The image changed, and Sari found himself lying on a comfortable couch, his hands pinned above his head by the same black-haired man. The stranger’s eyes glittered like dark gems as he murmured, “Do you know what you’re offering, Sareltae? Do you know what I wish of you?”
No, Sari didn’t know, but still he—or rather this version of him—answered, “I–I’m not a child. I might not have been with anyone, but I understand what happens between mates.”
Mates? Oh, Jenarra. No wonder his mother hadn’t told him about this. If she’d seen the same thing Sari was, she’d probably been terrified about what it meant. But who was this mysterious draechen? Were they supposed to meet? When?
The answer came when the picture melted away to show him yet another vision. This time, Sari was standing in the same throne room, now adorned with lavish decorations. The same dragon from before waited in front of him, his gazed fixed on Sari. Sari’s heart was hammering, and he didn’t even know if it was an emotion he was supposed to feel in the vision, or his own feeling, from the here and now.
To his right, a female voice inquired, “Do you, Prince Shtamakarein Tersain, second born of Emperor Kavehquader and Rowenasheb Tersain of Ornoz, vow to take this man as your mate in the eyes of the Overlords and the Great Goddess Jenarra?”
“I so vow,” the draechen replied.
“Do you, Prince Sareltae Norrenddare Myrthylar, first born of King Selbrian Norrenddare of Ivenia and High Priestess Eanera Myrthylar, vow to take this man as your mate in the eyes of the Overlords and the Great Goddess Jenarra?”
“I so vow,” Sari promised.
A wedding. Sari was supposed to marry this man. Shtamakarein Tersain. Karein. The Emperor of the Ornozian Empire. His mate.
A whirlwind of images swept into his mind. Sari saw himself in Karein’s embrace, laughing with the black dragon. He saw Karein kissing him, touching him, and, sweet Jenarra, fucking him. He could almost feel the way Karein’s dick had filled him over and over as they made love.
He couldn’t believe this, couldn’t reconcile his idea of Shtamakarein Tersain with the dragon in the vision. It had to be some sort of mistake. It couldn’t be true, not when Sari had been fighting all of his life against Shtamakarein’s regime, trying to save his people from the draechen’s oppression.
Given everything that had happened, Sari could never simply fall into Shtamakarein’s arms and spread his legs for him. Besides, the emperor was already mated to a sprite. Sari couldn’t even imagine what kind of circumstances could lead to the dissolution of that marriage. Yes, this had to be a huge mistake.
Even as he attempted to convince himself of this, another image appeared in his mind, a simple one of him and Karein lying in bed together. But there was something different about this particular vision. Karein’s hand rested possessively over Sari’s abdomen—his swollen abdomen, where Karein’s child was growing.
For one single moment, Sari could feel the spark of new life inside him, the uniqueness and beauty of what he and Karein had created together. But then, that moment passed and Sari was left bereft and empty.
He blindly tried to reach for it, for a reality and a dream he now craved with all his heart. He knew then that it was all true. He could feel the love he and Karein had once shared. How had it vanished? Where had it all gone? How could he have lost something so special?
Screaming, Sari collapsed on the floor. In his agony and despair, he clutched the phoenix feather in his fist. It did burn him now, with a flame that traveled from his fingertips all the way into his heart.
He was in so much pain, because he knew there was nothing he could do to bring back what he had lost. His mate, his child…where were they? Did it even exist or was it all an unreachable fantasy?
“Sari!” his mother screamed. “Sari, let it go!”
But he couldn’t. He wouldn’t. He stared blindly at the vision of himself smiling at Karein, the first time they had met. Their first kiss… The vows they had sworn to each other… Their marriage and their first time together… Were they memories or merely dreams? Sari couldn’t tell, but he didn’t want to leave them. He would gladly live the entirety of his life like this, because returning to what he knew was too unbearable.
“Sari!” Eanera shouted again.
Tears trailing down his cheeks, Sari pooled all of his sorrow and loss into his magic. He surrounded himself with his shields, clutching the burning feather to his chest, seeking the answers to his questions. Could he have that again? Could he regain what he had lost?
It was in that moment that something sparked in his mind. His thoughts connected to those of someone else, and Sari lost track of where he was as, for the first time in his life, he reached out to his mate, Emperor Shtamakarein Tersain.
* * * *
A lie. A sham. A travesty. That was what it had been, a show put on to fool Karein and hurt him, to dig at the very core of his secret pains and insecurities and unbalance his power. A horrible deception that didn’t even make sense, and yet, that Karein wanted to believe.
Angrily, he flew high into the sky, trying to find solace in the simple freedom of the action, in the knowledge that this land, as far as the eye could see, belonged to him. The green forests, the pure rivers, the tall mountains, all of it was Ornozian territory. But now, it seemed so meaningless. Karein couldn’t admire that beauty anymore. The only thing he could focus on was those blasted words that simply wouldn’t leave his mind.
What could have possessed Phoenix to say Sareltae Myrthylar was Karein’s mate? Karein already had an official consort. He didn’t need anyone else. More importantly, Sareltae and his family were among Karein’s worst enemies. They had eluded capture for decades, no, centuries, even before Karein had become emperor.
So why couldn’t Karein just drop the matter, admit it for the lie it was, and go on with his life? It would be so very easy. He could fly back to Draechenburg and eliminate the man calling himself his twin, if not by death, by permanent imprisonment. As for Phoenix… Well, Karein’s strange attraction toward him was still unclear, but he could keep him as a fun sex toy. After all, he’d refrained from getting a concubine out of respect for his marriage with Caelyn, but he was still a man and he had needs.
“That’s right,” the blasted voice in his head told him. “Why do you need Sareltae when you have Phoenix? Go back. Claim him. Make him yours. It’s what you want.”
Karein would have done exactly that, except a small part of him recoiled. He had no idea if there was any truth to Phoenix and Rachen’s claim, but it hurt to discard it, even more than it did to acknowledge it.
A different reality, one where this all-consuming world couldn’t possibly exist. It was a laughable idea. Not even in his wildest dreams could Karein dare to believe it. Then why couldn’t he stop considering the possibility?
Karein roared, furious with himself, with the men who had invaded his life, with the world as a whole. He was the Ornozian emperor for fuck’s sake. He didn’t need to crave anything. If he’d grown tired of the world he lived in, he’d tear it apart with his own hands and build another one. This uncertainty, this weakness and continuous self-doubt weren’t signs of a true leader. Karein wanted to cast them aside, and with them, the useless dreams that would never be fulfilled.
Even as that resolve solidified in his mind, a strange light filled him. An unfamiliar presence rushed through his brain, pushing aside all else. A soft, shy whisper sounded in his mind, “Karein? Is that… Is that really you?”
Karein couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t think. He knew that voice. It followed him from his dreams, taunting him with what he couldn’t have. He hadn’t thought it to be real, not until this moment.
He should have wondered how it was possible. He should have asked himself if he’d completely lost it. He didn’t. Instead, he asked, “Sari?”
An imaged flashed through his mind’s eye, that of a slender blond man with tearful silver eyes. Sari Myrthylar. The same man he’d once married and to wh
om he’d vowed undying love and devotion. The man who’d opened his heart to Karein when no one else would. The lovely fae who’d given him the gift of fatherhood.
Karein only got a glimpse of it, of the heaven that had been Sari. And then, the threads of the strange connection unraveled. Karein heard Sari’s voice one more time, but he could no longer distinguish the words. “Sari!” he tried to shout into the darkness.
It was no use. Sari’s presence vanished as if it had never been. Karein’s wings stopped beating. His muscles seized, and his body refused to obey. Still lost in the vision he had seen and felt, he plummeted from the sky.
The trees broke his fall, tearing at his wings, threatening to pierce the membrane. Fortunately, he managed to remain in dragon form and his naturally strong hide kept him from receiving any significant injuries, at least not physical ones. Because at the very core of his being, he felt like he’d been mortally wounded. He didn’t want to move until he got that connection back, until his mate was by his side again.
He didn’t know how long he lay there, trapped in his own feelings of loss and incomprehension. Finally, the shadow of another draechen loomed above him. Moments later, a large blue dragon landed next to him and shifted into his brother.
“Overlords,” Hareem gasped out. “Your Imperial Majesty! What happened? Were you attacked?”
At first, Karein didn’t react in any way, but then, Hareem continued with his inquiries and asked something that snapped Karein out of his trance. “Was it the Myrthylar?”
Karein had no clue why Hareem would even think that, but it reminded him of a very important fact. He had not acknowledged Sari’s connection to him. Sari and the rest of the fae were still officially his enemies. Until that changed, anything could happen.
Shaking himself, Karein melted into his human form as well. He’d narrowly avoided having several organs pierced by the splinters of wood, and if not for his draechen nature, he might not have survived the fall. As it was, he could stand without too much trouble, even if his back felt stiff and his arms still ached.
“Why do you ask?” he asked Hareem. “The fae wouldn’t dare attack us in our territory.”
“They already have,” Hareem replied. “We’ve just received a report that the forces of the Myrthylar, together with what seem to be feline shifters, infiltrated Florenz. We registered severe losses, and Akara was taken prisoner.”
A few minutes ago, the information would have caused angry shock within Karein. Now, all he could think about was that this would make his potential relationship with Sari even more impossible. Already, there were hundreds of obstacles in their path. The fae’s assault on Florenz just added to the pile. But how could the Myrthylar defeat Akara? Even if they had powerful shields, Akara led one of the most powerful parts of the Ornozian army.
“How did it happen?” he asked his brother.
“It seems they had guns with customized rounds that could penetrate dragon scales.”
Karein growled lowly in his throat. If that was the case, the fae represented a danger for Ornoz and that threat needed to be eliminated before it could grow even more. It was a horrible time, because Karein’s hands were tied. He couldn’t take decisive action due to the fact that Sareltae Myrthylar was his mate.
Could it be another trick? It certainly seemed like a strange coincidence that Sari would reach out to him at this exact moment. Karein’s heart told him that such a strong bond couldn’t be faked, not even for a few seconds. But Karein had to look into it, regardless. He had to be sure.
He eyed his brother, wondering where Hareem’s loyalties truly lay. If Phoenix and Rachen had been correct about Karein’s mating, the same thing undoubtedly applied in Hareem’s case. Could Hareem’s reports regarding the lack of true werewolf sightings be false?
“Hareem, I want you to be perfectly honest with me,” he said. “Have you lied to me about whether or not you found traces of werewolf packs?”
As a rule, Hareem was completely unreadable, even for Karein. This time, though, something flashed in his ice-blue eyes, like a strange awareness. Karein would have never seen it if he hadn’t been looking for it. That brief reaction did convince him that he’d been correct in his assessment.
“Your Imperial Majesty,” Hareem said, “I would never betray you.”
“But you did lie,” Karein said. “You lied because you didn’t want the werewolves to get caught.”
Hareem straightened his back and faced Karein without flinching. “I did, and I have no regrets. I will submit myself to your judgment with the knowledge that I acted the way I thought was right.”
“What you thought was right,” Karein repeated with a thoughtful hum. “And tell me, Hareem, what was your reasoning behind this decision?”
“I didn’t want them to suffer or die,” Hareem answered simply. “That’s all there is to it.”
Karein believed him, because he was experiencing a similar urge now. He had never actually been forced to face the fae in battle, but he had to admit that, in hindsight, he hadn’t focused as much on finding the Myrthylar as he should have. All the other magical species—with the exception of the sprites—had been crushed in Ornoz’s fist, but not the fae. The Ivenians had endured, in hiding, still running, but they had survived. And Karein had allowed it, choosing to concentrate on his other foes instead of the threat they represented. He was paying the price for it now, but, like Hareem, he had no regrets.
In that moment, Karein made a split-second decision. “Hareem, I had a vision,” he confessed. “I suspect there might be some truth to Phoenix and Rachen’s claims, because I felt Sareltae Myrthylar like I would a mate.”
Hareem’s eyes widened in surprise, dread, and hope. “But that can’t be… They told me… They told me that I had a child with a male werewolf. That can only be a lie.”
“I’m starting to wonder about that,” Karein mused. “Don’t mention it to anyone, no matter what happens. I want to speak to those two again, and then, I’ll make a decision in Akara’s case.” He patted his brother’s shoulder. “Don’t worry. I know you care deeply for her. I won’t allow anything to happen to our sister.”
“Thank you, Your Imperial Majesty,” Hareem answered. After a few moments of hesitation, he inquired, “But…what about me?”
“What about you?” At Hareem’s shocked expression, Karein remembered what they had been discussing. “Oh, you mean your little betrayal. I’ll give you the chance to prove your loyalty toward me. So far, you’ve never failed Ornoz, and I do believe that you couldn’t have possibly acted in an unbiased way under the circumstances our guests described. Therefore, we will continue investigating the matter, in secret. You are forbidden to making any note of it, to anyone, including Akara.”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” Hareem said, saluting. “I will not forget.”
“Good. Now let’s go back. Our mates and our sister are waiting.”
Both Karein and Hareem shifted into their dragon forms and took off. As they flew toward Draechenburg, Karein tried to remember if he’d ever did something like this before with his mate. Naturally, Sari wouldn’t have been able to fly, but Karein could have carried him. He couldn’t recall. It was as if that brief epiphany had faded away completely, taking with it Karein’s every certainty, and leaving him with nothing but questions and doubts.
But he couldn’t focus on his yearning for the life he had seen, because he had people who relied on him in this one. It wasn’t only about Ornoz. Caelyn needed him, too. Where did Caelyn fit in the story Phoenix and Rachen had told them? He had to ask, but first, he needed to assure himself of one thing.
Rachen and Phoenix hadn’t told him about any child. Why had they hidden the existence of the baby Karein and Sari had conceived? If their claims were true and fit in with the vision, they had to know about it. Therefore, Karein would pick their brains for every possible detail and try to match it with what he’d seen.
“It could still be an elaborate deception,” the voice insi
de him reminded him, speaking for the first time since the crash.
Karein had no intentions to disregard that possibility just yet, but now, his perspective and priorities had changed. No matter how much he’d tried to hide it, Karein had always wondered about the strange man he’d seen in his dreams. And if he had the chance to finding that man now, he wouldn’t waste it.
* * * *
“Now what to do we do?” Phoenix sighed heavily as he plopped down on the bed. “We can’t get them to believe us, so we’re trapped here.”
Rachen hated to admit it, but the situation did seem dire. Given the extent of his brother’s anger, Rachen couldn’t expect Karein to even agree to see them anytime soon. At this point, it would take a miracle to make Karein trust their words. Sadly, Rachen’s own personal miracle worker, Phoenix, didn’t have those powers anymore.
It was a difficult situation, one which Rachen felt ill-equipped to handle. But still, Rachen couldn’t truly focus on concern. He was too relieved.
Now that they were alone, Rachen could at last embrace the joy he experienced at seeing his mate well once more. He sat next to Phoenix and just hugged his lover tightly. At first, Phoenix seemed surprised, but after that, he relaxed in Rachen’s embrace.
Rachen didn’t try to take things further. The last time he had done so, things hadn’t gone over all that well. He did bury his fingers in Phoenix’s soft dark hair, greedily inhaling its distinctive perfume. But he refrained from touching Phoenix sexually. He wasn’t ashamed of his desire for Phoenix, but first and foremost, he had to think about his mate’s safety and comfort. Even if Phoenix was right in that the last traces of his power had healed him, Rachen couldn’t afford to take any chances. At this point, he didn’t even know exactly how fragile his lover was, but given that their intercourse had often been very violent, Rachen knew he had to hold back.
“I don’t want you to do that,” Phoenix whispered, having obviously intercepted his thoughts. “I want you to be yourself with me. Always.”
Hyacinth, Scarlet - From the Ashes [Chronicles of the Shifter Directive 7] (Siren Publishing Epic Romance, ManLove) Page 10
