“And so I shall,” Rachen promised. “But we need to give you a little time. You were seriously injured, baby. I thought you were going to die. I won’t risk you again.”
Thankfully, Phoenix didn’t try to protest. Instead, he just buried his face in Rachen’s shirt. He was exhausted, both physically and emotionally. They were likely better off alone without Karein and Hareem involving them in any conversation. Phoenix needed to rest after his ordeal.
Rachen maneuvered them on the bed, guiding Phoenix to lie down. As his mate did exactly that, Rachen fit his body around Phoenix’s. Just like before, Phoenix cuddled close to his chest. His breath evened out, and slowly, he fell asleep. Rachen remained awake, still holding Phoenix tightly, half fearing that if he even shut his eyes, his mate would be gone.
Oddly, focusing on the disaster in this world had helped distract him from what had nearly happened, but now, he was more aware than ever of the high chances he had of losing Phoenix. He wondered exactly how the absence of his abilities would affect his mate in the long run. Would there be any other consequences, besides the obvious ones? Rachen could still remember what had happened to Eanera when her magic had disappeared, and he dreaded the idea of seeing the process repeat itself in Phoenix. So far, Phoenix didn’t seem to be aging, but it was too soon to be sure it wouldn’t happen. And if it did, Rachen would be helpless to stop it.
There was only one way to fix things, and that implied changing this world back to the previous one. But even if Phoenix had his powers, he would never agree, because it would mean Rachen’s death.
Rachen held onto his lover tighter, anger coursing through him. It was so unfair. He’d only ever wanted a tiny spark of happiness. He hadn’t craved power or world domination. He’d just ached for the freedom to be himself, to have an identity that wasn’t defined by Karein. And then, he’d wished to marry the man he was desperately in love with. Was that so much to ask?
Phoenix stirred in his arms, releasing a soft whimper. “Rachen,” he whispered. “Don’t go. Don’t leave me.”
Rachen’s heart clenched. How could he even approach Phoenix and tell him to restore their previous world? Rachen wasn’t afraid of dying, but the suffering he would cause his mate was simply unbearable.
He shoved those thoughts aside, deciding that there was no point considering it just yet. Phoenix didn’t even have his powers. As long as that was the case, he couldn’t fix history. They just had to take things gradually and figure out where they went from here. Remaining in the Draechenburg dungeons was simply unacceptable.
As if triggered by this thought, the door burst open. Phoenix startled awake just as Karein and Hareem stalked into the room. The scene was eerily familiar to the earlier one, so much so that Rachen could help but position himself protectively in front of Phoenix.
Karein didn’t seem to care about Rachen’s attitude. “You kept something from me,” he said, “or rather, a lot of things. I want you to tell me the full truth. Don’t leave aside any detail of this reality you supposedly belong to.”
Rachen frowned. “I thought you didn’t believe us.”
“Just speak,” Karein said, “and be thankful that I’ve given you another chance.”
“Tell him, Rachen,” Phoenix whispered through their bond. “It’s not like we have any way to go back now.”
He was right, but Rachen had no clue exactly what Karein expected to hear. To describe a whole world wasn’t something that could be done in a handful of phrases. He resolved on clarifying the issues that undoubtedly mattered most to Karein. “You were the General of the Chrysalidian Wyverns. At that time, our parents led Ornoz and they arranged your marriage with Sari in the hopes of getting him to reveal secrets that would give Ornoz a reason to attack Ivenia. It didn’t work out that way, because Sari was your mate. In the end, Sari fell pregnant with your child. He was accused of cheating on you—due to your problem with conceiving—but was saved by one of your underlings, Sagenamadeen Zager.”
Even as he spoke, it occurred to him that he still hadn’t figured out what had happened to Sage Zager. He paused briefly, wondering if he should go on with his story or just ask. As it turned out, Karein seemed to guess his thoughts. “Sage disappeared in action a few years ago, during a battle with the naga,” he explained. “He always was very loyal to Ornoz. We believe him to have died in the hands of the chimeras.”
Dead. Sage was dead, too? Crap. Rachen swallowed around the sudden knot in his throat, taking hold of his mate’s now cold hand. Taking a deep breath, he continued from where he’d left off. “After that, you got so angry because of our parents’ attack on Sari that you dethroned them. As the older brother, Hareem took the throne.” Turning toward the other draechen, he added, “You were in a precarious position because of your mate bond with a werewolf. Eventually, you found the solution and changed the political system, like I believe I said earlier. Taryn gave birth to a baby boy and you named him Galynek.”
Rachen wasn’t sure what reactions the two men would have to all that. The reason why he’d kept the existence of Karein’s baby from him was because he’d known Karein was likely to react in the same way Hareem had. However, much to his surprise, Karein didn’t so much as blink. Instead, he tilted his head inquiringly and asked, “What about Caelyn? I gather the two of us weren’t married?”
“You were supposed to,” Rachen answered, “but it fell through when Caelyn met his mate, Graham. Graham is also a werewolf. There were some issues because of that, but in the end, they got it right, too.”
“I see,” Karein said, sounding thoughtful. “It does seem like there are a lot of details that you neglected mentioning. I expect a written report of everything. But in the meantime, I’ll go to the matter that now interests me most. If all this was so perfect and all the problems were solved, why did you change history in the first place? Why did you destroy what we all had?”
Phoenix’s body went rigid. Rachen hugged his mate close once more, uncaring as to what his brothers thought or wanted. This was so fucked up. He wished it had been only an odd, twisted nightmare, but he knew better than to believe that.
He couldn’t ask Phoenix to explain, so he was the one to answer. “Because I died,” he said. “I died to destroy our worst enemy, the Ancient Horror.”
If he had to guess, Phoenix hadn’t changed history as far as the Ancient Horror’s original existence was concerned. Then again, treatment toward black dragons seemed very different from what Rachen was used to, so he could be wrong in that regard, too.
That suspicion was confirmed moments later when Hareem repeated, “The Ancient Horror?”
“The first black dragon,” Rachen explained impatiently. He should have realized their assessment of the Ancient Horror was different. In the end, history was largely about the interpretation of people, and if Ornoz’s attitude toward black dragons in general had changed, so would the way they acknowledged the Ancient Horror.
“Ah,” Karein said. “We don’t call Emperor Sandorek that way. It seems…impolite.”
Sandorek. So that was the Ancient Horror’s name. It seemed strange that it had been lost in real history, but had endured in this one. Perhaps this was another sign of how fucked up the entire world had become.
“Impolite?” Phoenix exploded. “He tried to drain my magic. He murdered countless shifters. He killed Rachen! And you think it’s impolite to call him a horror?”
“By those same standards, the phoenix would be a horror, too, isn’t that right?” Hareem asked icily. “Or do you hold yourself exempt from the crimes you committed?”
Phoenix’s breath caught, and Rachen growled at his brother, ready to jump to his mate’s defense. But then, Phoenix’s hand landed on his shoulder, squeezing it gently.
“No,” he said calmly. “I accept the responsibility for my actions. I hate seeing everything that has been lost, but I think that I’d do it all over again if it was necessary. Rachen is more important to me than you—than the world itself.”
“I can understand that,” Karein said. “I will no longer point fingers, but neither will I accept my loss. Princess Akarawem, our sister, was just kidnapped by the Myrthylar.”
The non sequitur surprised Rachen, and he couldn’t hide his shock. “Kidnapped? What? How?”
“Perhaps kidnapped isn’t the best word. She was taken prisoner during a skirmish. Either way, this gives us an unlikely opening to fix what you broke. You will help me regain my mate.”
“I want to,” Phoenix answered, “but I’m not sure what I can do. I’ve lost my magic.”
Rachen could feel his mate’s frustration with his inability to do anything about the situation. Phoenix had been deeply hurt by the knowledge of what had happened to Princes Kaelezrin and Talrasar, as well as the other members of their family. And now that Karein had turned to them for help, Phoenix still couldn’t assist him.
“Is there no way to get your power back?” Hareem inquired.
Phoenix released a heavy sigh and leaned closer against Rachen. As he held Phoenix, Rachen wondered now if that possibility existed. Phoenix might not admit it, but the absence of the energies he’d been bonded with hurt him.
As Rachen thought this, a shiver went through Phoenix. “Perhaps…perhaps there is.”
Chapter Seven
When Sari opened his eyes, the first thing he registered was the sound of angry voices.
“How could you do this, Eanera? Surely you must have realized what a bad idea it was. You know how dangerous that process can be.”
“Yes, I do know, but I still think and hope I made the right choice. Sari deserved to be made aware of it.”
“He can’t handle it. He’s far too young to even understand it.”
The conversation was held in quiet murmurs, but Sari could still distinguish the identity of the two speakers. His mother and King Amarion. What were they talking about? What had happened?
Sari experimentally tried to move around, only to hiss when a strange pain struck him, emanating from his hand and his chest. Memories struck him, intoxicating, shocking, and powerful. He remembered it all now, the phoenix feather, the strange visions, and then, connecting with Karein.
It had been so very strange and unexpected. For a few moments, their minds and souls had touched. It had struck Sari as intensely familiar, while still alien to him. And when the link had faded, he’d felt like he’d had a limb torn out.
He hadn’t been able to endure the pain and had lost his consciousness. But now that he’d recovered, he had a lot of questions to ask.
He started to get up, fully planning to intervene in his mother’s conversation with the king. They weren’t in the room with him, so they likely couldn’t tell that he’d awoken. Well, he’d just have to let them know and demand some explanations. He realized it was probably rude, but like his mother had said, he deserved to know.
Before he could proceed with his plan, the king’s stern voice froze him in his tracks.
“I forbid you from involving Sari in this any further, Eanera. This insanity has to stop. You know as well as I do that the phoenix is a dangerous, volatile being. You know what happened to the sprites when they tried to use that thing. The power of its feather is just as hard to control.”
Something in that tone kept Sari from leaving the room. As a rule, he didn’t like eavesdropping, but now, he felt like he needed to hear what his mother and his king truly thought about the situation.
“I understand that, Your Majesty,” Eanera was now saying, “and I have no intentions to show it to Sari again. However, I still trust that my son can handle what he saw. It was a shock, of course, but I believe in Sari’s ability to adapt and in his strength.”
“I do, too,” the king replied. “Otherwise, I never would have allowed him to become a warrior. However, I know very well what those visions showed him, and I realize that should he actually be inclined to believe them, it could become a problem.”
“Because Sari is the draechen emperor’s mate,” Eanera said. “I know. It’s why I withheld it from him in the first place. But what if it’s all true? What if by trying to protect Sari, I’m taking something precious from him?”
“I don’t think you understand what I meant, Eanera,” the king answered. “He knows now. We’ll see how he handles it. But under no circumstances will he be allowed to pursue it. The phoenix feather might belong to you, but I am still king, and I will not have Sari ruin his life by pursuing illusions. You shall go to see to the matter of Princess Akarawem. Sari will stay here with me.”
Sari had been away from his parents before, but the way Amarion phrased the command made him uneasy. “Your Majesty,” Eanera said, “Sari needs me. I couldn’t possibly leave him.”
“He needs reassurance now, and he can’t have that with you. I love you dearly, Eanera, but this time you made a mistake, and now, I have to fix it. I will never allow Sari to belong to a draechen. Never.”
Frustrated anger invaded Sari. Ignoring the enduring stiffness in his limbs, he finally left the bed and stalked out of the room. His mother and his king both stared at him as he entered the adjoining chamber.
“With all due respect, Your Majesty, I think that I should have the right to make my own decisions with regard to my mating. I know what I saw, and I think it’s important to investigate.”
“Investigate?” the king repeated. “And how do you propose we do that?”
“I don’t know just yet,” Sari admitted. “I realize this is a delicate situation. Even so, I feel that we can find a solution of compromise. I think that my mate is not the crazed, absurd monster which we believed him to be.”
“And how exactly would you know that?”
Amarion’s voice was not unkind, more like compassionate. Sari resented it, because he knew that with the compassion came distrust and derision. As such, he didn’t tell the king about what he’d seen. Instead, he explained, “I know it sounds a little crazy, but when I touched that feather, I truly felt things could be different. Isn’t the possibility of peace worth taking a chance?”
“Peace with Ornoz?” The king shook his head sadly and turned toward Sari’s mother. “See, Eanera? What did I tell you? I knew it would affect him like this.”
“Coming into contact with the feather was an eye-opening experience.” Sari defended himself, knowing he was speaking out of turn, but unable to keep himself from it. “I truly do think that the events I saw were genuine.”
“And how do you explain them?” the king asked. “Did they happen in the future? In the past? It doesn’t work that way, Sari. Some of the things your mother has shared with me are simply impossible.”
“So now what?” Sari asked. “How did you expect me to react to this?”
The question was addressed to his mother, since she’d been the one to thrust him into this confusing situation in the first place. Eanera hesitated, though, and the king replied in her stead, “You’ll stay here and recover. Soon, you’ll get a clearer picture of everything.”
“I see,” Sari said. “You’re still convinced of that. Very well. I cannot refuse your command. But I also won’t change my mind in this.”
“Prince Sareltae Myrthylar, you are being disrespectful toward your king,” Amarion said, now sounding very formal. “You will do as you are told. You have no other options.”
Sari gritted his teeth, knowing all too well that Amarion was right. “Your Majesty,” Eanera said softly, “Sari is tired. Allow me to stay with him for a while longer. I beg of you.”
“Very well,” Amarion said with a sigh. “I suppose that, at this point, separating you would be counterproductive. I’m leaving Sari in your care, Eanera, but I will be watching you closely.”
Without giving Sari the chance to say anything else, the king left the room. Instantly, Sari turned toward Eanera. “Mother, what is this?” he asked. “If you wanted to keep me trapped here, why did you give me the chance to see the truth in the first place?”
“Come,” Eaner
a said. “Sit with me. You’re still weak, and I don’t want you to relapse.”
That wasn’t in any way an answer, but Sari complied. He didn’t feel tired, but he couldn’t deny he was still in pain. And so, he allowed his mother to lead him back into the room. As he lay on the bed, his mother sat by his side and petted his hair.
“Sari, when I touch the feather, I see all sorts of things, some painful, some beautiful,” she said. “I was given visions of your father married to a woman named Onyerre Fennetter and you having three siblings from that union.”
“Who is Onyerre Fennetter?” Sari asked, completely puzzled. “And why would Father mate someone else? He loves you.”
“Why indeed?” Eanera sighed. “Very few things make sense, Sari. The Fennetter family was wiped out in the battle of Eternelle. Onyerre Fennetter doesn’t exist, so by rights, that vision is an illusion that has no chance of ever coming true.”
Sari’s heart fell. His mother had no reason to lie to him. “Does that mean that what I saw was fake, too?” he asked.
“I don’t know,” Eanera admitted. “The truth is, Sari, that in some respects, my heart tells me that there is truth in those visions. But I can’t quite grasp it. It’s like I’ve forgotten something, and for the life of me, I can’t remember. I can’t even remember how I even got the feather. It was just always there, but I don’t recall where it came from.”
There was something in his mother’s voice that told Sari she wasn’t being entirely truthful. “But you have a clue, don’t you?” he asked.
“I got a vision…” Eanera shook her head, as if to dispel her own thoughts. “But that’s just it. It wasn’t real, any of it. How could I have an item given to me in one of those visions if I don’t remember those events happening? I didn’t want to thrust you into this, but I had hoped that you could give me some insight. I was selfish, Sari. You have no idea how sorry I am.”
Hyacinth, Scarlet - From the Ashes [Chronicles of the Shifter Directive 7] (Siren Publishing Epic Romance, ManLove) Page 11