“Worth seems to think my dad did something to me. I don’t know if that’s possible but if they can tell me why I’m different, that’d be good.”
“I hope you understand no one thinks your height’s a bad thing,” Dre’Kariston said. He’d once been grateful to Fate for making Somerly almost his exact same stature. Now he wondered what the hell she was thinking when she’d foolishly put them together.
“I’m glad it doesn’t bother you. Your opinion’s the one that matters most.”
Dre’Kariston ran his tongue over his teeth. It was difficult to sit in a room with a man you’d once shared the most exquisite intimacy with before finding out he was planning a whole other life than the one in your mind. He didn’t want to be anywhere near him, and he could barely stomach listening to him pretend Dre’Kariston’s thoughts on any subject were at the forefront of Somerly’s mind. “Right.”
Somerly lifted his head and there were tears swimming in his dark eyes. “I’ve tried to think of the words I need to say to you, but none of them seem adequate. All I’m left with is that I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you or to make you think I didn’t have feelings for you. I was Prince Somerly Ethelindraconis, and I believed I had an obligation to do the right thing for my father’s people. He told me that my marriage would unite Court Ethelin and Court Varius. With that kind of power, he believed the wizards would listen and allow the dragons a say in the government. If the voices of the Ethelin dragons could be heard, their lives would be better.”
Ignoring the apology for the moment, Dre’Kariston tackled his mate’s naïve view of the world. “Somerly, there are three Consilium dragon courts and tens of thousands of wizards. They’ll never listen to reason. These men created the Consilium because they refused to live within the laws that govern the Council. They wanted more for themselves at the cost of whoever got in their way. My parents created a form of government to help people and Chander and Chrys have built upon that dream. I don’t know if your father is simply misguided or just plain ignorant. I confess I don’t have warm feelings for him. I can’t ignore the things he did to Aleksander, and now I’m learning Worth suffered at his hands as well.”
“I don’t know who my father is,” Somerly whispered. “I believed him to be a good man who always had my best interests at heart, but I’m finding out he’s a stranger. After you and I fought, Lex asked me what I wanted. What did I most want from life? he demanded. I looked into my heart, and it was full of you. We made plans to leave, to set aside my father’s plan for me, and I felt I needed to let my dad know. I didn’t even get the chance to get the words out. He began carrying on about how my marriage had been moved up, and I’d be leaving to go to Court Varius. The king there had given him lots of money. I asked him what would become of my best friend. Dad said he was going to sell Lex to a wizard who wished to experiment with dragon blood. I couldn’t even bring myself to tell Lex about it. My whole life’s a lie. It makes sense in a twisted way, doesn’t it? My father’s a liar and he raised me to be the same.”
Dre’Kariston’s barren heart started to beat again and it was with empathy for the weeping dragon in front of him. Somerly was manipulated by a man who’d convinced him he needed to do the right thing for Court Ethelin when the reality was, it probably only served Boian. It was hard not to sympathize for Somerly, who’d clearly been led around by someone conniving and experienced at hurting people. Boian had three sons, and he’d managed to harm each one in a unique and awful way. “How did you find out about Worth?”
“Lex and I planned an escape from my father’s court. We were driving along and managed to hit my brother with the car. He wasn’t seriously hurt and was heading the same way we were. It wasn’t until we were with the human police that I found out we were related. I was stunned to see his face. He looks so much like Aleksander.”
“He does.”
“I didn’t mean to go off on a tangent about how tangled up my mind is. This is supposed to be about the two of us and how I’ve wrecked it all. Dre’Kariston, I love you. I probably have since the start, and if I had it to do over again, I would’ve done just as Wullem did and packed my bags. I would’ve come straight to D’Vaire with you that first day and never looked back. I’m so sorry I hurt you. Lex told me to think about you with someone else and I was ashamed. It was so awful to think of you with another, and I expected you to be okay with it. I don’t know what was wrong with me.”
“Why didn’t you tell me who you were at the beginning? Why didn’t you tell me about your marriage?”
“I didn’t tell you I was a prince because all my life I’ve been treated differently due to my rank. I wanted to know you cared for me, not King Boian’s son. As for the marriage, I don’t know what my thoughts were there. I think I kept hoping Fate would give me some magical fix. I couldn’t understand why she’d give me my mate when I had these other obligations. Now I realize she trusted me to know what the right choice was. I fucked up and let you down. But I hope to find a way to fix it. My life’s empty and miserable without you in it.”
As someone who’d hidden their identity for over six centuries, Dre’Kariston could appreciate Somerly’s need to be wanted for himself. His heart and mind were all over the place; he was still hurt and angry, but he was beginning to wonder if it was worth drowning in those emotions when Somerly was in front of him. The dragon gave up everything he’d known to seek him out and pour out his feelings. “Think of it this way. If you’d come with me to D’Vaire the day we met, Lex would be in some wizard’s lab and who knows where that would’ve left Worth?”
“Lex has been my best friend since basically my birth and I’m glad to know Worth, but the most important person to me is you. Fate would’ve helped them to escape. I need to put you first above all others. That’s what mates do. That’s what people who are in love do.”
“I want to thank you for having the courage to leave your home, your country, even your continent to explain all this to me and to apologize. I do appreciate it, and I can see how you’d be swayed by your role and rank within Court Ethelin to put aside your own desires to help by forming an alliance with another court.”
“But you can’t forgive me, is that the way of it?” Somerly’s word held no trace of bitterness. His face was wet with tears, and his eyes were swimming with poignant emotion. Dre’Kariston recognized that Somerly was doing his best to express everything inside of him.
“I didn’t say that. Right now, I’m…well, I don’t know what I am. Confused. Hurt.”
“We belong together, Dre’Kariston.”
Blowing out a breath, Dre’Kariston stared into Somerly’s sad dark eyes and wondered what in the world to do. Trusting him was scary after everything that happened, but he didn’t want to be alone. Nothing about the situation would’ve been so torturous if Dre’Kariston wasn’t already in love with him. It was difficult to think about giving up the man who held your heart simply because he made mistakes. Even if those mistakes had ripped him apart. Somerly wasn’t perfect and neither was he. “I’m not saying no to us. I just need a little time to work everything out in my head. You hurt me, and I know you’re sorry. I’m glad you can understand why I reacted the way I did.”
“I do,” Somerly blurted out. “I would’ve done the same in your shoes. I was a fool. I know you need to sort it out, but I’m reluctant to give you space. Without you, I’ve not slept and there’s only been food in my belly because I’ve annoying friends. I don’t know how long I can manage without you at my side. That’s all.”
Dre’Kariston gave him a lopsided grin. “Believe me, I understand.”
“So you see, I hope that you’ll understand I’ve given you all of my heart. It’s all I have for you, though I wish I could offer you the world. I believe now in Fate. I understand she matches each of us up with the person who is our perfect complement. That’s you. I love all of you and wish to spend my life with you.”
Letting out an exasperated chuckle, Dre’Kariston asked,
“You aren’t going to make this easy on me, are you?”
“No, I’ll drop to my knees if you think it’ll help.”
“As good as a blowjob would feel right now, I’m not sure it’s the best idea,” Dre’Kariston teased.
“I wasn’t speaking of that but while we’re on the topic, you’ve a fine dick and I miss it.”
“We did pretty good in bed.”
Somerly nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, we did. Far beyond anything I could’ve imagined prior to crawling beneath the sheets with you.”
“Our sex life aside, I want to stay on topic. You broke my heart, which means it belongs to you. I think though, that we don’t know each other quite as well as we thought, and there have been a lot of changes in your life. I think we both have mending to do, but there’s no reason we need to do it apart. Let’s agree to spend some time together and go from there. How does that sound? I don’t want you to feel rejected, because that’s not my intent. I just feel like we both have some work to do on ourselves.”
“As long as you’re agreeing to be in my life, I’m happy.”
“Don’t settle for scraps, Somerly. I’d like to give you all of me. I hope I can, but I’ve got some healing to do.”
“The scraps will do for now until I can have everything I want. What I want is your heart, Dre’Kariston.”
Dre’Kariston leaned forward until only inches separated their faces. “Don’t you get it? You already have it. I love you.”
Somerly smiled. He leaned even closer and before Dre’Kariston could react, dropped a light kiss against his lips, then straightened. “I’m going to fix us. I promise.”
“It will take two of us.”
“And you’ve already promised to work on it.”
“Now I need you to promise not to ignore everything else going on inside you. Your father. Your brothers. All of it.”
“All of that and I want to get to know your parents.”
Before Dre’Kariston could respond, there was a tingling along the back of his neck. Someone had crossed the barrier around D’Vaire. Whoever it was had come from inside their land, so it was definitely a family member or friend, but oddly he couldn’t immediately identify the traveler.
“You’ve a strange look on your face. Would you prefer I didn’t get to know your folks?”
“No…no, that’s not it. They’re wonderful and I’d like you to get to know them. I don’t even know how you’d avoid it since my mother is determined to help us work things out. Someone crossed the magical barrier that protects D’Vaire, and I don’t know who it was.”
Somerly’s eyebrows rose. “Could it be that crazy woman after you?”
“No, it’s not Latarian. It’s someone from the house.”
There was a knock on the door of the lounge he’d selected to have some privacy with Somerly. “I’m sorry, I need to get that.”
“Let’s go. I confess, I’m curious.”
With Somerly next to him, which Dre’Kariston admitted to himself he loved, he strode over and opened the door. On the other side were his brother and the two D’Vaire wizards. Each of them had a layer of magic protecting their house, so they must have felt what Dre’Kariston had. “Hey.”
“Why did Derwin leave?” Dra’Kaedan asked in a bored tone.
“Derwin?”
“You couldn’t feel that it was your familiar?” Delaney asked curiously.
“No,” Dre’Kariston responded as he tugged his phone out of his pocket. He fired off a text to Derwin to ask where he was heading and why he hadn’t let anyone know.
“You’ve a new phone,” Somerly said.
“I burned the old one with dark magic when we broke up.”
“I didn’t realize you went dark.”
Dre’Kariston glanced over at him while he waited for Derwin to respond. “Does that bother you?”
“How could it? I’m just learning about magic. Lex, Worth, and I are all quite enamored of necromancy as of late. It’s dark, isn’t it?”
“As dark as it gets,” Delaney replied.
“Did Derwin text you back?” Idris asked.
“No,” Dre’Kariston replied as he tapped the screen to call his familiar. Several rings later, it went straight to voice mail.
“I texted Aleksander. He says to summon him. He doesn’t want anyone out without a duke or sentinel,” Dra’Kaedan said.
Dre’Kariston reached into his magic to locate his familiar to summon him home. Instead of Derwin’s connection to his soul, he detected nothing but a void. “I can’t feel him.”
“What the fuck do you mean, you can’t feel him?” his brother demanded.
“I mean, I can’t feel him.”
“He’s your familiar.”
“I know, Dra’Kaedan, but I didn’t even know it was Derwin who crossed our barrier.”
“What could make you unable to feel your familiar?” Delaney asked.
“I can think of a type of rock that nullifies magic,” Idris said. “And the only ones that still exist are kept in a box in this house except for one, which is resting on the chest of the warlocks’ greatest enemy.”
“You think Derwin got his hands on a Cwylld stone?” Dre’Kariston asked.
“If he did and he keeps it on him so you can’t summon him back, it’s going to drain his magic and quickly,” Dra’Kaedan responded.
“What will happen if his magic is drained?” Somerly asked.
Dre’Kariston met the navy eyes of his mate. “He’ll die.”
Chapter 35
Somerly’s conversation with Dre’Kariston went better than he’d imagined. Dre’Kariston listened and while they weren’t picking up where they’d left off, the warlock hadn’t rejected the idea of rebuilding what they lost either. The idea that Dre’Kariston loved him was overwhelming in the most beautiful way. In the chaos of his mind and heart, it was an anchor that he sensed would fuel his future, but he had no time to revel in the glory of his words.
“Where are Mom and Dad?” Dre’Kariston asked his brother.
“Aleksander’s office.”
“Let’s go,” Dre’Kariston replied. Somerly made the quick decision that no matter what, he was going to stick to Dre’Kariston’s side like glue. The five men strode down the hall and bounded up the stairs to the main level. At a fast clip, they arrived at their destination within a minute or two. They found King D’Vairedraconis with the former warlock leaders, the two newest D’Vaire dragons, as well as Brogan and Mac.
“Hey guys, sorry about asking you to summon Derwin but with everything going on, I don’t think it’s a good idea to have anyone outside our protective bubble,” Aleksander said by way of greeting.
“Hello, Somerly. Did you have a nice chat with Dre’Kariston?” Saura asked.
“Your son was very polite,” Somerly assured her.
“Oh, good. He’s always been a wonderful son.”
“Mom, you can grill Somerly later. We’ve got a problem. I can’t summon Derwin.”
“It’ll annoy him, but if your king thinks it’s the right thing to do, then you need to do as he asks,” T’Eirick replied.
“No, Dad. I mean I physically can’t. I also can’t feel our soul connection.”
“I think we should talk to Cadlyr and see if any of his stones have gone missing,” Idris suggested as he took a seat on the couch next to his mate. Mac immediately snuggled him close. Somerly envied them and hoped someday Dre’Kariston would freely touch him again.
“If he has a Cwylld stone, he’s in big trouble. They drain fast, and he can’t supply his own magic,” Saura pointed out.
“These are the same stones that disabled your people and made it possible for the Cwylld to win your war?” Worth asked.
“I’m not sure much winning was done. The Cwylld suffered heavy losses as well. There are two elves left who use the Cwylld name and they both live here,” T’Eirick explained.
“Cadlyr’s not responding to my texts,” Aleksander complained.
“You know better. His phone’s probably in his room. Text Evlithar. He actually carries his,” Dra’Kaedan said. Like Idris, he’d found a seat nestled close to his large mate.
Aleksander nodded and gave his attention back to the device in his hand. After a minute his grin flashed. “The chieftain and his mate are on their way.”
“Is there anything else that could keep me from feeling my familiar?” Dre’Kariston asked.
“I can’t think of anything. It’s not something I’ve heard of before. Your souls are connected,” Saura responded.
“Hey guys,” Evlithar said from the doorway. “What’s up?”
“Have you had any of the Cwylld stones out of your safe for any reason?” Aleksander asked.
Cadlyr shook his head. “Absolutely not. The Acwellan with their demon blood are even more sensitive to them than the other sorcerers in the house. They’ve remained untouched in a thick layer of copper to counteract the effects of them since my brother handed them all over to me years ago, with the exception of the one we used for Carvallius. Why? What’s wrong?”
“Derwin left the magical bubble and I can’t feel him. Idris suggested he might have a Cwylld stone blocking me,” Dre’Kariston supplied.
“It makes sense. Dra’Kaedan couldn’t summon Renny when he was surrounded by them. I’ll go count them and see if any are missing,” Cadlyr said, then bolted from the room.
“Why would your familiar want a Cwylld stone? His magic would begin draining before he even touched it,” Evlithar remarked.
“When Gedeon put one in his hand, it not only dampened his power but slowed his sentinel abilities. I honestly don’t know what it would do to a familiar. Renny was surrounded by them while a little dust was under his skin and his magic seeped out fast. He didn’t even have to touch one of the damn things,” Dra’Kaedan responded.
“He’s pissed at me for going dark, but I don’t know how that would drive him to do something so dangerous,” Dre’Kariston said. Somerly didn’t like the strain he heard in the warlock’s voice. It made him angry that Derwin was doing something to hurt him. He didn’t know why the familiar decided to run away with one of these stones, but it pissed him off.
The Summoner's Path (D'Vaire, Book 10) Page 26