Chapter 14
Although Drexley had been taught that gentlemen wore robes, it was odd to see Ducarius garbed in them.
Drexley wasn’t sure why. Maybe it was because Drexley had grown accustomed to Ducarius in his gray uniform.
Or maybe it had more to do with the fact that Ducarius was wearing them because he had no alternative and not by choice.
It should have saddened Drexley that Ducarius refused to adapt and had his weapons floating at his sides despite his attire.
Adney had taught Drexley how to behave, and it was the proper way to carry oneself in society even if that custom belonged to a tiny realm.
As Drexley sat in the library with Ducarius nearby with his nose in a book, he concentrated on his feelings.
Because something was bothering Drexley beyond his dread of Adney’s demise and the future he did not want to face. Drexley bit his lip and kept his head bent to appear as if he were deeply engrossed in the story he’d professed to want to read as he scrutinized his heart and mind.
Anxiety plagued him, but that was nothing new.
Everything was about to change, whether he wanted to admit it or not.
On the plus side, Drexley had a new person in his life.
Ducarius was already a friend, and it had been easy to acknowledge the attraction between them.
What would a kiss feel like? Why were there not any damn books in the library that spoke in detail about two male lovers?
Drexley had figured out the basics from the few tomes discussing matebonds, but he needed more information. As a scholar, he did not want to approach anything without facts, and Drexley also hated the thought of disappointing Ducarius when they reached the point of pressing their mouths together.
Adney would be horrified to know Drexley was eager to experience everything, including physical pleasure, with Ducarius.
However, Drexley could not allow that to sway him.
Fate had brought Ducarius into his life, and Drexley would not refute the goddess.
Thanks to Fate, Drexley had been paired with a necromancer who’d made it his mission to educate him.
Adney had also housed him, put food in his belly, and filled his trunk with clothing.
Things could have been vastly different, and Drexley could have been ordered to murder, as Ducarius had.
The thought of Ducarius being forced to use his daggers to end a life without his consent infuriated Drexley.
Rage like nothing Drexley had experienced before had filled him as he’d learned the tidbits of Ducarius’s life he had shared.
Drexley blew out a breath and calmed himself with happy thoughts of being with Ducarius to calm the anger flooding him anew.
Evil was a force that existed everywhere, and Drexley hated that it had touched Ducarius.
But none of that explained why Drexley was uncomfortable with the other sentinel wearing something besides his gray uniform.
Probing his feelings was not easy. There was a great deal Drexley did not want to face until he had no choice.
Thankfully, the matebond Fate had granted him was not one of those things Drexley would willingly ignore despite his necromancer’s objections.
So, Drexley focused intently on everything inside him relating to Ducarius.
His smile formed without thought. Drexley enjoyed the company of the handsome man.
They were building a friendship with such little effort that it shocked Drexley.
While his early recollections of bonding with Adney were annoyingly hazy or nonexistent as his memory was an unreliable source of information, Drexley had often frustrated the necromancer.
It was something Adney mentioned regularly.
It had not been easy to transform Drexley into a gentleman. Adney had had to overcome Drexley’s creation spell and his ingrained behaviors to teach him a new, appropriate way of life. One more acceptable to the world. Or so Drexley had been taught. But Ducarius spoke of a different reality.
The sentinels were accepted by the Council.
None of them answered to a necromancer or relied upon anyone to guide their behavior.
Ducarius proudly wore his weapons and dressed in his uniform, and so did every other sentinel.
As he squeezed his eyes shut, everything clicked in Drexley’s mind.
What bothered him about Ducarius’s outfit was that it represented a future Drexley had prepared for but didn’t exist.
In the past five centuries, everything in the outside world had changed from the place Adney had left.
“Is there any sentinel who does not carry his weapons on a daily basis?” Drexley blurted.
Across from him, Ducarius closed his book, and their eyes met. “No, we take them everywhere.”
“What do the other races in the Council think of an entire race of people who refuse to go anywhere unarmed?”
“I have not considered their feelings on the matter before,” Ducarius said.
“But there have been no formal complaints, and they allowed us to join the Council without forcing us to change. We are not alone either. Harpies refuse to go anywhere unarmed, and fallen knights often have a weapon on them. There are sprites who keep their blades handy. Many elven tribes count on their abilities with spears, and some dragons still train with swords. The world can be a dangerous place, Drexley. Most Council leaders have guards with them wherever they go. The Council has enemies, and we have been attacked. Even Adney’s Arch Lich works on spells to defend himself if necessary, though two talented sentinels are at his side constantly. ”
Drexley’s brows drew together. “Do sentinels continue to share their lives with necromancers?”
“No, as I have probably mentioned, we keep ourselves separate. But like your bond with Adney, the Arch Lich considers the sentinels formerly tied to his soul his family. They were given the title Daemon Lord and are proud to ensure he remains safe. The Daemon Lords are mates, and their jobs allow them to remain together no matter what. I must be honest and tell you that the Arch Lich tried to persuade the Daemon Lords to start their lives fresh when he broke the bonds between our people, but the Lich Sentinel was determined to keep the Arch Lich safe despite the vast chasm between our races and assigned the Daemon Lords to their current duties.”
There was little that could have surprised Drexley more than learning that the Lich Sentinel was allowed to impact the Arch Lich’s life in that regard. “The Arch Lich allowed this?”
A hint of humor lit up Ducarius’s face. “The Arch Lich is a formidable man, but so is Alaric.”
“It never occurred to me that a world could exist where a sentinel could give an order to a necromancer.”
“There are many unique facets to the relationship between the sentinels and the Arch Lich. Something you will learn for yourself one day.”
“I have no wish to think about my future,” Drexley said. “It is too painful to consider.”
“You have my apology for bringing it up. Do you have any other questions? I am happy to provide whatever information I can.”
“Are the robes fitting you well enough?”
Ducarius nodded. “Yes, but it is exceedingly strange to walk around the castle without underwear. These hose are itchy.”
“Underwear?”
“Yes, they are like the hose we have on under our robes, but mine are much shorter and closer to my body. There are different types of underwear, but I know little about them. Nothing about what people wore under their pants interested me until I met you. I was convinced I was in no hurry to find my mate. Turns out I was an idiot.”
“So, you do not know if sorcerers still wear hose like mine under their robes.”
“Drexley, sorcerers no longer wear robes. At Council Headquarters and other functions, they wear cloaks—often beautiful heavily decorated ones—but under those they wear suits. At home, their clothing is casual. The Arch Lich is known for favoring jeans, a T-shirt, and sneakers.”
“Oh,” Drexley responded, though he had no clear picture of Ducarius’s description of the Arch Lich’s clothing.
The future awaiting Drexley grew scarier and more menacing with each passing day.
It was Drexley who would stick out in the Arch Lich’s reality.
Drexley clung to what Adney had taught him, believing that even if he was an anomaly among sentinels, he’d find a home among sorcerers. But what if Drexley fit in nowhere?
“Shit, I am overwhelming you. I should have kept my complaints about my lack of underwear to myself.”
Despite the mixture of unpleasant emotions consuming Drexley, an image of a naked Ducarius flashed in his mind. How close to his imagination was reality, Drexley wondered as heat crept up his neck.
“I do not mind discussing your underwear,” Drexley said.
Ducarius grinned. “My imagination has been greatly helped now that I have learned exactly what you wear and how to remove it. Last night, my dreams were exceptionally vivid. I was almost annoyed to wake up, but thankfully I had an entire day with you to look forward to; otherwise, I may have grown incensed at the light pouring in through my window.”
“It is probably inappropriate to discuss anything about us being unclothed together.”
The smile fell from Ducarius’s face. “I do not care what Adney says, no one may comment on a matebond. Nothing is forbidden for two mates to discuss as long as they are both willing participants in the conversation.”