“That was quicker than I expected, but I’m not surprised.” Chander picked up a piece of crispy bacon.
“I guess you didn’t get the notice to vote,” Alaric observed.
“I filed for sanctuary status.” Chander refused to meet his eyes. “I’m legally no longer a part of the Order of Necromancia.”
“My apologies, I wasn’t aware.”
“No biggie, those kinds of things aren’t made public,” Chander told him. “As you can imagine, the Order of Necromancia was more than willing to sign me away.”
“You know why Chrys is here,” Drystan responded tersely. “Is it my turn yet?”
Chander knew his friend was pissed. “I’m sorry I stole the tranquilizer guns.”
“How did you steal from the fucking Order of the Fallen Knights?” Drystan demanded.
“I ordered Bax to do it.”
“And I would have figured out how to be the first sentinel to refuse an order if I’d known his intent was to use them on me and Ben,” Baxter threw out.
Meeting his furious eyes, Chander said, “I’m sorry. I was afraid you’d interfere if you knew what I was up to. You don’t have to worry about it ever again, no necromancer will ever issue another order to you.”
“If you think that means we’re going to stop being your sentinels, you better think again,” Benton declared as he pointed at Chander with his fork. “We’re your family and we’ll be at your side for eternity, so you just better damn well get used to it. Do you understand me?”
Chander let out a sigh. “Don’t you get it? You and Bax don’t have to babysit me. I’m just another former necromancer who isn’t even gainfully employed. I’ve made sure you’re both rich men. You can make your own choices. Go where you want. Live how you want beholden to no one.”
“You’re the one who doesn’t get it,” Baxter fired back. “Family means sticking together. We go where you go. It’s not open for discussion.”
Turning to Drystan, Chander asked, “Is that legal? Don’t I have the right to live alone?”
“Don’t bring me into the middle of this,” Drystan replied. “I think you need a damn keeper.”
“I’ll solve it,” Alaric decided. “I’m the Lich Sentinel and I’m ordering your sentinels to act as your guards.”
Chander glared at Alaric. Baxter flipped him the bird and said, “Suck on that, Chand. We’re not going anywhere, and you owe us one after yesterday.”
“I’m sorry, I really am,” Chander replied before turning back to Drystan. “Are you going to arrest me for stealing the guns?”
It was Chrysander who answered. “I should make sure he does but the fact is, you used them to do something honorable. Yesterday you managed to free an entire race. I would never have imagined such a thing was possible. There may be consequences for that decision because you did it in secrecy, but I will do all I can to be sure no one forgets the result. You are to be commended for acting in such a selfless way.”
“I’m not looking for accolades. The sentinels deserved to be free. Theoretically, I always thought it was possible but once I knew I was a demon, that reality became stronger. Once I resigned as Arch Lich and had no time constraints, I made it my priority. I feared without it, the Order of Necromancia would manage to keep them imprisoned forever. That was untenable to me. If I had petitioned the Council to do it, politics could have killed the idea, so I did it in secret. I will apologize for the people I hurt doing it, but I’ll never ask forgiveness for the spell itself.”
“Believe it or not, I agree with you,” Chrysander confessed. “I shouldn’t say it, but the reality is, the current leader of the necromancers doesn’t want the sentinels to be anything more than a forgotten footnote of history. If he had his way, they would be sent to the compound to rot. That’s not my opinion. He’s said as much to me. He made it clear he would file petitions until they were removed from the Council and forced never to return.”
“Asshole King,” Baxter muttered.
Chander grinned. “He no longer has that power.”
“Damn right,” Alaric agreed. “We’ve already got a schedule to have their identification cards issued.”
“We need to get our plans finalized for the new complex,” Gavrael added.
“I can’t believe I’m the first one to say this,” Gedeon began. “Thank you, Chand. Thank you for freeing all of us. I’ve been lucky enough to have a wonderful necromancer who brought me here to live but before yesterday, there were only five of us with that luxury. There aren’t enough words to express how grateful we are for this gift.”
“Gedeon is right,” Alaric stated. “We should have said thank you before any other words were used. You have given us something beyond measure. You’ve become a hero to every sentinel. Yesterday you used a great deal of magic and with one spell, you became our champion.”
Chander’s cheeks grew warm and he got teary. “It was overdue. I’m sorry it took me over six hundred years to do anything to help with your independence.”
“Bax and I never desired freedom. We love you and you’ve been our family for over six centuries, but we lived with guilt because for so long it was only us who escaped. We were the first ones to taste freedom, to enjoy the opportunities outside that prison. You’ve taken away our shame and given our brethren the chance to taste life amongst all the Council can offer. To us, you’ve always been an amazing person, and after yesterday our opinon of you has grown exponentially,” Benton told him.
The tears were no longer threatening but sliding down his cheeks. Inelegantly he sniffed and wiped his nose with his napkin. “You’re all killing me with kindness. I’m happy I could do it. I think that’s why Fate made me the way I am. I needed to be both necro and demon to release the sentinels from their suffering.”
“Stop snotting into your breakfast,” Dra’Kaedan teased. “Do you need more to eat?”
“I’m good, thanks. I do have a question though.”
“What’s that?” the warlock asked.
“How the hell did I get to D’Vaire?”
Dra’Kaedan grabbed his plate before he could prevent it and took it over to the dishwasher. “Alaric arrived wondering why all his men were suddenly napping, and together we tracked you to your cave. He carried you here and we put you in that room to sleep it off. Still tired?”
“I’ve been worse. I probably slept more last night than I have in weeks.”
“He hasn’t been eating either,” Baxter said.
Chander gave him an exaggerated eye-roll. “I promise to take better care of myself.”
“I think you’re the skinniest I’ve ever seen you,” Alaric observed.
Considering Alaric was gorgeous and had a stunning, muscular physique, Chander was less than impressed with the thinly veiled criticism. “Been kind of busy lately.”
“Are you finished with your meal?” Alaric asked.
“I’d like another cup of coffee but yes, I’m done,” Chander replied. Benton had the pot of coffee over his mug before he so much as blinked. “Thanks.”
Benton bobbed his head. “Sure.”
“I’d like to speak with you privately,” Alaric stated.
“Great,” Chander responded. “I have a few things I’d like to say to you without an audience as well.”
“The Duke’s Den across from my office is comfortable and should suit your purposes,” Aleksander offered.
“Thanks.” Chander rose to his feet. His coffee was coming with him, so he curled his fingers around the handle as he followed Alaric out of the kitchen. He had a long overdue apology to make, and hopefully Alaric was feeling in a receptive mood. No words could compensate for what he’d done, but it was all he had left to offer.
Chapter 18
Alaric followed Chander into the room designated for the D’Vaire dukes. It was a large space full of comfortable looking furniture covered in dragonskin. He’d be lying if he said he hadn’t ogled the denim-clad backside in front of him. He was trying to ignore the
skinny but still enticing form of Chander, though it was not easy as he would like. But they had a purpose and, he hoped, a great deal to discuss. There was no way to know how the conversation would go or where it would lead them, but Alaric was going to do his best to show his gratitude to the man who had liberated the sentinels.
He watched Chander take a seat on the sofa and then, putting an entire cushion distance between them, Alaric sat as well. Chander took a sip of coffee and then set the mug on the table next to him. Alaric opened his mouth to begin speaking but Chander held up a hand.
“Before you say anything, I’d like to say something to you,” Chander said. Alaric nodded in response and Chander wiped his hands on his jeans before he started up again. “I owe you a long overdue apology. Words can’t possibly be enough, but I was wrong to not only accuse you of something you couldn’t do but also to never give you the opportunity to defend yourself. I was wrong, and I regret everything about the entire situation. I know it’s asking too much to ever gain your forgiveness, and that’s something I’ll have to figure out how to live with. I wish there was a way I could fix things. Who knows? Maybe my demon can figure out how to free you as well. For now, just know I’m aware of how badly I behaved and how horribly I treated you. You did nothing at all to deserve that, and you never gave me any cause to think you were the type of person who would sink to sleeping with another man in our bed. Alaric, I’m truly, deeply sorry.”
Alaric noticed his pewter eyes were teary, and he couldn’t help but be moved by the apology. He’d wondered if he would ever get one, and he was glad Chander had given it without prompting. “I wondered if there was something I had done to make you believe I was somehow interested in having an intimate relationship with Victor.”
Chander shook his head. “No, you didn’t do anything. I walked in one morning and he was hugging you. I was jealous. He’s cute, healthy when I was not, and he seemed the type any man would be interested in, but that’s no justification for not trusting you. That was despicable of me.”
“You do realize sentinels don’t like to be touched by anyone but their mate, right?”
“I know, I have no excuse for why I was so easily deluded.”
“You were reluctant to be involved in the beginning,” Alaric said. “Maybe you never really committed.”
Chander wiggled a little on the couch. “I think I thought at the time I was fully on board but the truth is, I was waiting for it to fall apart. I didn’t trust myself enough to think it could work out. I wound up being my own worst enemy. I was so concerned about not fucking up and convinced I didn’t deserve to be happy that I think I was destined to find a way to end it. As far as I can see, it was inevitable. I was a bad bet because I made myself that way. I never questioned the authenticity of that photo. It was real, and it was proof I wasn’t cut out to be mated. It was very short-sighted of me.”
“I wish you had confronted me with the evidence.”
“I do too. You would have known why I was acting like an asshole. Instead, I put you through months of wondering and what-ifs. I want to apologize for that as well and for making you wait to hear me say I’m sorry, but when I found out for sure I was wrong, I was hell-bent on focusing solely on this spell. I figured if it worked, you would at least give me a few minutes of your time to apologize instead of telling me to flat-out fuck off.”
“I would have let you apologize. I’m glad you have.”
“You’re a wonderfully kind person, Alaric. You always have been, and I’d like you to know I wouldn’t have made it through all that hospital and sickness crap if not for you.”
“Chand, you’re strong. You would have survived without me.”
Chander looked skeptical but chose not to argue. “If you say so.”
“I brought you in here so I could give you my gratitude for what you did yesterday. I was growing increasingly worried I might never get the sentinels out of our compound. You’ve freed them. It’s an incredible gift you’ve given us. I wish there was a way we could repay you for all the kindness you’ve shown us.”
“Don’t you dare offer me money, Alaric. I will walk right out of here.”
Alaric laughed. “If I thought you’d take it, I’d already be doling it out.”
“I did it because it was the right thing to do—not because I wanted gratitude.”
“Which makes the gift even more valuable.”
Chander shrugged. “I knew Sigimund would find a way to put himself in power once I was gone. He was never going to stop trying to hurt the sentinels. I would be lying if I said part of my motivation wasn’t to shove it down his throat. The only regret I have is that I missed the look on his face when he woke up from his nap yesterday and discovered the sentinels were free.”
“And I’m sure it took him seconds to figure out where to cast the blame for that.”
“Wouldn’t be the first time he wished I was dead.”
“You do realize it was likely him or someone else on the former elder council who is responsible for that photo being emailed to you.”
With a bob of his head, Chander agreed. “Yeah, I figured that out. None of them were crazy about me being so attached to the sentinels, even though I had no choice over who Fate paired me with.”
“And if you had a choice?”
“If I had a choice about what?”
“Your mate.”
“I wish I had treated mine better. I wish I had been fair, and I wish I hadn’t torn apart what I think probably could have been a great relationship.”
“It already was a great relationship.”
Chander looked down at his lap and said in a soft voice, “I know.”
“So, you’ve given me land and properties. Freed my men from their servitude.”
“You already thanked me.”
“Now what?” Alaric asked.
“Um…I don’t know. I have a grilling on Monday from the Council and then I guess I’ll talk to Bax and Ben about what to do. I’ll need to figure out something to do for the rest of eternity and a place to park our stuff. Right now, there are more questions than answers. I have been so focused on this that I haven’t given myself any time to think about the future.”
“And us?”
“I don’t think there is an us.” Chander’s brow furrowed. “We have signed separation papers.”
“We remain alone for an eternity?”
“What exactly are you asking me, Alaric?”
“I don’t know,” Alaric confessed. “I’ve been furious at you. Pissed you destroyed us and then when I found why, I grew angrier. But I’ve also been miserable without you. I have missed being around you, missed being inside you. I don’t know what the answer is, but I don’t think I’m content to just say it’s over and that’s it.”
Chander’s eyes grew misty. “I’ve missed you in so many ways. Even when I was pissed because I thought you were fucking Victor, I ached for you. But you know now how bad of a bet I am. I couldn’t live with myself if I hurt you again. I just couldn’t.”
“I guess we go our separate ways then.”
“It’s harder to hear you say that then it was to sign those papers,” Chander replied as he swiped away a tear. “I need you to know I love you, Alaric. I always will. I hope you can find some measure of happiness without me. You deserve it. Your mate should have been worthy of you.”
“Do you honestly expect me to sit here and listen to you tell me you love me like that?”
Chander’s crying was now in earnest. “I know I shouldn’t have said it. I just had to let you know those feelings grew because of all you were to me and all you did for me. Not like the stuff you did to help me when I was sick but what you gave me of yourself. I guess it was wrong to share my love for you, but I couldn’t let you go on with your life not knowing my head may have fucked everything up, but my heart fell hard for you and remained yours.”
“Chand, I meant I’m not just going to chalk this up to a bad mistake and walk away. Fate put
us together. We need to figure out what that means for us.”
“I’m so far out of my element right now. I don’t know what the hell to say to you.”
“You think I have a clue? I’ve spent most of my life in isolation,” Alaric pointed out. “But here’s what I do know. I love you too. I’m tired of pretending I don’t or that it doesn’t mean anything.”
“Okay, what do we do?” Chander asked before scrubbing his wet cheeks with his palms.
“We try again but with ground rules. Honest communication is a must. If you are afraid or some asshole sends you an email, you come and tell me. I’ll do the same.”
“I’m so scared. I don’t know if I can do this. What if I hurt you?”
“You don’t think I’m not frightened? What if I’m the one who messes up next time?”
“How am I supposed to know if this is a bad idea or not?”
“Hell if I know,” Alaric said with a ghost of a smile. “I’m making this up as I go along. I think we should trust our instincts. Mine are telling me not to be stupid enough to consign my heart to loneliness and despair for an eternity when there’s a possibility we can repair what’s broken. What about you?”
“Mine are telling me not to be a fucking idiot and take the chance you’re offering even though there’s no way in hell I in any way deserve it.”
“Let’s go with that then. Like I said, we can move glacially slow. I’d like you to meet the rest of the Skeleton Seven. I know they’d like to talk to you and if you don’t mind, I’m sure they’ve got some questions.”
“I’d be honored to meet them.”
“Good, so you’ll come to our office on Monday since you’ll be there to get your ass reamed by the Council.”
Chander lifted the corner of his mouth in a smile. “Okay.”
“I’d like to throw in here that it would be difficult for us to try this thing if you move far away. I know we can both teleport, but if the goal is to eventually combine our lives, it will be tough if we are both putting roots down in two different locations.”
Fall of the Arch Lich (D'Vaire, Book 6) Page 12