Page 19 of The Missing Sentinel
“You were tied to the souls of necromancers, so naturally you would share our leaders,” Adney retorted dismissively.
“If I ascribed to that logic, which I do not since we are separate races, we have not been tied to necromancers in many years. We have a leader of our own for obvious reasons,” Ducarius said.
“You are far too headstrong and sure of yourself for someone resurrected,” Adney stated firmly with a fierce scowl marring his features.
“It was your current Arch Lich who encouraged me to be myself no matter the consequences or the company I find myself in,” Ducarius replied. It hadn’t been his initial intention to hide his connection to the rest of the Darays, but since Adney wouldn’t believe him, even if admitted to his title and beloved family, Ducarius decided it was his business.
Drexley’s pretty brown gaze widened incredulously. “You have spoken with Arch Lich Daray?”
“Yes,” Ducarius confirmed as a wave of longing for the company of Chander and the rest of the Daray family rushed through him. Were it not for the fact that Ducarius’s mate was sitting in the room, he’d be inconsolable without his loved ones. “The Arch Lich is an incredible man and represents the very best of his people. Fate made no mistake choosing him to rule.”
“While I cannot bring myself to fully trust the idea of you speaking with my Arch Lich directly, it is good to hear that the promise the elders saw in him has been realized,” Adney remarked. “When I left for this realm, the Arch Lich relied heavily on the elders to guide him.”
It was likely wrong to continue to antagonize Adney, but Ducarius could not sit and allow Chander to go undefended. Not only was he a beloved family member, but Ducarius mused that Alaric would likely kill him.
“Your Arch Lich never needed the people who appointed themselves elders,” Ducarius stated. “Except for Sigimund, who was probably the worst of the lot, every one of those elders was voted out by necromancers because they were terrible at their jobs. Sigimund missed out on that disgrace because Arch Lich Daray was found by Hubert, and he seized the opportunity to manipulate the Order of Necromancia to satisfy his own ego.”
“Elder Sigimund did not ask for the duty of asserting control of the Order of Necromancia while young Chander drank and whored,” Adney snapped.
“Arch Lich Daray’s youthful antics were exaggerated, and the details of his evenings were relayed to Sigimund because he paid Chander’s best friend to tell him everything,” Ducarius argued.
Leaning heavily on his cane, Adney rose and frowned severely at Ducarius. “I do not wish to sit here any longer and listen to you disparage a man far more accomplished than you could ever hope to be despite your immortality. No sentinel will ever be as respected as someone like Elder Sigimund. I am going to retire for the night. I suggest you do the same, Drexley.”
Since Ducarius was aware he had been enjoying setting Adney straight about his own people, he offered no comment as Adney left the library. He wasn’t there to make friends with the necromancer. His goal was to pursue his mate—the beautiful man staring at him with a mixture of apprehension and curiosity on his handsome face.
“I apologize for annoying Adney,” Ducarius said. “But I cannot stand to listen to anyone speaking poorly of Chander.”
“Arch Lich. You probably should not call him by his first name.”
Unwilling to explain his family further since Ducarius wasn’t convinced Drexley believed anything he was saying yet, he nodded but could not fight his smile. Chander would havebeen rolling his eyes so hard if he had heard such a comment. “Yes, of course you are right. Arch Lich is a title he has earned, and I should not strip it from him. That was already done to him once, and his mate was robbed of any vengeance. I would not want him to take it out on me.”
“What?” Drexley asked, shock making his mouth go slack.
“The delightful Sigimund and the other elders were awful people, but that's another tale for the future perhaps,” Ducarius replied.
“I apologize, I did not take you for a scholar, but you must be to know so much about the world.”
“Although I find books enjoyable, I do not consider myself a scholar, though it is a fine thing to be. I pay attention to the world around me, and sometimes I cannot avoid learning things, even when they piss me off.”
Drexley nodded thoughtfully. “I understand. There are books in here that have taught me things that have angered me. Not every moment in history is good.”
“No, and you have missed five centuries. A great deal has happened. But one of the best things is the massive library built by the Spectra Wizardry. That is a group of wizards that did not want to follow Arch Wizard Egidius. They created a space so large that it makes this one appear tiny in comparison. I say that not to disparage Adney’s collection, but hopefully to give you some idea about the scale of knowledge waiting for you there.”
“I have read nothing positive about Arch Wizard Egidius despite him being picked by Fate. It is good to know some wizards were brave enough to reject him, and you have given me something to look forward to outside Adney’s realm. I love books.”
“Tell me about your favorite book.”
Drexley laughed. “One? You want me to narrow my favorites down to a single one? The first thing you must learnabout me is that I love many books, and I have multiple favorites. In fact, the list is so long it is often difficult to find one I dislike.”
Smiling at the happiness emanating from Drexley, Ducarius smiled. “Then pick one of your favorites at random and tell me everything you love about it.”
Setting aside the tome on his lap, Drexley rose and motioned at Ducarius to follow. “Come with me; perhaps I can inspire you to read it with my praise of it.”
Willing to go wherever Drexley led, Ducarius eagerly left his chair and listened attentively as the other sentinel excitedly told him about a tale full of magic and fantasy. Ducarius hoped someday he could make Drexley glow about him in the same way he did about one of his favorite stories.
Chapter 10
With a spring in his step, Drexley rushed out of his bedchamber to have his morning meal. Although the skeletons did a good job of recreating the recipes designed by the housekeeper Adney had given his fortune and home to, it wasn’t the food driving Drexley. It was the other sentinel in Adney’s castle.
