by Zoey Ellis
Drocco narrowed his eyes. “This is through use of the Talent?”
“Yes,” Malloron said. “It’s a subtle and delicately crafted spell that will get her to tell you all she knows.”
“Why do you assume she hasn’t already told me?”
Malloron lifted his shoulders, a faint smile on his lips. “She very well could have, but can you trust that she speaks the truth? No one knows what happened to the Omegas and you have only found one. Her discovery could be the result of a myriad of different things. Wouldn’t you want to know?”
“There are ways of discovering things without using the Talent, Malloron,” Drocco replied. “I have no desire to tie myself to you simply to discover if she has told me the truth.”
Malloron tilted his head, his eyes narrowing. “You have soul-bonded her,” he said slowly. “That is how you know.”
“You can play your guessing games on your own time,” Drocco said, annoyed.
“All right,” Malloron said, with an air of defeat. “All right. You drive a hard bargain.”
“I do not want—”
“I’ll give you the complete history of your Omega,” Malloron said. “From birth to the moment you met her.”
Drocco’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean?”
“I will give you a spell that will show you everything about her,” Malloron said, quietly. “Even things she doesn’t know herself. It’s a complex spell—I will need a day to weave it.”
Drocco eyed him. Every part of Cailyn’s history in his hands… “What do you want for it?”
“The same as I asked for before—your process and methods to creating an army and two of your troops.”
Drocco stared at him as he thought. Cailyn’s accurate history laid out for him without him having to force her to tell him anything. It would certainly take the pressure off their relationship while still aiding the Lox. Although it was dependent on the Talent, it was sorely tempting. “Let us have another meeting tomorrow, and I’ll give you an answer then. Have it ready just in case.”
Malloron scowled. “So you will make me create this spell and not tell me if you’re going to accept it?”
“Yes,” Drocco said, simply. “Tomorrow. Same time.” He signaled to the Talent-crafters, and the portal melted into nothing.
“Get out,” Torin ordered the Talent-crafters before turning to Drocco, his face sour.
A harsh annoyance rose in Drocco. If Torin was angry, something was wrong that Drocco hadn’t yet seen.
“Why did you let that happen?” Torin scolded. “You told me never to discuss your Omega with anyone, and then you go and discuss her with Malloron!”
“I tried not to,” Drocco scowled, dropping into a chair. “He antagonized me.”
“Of course he is going to antagonize you! You have an Omega!”
“What did I reveal?”
Torin frowned. “You can’t see it?”
“No,” Drocco snapped. “I didn’t reveal anything by what I said.”
Torin shook his head, disbelievingly. “He will know now by how angry you became, and by the fact you’re even thinking about his proposal, that you care about this Omega.”
“He already thinks I soul-bonded her. He already knew that I want that.”
“No. He was guessing,” Torin pointed out. “Just like he was guessing that you might not be happy with the progress you are making with her. And if he had any suspicions that you were simply taking advantage of her dynamic, they are gone. He knows you want her for yourself, permanently.”
Drocco digested this. “It means nothing. What can he do? His spies won’t be able to get to her.” Cailyn was in his own bedroom, in a tightly secure part of the Palace and guarded in multiple circumferences by warriors he had trained almost from birth. Additionally, the whole floor had been protected by Talent disabling charms. The chances of anyone getting to her was minute.
“I suppose that is true,” Torin said, thoughtfully. “But I’m concerned about what he seemed to pretend to know.”
“What do you mean?”
“He knows no more than anyone in the Palace or even anyone in Ashens, and yet he made some connections that seemed accurate.”
Drocco growled at him. “I told you months ago that I didn’t want any more of his fucking spies in this Palace.”
“And I just told you he doesn’t have any more information than any Lox warrior or citizen of Ashens,” Torin shot back. “You were only visibly angry in front of your staff once, he guessed you haven’t breeded her, and he assumed that you had access to her during her Haze. He isn’t getting it from spies, he is simply smart. And you cannot afford to engage in conversation with him again until you are free of all influences, including your Omega!”
Drocco shot from his chair, advancing toward Torin. “Who the fuck do you think you’re speaking to? What gives you the right to speak to me that way, Torin? To give me orders about my mate?” He pushed his chest into Torin’s, growling at the nerve of the man.
“Our history,” Torin glowered. “You told me when we were seventeen that if you ever found your Omega, to remind you that you were a warrior too.”
Drocco froze. That was when his grandfather had died; shriveled and weak and crying for his Omega—nothing like the man he had looked up to since birth.
“So now I’m telling you,” Torin continued. “You are a leader, you run an Empire. I’m not saying you’re weak, Drocco, but you must remember that your hormones will be turbulent until you soul-bond.”
Drocco’s anger drained away. He moved away from Torin and lowered into his chair.
“The feelings are a natural aspect of being an Alpha, but I don’t think you should concern yourself with Empire business until you soul-bond,” Torin said.
Drocco snapped a look at him. “Understand that I trust and respect you, Torin, but I will not remove myself from my Empire just because I am an Alpha.”
“Even if it will be used against you?” Torin said.
“Yes,” Drocco said. “That is why you are my Commander and not an Alpha. You will keep me grounded like you always do. Let’s move on from this discussion.”
Torin exhaled harshly, moving to sit next to Drocco. “Are you seriously considering Malloron’s offer?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“I want to know my Omega.”
“You don’t believe what she tells you?” Torin asked, scratching his stubbled cheek.
Drocco thought carefully before he responded. “I do. But I don’t know if she has been brainwashed or tricked. She comes across as very knowledgeable, but there is something lacking in her knowledge of her own background and family. If the Talent is involved, I wouldn’t be surprised if it has been used on her adversely. If I am to soul-bond her, I think I should know everything about her—even the things she doesn’t know about herself.”
Torin stared at Drocco for a moment and then relaxed into a wary smile. “That is the smartest thing I have heard you say since she arrived.”
“But I don’t trust Malloron at all,” Drocco said.
Torin nodded. “No. I could speak to our Talent-crafters to see if they are able to create such a spell, but it seems it would be involved, complex, and require immense skill.”
They were both silent for a moment, in thought.
“Is there any way to assess if what he gives us is harmful?” Drocco asked.
Torin nodded. “Yes, our Talent-crafters can assess it. But I doubt he will harm your Omega. Reports suggest he has always been desperate to find the Omegas. It’s likely he wants to know what you know.”
“It could be harmful to me, then.”
Torin shot him a disbelieving look. “It’s highly doubtful. He will know he is no match for the Lox army, who will all want to avenge you until their dying breath—even more so now that you have actually found an Omega. Also, there are Lox in the Western Lands now. We have warriors in his territory.”
Drocco raised his eyebrows. H
e had ordered a troop to be sent to the Western Lands before he locked himself in with Cailyn. “They arrived safely and without detection?”
“Yes. If he tries to threaten us, they are in place to deal with him.”
Drocco nodded. It was always going to be a risk to deal with Malloron, but he had to weigh up the importance of what he was offering. Was it worth the risk? He considered Cailyn. She was worth it. “So we take his offer.”
Torin nodded slowly. “You will give him what he wants?”
“Yes, except actual warriors. It just means we will have to change our methodology.”
Torin stood. “All right. I shall see you tomorrow? I can send someone to your bedroom when the meeting time is approaching.”
“No,” Drocco said, standing with him. “My Omega needs space from me tonight. Fill me in on all that’s happened since I have been with her.”
***
The next day, Drocco paced in the meeting room while the Talent-crafters prepared the portal. He had spent the night in his office, away from Cailyn, and after spending so long buried inside her, surrounded by her scent and being able to taste her whenever he wanted, it had been difficult being separated. A foul mood gripped him, and he wanted the meeting over with so he could return to her.
Torin watched him closely, having made clear his annoyance that Drocco had put himself in a situation where his emotions were, yet again, unstable. “Why didn’t you summon a Beta female to spend the night with you?”
Drocco looked at Torin, turning to face him before answering. “There are many things we have shared and understood between us during our friendship, Torin. But I cannot make you understand how much more superior my Omega is to me than a Beta female. It cannot compare. She is exquisite. I would rather have nothing than a poor imitation.”
Torin’s face slackened in shock and for a moment he seemed speechless. He studied Drocco. “We don’t have to do this today.”
Drocco shot him a look that needed no further elaboration.
Finally, the crafters were ready. They all took their places, one of the crafters standing next to the portal to check whatever Malloron planned to give Drocco.
“Greetings Malloron,” Drocco began, when the man appeared. “May Eiros thrive and be wealthy.”
“And may the mighty Lox Empire remain eternally dominant and just,” King Malloron returned. He leaned forward. “What is your decision?”
Drocco appreciated his straight-forward approach. “I will take your deal.”
Malloron smiled.
“With some amendments,” Drocco added.
Malloron’s smile faded. “Like what?”
“Firstly, you have been dominating the ports and not allowing traders from the islands fair access. These islands are part of my Empire and their traders have priority. You will pull back.”
Malloron nodded. “I wasn’t aware of that. Of course.”
“With regards to our agreement, I will give you all the knowledge of how I created the Lox in return for your spell, but I will not send you warriors.”
Malloron nodded. “Deal.”
Drocco eyed him carefully before nodding himself. “Deal.”
Malloron stood. “In order to do this now, I’ll need to take hold of your portal. Do you permit it?”
Drocco glanced at the group of Talent-crafters behind the portal. They all nodded. “Yes,” he replied.
The portal began to glow, and then widen, change color and stretch. After a few moments, it settled back into the shimmer it had been before. “We can now pass items through the portal,” Malloron said.
Drocco nodded. He held his hand out to the Talent-crafter who handed him a bundle of parchment. “Give me your spell first,” he said to Malloron.
Malloron stood before the portal and lifted a scrap of parchment in his hand. “It’s a series of words.”
Drocco frowned. He glanced at Torin, who was already discussing it with the crafters. “I do not use the Talent, Malloron,” Drocco said. “I cannot cast a spell.”
“If you want to be the one to see her history, you have to cast it,” Malloron replied. “That is the only way. You don’t have to be skilled in order to cast it, you just have to say the words correctly in the Ancient Tongue. The spell is weaved to do the rest of the work.”
Out of the corner of his eye, Torin nodded, but Drocco remained silent. He had never thought he would ever use the Talent. Ever. His father had met his end at the hands of a Talent-crafter—in fact, their entire existence when Drocco had been younger had been difficult because of Talent-crafters. He had never once desired being involved with magic in that way.
As he stood considering it, Malloron watched him closely. “I have made it easy for a non-skilled person to cast this, Emperor. It has taken a lot of work on my part. I have hardly slept or ate since we last spoke. If you are concerned, you can have your crafters look at it thoroughly before you give me your part of the bargain.” He held out his scrap of parchment, his hand penetrating the portal.
Drocco took the parchment and gave it to Torin, who brought it to the Talent-crafters. As they stared at it, discussing quietly, Malloron stood and waited patiently.
Something about his behavior was disturbing. Drocco watched him closely, but couldn’t place the feeling. The parchment came back to him with a nod from his Talent-crafters and Drocco looked over the words.
“How do I cast this?” he asked.
“Make sure you’re looking in her eyes,” Malloron said. “And say it clear and loud. You will have to memorize it.”
Drocco nodded. He pushed his bundle of parchment through the cool silky feel of the portal. “Here is an outline of everything I did to create the Lox. I cannot guarantee it will work for you.”
Malloron nodded and took it. “Thank you. I wish you well with your casting, Drocco. I will listen for good news that you have found more Omegas. I’m pleased to consider you an ally.”
Drocco nodded. “As am I. Farewell.”
Malloron bid him farewell and closed the portal.
Torin approached him as the Talent-crafters left the room again. “That was strange.”
“I know,” Drocco said, thoughtfully.
“It was too easy—he was too amenable.”
Drocco glanced at him. “But the spell is safe?”
Torin nodded. “It seems so. The Talent-crafters say it’s a complex spell and it seems safe but they cannot see every thread of it. They wish to examine it further before you use it just in case.”
“How long will that take?”
Torin shrugged. “A week, maybe two?”
Drocco thought for a moment. “No. I want to use it immediately.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. The quicker I know more about her, the quicker I can find the other Omegas. Plus, her Haze is close. Explain this to them and tell them they have three hours to examine it further. Can I cast this even if the charms disabling the Talent are in effect?”
“Since the Talent has been disabled on the floor of your bedroom, the spell may need a charm to protect it from being disabled too. The Talent-crafters have been working on a solution for this since yesterday. They should have something.”
***
When Drocco returned to his bedroom, he was pleased to see the extent of Cailyn’s anger. The room was a mess—more so than he had imagined.
He stood by the door scouring the room for her. “Cailyn. Come here.”
There was no answer. He peered over to where her nest usually was, but it had been moved about in her frenzy.
“Don’t make me come and find you, Cailyn,” he warned.
After a long moment, a shuffling came from a corner next to the bed. Cailyn’s head appeared as she pulled herself up from a wad of blankets. She looked as though she hadn’t slept much either. Her hair was a frazzled mess and the hard look of anger was still on her face. As usual, she looked gorgeous. He stepped through the mess toward her.
“Don’t come near me,”
she snarled.
He kept going until he reached her corner, trying not to smile at how appealing she was when she was angry. He had missed her.
“Don’t!” she shouted, as he pulled her out of her nest, like he had done so many times before. “I hate you!” she spat.
He lifted her up into his arms. She tried to resist him but she couldn’t make any impact.
“I don’t want to smell her on you,” she said tightly, fighting him with everything she had.
He shook her a little in annoyance, before holding her tight against him and carrying her across the room, his cock hardening already. “You won’t smell anything.”
She stilled, her body tense. “You didn’t fuck anyone?”
“No.”
All of the tension left her body, and she slumped against him allowing him to press her to his chest. “I still hate you.”
Drocco chuckled as he cleared a space in the middle of the room. He sat her down on the floor and knelt in front of her. Grabbing her hair, he took her mouth in a hungry kiss, running his hands over her back and up the back of her neck. She kissed him back, but he could sense her resistance. He pulled away to stare into her eyes. “I don’t know when you will accept that you are my Omega or that I am your Alpha, but the state of this room confirms it, Cailyn.”
She glared at him. “You think that threatening me that you will fuck another will somehow make me agree with you?”
“I had every intention of fucking another,” Drocco lied, moving to sit before her. “Something else simply came up.”
Her gaze hardened but she didn’t say anything.
“I haven’t been minding my Empire as I should have been,” he added. “I became too busy. It does not invalidate the point that you are angry about the idea of me with another woman. Why is that?”
She remained quiet but her anger was clear, her eyes shiny and hard. In her scent, Drocco could detect again that hint of her Haze. It was approaching. If he was going to apply Malloron’s spell, it had to be now.
He settled in front of her. His Talent-crafters had created a charm for him to wear around his neck. It meant that only he could cast within the area that was blocked.
Staring into her eyes, he said, “Lelah alith sofrey adin-yan mon carrh.”