“You’ve given us a place to begin searching for Drexley at least,” Eduard said.
“Can we write to her without the permission of the Consilium Veneficus?” Gavrael asked.
“I would go ahead. We don’t know that her tribe belongs and if they come back with any shit, I would plead ignorance. Just address the envelope to Blackwell House and hope for the best,” Chander suggested.
“Fair enough,” Alaric responded.
“There are many mysteries surrounding our race. How were you able to craft the spell to free us?” Albrecht asked in his deep, smoky voice.
“I found most of the spell that created you in the first place.” Chander turned to Alaric. “Remind me to give that to you. I wouldn’t make it public—you don’t want anyone replicating it.”
Alaric nodded. “Did you learn anything of interest about us from it?”
“Not really. The former Arch Liches seemed to be interested in crafting elite assassins, which they did. The only strange thing was, they involved a dark warlock in it. I don’t know who it was or what parts of the spell were added by him or her. They were necros and you’d think as the leaders, they wouldn’t have needed more power to cast the spell. Of course, they were elected so the reality is, they may very well have not been elite sorcerers. They had horrible handwriting and everything was extremely disorganized. I’m actually shocked they pulled the whole damn thing off.”
“We just have one more thing we wish to ask of you Chander,” Cassius confided. “As you know, we are preparing to build a complex to bring our men here. We understand you owned a great many properties.”
“Bax and Ben told us you were involved in the planning of many of them too,” Gedeon added.
“I was. I enjoyed real estate and planning properties. That’s why I had so much of it,” Chander said.
“Perhaps you’d be willing to assist us. We’ve run into many difficulties with our new complex. Would you consider meeting with our architect?” Ducarius inquired. Alaric was surprised. He was aware things were a mess with their project, but he hadn’t known his Skeleton Seven were going to ask Chander to step in. This was why he had them; he hadn’t even considered Chander could solve the problems around their new complex.
“You want me to meet with your architect?” Chander seemed shocked.
“Yes, we have thrown many hurdles in his path, and we believe he has grown quite frustrated with us. We aren’t at all familiar with how your Council truly works, and we’ve never tried to build a property, and this is a complex project. We could use someone like you to perhaps communicate with our architect and help us make the right decisions,” Cassius insisted.
“You certainly know better than I what is right for the sentinels,” Chander replied.
“If you could meet with him just this once, it would be very helpful. He’s ready to tear his hair out, and we’re afraid he might quit. Then we’d have to start from scratch. As of Friday, our men are ready to move. This project is holding up their future,” Gedeon pleaded.
“I’m not sure what I can really do with your architect but if you think I can help, I’ll meet with him once to try and jump-start this project,” Chander promised.
They wound down the rest of the meeting, and Alaric said good-bye to Chander so he could get back to work. He made plans to meet his man outside the condo in a couple of hours. Alaric was going to rope him into staying awhile by ordering pizza. He was overjoyed his sentinels had managed to get Chander to go meet with the architect. The demonic necromancer wasn’t going to be thrilled when he got there and discovered the man was fed up with them. Hopefully they could convince Chander to be involved with this whole building project. It would keep the architect from killing anyone, and it would keep Chander close. Nothing could have pleased Alaric more than getting to spend more time with the feisty man who Fate had chosen for him.
Chapter 22
“Chand, let’s go,” Baxter yelled. Though Baxter couldn’t see it, Chander thrust his middle finger up behind the door and then shoved his feet into his sneakers. He had lost track of time—that was nothing new—but it wasn’t like he’d done it on purpose. Alaric was waiting to see him, and Chander was excited to see his new condo. The office space had been gorgeous, and he imagined Alaric’s home was equally impressive. Looping the bow of his laces, he heard a loud bang on his door.
“Calm the fuck down. I’m coming,” he hollered before wrenching it open.
“You were reading in there, weren’t you?” Benton accused before pulling his hood up.
“It’s not a criminal act,” Chander muttered before teleporting to the hallway outside his former condo.
Baxter rapped on the door and within a few moments, Alaric allowed them entry.
“Evening,” Alaric said with that killer smile of his. “Come on in and look around.”
The entryway had dark wooden floors and almost immediately opened into a generous area which included a kitchen, dining area, and an expansive living room. The furniture was plentiful and oversized. Dark teal, deep sapphire blue, and chocolate brown made up the color scheme. Texture was evident everywhere; there was a mix of metals, dragonskin, wood, and woven pieces. The wall of windows was left almost unadorned, with only cream shades to block the sun as necessary to cover them.
A steel and timber staircase led up to a loft area with a seemingly endless supply of rooms attached to it. Chander did a once-over on the first floor and saw a few doors concealing more space. He knew the place was enormous; he’d previously called it home but despite the size, it managed to look cozy and inviting.
“Your home is gorgeous,” Chander told him.
Alaric was still smiling. “Larissa and the rest of the D’Vaires really outdid themselves.”
Victor emerged from one of the closed doors on the left of the main floor and walked up to where they were standing barely a few feet inside the door. He greeted everyone warmly except for Chander who he just glared at.
“Victor, I would like to offer you an apology. You did an exemplary job as our housekeeper and chef. I had no cause to fire you, and I certainly should not have done so,” Chander said to the miffed cat shifter.
Victor crossed his arms over his chest. “I think you owe me an explanation.”
Chander turned to Alaric. “You didn’t tell him?”
“Uh, no.”
With a sigh, Chander attempted to explain himself. “I can tell you what happened, but I’ll be honest.…It’s probably going to make you like me less to know the truth.”
“I want to hear it anyway,” Victor insisted.
“Fine. The day I fired you, someone sent me a photo I thought showed you and Alaric in a compromising position. I was stupid to believe it was real, and I’m very sorry.”
The blond’s eyes narrowed. “Alaric is hot. There’s no denying that, but I’ve never been a person who would or needs to steal someone’s man.”
“I’m sure you don’t or wouldn’t. I was an idiot and I’m sorry.”
“About time you said that,” Baxter stated. “It really was stupid to think it was real.”
Victor slapped his hands onto his slim hips. “Okay, you should be nice because he was sick, and if someone sent you a picture of your mate with another man, you’d lose your damn mind too.”
“I thought you were mad at him,” Benton argued.
The cat shifter scowled. “Didn’t you just hear him apologize twice?” His expression switched to a warm smile. “Alaric, did you want me to order pizza for you and Chand?”
“Pizza?” Baxter asked.
“Gross,” Benton added.
“Thanks, Victor, that would be great,” Alaric replied.
“What if not everyone wants pizza?” Baxter complained.
Alaric raised one dark brow at the sentinel. “Who invited you to eat with us anyway?”
“Come on, Bax, let’s go get burgers or something,” Benton said before all but dragging Baxter out the door. Victor pulled his phone fro
m his pocket as he headed back to what was probably his private space. Apparently, Chander would be eating pizza alone with Alaric.
“I don’t remember you inviting me to dinner,” Chander stated as Alaric led him over to one of the cushy sofas.
“It’s the only way I can assure myself you’re getting fed today,” Alaric responded as he got comfortable. “Besides, I happen to like pizza.”
“I’ll have you know, this is my third meal today. Benton made me eat breakfast—I’d needed my strength to deal with Sigimund’s shit—and we hit a café for lunch.”
“This morning was something, wasn’t it?”
“What a complete waste of time. Sigimund would have had them lead me out in chains.”
“I love it when he talks about sentinels like we’re dangerous idiots who need his guidance.”
“Yeah, now you know what my life has been like since the day I was born.”
“No wonder you’re mean.”
“If you think that’s an insult, you’re sadly mistaken.”
There was a buzz which was apparently the door. Victor appeared almost out of thin air and brought them pizza, beer, and tableware. “Don’t spill on the new furniture,” he ordered and then departed for his room.
“He always was damn good at his job,” Chander said as Alaric handed him a plate with a piping hot slice of pepperoni and cheese.
“I’m glad you aren’t mad I hired him.”
“Why would I be mad?”
“I don’t know.…You used to think I was sleeping with him.”
Chander glowered at Alaric. “I’ve admitted I was wrong.”
“Something I’m extremely gratified to hear.”
“I’ll tattoo it on my forehead.”
“It’s a start,” Alaric teased.
“You know, I remember the first time I had pizza in your presence.”
“Oh, here we go.”
“You refused to eat it,” Chander said. “Then you told me my house was dirty, my sentinels deserved better, and that I had a super weird box in my living room. After that you took off.”
Alaric laughed. “I was a rotten houseguest for sure. I heard you no longer have Conley’s box.”
“Yeah, Conley donated it to the fallen knights’ museum. I couldn’t even yell at him. I created it but he’s the one who had to lie in it for six centuries.”
“Are you ever going to forgive yourself for the decision made to separate them?”
Concentrating on his plate, Chander considered Alaric’s question. “I thought for a long time I didn’t deserve forgiveness. Not from them or even from myself. Maybe it’s my demon or all that’s happened in the last few months, but I’m ready to move past it. Drystan and I are friends again, and I’ve gotten to know Conley. I want to focus on my present and stop worrying so much about the past.”
“I’m relieved to hear it. It gives me hope one day you’ll be at peace with the mistake you made when you saw that photo.”
“Will you? Is it something you can move past? Truly put behind you?”
“All I needed from you was an apology. I had to know you regretted it—that given the chance you’d do it differently a second time. I feel confident you now realize I could never and would never do that to you. I’m putting it in the history category because I’ve been alone. I don’t like it. I’ve been with you and I loved it. I want that. I want us. So, yeah, it’s not going to get in my way.”
Chander shook his head a little as he grabbed another slice of pizza. “You’re too damn good for me.”
“I disagree.”
Desperate not to give into the emotions that were swirling inside him because he didn’t want to waste this time with Alaric in tears, Chander decided to change tactics. “Okay, how about we both agree you’re better looking at any rate?”
Alaric’s brow lifted. “No way.”
“Seriously, you have mirrors in this place. I’m not kidding around. You’re all muscles and you have that magnificent face. Your mouth makes me nuts, and who has eyes that stunning? No one. So just shut up.”
“I’m curious,” Alaric replied. “How does my mouth make you nuts?”
“I don’t know. I can’t decide what it is. From the first time I saw it, I wanted to lick it,” Chander confessed. “And now I know what it feels like against mine. Not to mention, the other places you’ve used it on me.”
“Fascinating.”
“The shape is perfect.”
“I would really hate to hear you describe yourself.”
“Short. Stupid hair though it’s better now. Uh…too skinny. I don’t look quite like a fourteen-year-old anymore, but I’m not hot, which—when you consider what most people in our Council look like—makes me still pretty much an ugly duck.”
“I didn’t actually expect you to respond to that. You are short. I’ll agree with you there,” Alaric said with a smirk.
The man was nearly a foot taller than him, so Chander wasn’t surprised by the teasing. “You told me I was too skinny.”
“I’ll remind you that if you ate regularly, you’d be more filled out.”
“I’m working on it.”
“You’re a terrible liar,” Alaric commented. “I like your hair.”
“Before you told me to put some conditioner in it, I had a haystack of frizz on my head.”
“It’s darker and not as curly since you released your demon.”
“Weird, right? My face is bonier, but I think my demon could have made me at least a couple of inches taller.”
“Being able to fly isn’t enough for you?”
“I have to sneak out to do it. I swear, Bax and Ben break out in hives whenever they see my wings.”
“Have you considered making arrangements to fly with the dragons? Either Chrysander or at D’Vaire?”
“Why didn’t I think of that?”
“How can I possibly answer that question?”
Chander chuckled. “I was surprised your Skeleton Seven wanted me to meet with your architect. I made an appointment for tomorrow afternoon. Are you going to go with me?”
“No, I think you should speak to him without my interference.”
“I’m not sure what miracles you guys expect me to work out in a meeting, but I’ll go and see what I can do.”
“We appreciate it.”
“I wish I could tell you more about where Drexley wound up.”
“You’ve given us a great deal of information on where to pick up a search,” Alaric responded.
“I’ll hunt around a bit and see if I can track down more details.”
“Thank you. I’m fine with him living his own life, but I would like to know that all is well with him.”
“I’d prefer not to have to travel to Council Headquarters if I don’t have to—can we arrange to meet here after I meet with your architect?”
“Absolutely,” Alaric replied. “I’ll let Victor cook up something for us tomorrow.”
“I didn’t say I was staying for dinner.”
“We can’t build a relationship if we’re never together.”
“I know but technically, you don’t even live here yet. I don’t want to keep you from returning to the compound.”
“The sentinels are all excited about moving here except for five of them,” Alaric said. “The skeletons don’t like it much. People stare at them which is why Larissa and Dra’Kaedan altered their cloaks so they can see without removing them. I’m hoping if I spend more time here, I can entice them to visit. Today is the first time we’ve had our daily meeting at our office. The only place they really go is D’Vaire.”
“Pretty shitty that the Order of Necromancia turns them into skeletons and then they have to deal with the aftermath. We’ll figure out ways to get them here. We can schedule playdates with my idiot sentinels if nothing else.”
Alaric grinned. “Good, because when the new sentinel complex is done, I plan on destroying the compound. I can’t do that if they still consider it their home.”
/>
“I wondered what you planned to do with it.”
“Until you cast that spell, I couldn’t make any plans for it,” Alaric told him. “And truthfully, I wanted to live there myself until we spoke on Saturday.”
“I remember you saying at that Council session four months ago you were only interested in finding mates for the sentinels who didn’t have them, otherwise you would have nothing at all to do with our world.”
“It hurt too much to be here.”
“I’m sorry.”
Alaric placed a finger over his lips. “None of that.”
Their eyes met, and Chander easily lost himself in the glowing depths of Alaric’s green gaze. Alaric removed his finger and replaced it with his mouth. His hand slid into Chander’s hair as their tongues met. Chander gripped his biceps as they kissed. When they were forced to break for air, Alaric smiled. “I thought I’d feel fangs.”
“They disappear unless I’m in demon form.”
“Our matebond isn’t complete, is it?”
“Not fully, no,” Chander replied. “My demon has yet to claim you.”
“Can he?”
Chander nodded. “Even fallen knights who have shifter mates can get bitten.”
“Something to look forward to then.”
Not knowing what else to do, Chander bobbed his head a second time. Three days before, he’d thought he would never be with Alaric again, and now Alaric was actually looking forward to solidifying their bond. It was a dizzying and delightful turn of events, and Chander wondered how long it would take for him to get used to it.
Chapter 23
Alaric had returned to the compound the night before, happy about the decision he’d made to move forward in his relationship with Chander. It might be naïve and foolish to start over after Chander had shattered everything because he believed Alaric had cheated, but he wouldn’t have been able to live with himself if he hadn’t been willing to forgive him. His feelings for Chander ran deep, and he was the other half of his soul. He wasn’t stupid though, and he knew this was it. If Chander made a similar error again, there would be no third chance.
Fall of the Arch Lich (D'Vaire, Book 6) Page 15
