Page 19 of Honorable Convictions
Mitchell wrapped a hand around Gelon’s upper arm, guiding him up and across the room. Lorcan lifted one black brow at the shifter, and Gelon apparently didn’t want to argue with the demonic elf, because he held out his arm without prompting. Dutifully, Lorcan repeated the process of separating Niko from the other one of Fate’s mistakes. Emperor Ellery was there to aid Niko again, but it was a frowning Mitchell who assisted Gelon. Pierson wondered what was going through his mind, but he’d learned little of his facial expressions unless they were mocking. Gelon shook Mitchell off and stormed out.
Pierson waited patiently as Niko made plans with his family to celebrate the freedom he’d worked so hard to attain while Mitchell followed his client through the door. As soon as it was appropriate, he made his escape and returned to his office. Although it was late afternoon, Pierson had a stack of files waiting for him. That was nothing new and encapsulated his existence.
∞∞∞
Once the Draconis case was filed and put away, Pierson’s days went on to pass in the same sad echo of the last century. They bled into weeks that in turn became months. As the time passed, Pierson re-evaluated his relationship with Mitchell and his life in general. Lonely, he hated the way his coworkers quieted if he walked near them—or worse, made sarcastic comments about him loud enough for him to hear.
It was never his intention to isolate himself, but he’d somehow managed it, and Pierson had no clue how to fix it. All he had was work, and he’d allowed it to bury him. Holidays came and went, others went on vacation but never Pierson, and he’d become terribly burned out—in part due to his lack of someone to confide in. Fate held the promise of a mate, but it hardly counted when neither person was capable of being civil.
There was a law that could solve his problem. Not only used for Niko, there’d been a second case later that had pitted him against Mitchell again. The Imperial Duke had wound up with two mates. Mitchell had represented the wolverine who’d cared for himself, money, and connections above everything. It was Pierson’s job to argue for the rights of the Imperial Duke and his second mate, Ducsarcelle Marcus, who’d been valiantly fighting heartsickness. In both cases, the newly freed men had been matched up by Fate again in quick order.
If Pierson were able to get a demonic entity like the Acwellan Chief to separate him from Mitchell, would he too get a perfect match within minutes or weeks? Pierson was tantalized by the idea of happiness. It was something elusive to him, and he desperately wanted a partner. Gazing out the window of his boring rental at the bright lights of the Las Vegas strip, he wondered what it’d be like to have someone waiting for him at home at night.
After walking in and getting a quick kiss, he’d lead him into the kitchen while they talked as Pierson cooked a meal. Over the years, he’d learned a lot about food and enjoyed being in the kitchen, but there was no opinion other than his about recipes. What Pierson truly wanted was love, and there was no avenue open for him. A tear slipped down his cheek, and he forced himself to enter his bedroom to get some rest. His sense of desperation was affecting everything, and he wanted someone in his life. Even his former jubilance in relation to his case files was drained.
After brushing his teeth, Pierson pulled on his pajama pants and an old fallen knights T-shirt. Taking the five steps necessary to get from the tiny en suite bathroom to his bed, seconds later he was huddled under the covers. What would it be like to have someone hold him as he drifted off? Another tear escaped, and he knew it was time for a change. To get away from Mitchell, it’d require a transfer out of Las Vegas. Once it was approved, he’d approach Mitchell to create separation papers, which was the only route open to permanently splitting their souls. It wasn’t anything Pierson could’ve imagined even a decade ago, but he had to move on.
Chapter 11
Present Day
Although Pierson had set his goals to restructure his world, he’d had to find the courage to approach his superiors. Years before, Reverent Knight Drystan had met his mate, Reverent Knight Conley, and they’d learned that once they were the dragon emperors. An incredible group of people who’d been coined Sorcery D’Vaire—part thinktank and consisting of some of the most powerful people on the planet—had managed to restore the lost dragons of the Reverent Knights, making them the first undead shifters. A new resurrection spell capable of providing fallen knights with beasts had been crafted for the Arch Lich, but thus far it hadn’t produced any as it wasn’t designed to solely bring forth shifters, only to offer the tantalizing possibility of one.
Pierson liked and admired both Reverent Knights, but he was terribly nervous, so his hands were sweaty as he was greeted with friendly smiles by the happy couple who’d entered their office. “Thanks for making room for me on your schedule.”
“Of course, our pleasure,” RK Conley Gylde-Kempe assured him. RK Drystan took a seat in a chair with wide arms. Conley planted himself on the left one and leaned against his other half. Their love was nearly a living thing, and Pierson envied it.
“I know it hasn’t been that long since my last performance review, but I’d like to discuss my work.”
“Every review you’ve been through since your resurrection has included top marks across the board,” Conley pointed out with a grin.
“And I’m appreciative that the VKs as my supervisors have always been supportive as have you, but I must admit I haven’t been truly honest during the pre-review interviews. I’ve falsely claimed to be satisfied with my job and my overall life,” Pierson admitted, swallowing loudly. “I’ve pushed myself since I was resurrected to be the best, and I believed the only way to achieve that was to make work my priority. I’ve never used a single vacation day, and I haven’t even slept in on a weekend. For seven days a week for the last one hundred and fifteen years, I have lived and breathed my job.” Pierson stopped to take in some much-needed oxygen. “It’s not bringing me any sense of satisfaction anymore. I’ve come to realize that I’m burned out.”
“You have busted your ass, and you’ve also put no weight on interpersonal relationships despite being told annually that it would benefit you,” Drystan stated.
“It was a suggestion and didn’t affect my performance review, so I didn’t make it a priority. At this point, I believe it’d be nearly impossible to gain friendships in Las Vegas. I think what I need is a fresh start somewhere else,” Pierson dared to say.
“You’re aware that there are two Juris Knights who are considered more gifted and dedicated than the rest of your brethren. Pierson, you’re half of that equation. Vegas is where every significant case is transferred. There’s no place I can send you where you’re going to enjoy the same workload,” Drystan answered.
“If I had a lighter amount of work, I’d be forced to attend to my personal relationships or lack thereof.”
“We could assign you fewer cases if you think that’d work,” Conley suggested.
Pierson met his golden eyes and shook his head. “I’m afraid I have an adversarial relationship with many people here in Vegas. There’s no real opportunity for me to build friendships in my view.”
“As far as I know you have one now infamous adversary, and we can bring in a counselor to allow you and Mitchell to work out your issues.”
Pierson nearly shuddered at the idea of his matebond being outed and the joyfully paired Reverent Knights insisting that he and Mitchell try to be together. After a century of animosity, it was something neither of them wanted. “I’d like to be transferred out of Vegas,” Pierson repeated before he relented and buried his feelings until the misery rose to choke him.
“Was there a specific office you’d like us to consider?” Conley asked gently.
“I was resurrected in Washington, DC and lived there for decades when it was headquarters. I know that the bulk of important cases are handled here, but DC continues to be a hub for the entire East Coast. I think it’d be nice to start over in someplace familiar.”
“Did you keep the property you owned there?” Drystan asked.
“I did not. I’m frugal with money and didn’t see the point in maintaining two residences. I’ve looked around online at potential properties, though, and do have the Pentagon City neighborhood as a possible place to find a new residence.”
“The DC office is run by FK36 Ella Barnaby. I’ll give her a call, and we can discuss the idea. I want you to seriously evaluate whether there are other options besides transferring you out of Vegas. I’m not opposed to forcing you to take a lighter load here, availing you of more time to attend to your personal life,” Drystan said. “I fear that moving you to DC is going to be refreshing at first, but that you’ll quickly grow bored without enough to keep you busy. Pierson, your grasp of the law and eidetic memory are renowned throughout the Order of the Fallen Knights. You’ve excelled because you’re driven and extremely good at what you do. I think you also thrive in a challenging environment, and I fear that DC simply isn’t going to cut it for you.”
