“I appreciate the sentiment but right now, I’m focused on the Sentinel Brotherhood. And the necromancers have had some demonstrations but for the most part appear to be content with their leader. That’s the important thing. It’s not about whether I have a crown, it’s about their prosperity. One could argue that Sigimund is not someone who will give them that, but we all know a great deal of politics is perception. Right now, the necros think he’s the right guy. I wish I had that faith but I don’t…which is why I asked to be removed from the Order of Necromancia.”
“Chand, we can fight about this all day long. We’re going to agree to disagree. You’re the Arch Lich. You’ve lost a crown that should’ve never been up for grabs. The Order of Necromancia will always need you, and I will see this fixed,” Chrysander stated. Chander was still part of the Council, so he decided to nod and be done with it. Chrysander might want him as the Arch Lich, but that wasn’t Chander’s destiny. Not anymore.
“If we’re done here, I’d like to get moving on finding the warlocks,” Drystan said.
“Any leads?” Alaric asked.
“Sentinels can track better than fallen knights. You tell me,” Conley retorted.
Alaric gave Chander a funny look which made his antenna go up. “Babe, what aren’t you telling me?”
“I would hazard a guess they’ve moved out of tracking range,” Alaric responded.
“You mean they fucking went to Europe,” Chander replied.
Chrysander frowned. “If the Consilium Veneficus is involved, this is going to get ugly.”
“You’re right about that.” Chander stood. “That’s an entire continent thrilled to see me dethroned. Sigimund probably had a lengthy line of people willing to help him, even if he is a necromancer. The fact that they all hate me isn’t going to do much to narrow down your suspects.”
“I always did like a challenge,” Conley said.
“Since we know shit about the Consilium and don’t have the fallen knight manpower to crawl over the entire continent, we’ve certainly got one,” Chrysander replied.
* * *
Back in his bedroom, Chander was watching Alaric once again strip down to change his clothes. Alaric had a Council session to attend and had wolfed down his breakfast at lightning speed so he wouldn’t be late.
“Are you mad at me?” Alaric asked after he removed his boots.
“Because you didn’t tell me about the possible involvement of the Consilium Veneficus?”
“Yeah.”
Chander considered the question. “No, I’m not. I can’t believe I didn’t think of it. But as far as I know, the wizards there don’t want anything to do with necromancers in general so perhaps that’s why. Besides, you and I didn’t have all that much time to talk yesterday, and there was plenty going on.”
“We had a few minutes here and there and we went to bed at the same time.”
“And got freaky right away. The only thing we were talking about was lube and if you were hitting the right angle.”
Alaric gave him a dirty grin. “If memory recalls, I did find that angle.”
“You always do.”
“You going to be okay today?”
“Me?” Chander asked. “I’m not the one who had their memory fully restored with images of four jerks casting a spell on me right after being resurrected. How are you doing?”
“I’m fine. It jolted me right away and I have a lot of questions, but it’s ancient history at this point. I know it pisses you off and it does me too, but I’m more concerned with what’s going on right now. We need to figure out what the hell Sigimund is up to and whether there are more reapers being created,” Alaric said as he pulled on his slacks.
“Can you believe all those elders have basically retired? I mean, I know they’re old but seriously. They waited for me to go and then boom…gone.”
“Makes sense though,” Alaric responded. “It must have been what they wanted. To relax and enjoy the rest of their lives. Perhaps that’s what propelled them to help Sigimund in supporting the petition that led to your resignation. It also explains why none of them ran against him for Arch Lich—they wanted out of politics.”
“Okay, but it still doesn’t make sense that out of over eight thousand other necros, not one of them was interested in running against a man who was on the verge of being voted out when I showed up on Hubert’s doorstep.”
“Think about it, his spot was saved by your arrival. He got to spend the next sixteen years bragging about how he was preparing you for your role. Not only did you rise to power, but you led the Council for centuries. All he had to do was tell anyone who listened that he was responsible for assisting you with all your decision-making.”
Chander frowned. “He did manage to recover his bad reputation. I see your point. He dined on my successes and made them his. Turned himself into a legend. Who would run against that? They’d be afraid they would be laughed at or worse.”
“Baby, it also might help solve the mystery of why there wasn’t a greater public outcry when you resigned.” Alaric affixed his sash in the right spot. “If he made your victories his own, then you were no big loss.”
“Which was easy to do since they would never let me meet with the necromancers without at least one of them in attendance. I would arrange tours to meet with my people and they were like giant ticks on my back I couldn’t shake off. It makes sense. They appeared so important to me I wouldn’t travel anywhere without them.”
“You never had a fair shot as Arch Lich.”
Chander slid his fingers alongside Alaric’s daggers. “Ancient history now.”
“I’m not going to argue with you, so I’ll agree.”
Rising to his tiptoes, Chander kissed his firm chin. “I’ve always said you were a smart guy.”
“Would you do me a favor?”
“Anything.”
“Look after Grymington today. I prefer for him not to be alone as he adjusts to all he needs to know,” Alaric requested. “He should have someone there to answer questions and all that.”
“I look forward to getting to know the young Lich Reaper.”
“Thank you.”
“I’m not going to see you for lunch, am I?”
Alaric pressed their lips together. “I doubt it. I’m going to see how the fallen knights are doing with this warlock search, and then I should get to the compound. I was hardly there yesterday.”
“I’ll miss you. Give me a call before you teleport there.”
“I will.”
This time when they kissed, Chander was determined to go deeper and so he darted his tongue into Alaric’s mouth. Alaric responded instantly and despite him needing to be at Council session soon, they let passion simmer between them. When Chander began to grow hard, he was smacked with guilt. Pulling away, he said, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to get carried away.”
“Probably that demon of yours.”
“He does have quite a craving for you.”
Alaric dropped a peck on his forehead before releasing him. “I’ll let him bite me later.”
“Have a good day, babe.”
“How can I do that? I won’t see you again until dinner.”
Chander grinned. “Perseverance, Lich Sentinel.”
“I love you.”
“Love you too,” Chander replied just before Alaric shimmered out. He might want to sit around and stew about all the shit Sigimund was up to and the things he’d done to Alaric, but he had a reaper to entertain and a complex to see to. Chander decided more coffee was definitely in order.
Chapter 42
Stalking into the living area of the condo, Chander saw the two Daemon Lords sitting on the stools in the kitchen. They were joined by the reaper and their housekeeper. Chander headed their way and grabbed a travel mug from the cabinet to fill it with his favorite dark brew.
“What’s the plan for today?” Baxter asked.
After pouring in his drink and placing the cap on tightly, Chander turned t
o face the sentinel formerly tied to his soul. “We’re going to swing by the construction site and then head back here. We have a meeting later with our decor committee.”
“I love our meetings,” Victor enthused. “I’m off to the grocery store and the dry cleaners. Does anyone need anything?” He turned and gave Chander a sly look. “Or have any shirts with missing buttons to be mended?”
“I’m good,” Chander replied as the two sentinels snickered. Nothing was secret around there.
“Great, I’m off,” Victor announced before leaving the quartet in the kitchen.
“Grymington, you’re with us this morning,” Chander said as Baxter grabbed the keys for the SUV.
“We’re calling him Grym or Grymmie,” Benton informed Chander.
“My apologies, Grymmie. Let’s roll, people.” The foursome left the condo, went down to the parking garage, and piled into the vehicle. “Put on some good music.”
“I’m not going to assault my ears with The Bangles or Bananarama this morning,” Benton declared.
“They wouldn’t know good music if it bit them in the ass,” Chander informed Grymington.
“I have a question,” Grymington said. “I’m told you believe I am incorruptible and yet you were reluctant to leave me home alone.”
Chander gave him a smile. “It’s not what you’re thinking. Alaric asked me to keep you close today. That has everything to do with the fact that sentinels were in isolation until recently. They have an overdeveloped desire to prevent loneliness. That’s why you’re going with us. If you prefer to keep to yourself when we get back home, you are welcome to do so.”
Grymington nodded. “I prefer to hang out with all of you.”
“I’m glad to hear it.”
As Baxter drove them the short drive to the sentinel complex, Chander sipped his coffee and hoped to hell he could get some sleep in the not too far future. They pulled into the large parking lot in front of their ongoing construction and Chander approved of the stunning building of sentinel gray granite and massive windows. He got out of the vehicle and saw Harley Griffinis heading straight for him.
“Good morning,” Chander called out.
“Morning, how is everyone?” Harley asked.
“Great,” he replied before introducing him to Grymington. “Anything I need to be worried about?”
“Nope, things are going great. Dra’Kaedan was here a few minutes ago and gave us a fresh supply of magic. Our guys are moving so fast I think we can shave another week off our timetable. I’m going to have to do this warlock stuff more in the future—my crew loves it. They feel great,” Harley said. “Of course, we eat three times as much, but it’s a willing sacrifice.”
“Fantastic—if you don’t need me, then I’m going to head home. Call or text if you run into any trouble. Not that you will.” Chander was relieved everything was going so smoothly and that he didn’t have to make any snap decisions about building issues. They offered farewells and then piled back into the SUV. Even when they were there for only minutes, Chander never considered it a wasted trip. He liked seeing the progress they made; it filled him with excitement for the future when it would be full of sentinels. They got back to the condo without incident, and Chander grabbed all the crap he was going to need for his afternoon meeting with Victor and Evergreen. With construction progressing so fast, they had to get going. He didn’t want to hold up their new projected moving-in day.
Once Chander had loaded the coffee table with his things, he took a seat on the couch. Baxter, Benton, and Grymington all picked pieces of furniture and sat as well.
“Are we having a meeting?” Chander asked.
“We stayed up late last night eating cookies and talking with Victor,” Grymington said. “But I still have questions.”
“I’m sure you do—there’s a lot of information to grasp,” Chander replied. “How can I help?”
“Bax and Ben said you wouldn’t mind if I asked you some personal questions.”
“You’re a part of our family now, and we’ve never pulled any punches. If you want to ask me something, be my guest.”
“Doesn’t mean he’ll answer it,” Benton retorted.
Chander gave him a dirty look. “I have the right to my own privacy, and I’ve really only invoked it when it came to my relationship with your leader.”
“My most pressing question relates to that. Perhaps I should skip it,” Grymington responded.
“Grymmie, ask me. If I don’t want to answer, then I’ll tell you that.”
“Okay, your belief is permanently resurrected soldiers are incorruptible and yet you believed Alaric cheated on you,” Grymington said. “I find those two things to be a contradiction I don’t understand.”
Chander chewed on his top lip with his bottom teeth. He wasn’t expecting that, and he was amazed the man had been here for less than twenty-four hours and already knew his whole life story.
“He’s not going to answer that,” Baxter stated. “He wouldn’t tell us shit after he broke things off.”
“I can speak for myself,” Chander replied. “And I can explain that. When I was going through that situation, I didn’t think of Alaric as a sentinel or consider the fact that I believe in the incorruptibility of resurrected soldiers. I was thinking about him as my mate, and I’m a prime example of there being no logic when it comes to matters of the heart. I foolishly allowed my own insecurities to overcome my good sense. It was unfair, and Alaric has proved what an incredible person he is to have given me a second chance.”
“Look who’s finally talking like a man who believes in matebonds,” Benton responded.
“I never said I didn’t believe in them. I said I didn’t want one.”
“You don’t want a matebond?” Grymington asked.
“Didn’t as in past tense. I have a wonderful one, but it took a great deal of work to get it where it is today. Mates are a fantastic gift and I hope when you find yours, you remember that and don’t make the same stupid mistakes I did,” Chander explained.
“I will admit I find the matebond very intriguing. I’d like to meet my mate,” the reaper confessed.
“You will. I wish I could tell you when, but that’s up to Fate. I look forward to meeting your mate as well,” Chander told him.
“Chand, do you think if you’d never told anyone about the picture of Alaric and Victor that you would have eventually used logic to realize he couldn’t have done that shit?” Benton asked.
Chander peered into the sentinel’s blue eyes. “I don’t know. I was really messed up. You know that.”
“And now you’re like a normal person,” Baxter observed. “You eat. You sleep. Well, after you do all kinds of sex acts. Your eyes aren’t bloodshot from having your face in a book all the time. You practice good personal hygiene and change your clothes regularly. How’d that happen?”
“I think I got tricked into taking care of myself.”
Benton smiled. “Feels pretty good, doesn’t it?”
“I don’t think you need me to answer that.”
“Now we just need to get your title back,” Baxter said.
Chander took a deep breath. “I don’t want it.”
“Fate chose you for that duty,” Grymington stated. “I don’t understand. How do you have a choice?”
“Because I resigned. I chose to let it go. I could have fought back against that petition. I don’t know if I would have won, but I believed the necromancers wanted me gone. I know they did. Centuries ago I lost sight of myself. It’s been a battle, but I’m happy for the first time ever. I like what I’m doing, and I can’t help that Fate intended me for more. Right now, it’s not what I want and it’s not what the Order of Necromancia wants,” Chander explained. He hoped it made sense to everyone. They believed in Fate as did he, and it did rub him wrong on an instinctual level. It was what he’d been born to do, but Chander had learned life was not so cut and dried as he had once believed.
“If they asked you to return
, would you assume your title?” Grymington asked.
“My gut instinct is to answer yes, but my mind is a great deal more cautious,” Chander replied. “I guess it’s one of those things where I wouldn’t know the real solution until I was actually faced with that choice. It’s also something I’d have to discuss with Alaric. Everything I do affects him and vice versa.”
“You know he’d want you to be Arch Lich,” Benton said.
“You’re likely right but again, we’ll have to cross that bridge should we ever need to.”
“Sigimund is an old man. He cannot rule forever,” Baxter pointed out.
“I don’t believe he’s fit for leadership. He seems preoccupied with his own needs,” Grymington commented. “I can’t comprehend how he came to rule your people.”
“It’s a fucking mystery to all of us,” Baxter replied.
“Grymmie, have you tried traveling to the compound?” Chander asked.
“We tried to travel there last night,” Grymington answered. “I wasn’t able to do it.”
“Have you discovered any other differences between you and the sentinels?”
“We tried to find them last night. I am impervious to temperature extremes as they are and I knew I had invisibility, but mine has a time limit,” Grymington said.
“Ours is infinite—that’s a significant difference,” Benton added.
“Perhaps Sigimund didn’t realize he had to specify that. You can’t just say, ‘Give someone invisibility,’ without parameters.” Chander shook his head. Sigimund had spent most of Chander’s life, and likely before it, looking down his nose at resurrection which was nuts for a necromancer. It seemed he’d forgotten a great deal of the basics of their unique type of sorcery or he’d never been that good of a student to start with. Chander wondered, as he had for centuries, how in the hell any of those men and women had risen to the position of elder. Yes, they had magical power, but it wasn’t that much greater than the average necro. The only conclusion he could draw from it was that they’d been good politicians, and that’s how they’d managed to function as Arch Liches. It didn’t say much for his reputation when he was young or the deductive reasoning of his brethren that they’d not objected to these people—all voted out of office save Sigimund—being allowed to form an elder council who had more sway in their government than he did.
Fall of the Arch Lich (D'Vaire, Book 6) Page 29