Page 24 of The Missing Sentinel
“Have no fear, I do not expect you to compliment me on my clothes. I know sentinel gray offends you and Adney.”
“You cling to a past that defines you as a mindless killer.”
Something undefinable flashed in Ducarius’s eyes, then his expression went blank. “Every person is a product of what they have endured. I am no different from anyone else. Myclothing is comfortable and suits my purposes. It is favored by my people and sets us apart from other races. We were allowed to join the Council and call ourselves the Sentinel Brotherhood. We are proud of the fact that we have much in common, including our preferred shade of gray and love of training.”
“I did not intend to offend you. I have spent the past five centuries studying and molding myself into a gentleman that a necromancer can be proud to know. If you dedicated yourself to the same, you might find that you can rise above the spell that once held me back.”
“The last thing I wish to do is fight with you, so I suggest we set aside our differences about sentinels. We are individuals and can define happiness however we want. I am glad that you are content. I am too, just in a different way.”
Drexley smiled. “I am not argumentative by nature and prefer peace. You are right to suggest we avoid discussing our vastly dissimilar paths.”
“Excellent. Now, get the damn books and be quiet so I can read them.”
Amused at the order, Drexley finished his excursion to the bookshelf and plucked the two tomes from their resting spot. He handed them to Ducarius with a smile. “I will have to find another book to entertain myself.”
“It is a big library. I am sure you can find something,” Ducarius remarked as he settled into his chair and flipped open the book he had started the previous night. Drexley noted that he was over halfway through it already. Hoping Ducarius loved the saga as much as he did, Drexley stalked off to find something to interest him so he would not distract the other sentinel. It was far too easy to imagine spending many hours sitting alongside Ducarius in Adney’s library.
But it would not last forever, and Drexley was afraid that Adney’s end was far too close. His heart broke anew atthe thought of a world beyond Adney’s realm and without the necromancer to guide him. Drexley blew out a breath and decided he had no choice but to count on Fate to help him through this chapter of his life.
Drexley also thought back to Ducarius’s vow to be there for him if he wanted. It was a tempting offer to lean on him and build a friendship. One Drexley did not want to refuse. He could not be sure if he was up to being someone’s mate. Adney had taught Drexley nothing about matebonds or what was expected of a partner.
But perhaps that was something Drexley could learn alongside Ducarius as they grew closer. Was Ducarius interested in the matebond Fate had created, or was he thinking in terms of friendship alone? Drexley knew Adney disapproved of anything developing between him and Ducarius. The necromancer did not trust Ducarius and cursed Fate for her decision to strip sorcerers of their magic as they neared death.
Were it not for Adney’s fading sorcery, Ducarius would not be in their guest room. While Drexley generally praised anything related to spellcasting, he was pleased to have Ducarius in Adney’s realm. Ducarius was deeply entrenched in the idea of being a dagger-wielding assassin, but Drexley appreciated his kindness and hints of humor, and wanted to learn more about him.
It was a tiny growing light in Drexley’s precarious world, where sadness and a macabre sense of dread dominated his existence.
Opting to grab one of the romances Adney had revealed he’d collected in his youth, Drexley took a seat opposite Ducarius to read it. The story was one Drexley had appreciated in the past, but this time he planned to pay closer attention to the interactions of the featured couple. Perhaps he could gleansome helpful hints about what made romance and matebonds successful.
If Drexley were lucky, that kind of education could play a part in his own life in the coming months and years. Or Adney was right, and Fate had erred in dragging Ducarius to the realm. For once, Drexley hoped Adney had made a rare error in judgement. Drexley had no clue if he could be anyone’s mate, let alone a partner to Ducarius, but Fate did not offer second chances. It was either make this matebond work or settle for a lonely eternity.
That thought was so unsettling, Drexley closed his book and decided a walk to clear his head would suit him. So would a few tears.
Chapter 12
Ebirlloba, the realm of the dead
It wasn’t easy to sneak into Death’s castle thanks to their annoying sisters Mayhem and Chaos haunting the place, but Fate had developed a few tricks in the weeks since their arrival. Instead of walking through the lovely gothic home Death had created many millennia ago, Fate teleported directly to the room where she spent most of her time. Often, she was in the company of the women who’d grown into dear friends. However, today, Fate found the space deserted.
Being alone suited Fate. As usual, there was plenty on her mind. Each day, populations grew, and expansion meant more people ready to fall in love. On places like Earth, the vast planet made it difficult to find people with enough in common to unite and simultaneously ensure they lived close enough that they would meet someday. In other realms, the places were often so small that Fate could easily pluck two people that would suit into her mind and make an immediate match. It was why other realms had a higher rate of successful matebonds than on Earth.
Setting aside the problems plaguing her, Fate focused on what made her happiest, and that was successful matebonds. Today, her plan was to find someone for a resurrected being andcheck in on a tiny realm to discover if a long-ago match was finally blossoming.
An enormous viewing screen dominated one wall of the room, which was overflowing with a strange mixture of furniture. Each chair or sofa represented the goddess who’d created it, and Fate liked the eclectic mixture of deep black, shiny silver, and soft white. She chose to ignore the utilitarian pieces crafted by Courage and Justice.Those two really need to discover life beyond the lists, she thought with a roll of her eyes.
Of course, their determination was proving useful as they continued their hunt for their missing murderous sister Folly, and Fate knew that one day the horrible bitch would pay for her every crime. But Fate could not allow Folly to dominate her mind. She had far too many people counting on her to get distracted.
With a wave of her hand, Fate brought the Daray condo onto the large screen, and a happy sigh escaped her. The lovely Daray men were a tight family, and Fate adored any excuse to peek in on the many happy couples under their roof. But unfortunately, there was a pall over the Darays. Fate wished she had the power to reassure them that Ducarius would be fine.
However, most of the Darays were resurrected, which meant only Death had the power to send any calming waves to them. It would take little persuasion to entice Death to do so, but Fate knew her sisters too well. Death and their other closest friends would lecture Fate on her duties and complain about the tiny realm where Ducarius and Drexley were currently trapped.
It was not her fault Adney was one of the many asshole necromancers. Fate truthfully had little use for the man despite his insistence on teaching Drexley to follow her unconditionally. Adney was so full of himself that he easily believed his own lies. And poor Drexley had no clue that the manipulative Adney had been draining his memories since his arrival.
That was why Drexley did not recall his feelings of unease in the first century of his life in the small realm. Or the untruths he’d detected as Adney told the story of his life. The reality was that the necromancer had shunned her gifts. Adney had met his mate in his youth. But the woman had had little sorcery at her disposal, and her family lacked the political power of the Blackwells.
To please his father, Adney had pursued his matebond. But the rat had done nothing to aid his poor mate as she’d suffered through childbirth. All Adney cared about was the son she’d birthed. Adney had paraded the boy to his father and ordered his staff to pack his mate’s belongings. The next morning, she was whisked out of the castle, and Adney had crafted his realm to ensure he always had an escape from her.
Despite the many centuries that had passed since Adney had abandoned her, she remained obsessed with the awful man. It amused Fate to think of the two being reunited soon in Death’s realm after Adney died, since mated sorcerers died together. Death would not tolerate the woman being misused, but she never separated mates.
