“I guess I should’ve asked more questions. I’ve come to realize that not only is my family dysfunctional, but so is the way my father ran his court. I don’t really know how to do my job properly.”
“It’s a good thing you get to learn from the very best. There’s no one better than Aleksander at his job, and you have the right instincts. Look at what you did with Jeremiah. There was no hesitation in accepting him. All you need to do is trust yourself and us when we’ve earned it.”
“At least I never have to worry about anyone caring that I’m in love with a guy,” Rafe teased, trying to lighten the mood. Happy with his decision about Jeremiah, he agreed with Dra’Kaedan. The young dragon had fit in seamlessly, and Rafe was back working with him to try to coax out his beast.
“You want to hear something hilarious? Brogan’s still miffed at some level that he never got to sleep with Aleksander.”
“Aleksander did have a crush on him when they were young.”
“Yeah, so I’ve heard and vice versa, but somehow I don’t see it working out. I mean, who would even bottom for who? Brogan’s never done that in his life, and he has no desire to try. Not that I’m complaining mind you, but somehow, I don’t see Aleksander letting Brogan pop his cherry.”
Rafe couldn’t help his blush at Dra’Kaedan’s frankness. “Yeah…um…Sander’s definitely interested in doing the whole uh, top thing. And honestly, his dragon’s pretty territorial. He likes to bite. Sometimes I think if Aleksander was interested in trying to go the other way, his dragon would emerge in the middle of it and destroy the planet.”
“But you aren’t complaining, are you?” Dra’Kaedan asked with a saucy smile.
“No. Not at all. We’ve got this gay thing figured out.”
“I believe that. I’ve seen you guys kiss.”
Idly stroking Mortis’s fur, Rafe stretched out his legs a bit. “You know what’s odd to me about the whole Brogan and Sander thing? Neither one of them is close to what we look like. I mean how does Brogan go from tall and dark-haired to cute and blond?”
“Thanks for thinking I’m cute,” Dra’Kaedan quipped. “I hear you. I almost think Brogan keeps bringing it up to make me jealous or something, which is so stupid.”
“Is cute the wrong thing to say?”
“No, I’ll take a compliment any way you want to hand them out, handsome.”
Rafe’s mouth lifted in a half smile. “I don’t get jealous either. I mean, it would’ve been weird if they were still sleeping together when I got here, like if you hadn’t met Brogan first.”
“Agreed. I’ve decided that this must be happening somewhere in a parallel universe, so I hope for the sake of everyone there that I didn’t meet Brogan while he was fucking around with Aleksander, because knowing my temper, I would’ve burned everything to the ground.”
“Being a sorcerer must be so cool.”
“Oh, it is, but dragons are pretty awesome themselves.”
“I find myself yearning for mine more and more. I want to know what it feels like to embrace my dragon and learn to live the way shifters are supposed to. I’m strong enough to be patient, but I’m also scared it won’t ever happen.”
“I believe in you, Rafe, and you’ve got Sorcery D’Vaire and every other crazy person in our family either working on ideas or rooting for you.”
“Thanks. I’m going to trust in those words and work on building my relationships with the entire family.”
“Put a checkmark next to my name. You and I are solid.”
∞∞∞
In the office, Rafe was busy kissing Aleksander when a phone rang. Aleksander brushed their lips together, then grabbed his device to answer it.
“Hello.” When Aleksander’s brows drew together and he broke eye contact, Rafe wasn’t sure what to make of things, but he wasn’t kept guessing long. The High King hung up and got to his feet. “The Reverent Knights and Alaric are on their way.”
“What’s going on?” Brogan asked as he straightened.
“Not sure.”
The three men in question strolled in after apparently teleporting to their rooms, and Rafe could read nothing in their gazes.
“Did something happen?” Worth demanded.
“No time. You got a television in here?” Drystan asked.
“No, let’s go into the living room,” Aleksander said, taking Rafe’s hand. The entire gang that was hanging out in their office followed them as they ventured down the hall.
“We got word that there’s a press conference about to start,” Conley revealed. “Dra’Kaedan, can you switch to the news?”
“Sure.”
Aleksander grabbed a seat on the sofa, and Rafe offered no protest when he was pulled onto his lap. “Who’s giving it?” Aleksander asked.
“King Boian Ethelindraconis,” Drystan stated.
“What the hell could that asshat have to say?” Noirin demanded, wandering in from the kitchen with her phone in her hand. “Dray’s on his way.”
“We have no idea, but considering his relationship with D’Vaire, we figured it would be a good idea to watch it here. The Emperors are in their office doing the same. They’ve given no clue as to what it might entail, but since King Boian signed a treaty with the Consilium Veneficus as a self-appointed representative of Draconis, it could be anything. Chrys and Elf are still pissed that he would dare try to usurp any of their authority,” Drystan said.
Dre’Kariston, Somerly, Dravyn, and Killian stalked in through the back door just as Aleksander’s father walked to the podium. Rafe hadn’t seen Boian before, and though he tried hard, he could find nothing of his mate in the man with the flat stare.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I have called you here today to speak of a matter of utmost importance,” Boian intoned with no inflection. “The Consilium Veneficus does everything it can to care for its members and offer them better lives, but still the Council of Sorcery and Shifters spends their time smearing our reputation. They tell pretty lies about the supposed prosperity they provide while simultaneously slandering our government with horrid accusations with no basis in truth. While the Consilium does what it can to fight back, we are the consummate underdog lacking the population of the Council and the distance works to our disadvantage, so it is no surprise there are people swayed by their lure to join. King Charlton Kestledraconis was one of those dragons and found himself trapped in yet another injustice orchestrated by the High Court of D’Vairedraconis and its evil ruler. They have trapped his middle child, who recently was the unfortunate victim of a most cruel beating and warped his mind into believing it was his very own family who hurt him.”
Aleksander pulled Rafe closer when Boian took a moment to stare into the camera. “While the Council continues to bestow honor upon the D’Vaire name, the Consilium sees the man for what he truly is—a vile freak with no morals or ethics. It is my hope that Duke Rafferty Kestledraconis will see me standing up here for him and his family. Your father and brother miss you and want you to leave D’Vaire to protect yourself. King Charlton and Duke Sullivan have wisely left the Council, and Court Ethelin is proud to be able to offer them assistance so that we may rebuild the court Emperors Chrysander and Ellery Draconis have so cruelly dismantled. I urge every dragon king to see D’Vaire for the conniving liar he is and return to the days where he was rightfully shunned from our people.”
King Ethelin stalked off, ignoring the shouted questions of the reporters, and Rafe’s attention went to Aleksander, whose face was white with rage.
“You okay?”
“I want to wring his damn neck,” Aleksander growled.
It was at that moment that Alaric started to laugh. The Lich Sentinel rolled onto his side with his hilarity, and the other sentinels in the household watched their leader solemnly as he filled the space with loud guffaws. While Boian had spoken, the entire D’Vaire clan had found their way into the living area and were frozen at Alaric’s behavior.
Alaric’s chuckles finally tapered o
ff, and he managed to straighten himself up on the sofa. Lifting his hands, he swiped away the tears on his face. “Conley?” he asked, trying to catch his breath.
“Yeah, you okay, buddy?”
“I doubt I’ve ever been better,” Alaric answered. “I have a plan, but it will take a little coordination because this is for every D’Vaire. Let’s call the entire extended family and get them here immediately.”
Phones were in hands, and soon people were strolling in, most of them in the full regalia they wore at work. All the while, Rafe was held by a man whose eyes were livid. Rafe’s head landed on Aleksander’s chest, and he was hugged tight while he wondered what Alaric had in mind. It was a relief to know that at least his father and brother were a continent away and not attempting to get anywhere near D’Vaire.
Within minutes, the whole gang was finding spots to sit in the great room. “What’s going on, Alaric?” Chrysander asked.
“Thanks to the advisory panel who crafted a law that was passed by the Council, the Sentinel Brotherhood has the ability to apprehend people who are outside our government,” Alaric stated. “Dra’Kaedan, if you wouldn’t mind creating a D’Vaire stone that brings us back to our headquarters, I want every sentinel in this room to come with me to Europe. How stupid was it of them to announce their location on television? I can’t think about it, or I’ll start laughing again.”
“You’re going to let us go?” Baxter asked. As one of the two men dedicated to protecting the Arch Lich, he and his mate often had to stay behind when the sentinels planned anything.
“Yes, that’s why I have the family gathered here at the D’Vaire bubble. This will not take us long, so no one leave the premises. This is for D’Vaire. I want the Skeleton Seven, Daemon Lords, Coven Lords, Prism Lords, and Dragon Lord to accompany me to apprehend not just King Kestle, Duke Sullivan, but King Boian as well.”
“Our father?” Worth asked.
“Yes, we can charge him with Council laws now,” Alaric responded. “He’s harboring two criminals, and I believe we have plenty of evidence of past crimes to at least be added to his sentence. I’m assuming here that the Kestles were charged with their offenses against Rafe.”
“They were. The moment they disappeared, we charged them so they could be apprehended,” Conley responded. “Go get those jerks. I know I can’t touch Boian, but I’d like to observe the interrogation.”
“Observe? No. You were his emperor, and the charges are from the Order of the Fallen Knights. By all means, come in with me,” Alaric replied.
Renny handed Dra’Kaedan a blue-black stone with the D’Vaire crest on the top, which he pushed magic into and offered to Alaric. “Go get those asshats. Nobody talks shit about D’Vaire.”
The sentinels teleported out, and Ellery turned to the Grand Warlock. “You owe Tiri two dollars.”
“Ah, crap.”
Chapter 69
In many ways, although Drystan had placed his son under Aleksander’s roof, he thought of the High King in almost a fatherly way. It was easy to remember with perfect clarity the first time they met, when Drystan was an emperor who could’ve never guessed the extent of the betrayal about to happen in his castle. Aleksander might’ve been barely more than a drakeling, but the new king had bravery and earnestness in his unique eyes. When he saw him again centuries later, there was confidence added to the mix, though Drystan could hardly understand its root. Once he got to know him, Drystan learned that even shunned and cast aside, Aleksander was pure of heart and had a spine infused with steel.
After all Drystan had witnessed while Rafe was in the hospital, if he’d sat down and known that both men were gay, he might’ve wanted the two together if he were playing Fate. Rafe was strong and courageous but the one thing he lacked was trust, and there was no other place on the planet to heal a soul than D’Vaire. It didn’t hurt that he’d spent a weekend watching the pair cuddle, flirt, and otherwise enjoy a matebond in full flourish. They might not have the history that Drystan had with Conley yet, but he would still list them as a tie with his only biological child as the second-best couple Fate had paired.
The High Kings ruled a family that Drystan was proud to be a part of, and it was in his nature to be protective, so knowing a threat was out there had driven him mad. Between him and Conley, there were no fights about lost sleep. They simply woke up early, stayed out late, or both as they sought out the two men who’d hurt Rafe, along with the still-missing twins. Not only was it a relief that the sentinels were in Europe apprehending them, but King Ethelin getting a ticket to the party was almost a dream come true.
Aleksander was ostracized for one reason, and it was because his father was a first-rate asshole who’d dedicated centuries to maintaining a venomous campaign of hate against his oldest son. Two more children were born of Boian’s blood and now loved Aleksander and carried his name. Boian had hurt them too, and Drystan was glad the man would finally have to answer for that and the other things he’d done throughout the years.
Arvandus ran down the hall to where Drystan and Conley were standing in silence, waiting for the Sentinel Brotherhood. “Hey, we got a tip on the Kestle twins. I’ve got FKs on it. Apparently, someone was watching that crazy-ass press conference. The news people posted pictures of these idiots, and several people saw them and phoned it in.”
“Good, you wanna go hunt?” Conley asked.
“Yep, let’s end this shit.”
“Tell Roman to go too if he can manage it,” Drystan replied, referring to Venerable Knight Roman Calixtus. “I wouldn’t want you to have all the fun.”
Laughing, Arvandus jogged away. “Tell Apple I said hi. And use his nickname.”
“I’m not calling Albrecht that,” Drystan retorted.
“I will,” Conley remarked.
“You want to call a Skeleton Lord the name of a fruit, that’s on you.”
“What’s the matter, Drys, aren’t you feeling fruity today?”
“Is that like a gay thing? I’ve felt gay since I was seventeen.”
“You probably would’ve known before that if you had half a clue and knew two men could have sex.”
Drystan tried his damnedest not to grin as he thought about his naïveté but failed. “Hush.”
The door that separated the Order of the Fallen Knights and the Sentinel Brotherhood swung open, revealing the Lich Sentinel with a bevy of his men and three dragons in shackles. Conley pushed off the wall. “Good thing you were pretty,” he snarked as he walked over and helped Alaric get each shifter into a separate room.
“Who do you want to start with?” Drystan asked Alaric after the glaring dragons were situated.
“The Kestles have already made it perfectly clear they don’t have shit to say to us,” Alaric stated. “I doubt we will get anything out of them, but that’s your case, not mine.”
“We need more evidence if we want to truly nail these guys, but Arvandus and Roman are off following some new tips, so hopefully that pans out. I’m interested to see if Boian will cough up anything,” Drystan said.
“Bridger. Hadley,” Alaric called out. “Would you care to join us in the interrogation room?”
They agreed, and Drystan opened the door, allowing all five of them to join the frowning man who ran Court Ethelin. “Good afternoon, Your Highness.”
“I demand to be released this instant.”
“Have you met everyone?” Conley asked, straddling a chair while the three sentinels lined themselves up along the wall. Drystan stood next to his mate and never took his eyes off Boian.
“Of course I know who you are,” Boian told Conley. “You were once dragons.”
“We’re still dragons,” Drystan corrected. “Thanks to Sorcery D’Vaire.”
Boian’s lip curled, and Drystan was going to take advantage of his dislike of his son to get what he wanted.
“Did you meet the Lich Sentinel?” Conley asked.
“He broke the law by bringing me here.”
“That�
�s funny since your government doesn’t have law enforcement,” Conley retorted.
“I did not get the chance to familiarize you with all the men that traveled with me to pick you up,” Alaric stated. “I chose a larger party than I perhaps needed, but each of us belongs to the same extended family, and you’ve impacted it. I speak, of course, of your eldest son and his mate; they consider us D’Vaires. The two men standing on either side of me live there—this is Coven Lord Bridger D’Vaire and Coven Lord Hadley D’Vaire.”
Boian let out a snort. “I don’t believe in Fate or matebonds, but I must say I’m still shocked anyone would want to be with that freak Aleksander, and I no longer consider him my son.”
“I hope someday you get the chance to meet High King Rafe D’Vairedraconis,” Conley mused. “Wonderful guy and he loves your son a lot.”
“I’m not going to sit here and discuss Aleksander. I don’t know why I didn’t realize that he’d perverted his sexuality. It makes sense now why Somerly and Worthington have done the same.”
“Except that they were both gay before they met their eldest brother, and I’m surprised you’re calling Worth your kid again,” Conley remarked.
“Without a DNA test, how could I know for sure?”
“Except that we’ve had DNA tests run, and you know he and Aleksander both have the same two parents. Why don’t you tell us where to find Ismay, just in case her sons want to ever chat with her?” Drystan inquired. “For some reason, we can’t seem to find her in the fallen knights’ system.”
“Ismay has no use for children, and how the hell should I know where she is?” Boian commented. “Why do you think I was willing to have another with her? Not once did she express any interest in Aleksander.”
“Why didn’t you go back to her when you wanted your third child? Why does Somerly have a different mother?” Bridger asked.
Boian laughed. “Please, Aleksander’s a mutant, and Worth is a pink dragon. I could understand one son being a genetic disaster but after two, I came to realize a third would have the same result. Now return me to my home before things get out of hand. I have no wish to drag the Consilium into a war simply because the Council is reckless.”
Heart of the High King (D'Vaire, Book 19) Page 50