Page 28 of The Missing Sentinel
“No, and I am grateful for that. I believe I will enjoy having you as a friend.”
Feeling bold, Ducarius winked. “Perhaps a friend you may want to kiss someday.”
Drexley’s smile was sly. “I have already envisioned my lips against yours.”
“Imagine how I will feel tomorrow when I wake and must dress in your clothes. I have dreamed of peeling yours off, not climbing into them myself.”
“Maybe you should learn a lesson for your future and always keep an extra change of clothes with you for those rare occasions when you fall into someone else’s realm.”
Ducarius chuckled. “I was rather hoping this wholefalling into a random necromancer realmthing was a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence. One orchestrated by Fate so I could meet you.”
“Do you think Fate takes such a personal interest in each of us she would go to that length?”
“I have no idea, but it is pleasant to hope she has the time and desire to aid us in finding happiness with the right person.”
“Ducarius?”
“Yes, Drexley?”
“I hope you are the right person for me,” Drexley replied, his voice barely above a whisper.
“I feel the same way. We can be brave together to discover if Fate was right.”
“From what I have read in the romance novels of Adney’s youth, teamwork appears to be an important aspect of a successful relationship.”
“I want to read these romances.”
“We should get your clothing situation sorted, then I will force more wonderful stories on you.”
Once again, Ducarius could not fight his smile as his eyes met Drexley’s. “I am growing addicted to everything you offer me.”
“The future is horribly frightening, but you have become a beacon of light. I believe I will embrace your idea of believing Fate brought you here for me, knowing that I could use some happiness. I never imagined I would have a mate, and I am ignorant of my duties, but I want to learn. I want to discover whether I can be a good mate to you.”
“You are a scholar; you will study and adapt. I believe in you, and my eagerness to be at your side grows with every hour.”
“We are doing well thus far,” Drexley said.
Ducarius nodded, and his heart soared. “Absolutely.”
Chapter 14
Although Drexley had been taught that gentlemen wore robes, it was odd to see Ducarius garbed in them. Drexley wasn’t sure why. Maybe it was because Drexley had grown accustomed to Ducarius in his gray uniform. Or maybe it had more to do with the fact that Ducarius was wearing them because he had no alternative and not by choice.
It should have saddened Drexley that Ducarius refused to adapt and had his weapons floating at his sides despite his attire. Adney had taught Drexley how to behave, and it was the proper way to carry oneself in society even if that custom belonged to a tiny realm. As Drexley sat in the library with Ducarius nearby with his nose in a book, he concentrated on his feelings.
Because something was bothering Drexley beyond his dread of Adney’s demise and the future he did not want to face. Drexley bit his lip and kept his head bent to appear as if he were deeply engrossed in the story he’d professed to want to read as he scrutinized his heart and mind.
Anxiety plagued him, but that was nothing new. Everything was about to change, whether he wanted to admit it or not. On the plus side, Drexley had a new person in his life. Ducarius was already a friend, and it had been easy to acknowledge the attraction between them. What would a kissfeel like? Why were there not any damn books in the library that spoke in detail about two male lovers?
Drexley had figured out the basics from the few tomes discussing matebonds, but he needed more information. As a scholar, he did not want to approach anything without facts, and Drexley also hated the thought of disappointing Ducarius when they reached the point of pressing their mouths together.
Adney would be horrified to know Drexley was eager to experience everything, including physical pleasure, with Ducarius. However, Drexley could not allow that to sway him. Fate had brought Ducarius into his life, and Drexley would not refute the goddess. Thanks to Fate, Drexley had been paired with a necromancer who’d made it his mission to educate him. Adney had also housed him, put food in his belly, and filled his trunk with clothing.
Things could have been vastly different, and Drexley could have been ordered to murder, as Ducarius had. The thought of Ducarius being forced to use his daggers to end a life without his consent infuriated Drexley. Rage like nothing Drexley had experienced before had filled him as he’d learned the tidbits of Ducarius’s life he had shared.
Drexley blew out a breath and calmed himself with happy thoughts of being with Ducarius to calm the anger flooding him anew. Evil was a force that existed everywhere, and Drexley hated that it had touched Ducarius. But none of that explained why Drexley was uncomfortable with the other sentinel wearing something besides his gray uniform.
Probing his feelings was not easy. There was a great deal Drexley did not want to face until he had no choice. Thankfully, the matebond Fate had granted him was not one of those things Drexley would willingly ignore despite his necromancer’s objections. So, Drexley focused intently on everything inside him relating to Ducarius.
