Page 39 of Killian
Cocking his head to the side, Killian studied Conley. “It is a private meeting.”
“No, it is not. You are no simple man, and Killian the Dwyer is too important to the druids and our Council. Not to mention what a dear friend you are to me and Drys. Because I love you, I will keep this meeting between us. If Drys or anyone else discovers it, I’m afraid you will find yourself surrounded by an army.”
“I would never ask you to keep a secret from your mate.”
Conley’s smile was coy. “Have no fear, Killian. My relationship with Drys is far too strong not to handle this tiny secret. The minute we return, I will confess everything to my mate and put all my effort into wooing my way into his good graces again. In fact, I beg of you to allow me to upset Drys; it is so rare for us to fight, I do not get the opportunity to—”
Killian held up a hand to stop the flow of Conley’s words. “Save me the details of your plan. I have spent most of my life without the pleasure of a man’s company.”
“My apologies,” Conley replied, his grin far from contrite. He stood and brushed his hands over his tunic to smooth out non-existent wrinkles. “Keep me updated on the situation.”
“Are you leaving? It is nearly time for Hilanore to tempt our senses with a delicious meal.”
“Yes, I know, but I suddenly need to find Drys and practice my wooing skills. I have gone since morning without one of his kisses and am woefully deprived of my other half.”
“I envy what you and Drystan have,” Killian told Conley truthfully.
The Reverent Knights were together more than apart, and their love flowed around them like a living thing. It was beautiful to witness the adoration in their eyes and the tenderness of their touches. Conley often rested upon the arm of Drystan’s chair as if finding a seat of his own put too much distance between them.It was the kind of relationship Killian’s soul yearned for, but his heart had grown wary.
Conley rested his hand on Killian’s shoulder. “I plead with Fate for everyone I love to know what it feels like to have someone at their side. Since I was nineteen, I have had Drys. Not every moment of our lives has been perfect, and there are memories I wish I could erase. But thanks to you and the others in the castle on that tragic day in 1369, we were given a second chance. It was your mate who insisted I should not lose a moment with Drys. Dravyn is owed my gratitude, and I do not take my life for granted. I believe Fate will reward you with the kind of love Drys gives me every day. I will not give Fate any peace until you are happy, and you already know how persistent I can be.”
Killian rested his palm over Conley’s fingers. “Thank you. I am so grateful we ventured to Castle Draconis that day. Not only was it the day I found my mate, but the day I was granted two of my dearest friends. Know that I will not hold it against you if you cannot keep our secret from Drystan.”
“It will not be a secret for long. I insist you reunite with His Grace as soon as possible.”
The constant threat of death, thanks to marauding dragons, had taught Killian not to hold in any words filling his heart. “I love you, Conley.”
“I love you too. Write to him today.”
“It will be done as soon as my belly is full,” Killian assured the Reverent Knight. With a smile, Conley sauntered out, and Killian released his breath slowly. He would not rest until he sent another letter to Dravyn. The sooner they were face-to-face, the better.
???
Lying did not come easily to Dravyn, but he refused to mention to his family that he’d arranged a meeting with Killian the Dwyer. It had taken some convincing to get the D’Vaire women to allow Dravyn to venture into town by himself with the goods they wished to sell. They’d only relented when he’d fibbed and told them he could use some time alone. If they were upset by his words, they did not mention it.
Despite how they had banded together following their escape from Castle Draconis, their family dynamic remained strained. Aleksander kept to himself. Mirroring their King, the D’Vaire dragons did the tasks necessary to survive without complaint. Once their chores were finished, Dravyn and the others went to their rooms. Dravyn rarely stayed there for long. After limping out to the garden, he tended his plants and babbled his thoughts to the greenery.
It was a good life and exponentially better than the decades Dravyn had spent chained outside at Castle Draconis. But he yearned for more, which was why he’d flown to a forest just beyond the human town he visited weekly. Although Dravyn knew a few humans by name, he had no friends.
With his heart racing and his hair hanging in tangled clumps over his forehead, Dravyn quickly tugged on his clothing and checked his large bag to ensure he had lost none of their precious goods as he’d soared through the air. The D’Vaires had plenty of coin to keep them comfortable thanks to their prosperous relationship with the humans, but Dravyn hated waste.
Thankfully, all the vegetables from his garden were accounted for and the specialty goods made for a traveling merchant were also present. Each month, new customers popped into the town as word spread of the talented D’Vaire family—though they preferred to keep their court name private.
The humans told no one they were dragons and helped with selling. They were given a commission on everything sold, so the village prospered. It was a situation that worked well for everyone involved.
But the pile of jangling coins Dravyn would have in his pocket by morning was far from his thoughts as he leaned against a tree to catch his breath. Something fluttered in his peripheral vision, and a shiver of fear raced through his beast as Killian and a man Dravyn only recognized from the moments he’d spent with his corpse appeared a few feet away.
Killian looked different. His earthy eyes shone with flecks of gold that glowed slightly in the dark. Dravyn wasn’t sure if he’d grown more beautiful or if the planes of his face were bolder, but Killian overwhelmed him.
“Your Grace, allow me to introduce Reverent Knight Conley Gylde,” Killian said quietly. “He refused my suggestion that I venture here alone.”
The Reverent Knight strode boldly to Dravyn and stuck out his hand. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Your Grace. I must thank you for insisting in 1369 that no one part me from Drys. Without your intervention, the sorcerers I so dearly love would’ve felt compelled to keep distance between us.”
Unsure what to say, Dravyn looked down. His gaze hit the crumpled leaves resting on the forest floor, and he nervously reached out to shake the Reverent Knight’s hand. “Nice to meet you, Reverent Knight. Please call me Dravyn.” Belatedly, he remembered he should have kneeled to the former dragon Emperor, but thankfully Conley did not appear to notice his mistake.
The Reverent Knight smiled. “Then I insist you call me Conley.”
“If that is what you wish,” Dravyn replied.
