Chapter 22
Sharing a bed with Drexley now claimed a top spot on Ducarius’s list of favorites.
Not only was he addicted to sinking deep into his gorgeous body, but it was equally satisfying in an entirely different way to open his eyes and find Drexley nestled close.
Drexley was fond of using Ducarius’s chest as a pillow.
Which offered Ducarius the lovely opportunity of dropping a kiss on his soft hair.
It was the finest way to begin his morning.
Drexley would lift his head, and they would ignore their terrible breath to brush their lips together.
Unfortunately, once they were fully awake, they could not revel in the tender feelings blossoming between them.
The mood at the castle was far too somber to stay rooted in joy.
Adney now spent more time in bed than out of it.
His growing weariness poisoned his already belligerent attitude.
Ducarius hated to see anyone suffer, but it was sometimes hard to hold on to his compassion when Adney bitched at Drexley.
His less-than-kind feelings toward Adney weren’t solely due to Ducarius’s irritation with any cross word being spoken to the man he adored.
Adney ignored Ducarius almost completely, and the lone skeleton he could summon no longer stayed on their side of the veil for an entire day.
Plus, the skeletons had likely never been much of a target for Adney.
They were too oblivious of the world around them.
If Ducarius were a betting man, he would gamble every penny he had earned that Adney took pleasure in flaying Drexley with insults.
Somehow, Drexley took everything in stride.
Not once had he complained to Ducarius about how Adney spoke to him, and his expression did not change as the necromancer hurled insults or complaints in his direction.
Which meant Drexley was so used to the treatment that it was normal for him.
That pissed Ducarius off. Although Ducarius was willing to give Adney credit for summoning Drexley out of the compound that had served as their prison, he was not positive living in the necromancer’s realm was an upgrade.
But Drexley sometimes acted as if he was in fucking paradise.
And he was grateful to Adney for educating him. For somehow convincing him that everything that made him a sentinel was wrong. Ducarius did not care what path Drexley chose for his life. That was up to him, but he hated that Adney had at the very least manipulated him by stripping his memory.
Given the ruthlessness of that decision, Ducarius would not be surprised to discover that part of Drexley’s metamorphosis was rooted in direct orders he could not refute.
It gave Ducarius no pleasure to know that he would learn the truth someday.
They would leave Adney’s realm. Drexley would recall every day of his life eventually.
Since Drexley loved Adney, being confronted with reality would not be easy for him to endure. It would be up to Drexley to pick up the pieces, and Ducarius would be there to help him.
But he could not spare his mate the pain.
Irritated anew at the entire situation, Ducarius stalked up to the top of the castle to do some training.
More of it had dissolved into nothing, and there was no land left surrounding the dwindling structure.
While the two bottom floors remained fully intact, that too was temporary.
Ducarius grabbed the blades at his sides and summoned his hologram.
Flexing his thighs, he swung a foot around and caught his opponent in the midsection.
The translucent version of him teleported away, and they began anew.
It was an unsatisfying way to fight, and Ducarius missed pitting himself against a living opponent.
But not nearly as much as he yearned to be with his family again.
Ducarius wanted to taste Victor’s fine fare at mealtimes, listen to the Darays chat as they caught each other up on important moments in their lives, or sprawl in a chair for a movie night. He could already envision the relief in Alaric’s eyes as he finally learned what had become of Drexley.
The other Darays would adore Drexley. Ducarius could easily imagine him delighting in Brynnius’s baking or planning his costume for their annual All Hallow’s Eve party.
Or perhaps Drexley would enjoy a night of pampering with Victor, Keegan, and one of the two men who served as office managers at the Sentinel Brotherhood, Evergreen Tenebri.
But before Drexley could familiarize himself with the world of the Council, they had to say goodbye to Adney and his realm.
Ducarius wondered where the hell they would land as the realm disappeared.
How badly would they be injured? It was pointless to hope Adney or Drexley would change their minds prior to the situation growing perilous.
Both men were stubborn, and Adney was determined to end things in his own fashion. Ducarius could appreciate him wanting his last wishes followed but feared that Adney’s choice of path would not make anything easier for anyone involved.
Ducarius slashed his right arm through the air and barely missed his hologram’s throat. A prickling of his senses told him he wasn’t alone, and he turned to smile at his mate. Crossing what now served as the roof of the castle, Ducarius whispered the word to make his daggers float at his sides.
Drexley returned his grin, and Ducarius cupped his nape to tug him close for a kiss.
“What are you doing up here?”
“I missed you.”
“And you are worried about Adney.”
“A few days ago, he took a nap and went to bed after dinner. Today he was up only long enough to eat. Every other moment he was asleep. I know, I checked in on him more than once.”
“I wish I had some words of comfort to offer you,” Ducarius said as he shifted his hand so he could stroke Drexley’s jaw and cheek. The situation left him feeling inadequate thanks to his inability to ease Drexley’s pain.
“I find being with you is a comfort,” Drexley responded, moving forward to burrow into Ducarius.
Wrapping his arms around Drexley, Ducarius held him close and did what he could to soothe him. “I am so happy I fell into this damnable realm. If I had not, you would endure this all alone. It breaks my heart to even contemplate that version of events.”
“Then do not think of it. We are together. As Fate intended.”
“She has offered me endless bounty, but you are the finest gift possible.”
Drexley smiled, and his eyes were damp as he pressed his lips gently to Ducarius’s. “For a barbaric dagger-toting assassin, you have a lovely way with words.”
“For a scholar, you have a gorgeous cock.”
As Ducarius had intended, Drexley laughed. “You make my heart happy.”
Ducarius kissed Drexley’s grin. “My heart is yours,” Ducarius vowed as he pulled away to take Drexley’s hand.
“Come. We should go inside and find a way to entertain ourselves before I take you to bed. Pick out a book for me, but no romances. They are far too steamy for me right now. I keep imagining us as the ones in the story, and I grow hard. You are temptation enough; I require no extra fuel this evening.”
“Very well, history or magic?”
Ducarius doubted there was a single accurate history book in Adney’s realm, and even if they had some facts in them, they were now hopelessly out of date.
Learning about magic was virtually useless since he lacked sorcery, but perhaps the knowledge would come in handy someday.
Like in some future conversation where he could stump another sentinel with the slick new facts in his brain.
“Magic.”
“Good choice. I will pick one of my favorites. Hopefully, you will enjoy it.”
“Choose wisely or I will complain fiercely.”
“I would expect nothing less.”
Charmed by the man at his side and grateful to be close to him, Ducarius idly wondered if it was normal to lose one’s heart without noticing or if Drexley had deftly stolen it beneath his nose. Ducarius supposed the answer did not matter. Loving Drexley was easy and endlessly rewarding.
∞∞∞
Swallowing thickly, Drexley’s jaw flexed, but he kept his tears at bay as he fussed with Adney’s bed linens.
Adney lacked the strength to stand and had spent most of the previous day asleep.
It embarrassed Adney to ask Drexley to help him with his basic needs, but there was no magic left to resurrect a skeleton.
All the sorcery remaining in Adney’s well went to holding together as much of the crumbling realm as possible.
“Sit down and stop fussing,” Adney ordered. Even his voice was weary and weak.
Desperate not to burden Adney, Drexley swiftly took a seat in the chair next to the bed. It was one of the newest additions to the guest chamber Adney had moved to after his former room had smashed to the ground, but an essential one. Drexley used it to read to Adney and to help feed the sorcerer.
“My time is short,” Adney said.
Drexley reached out and patted his hand. “I know that, and I am sorry.”
“I have lived for nearly three millennia, and I am eager to be with my son again. His death was devastating, and it changed everything. My home was no longer safe. Once I realized I had to spend my remaining years here, I thought of summoning you. I feared at first that you could not adapt to life as a scholar; you were so deeply rooted in those horrible behaviors Ducarius proudly flaunts. But eventually, you changed. We have grown close in these centuries, have we not?”
“Yes, you are my family.”
“You remind me of my son. He wore his hair as you do and was fond of books. Even as a boy, he was obsessed with sorcery, history, and the odd fantastical tale. He favored green. That is why I am so fond of it.”
“Green is a beautiful color,” Drexley replied softly and wished he had had the chance to meet Adney’s son.
It was rare for Adney to go longer than a few days without mentioning his only child; the pair had obviously been close.
Drexley could not imagine Adney could offer him a greater compliment than comparing them.
“I know you worry about your poor memory, but there are mysteries here. With so little energy left, I cannot explain in more detail. You may not gain any new recollections from your time here. I cannot say what you should expect for the future; the mind is a strange beast. But outside this realm, you will find it far easier to recall new experiences. I hope you will give strength to our moments together. To the things I have taught you.”
“Of course I will. The last thing I want is to forget you or what I have learned.”
“You have grown obsessed with Ducarius despite my urgings to keep your distance. If you leave this realm at his side, he will no doubt keep you surrounded by sentinels. That is not what is best for you. Do not waste your education by falling into bad habits. You are better than that.”
Drexley did not bother explaining that he was not going anywhere without Ducarius, nor did he educate Adney about the Daray family.
The necromancer did not trust Ducarius and refused to believe sentinels could not tell lies.
There was no way Adney would accept that Ducarius knew the Arch Lich, let alone believe they were close.
And Drexley did not want to know how angry it would make Adney to learn that the Arch Lich was mated to the Lich Sentinel. If he had any belief left in Fate, that would surely end it.
“Adney, I care deeply for Ducarius. He is my mate. But we are different people, and we respect one another. You need not worry about me. Save your strength, and stay focused on what you need.”
“You have spent centuries reading those blasted romantic tomes and have grown infatuated with the idea of yourself and Ducarius in the role of fated lovers. Do not be a fool.”
“You should rest now,” Drexley suggested, unwilling to get into an argument with Adney.
“I have invested five centuries of energy into molding you into a respectable person. A feat that will shock everyone you meet, since I doubt anyone expects anything so lofty from a resurrected man. Remember that as you make your future decisions, and do not allow my efforts to have been made in vain.”
“I am proud of the man you helped me become,” Drexley assured Adney.
“Do not worry so; everything will be well. I have no wish for you to go, but I understand this is the way of things and you must cross the veil. The least I can do is offer you a promise that I will never forget our shared centuries or the education I have gained.”
“Good, you are far better than any other sentinel thanks to my tutelage. Hold tight to that truth.”
Drexley was uncomfortable with the thought of himself above anyone else, so he just mustered up a smile for Adney and gave his hand another pat. “Should I return to the book I was reading this afternoon so you can have a rest?”
“Yes, this day has exhausted me.”
Eager to do whatever he could in the time that was left to them, Drexley plucked the tome from a nearby table and flipped it open.
He promised himself he would have another good cry later, and he wondered if it would be as early as tomorrow that Adney would fail to wake.
It was a crushing thought, but the future he had tried to avoid for so long was catching up with him.
And Drexley was far from prepared.