The Summoner's Path (D'Vaire, Book 10)

by Jessamyn Kingley

“No, I’ve always been short. Lucretia said it’s not genetic, but I forgot to ask my dad what the cause might be.”

  The stranger snorted. “I don’t know this Lucretia, but you must be a trusting sort to believe any word of Boian’s.”

  “Shouldn’t you be calling him King Boian?” Somerly asked.

  “I haven’t chosen him to be my king now, have I? When he earns the title, I’ll use it.”

  “Who the fuck are you anyway?” Lex asked.

  “Worth.”

  “Worth what?”

  “No, that’s my name. Short for Worthington.”

  “Nice to meet you, Worth. You know I’m Somerly, and our driver here’s Lex.”

  “Pleasure to meet you both. Now how far are we going? Your king there is having a party, and this is my chance to get off his fucking land. I’m off to the Council myself, so if you could be dropping me off at a human police station, I’d be most grateful. Be scanning out the window, lads. There are guards about.”

  The reminder to look for dragons was a good one, so Somerly pressed his head against the glass of the window to scan upward as well as straight out.

  “Somerly’s apparently shit at keeping secrets, so I’ll tell you we’re headed to join the Council as well. You’re welcome to ride with us to find the humans.”

  “It’s the least you can do after mortally wounding me.”

  “First it was bumps and scrapes, then gravely. Now you’re on the cusp of death?” Lex asked.

  “It’s as I said, hard to tell the extent of my injuries. The pain is near overwhelming.”

  “You’re a dragon. You’ve likely healed already from such minor wounds,” Lex argued.

  “Worth, do you know more about contacting the Council than we do? Are you assured the humans will help us?”

  “It’s difficult to get information with the way Boian stifles our links to the outside world, but I’ve been told that if I could get out, that’s the route I should take. I’ll be honest—it was a good thing you two came along. I’ve been trying to get off Ethelin land for…well, decades now, and I keep getting caught and dragged back to my prison.”

  “Lex, he’s been caught. What if we are?”

  “He’s not very good at observation. He walked into a moving car. We’ll be all right.”

  “So it’s my fault now that I’ve been so grievously injured?”

  “Yes.”

  “Who told you that you could appeal to the humans to join the Council?” Somerly asked. “I thought everyone was loyal to my father.”

  “There are those who are loyal to Boian, but somehow he’s managed to find a man or two with a lick of sense in his head. It was a man called Duke Drogo. As the king’s son, I’m sure you’re familiar with him. He’s your king’s first.”

  “Lex here is Duke Drogo’s son.”

  “Then my estimation of you was wrong. You can’t possibly be a brainless twit with such a fine man as a father.”

  “Thanks, I think. My father’s a good man but blindly loyal to King Boian.”

  “No. You misunderstand him. Duke Drogo’s an ancient dragon over two thousand years old. He’s the type of dragon young people cannot measure up to. When he was made a duke, he took a vow to serve his king. He chooses to do that with honor. It’s not his fault he’s managed to find himself under a man with no soul. A king lacking in even the most basic of normal emotions and a complete lack of empathy for the world around him. He’s a greedy conniving son of a bitch who uses people, then casts them aside when they no longer suit his purpose,” Worth said. His words had grown from the teasing manner he’d exhibited since their unfortunate meeting to bitter and angry.

  “Thank you for the kind words about my father. I do believe he’d see it that way. He’s a stern sort but has been a good parent. I feel much the same as you do about King Boian,” Lex returned. All the suspicion in his voice had turned into a friendlier tone, and Somerly was unsure how to feel. He briefly wondered if there was anyone in Court Ethelin who thought of his father in a positive sense. A question popped into his mind, and though it was likely a betrayal to his only parent, he wondered if the heavy security his father insisted upon was to keep enemies out or to stifle his people.

  “You’re welcome. He’s been kind to me over the years. He didn’t have to be. Your king certainly wasn’t.”

  “Why haven’t we ever heard of you before, Worth?” Lex asked.

  “I’ll tell you what. You take me to the humans and secure passage for the three of us to travel to the Council, and I just might tell you my secrets. Somerly, I think you’d be particularly interested in them.”

  “I would?”

  “Yes, but don’t be asking me now. The truth, no matter how ugly, always finds its way out. Your king should’ve told you about me, but the man lacks balls.”

  “I don’t like him either,” Lex agreed.

  Somerly didn’t say a word. He had no clue what to think about his father. What he did know was that it was time for him to open his eyes and start assessing the world around him. He needed to learn all there was about the Council and the Consilium, so he could understand why his father insisted on defying Fate. Then perhaps he could reconcile his feelings, because with each hour that passed, knowing Dre’Kariston hated him made Somerly’s anxiety rise and his belly churn.

  He was taught Fate was only for a privileged few and best ignored. Had he been schooled on the reality of what Fate meant to shifters and magickind, he wouldn’t be sitting in a car sneaking off his father’s land while mired in fear that Dre’Kariston would never be his again. King Boian designed his education and hand-picked each subject. He’d insisted on Somerly being taught in a very precise way, and it led him to heartbreak. Would he ever be able to forgive his father? Or was King Boian—who’d been willing to sell his best friend and marry Somerly off for money¬¬—even worth the effort?

  Somerly took full responsibility for hurting Dre’Kariston and following the plan to marry Lucretia. It was Somerly who’d been sure it was his only avenue, but he was just beginning to understand how much of a sheltered a life he’d led under his father’s thumb. It made him wish he was a braver sort, like Lex, who always pushed boundaries and didn’t accept anything at face value. It was time Somerly tried out such a thing for himself and spread his wings. It might be his only chance at convincing Dre’Kariston he deserved a second chance.

  Chapter 22

  “Okay, let me explain how shadow walking works and remember, if this sounds crazy to you, I won’t be upset if you back out,” Chander said.

  “I want to do this,” Dre’Kariston assured him.

  “This is so exciting,” Renny enthused. “Tell your parents I wish I could meet them.”

  “Tell them hi for me and thanks for their son. He’s nuts but I love him,” Brogan added.

  “Give them my love,” Dra’Kaedan tacked on.

  Dre’Kariston held up his hands to hopefully throttle back the messages to pass to his folks. He didn’t even know if he’d find them or how much time he’d have in their company. “Okay, I’ll tell them. Now Chand, let’s do this.”

  “Right, so we’re going to drink this tea. It comes from the xlenthin plant, and it’s the safest one we’ve found for shadow walking. It’s going to essentially put you into a sort of trance. You won’t be able to move your body, but your mind will be wide awake. I’ll cast the spell to cross us to the other side of the veil. I will tailor it to follow your soul. All you have to do is lie there and focus exclusively on your parents. It should have us crossing over to their location or at least very close to it. They’re likely leading the Coven of Warlocks on the other side, so I’m sure we’ll be surrounded by your dead brethren, and they can help us track down T’Eirick and Saura if we don’t pop in next to them,” Chander explained.

  “I can focus on them. Not a problem.”

  “Don’t get freaked out when you can’t move. You won’t stop breathing or anything. If you panic, who knows where we’ll wi
nd up.”

  “I’ll stay calm. I promise.” Dre’Kariston wasn’t going to waste an opportunity to visit his parents by freaking out over the effects of Chander’s tea.

  “And this is completely safe?” Alaric asked.

  “Yes, I promise,” Chander assured his mate.

  “How long will you be gone?” Dra’Kaedan asked. “When do I yank you back home?”

  “How do we pull you back to this side?” Alaric tossed out the question before Chander could answer any of Dra’Kaedan’s inquiries.

  “Alaric, you’re connected to my soul, and Dra’Kaedan you share the blood of your twin. To guide us back all you have to do is lay a hand on our bodies, and it’ll open a portal on the other side, but we don’t need that. I can open one myself when we’re ready to return,” Chander responded.

  “But you can also lose track of how much time you’ve spent, which can get dangerous,” Alaric argued. “You’ll get twenty minutes. Then Dra’Kaedan and I will open the portals.”

  “How do we force you into the portal if you want to stay longer?” Dra’Kaedan asked.

  Chander glared, sighed, and tapped his sneakered foot. “You won’t need to do this, but visualize your connection and yank. To speed it up, you can touch something valuable to the bond inside you. Alaric, use our mating band and Dra’Kaedan, you have your brother’s essence in your necklace. That’s why there’s literally no danger here. You both have the power to prevent any disasters. Not to mention, T’Eirick and Saura can shove us back to the land of the living. They even have experience with it since they did that for you, Dra’Kaedan, years ago. Everything’s going to be fine.”

  “It’s not that we don’t trust you. We’re simply nervous since we haven’t been through this before,” Alaric replied. Chander slipped his hands into the gap between Alaric’s belt and the glowing daggers that were always at his sides. He lifted onto his toes and the pair kissed. Dre’Kariston wished for nothing more than the same affection between them and wondered why the hell he’d wound up with a liar who lacked a heart. Shaking off his angry thoughts, Dre’Kariston focused on the task at hand.

  Dra’Kaedan must have sensed his turmoil, because he pulled him into a hug. “I love you. I trust you, but I’m with Alaric. You get twenty minutes.”

  “Fine.”

  Chander handed him a cup. “This doesn’t taste great, so don’t sip it. Get it over with because you need to drink the whole thing. You’ll need to lie down as soon as you’re done. It doesn’t take long to work.”

  With a nod, Dre’Kariston took it from him and lifted it to his lips. The acrid smell hit his nose, and he made a disgusted face, then chugged it. It was bitter and foul, so Dre’Kariston was glad he’d taken Chander’s advice. His brother insisted on helping him lie down on the bed in the center of the guest room they chose for their adventure.

  “When I woke up this morning, I didn’t realize I’d be sharing a bed with Dre’Kariston before nightfall,” Chander said as he climbed onto the mattress next to him.

  A giddiness swept over Dre’Kariston and he laughed. “I feel weird. Alaric, don’t kill me for sleeping with your mate.”

  Chander’s chuckles filled the room. “I forgot to warn you, it makes you feel euphoric before your body stops working. Now grab my hand before we lose the ability to move.”

  After doing what he was told, Dre’Kariston closed his eyes and tried to wiggle his toes. It was strange to find it impossible. He’d known it was coming, but it was still weird not to have any control over his body. Chander’s warning popped into his head, and he understood why he gave it, but he wasn’t going to panic. Instead, he focused on a crystal-clear vision of his parents. He remembered the last painful moments he’d spent with them and wished for more time with them. There was a tug of magic as Chander cast the spell to send them to the other side. An image of his mother’s boundless curls and his father’s blue eyes popped into his head. Then he experienced a sense of weightlessness similar to when he teleported.

  “We made it. You can open your eyes,” Chander said.

  Dre’Kariston did as he was told and found himself in a grassy field. At the edges of his vision was a grayness proving he was beyond the shadow of life. “Where are we?”

  “Hell if I know. You’re the one who was steering this thing.”

  “There’s nobody fucking here.”

  “Let’s walk around and see if we can run into your people to track down your folks. We don’t have much time.”

  “Sounds good,” Dre’Kariston replied. The pair took a few steps; then muted fire raced across the sky. Gazing upward, a matte black dragon flew over their heads. Just behind him was one of brilliant gold. He turned to Chander and found him slack-jawed. Before he could say anything, he heard a voice he recognized instantly.

  “Our dragons seem perturbed today, T’Eirick,” his mother said. To his amazement, she came into view. Saura’s golden curls were still hanging to her waist, and she was smiling at his father as they walked toward where he and Chander were immobile with shock. T’Eirick swung his head and spotted them. He stopped dead and stared. His mother was still facing away, and she halted as well.

  “Fate’s sake, is that really you?” T’Eirick asked.

  Dre’Kariston’s throat tightened with tears, and he found it impossible to respond. But he didn’t need to; Saura twisted to see what captured T’Eirick’s attention and let out a scream. Saura ran to bridge the distance between them and hauled Dre’Kariston into her arms. All he could do was hold on as he cried on her shoulder.

  “Arch Lich Chander Daray, it’s been some centuries since we last met,” his father said. “You were more boy than man in those days, but you certainly did wonders with the little Council Saura and I created. I can’t thank you enough for pursuing our dream after our deaths. And I sense you’ve mated. Congratulations.”

  “Thank you, and it was an honor to run your Council for so long. Um…do I still call you Grand Warlock?”

  “That’s my son’s title. I’m just T’Eirick now. Come on, Saura. Let me have a moment with our youngest child.”

  “I can’t seem to let go,” she said, and her voice was thick with tears. She managed to pull away, and Dre’Kariston sniffed as he tried to control himself. He had precious few minutes with his parents and didn’t want to waste them blubbering. T’Eirick gently pushed Saura aside, then crushed Dre’Kariston in his arms.

  Holding on for dear life, he choked back his emotions as his mother embraced Chander. The Arch Lich didn’t hesitate to return her affection.

  “Oh, Arch Lich…thank you for bringing our son to visit us,” Saura offered.

  “You certainly don’t have to use my title. I was thrilled to do it. As soon as he went dark, I got excited at the opportunity to reunite you, and we wanted to find the dragons of the Reverent Knights,” Chander said. “I didn’t have any idea we’d see them flying overhead as soon as we found you.”

  T’Eirick let Dre’Kariston go, and he wanted nothing more than to pull his father close again, but there were things that needed to be said. The important words had to come first. “I love you guys. We need to talk about the dragons, but Renny says he’s sorry he didn’t get to meet you. Brogan wanted me to tell you thanks for his mate, and Dra’Kaedan sends his love.”

  “We love you too. So very much. I hope your brother and his mate are happy. Of course tell them both we love them. Who is Renny, dear?” Saura asked.

  Dre’Kariston’s brow furrowed. “Dra’Kaedan’s familiar. He summoned him years ago. I figured you guys would scry occasionally to check in on us. You must have before when Dra’Kaedan nearly died.”

  “We chose to give you and Dra’Kaedan our magic when we sent him back to your side of the veil. Scrying isn’t possible any longer,” T’Eirick explained.

  “It’s the one thing I miss without power. We did like knowing how you boys were doing. How are Derwin and the rest of the D’Vaires?” Saura asked.

  “Derwin hasn’t
changed since the day I summoned him, and he’s pissed I went dark,” Dre’Kariston said. “Chand’s mate and Dra’Kaedan are only giving us twenty minutes with you guys. We need to talk about the dragons.” Time was slipping away, and all Dre’Kariston could do was stare at his parents and wish he didn’t have to leave them.

  T’Eirick nodded. “We left the Coven of Warlocks. It was unfair to rule over them without any magic of our own. Your Uncle Dagon and Aunt Zayra lead them. We decided to travel and explore as much of this world as possible. One day these two dragons were flying overhead, almost as if they’d tracked us down. They haven’t left our side for more than a few hours since.”

  “Speaking of Dagon and Zayra, their son’s sleeping in a cave being watched over by a remarkably honorable Cwylld elf who Carvallius has marked with an evil spell. I don’t know his name, but he kidnapped Scheredin shortly after their deaths and he has been in a coma, with one of those damnable magic sucking stones on his chest since. There’s an elf lying next to him. I don’t know his tribe, but demon blood courses through his veins just as I sense it does yours, Chander. You need to track them down,” Saura insisted.

  “Mom, Scheredin lives with us. That Cwylld elf is named Cadlyr, and he’s very honorable. We removed Carvallius’s spell from him. Not only is he now the chieftain, he’s a D’Vaire. The demonic elf is Acwellan, and he lives with us, as well as his brother and his mate. They’re all family.”

  She raised a hand to her chest. “Well, that’s a relief. Did you find Klodjana?”

  “We assumed Scher’s sister was on this side of the veil,” Dre’Kariston responded.

  “No, dear…she lives still, but she cloaks her magic just as you once did. I’m glad to hear the former Cwylld chieftains are dead. I’ll never forgive them for what they did to our people,” Saura replied.

  “Let’s not go off on a tangent about the war. I’ll get pissed and won’t be able to concentrate on a damn thing,” T’Eirick griped.

  “How can you sense demonic power anyway? I can barely tell Chand’s different, and I can’t tell how strong his demon is or anything,” Dre’Kariston said.