Page 24 of Distinctly Daray
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Keegan sucked in a deep breath and released a shaky exhale. A man with a strong, determined chin and deep eyes of charcoal gray turned his attention to Keegan.
“Are you all right?” Phillip asked.
Victor reached out and laid a hand on Keegan’s back. Keegan grinned as he looked down at the lovely man with black liner accenting his rich green gaze. Although Victor was the cat shifter, the man’s touch had Keegan wishing he were the one who could purr.
“Just nervous,” Keegan whispered so only his mates would hear him.
“I thought you were okay with shadow walking,” Victor responded.
“It’s not that,” Keegan replied. “We’re here with the Arch Lich and Lich Sentinel. I have ravenous butterflies eating my stomach.”
“You did not mention being with Alaric and Chand made you nervous,” Phillip said.
“They don’t make you nervous?” Keegan asked.
“No, I consider them friends,” Phillip stated matter-of-factly.
“Trust me, they’re normal people like us,” Victor assured him.
“Sure, but they’re also Fate-chosen leaders,” Keegan remarked.
Before either of the men Fate had so graciously given Keegan could respond, the couple currently making Keegan anxious ventured closer.
“Are you guys ready, or do you need a few more minutes?” Chander asked.
“I am ready. Keegan?” Phillip ventured.
Keegan nodded. “I’m eager to find out if I was a shifter, and I’m hoping we can spend some time with Victor afterward.”
“I’d love that,” Victor assured him. “I have the entire day off.”
“You have every Saturday off now,” Alaric retorted.
“Then I’ll start working on Mondays,” Victor fired back.
“No, Mondays are your days off,” Alaric argued.
Victor crossed his arms, and Keegan missed his touch keenly. “Lower my pay because I’m not getting money for hours I don’t work.”
“I can assure you that is not happening,” Alaric stated firmly.
“To be fair, you always throw in extra hours cleaning or making meals,” Chander pointed out. “If you switch to a four-day workweek, you won’t be overpaid.”
“We can argue about this later,” Victor insisted. “Right now, we should be focused on your shadow walk.”
“No need. The conversation is over,” Alaric said. “Your priority is your mates. They have Saturdays and Sundays off, so you will not work them either.”
“You have no reasonable argument for why I can’t substitute Mondays for Saturdays,” Victor retorted.
“Ignore them, this fight is going to go on probably forever, and Victor will win it,” Chander said to Keegan and Phillip. “Here’s what we’re going to do. I’ve brewed this vile-tasting xlenthin tea that’ll allow us to shadow walk. It’ll make us sleepy and feeling a little silly. We’ll lie on the bed, and Keegan,you should concentrate on your past life and on any relatives you may have had. That will help guide us to hopefully get to someone who knew you. After we fall asleep, we’ll be on the other side of the veil. You’ll know we’re there because the edge of our vision will have a grayish haze. We’ll be gone for twenty minutes. If we linger even a second too long, Victor and Alaric will yank us back home through portals, okay? Any questions?”
“I have none,” Phillip replied. “Keegan?”
“Nope, I’m good,” Keegan added. His anxiety had receded. Chander was kind, and he didn’t want his nerves to spill into their trip and ruin it.
“Good, let’s drink this shit fast and see if we can learn anything,” Chander said as he handed two teacups from the nightstand to Keegan and Phillip. Taking the Arch Lich’s advice to heart, Keegan downed the tea in two gulps. The disgusting brew slid down his throat and left a horrid taste in his mouth. It was odd to climb onto a bed with an audience, but Keegan knew time was of the essence.
