Page 10 of Heart of the High King
Chapter 5
Present Day
Draconis Court of Kestle
Rafferty sat heavily on the sofa and wondered why he’d been called before his father. After already training for the second time that day with his sword, gun, daggers, and bow, as was required of him and his brothers, his plan was to go to his room. It was where he’d spent most of the last few weeks. Since the moment he’d stood outside watching Molly’s pyre burn, he had a pervasive sadness he could not escape. A century ago, she’d walked out of the house to have Kendrick, and Rafferty had only seen her a handful of times. It didn’t matter if he’d called out to her, she’d scurried away, and he could not refute orders to chase her, but at least she’d still walked the earth. Now she was dead, and he didn’t know how to handle it.
Rubbing his palm over the scar Sullivan had put in his left eyebrow with a slip of his blade during combat practice, Rafferty wondered if he should shift. It had been fifty-two days since his last one, and though he would’ve liked to stretch it out further, his dragon was roaring in his head so often that it made his ears ring constantly.
“Paunchy, your hair is growing,” Neil said, shambling in with the twin he never strayed from.
“I know. I will shave it again tonight.” For decades, Rafferty had mowed down his curls to please his father, and he was glad that he could spare Charlton the irritation of seeing it.
“Where is His Highness?” Kendrick demanded the moment he entered the living room. Charlton had insisted when he’d returned from culinary school at the news of his mother’s death that Kendrick move in, but he did not appear happy about it.
“His Highness will be here shortly,” Sullivan stated, striding in. “Go ahead and take a seat, Kendrick. He’s not purposely keeping us waiting.”
“Fine.”
“Scoot the fuck over, Paunchy. There is only so much furniture in here,” Sullivan said, and Rafferty did as he asked, making room for his brother while Kendrick grabbed a chair opposite them. When his gray eyes met Rafferty’s, Kendrick quickly glanced away. Rafferty had no idea why Kendrick never wished to speak to him, but he hoped to improve the situation—he would like to have a friendly relationship with him as he did with all his brothers.
“Ah good, everyone is here,” Charlton greeted them when he stalked into the space.
“You’ve been upset since this morning, Your Highness. What’s wrong?” Sullivan asked.
“We’ve been keeping up with the news. I think this whole Consilium Veneficus thing has gone to pot. The Arch Wizard has left and was replaced by some tribunal of weak idiots. That damn King Ethelin has found his way to signing a treaty. He actually had the audacity to sign it as a representative of Draconis. The man is no emperor.”
“I thought you didn’t believe in answering to an emperor, Your Highness,” Rafferty said.
“Well, now, I did say that, but I’m thinking we might need to reevaluate. I don’t know much about Emperor Chrysander except that he’s given his people a fine living. Things are tight around here as having all these sons is not so easy. Meanwhile, Ethelin burns through money like he’s got holes in his pockets. I’ve no reason to trust he’ll help the rest of the dragons.”
“Are you suggesting we join the Council, Your Highness?” Kendrick asked.
“I am. I know it will mean a big change and giving up our home, but the truth is, it’s seen better days. We haven’t had new ways of bringing in funds since I married off that girl to Varius’s son. My supposed daughter started flapping her mouth the minute she got there about how her mother was raped, and that’s how she came to be with child. I didn’t have nothing to do with that, but I was kind enough to acknowledge the girl to help her poor mother, knowing she wasn’t part of my brood the whole time. Now both Ethelin and Varius have decided they’re too good for the likes of me, and look at what happened. They wanted to unite their families, but that Ethelin boy ran off to the Council to be with another man, embarrassing his family name for eternity. Is this the kind of man we wish to follow? He drove his son to perversion, and he’s got two others that can’t stand him. Ethelin pretends that middle one ain’t his, but who can believe a word that comes out his mouth? Of course, if a man went around telling everyone I was cursed because my dragon was different, I would feel the same as that oldest one. I mean, Nollan and Neil ain’t traditional colors for dukes, but that doesn’t mean they don’t deserve their titles. Don’t you worry, Kendrick. We’ll get one for you too once you settle into the family. You’re my son, and I won’t have you slighted.”
Rafferty didn’t know anything about Ethelin’s sons and since it was irrelevant, he didn’t bother to ask.
“I appreciate the thought, Your Highness, but I do not intend to continue living with you and your sons. I plan on figuring out where I want to go from here, but this is not where my mother wanted me to be, and I must first and foremost honor those wishes,” Kendrick remarked.
Charlton might’ve been glaring, but he shrugged nonchalantly. “Suit yourself, boy. Seems to me you’re acting a bit high in the instep. Your fool mother put all kinds of wrong notions in your head.”
“Let me know when we’re leaving for the Council, Your Highness,” Kendrick stated, promptly leaving the room.
“He is already getting on my nerves,” Charlton complained. “For the rest of you, we might be joining the Council, but nothing at our home changes. I’m still in charge, and we play by my rules. I don’t want you fraternizing with these sorcerers and elves. We’re dragons and proud of it. Your duties will remain the same, and though they’ve got these fallen knights and sentinels who take care of justice, we’ll see to our own. You steer clear of them most of all. I don’t want them in my business. And them being around doesn’t mean you skimp on your weapons skills. That fool Kendrick might not know which end of a sword is up, but I taught you better. Now, get on upstairs and start packing. We’re leaving tomorrow…and, Paunchy, shave your head.”
Rafferty nodded and instead of following his brothers up the stairs, he went outside and went to the grassy mound far from the house where they held funerals. It’d been decades since he’d last spoken to Molly, but not a day had gone by that he hadn’t missed the woman Rafferty had wanted as a mother. Although there was some excitement in him at the idea of joining the Council, it hurt to leave the land she would always be a part of. With a tear sliding down his cheek, Rafferty said good-bye to Molly one last time.
∞∞∞
Two weeks later
Draconis High Court of D’Vaire
High King Aleksander D’Vairedraconis sat on the sofa and smiled. His incredible family was gathered for their weekly meeting. They numbered forty people and three tiny dragon familiars, and that population included some of the most powerful and influential people in the entire Council of Sorcery and Shifters. But that didn’t matter to Aleksander; he loved them for who they were, and thanks to the tiny warlock sitting on his best friend’s lap, everything about being D’Vaire was synonymous with prestige instead of curses.
“Hey, Bigfoot, you going to start this or what?” Grand Warlock Dra’Kaedan D’Vaire asked.
Of course, the guy was also an annoying brat, but Aleksander appreciated every facet of his gigantic personality. “I was waiting for everyone to shut up, Squirt.”
