Grand Redemption (D'Vaire Book 1)

by Kingley, Jessamyn

“I need you to live for me. I never really had the chance before I came here, and I don’t want to think of a world without you in it. I beg you, make me this promise.” He could not control his crying, but he managed to get the words out.

  “Okay. Okay, but you aren’t going to die. You promise me that you will hold on as long as you can, because they are going to figure this out.” Brogan’s words were just as stilted as his own had been.

  “I’m not leaving you until the last drop of magic leaves me. I love you so much.” Ayden slid his hands from Brogan’s cheeks to wrap them around his mate’s neck. Brogan then leaned his head down, so his forehead rested on Ayden’s own.

  “I love you, too.” He punctuated his words with a kiss on Ayden’s forehead, before leaning their heads together once again. Letting his eyes fall closed, Ayden enjoyed what time he had left with the man he loved.

  Chapter 21

  Brogan was just finishing up his dinner when a disheveled pair of council leaders burst into the dining room.

  “We got it. We figured it out,” Vadimas announced, but he wasn’t smiling.

  “It is the spells on his back. One of them has the mark of death. We don’t know exactly what all the spells are, but we know enough to know they need to be removed. However, we need a strong dark sorcerer to remove them.”

  “Chander can’t do it because there are spells all over him to attack anyone who tries to remove them and his sentinels will be unable to ignore their innate instinct not to attack,” Vadimas explained, after Chander filled them in on their discovery.

  “So how do we find someone who can do it?” Aleksander asked. Brogan knew everyone wanted to do everything they could to help his mate.

  “I’m not sure. There are so few that practice dark magic outside of necromantia,” Chander explained.

  “Maybe I could-” Blodwen started to speak, but was interrupted since the arch lich and prism wizard apparently didn’t hear her from the other side of the table.

  “A demon would be perfect, but I have no clue how to find one.”

  “Tristis elves are dark but do not have enough power to do it.”

  “I think-” Blodwen tried again.

  “There are dark sorcerers outside the council, I believe.”

  “Yes, but can we trust them and will they help?” Vadimas questioned.

  “I really think-”

  “I believe there are other dark elven, they may have more natural power than the tristis.”

  “HEY!” Chander’s second sentinel, Benton, yelled.

  “What are you yelling about, Benton?” Chander asked.

  “Blodwen has been trying to talk to you two, but you keep interrupting her,” he explained and both sorcerers gave her their full attention.

  “I swear I need a whistle,” she grumbled before speaking again. “I never summoned my sentinel, so we are not bound. If you think I am powerful enough, I am willing to try.”

  “If power is an issue, I can help. Derwin and I can both help,” Ari offered.

  “Wonderful. Let’s go fix our familiar,” Vadimas exclaimed, and Brogan didn’t waste any time following them to his bedroom. Not surprisingly his mate was sleeping so he sat down next to him and gently roused him. When Ayden opened his eyes, Brogan noticed his irises were devoid of any color at all.

  “They’ve figured it out, baby. Blodwen is going to take the spells off your back now,” Brogan explained and wasn’t entirely sure that his words registered with his mate; his eyes had yet to focus on him, but when Ayden spoke it was clear he was still lucid.

  “Will it hurt her?”

  “It may hurt a bit, but we have Ari here to keep you both as comfortable as possible,” Vadimas explained and Brogan cupped his mate’s cheek in his hand.

  “I told you they’d figure it out,” he said to his mate with a grin.

  “You were right. That’s a first,” Ayden said with a weak grin of his own.

  “I love you, baby.”

  “I love you, too.” Brogan brought their lips together and gave his mate a soft kiss. He helped peel the T-shirt off his mate, and they made sure he was comfortable as he laid down on his stomach with his back exposed. As much as he wanted to touch his mate, the magic could seriously harm him, so he had to make do with sitting on the floor next to the bed so he could at least meet his mate’s eyes as he endured what was to come. Blodwen removed the first spell, and he watched his mate give a small grimace, but Ari was filling the room with powerful healing magic. Several more spells were removed, and Blodwen and Ayden were both beginning to sweat when Blodwen suddenly blew her hair out of her eyes impatiently.

  “This one won’t come off. I’ve tried three times,” she said disgustedly.

  “There is an ancient mark of the warlock; maybe we need Latarian. Perhaps this spell connects them, she might need to be in close proximity for the spell to work,” Chander announced, and Vadimas ran down the hall and was back almost immediately with the witch in tow.

  “I want no part of this; those spells are not hurting him,” Latarian announced.

  “I need her quiet to do this,” Blodwen demanded, as she began filling the room with her dark magic once again. Brogan watched as Derwin waved a hand in Latarian’s direction and she very nearly flew into the closest chair, and while he saw her mouth moving no sound came out. That little familiar had some seriously cool magic.

  Necromantic and witch magic filled the room with both bright light and dark smoke, as Blodwen removed spell after spell. It had been over an hour since she had begun, and she and Ayden were both dripping with sweat. Brogan had watched with fascination as each spell disappeared, and Ayden’s back became less and less colorful. They were down to the very last spell and Blodwen took a moment to swipe the hair out of her face and Noirin offered her a bottle of water, as if she were a boxer between rounds and considering the battle she had been through it was an apt comparison. Brogan gave his exhausted mate a wink and Ayden responded with one of his own and he mouthed the words “I love you” before Blodwen gave Ari the signal that she was ready to continue.

  Pale light streaked through the room as dark smoke surrounded Ayden, and he heard Blodwen curse as the spell fought her magic. Ari raised his hands high, and the entire floor lit up as he poured magic into the room. Despite the light show, Brogan kept his eyes on his mate and noticed that Blodwen’s smoke was getting darker and he heard her curse again. Suddenly a wind began to swirl in the room, and he watched Ayden’s red hair begin to fly above his head. Then it was Ayden’s entire body that began to fly as he floated just above their bed and the air in the room howled and Blodwen and Ari filled the room with more and more magic.

  Ayden’s colorless eyes met his, and they were filled with sadness before the room filled with a blinding light. When Brogan was able to open his eyes again the room that had been swirling and bright with magic was eerily silent, and more importantly his mate was nowhere to be found.

  “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” Blodwen repeated over and over again, and Aleksander was at his side looking down at Brogan with pity filled eyes. His best friend’s eyes were red with tears, and he placed a hand on Brogan’s shoulder.

  “I’m so sorry Brogan, we were too late,” Vadimas apologized, as he too lost his battle with his emotions and began crying silently. It was then that Brogan remembered that Ayden had once told him that when familiars run out of magic they go poof and then they just disappear. They had failed. His mate wasn’t missing. His mate was dead.

  Brogan had to open his mouth to breathe. The other people in the room began talking and offering him condolences, but Brogan could not comprehend any of their words. Ayden was gone. His little mate with the pretty eyes, that went blue with passion, and the big heart was not here, and he was never coming back.

  “I didn’t mean to hurt him,” Blodwen’s pain-drenched words finally invaded his reeling brain.

  “It’s not your fault, Blodwen.” The words were wooden as Brogan spoke them, but he meant it.
Brogan knew she would never have intentionally harmed her best friend.

  “I don’t know why you are all carrying on this way; it is me you should be offering condolences too. I have lost my familiar!” Latarian shrieked, and Brogan looked up at her and before he could say anything to contradict her ridiculous statement Ari began shouting at her.

  “ENOUGH! I have had quite enough,” he roared with tears still fresh on his face. His face was livid with color, and the sight of it quieted the entire room which was full of all the D’Vaires, as well as their guests. “I do not want to do this now nor do I want to upset Brogan any further, but I am tired of living surrounded by these lies.”

  Brogan seriously doubted anything could upset him further, nothing would bring Ayden back. Not knowing what else to do, Brogan listened attentively as Ari continued to speak.

  “The history books mention that Grand Warlock T’Eirick and Grand Summoner Saura had twins,” Ari began and Brogan found his head automatically nodding. He had read the section on warlocks in the history book they kept in the house not long after he met his mate.

  “The twins were named Dra’Kaedan and Dre’Kariston. Even at birth they were the most powerful warlocks ever born. Dra’Kaedan was the oldest and his power the strongest. He had beautiful golden curls and eyes of a dark navy blue. The younger of the twins Dre’Kariston had the same eyes, but his hair was dark as night. Their names were unusual because they were considered extraordinary, they were born with the ability to change into dark blue magical dragons and their names begin with versions of the word ‘draca’ meaning dragon. That symbol was also on their wrists. The marks were faint, but they were the next in line to rule.”

  “What is the point of this and how can we trust anything you say?” Latarian demanded, and Brogan watched as Ari waved a hand over himself and his hair went completely black, his eyes darkened to navy and his features evened out to form an extremely handsome man. Derwin’s countenance changed in a similar fashion. Ari pushed up the sleeves of his shirt and pulled off a sweatband on his wrist that Brogan had never really noticed before. Under it was a bright silver circle with a navy blue dragon in the center.

  “My name is not Ari, it is Grand Summoner Dre’Kariston and that man that died in this room tonight was no familiar named ‘Ayden’, he was Grand Warlock Dra’Kaedan,” Ari or apparently Dre’Kariston announced.

  “My familiar died, not your supposed brother!” Had Brogan not still been numb with shock he would have asked Latarian to stop screeching.

  “He is not lying,” Derwin yelled back, and Dre’Kariston ripped the silver necklace from his neck and threw it at Latarian’s feet.

  “That is the necklace that was put around my neck as a child. It contained an essence of my twin Dra’Kaedan, the symbol on the medallion is a dragon and until a few minutes ago it glowed blue. Dra’Kaedan had disappeared just a few weeks before the war began, and we searched and searched for him. The necklace should have led me to him, the dragon always pointed in his direction, but when he vanished it began spinning wildly and was no longer of any help. The glow is gone because he is dead, and it is all your fault!” Dre’Kariston accused.

  “So your silly necklace doesn’t glow. We have to take your word for it that it ever did. How could my familiar be your brother anyway?” Latarian was still yelling.

  “Explain to us why in the last few minutes your hair has darkened, your eye color has paled and your magical power is now that of a novice,” Dre’Kariston argued and Brogan took his attention from him to see that his observations about her appearance were correct, her face even appeared slightly different to him, but he wasn’t sure that all of his faculties were still intact so he could be wrong.

  “My familiar has died, how can you not expect there to be changes?”

  “Because you should have absorbed his magic as you were supposedly the one to create him in the first place. You should be stronger now, there is no reason for you to change physically and because I know your grandfather had something to do with his disappearance.”

  “You lie!”

  At her pronouncement, Dre’Kariston pulled out another necklace, this one from his pocket. The gold of the chain sparkled, and it had a glowing blue dragon that was pointed in Dre’Kariston’s direction. “This is Dra’Kaedan’s necklace. Can you guess how I obtained it?” he asked and swung the necklace in his hand almost hypnotically.

  “For all, I know you did something to your brother and now for some reason are trying to make me and my grandfather take the blame,” Latarian retorted. Brogan’s knees were beginning to ache, but he didn’t make a move on the floor. He was trying to absorb Dre’Kariston’s story and there was a part of him that thought if he just stayed here there was still a chance his Ayden would come back to the spot he had disappeared from.

  “I loved my brother, I would have never done anything to harm him. I know it was your grandfather because I found it in his pocket after his death.”

  “His death? You were responsible for it, weren’t you? You killed him. You are the murderer in this room,” Latarian accused, her face mottled with anger and her pale green eyes were wet with tears.

  “You are right. I did kill him. I told you my parents told me to hide when the war began and I did. But Carvallius used Dra’Kaedan’s necklace to find me, and he attacked me. It was a surprisingly easy battle; his ego was much stronger than his magic. Before he died, he confessed that he had taken Dra’Kaedan, but he would not tell me how to find him. When I arrived here, I finally found him only he didn’t recognize me because you had managed to turn him into your familiar!”

  “The oddities make sense now that you have revealed this to us Dre’Kariston,” Vadimas offered quietly.

  Latarian’s eyes glowed ripe with fury, “I cannot believe this. How could you?”

  “How could I? You are the one who has used my brother for centuries, and it was your actions that caused his death. You came between him and his mate and, as you were so keen to tell me, that is an offense punishable by death,” Dre’Kariston sneered at her.

  “I needed to be more powerful! I didn’t know he was Dra’Kaedan. I had never even heard of Dra’Kaedan; I had no use for politics. I knew he was powerful and that I could have some of his magic. My grandfather wanted me to be happy, and I need more magic to be happy,” Latarian confessed, her voice unsteady.

  Brogan was stunned. Not only had he lost Ayden, but Ayden had never really existed at all. He had been mated to the Grand Warlock Dra’Kaedan, who had been coerced into servitude by a crazy woman and her evil grandfather. “You mean he really was Dra’Kaedan?” Brogan asked incredulously.

  The room was silent for several seconds as the truth resonated through all of them before Benton took a threatening step towards Latarian. “Why didn’t you tell us this when he fell ill? We might have been able to save him sooner, before he grew too weak to survive it,” Chander’s sentinel demanded.

  “I didn’t know it would hurt him. All my grandfather ever said was that it would be best if he didn’t mate. That was why I made up the story about Eoghan, but all of my work was ruined when Brogan arrived.”

  “It might be best if he didn’t mate? AND YOU NEVER SAID A WORD?” Brogan got to his feet as he bellowed the words at the conniving woman who he now knew was responsible for the death of his mate. She shrank down into her seat with fear as he walked over to loom over her. His dragon had come to life and was roaring inside of him; his beast wanted to tear her apart.

  “Brogan, she will pay for her crimes. We will take her to the fallen knights in the morning. They can decide how to proceed, although I cannot imagine they will take this lightly,” Chander said. Brogan knew it was meant to calm him down, and although he walked slightly away from her he knew he would never forgive her for what she had done. How could he? His life was ruined.

  “It was probably the mate bond; it is far stronger than anything. The dark magic was no longer able to keep Latarian and Dra’Kaedan bound,” Vadimas s
urmised. It was left unsaid that if she had come forward with the truth from the start that he might have lived. They may have had the time to unravel the mystery of the spells on his back and save him.

  “I know I should have told you the truth about me as soon as I arrived but I had no reason to believe Latarian was involved in Dra’Kaedan’s disappearance despite her connection to Carvallius. I wasn’t even aware he had a granddaughter until I met her. I suppose I have spent too many centuries protecting my identity. When I arrived, Dra’Kaedan looked so different and he didn’t recognize me. I wasn’t positive it was him until the necklace lost its glow. I wish I had said something sooner, but it was difficult to believe that there was dark magic strong enough to enslave someone, especially someone as powerful as Dra’Kaedan,” Dre’Kariston said and his face fell as tears filled his eyes. He walked over to Brogan and, grabbing his hand, he placed Dra’Kaedan’s gold necklace in it.

  “It was his. He would have wanted you to have it and this way you can always find me. I owe you a debt I will never be able to repay, but know that if I could have saved him I would have given my own life to do so.” Brogan curled his fingers into a fist around the necklace that had once hung from his mate’s neck.

  “Thank you,” he managed.

  “He was obsessed with dragons. His clothes, his bedding, all his tapestries, they were all covered in dragons. Shortly before he was taken, we found out that dragons actually existed and that they were shifters. After that he became convinced that he and I were going to be mated to dragon shifters; it was his fondest wish,” Dre’Kariston told him through his tears and Brogan finally lost the battle with his own emotions. His grief was threatening to overwhelm him, and he needed to be alone. Without a word to anyone he ran from the room and headed straight outside. His clothes ripped from his body as his dragon took over. Spraying the sky with fire, he soared into the sky as his dragon mourned a loss so deep and vast that neither one of them would ever be the same.