Page 30 of Killian
But it was nearly impossible to harm Chander now. He was a master with his daggers, and his diligent—nearly obsessive—reading of books encouraged him to experiment with his magick. A thick invisible shield covered him, and he had many scary spells to rely on if anyone dared strike against him.
In defiance of those who would speak poorly of his demonic side, Chander walked among those who gathered each month for their dances with his black wings floating elegantlybehind him. His pewter gaze turned to red, and he’d developed a rather unnerving way of staring through people. Killian was glad to be friend and not foe.
“Killian!” called out a voice he instantly recognized.
With a tired grin, Killian turned to watch his sister dashing toward him. Her coronet was crooked, and her long hair fluttered in the gentle wind as she dragged a stranger by the hand to his little hiding spot at the front of the mulberry trees rapidly being plucked of their fruit.
Aloisa stopped a foot away and dragged in a deep breath. “I have someone for you to meet,” she insisted with color high on her cheeks.
One of the things Killian loved most about their monthly gatherings was the chance to mingle with his people and everyone else in The Council. He easily recognized the dark-haired stranger as a druid, and he offered her a genuine smile.
“Of course, who do you have with you?” Killian asked.
“This is Clara,” Aloisa stated proudly. “She is my mate.”
Tears of joy overwhelmed him. He cupped his sister’s face and kissed her cheek. “I have begged Fate for this day,” Killian said, turning to the woman at Aloisa’s side. Clara had ducked her head, but he did not miss the curve of her smile. “Clara, it is a joy to meet you. I wish you both such happiness I can hardly put it to words.”
“Thank you,” Clara answered quietly, lifting her chin for a moment, then aiming her brown gaze at the ground again. Killian thought her shyness understandable and beautiful in the moment. “I am most pleased to meet Aloisa. Oh, and you, of course.”
Killian laughed. “You have met your mate; I should hardly merit much more than a thought except as her beloved brother.”
“We have had the whole evening to talk,” Aloisa enthused. “I am ever so pleased you finally attended a dance, Clara.”
Clara glanced up at Aloisa with such joy that Killian could not help the stirring of envy in his breast. Being in a happy matebond was everything he used to want. Now, he lived without even the pleasure of being with another man since Dravyn had rejected him. No magickind could respond physically to another once they met their other half. If Killian could have a chat with Fate, he’d demand to know why she had not left him to his own devices rather than pair him with a man who found him wanting.
“Killian, with your permission, we thought to ask Kaedan if we could borrow elven tradition and join our souls tonight,” Aloisa said.
“You hardly need my permission,” Killian replied. “If you are ready to bind your souls, I see no reason to wait. Shall we find Kaedan?”
One of the many things they did on the nights of the dances was to celebrate the fresh matebonds discovered when everyone gathered. With no grand need for ceremony, the people of The Council preferred to lift their voices in song as the couple in question bound their blood.
Although it was traditionally elves who sealed their matebonds on the first night they met, it was a growing trend among everyone. Their lives were in constant peril, and few saw reasons to wait. The truth was, for many of them, they would not get the eternity Fate had promised them.
“Yes, please,” Clara answered.
With the happy couple at his side, Killian waved and greeted people as they weaved their way toward the center of the ceremony grounds. It was impossible to miss. The scepters made for each Council leader with magick floated above the land, and light stretched from them high into the sky, illuminatingeverything around them. Kaedan insisted the other races be acknowledged, so he’d added glowing swords for each elven chieftain and chosen a replica of their leaders’ beasts for both the Eldrvalkyria and the centaurs.
Kaedan himself was in true warlock form. Each warlock was born with half their body painted a unique color. To hide from humans, they’d long ago adapted to hiding those beautiful markings. No one in The Council bothered to conceal themselves from humans purposely any longer, though the warlocks switched forms seamlessly as it pleased them. The dragons flew in the daylight, and the humans who lived close to Council villages often died. Humans did not bother communicating with The Council, and Killian and his peers had voted to ignore them.
The Grand Warlock was dressed similarly to Killian, only his braies were the same rich navy as his irises in his human form. In this form, the navy of his pupil was present as a dragon in a sea of gold.
Kaedan hated he could not change the beast Fate had given him at birth, and he chose not to ask his father to remake the necklace that T’Eirick had given him in his youth. It was gilded and featured a dragon head that turned to face whatever direction his twin was in so Kaedan could always find him. Kariston wore a similar one, though his was silver to match his own markings.
When Kaedan saw Killian, he grinned and bowed his head. The ample light surrounding him glinted off the coronet that was nearly hidden by his mass of golden curls.
“You must be exhausted,” Kaedan said once they were in earshot of the gifted warlock, reaching out his arms to hug Killian. “Your generosity grows with each dance.”
“I enjoy pushing myself.”
“It shows, does it not?” Aloisa asked, pride glowing in her greenish-brown gaze. “No other druid can match him. I amgrateful he allows me to dabble in his garden, though I fear changing the contented song of his plants with my ineptitude. Every druid can hear the harmony and would know I’d made Killian’s living things unhappy.”
“Do not sell yourself short—your prowess of magick grows just as bountifully as the flowers you love to create,” Killian replied. “But we are not here to discuss matters of sorcery. Grand Warlock Kaedan of Leolinnia, allow me to present Clara. She is Aloisa’s mate.”
Kaedan whooped loudly, then tugged the poor shocked woman into his embrace. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Clara.”
“We wish to celebrate our matebond this eve,” Aloisa announced as Kaedan finally released Clara and hugged Aloisa.
Lifting a hand above him, Kaedan snapped his fingers, and the sound easily carried through the air, which was thick with magick. The music ceased instantly, and heads turned toward the undisputed leader of The Council.
