Chapter 18
A week after his first kiss, Drexley was taking a rare walk alone around the castle.
The terrain was growing increasingly treacherous, but that did not keep Ducarius from training.
Drexley paused and took a moment to admire his grace as he struck against his translucent opponent.
His limbs extended, muscles bunched, and Ducarius’s expression was intense as he whipped his weapons through the air.
The same single-minded intensity was in Ducarius’s eyes as when he pulled Drexley to him for a kiss.
They were no longer novices at mouth-on-mouth.
Drexley grinned. Each day, he raced to be close to Ducarius, and he adored their private moments in the library once Adney retired for the night.
Ducarius would tug Drexley onto his lap, and their lips would meet.
Drexley would nearly float to his bedroom afterward on a cloud of joy and lust. The physical aspect of their relationship was blissfully wonderful, but it was only one component of what Drexley hoped was a strengthening matebond.
Fate had offered them a gift, and Drexley was prepared to embrace it fully.
Perhaps if someone other than Ducarius had arrived in Adney’s realm, Drexley would feel some reluctance.
But the other sentinel was strong, caring, and intelligent.
As for Ducarius’s revelations from a week ago, Drexley remained stunned.
Never in his wildest dreams would he have guessed that the Arch Lich would be mated to the Lich Sentinel.
Adney had painted a picture of necromancers in Drexley’s mind of men and women exactly like himself.
Through his teachings, Drexley had grown to believe that the main reason sentinels were unwelcome outside the compound was due to their barbaric ways.
Only Drexley did not find Ducarius crude.
It was honorable the way Ducarius had dedicated himself to aiding the Lich Sentinel and the Sentinel Brotherhood.
Ducarius kept his weapon skills sharp because he found some peace in his training and because he was devoted to being a protector in the Council.
Every sentinel was like Ducarius. They proudly wore their weapons and hid their abilities from no one.
And the Arch Lich was mated to their leader. Drexley did not fully understand who was included in the Ducarius’s family, but there were other sentinels besides him and the Lich Sentinel. Surely, the Arch Lich did not find sentinels repugnant or he would have no measure of happiness in his matebond.
Almost as if he sensed Drexley watching him, Ducarius turned toward him, and his weapons left his hands to float at his sides. The Skeleton Lord stalked to Drexley and planted a firm kiss on his lips.
“What are you doing out here?” Ducarius asked, giving Drexley a smile.
“I thought to take a walk.”
“But you are standing still.”
Drexley laughed. “Yes, I stopped to watch you train and became lost in thought.”
“What is on your mind?”
“I was thinking of our discussion a week ago. When you told me about being a Daray.”
Ducarius reached out and caressed Drexley’s cheek. “I hope that has not been bothering you these past seven days.”
“It does not upset me. I suppose I remain in disbelief that Fate paired the Lich Sentinel and the Arch Lich. It is not that I doubt your words. I believe you; I am shocked.”
“Perhaps I should have waited longer to tell you. There is plenty for you to deal with, and the news offers you nothing right now. My family is home, and we are here.”
“I am sorry you cannot be with them.”
Ducarius pulled Drexley into a hug. Grateful for any opportunity to be close to Ducarius, Drexley relaxed in his embrace and wound his arms around the other sentinel. “Do not worry about me. I miss them, but I am glad to be here with you.”
“At least you do not suffer from a poor memory and can lean upon your recollections of your joyful moments together.”
“You will fit in so well with the Darays. Chand has a vast collection of books, some of them ancient and one of a kind. Many are at our home, but he also has a room at the wizard library I once mentioned. You will have so much to read, you may have time for nothing else for many years.”
“How big is your family?”
“There are twenty-seven of us if you include the pets and goblins, which I could not possibly leave out as they are too important to our household.”
“Goblins?”
“Yes, Rogue and Pizza. A mated pair. About a foot tall, but with personalities far larger. Rascals who are constantly up to mischief. They are impossible not to love.”
Drexley did not know what a goblin was, but he saved that question for another day. “Twenty-seven in a single home?”
“It is a large condo; I have never felt crowded.”
“What is a condo?”
Ducarius smiled and brushed his thumb across Drexley’s bottom lip. “It is short for condominium. Think of it as a section of a larger structure. For example, your bedroom could be a condo in a giant building. The other bedrooms are separate condos where other people live.”
Although Drexley understood Ducarius’s example, it was odd to him that the Arch Lich and Lich Sentinel would not want a castle of their own. But Drexley had already learned that he knew nothing of the world beyond Adney’s realm.
“How many sentinels are in your family?”
“There are seven of us. Or six and a half depending on how you count Phillip. He is part dragon shifter, so he is technically a hybrid.”
“I do not believe my mind can comprehend a sentinel that is part dragon,” Drexley muttered, his brain refusing to even contemplate the idea. “How many necromancers are in your household?”
“One. Or half of one, depending on how you count Chand.”
“What does that mean?”
“Brace yourself. Chand is a hybrid. He is half necromancer and half demonic imp.”
“The more I learn, the less I understand,” Drexley said, resting his head on Ducarius’s shoulder.
Ducarius rubbed his back through his thick robes. “I know, but I cannot be anything less than honest. You deserve the truth.”
“But can I handle it?”
The ground trembled beneath Drexley’s feet, and he wondered what piece of the realm would slip away next. Ducarius cursed and pushed Drexley away.
“Run,” Ducarius ordered in a shout.
A shadow fell across Drexley’s vision, and his mouth dropped open as large chunks of the castle tumbled from the top of the structure.
He yanked his robe up so he would not trip on the material as he raced away to avoid being hit with the massive debris.
In his boots and uniform pants, Ducarius was able to move far quicker and was several steps ahead of Drexley as they turned the corner toward the front door of the castle.
Behind them was the sound of rocks crashing together, and Drexley dearly hoped the entire castle would not fall around their ears.
The ground continued to shake, which added to Drexley’s difficulty in finding his footing, but he supposed some part of his brain recalled how to move agilely thanks to his centuries of training, since he managed to remain upright.
Ducarius yanked one of the doors open and urged Drexley inside.
“I must check on Adney,” Drexley insisted.
“Go. I will head upstairs to see the damage.”
With a nod, Drexley rushed to the library. There he found Adney under a blanket with his eyes squeezed shut.
“How do you fare?” Drexley asked as he reached the necromancer’s side.
“My beautiful home. It rocked so violently. Is it too falling apart like my realm?”
“Yes, Ducarius and I were outside and saw some of it crumble. He is on his way to discover the extent of the damage.”
“Were you training with him?” Adney demanded with a fierce scowl.
“No, I was taking a walk. I do not own a weapon. How could I train with Ducarius? You know I have no interest in such things. Why would you ask me that?”
“Because I fear you are infatuated with him.”
“He is my mate, Adney. Let us not argue about it now. We have far greater concerns.”
“I grow weary of feeling my magic wither away. While I worry that you will return to your barbaric ways, I am eager to cross the veil. It has been ages since I last saw my son. It will be so good to see his face again. Five hundred years have passed, and I can no longer recall the sound of his voice.”
Drexley hated Adney’s pain, but he was far from ready to say goodbye. Still, that was Drexley’s issue, and he refused to lay that burden on Adney. Before Drexley could find any words of comfort to offer Adney, Ducarius stalked into the library, and his expression was grave.
“Half of the top floor is gone, and a section of the floor below went with it,” Ducarius stated.
“My blasted bedchamber,” Adney muttered. “Very well, I will take a guest room. At least it will be easier to retire if I must take fewer stairs at nightfall.”
“This situation is growing increasingly dangerous,” Ducarius said. “First it was the land crumbling away, but now it is the castle too. If you had been in your bedchamber, I doubt you would have survived the fall, Adney. Most of your belongings are likely in broken tatters.”
“Little do you know I have trunks of clothing throughout the damn castle. It is my home after all,” Adney responded crossly. “I know there is danger. It is inevitable. My magic is fading, and that holds this realm together. What would you have me do?”
“As I once suggested to Drexley, I think you should both consider returning to the Council. Someone could aid you to lift the magic here so Drexley and I would be able to follow. There you could enjoy what time you have left without worrying that you will fall through the floor or plummet to your death as parts of your castle dissolve into nothing.”
“Ducarius, Adney has made his wishes known, and he does not want to leave his realm,” Drexley reminded Ducarius gently. While Ducarius was solely concerned with safety, it was ultimately up to Adney to decide where he wanted to spend the last days or weeks of his life.
“There is nothing left for me within your Council,” Adney said.
“They believe I am dead, and all my worldly belongings are the property of my former housekeeper. I do not need a stranger’s charity, nor do I want to die surrounded by strangers.
If it is my destiny to die in this castle as it plummets to earth, then that is how I will go. ”
“Fine, but nothing about your plan is safe,” Ducarius groused as his jaw flexed in frustration.
Drexley reached out and caressed the bare skin of Ducarius’s arm below his shirt sleeve. “I know you are most concerned with the danger, but we must honor Adney’s wishes.”
“You will be hurt too, Drexley.”
“Nothing that happens in this realm can kill me.”
“Having your bones shattered will not be comfortable either,” Ducarius bit out.
“Is it Drexley you are concerned about or your own comfort?” Adney asked.
“I do not relish the thought of the pain I will endure, but nothing is as important to me as the comfort of my mate,” Ducarius stated firmly.
The thought of what Ducarius would suffer was not acceptable to Drexley, but he had already made a promise to Adney that his wishes would be honored. There was no way Drexley could turn back on his word. Was that part of his creation spell? Like his inability to tell a lie?
“Take your talk of mates and related nonsense out of the library,” Adney ordered. “I wish to be alone to read my tome. Drexley, you can find something to do within the castle while Ducarius returns to his training. I do not want you exposed to his barbaric practices.”
Ducarius rolled his eyes, and Drexley bit his lip not to laugh at his consternation. Although Drexley would have liked to argue that he was free to go wherever he wanted, he had a task to complete.
“I need to ensure a bedroom is properly prepared for you and fetch what is left of your belongings from the top floor of the castle,” Drexley said.
“Go on then and get it done,” Adney ordered.
Ducarius grabbed Drexley’s hand. “I will aid you.”
With a smile, Drexley laced their fingers together. “I am happy for your help.”
As they walked out of the library, Drexley pretended not to hear Adney muttering about how ridiculous they were acting and how foolish it was to pretend to be mates.
Drexley decided that even if Fate herself showed up and announced that matebonds were a lie, he would step around her and ignore her ramblings.
He wanted to be with Ducarius, and nothing was going to impede his growing relationship with the Skeleton Lord.