FALL OF THE ARCH LICH
JESSAMYN KINGLEY
Copyright © 2017 Jessamyn Kingley
All Rights Reserved
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Editing: Flat Earth Editing
Cover Design: 2017 © L.J. Anderson, Mayhem Cover Creations
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Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
About the Author
Chapter 1
“How’s that?” Larissa asked Albrecht as he lifted his hood to cover his gleaming black skull.
“I can see,” he replied.
“Move around a bit,” Grand Warlock Dra’Kaedan D’Vaire said. “Let’s make sure it’s going to work even if you’re training.”
Lich Sentinel Alaric Daray watched as a lightning-fast Albrecht grabbed his daggers from his hips and did a series of moves around the large tailoring shop Larissa D’Vairedraconis used to supply the sentinels with uniforms and crazy pajamas.
“My sight is unaffected,” Skeleton Lord Albrecht stated when he was finished. Larissa and Dra’Kaedan had been working for the last few weeks to perfect the cloaks so the sentinels didn’t have to remove or pull them back to fully see the world around them. The Skeleton Seven, the group of men who assisted Alaric in ruling their people, included five skeletons. It made going out in public a nuisance as people stopped and stared at the sight of them.
Already uncomfortable around large crowds after spending centuries locked away at the compound, the skeletons were finding life amongst the Council of Sorcery and Shifters a trial. In the three months since they’d gained acceptance into the Council, they’d avoided traveling there with Alaric. Not that Alaric was excited about visiting himself. After all, there was always the chance he’d run into his mate.
Arch Lich Chander Daray of the Order of Necromancia had broken Alaric’s heart, and the sentinel leader was dealing with it the best way he could. It was difficult when there were more questions than answers. He didn’t know what he’d done to hurt Chander, to cause him to spew hateful words and call an end to what had been the start of something wonderful. Alaric loved Chander and had been convinced that even though his mate had been reluctant to start a relationship, someday he’d feel the same.
Instead, Alaric had been tossed out of their home and told his place was at the prison the necromancers had sent his people to a couple of thousand years before. It was, in some ways, still a shock to his system. But Alaric thought he was getting used to the idea of life without Chander. Unlike the first few weeks, he was now able to sleep at night and he ate meals. But he still lacked a desire to fully engage in the world around him.
All his anger had fizzled away, and now he was hollow inside. He had no clue how to change it and wasn’t sure he wanted to. A mate was supposed to be the most important thing in someone’s life. Alaric had embraced that, and he had considered himself privileged to have been given someone like Chander as the other half of his soul. Chander was smart, tough, and took his role as a leader seriously. Everything about him had intrigued Alaric from the start, and he had only grown more fascinated by the man when he’d gotten to know him better.
The only thing he had not liked about Chander was his penchant for thrashing himself over any conceived mistake. He was good at making himself suffer, and Alaric still wondered if that was the reason Chander banished him. Chander had cast him aside with all the care of a bomb going off and just like that, Alaric was changed forever. His heart had been carved out of his chest and he had no idea how to restore it.
The Order of the Fallen Knights had sent over Juris Knight Mitchell Brooks to deliver the final blow. Chander had used his own assigned Juris Knight to fill out official separation papers that would effectively terminate their relationship in the eyes of the Council. It was the best they could do; their blood had mixed and they were stuck together in that way for both of their immortal lives.
For three months Alaric had been staring at those damn papers, and he still couldn’t bring himself to sign them. Juris Knight Brooks was more than willing to send over Alaric’s demands and have his counterpart revise what Chander had drawn up but honestly, there was nothing about what the Arch Lich was requesting that offended Alaric. It was just that final step Alaric wasn’t able to deal with.
It was saying good-bye to Chander and all they’d built in those few fragile months they’d had together after the Arch Lich had been so gravely ill. Alaric knew it should have been easy to do that; their relationship had gone up in flames after one horrible fight. One that had begun while Alaric hadn’t been home and had been about as clear as mud. Chander had never explained why it was over, and Alaric wished he could use that as his excuse for not signing the document.
But the truth was, even if he knew why Chander had dumped him, he would probably be willing to forgive him. He would likely have apologized for whatever imagined slight had entered Chander’s fevered mind and agreed to start anew. It was not a welcome revelation—he didn’t want to be at the mercy of his heart, but he had no choice. Fate had given him Chander, and he simply wasn’t prepared to dissolve their matebond in the legal sense. Or in any regard.
“Hey, Alaric,” King Aleksander D’Vairedraconis said as he entered Larissa’s workshop. Alaric was grateful to see him; he needed to get out of his own head before he did something stupid like calling Chander and begging for a way to fix their relationship.
“How are you, Aleksander?”
“Annoyed,” he replied. “Unless, of course, you’re finally willing to let me write you a check.”
“You’re certainly not going to give the sentinels money,” Alaric replied. This had been an ongoing argument, and Alaric wasn’t going to budge.
“You have a huge complex to build to bring all of your men here from the compound,” Aleksander pointed out. “It could help.”
“The sentinels are very popular after my speech to
the Council was shown on TV. People love us now. We have had plenty of financial support coming through for us,” Alaric insisted. “What we don’t have is land to build a complex so they have a place to live or the ability to bring our men here in the first place.”
“I know you want to be in Vegas, near Headquarters, so I don’t know what to tell you about land. You’ll find the right space, and the Council is trying to fix the problem of your men coming here.”
“Not fast enough for my taste,” Alaric responded. “Again, they’ve allowed the Order of Necromancia to roadblock the sentinels. Those elders have filed petition after petition to remove us from the Council and to thwart our demand that they summon the sentinels here.”
“I know, it’s awful,” Aleksander said. “And unpopular. I don’t know how they can think they’re going to win this.”
“I think the elders are enjoying the attention. They enjoy being a nuisance and having reporters following them around. The elders get to tell everyone how dangerous they believe we are and what a mistake it was for the Council to allow us to join. And that we belong to the Order of Necromancia and it’s best for everyone if we stay at the compound.”
“I can’t believe they won’t even summon them long enough to get Council identification cards,” Aleksander commented.
“And then they were surprised when we filed our own petition barring anyone from the Order of Necromancia in our office suite or any other land we might acquire.”
Aleksander’s lips turned up into a feral grin. “I bet it chapped their asses to see you guys accept the office space from the Order of the Fallen Knights which put you right next to the necromancers.”
“I nearly told the Reverent Knights I would prefer the Sentinel Brotherhood as far from the Order of Necromancia as possible,” Alaric replied. “But then I saw the space Council could offer us. It was on the very outskirts of the Headquarters complex.”
“Your office name is awesome and yeah, I’m glad you guys decided to take the fallen knights’ offer, and I love the design you guys went with. It’s really striking.”
“I’m happy with the way it turned out. I’m glad you suggested I have your neighbors, the griffins, handle the construction. We don’t use it much yet, but when we are able to bring our men here that will change,” Alaric said. They had a stunning two-story complex, and he knew it would serve them well when they needed to be amongst the Council. For now, it mostly sat empty as the only trips they made from the compound were to the Draconis Court of D’Vaire. The Emperor wanted Alaric to attend more Council sessions, and he was willing to ease his way into spending his mornings in the Main Assembly Hall, but it meant seeing Chander every day. That would be both torture and pleasure.
“I think we’ve finally got the cloak perfected,” Dra’Kaedan announced as he sat at the table where Alaric and Aleksander were talking.
“I knew you could do it, squirt,” Aleksander replied.
“I thought it would be easier,” Dra’Kaedan confessed. “Who knew skeletal and corporeal sentinel sight were so different?”
“Oh good, you’re still here,” Madeline D’Vairedraconis exclaimed as she dashed into the room. She was carrying a large box which she set down on the round table. “Alaric, would you mind gathering all of your Skeleton Seven over here?”
Alaric nodded. He motioned to Albrecht and when he got to his side, asked him to go and grab the rest of the ruling sentinels. They were outside training, something they loved to do. Albrecht returned a few minutes later with the four white skeletons and two non-skeletons who made up their group.
“Thanks, guys, this will only take a minute,” Madeline told them. “I’ve been making mating rings for all your crew at the compound which is why I’m only giving these to you now.” She flipped open the box and inside were eight rings.
“What are these for?” Skeleton Lord Cassius asked.
“Council leaders wear rings of rank,” Madeline explained as she picked up a thick silver ring that had what appeared to be a perfect replica of a sentinel’s dagger on the face of it. “This is yours, Alaric.”
“And you wonder why I won’t let you give us money,” Alaric said to Aleksander as he took the gorgeous ring from Madeline. “I know you aren’t going to let us pay for these any more than you will let us reimburse you for anything else you’ve done for us.”
Aleksander shrugged. “We’re happy to help.”
Alaric looked down at the ring Madeline handed him and saw his own weapon reproduced on it. There was even a green and black aura around it to signify the poisons. “Thank you, this is amazing.”
“I’m glad you like it,” she returned with a smile. “For the Skeleton Seven, I did your skulls.” Madeline began handing out rings; there was a black one for Albrecht and four white ones for Brynnius, Cassius, Ducarius, and Eduard. For the two sentinels who called Court D’Vaire home, they had the blue-black which represented their king. Each man thanked her profusely as he put his jewelry on.
“The metal is enchanted like shifters so when you guys get your bodies back, it will stretch just like your uniforms,” Madeline explained. They hoped someday the skeletons would be corporeal but the truth was, no one knew for sure. The compound they called home used to drain their memory, so no one remembered their pasts. He’d broken that spell and now Alaric preferred to think it was only a matter of patience—one day, they’d all have intact recollection of their lives.
“These are stunning, but how do you know what Gavrael and Gedeon’s skulls look like? They’ve never been skeletons,” Cassius said.
“I think I can answer that,” Skeleton Lord Gedeon D’Vaire responded. “That’s why you sent us to the dentist, right? You wanted us to get those panoramic X-rays.”
Madeline smirked. “Yes, sorry I had to trick you, but I wanted these to be a surprise.”
“I do not see why we had to have a cleaning,” Gedeon’s mate, Gavrael complained.
“Even immortal sentinels get plaque,” Aleksander pointed out.
“I hate the dentist,” Gavrael replied. “Strange people hovering too close and sticking their fingers in your mouth.”
Alaric laughed. Sentinels weren’t big on touching, and Gavrael took that part of being one very seriously. He wished he could have seen the man’s face when he’d been at the dentist. His expression had probably been hilarious.
“It was worth it to get these cool-ass rings. Thanks again, Madeline,” Gedeon said. Alaric didn’t know anything about dentists, but the rings were stunning and he was, as always, grateful for everything the D’Vaires continued to do for them. They were amazing people and he was glad to count them as friends.
Chapter 2
Baxter Daray, one of the two sentinels bound to the soul of Arch Lich Chander Daray, was pacing in front of the resurrection room at the training facility of the Order of the Fallen Knights when he heard his name being called. He looked up from where he’d been watching his boots traipse over the wooden floors as he saw the mated pair of Reverent Knights headed his way.
“Good morning,” he called out to them.
“Hey,” Reverent Knight Conley Gylde-Kempe said as soon as they got close. “Where’s your mate?”
“Ben is escorting one of your new recruits to his dorm,” Baxter replied.
Conley’s mate, Drystan, raised a dark eyebrow. “The Arch Lich is alone in the resurrection room?”
“He’s the one who has been telling us for years he doesn’t need us babysitting him every minute of the day.” Baxter shrugged off a tinge of guilt for not guarding Chander.
“Whether he wants to admit it or not, he needs you guys,” Drystan said. “Not because you are honor-bound to guard him but because you’re his family.”
“He’s not treating us like family,” Baxter argued.
“He’s being cruel to you?” Conley asked.
Baxter squirmed in his gray boots. “No, of course not. He’s always got his face buried in a book.”
“Is he sle
eping or eating?” Drystan asked as he wound an arm around Conley.
“He eats lunch after Council sessions,” Baxter said. “Outside of that, I don’t know. As for his sleeping habits, I have no idea.”
“So, he’s back to the shit he was doing before he got sick?” Drystan asked.
“Yeah, not taking care of himself and ignoring the world around him.”
“And his two best friends aren’t speaking to him,” Conley added.
“Look, we’re willing to talk to him when he starts answering questions,” Baxter defended. “Like why the hell he blew up at Alaric. That would be a good place to start, but he refuses to explain anything.”
“He’s not with Alaric,” Drystan pointed out. “He’s got to be hurting. He needs you two now more than ever.”
“He’s not with Alaric because he chose to tell him to fuck off,” Benton argued as he came up behind them. Baxter was thrilled to see his mate and tugged him close for a kiss.
“I know, but that doesn’t mean he’s not in pain,” Drystan insisted.
“It’s hard for me to feel sorry for him when it’s been done of his own accord,” Benton replied. “He certainly doesn’t show any indication that it’s a decision he regrets.”
“I thought you guys were dedicated to the cause of bringing him and Alaric back together,” Conley said.
“We were,” Benton responded. “But we can’t help Chand if he won’t answer questions. We have no idea why he lost his shit. We can’t talk to Alaric because he’s hardly ever around, and he doesn’t want us to go to the compound. It would take a miracle to fix this right now.”
“Alaric still hasn’t signed the separation papers,” Drystan confided. “He’s had three months, and JK Brooks hasn’t gotten him to move any closer to an agreement. I think that tells you a great deal regarding his feelings about breaking up with Chand.”
Baxter’s brows drew together in irritation. “Well, sure, he wasn’t the one who started this nightmare. Chand still calls JK Murphy on a regular basis wanting to know if he’s gotten a signed copy of the damn papers yet.”
Fall of the Arch Lich (D'Vaire, Book 6) Page 1
