Page 101 of Distinctly Daray
Gentry cocked his head at his close friend. “You have no room to talk.”
“Stop bragging about your matebonds; some of us haven’t been blessed by Fate yet,” Orpheus complained.
“Yeah, why are you being so insensitive, you jerks?” Warner asked.
“I never thought I’d be so excited to reboot a server, but it beats watching you guys fight,” Keegan said as he stood.
“If things are going to get ugly, you better take it into the lobby so Evergreen can enjoy it,” Dominic drawled.
“Yeah, and hurry because he’ll ask us to recap it if not and our details are never good enough,” Masse pleaded.
With a laugh, Keegan kissed Phillip. “I’ll meet you back at home?”
“Yes, but let me know if I can be of any help.”
Keegan nodded and brushed their lips together again. Although he had little faith in Phillip’s abilities with technology, he’d call Phillip to join him if the task kept him in the office over thirty minutes. Loving Phillip meant honoring what could be a capricious relationship between sentinel and dragon. The last thing Keegan wanted to do was cause any turmoil for Phillip, so he’d call his mate to return to the office to keep him company. And he’d ensure Phillip didn’t put his dragony claws anywhere near the map project or he’d make more work for Keegan.
“I will. Give Victor a kiss for me,” Keegan said.
“Unless he is in the middle of a task; I have no wish to get in his way.”
“Of course not,” Keegan replied, adoring Phillip’s kindness and appreciating the fact that he wouldn’t dare bother Victor during work hours either unless it was an emergency and he literally had no other choice. “Love you, Spicy.”
“I love you too, Sunshine.”
Dashing out of the room before the riff raff could complain that he was showing off his beautiful matebond, Keegan headed for the server with nothing but gratitude for the fantastic life the Arch Lich and Fate had granted him.
Chapter 34
As a goddess, Fate had many abilities. So, she could’ve scoured the entire realm where her angels lived without leaving the comfort of her palace, but Fate hadn’t visited in many millennia. Or at least that was her excuse if any of her sisters asked why she was teleporting to the white-and-golden home of the angels. Since she refused to face any punishments, she kept herself cloaked and used her powers to ensure she encountered none of the all-male race she’d created as her first project as a goddess.
Rage filled her as she walked the quiet cobblestone streets. She’d opted to time her inspection while most angels were tucked into their beds. Angels were as fierce and deadly as Death’s sentinels, which meant some were assigned to guard their realm despite never encountering any people but their own. They lacked dagger expertise, but they were intense men who loved to train. Fate had stolen Death’s idea of dedicated warriors but chose swords and bows for them to excel at.
Or at least most of them did. A precious few had somehow broken the mold and built libraries, and they had one they rarely left. She supposed much of the problem was her inexperience at creating. The other angels didn’t understand those poor men, but it couldn’t be helped. Angels were immortal. Fate hadinsisted upon that as she had wanted none of her men to wind up in theebirlloba. Foolish young goddess that she was, Fate had believed ending up in Death’s realm was somehow a bad thing.
Thankfully, Fate had thought of more than just death during her crafting of them. They had large white wings that allowed them to fly but were also handily hidden if they liked. What Fate enjoyed most was the way the fiercest warriors left off their shirts to allow them to unfurl their wings at a moment’s notice. Their wings added another level of balance, and they’d taught themselves nimble acrobatics as they finessed their fighting skills. Fate appreciated that they accentuated their broad shoulders and delicious muscles with form-fitting pants. They were truly a dazzling race, and she often patted herself on the back for their creation.
Which was why it pissed her off that some goddess had dared travel to the angelic realm. How dare anyone interfere with the grandest race among all goddesses? Although their mother had insisted Fate provide a weakness for her angels, she’d kept the secret of their frailty to herself. If someone should figure it out, it could alter everything. Or the fierce angels would destroy the person who’d unlocked the mystery.
In any event, Fate would not allow it.
The angels bothered no one in their realm. No one had any right to barge onto their land and create havoc. Closing her eyes, Fate allowed her senses to flow outward. If another goddess was nearby, she’d find them. Angels had no sorcery. It was their realm with the magic—crops could not fail, the sun shone every day, nothing deteriorated, and they could create anything with a wish. Fate had added a sliver of her own essence to act as the power source. A trace of anyone else would easily stand out.
Fate bared her teeth as her soul picked up the essence of another goddess. Why didn’t she recognize it? The trail wasweak, but Fate followed it past the opulent castle where the first two angels created ruled over their people. They were a mated couple, completely devoted to each other. It was their kindness toward each other that bled into their decisions as leaders. They never questioned the way new angels appeared. To them, it was the divine realm providing for them.
Since the angels were a race of all gay men, Fate herself added to the population, and the angelic rulers embraced every recent addition as their brethren. Some of them they even forged tight bonds with and called brother. It was a delightful system, and Fate was proud of the angelic rulers. She’d picked well.
Beyond the castle, Fate traipsed past a few shops on the bright main road. She kept walking and was surprised to find herself nearing the edge of the realm. A slightly overgrown path led her to a quaint library with a modest house next door. It was the home of the librarians. They kept the main library in the castle stocked with books but preferred to function out of a quieter space when answering any questions the other angels sought them out for.
The buildings were locked, but that was no barrier for Fate. She teleported into the library and sighed with relief. Someone had been there, but her essence was faded. Had the goddess been there so short a time that she had deftly disguised herself? It was so odd that Fate didn’t recognize the visitor. That was bothersome. She would’ve preferred retribution, but at least her departure meant that the angels were safe. Fate shimmered to her room at the palace she called home. Like the realm she’d left, it was designed in gold and white—a few of Fate’s favorite colors.
Eager to share her findings with her sisters, Fate slipped off her cloak and shook the wrinkles out of her gown. She left her space and walked swiftly to the portal that separated life from death. This portal took her directly into Death’s castle, and it’dgrown into a comfortable second sanctuary. Fate even admitted to herself that the macabre gothic castle was beautiful. Her sister had excellent taste.
With a smile, Fate let her steps grow lighter as she wandered to a viewing room. It didn’t surprise her to find that it wasn’t empty.
“Fate, what have you been up to?” Death asked. She was sprawled on a chaise with Eternity. The pair were once again the best of friends, and Fate was grateful for it. Friendships among goddesses were a rare beast.
“I went to the angelic realm, but I was too late. Whatever goddess traveled there is long gone.”
