Vengeance From The Dark (D'Vaire Book 3)

by Jessamyn Kingley

  The mighty Cadlyr––who Talfryn had called a close friend and often boasted of the elf’s bravery and skill with weapons––running away amused him. A barely alive Lorcan had met the spear wielding elf on the battlefield and due to his blood loss, he didn’t have much memory of the encounter. They had been well-matched, Lorcan remembered now with his head cocked to the side. Yes, he thought, Cadlyr had been the warrior of Talfryn’s bragging.

  Now it appeared he was little more than a gardener and a nursemaid to the chieftains who Lorcan had yet to see leave their hut. He only knew they lived still from the words of his mate during their little chats. For two days now he had followed Cadlyr, and it was he alone that did all the work. They were surely missing their little blind elf who could have helped with the daily chores. It confused Lorcan as to how Talfryn had been finally separated from his kin but perhaps with the sad state of the Cwylld, they could no longer afford another mouth to feed.

  Even more puzzling than Talfryn being sent to a sanctuary in America were the walks Cadlyr took when he wasn’t tending the plants or running in and out of the chieftain’s hut. To Lorcan, it seemed like aimless wandering. He wondered why with no assistance Cadlyr would waste so much time walking around the woods with no visible purpose. Lorcan gave an internal shrug as he swept his thoughts on Cadlyr to the side.

  The once great warrior, the evil Cwylld leaders, and the purpose behind their daily activities were soon out of Lorcan’s mind altogether. His task completed in Wales, it was time he returned to see if “Edion” was now acquainted with his true and former self. Talfryn had probably crafted several lies to tell the warlocks to keep a roof over his head. Lorcan could not imagine that anyone would sympathize with a spoiled brat who left his mate because his heart had not come with the ability to care about anyone beyond himself.

  As always, the thought of Talfryn caused tension to spring between his shoulder blades and his head began to pound. He needed to return and begin crafting a new plan to end Talfryn’s hateful existence upon this planet. Not taking advantage of the last opportunity, Lorcan was going to have to work harder a second time to get that close to Talfryn. He also had the complication of Talfryn’s new “family” knowing who he was and if his memory was back they knew what he was.

  Unashamed of his demonic blood, Lorcan simply did not want any of these people to take it into their heads that he was an evil monster that they needed to cage or worse. It would be too easy of a fate for Talfryn’s life to end in such a way. Fate knew he deserved the chance to plunge that athame into Talfryn’s black heart.

  Chapter 15

  “I believe we are close to finding Lorcan,” Dra’Kaedan said as he plopped down onto one of the sofas in Aleksander’s office. Brogan immediately cupped Dra’Kaedan’s head in his large hand and dropped a kiss on the top of it.

  “We’d have him by now if he wasn’t moving around. He must have been really far away when we first began looking,” Dre’Kariston said as he planted himself on the other couch.

  “Yeah well, our accuracy is shit because our spell isn’t really intended to find someone demonic. We are definitely going to have to get Chander and Vadimas together and try to create some more specific spells for people like Talfryn’s mate. There’s no way Lorcan can be the only person on the planet that is part demon. I mean there have to be some full bloods somewhere,” Dra’Kaedan replied and Aleksander watched as he snuggled close to Brogan.

  “Gavrael and Gedeon are sure they can track them with some practice as well. No doubt, they can assist Drystan to help give fallen knights a similar ability,” Dre’Kariston said with a nod.

  “Which leads me to the real topic of discussion,” Aleksander began. “Talfryn has decided to keep the fallen knights out of this. That’s fine—it’s his own mate who tried to kill him and Lorcan believes Talfryn ran out on him. While that certainly isn’t any reason to hold a weapon to your other half, I think we can keep Talfryn safe from Lorcan now that we know what’s going on. Talfryn wants Lorcan back, and I’m all for helping him do that. What I can’t do is idly sit back and go along with the second half of his plan. Yes, his family purposely kept him from Lorcan and that is, under our Council laws, a punishable crime. But, we don’t get to decide that. Fallen knights do.”

  “Yes, but technically the fallen knights didn’t even exist when Talfryn was abducted. It was centuries later before Chander was even born let alone created the fallen knights,” Dre’Kariston said.

  “I understand that, but we’re members of the Council. We agreed, when the dragons joined, we would entrust the fallen knights to handle crime and punishment,” Brogan said before Aleksander could even get his mouth open.

  “Fallen knights have limits. They have no jurisdiction outside of North America. Talfryn was abducted in what is now magically governed by Consilium Veneficus. The Cwylld may or may not belong to it; we have no way to ask since their government hates ours,” Dra’Kaedan pointed out.

  “This isn’t like when we went to rescue Renny and Gedeon. The fallen knights were well aware of our handling the situation and venturing to Europe. We didn’t know before we left that it would wind up with Gavrael ending Latarian’s life. She stabbed you and he reacted. The plan was to bring her back here to face justice,” Aleksander said to Dra’Kaedan.

  “I know that but she committed crimes here, so the fallen knights could punish her. This crime as we know not only happened outside of their jurisdiction but predates them,” Dra’Kaedan replied as he sat up a bit straighter. He knew Aleksander was always open to a good debate but if he dug in his heels then Dra’Kaedan was going to be a good D’Vaire and follow his king’s edict. Talfryn would have to find another way to have his justice.

  “I’m not comfortable taking the law into our own hands. I think our next step must be to contact both Drystan and the Emperor,” Aleksander said, his tone resolute. He was not giving up on Talfryn’s pursuit of justice; he just needed to follow the right avenues to make sure the entire D’Vaire family wasn’t jeopardized. Looking across the room, Aleksander was surprised to see Dre’Kariston staring at him through narrowed eyes.

  “I agree, we will do things the right way. They are fair men and neither of them tolerates crimes against mates. With their help, we can figure out the best way to handle this situation,” Dra’Kaedan said.

  “This is ridiculous. Talfryn has lost a thousand years with Lorcan. He will never get that back. Not to mention that these are the same people that murdered our parents and decimated our people. By my count, they deserve death a few thousand times over,” Dre’Kariston said, his voice taut with anger and his jaw clenched tightly.

  “Dre’Kariston, I know justice will be served. We are D’Vaires now; we must follow our king and do as he thinks is best,” Dra’Kaedan said in a soft tone which surprised Aleksander since Dra’Kaedan probably wanted to get up and punch his brother. Apparently, he was trying very hard to reign in his often-volatile temper.

  “You’re also the Grand Warlock. Does the death of our people mean so little?”

  “No, Grand Summoner, it does not. Nothing will bring them back. I gave my allegiance to Aleksander and I won’t muddy my own honor to add wood to another funeral pyre,” Dra’Kaedan said as he jumped to his feet. Aleksander was proud that the warlock wasn’t yelling, although the words had come out between clenched teeth.

  “Fine, I vow to help Talfryn. He deserves to have justice served. If it means I must walk away from being a D’Vaire so be it,” Dre’Kariston said as he not only got to his feet but stomped right out of the room after speaking.

  “Aleksander, he didn’t mean—”

  “Dra’Kaedan. No explanation or apology is necessary. I know anything dealing with the Cwylld is touching on a subject too painful to truly comprehend if you have not lived through it. I will contact Drystan and Chrysander. We’ll figure out a way to get Talfryn what he deserves,” Aleksander said as he rose from his chair to his full height of six foot six.

  “B
aby, go on and see if you can get a nap before you start looking for Lorcan again,” Brogan said as he too stood. He leaned down and kissed his mate’s welcoming mouth before Dra’Kaedan hurried from the room.

  “Brogan, I’m going to work on getting Chrysander on the phone. You try Drystan,” Aleksander ordered.

  “Will do. How pissed are you really?” Brogan asked his best friend. Aleksander met his gaze and all he saw was steely-eyed determination.

  “One thousand years. That’s longer than my life. No wonder Lorcan seems crazy. You’d have to be to think you can kill your own mate. I’m going to do things the way the Council says we should. But if the Council doesn’t cooperate, I’ll be standing next to Dre’Kariston as he gets his own justice for what the Cwylld did to his family,” Aleksander vowed and Brogan shook his head.

  “Two most powerful magickind on earth, six dragons including the largest ever born, and two sentinels whose very purpose is to assassinate. Yeah, we got this,” Brogan said and Aleksander was happy to see that his best friend’s navy eyes reflected only his normally easy-going cheer.

  “Of course, we do. We’re D’Vaires,” he replied as he smiled at his friend. Their family was strong because they were united and Aleksander would see to it that it stayed that way.

  * * *

  For a moment, Lorcan was unsure what had awoken him from a well-deserved rest. It had been a long trip back to Nevada, and he’d had to move around a bit until he found decent accommodations. Currently he was using a half-developed but seemingly abandoned building complex to serve as his new home. Lifting his head from his bag that served as his pillow, he listened intently to see if it was a sound that startled him awake but he heard nothing. Then it hit him, that demonic ability to feel his mate close by. It was impossible to determine how close, but he preferred to choose the time and place of their encounters.

  Sitting up soundlessly, he turned his head side to side to see if his sanctum had been invaded, but all he saw was concrete, steel, and garbage. Had he not been so tired from all his wandering about, Lorcan knew he would have sensed Talfryn before he had the chance to get this close. It was no use beating himself up over it, Lorcan decided as he got to his feet without making even the slightest noise.

  “About time you got up,” Talfryn said from somewhere behind him. Lorcan’s heart leaped into his throat, but he managed not to jump in fright at the sound of his mate’s voice.

  “Come to have another one of our chats, friend? Too bad, I’m tired. Come back later,” Lorcan replied as he crossed his arms over his chest.

  “We do have a great deal to discuss, but I prefer somewhere a bit more aesthetically pleasing,” Talfryn said and to Lorcan’s amusement, his voice was cocky. No more was he the timid, ugly elf who wanted to save him. This was Talfryn in all his unabashed confidence who once stood toe to toe with Lorcan and matched his own arrogance.

  “Finally tired of playing the poor, blind fool?”

  “I’m no longer Edion. I’m sure that’s what you meant to ask, but your words got confused from your poor little brain to your mouth,” Talfryn said. Lorcan was swamped with memories of them taunting one another just like this on countless occasions in the year they’d spent together. A chat like this was always followed by a very satisfying and sweaty bout of sex. For just a second, he wanted to go back to those days and be that hapless fool that believed it could be that easy. Then reality slammed into him and he remembered those days were all a lie.

  “Talfryn, go away before I forget how tired I am and kill you.”

  “Great job you did last time, by the way. I’m still here.”

  “Only because I wished your memory returned to you before I ended our lives,” Lorcan said and he wanted to kick himself. His bag was behind him on the floor, and he doubted Talfryn was here alone. Those sorcerers were crafty and yes, there were definitely several persons invisible but in the building all the same.

  “I have my memory Lorcan. All of it. We have a lot to discuss. Things you need to know. Things you deserve to know,” Talfryn said and his voice was thick with anger and pain. Lorcan didn’t care how bad Talfryn burned in spite or how much his heart ached.

  “Too many lies. You’re full of so many of them. Now leave. We will meet again and the next time it will be on my terms. Death. That is what I want. Yours and mine,” Lorcan said and he shook his shoulders slightly as he began the process of allowing his wings to spread. He didn’t even get one out of his shirt before he found two glowing daggers with their tips pressed to the sides of his neck.

  “Keep the wings in your shirt, Lorcan. Those daggers probably won’t kill you, but they will make you wish you were dead. The poison is a neurotoxin. It can cause all kinds of fun stuff—brain damage, impaired vision, no feeling in your limbs, and my personal favorite, memory loss. Wouldn’t that be fun?” Talfryn informed him, his voice sounding bored.

  “If I die, so do you.”

  “A risk I am willing to take. Now you are going to come with us and we are going to return to my home. You’re going to get a nice comfy bed to sleep on, and then we’re going to talk.”

  “The hell we are. Go home. Leave me be. Your death is imminent but it will not be today. It is on my terms Talfryn. Mine,” Lorcan said as he glared at the two men shrouded in dark gray wielding their weapons and holding him hostage.

  “You know what I think? I think if you really wanted me dead, if you really wanted to be dead, you would have slit my throat.”

  “I told you that I wanted your memory returned first. I sensed the dark magic on you. You had your identity masked.”

  “Did I? How would you know? You want to know what else I think?”

  “No, not really.”

  “Too bad. I think it’s probably for the best that you don’t want either of us dead, because your plan is not going to work. In fact, I’m pretty sure it’s impossible.”

  “You will find out soon enough,” Lorcan spat out.

  “Where have you been for a thousand years? I was easy prey. Blind. Neglected.”

  “The stones. The copper you wrapped that hut in might protect other magickind but as a demon, it still leeched away my power. I could not get close to you until you got away from all those damn rocks.”

  “And yet I still have a box full of them. Who is the liar now?”

  “A handful versus a hut full. Besides, you didn’t carry one with you out to the edge of your little sanctuary, did you? Get these damn daggers away from me,” Lorcan blurted out. He was getting tired of seeing nothing but the bright green glow of them and listening to Talfryn’s idiocy. From this point forward, he was going to affix their mating athame to his body so he would never be without it. Had he thought of that before, he could have turned and thrown the thing into Talfryn’s dead heart before these poisoned daggers might do any serious damage.

  “Lorcan, the only way Gavrael and Gedeon are going to remove the daggers is if you agree to come back with us,” Talfryn said.

  “So, if I don’t agree they will what? Stab me in the throat? Go ahead. Have it your way. I can survive their little poison. I’ve survived horrors you can’t imagine.”

  “I know you have,” Talfryn said in a soft voice and was silent for several moments before adding, “If you don’t come with us, we are going to have to report you to the fallen knights. You tried to kill me. They will put you in a cage. Maybe for the rest of your life, which is literally an eternity.”

  “And if they decide my punishment is death? What then? You will die.”

  “They don’t use death as punishment when the mate of the convicted is innocent.”

  “There’s nothing innocent about you,” Lorcan roared.

  “No, you took care of that the night we were mated. As I recall, you were quite thorough. Neither one of us got any sleep, and I spent the entire next day grinning like an idiot,” Talfryn said, his voice thickened with desire at the memory. Lorcan closed his eyes as he was sucked into remembering the night Talfryn spoke of.
Both had lost their virginity that evening, but Lorcan couldn’t recall much to be embarrassed about.

  Lifting his eyelids, Lorcan snapped out, “What must I do to be rid of you?”

  “I’ve already laid out your choices.” Talfryn’s words did little to quell Lorcan’s temper. It wasn’t much of a choice. There was no way he would spend eternity in a cage, and he didn’t want to answer anyone’s curiosity about exactly how demon blood would respond to the poisoned daggers.

  “I doubt your sanctuary friends want me in their home.”

  “On the contrary, as Talfryn’s mate you are welcome,” the same ridiculously tall man with the black-and-blue hair from the last meeting with Talfryn said as he became visible. The warlock with the riot of blond curls and what had to be his brother—they were nearly identical save for their hair color—were also present. A fourth man with soft brown curls and nearly as tall as Blue-black was standing nearby as well. Lorcan realized he was screwed and had little choice but to do as Talfryn wanted. These warlocks were clever enough to track him down. They were probably cunning enough to trap him in their big magical dome too.

  “If you are waiting for me to thank you, your death will come sooner. Unless you’re immortal, in which case this building will crumble around us while you kill time.”

  “I am King Aleksander D’Vairedraconis,” Blue-black said before pointing to Mr. Blond Ringlets. “This is Grand Warlock Dra’Kaedan D’Vaire and his twin, Grand Summoner Dre’Kariston D’Vaire. Next to Dra’Kaedan is his mate Duke Brogan D’Vairedraconis and I believe Talfryn mentioned our sentinels, Gavrael and his mate, Gedeon D’Vaire. You can meet the rest of the family when we get home.”