In fact, the thought improved his mood, so much so that by the time he reached the benandanti’s lab, he was almost cheerful and more than eager to get this whole thing over with.
Sadly, that wasn’t about to happen anytime soon. The moment Karein stepped into the lab, the scent of blood and magic hit his nostrils. He could already tell the Ancient Horror had been here. The creature might be gone now because of Rachen’s sacrifice, but the end results of his actions still had to be dealt with.
Kael found Lieutenant Zager talking to the Connors matriarch, Elizabeth. “I want to know how my son is,” she was saying, “and I demand to speak to my husband.”
“Raleigh’s injury seems minor,” Sage answered. “As for Mr. Connors and his brother, I can’t allow anyone to see them until the consuls decide to permit it.”
As Kael approached, Sage turned toward him. On cue, Kael said, “I’m afraid that won’t be possible, at least not at this moment. Lieutenant Zager, did you secure the guilty parties?”
“Yes, Your Grace,” Sage answered. “Neither James nor Mark Connors resisted capture. Iasan Sutharlainn is still unconscious, but I have men watching him.”
“Excellent job, Lieutenant Zager,” Kael replied. “Strengthen the defenses of the city. We wouldn’t want anyone to get any ideas.”
Sage saluted and left the room. Meanwhile, Kael turned toward Elizabeth Connors. “Mrs. Connors, you would do well to wait in your quarters. Your husband attacked a member of the draechen imperial family. Don’t expect him to receive any mercy on our behalf.”
Truth be told, he was as of yet unsure as to how the matter of the benandanti should be handled. The idea of judging them for treason didn’t appeal. They had attacked the Draechenburg imperial family, but after having seen the other world, after knowing what kind of destruction war could cause, Kael wasn’t so eager to be ruthless.
Obviously, Elizabeth didn’t realize that, and Kael had no intention to share it with her. “You can’t be serious,” she said. “He just wanted to ensure the phoenix wasn’t dangerous.”
“That didn’t work out very well, now did it?” Kael narrowed his eyes at the woman. “Come. You can see your son if you want.”
He waved one of the guards in the area and ordered for him to lead Elizabeth to the medical wing. Once she was gone, he headed toward the sprites’ quarters. That was another problem that needed to be dealt with. Just like in the Connors’ case, Kael, Karein, and Hareem would have to decide what punishment the Sutharlainn would receive. He wasn’t really looking forward to it, especially because they were Caelyn’s family. But he had to take each step at a time. For the moment, he needed to figure out the exact extent of the Sutharlainn’s involvement in the entire debacle.
Just as he left the medical wing, he ran into an unexpected figure. Eanera Myrthylar emerged out of the shadows, smiling at him. Kael blinked in surprise. “High Priestess. Greetings. I was not aware of your arrival.”
“I apologize,” she replied. “I just arrived a few minutes ago. I rushed here as soon as I could, but I was already too late. Or…was I?”
Looking at her face, Kael wondered exactly how much she had known. Why had she left? Had she expected Rachen’s death, or had her decisions been guided by more straightforward considerations?
For the first time, Kael noticed she was holding two boxes, one studded with red jewels, the other somewhat plainer, but familiar to Kael. That latter box had held the feather Phoenix gifted Eanera with. If he had to guess, the first one was Phoenix’s former prison.
Eanera pocketed both items in her robes. Kael frowned, and was about to demand the jeweled box back. However, Eanera just smiled at him. “Your Grace…Jenarra has a way of setting things in order. This box can’t change that. Nothing can.”
The gem in the center of her forehead glittered like a promise, and it occurred to Kael that when she’d left, it hadn’t been there. He knew he should insist on her returning the item in question, but for some reason, he didn’t. Instead, he asked, “Can you do it? Can you carry the burden of that magic?”
Eanera just laughed. “Oh, Your Grace. It’s not a burden. It’s a message and a gift. Do you know why Phoenix gave me that feather?”
“As a peace offering for that accident where you lost your power?” Kael offered.
The High Priestess shook her head. “That’s what I thought. That’s what he thought, but no. That’s not it. He needed a way back, and he sensed it even then. He might not know it himself, but I can tell. Do you realize, Your Grace, that the feather is actually the reason why we even remember? Phoenix entrusted me to be in charge of that, to be his guide, and for that reason, I will also be his guardian.”
It hadn’t actually occurred to Kael that the feather had allowed Talrasar to remember, which, in hindsight, had been pretty stupid. Still, he wondered whether Eanera was truly honest. “You can do that in spite of what happened in the other world?”
“Because of it,” Eanera replied. “Phoenix defeated the phoenix. Don’t you think that is a comforting thought?”
She was right. A weight lifted off of Kael’s shoulders, one Kael hadn’t even known was there. Yes, that was actually very comforting. He didn’t actually reply to her question, but he did gesture her toward the guest wing. She would likely be able to make the interrogation process shorter and less painful, since her visions would have likely told her who’d done what.
“High Priestess, perhaps you’d care to join me for a little visit? I believe that we have our own battles to wage.”
“You’re right, of course,” Eanera replied. “For what it’s worth, I’ll always be there for Sari and, indirectly, for you.”
Together, they headed toward the rooms of the Sutharlainn. As they walked down the Draechenburg corridors, a worm of discontent niggled at the back of Kael’s consciousness. “I don’t want Eanera with you,” Talrasar confessed. “That’s where I’m supposed to be.”
Kael actually found himself smiling. “You are,” he answered. “You’re always with me, no matter where we are.”
An image of his naked mate drifted into Kael’s mind. “Well, I want you by my side. Come to me soon, Kael.”
Talrasar rarely displayed jealousy, but his emotions were running wild and hot now. Kael nearly did an about-face. It took everything in his power not to follow Talrasar’s call at that very moment. But Talrasar had said “soon,” not “now.” Like always, they understood each other.
Eanera gave him a knowing look, but didn’t comment. One thing was certain. Having a pregnant mate definitely made his life interesting. Now, Kael just had to deal with these damn sprites as quickly as possible, because the mate in question was waiting for him.
Epilogue
A week later
“And so, we accept our responsibility for what happened and we come to offer a treaty with Elusia, by surrendering Ferradul Cyraltin in your custody as a sign of our goodwill.”
Caelyn sighed as he listened to the final words of Great Krite Ithual Alleantin’s plea to Karein, Kael, and Hareem. The Elusian High Judges had come for a private meeting with the consuls, but Caelyn and Graham had ended up invited to it, too. Caelyn was grateful for the trust the draechen placed in him, but he truly didn’t know how things would turn out for the sprites now.
Phoenix and Rachen believed that Ferradul Cyraltin’s actions had been influenced by the Ancient Horror, but the fact remained that they had occurred. A woman was dead because of those deeds. Similarly, Rachen could have been killed because of Caelyn’s own brother and parents. Caelyn’s uncertainty over his family’s fate frightened him.
Graham wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “Right now, it’s out of our hands,” he said through their bond. “You might be Sari’s friend, but we can’t afford to get too involved.”
“I know,” Caelyn answered. “I know they can’t show me too much favor. We’re skating on thin ice as it is. I suppose… I suppose we can only trust the draechen consuls and hope for the best.”
Graham hummed thoughtfully, and a hint of jealousy swept through their bond. He’d have undoubtedly said something else, but before he could do so, Sari approached them. “Don’t worry,” he mouthed at Caelyn. “Karein and the others will find a solution.”
Caelyn smiled at his friend. There had been some awkwardness between them in the past week, one Caelyn hadn’t immediately understood. It was only after Sari had explained his vision had finally come true—through the creation of another world, no less—that Caelyn had finally grasped the causes. At first, Sari had been reluctant to give him all the details, but eventually, Caelyn had learned that not only had he been Karein’s official consort in Sari’s stead, but he’d also been accidentally injured by Hareem.
The entire dynamics of their little family had changed. Graham was now wary of Hareem, even if he had no real reason to be. Hareem was insanely protective of his mate, even more so than before, and Karein very rarely left Sari’s side. Of course, none of them really knew how to handle Phoenix and Rachen.
Mercifully, they were slowly getting over it. Sari and Talrasar had been great about the whole thing, and now, Caelyn was relieved to find himself as comfortable with Sari as he’d been before. Phoenix seemed to be settling in, too. He had come to the meeting as well, but so far, neither he nor his mate had shown any sign of resenting the sprites in any way.
But of course, he couldn’t expect this meeting to be easy in any way, not for the draechen or for the sprites. Finally, after what seemed like forever, Karein spoke out. From his seat at the consul table, he glared at the gathered sprites. “We’d like to hear from Ferradul Cyraltin himself.”
Everyone’s attention turned to the sprite in question. Up until this point, he had been quiet, almost subdued. He stood behind the rest of the Great Krites, his back ramrod straight. His son waited by his side, looking frail and out of place.
It was strange to see the real Alwyn Cyraltin in that position, when Caelyn had just gotten used to Phoenix. They looked so much alike, and yet, they were so very different. Alwyn actually released a soft noise of distress when the draechen focused on him and his father. Caelyn wondered if he’d been just as afraid when he’d come to Draechenburg, when he and Graham had been prisoners of then-emperor Kavehquader.
“I will be first to admit my guilt in this matter,” Ferradul said. “I can’t imagine what I was thinking in taking things so far.”
“Were you involved in any way in Elina Eretar’s death?” Hareem asked, his voice like ice.
“I…I only wanted to keep her from revealing what I’d done.” Ferradul clenched his jaw. “I will take full responsibility for my actions. I do not wish for a war to happen because of my rash actions.”
“Rash actions,” Kael repeated. “That’s…putting it lightly.”
“Your Grace,” Alwyn intervened, “if I may… My father was only trying to protect me. I know he should have picked a different path, and I realize you can’t grant him allowances because of that, but…can’t we return to the originally established conditions? I will gladly come here as your prisoner, if you so wish it.”
“We don’t want that,” Hareem answered. “Your life is your own, Lord Cyraltin. Similarly, we have no desire for a war with Elusia. As for you, former Great Krite Ferradul Cyraltin… With regard to Elina Eretar, we believe to have punished the true culprit already. Your responsibility in the matter will be handled by your people.”
Caelyn wasn’t sure if the Great Krites were even aware of the existence of the Ancient Horror. It hadn’t become common knowledge outside the people closest to the draechen imperial family. It seemed that the draechen had no intention to say it either. It was a delicate situation, in that Ferradul remained an important figure in sprite politics. According to Phoenix, the Ancient Horror had indeed been there the night of Elina’s death, which made the exact extent of Ferradul’s involvement questionable. The situation was similar in the case of Caelyn’s family, but did that make them altogether innocent? Caelyn didn’t know and he was afraid to find the answer.
In that moment, the doors of the throne room opened, and Caelyn’s family walked inside. His parents and Iasan were surrounded by guards, while his other siblings trailed behind the group, looking miserable.
“Caelyn, do something!” his sister pleaded as she rushed to his side. “You’re friends with the draechen. Tell them this is all a huge mistake.”
“Stop, Diedre,” their mother said. “You can’t ask that of your brother. He’s in a difficult position as it is.” She smiled sadly at Caelyn. “I’m sorry, Caelyn. We didn’t mean to get you involved in all of this. We truly thought we were doing the right thing.”
“Why does everyone keep using that excuse?” Phoenix suddenly asked. “Do you believe that your actions are justifiable, simply because you judged me to be a worse evil?”
No one replied. Phoenix’s shoulders shook, and Caelyn knew that Phoenix must have been remembering what had happened to his mate.
Once, Caelyn had experienced a similar dread. Once, he had nearly lost Graham when they’d first been taken prisoner. Just the thought that Graham could have died then sent shivers down his spine. He could too easily imagine himself in Phoenix’s shoes, and for that reason, as much as it hurt him, he couldn’t ask for mercy in his family’s case. His heart told him that his family had just been manipulated by the Ancient Horror. But it wasn’t his decision, and intervening would just complicate things.
“Let’s not make this any more painful than it already is,” Karein said softly. “The Cyraltin will go back to Great Britain with the Great Krites. There, we expect Ferradul Cyraltin to be kept under close watch. Because of their crimes against the Ornozian imperial family, the Sutharlainn will stay here as our prisoners until we decide they’ve paid the price for their deeds.”
“But…it’s unfair,” Caelyn’s brother, Cormac, protested.
“Cormac, please,” their father said tightly. “We expected this. The Consuls have already decided, and we can’t change that.”
Iasan didn’t look at the draechen. Instead, he turned toward Caelyn. “I never wanted you to be hurt,” he said. “I will accept this punishment and hope that one day, you will be proud to call me brother again.”
Caelyn’s eyes filled with tears. “You’ll always be my brother, no matter what happens,” he replied.
Even with all the things that now separated them, Caelyn found himself taking a step forward. He hugged his parents and Iasan tightly, ignoring all the gazes on them. He kept the hug brief in acknowledgment of the circumstances, but when he pulled away, he wished he’d held on a little longer. The guilt on his parents’ faces made him wonder whether things could have been different.
As if guessing his thoughts, Kael said, “Caelyn will be able to see you at his leisure. Additionally, this isn’t forever. Once we decide you have paid your debt in full, you will be free to go. And of course, that largely depends on your behavior and cooperation.”
“Cooperation?” Caelyn’s father repeated inquiringly.
“Yes.” Karein smiled darkly. “You see, you and your leaders have the easy task to point us in the right direction where the avians are concerned.”
He offered no explanations as to why he needed the information, but it didn’t take a genius to figure it out. The avians had been against Phoenix, too. They were a threat that needed to be eliminated.
Was paranormal society truly stuck in this vicious circle? Would different species forever be at war? Had they learned nothing? Were they truly helpless to change the course of history? Truth be told, it shouldn’t have surprised Caelyn. Even Phoenix, with all of his power, had been unable to wipe away the conflict that had birthed the Shifter Directive, and had only made the entire thing worse. The thought made Caelyn sad.
Sari’s hand gripped his, squeezing it tightly. “Trust them,” he whispered. “It’s going to be all right.”
Caelyn would have thought his friend was just blind to the obvious, but then
, he realized something very important. He was standing in the Draechenburg throne room with his werewolf mate, as honored guests of the draechen imperial family. Their child, their beautiful Micah, was being watched over by an imperial consort, who was a werewolf, too. Things had changed, for the better. And looking at the faces of the three consuls, Caelyn suddenly knew that this change would continue.
It wouldn’t be easy. At times, it would hurt. But growth was like that. Their world was like a child finally learning to take his first steps, struggling through his awkward years and trying to figure out which path to choose. After all the pain and the loss, though, they were finally making some headway.
As if to confirm his thoughts, Hareem said, “And of course, if you cooperate, we will consider lifting your sentence.”
Caelyn couldn’t believe his ears. Yes, the entire thing had been set in motion by the Ancient Horror, but the draechen had still suffered a serious blow. Manipulated or not, Caelyn’s family had been involved. Could the draechen truly forgive and forget? It seemed like too much to ask.
His heart hammering, Caelyn turned to Phoenix. “You’re okay with this?” he asked. It was probably rude, but he couldn’t help himself.
“I can hardly point fingers,” Phoenix replied. “I can’t say I like it—as you can possibly tell—but it is the best decision to make.”
Caelyn remembered what Phoenix had said earlier, about justifiable actions, and wondered exactly how much blame Phoenix himself shouldered for what had happened in the other world. From what Sari had told Caelyn, Phoenix hadn’t actually been the one to hurt them, but that didn’t mean he didn’t feel responsible about it.
“We would be happy to assist Ornoz in any way possible,” one of the Great Krites said. “I get the feeling that you already have something promising in mind.”
“Maybe we do,” Karein replied. “I suppose you’ll just have to wait to find out.”
Hyacinth, Scarlet - From the Ashes [Chronicles of the Shifter Directive 7] (Siren Publishing Epic Romance, ManLove) Page 29
