Page 30 of Eminently Elf
“Thank you, Wesley,” Chrysander said.
“Don’t mention it. I’m happy to do my duty for the dragons.”
Chrysander didn’t say another word. Damian got on the phone with the Grand Warlock, and Dra’Kaedan and Brogan popped into the room seconds later. In the flash of a single teleportation spell, Wesley was alone in the boardroom. The last few minutes of feeling as if he were walking on a tightrope for his life fled, and he slumped down in his seat. If he could just get through the next couple of days, things would get better. The truth would hit Chrysander, and he’d slowly return to his life before that mongrel elf had popped into it. All would be right in Wesley’s world again, and he could focus on the future. One that did not include Emperor Ellery Draconis.
Chapter 15
The morning hadn’t been easy for Ellery. His dragon threw a fit about an hour after Chrysander left for Council session. Desperate to do what he could to placate his beast, Ellery took to the sky and flew until it was necessary to refuel. Duke Dravyn D’Vairedraconis was standing on the ground, ready with a heaping stack of steaks for him to devour when he returned. His elven side was disgusted by everything about the meat. He abhorred the smell, the taste, and even the texture, but his dragon devoured each bite.
All he wanted was to be an elf again and eat a giant plate full of fruit. Despair slid over him as he thought about the future ahead of him. For the moment he was stuck as a dragon. If Sorcery D’Vaire couldn’t reverse the potion some member of their staff had forced into him, he might not ever be an elf again. The idea of never touching Chrysander far outweighed any issue he had with his diet. Once he’d thought being a dragon would solve everything. He’d been so wrong. An eternity without standing on his own two elven feet was a torture he wasn’t sure he would survive.
He couldn’t think about it. Ellery trusted the people working so hard to free him, and they weren’t going to give up. There was no way he could give up on himself either. A prickling of awareness raced down his spine and moments later, Chrysander walked out the back door. Loping over to him, Ellery nuzzled against him the best he could in dragon form. Chrysander chuckled and though his eyes were full of grief and pain, for a moment his smile warmed Ellery from the inside out.
“Hi, Ell. I guess you missed me.”
Ellery bobbed his head up and down.
“I have some things to catch you up on, but let’s get Sorcery D’Vaire out here, so I only have to say it once.”
Damian was already heading into the building to get the bunch, so Ellery just enjoyed the gentle stroking of Chrysander’s hand over the scales of his face. Both elf and dragon were soothed by his presence, though his beast was only truly content when Chrysander was also shifted. After the haggard looking bunch of people emerged from the door, Dra’Kaedan supplied another magical table, and they took their seats.
As soon as Chrysander was in his chair, he relayed the conversation he’d had with the fallen knights and sentinel. Ellery wished he was surprised to find it was one of their own staff, but from the moment he’d realized he was poisoned, his mind had wandered to Wesley and people of his ilk. There was no way for him to truly believe the man was innocent. However, he couldn’t say if he had acted alone or if more of their employees wanted Ellery out of the way. No one had been friendly with him from the start, and though they’d likely used the excuse that they believed he would die with his first shift, his survival had changed nothing.
Ellery was shocked to hear that Chrysander had fired the whole staff, but he wasn’t surprised to learn that he’d found them all employment at Draconis Enterprises. Even in his anger, Chrysander had made sure everyone was provided for. As for the Office of the Emperor, how would his mate cope with the heavy workload without anyone but his three brothers to help him? When Chrysander went on to say that Wesley was staying on, Ellery wished he could roll his eyes. Of course Wesley would maneuver himself back into his job; the man worshiped the ground Chrysander walked on. Because he had no proof of his assumptions, he didn’t let out the snort he wanted to. Instead he patiently listened to the entire story and hoped Alaric, Drystan, and Conley were able to connect the pieces together soon.
The dragon he shared his soul with might not mind being in control, but the elf half was going to be sure Wesley and whoever else was culpable paid dearly for tearing him away from Chrysander for even a minute. They would forfeit their freedom, if not their lives, for every second of guilt heaped on Zane’s shoulders—not to mention all the other people around who dropped everything to help Ellery. Each person sitting at the table with them now, and beyond in the Offices of the Fallen Knights and Sentinels, were sacrificing untold hours to fix Ellery and solve this mystery. It was not something Ellery was likely to ever forget. New to the Council, he was humbled by their willingness to do so and he’d do anything to make sure they knew what it meant to him.
“Oh, and I passed your message to Alaric,” Chrysander commented. “He’s going to call you.”
“This is like high school,” Dra’Kaedan quipped. “Are we going to pass notes in study hall next?”
“What do you know about high school? You never went,” his mother, Saura, shot back.
“It’s not my fault you insisted I be homeschooled.”
“You were born several hundred years before modern high schools even existed.”
“Again, not my fault.”
“I think the sleep deprivation is getting to Dra’Kaedan. I request being allowed to sock him in the head, so he’s knocked out for a few hours,” Renny remarked.
“Permission granted,” Saura said.
“Anyway, we haven’t gotten anywhere in our quest, so sleep will have to wait,” T’Eirick stated. “Since we’ve unfortunately had several days now to look at blood samples, what we can tell you is that we’re talking about only a handful of cells being converted from elf to dragon at this point.”
That was a relief to Ellery. The last thing he wanted was to become a dragon permanently.
“That’s all the good news we have though,” Dre’Kariston added. “This is going to be a real bitch to counteract. The wizard who made this is an experienced, and I would suspect, ancient sorcerer. He knows how to create a potion without flaws.”
“Does that give us any clue as to who he might be?” Costas asked.
“Sadly, no. The most ancient of wizards all reside within the confines of the Consilium Veneficus. It doesn’t narrow it down, which is a shame since we might be able to convince whomever this was to assist us,” Vadimas said. “Unless of course he conspired with whoever on your staff is responsible because he or she wishes to harm the rulers of the Council. If it was only a matter of money though, we would certainly pay whatever necessary to employ their services.”
“I’m not sure how far we’re going to get into discovering the wizard or wizards involved. The Consilium is certainly not going to be handing out answers. Will you be able to create an antidote without the original sorcerer?” Chrysander asked.
“I have no doubt in our abilities. I just don’t know how long it’s going to take,” Dra’Kaedan supplied. “We want it done fast, and we’re determined to do everything in our power to make that happen, but I wish I could at the very least give you a timetable. I hate to keep telling you both I don’t know, but that’s the long and short of it.”
“Your dedication to this is not in question,” Chrysander stated. His gaze found Zane, who was quietly taking everything in with misery written all over his face. “No one at this table has ever given me a moment to doubt they want the same thing I do. Don’t add guilt onto an already difficult situation. We’ll get this. I believe you and I know you can do this. If I can do anything in any way to help, just ask. Money. Blood. I don’t know. Whatever you need.”
