Page 11 of The Missing Sentinel
After a restless night in a bedroom small enough that it made his former cell at the compound seem roomy, Ducarius stalked out into the hallway and closed his eyes. He preferred to be prepared in every situation, so the moment the castle had quieted the previous night, he’d trekked through every floor to memorize the layout.
The necromancer creeping closer to death had an expansive suite that took up an entire floor. Barring the multi-story library, no other space was as large. Ducarius could not blame the man for preferring comfort; he already missed the large bed waiting for him at home. That thought had a mixture of longing and guilt burrowing into Ducarius. If he’d known that he’d be taking a one-way trip to another realm for an indeterminate time, Ducarius would have sent a message to his family.
They had to be worried, and Ducarius hated that any of them would waste a single resource searching for him. But there was nothing Ducarius could do about it. And he didn’t regret his decision. While Ducarius had often repeated that he was in no hurry to find his mate, everything changed the moment he met Drexley.
Ducarius knew nothing about Drexley except where he’d been for the past five centuries, but he was determined to get to know the other sentinel. With a grin, Ducarius focused on his abilities and trekked through the old castle as he used his senses to track his other half. It disturbed Ducarius that Drexley had been stuck somewhere without his permission, and he wondered if he was aware of the pull on his memory.
If Alaric’s memories could be counted on—and the Lich Sentinel was not known for his mistakes—Drexley had gone straight from the compound to disappear with Adney, who the necromancers had assumed was dead. With no experience outside a realm without a spell draining his ability to store anything long-term, Drexley could be blissfully unaware that Adney had opted to manipulate his realm in that manner. Was it something that worked on Adney, or was it cast to hurt Drexley and any other resurrected being? Ducarius wished he could call Chander to ask for his expertise, but it was impossible.
Ducarius was surprised to find Adney waiting in the hall.
“Ah, Ducarius, I wondered if we could have a chat,” Adney said with a smile Ducarius did not trust.
With nothing but a nod, Ducarius followed Adney into a nearby room that served as the necromancer’s office.
“Please have a seat,” Adney invited.
Again, Ducarius chose silence as he planted himself in a chair. Adney leaned heavily on a cane as he shuffled around his desk and arranged himself carefully in a wooden chair better suited to the medieval era.
“It warms my heart that you find my home comfortable enough to dispense with wearing your cloak today,” Adney remarked with another devious grin.
“I followed the examples set by you and Drexley and kept my cloak off,” Ducarius stated.
“Ah, I see. Your desire to conform to the standards I have set is commendable. We did not get off to the best start yesterday, but since you have arrived at my home without an invitation, I assume you will not mind answering a few questions.”
“My arrival at your home was an accident, and I apologize for the intrusion,” Ducarius replied. He did not want to offend the necromancer, but it wasn’t his fault he’d fallen into Adney’s realm. It was the crumbling magic of the man’s spells and Ducarius’s uncharacteristic clumsiness that had led him to Adney’s home, but the sentinel didn’t regret the trip. Ducarius was finally under the same roof as his mate, and he’d also answered the last remaining mystery of the sentinels by finding Drexley. “If I can set your mind at ease by answering a few questions, I am happy to be of service.”
The last thing Ducarius wanted to do was alienate the necromancer, so he was willing to provide some reasonable information to the man.
“You mentioned that the Arch Lich broke the bond between sentinels and necromancers.”
“Yes, he did.”
“Have you kept in touch with your necromancer since the split?”
“My necromancer is dead,” Ducarius said, his voice level despite the intense hatred he carried for the evil man. Ducarius’s life was far too wonderful to waste a moment reminiscing about the horrid years he had served under Gautselin’s horrid command. Gautselin had died long ago and had likely left behind little more than a long list of enemies.
“Did you kill him?”
Amused, Ducarius nearly smiled. “Even if I were capable of lying, which I am not, do you think me such a fool that Iwould casually admit to murdering anyone to someone I met yesterday?”
“Do you expect me to believe that you lack the ability to be dishonest?”
Ducarius frowned, though he wasn’t angry. He was thoroughly confused. “Every sentinel lacks the ability to lie. It is part of our creation spell. I assumed every necromancer was aware of that, but perhaps your isolation is to blame for your lack of information.”
“Can anyone back up this claim?”
“It is the Arch Lich who took it upon himself to spread the word long before he aided us in gaining our freedom.”
Adney smiled, and it was the first genuine one Ducarius had witnessed in their brief acquaintance. “I cannot miss the respect in your voice for the Arch Lich. I worried when you spoke of Alaric yesterday by the title he gave himself that a large chasm now divided sentinels and necromancers.”
“I detect no lie in your voice. Why do you believe so intensely that the Lich Sentinel was not a title given by Fate?”
“You believe yourself capable of detecting lies?”
“How have you lived with a sentinel for five hundred years and know so little about our people?” Ducarius asked.
“A rather offensive question.”
