Truth be told, he still wasn’t sure what he’d do about that. The part of him that had been drawn to Phoenix—which, according to the explanation, could likely be Rachen’s absorbed soul—had been quiet since Karein had discovered Sari. Karein still felt the pull toward Phoenix, but it was more like an itch that refused to go away rather than an unbearable ache. Even so, Phoenix’s obvious pain and guilt was something that bothered him more than he’d have liked to admit. If it was true that the reason behind this whole disaster had been Rachen’s death, where did that leave them? Phoenix claimed that there could be a way to get his powers back, but the real question was what would happen after that. Karein couldn’t imagine Phoenix eagerly agreeing to restore the old world if it meant his mate dying again.
“You never mentioned what had happened to Eternelle in your world,” he said in an effort to break the silence.
“Oh,” Rachen said. “We must have overlooked it. Eternelle was rebuilt and made into a temple.”
“Somehow, that sounds fitting, and far more hopeful than what we have now,” Caelyn murmured.
It was true that the sight here looked pretty dismal. More than simple ruins, Eternelle was a tomb, one no one really visited. Perhaps that was what made it such a good meeting place. Regardless, Karein hoped that the fae weren’t planning anything. He’d brought Caelyn with him upon his consort’s insistence, and also Phoenix, who was physically vulnerable. He trusted that between himself, Hareem, and Rachen, he could handle potential attacks, but he wasn’t sure how the other two men would fare.
All these thoughts faded away into pure excitement when he felt a familiar presence nearby. His palms started to sweat, and his heart raced. This was it, the moment he’d been waiting for.
From the shadow of the ruins, a group of fae emerged. Distantly, Karein recognized Selbrian leading them, but after that, the only thing he could focus on was the man following Selbrian.
Sari was even more beautiful in reality than he’d been when Karein had seen him through the pearl. Karein had no idea how that was possible, but it was true. He shook himself, struggling to regain some of his composure. He was still the emperor of Ornoz, and Caelyn’s husband. Even if his whole life had been messed up by Phoenix, the fact remained that he needed to respect both his position and Sari’s. He couldn’t pounce Sari like an animal, even if that was what he wanted to do.
He focused on that litany, on the knowledge that if he lost control now, he risked his future at Sari’s side. But then, the two groups—Karein’s and Sari’s—reached each other, and Sari smiled at Karein, his eyes glittering with relief and need.
“Hello,” he said simply.
It was one word, such a simple word that shouldn’t have carried much meeting. It was just a greeting, perhaps too informal for a diplomatic setting, but still, nothing particularly special. And yet, when Sari spoke, those two syllables were like a physical caress on Karein’s skin. In his mind, a million images flashed, things he couldn’t quite grasp, instances when Sari had spoken to him.
“Karein,” Sari added in the present.
Just like that, Karein snapped. Before anyone could do anything about it, Karein lunged forward and grabbed Sari’s arm. Selbrian cursed and threw up a shield, but Sari pushed himself past it and landed into Karein’s arms.
Sari had made a choice, and that choice soothed Karein’s dragon. Now that he had his mate in his arms, he wanted to fully explore their reunion, to kiss Sari all over and together remember everything they had forgotten. But Sari’s presence anchored him and reminded him that he was more than a man who needed his mate. There were countless other people who were relying on him, men and women who had perhaps lost their own mates and families.
He also noticed that the fae were giving Rachen and Phoenix strange looks. Undoubtedly, they couldn’t imagine where a copy of Karein would have appeared, and why Alwyn Cyraltin would be there.
Therefore, Karein decided to get the introductions out of the way. “I’m pleased to see everyone is here,” he said. “I’d like you all to meet my twin brother, Rachen, and his mate, Phoenix. I believe you must be already familiar with my older sibling, Hareem, and my consort, Caelyn.”
Sari tensed in his arms, and Karein felt a pang of distress at the knowledge that he’d hurt the beautiful fae. Sadly, he couldn’t help it. This was their reality, and they had to face it.
His mate broke away from Karein and arranged his hair in a gesture that struck Karein as painfully familiar. Sari always did that when he was anxious or upset. To be true, Karein wasn’t exactly sure how he knew that, but he did. By rights, he’d never met Sari before—and yet, it didn’t feel like they were strangers.
In spite of Sari’s obvious discomfort, though, he wasn’t the one to address the issue. “Exactly where does my son fit in your life if you already have a consort?” a woman next to Selbrian inquired. “And I wasn’t aware you had any other brothers, not to mention one with a mate named like that.”
She looked a lot like Sari—or rather, Sari looked like her—so Karein surmised this must be Eanera Myrthylar, Sari’s mother. Also, there was something in her voice that didn’t quite ring true. She knew who Rachen and Phoenix were, at least, to a certain extent. In fact, she was eyeing Phoenix with obvious apprehension, far more than she would have shown toward the man Phoenix appeared to be.
“Maybe we should stop hiding things,” Sari said. “Karein, my mother found an item that showed us some images that seem to suggest that, at a different time, we might have experienced different interactions. The things I’ve felt appear to confirm it, but we can’t understand how something like that could be possible.”
“Judging by what you said, Emperor Shtamakarein,” Selbrian added, “you might be able to explain.”
“Perhaps,” Karein replied. “It’s really quite an outrageous tale. A few days ago, these two men, Rachen and Phoenix, appeared in Draechenburg. They claim they come from a different reality, one in which my people never took over the world, and paranormal society is mostly at peace.” He threw a glance toward Sari. “One where you and I are married and have a child on the way.”
Sari’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed, the pain and loss now emanating from him threatening to crush Karein. “And how do we fix it? How do we restore that reality?”
Karein didn’t know how to tell Sari that they hadn’t figured that out just yet, and that, for all they knew, they’d never be able to achieve that. Their only hope to do so was the same power that had once destroyed it, but Phoenix didn’t have those abilities anymore. He also had no clue how to diplomatically explain that Phoenix had been the one to make the entire thing happen, because of his mate’s death. It was probably too much to ask that no one would inquire into that.
As it turned out, he was completely correct in that regard. “I’d also like to know how it happened in the first place,” a voice suddenly said to their right. Karein turned, only to see another fae emerge from the ruins. He looked very much like Sari, at least on first glance. There was a quiet anger all around him that Sari simply didn’t have. “It seems to me that it’s awfully convenient for a messenger from this second reality to show up on Ornoz’s doorstep.”
Sari winced, while Phoenix released a soft gasp. “Prince Talrasar,” Phoenix said. “We thought you were dead.”
“You thought wrong,” the new arrival replied. “Now, I’m waiting for an answer. Why is it that our choices, our futures, and our lives were changed?”
For a few moments, no one spoke. Finally, Phoenix leaned closer to Rachen and took a deep breath. “I did it. I changed it all. I kept you and Prince Kaelezrin from sacrificing your mate bond for the good of the world. From that point on, it all snowballed, turning the present into what you know.”
Talrasar’s handsome features twisted with fury and hate. “You… You destroyed my life, and Kael’s. What right did you have to change it all?”
Before Karein even knew what was going on, Talrasar shot forward, obvi
ously aiming to attack Phoenix. However, he never got the chance. A fire bolt struck him straight in the chest, coming from Rachen. The intensity of the spell would have sent almost everyone to his or her knees, but at the last moment, Talrasar managed to throw a shield around himself and avoid most of the damage.
Meanwhile, Selbrian and the fae with him retrieved guns and pointed them straight at Rachen. Before violence could erupt any further, Sari stepped in, effectively shielding Rachen and Phoenix with his own body. “Stop, please. This isn’t the way to fix things.”
“Be reasonable, Sari,” Eanera asked. “Come here. You heard what he said. You can’t possibly be on their side in this.”
“This whole situation has gone way beyond taking sides,” Sari shot back. “We don’t even know how someone can change history, and why he would choose to do so. And if he has this power, he might be able to restore the previous reality. Right?”
Phoenix shook his head. “I can’t. To put it simply, I am not only Phoenix, but the phoenix, the same one the sprites used against the draechen in this world. Right now, there are two of me here, and that power which I once used to modify reality itself is no longer mine.”
Selbrian glowered at Phoenix angrily. “The phoenix. Of course. It all makes sense now. Get out of the way, Sari. If we destroy that creature, it will all be over. We’ll have our lives back.”
Karein had had enough. “You are acting like a fool, Lord Selbrian. What good would killing him do? If anything, he is the key to unlocking the door between our realities. Our task here is to return his powers to him.”
And then, convince him to actually change the world to what it had been before, but Karein didn’t mention that. There were some things that the fae simply didn’t need to know.
Talrasar released a bitter laugh. “You can’t be serious. This is why you met with us, to gain our assistance into giving you a weapon?”
Eanera glared at Karein. “I should have known better than to believe you truly had feelings for Sari. You just want more power and a way to defeat the sprites.”
“His Imperial Majesty wouldn’t be so dishonest,” Caelyn piped up, much to Karein’s surprise. “He wouldn’t have come here if he hadn’t wanted a truce between your nations.”
“And what would you know of honesty, sprite?” Selbrian sneered. “Your people betrayed mine. It is in the nature of sprites to lie and deceive. As for you…well, I don’t have to say that you’re not in any position to argue for loyalty.”
Karein glared at them. “I would advise you to mind your tongue, Lord Selbrian. I realize you are predisposed to hating and doubting me. However, if you disrespect Caelyn, we might as well stop talking now.”
In truth, Karein could understand how the fae felt, but he could not accept such treatment toward his official consort. It was a tricky situation. No matter what Eanera said, Sari was the one who mattered most to him. If push came to shove, he could rebuild his relationship with Sari—if his mate didn’t allow his parents’ vitriol to get between them. He wanted Sari to believe in him, and to understand that the affection he felt for Caelyn was different from the genuine mate bond between the two of them.
“Baby, do you trust me?” he asked Sari.
Sari shot him a startled look. He met Karein’s gaze and took his hand. Karein faced Sari, allowing the young fae to see everything that was in his heart and soul. He was the Emperor of Ornoz, but also a man plagued by insanity and guilt, by the need to have something he’d been denied. He was as angry as all of them, but at the same time, a part of him—the one that wasn’t truly Karein—loved Phoenix. He didn’t have a lot to offer to Sari, but his torn heart belonged to the fae, if Sari wanted it.
After what seemed like forever, Sari nodded. “I do,” he replied.
“Then believe me when I say that I don’t mean you or your people any harm. I haven’t forgotten that you have my sister captive. I have kept my word in providing you with information and offering peace. What am I to do if that is not enough? What more is asked of me?”
“We want you to surrender Phoenix in our custody,” Eanera replied in Sari’s stead.
“Additionally,” Talrasar offered, “I want to see my mate. I know you’re keeping Kael captive. That’s going to stop. Now.”
“You have no claim to Phoenix, Princess Eanera,” Karein answered, “and no reason to feel more slighted than others. You’re not the only ones who lost loved ones because of these unfortunate events. I know you don’t trust me, but I’m afraid you’re just going to have to live with that.” Turning toward Talrasar, he met the older fae’s piercing gaze. They were so much like Sari’s, and yet, so very different. “As for Prince Kaelezrin, you can see him if you come to Draechenburg. However, in his current condition, he is a danger to himself and others. I will definitely not set him free as long as that remains the case, and I must also warn you that your insistence to meet with him could put you in jeopardy as well.”
“And if I get him to snap out of it?” Talrasar inquired. “Will you allow it then, even it means there will be another black dragon around to challenge your authority?”
Karein just smiled. A few days ago, just the suggestion would have pissed him off. However, now, his priorities had changed. “I will act in whatever way is best for the people I care about,” he replied. “But I highly doubt that, should your mate recover, he will feel the pressing need to become emperor. Believe me, it’s not always a good position to be in.”
Talrasar didn’t answer, but judging by his still-angry expression, he wasn’t convinced. Surprisingly, it was Phoenix who spoke next. “If I may,” he said, “you said you had an item that helped you figure out something was wrong.”
“A feather,” Sari replied. “One of your feathers.”
Phoenix’s eyes widened. “How could this be? How did it endure?”
He obviously realized what Sari was referring to, which was strange to say the least. It seemed like another of those details that had gotten overlooked. Apparently, Phoenix and Rachen hadn’t been quite as thorough in their reports as Karein would have liked.
“You know where it came from?” Sari asked.
Phoenix nodded. “I gifted it to High Priestess Eanera Myrthylar in our reality, as a sign of goodwill. It’s a longer story, which I’m sure your mother is well aware of. But I can’t imagine how it reached your hands, if history has indeed changed.”
“It’s not so hard,” Eanera said, much to Karein’s surprise. “If we take what you say to be true, your power clearly allowed you and your mate to endure—outside time, as it were. The feather was at one point, a part of you, so it must have suffered the same fate.”
“But then, shouldn’t its power have faded, too, when Phoenix’s abilities disappeared?” Sari inquired.
“Not necessarily,” Phoenix replied. “It could have survived independently of me. You must understand, my powers didn’t vanish altogether. They just got transferred into another vessel.” He eyed Eanera with something akin to admiration. “You’ve given this a lot of thought.”
“I have,” Eanera admitted, “and I know what you did to me. I’m more aware than anyone here as to just how dangerous you are. But… perhaps Emperor Shtamakarein is correct. As much as I am loathe to admit it, trusting you could be our only chance to take back what we’ve lost.”
Eanera’s unexpected support gave Karein the opening he needed to cut into the fae’s advantage. “Then I request you return my sister to me. We can’t begin negotiations with that still between us.”
Selbrian and Eanera shared a look. “Please, Mother, Father,” Sari begged. “We have to try. Didn’t we talk about this already?”
“It’s not just our decision to make,” Selbrian replied. “You are well aware of that, Sari.”
“Who else do I have to convince then?” Karein was getting tired of these games. He remained more than aware of Caelyn’s enduring presence by his side, and the sprite’s discomfort bothered him. He needed to talk to Sari and Caelyn in
private, and to clear the air between them. He couldn’t do that as long as Sari’s parents stubbornly clung to this unbearable situation.
“We have various allies that provide their input,” Sari explained. Karein noted his mate’s vagueness, and it hurt him a little, but he also respected Sari’s need for secrecy and decided not to pry.
“So why didn’t they come, too?” Karein asked. “It’s not like this is a private meeting.”
No one answered, and Karein surmised that these mysterious allies were somewhere close, likely readying their forces to attack Karein if need be. Taking that into account, Karein decided it was time to go. “Very well then. I’m going to extend an invitation for you, and them, to come to Draechenburg. We will be returning there. After all, I did promise Prince Talrasar that he can see his mate. Sari will be, of course, coming with me.”
The latter words were said as a statement, but they were also a question addressed to Sari himself. Karein wouldn’t force his mate to join him if Sari didn’t want to. However, after waiting for what seemed like an entire lifetime, just the thought of separating again was like a dagger to his chest.
Eanera opened her mouth, obviously intending to protest. Sari spoke out before she could do so. “Yes,” he said. “I will.”
Sari’s mother gritted her teeth and glared at Karein. He had the urge to smirk back, but he kept himself from doing so, because he knew that her behavior was due to her affection toward her son. He couldn’t begrudge her that, not when his own heart beat for Sari alone.
“I want to come, too,” Eanera blurted out. “I won’t abandon my son into your clutches.”
Hyacinth, Scarlet - From the Ashes [Chronicles of the Shifter Directive 7] (Siren Publishing Epic Romance, ManLove) Page 16