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

by Jessamyn Kingley

  “It’s done,” Dre’Kariston announced. He could barely be heard over the din of the wizard’s bolts booming across the room but when his words registered, all the sorcerers in the room went still.

  Chander’s eyes opened. His normal pewter irises were replaced by the deep red of his demon. “How’s Drystan?”

  “He’s fine. It was a struggle, but he doesn’t have a scratch on him, inside or out.”

  “How much magic did you go through?” Alaric asked.

  “We have plenty left for Conley,” Dra’Kaedan assured him.

  Once again, the air went calm and no one spoke. Dre’Kariston didn’t know what he was feeling as he stared at his father lying there, sharing the same space on this side of the veil with him for the first time in over six centuries.

  “It worked,” Renny whispered into silence. Then he yelled it. “It worked!”

  “Can I ask why T’Eirick hasn’t moved?” Brogan asked.

  Baxter smiled. “You guys are a bunch of rookies. It’s not easy being resurrected. Give his body a few minutes to get its bearings, and he’ll open his eyes.”

  “Not all of us hang out with a necro who resurrects people annually,” Brogan muttered.

  Benton crossed the room and lifted the pitcher to pour water into a glass. Opening a box, he set out a few crackers on the plate Noirin had placed there at Chander’s request. “There he goes. Hello, T’Eirick. I’m Ben. How are you feeling?”

  T’Eirick coughed. “Hello, Ben. Nice to meet you. I feel like I want to puke.”

  “Perfectly normal. Can I offer you some crackers or water?” Benton asked.

  “No, thank you. Did the dragon follow me?”

  “Yes, he’s already back where he belongs with Drystan,” Chander told him from across the room.

  “Good. Bring Saura here, if you don’t mind. She’ll be going crazy on the other side worried about our progress,” T’Eirick requested as he closed his eyes again. “I’m just going to have a rest. Three days of this you said?”

  “The first couple of hours are the worst, but each one gets better, I promise. We only say three days because the weakness and fatigue can stretch that far,” Baxter told him.

  “Thank Fate,” T’Eirick muttered.

  “Okay, Dre’Kariston. You’re up. Figuring out it was Drystan’s dragon wasn’t a problem at all. I simply followed Chander’s spell and hopped as soon as T’Eirick started to cross. The black beast was curious and essentially stuck his head out into the space between both sides of the veil. I never felt the pull of necrotic magic on my own as Chander rezzed him, so no worries there. Once he started getting farther across, he panicked so I had to wrestle him a bit. Thank goodness Idris could twist the healing around him to calm him down,” Delaney explained. Once Dre’Kariston crossed the room to where he was standing next to Chander, Delaney placed a hand on his forearm. “Can you feel my memory of the spell?”

  Dre’Kariston pushed a little magic toward Delaney, careful not to use much, knowing it would cause the wizard pain. Delaney opened his mind, and Dre’Kariston relived Delaney’s battle with Drystan’s dragon. “Thanks, Del. You’ve made things very easy for me.”

  “No problem, happy to help.” Delaney smiled, then strode over to take a seat next to Idris’s mate.

  “Ready?” Chander asked.

  “He better be. I can’t deal with the twins without their mother,” T’Eirick grumbled from the bed where he lay carefully still.

  Dre’Kariston grinned. “Let’s do this.”

  Chander went back to work, and Dre’Kariston switched to his own true form. Navy and silver danced over one side of his body as he deftly slid his magic to rest right along Chander’s resurrection spell without touching it. Closing his eyes, he opened his senses to the feel of a dragon next to his mother whose soul was being gently lifted from across the veil. She hadn’t even fully crossed when Dre’Kariston detected the essence of a beast.

  Chander had obviously experienced the same, because a second resurrection started to tug Conley’s dragon over. Dre’Kariston crafted a bubble and the beast leaped into it. There was no struggle like Delaney was subjected to with Drystan’s animal. Instead, Dre’Kariston had to essentially keep the dragon from bounding into the room with them. Quickly, he shoved the sphere in the direction of the sleeping fallen knight.

  “You’re moving too fast,” Dra’Kaedan yelled.

  “He’s not fighting—just heal as they merge,” Dre’Kariston ordered his brother.

  Conley’s body arched as Dre’Kariston guided his beast back to the man he was separated from hundreds of years ago. The dragon vaulted into Conley.

  “There’s nothing to heal,” Scheredin called out. “Smooth as silk.”

  Seconds later, Dre’Kariston lifted his lashes to find the fallen knight lying peacefully. It went so easily, Dre’Kariston had a flash of guilt for poor Delaney who’d battled with Drystan’s antsy beast. His part of it moved so rapidly that when Dre’Kariston turned his gaze over to his parents, his mother was still coming into full view.

  A thick burst of light streaked across the room, and Dre’Kariston whipped his head toward his brother who shrugged. “Couldn’t hurt to heal Mom and Dad.”

  “Warlocks,” Chander grumbled. He opened his eyes and the room was void of spell-casting. “You can’t heal rez sickness.”

  Instead of the cautious and slow way T’Eirick awakened, Saura shocked them all by sitting straight up. A moment later she eased back down onto the mattress and lifted a hand to her stomach. “Oh dear, I shouldn’t have done that.”

  “Mom, take it easy. You were just resurrected,” Dre’Kariston told her.

  “Conley’s dragon came with me, didn’t he?”

  “Absolutely,” Chander replied. “You and T’Eirick were amazing. I knew you could do it.”

  “T’Eirick, did you throw up?”

  “No, but if you don’t stop jostling this bed, I might.”

  “Grand Warlock, are you going to say hello to your mother?” Saura demanded of Dra’Kaedan.

  “I’m too busy crying. I missed you, Momma.”

  Dre’Kariston walked over and pulled his brother into his arms. He wanted to do the same with his parents, but they’d need a few hours at least before it would be possible without making them feel worse. Somehow, against all odds, T’Eirick and Saura were at D’Vaire, and if that wasn’t a big enough accomplishment, in a matter of days Drystan and Conley would fly again. He’d never imagined such an incredible group of men and at the moment could offer little complaint about where his path had led him. Dre’Kariston was even grateful for Somerly. Without the pain he’d caused, Dre’Kariston might not have chosen darkness. It was almost enough to forgive him for breaking his heart. Almost.

  Chapter 31

  “Dammit, Somerly. Get off the couch and do something,” Worth ordered. “You should be reading this Council book at the very least. It’ll help you understand how things work.”

  “What does it matter? All we do is sit in one fucking hotel or another,” Somerly complained. It was Tuesday morning and he was sick and tired of waiting. Dre’Kariston didn’t want to have anything to do with him, and he was probably powerful enough in the Council to make sure there was plenty of distance between them. He was losing hope of getting the chance to see him, let alone explain why he’d made such shitty decisions.

  “He’s dejected,” Lex said.

  “I’ll kick him right in the balls if he starts getting heartsickness. It’s rather cruel to make the acquaintance of my little brother only to have him die.”

  “Somerly’s upset,” Lex argued. Then he sat down next to Somerly and their eyes met. “You just need to have some patience.”

  “Did you see what your mate’s been up to? The TV’s been on—have you not been paying attention? They resurrected the dragons of the Reverent Knights, and yesterday the two men flew for the cameras. A bright golden dragon and a deep black one emblazoned with silver designs that resemble the
embroidery of their uniforms, the pretty lady on the news said,” Worth stated as he threw his hands up in exasperation. “How can you not understand he needs some time to rest? They made history. Those dragons were once our emperors, you know.”

  “Since when do you have an Emperor?” Somerly asked moodily.

  “It’s Boian who rejects Fate. I’ve always had an Emperor,” Worth shot back. Before Somerly could come up with some way to argue with that, there was a loud knock at the door.

  Lex rose to answer it and Worth pinned Somerly with a sharp look. “Enough of this nonsense. You made a mistake, and the entire situation’s your fault. Moping around doesn’t help. You need to be focused on what you’re going to say to the Grand Summoner when you see him.”

  “If I see him,” Somerly muttered.

  “With that kind of attitude, you’re damn right it’s an if,” Worth retorted.

  When Lex returned to the living area of their large suite, Somerly took immediate notice of the two men behind him. They were the same pair Worth had just been raving about.

  “Good morning, gentlemen. I’m Reverent Knight Drystan Gylde-Kempe. This is my mate, Reverent Knight Conley,” the dark-haired man said.

  Worth thrust his hand toward them. “I was just speaking of you. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I never thought to have the honor of meeting our former emperors. I’m Worthington, but I go by Worth.”

  The three shook hands; then it was Lex’s turn. “I’m Lex, and congratulations on getting your dragons back. Reverent Knight Conley, your beast’s magnificent.”

  Reverent Knight Conley smiled; his eyes were the pure gilt of his beast with a twisted ring of silver around the pupil. Fate had obviously decided to mark them as Reverent Knights. “I’ve been getting that a lot lately. It’s incredible to be able to fly again.”

  “I’m Somerly,” he offered.

  “Nice to meet all of you. How about we all take a seat and have a chat?” Drystan suggested. The five men found spots on the sofas and chairs in the hotel room; then the Reverent Knight spoke again. “The Emperor handed me your forms this morning. I want to confirm all of the information you’ve provided.”

  “Tillie Butlerdraconis told us there was no way we’d be returned to the Consilium,” Worth rushed out.

  Conley grinned again. “Rest assured, you won’t be going back. Worth, you and Somerly listed yourselves as former princes.”

  “We’re both King Boian Ethelindraconis’s sons, though I’d rather I wasn’t. I doubt we have the same mother as I was told mine was dead, but the man’s such a liar it’s hard to say if that’s the truth,” Worth told him.

  Drystan and Conley exchanged glances he had no way of interpreting. “We don’t look alike, so I’m guessing we didn’t have the same mom.”

  “That’s true. Worth, you look a great deal like someone I know,” Drystan said.

  Worth rolled his eyes. “You sound like Somerly here. He says I resemble his mate’s king, the one Boian called cursed. I’ve never met King D’Vairedraconis and can’t imagine why anyone thinks he looks like me.”

  “He’s not lying,” Conley responded. “You share an uncanny resemblance with King D’Vairedraconis. Your eyes are quite unique. They’re human, aren’t they? With the dragon scales over them. What color beast are you?”

  “It’s not something I willingly tell people,” Worth said. “Is it a must?”

  “I don’t suppose it is. Your identification card simply says dragon,” Drystan replied.

  “Thanks, then. I prefer to keep it to myself. It’s not something to be proud of.”

  “Every shifter has a beast to be proud of. You’re no different, Worth, and I’m sorry someone ever made you feel like you should be ashamed of your dragon. What you have is a gift, and it’s one that can easily be taken for granted. Love who and what you are,” Conley answered.

  “Easy for the golden dragon to say. Has there ever been a beast as beautiful as your mate?” Worth asked Drystan.

  “Nope, but let’s talk about your mate, Somerly. Do you know Drystan and I have heard of you? In fact, we’ve even been at D’Vaire at the same time, though you were with Dre’Kariston in his private space and we didn’t want to bother you two for an introduction. He didn’t mention you were a prince.”

  Somerly’s shoulders slumped. It was yet another lie to add to the pile he’d told Dre’Kariston. He truly was turning out to be his father’s son. “He didn’t know. I wanted him to like me for me, not because of my father’s rank. Did Dre’Kariston refuse to sign the form? Tillie told me I could fight it, and I will.”

  “He hasn’t seen it yet. Your mate’s a Council leader, and he happens to be a part of our family. My son lives at D’Vaire—you’ve met him and his mate. Because of those two factors and the spell he helped cast last week to give us our dragons, the Emperor decided we should handle this personally. We were surprised to see your ranks listed on the forms, which is why we decided to come over and discuss things with you before we speak with the Grand Summoner,” Drystan explained.

  “I just want to talk to Dre’Kariston. I know he’s furious with me, but I can’t do anything to fix it from this hotel room.”

  “I’ll be honest with you. Dre’Kariston will sign it without any need for a battle. He’s not the kind of person to drag things out unnecessarily,” Drystan remarked. “As I’m sure you’ve been told, once he does that I can give you his information. I’ll even go one further and arrange for you to be taken to D’Vaire. Let’s talk about your companions. What’s the plan, gentlemen?”

  “I want them with me,” Somerly stated. He was going to fight to keep his brother and his best friend close. He’d already lost one person he loved as well as his father, Somerly couldn’t make do without the only two people he had left.

  “Tillie said most kings don’t mind taking in a sibling, so Worth here will be traveling to D’Vaire. I’d like to go myself. I’ve filled out an application. I haven’t had a response, but I know they were quite busy from the news and such,” Lex added.

  “I can tell you that the sanctuary Dra’Kaedan’s Coven is unofficially closed to new residents. I can’t get into why, but it’s not possible for them to safely bring in new people. I don’t know if Dre’Kariston explained things to you, Somerly, but if he has, then you understand. However, we’re going to go now and speak with Dre’Kariston and King D’Vairedraconis. We’ll give them all the details about the situation and see what they have to say, okay? I wish I could promise more, but the decision isn’t in our hands,” Conley explained.

  Somerly remembered very well the story about the things that happened to Dre’Kariston and Dra’Kaedan in the past. There was a woman named Latarian still out in the world somewhere possibly on the hunt for the men. “I understand. Dre’Kariston did explain things to me. In all the madness of the last few weeks, I’d nearly forgotten the danger. I hope you can convey to King Aleksander that we don’t know her, and none of us have any contact with anyone trying to harm anyone in his home. All we want is a place where we can learn more about your Council and do something with our lives. For myself, what I want most is to work things out with Dre’Kariston.”

  “Any questions for us, gentlemen?” Drystan asked.

  “I had one,” Worth confided. “I read in your Council book there that the wizards do all sorts of things with medicine and tests and such. Our Somerly here isn’t normal. I’ve never known a dragon so small. Boian’s the type of man capable of anything. Could the wizards test Somerly to see what’s been done to him?”

  “You think someone did something to make me short?” Somerly asked, aghast.

  “You said someone named Lucretia told you it wasn’t genetic,” Worth reminded him.

  “She told me they had me tested to make sure it didn’t carry on to our children. Lucretia was the woman I was to marry. She also said my father knows why I’m short, but I didn’t take the opportunity to ask him,” Somerly confessed. He thought it over in his head and came t
o a quick decision. “If there’s testing that can be done, I’d like to have it. If there’s a real cause for me to be different, it’d be nice to know.”

  The two Reverent Knights got to their feet. “We can easily arrange to have the wizards test you. I’ll make a call,” Drystan promised. “We’re going to go straight to D’Vaire and we’ll be in touch.”

  “In such a case we don’t meet again, it truly was an honor,” Worth offered.

  “Same goes,” Conley replied.

  After the two fallen knights left their spacious suite, the three dragons sat in the living room in silence. Somerly found he couldn’t handle it; he leaned back against the cushions. “What’s everyone thinking?”

  “That I can’t believe I just sat and chatted with a couple of men who died some six centuries ago. Rather strange, that,” Worth replied thoughtfully.

  “It is,” Lex agreed. “But fascinating too. I can think of a million questions for them.”

  “Like did it hurt to die?” Worth said.

  Lex gave him a dirty look. “Of course it hurt. The news said they’re the only fallen knights with their memories returned. What happens if you’re one of the others, and you’re walking down the street, and someone recognizes you from before?”

  “Oh, hey Lex, I thought you died,” Worth joked.

  “I guess I did, Worth. Then someone came along and brought me back to life.”

  “And now you’ll say you have no memory of the money you owe me.”

  Lex laughed like a loon. “We’ve been so sheltered all our lives. These magickind are incredible.”

  “Did you read the Council book? Over a hundred races belong. I didn’t even know so many existed or could exist,” Worth enthused.

  “I wish to know about each one. Somerly met a blue elf. Can you imagine? I’d love to meet a blue elf,” Lex replied.

  “He was very nice,” Somerly supplied.