Page 39 of No Ordinary Drakeling
“I assumed that as an emperor, he’d be black. The lightest color we’ve ever seen or heard of is yellow, and they don’t survive. Their beasts are too weak or something.”
Chrysander lifted a shoulder in a shrug. “Except for the golden Conley, but he’s an anomaly among dragonkind. Maybe Ellery doesn’t connect the same way because he’s half elf. I don’t know, I haven’t had the opportunity to engage any hybrid in lengthy conversation regarding their beast.”
“You haven’t engaged Ellery in an extended conversation either.”
“When, Dame? When would I have time for that?”
“Mates take precedence over everything, Chrys. You’re the most prominent man on the planet—make time.”
“He needs to learn the ropes too, you know,” Chrysander reminded him. “And I now share that power with him.”
“He doesn’t complain, and he’s not going to take it upon himself at this point while he’s learning to demand schedules get rearranged. Ball is in your court.” When Chrysander opened his mouth to reply, Damian lifted a hand to stop him. “Listen. Why don’t we take a weekend and go to D’Vaire? Costas needs to get to know everyone there and he’s healing still. It’d be great for you to have time for Ellery and it’s damn fun there.”
Chrysander finished off his beer as he mulled it over. “Wesley’s going to pitch a fit.”
“Fuck Wesley. Let’s go.”
“Ellery and Costas will love it there. I’ll call Aleksander tomorrow and see if we can get out there this weekend or next.”
“Great. We can check on the net that Larissa’s making. Where are we having Ellery’s shifting ceremony anyway?”
“I’ve purposely tried not to think about it, but it’s something I should speak to Ellery about. Maybe he’d consider doing it at D’Vaire.”
“That’d be a good idea. We would have the Grand Warlock on hand to heal if necessary. D’Vaire’s so small and isolated, we’d be able to keep the press far away.”
“And you’d be thrilled since it’s the safest place on the planet.”
“Sue me. I like safety.”
“I can arrange to meet with Harley Griffinis while I’m at D’Vaire too. I don’t care if our staff is cramped, I want Ellery to have a spot in the office. I’m not going to have him relegated off to the side. There’s a reason I made sure he had the title of Emperor. He might not be ready yet to assert himself but when he knows the ropes, I’m sure he’ll want a bigger say in how things operate.”
“I wonder how the press is going to handle the fact that Ellery’s never seen in public in elven attire,” Damian mused.
“That’s not my fault. I didn’t tell him to buy suits, and I sure as hell didn’t tell him to cut off all his hair.”
“Still bitter about that one, aren’t you?”
Chrysander narrowed his eyes in irritation at his brother. “Wouldn’t you be?”
“I’m not going to have any pointy-eared mates. Two gorgeous shifters are going to find their way to my bed.”
“You know, I’m going to probably hurt myself laughing if you’re wrong.”
Damian winked. “Trust me, I’ve got it pictured perfectly. One of my mates is going to be intelligent, well-read, and together we’ll have long talks about legislation and politics. The other man in my life will be the sexy one who draws the attention of everyone in the room while loving every second of it.”
“I’d like to point out—you can have all that in a single person. And if you’re right, you’ll wind up adoring the first for his brain and grow weary of the second for his constant demands on your time.”
“We’ll see, but first I need the other two dukes in our house mated. I was focused on Zane since Costas had his hands full. With his parents on the other side of the veil, I’d like Costas to find his other half too.”
“I want our entire family to be happy.”
His brother’s expression went from amused to determined. “Let yourself trust that Fate’s going to take care of Ellery’s shift, and you’d be a step closer to happiness.”
All Chrysander could do was nod because his brother’s words were true, but it was easier said than done. “I’m trying,” was his reply. He said good night to his twin, who went off to do his rounds through the condo, making sure everything was secure. Damian never left a single stone unturned. Chrysander made it to his room and got undressed. As he drifted off to sleep, he wondered what color scales Ellery would wind up with and why his favorite hue was one dragons didn’t come in. It was a welcome relief from the constant frustration that followed him about how little time he got to spend with the enigmatic hybrid.
