Page 80 of Killian
“A fine idea. Are we leaving now?” Killian asked.
A demonic necromancer and a sentinel shimmered into view. Baxter grabbed a handful of Benton’s cloak, then sealed his mouth to his mate’s in greeting.
“Now that Chand is here, we can go,” Kaedan replied.
“Why are you needed?” Killian asked the Arch Lich.
Chander smirked and rolled his shoulders as his wings unfurled behind him. “Because I am excellent at intimidation.”
Tearing his lips free, Benton narrowed his gaze at Chander. “You will stand between Bax and myself the entire time.”
Kaedan rolled his eyes. No one was more capable of defending themselves than the demonic necromancer with his repertoire of lethal spells and dagger skills. “Summon your crowns, I am teleporting us now.”
True to his word, Kaedan waited only long enough for the titled men to magically pull crowns from their homes—bar the Reverent Knights, who hadn’t adopted that practice of nobility—then Killian was in the human village of Chilstone.
Thanks to his matebond and recent familiarity with dragons, Killian immediately recognized the two men heading toward them as dragonkind. Like every other dragon Killian had met, they were tall. Both had black hair and black eyes. They were powerful and, like Killian, wore coronets—though theirs were silver instead of gold and lacked any leaves or flowers.
“I thought it was a single dragon meeting us,” Baxter muttered.
The dragons clearly had no clue who to address first, so Killian put them out of their misery.
“Your Graces, allow me to introduce you to Grand Warlock Kaedan of Leolinnia, Arch Lich Chander Daray, Reverent Knights Drystan and Conley Gylde, and Baxter and Benton Daray. I am Killian the Dwyer. Thank you for accepting King Mardas’s invitation to meet with us today.”
The slightly taller of the two smiled, then his gaze whipped to the Reverent Knights. Both men immediately took a knee and bowed their heads.
“Your Majesties, King Mardas did not mention you would be here. I am Duke Costas Mardas, and this is the dragon seeking a permanent home, Duke Macardle, formerly of Court Stenet.”
“Please rise,” Drystan insisted. “Your Graces, we are no longer the leaders of the dragons. Fate has brought us to The Council, and we are proud fallen knights.”
The Dukes stood.
“We apologize if we have offended, Reverent Knight,” Duke Costas said. “We learned some time ago that you were…” His eyes drifted to Chander.
“We rescued them from the castle, and the Arch Lich gave them a second life,” Kaedan stated. “One which cannot be robbed from them by nefarious dragons, Your Graces.”
“It is a perverse King I defied by walking out of his castle gates,” Duke Macardle replied. “I mean no one any harm. King Stenet cannot abide me because my mother is his mate yet I was born before they met. He blames my mother’s choice to have a child with another man on me, although such a thing is not uncommon in those that have waited long for Fate to match them. He is a disagreeable man, and I was finally left with no choice but to fly as far from King Stenet as I could.”
“And your mother? Will she not miss her son?” Drystan asked. Killian understood why the question was of importance to Drystan. Both he and Conley were so close to Drystan’s parents that the former King and Queen of Court Bera had renounced their titles and joined The Council.
“My mother is a distant stranger. I have other family, but I was not allowed to know them. Her parents live, but I know not where, otherwise I would have sought them as a refuge.”
“Court Mardas has offered His Grace a new court, but when my King received your letter, Grand Warlock, he wanted to ensure Mac had options,” Duke Costas explained. “We were most stunned to learn of a dragon court seeking their kind through a sorcerer though.”
“Like you, the dragons I represent are not searching for conflict, Your Grace,” Kaedan said. “I cannot offer you their name, as it could endanger them. What I can say is that the dragons in this court have peace. They have few among them and call themselves a family. Much as The Council considers everyone in it a loyal family member. They have my respect, and I have no love for dragons. I detest most of your kind because of the suffering we have endured at their hands. Killian can tell you about their land and home.”
“Their land is beautiful,” Killian remarked, a smile crossing his face as he thought of Court D’Vaire. “A talented gardener enriches the land with flowers and keeps the bellies ofhis family full with a variety of fruits, vegetables, and anything else that can be grown from a seed. They share a single dwelling, built by their bare hands. It is humble but also handsomely decorated. My mate is one of the dragons proud to call this court home.”
“You have a dragon mate?” Duke Macardle asked. “Oh, my apologies, I did not use your title. I do not know how. I wondered if magickind could be paired with dragons. It may seem strange given the war raging between our kind, but the thought has often crossed my mind that sorcery must be glorious.”
Chander grinned. “It is, Your Grace. The druids are simple people. You may call him Killian.”
“Thank you, Arch Lich, for explaining. You mentioned peace. I am unfamiliar with it. My life has not been filled with the unrelenting cruelty so often found among dragonkind, but loneliness has plagued me. Despite my title, I have not been allowed to handle any responsibility. Me and my beast chafe at not fitting in anywhere. Dreams of family are something I used to comfort myself with in my youth. I am most intrigued by this court. Grand Warlock, I hope you will speak to them on my behalf, for what I desire most is love and tranquility. Court Mardas is a fine place, and I admire its King. It is an honor to be allowed to call his castle home, but it is large, and I cannot complete my duties as a Duke. I was never trained. At Court Mardas, I am at a disadvantage and must rely upon people like Costas to teach me everything. He has his own varied duties and cannot take the time to tend to me like a child.”
“You are hardly a child, Mac,” Costas argued. “You are a fine man, and while untutored, you are honorable, and what you are missing can be taught. Court Mardas is grateful to have you.”
“The kindness of you both speaks much about who you are as people, Your Graces,” Kaedan said.
“Kaedan, I should like to bring the plight of Duke Macardle to my mate and his family,” Killian commented with a smile for the man in question.
