Page 51 of The Missing Sentinel
Charmed by the man at his side and grateful to be close to him, Ducarius idly wondered if it was normal to lose one’s heart without noticing or if Drexley had deftly stolen it beneath his nose. Ducarius supposed the answer did not matter. Loving Drexley was easy and endlessly rewarding.
∞∞∞
Swallowing thickly, Drexley’s jaw flexed, but he kept his tears at bay as he fussed with Adney’s bed linens. Adney lacked the strength to stand and had spent most of the previous day asleep.It embarrassed Adney to ask Drexley to help him with his basic needs, but there was no magic left to resurrect a skeleton. All the sorcery remaining in Adney’s well went to holding together as much of the crumbling realm as possible.
“Sit down and stop fussing,” Adney ordered. Even his voice was weary and weak.
Desperate not to burden Adney, Drexley swiftly took a seat in the chair next to the bed. It was one of the newest additions to the guest chamber Adney had moved to after his former room had smashed to the ground, but an essential one. Drexley used it to read to Adney and to help feed the sorcerer.
“My time is short,” Adney said.
Drexley reached out and patted his hand. “I know that, and I am sorry.”
“I have lived for nearly three millennia, and I am eager to be with my son again. His death was devastating, and it changed everything. My home was no longer safe. Once I realized I had to spend my remaining years here, I thought of summoning you. I feared at first that you could not adapt to life as a scholar; you were so deeply rooted in those horrible behaviors Ducarius proudly flaunts. But eventually, you changed. We have grown close in these centuries, have we not?”
“Yes, you are my family.”
“You remind me of my son. He wore his hair as you do and was fond of books. Even as a boy, he was obsessed with sorcery, history, and the odd fantastical tale. He favored green. That is why I am so fond of it.”
“Green is a beautiful color,” Drexley replied softly and wished he had had the chance to meet Adney’s son. It was rare for Adney to go longer than a few days without mentioning his only child; the pair had obviously been close. Drexley could not imagine Adney could offer him a greater compliment than comparing them.
“I know you worry about your poor memory, but there are mysteries here. With so little energy left, I cannot explain in more detail. You may not gain any new recollections from your time here. I cannot say what you should expect for the future; the mind is a strange beast. But outside this realm, you will find it far easier to recall new experiences. I hope you will give strength to our moments together. To the things I have taught you.”
“Of course I will. The last thing I want is to forget you or what I have learned.”
“You have grown obsessed with Ducarius despite my urgings to keep your distance. If you leave this realm at his side, he will no doubt keep you surrounded by sentinels. That is not what is best for you. Do not waste your education by falling into bad habits. You are better than that.”
Drexley did not bother explaining that he was not going anywhere without Ducarius, nor did he educate Adney about the Daray family. The necromancer did not trust Ducarius and refused to believe sentinels could not tell lies. There was no way Adney would accept that Ducarius knew the Arch Lich, let alone believe they were close.
And Drexley did not want to know how angry it would make Adney to learn that the Arch Lich was mated to the Lich Sentinel. If he had any belief left in Fate, that would surely end it.
“Adney, I care deeply for Ducarius. He is my mate. But we are different people, and we respect one another. You need not worry about me. Save your strength, and stay focused on what you need.”
“You have spent centuries reading those blasted romantic tomes and have grown infatuated with the idea of yourself and Ducarius in the role of fated lovers. Do not be a fool.”
“You should rest now,” Drexley suggested, unwilling to get into an argument with Adney.
“I have invested five centuries of energy into molding you into a respectable person. A feat that will shock everyone you meet, since I doubt anyone expects anything so lofty from a resurrected man. Remember that as you make your future decisions, and do not allow my efforts to have been made in vain.”
“I am proud of the man you helped me become,” Drexley assured Adney. “Do not worry so; everything will be well. I have no wish for you to go, but I understand this is the way of things and you must cross the veil. The least I can do is offer you a promise that I will never forget our shared centuries or the education I have gained.”
“Good, you are far better than any other sentinel thanks to my tutelage. Hold tight to that truth.”
Drexley was uncomfortable with the thought of himself above anyone else, so he just mustered up a smile for Adney and gave his hand another pat. “Should I return to the book I was reading this afternoon so you can have a rest?”
“Yes, this day has exhausted me.”
Eager to do whatever he could in the time that was left to them, Drexley plucked the tome from a nearby table and flipped it open. He promised himself he would have another good cry later, and he wondered if it would be as early as tomorrow that Adney would fail to wake. It was a crushing thought, but the future he had tried to avoid for so long was catching up with him.
And Drexley was far from prepared.
Chapter 23
It was rare for Ducarius to be in a kitchen. At home in Las Vegas, Victor made meals, and after they finished dinner, Brynnius bustled in to bake exquisite treats. Except for taking care of his dirty dishes or stealthily sneaking a few clean ones into a cupboard before Victor noticed and shooed him out, Ducarius was content with the room remaining a mystery.
But Ducarius was far from home, and Adney could no longer resurrect. He and Drexley had to feed Adney and themselves. Ducarius could not starve to death, but he had lived as a skeleton for centuries and could easily recall the pangs of hunger that had tormented him. That was not something he wished to experience again, nor would he allow Drexley to suffer.
For the past few days, they had existed on the stores of food the skeletons had left behind. But Drexley had brought the last hunk of bread and the last of the stew to Adney for lunch. Adney loved that stew so much that he was now refusing to eat much else.
