Chapter 29
His first meal with the Darays went smoothly, but Drexley had not expected everyone to be so quiet.
Ducarius had later explained that the family wished to give him a chance to adapt to being around so many people after spending his entire life either by himself or with Adney.
Drexley did not have to ask where they had come up with the idea of allowing him to adjust.
Fate had gifted Drexley with a beautiful, kind mate. He was a lucky man. Following a delicious breakfast, Ducarius revealed he was taking Drexley to a library. But Drexley had been unprepared for what awaited him.
With his jaw slack, Drexley stood in front of a massive multi-floored library with colorful stained-glass windows. Ducarius squeezed his hand affectionately.
“What do you think?” Ducarius asked.
“It is wondrous,” Drexley replied.
“Let’s get inside before someone notices Chand is here,” Baxter insisted.
Chander rolled his eyes. Unlike Adney, the Arch Lich did not have pure gray eyes. There was a hint of blue in the depths. Drexley wondered if that was because Chander was a hybrid. “Right, like someone is going to bust out a weapon and attack me or some shit.”
“More like some kid will run up and want your autograph,” Benton retorted. “Then they’ll learn that the Arch Lich is a crabby, sarcastic asshole and their respect for Council leaders will be permanently shattered.”
Drexley gasped. The last thing he had expected was for any sentinel to call the Arch Lich names—and especially not to the man’s face.
“If I’m an asshole, I learned it from you,” Chander said. “You’re older than me, and I’ve had to deal with your shit since I was a teenager.”
“You are frightening Drexley,” Ducarius stated with a stern glare for the Daemon Lords and the Arch Lich. “Get inside so Drexley can find some damn books.”
Baxter opened one of the tall entrance doors, and Benton walked in. The Arch Lich was next to enter the beautiful library.
Ducarius urged Drexley into the building. Drexley caught Ducarius elbowing Baxter in the belly as he passed him, and the Daemon Lord grunted.
“Best behavior, Bax,” Ducarius ordered.
“Hey, Ben is the one who called Chand an asshole,” Baxter argued.
“Have no fear, I will punish your mate too,” Ducarius vowed.
“I would’ve thought finding your mate would put you in a better fucking mood,” Baxter griped.
The first thing Drexley noticed in the library was the massive rows of shelves. But his attention was drawn next to a man in gray rushing toward them. Like Ducarius, Baxter, and Benton, he was dressed in unrelenting gray, and daggers glowed at his sides.
“Drexley,” the raven-haired man exclaimed. “Hey, I’m Callyx, nice to meet you.”
“This is Prism Lord Callyx Porfyra-Dewitt,” Ducarius said. “He works for the Spectra Wizardry, and his chief duty is to ensure the safety of the Prism Wizards who lead their people.”
“Yeah, Vadimas and Severin are upstairs in their private room reading. No worries, Faron is with them. He says hi too, Drexley. It’s a relief to us all that you’re safe. We weren’t sure what happened to you after you left the compound. We’ve all taken turns looking for you at one point or another.”
“And the reason he and Faron know you’re here is because everyone in our extended family are big gossips,” Baxter interjected.
“No one gossips like a sentinel,” Chander said. “They’re a brotherhood, and they take that seriously. If one of them knows something, a minute later eight thousand of them get the news.”
“Anyway, Alaric mentioned that you’re a big reader. Call me whenever you want if you need help looking for a book. I’ve worked here for years and have hardly made a dent in the knowledge in this place. And if you can’t find it, we’ll hunt it down from somewhere else.”
“Thank you for your kindness. I do not have a phone, but I am sure Ducarius can assist me in locating you should I need a book,” Drexley said, honored by Callyx’s offer.
“Have no fear, you and I will both get phones,” Ducarius commented. “I failed to ask Alaric about it before we left, but I will mention it to him when we return home.”
Benton plucked a device from his pocket, and his attention went to the screen. “I’ll text him, Duc. It’ll give him a chance to get it programmed with everyone’s numbers in it.”
“Thank you,” Ducarius replied.
“Okay, I need to get back upstairs. I’m in the middle of a chapter. Text me if you guys need anything,” Callyx said, then jogged away from their small group.
“I can’t believe how nosy Callyx is,” Baxter remarked.
“Right, because you’re never nosy,” Chander retorted. “Drexley, do you want a tour of the library, or would you prefer to head upstairs to my private reading room? I’m not sure what interests you, but I have a pretty good variety of stuff in there.”
“Chand is addicted to books,” Benton confided.
“Chand likely has the largest collection of books on necromantic magic and the history of his people,” Ducarius said.
Excited at the prospect of expanding his education and intimidated by the giant space, Drexley offered Ducarius a smile.
“Those are my favorite subjects of study,” Drexley replied.
Ducarius winked. “I know, want to go upstairs?”
“Yes, I would like that very much,” Drexley answered, happy to get his hands on books he had not read dozens of times.
As they walked toward a bank of elevators, Drexley was gratified that he was not intimidated by the number of people they passed or the ones milling about.
After so many centuries spent with little or no company, he had not been sure how he would feel around others.
But Drexley was remarkably calm. Perhaps it was because they were strangers and he did not have to interact with them.
Being around the Darays made him anxious despite the kindness they had offered.
Drexley assured himself that that was normal.
They were important to Ducarius, and Drexley yearned for their approval.
“I’m going to need coffee and probably some cookies if I have to sit in a library all day,” Baxter said as the elevator doors shut. The box moved swiftly upward, but it made Drexley’s belly flop unpleasantly. Elevators were odd.
“No one invited you,” Chander retorted. “Duc is here. You don’t need to be. So, either go to the shop and get something to stuff in your face or shut up.”
“We ate breakfast less than an hour ago,” Ducarius pointed out.
“Ben and I are the Daemon Lords,” Baxter informed Chander. “Where you go, we follow. That’s how it has worked for how many years?”
“Too many,” Chander muttered as the doors whooshed open and they walked out.
Baxter didn’t respond. They made it to a private room that Chander unlocked, and Drexley nearly drooled at the overflowing shelves.
Chander offered Drexley a smile. “If you’d like, I can grab a book for you.
I have an old history book of the Order of Necromancia.
It’s the most accurate of the bunch, and it belonged to a sorcerer who scribbled spells on whatever blank spots he could find.
We haven’t been able to find a second copy of it, so it must be rare. It’s one of my favorites.”
“I would be honored to read it.”
Drexley had to bite his tongue to keep from adding Chander’s title at the end of his acceptance of the offer.
It went against everything he had been taught to ignore the title Fate had given the Arch Lich.
He idly wondered what Adney was thinking across the veil, if he could see Drexley now.
A fresh wave of grief rolled through him at the reminder that his mentor was dead.
At his side, Ducarius kissed his cheek and squeezed his hand. With their ability to sense each other’s emotions, Ducarius could feel Drexley’s sorrow, and his other half was far too compassionate not to offer whatever comfort he could. It was one of the many reasons Drexley adored him.
“Great, make yourself at home in here and I’ll grab it. I think I know where it is.”
“You should’ve seen this place years ago,” Benton said.
“You could barely get in here, and there was shit boxed up everywhere. Thanks to Victor and some D’Vaire sorcerers you’ll meet soon, we straightened it out, and we’ve been able to keep Chand from fucking it up too much since. He’s really messy.”
“Takes one to know one,” Chander replied.
“Chand’s getting more coffee,” Baxter remarked. “Who else wants a drink or snacks? Duc? Drexley?”
“Just grab us both something,” Ducarius said. “Drexley is unfamiliar with the options.”
“On it,” Baxter replied.
Benton crossed his arms. “How are you going to carry all that?”
“Both of you idiots go, Duc will be here,” Chander ordered.
Baxter stabbed his finger into Ducarius’s face. “Do not decide to take your mate for a walk until I get back.”
“Do you honestly think I would leave the Arch Lich alone in a room in a public building?” Ducarius demanded.
“Yeah, because so many people know where I am and there are so many people with keys to my personal library,” Chander muttered.
“The sooner we grab snacks, the quicker we return to keep an eye on Chand,” Benton said, tugging on Baxter’s arm.
“Don’t worry, they’re always this annoying,” Chander remarked once the Daemon Lords had stepped out into the hall. “Why don’t you and Duc get comfortable, and I’ll grab that book?”
“Thank you again,” Drexley said.
“The small sofa looks comfortable,” Ducarius suggested softly as Chander took off to locate the book.
In his borrowed sneakers, Drexley allowed Ducarius to lead him to the furniture in question.
Being in jeans and a short-sleeved shirt remained odd, but Drexley liked the clothes and appreciated that they made him fit in with everyone else.
No one else in the library was dressed in robes, and even the Arch Lich was wearing an outfit remarkably similar to Drexley’s. Much had changed in fashion since Adney had left this world behind.