Page 14 of Killian
T’Eirick led the group up the stone stairs to the meeting room for The Council and urged the new rulers of the Order of the Fallen Knights to have seats at the small round table.
“Would you like a repast?” Saura asked. “You have slept for the past two weeks and are surely famished.”
Dra’Kaedan slid his seat back and raced for the door. “I will ask Hilanore to prepare something.”
The door closed behind her eldest son, and Saura rolled her eyes. “That boy will ask our dear Hilanore to give him a tray of nothing but sweets. He barely eats anything but cakes, tarts, and puddings.”
“Hilanore will sneak some savory things onto the platter,” Dre’Kariston assured his mother. “But we need not wait for Dra’Kaedan to begin answering your questions. Where do you wish to start?”
“What do you mean, we slept for two weeks?” Drystan asked.
“Two weeks ago, we stole your bodies from Castle Draconis,” Chander replied. “It was the morning after your murders. Do you have your memory of the past?”
“Yes,” Conley said, closing his eyes briefly. Killian hated that they had been unable to rob the men of the horror of the way they had died, but he was grateful the pair had not lost the memories of their lives together.
“We were told by Killian’s mate, Dravyn, that your love was legendary among your people,” Saura explained. “Like you were once, Dravyn is a dragon. We heeded his words and did notseparate you. Your memories must be horrid, and we wish we could rid you of them, but that is beyond our abilities. As mates, the soul remembers even through death.”
“We are some kind of undead?” Drystan asked.
“Yes,” Chander replied. “Like my sentinels, you have been resurrected. In your case, we believed you to be skilled warriors as well as devoted mates. I emulated my sentinels as much as my abilities would allow. Like them, you are impervious to temperature extremes, have invisibility and tracking abilities, will adapt easily to weapons—though your skills can atrophy if you do not train regularly—and you can lift memories. That will aid you in solving crimes against The Council. We have put you in charge of the defense of all our people.”
“Although you are a part of The Council now, you will lead your race without interference from us,” Egidius added. “How many fallen knights you require and how you wish to organize things is up to you.”
“We ask that you seek only Chander out for resurrections,” T’Eirick stated. “He is the first Fate-chosen leader of his people, yet there are those among the necromancers seeking ways of holding onto his power. It took some negotiating, and none of the self-appointed elders who advise him would agree to anything else but a slow transfer of control. Until his thirtieth birthday, Chander cannot pass laws without their consent.”
“You look hardly more than a boy,” Drystan said to Chander.
Chander narrowed his eyes. “I am seventeen.”
With a smile, Conley stood and settled his hands on Drystan’s shoulders. “The very age Drys was at our first meeting. I was two years older and far less sheltered. Although I understand the things you are saying, I am still stuck in disbelief.Yes, my mind flows with information. Before I woke up just now, I did not even know magick existed. Now, I am overwhelmed.”
“I am also worried for the dragons,” Drystan commented, his mouth twisting. “How do they fare?”
Killian shook his head. “We do not know. My mate is a dragon, but our magick frightened him, and he has not sent word since the day I met him at Castle Draconis. It was the same day we encountered the news of your murders. We arrived there to beg your aid. Our Council needs protection, and we believed the dragons could help us.”
“Shortly after I met Con, we went home to our separate courts. We did not speak again or exchange letters for six long months,” Drystan said, glancing up at Conley, who perched himself on the arm of the new Reverent Knight’s chair. A wave of envy crashed through Killian as Drystan wrapped an arm securely around Conley. His eyes sliding shut, Conley melted against Drystan, and the matching silver rings they wore on their left hands glittered in the low light of the candles. Rings were uncommon in The Council, but Killian assumed the pair had wanted them to celebrate their matebond. There was no question Dravyn had told the truth about the special bond between the couple.
“Drys deserved to wait. He acted like a beast and did not write me because he is prone to pouting,” Conley commented, a ghost of a smile on his face.
“Con tells fables about my supposed inclination to pout,” Drystan remarked. Then the faint humor left his face. “So, you took us from the castle and resurrected us to work for you?”
“No, you do not answer to us,” Saura responded. “Our Council works to aid our people, but we cooperate and negotiate things to benefit everyone. All we ask is that you serve your people with the same honor you gave the dragons.”
Dra’Kaedan pushed open the door and set a platter and two tankards in front of the newly resurrected men. And, as predicted, it was far more sweet than savory.
“Have we discussed what happened in Castle Draconis yet?” Dra’Kaedan asked after accepting gratitude from Drystan and Conley, who tucked in to their meal immediately.
“No, but we know some of it,” Killian reminded the future Grand Warlock. “Imperial Duke Bernal told us humans entered the castle.”
“While the dragons meant to protect us stood aside and let over a hundred humans enter our bedchamber,” Conley snarled. “We cut down a fair amount, but they continued to flow into the room. It was an execution designed by the very dragons who took an oath to serve us.”
“I fear for the next Emperor walking into that nest of vipers,” Drystan added. “We could do nothing. We were given titles by Fate, but we arrived to find literally dozens of these Dukes. Men concerned with finery instead of defense and obsessed with finding power of their own. Dragons are immortal, yet our predecessor died mysteriously following a long, unexplained illness. Annual fairs and aid for dragons were stopped. Those Dukes had emptied the coffers of everything. We were making plans, but—”
Drystan’s eyes fell shut, and Killian didn’t have to ask if he was reliving his last moments. Conley turned to cup Drystan’s cheek, and they rested their foreheads together.
“Do you seek vengeance against them?” Egidius asked with no judgment in his voice.
“Do you see a future for this Council of ours where we have a relationship with dragons?” Conley asked. “Killian, your mate is a dragon. Surely you wish to add his people to this Council?”
