Page 16 of The Missing Sentinel
Whoever had the audacity to interfere in the life of any sentinel was a fool, and they would pay for their temerity. It was something Alaric would take care of personally once he found Ducarius. In fact, Alaric was looking forward to exacting some revenge. But what dominated his mind the most was what Ducarius was enduring.
There were five men among the Sentinel Brotherhood who’d been abused so thoroughly by their necromancers that their humanity had been fully stripped away. With the help of Skeleton Lords Gavrael and Gedeon D’Vaire, Alaric had located each skeleton from behind the walls of their cells. Their magical former home had buried them behind thick rocks for centuries.
Without hesitation, Alaric had offered the skeletons his trust, and it was a decision he never regretted. Every sentinel was honorable, but the seven men who served as Skeleton Lords were special. They were also family. Alaric loved them and counted on them to help him rule the sentinels.
Thankfully, with some time, the skeletons had healed and regained their humanity. But Ducarius had struggled the most to settle into life within the Council. Even now, after many years of healing, Ducarius had to be cajoled into trying new things or taking part in any family adventure bar their monthly gatherings at the D’Vaire mansion and holidays. What would this new wrinkle in his life do to him?
“I’m worried about him too, Alaric.”
Reaching out, Alaric settled his hands on Chander’s slim hips and tugged him forward for a tight hug. “I know. You love him as I do. But I can barely handle knowing he is in danger, let alone having to worry that my mate has encountered some asshole wizard.”
Chander brushed their lips together. “I’m a demonic imp and a necromancer. I can handle asshole wizards.”
“If you are feeling creative, you can write a tale about an imp-necro hybrid tackling some asshole wizards with magic while you wait for me to get back from our search.”
“Sometimes I want to choke you,” Chander muttered.
“I lack the ability to detect your lies with my senses, but I know that is a complete untruth.”
“Fine, I love you, but considering how nuts you are, that doesn’t really say much about my character.”
“For years I have dealt with the mystery of where Drexley has gone, and we’ve had no answers. No hints where to search for him. With our superior abilities, no sentinel should be lost. Yet now I have two of them. How the fuck am I supposed to assure the world my men can protect them or find missing populations when my own walk off the face of the earth?”
The pewter of Chander’s eyes darkened, and his mouth twisted. “This isn’t your fucking fault. We don’t know who is responsible yet, but I know you. They will pay and pay dearly for touching a sentinel. Then you’ll figure out how to ensure nothing like this happens again.”
“Duc is a gifted sentinel. How the fuck did anyone abduct him?”
“I’d love to suggest he decided on an impromptu vacation and forgot to call us, but that’s not Duc. In fact, that’s not any sentinel. You’re a brotherhood of close-knit friends and family. He wouldn’t worry you or anyone else for that matter. But I’m still stuck on how it’s possible to kidnap a fucking sentinel.”
Alaric sighed as he rubbed Chander’s back to soothe them both. “Gedeon was kidnapped once.”
“Yeah, by hopping into a teleportation spell to ensure an idiot didn’t take off with a member of his family. If he’d had his daggers, he would’ve freed himself in a minute. It was Masse’s stones that drained his abilities and his need to get Renny out safe that forced him to wait for a rescue.”
Decades ago, the D’Vaire family had been plagued by a warlock named Latarian who’d tried a few foolish plots against them. Grand Warlock Familiar Renny D’Vaire had been stabbed with a knife coated in the dust from a nullifying stone, which had been created by Scythe Lord Masse Daray in his previous life as a mage. Thanks to Gedeon’s quick thinking, Renny was saved, and no sentinel had gone anywhere without their daggers since.
“Are you suggesting that Duc is missing because he is aiding someone else?”
“It’s a possibility. He’s a sentinel. You are heroes by nature.”
“If you’re trying to make me feel better, it’s only working a little.”
Chander’s pretty mouth curled into a smile. “Go hunt for Duc. I’ll sit at home like a good little mate.”
“Chand, if you leave this condo while I’m gone, I will contact the Order of the Fallen Knights and have you permanently placed under house arrest.”
“Relax, I’ll be here helping the reapers and our Cinder Lords. They’re using the mapping software to keep track of where we’ve searched for Duc so we can ensure we’re covering the most territory.”
“Good, that is a great help. Try to get some sleep. We have a Council session in the morning.”
“I won’t get any sleep without you. We’ll squeeze in a nap when we can.”
Alaric held on to Chander for another full minute, then allowed his other half to step away so the Lich Sentinel could stand.
“Chand?”
“Yeah?”
“I love you.”
