior to our creation. The former Arch Liches did not warn you of our arrival. It was likely a scary experience to find yourself face-to-face with a sentinel tied to your soul.”
“You are correct,” Adney replied. “It was horrifying. Although I have grown to care for Drexley, it was a relief when the sentinels disappeared as quickly as they appeared.”
“Yes, it must have been a relief to learn we were permanently locked in a prison and the lone way we could leave was if the necromancer we did not ask to be tied to was willing to summon us,” Ducarius replied without inflection.