The Morgannate: The Dregian Chronicles Book 3

by D E Boske

  “Darian! What the hell are you doing? I could have killed you! Never sneak up on a Mage of The Order. You of all should know that best,” reprimanded the tall, handsome Mage. Darian merely laughed.

  “I needed to see you and it couldn’t wait,” said Darian, as he began to rework the other Mage’s protective spells and wards.

  “Honestly, Alvos!” Darian said in disgust. It seemed the wards were not up to his standards. “A Journeyman could set a stronger ward than you have,” chided Darian.

  Alvos did not get angry at the chastisement. Instead, he watched everything his friend was doing, as he recreated the wards and protective spells without any effort at all. He’d always admired Darian, as so many of the Mages did back in Mogan Dar. Not everyone hated the young Mage. They were just jealous and Alvos was no exception. Darian had a knack for picking new things up quickly. He never struggled the way the rest of them did. He was always the favorite student and because he learned so quickly, The Order held him to a higher standard than the rest of them.

  Alvos felt the pull on the Weave as Darian called the magic to him. He watched the complex pattern that his friend was weaving, but the young Mage lost him after only a few moments. He admired Darian and how easily he manipulated the Weave to do his bidding. He’d never witnessed another Mage who could control the Weave so easily and completely. The look on Darian’s face was unmistakable and one that Alvos knew well.

  When a Mage called on the Weave and pulled power into themselves, it was one of the most erotic sensations they ever felt. It was pleasure incarnate. It was hard not to get aroused when magic was coursing through every fiber of your being.

  “What is it you came to see me about?” asked Alvos, clearly amused.

  “Mordinian came to see me today,” Darian informed and Alvos bristled.

  “What about?” asked Alvos.

  “He came to warn me that you were trying to kill me. He even showed me the vial he gave you,” said the young Mage.

  “Oh,” said Alvos.

  “Oh? That’s all you have to say?” asked Darian, a little perturbed.

  “What do you want me to say, Darian? I’ll keep looking, but seriously, this is an overwhelming task. If we could involve the others…” but Darian cut him off.

  “No! I don’t trust any of them, Alvos,” he hissed.

  “You have issues,” said Alvos, trying not to laugh.

  “Don’t we all?”

  “Care for a drink?” asked Alvos.

  “Do you even have to ask that?” responded Darian.

  Alvos poured generous amounts of Cryvellan Brandy into two glasses and handed one to Darian. Alvos leaned on the wall and sipped the brandy and watched Darian gulp it down and hold out his glass for more. Alvos hid his shock well and poured more for the young Mage. Alvos was much older than Darian and he could remember Darian’s rise through the ranks and the fear that ripped through The Order at Darian’s ascension.

  Darian was not one to vie for power, so much of the fear had dissipated, leaving boiling rage and simmering hatred in its wake. They feared and hated what they could not control and no one was wilder than Darian Brade. The young student was the teacher’s pet until the student surpassed the teacher. Then the teacher sought to make a fool of the student and the opposite happened. Darian excelled in everything he did. Everything. He was highly intelligent, deliberate, cocky, self-assured, and powerful. And he’d earned those titles. Each and every one. Alvos respected Darian, loved him as a brother and he would like nothing more than to help root out the traitor. But the task that Darian had given him was insurmountable. Darian was certain the traitor was a Mage, but what if it wasn’t? Where, then, would he look?

  “I will be going with Kyler and Asa after our conversation,” Darian told Alvos, as he sipped the brandy this time.

  “I’m coming with you,” Alvos said.

  “No. They suspect you and I cannot prove otherwise without telling them the truth. And that is something I am not prepared to do, Alvos,” said the young Mage sternly.

  “You need someone to watch your back,” Alvos argued.

  “I have the demon and besides, neither Kyler nor Asa are a threat to me.”

  “That you know of,” said Alvos.

  Darian chuckled and opened a portal. Alvos tried to follow what his friend was doing, he really did, but he just couldn’t see how Darian bypassed his own wards to step through the portal. Alvos dared not try it, he knew how strong Darian’s wards were and what he designed them to do. He liked breathing.

  Darian stepped out of his bedroom and walked right into Kelindril. “Going somewhere, Darian?” asked the Gor Li’ Khan leader.

  “Yes actually, and I was hoping you would accompany me,” replied the Mage.

  “Since when do you prefer our company anymore?”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” asked the Mage.

  “Lately, you come and go and leave us behind. How can we protect you if we are not privy to your plans?”

  “I suppose I deserve that. Point made, Kel, I’m sorry. Now, are you going to come with me or not?” asked Darian, not sounding sorry at all.

  “Of course, where are we going?” asked the assassin.

  “Kyler and Asa sensed a dark evil in the forest. They saw traces of its passing and followed it back here.”

  “Darian, we felt it too,” admitted Kelindril. “Nymdal and I sensed it, but then Gavil came to tell you about Raylan…” the assassin trailed off.

  “Where did you sense it?” asked Darian, sounding troubled.

  “Right outside your door…” Kelindril trailed off as Darian turned away from him and swiped everything from the shelf over the mantle, sending it crashing to the floor.

  “Well that was real adult,” chided Kelindril, unafraid of the Mage’s ire.

  “Why didn’t you tell me earlier, Kel?” Darian asked quietly.

  “I tried to, several times. But you’re never around anymore. You disappear without so much as a “bugger off” and frankly, I’m tired of it. Whatever you got going on, you better get over it and do it soon, or you’re going to get us all killed.” Darian grabbed the elf by the wrist to stop him from leaving.

  “I’m sorry, Kelindril.” Now he sounded sincere. “I was with Nephraete, you were right. I tried to hide it from you, but that doesn’t matter anymore. This…darkness is growing in me and I…” the Mage trailed off as Nymdal entered and Kelindril shot him a murderous glare.

  Nymdal shrugged, “We’re ready, Darian.”

  “Well, let’s go then,” said the Mage. He grabbed his Shryvven and his pack and followed

  Nymdal out the door.

  Darian had requested two other Gor Li’ Khan to accompany them, but the choice was up

  to Kelindril, as he knew them best. It didn’t matter, they were all fiercely loyal to Darian and would do whatever he asked or commanded without question.

  “Darian, this is Stilhan and Melanor,” Kelindril introduced them and Darian nodded as he clasped each of their hands in greeting.

  “It’s nice to finally meet you, Darian,” said Melanor.

  “We’ll see if you still feel that way after a month or so,” replied the Mage and it took the elf a second to realize he was joking.

  They picked up Kyler and Asa and left immediately. Kyler and Darian walked together, speaking softly. Asa, Kelindril, and Nymdal were on point and Stilhan and Melanor brought up the rear.

  “What do you think it could be, Darian? I saw the look on your face, though it was gone just as quickly. You must have some idea,” said Kyler and Darian sighed.

  “Indeed, I do,” was all he said and no amount of further prompting elicited any other comments on the matter.

  They walked on in silence for a time, the Gor Li’ Khan ever watchful. Nothing was out of place, everything was quiet. Finally, the sun was beginning to set and it lit the sky on fire with color. The forest came alive with soft, glowing light. They could hear music in the distance.

&nb
sp; “It sounds like they’re celebrating our departure,” the Mage joked and they all laughed. They walked long into the night before stopping to eat something.

  “How much farther, Kyler?” asked Kelindril.

  “About a day and a half.”

  “What if we find nothing?” asked Melanor.

  “There is every possibility that whatever it is, is long gone. If we find nothing, then we return and ready ourselves for the upcoming journey,” responded Darian.

  They rested for a couple of hours while Melanor and Nymdal watched over them. The night was quiet, the music of the forest long silent.

  “How do you like working for Darian, Nym?” asked Melanor.

  “It’s rewarding, Melanor. He’s nothing like Thelarki, nothing at all. He actually cares about us,” Nym said, almost reverently.

  “I’m glad we left Kaleika Bay,” replied Melanor.

  “Me too,” agreed Nym.

  In the morning, they ate a quick breakfast and were off once more. They were far outside the elven city now, yet the walkways continued into the forest. They did not encounter any others out here, and if there were any guards, they remained hidden. Another night slipped past them without incident.

  They reached the outpost in the afternoon and Kyler and Asa walked Darian through what happened. Darian walked around slowly, carefully, reaching out with his magic, trying to sense anything that felt out of place.

  He felt nothing. Everything was quiet. He wasn’t sure how long he stood motionless, sifting through the emotions of the forest. Then he felt it, snaking its way through the trees, creeping closer to them. Darian spun around in the direction of the wrongness.

  “You feel it too?” asked Kyler and Asa in unison.

  “Yes,” said the Mage quietly.

  “What is it, Darian?” asked Kelindril, looking around them, unsure of where it was. The feeling surrounded them all, heightening their senses.

  Before the Mage was able to respond, the living darkness slammed into Darian so hard, it threw him off balance and he flew backward into the tree. He slumped to the walkway where he lay motionless. Kelindril ran to check on him and felt for his pulse. It was strong, but erratic and he looked to Kyler and shrugged.

  “He’s alive, but…” the Gor Li’ Khan trailed off.

  “But what, Kelindril?” asked Kyler.

  “His pulse is not normal. It’s strong, but irregular.”

  “We should have brought Lorin with us,” Kyler said.

  “We had no idea anything like this would happen,” admitted the Gor Li’ Khan leader.

  “I know Kelindril, but we have to be better prepared from now on.” The admonishment was clear and it stung. It was Kelindril’s job to protect Darian and he’d failed. Miserably. Again.

  The night was deep, dark, and quiet. Nothing moved. Kelindril would not leave Darian’s side. He was still unconscious and the elf was afraid. He had no idea what was wrong with the Mage and was seriously contemplating sending Melanor back to retrieve Lorin when Darian slowly opened his eyes. Kelindril took the time to notice they were their normal silvery grey and he sighed in relief.

  “Darian, are you okay?” he asked quietly so as not to wake the rest.

  “I feel… great,” he said, standing up and flexing his muscles and stretching. “I’m starving,” he said, as his stomach rumbled.

  “Do you remember anything that happened?” asked Kelindril.

  “No, not really,” he said, turning his neck from left to right to loosen up as he’d been out for several hours and apparently hadn’t moved at all.

  “How do you feel?” asked Kelindril.

  “Hungry,” he said irritably, digging through his pack. Kyler sat up upon hearing Darian’s

  voice.

  “Darian! Are you okay? What happened?” asked the elf prince.

  “I’m fine, just hungry is all,” he groused.

  “Here, I saved you some stew in case you woke,” he said, handing the Mage a bowl.

  “Thank you,” he took the proffered bowl, sat down and promptly devoured the contents. He took a pull on the flask that he kept tied to his belt and had barely finished swallowing when everything came back up. He hung over the railing, as his stomach clenched and emptied its contents violently. When he was through, he fell backward into darkness and knew no more.

  “What do you think is wrong with him, Kyler?” asked Kelindril shakily.

  “I don’t know, Kelindril.” The Mage had fallen so fast that neither of them was able to break his fall. “I’m worried about him.”

  “Me too,” the Gor Li’ Khan confessed. “Where is the demon? Why has he not come to check on him?”

  “Hmm, I don’t know. Maybe Darian is blocking him again?”

  “It’s possible. I know he’s done it in the past. Kyler… do you think Renlyss will come back to him?”

  “I don’t know, Kelindril. I hope so for his sake.”

  “He was… visibly hurt, though he’ll deny it if asked. I know she hurt him deeply. If she loves him like she says she does, then why run? I understand that what she was witness to was terrifying, but she cannot honestly believe that he would ever hurt her.”

  “I fear I am no longer sure what he is capable of. He’s changing every day in ways that I don’t think we’ll ever fully understand. I’m terrified of losing him to the Dark Magic.”

  This admission from the elf prince rocked the Gor Li’ Khan leader to his core. He kept his face devoid of any emotion. If Kyler was losing hope of saving the Mage, then what were the rest of them supposed to do? Gods! Kelindril would not give up on Darian. In the time that he’d known Darian, the Mage had changed him irrevocably. He didn’t want to go back to the way he was when he’d first arrived at Kiri A’ Nouell. Darian had taken them all in and given them purpose. They were bloodthirsty killers to the last elf, but the Mage gave them a new direction for their talents. A direction that they all preferred, Kelindril included.

  For too long, Thelarki and his evil purpose guided their movements. Kelindril would never admit it to anyone, not even to himself, but the sleepless nights had begun to take their toll on the Gor Li’ Khan. Innocent blood stained his elven hands and he would never find redemption, no matter how many righteous kills he had under Darian. He couldn’t explain the way he felt about the Mage. It was too hard to put into words. Darian was Ni’ Kulana and Kelindril had always hated Ni’ Kulana. What was so different about him? There was something about Darian that drew Kelindril, as he suspected it drew all who got too close to the Mage. He was forever thankful that Darian had come to him what seemed so long ago now. Kelindril was ashamed of how he’d treated him at first. Why Darian had even given him a chance was beyond him. He guessed it was because the Mage really needed their help.

  “We will do what we need to in order to keep him safe, Kyler,” Kelindril admitted. “We will protect him with our lives and gladly die for him. He has… redeemed us and we will never forget that. Although, I must admit that I do not believe that I can be saved. The good… it cannot outweigh the bad that I have done. Too much innocent blood stains my hands and I…” Kelindril clammed up, as if he realized he’d spoken those words aloud.

  “I believe we all can come back if we truly wish it. Shenna knows our hearts and I do not believe that she would condemn you for your past. You have the ability to change, Kelindril. Everyone does. But the question is, do you want to? For if you do not, well, we wouldn’t be having this conversation, would we?” remarked Kyler with a hint of a smile.

  “I’m thankful he has you, Kyler. You’re a good friend and he will need you before this is all through. He will need both of us and we will be there for him.”

  “Yes, we will,” replied Kyler, the Gor Li’ Khan’s spirit restored the elven prince’s faith.

  Nymdal, Melanor, and Stilhan gave them their space, but watched over the Mage to make sure he didn’t roll off the walkway. That would be disastrous indeed. They kept any emotion off their face as only a Gor Li’
Khan can. But they each were concerned for the Mage.

  In the morning, Darian rose to find everyone staring at him concernedly. He sat up gingerly. He was stiff, sore, and all his muscles protested whenever he moved. What the hell?

  “How do you feel, Darian?” asked Kyler.

  “Probably about as good as I look,” he mused, looking at all their faces. “What happened?”

  he asked, looking to Kyler and Kelindril.

  “We all sensed it, but before any of us were able to do anything, the living darkness struck you and you flew backward into the tree. You awoke hours later and said you were hungry so I gave you a bowl of stew, which you quickly devoured. You took a few deep draws on your flask, but then you were sick,” explained Kyler.

  “What do you mean, sick?” asked Darian, already suspecting.

  “You vomited everything up and collapsed before we could catch you. You’ve been that way ever since. You haven’t moved at all, so you’re probably pretty stiff,” Kyler continued.

  “Any blood?” asked the Mage, almost afraid to hear the answer.

  “No,” said Kyler and thought he saw Darian exhale from relief. “We should get going,”

  said the Mage.

  “Don’t you want something to eat?” asked Kyler.

  “No, not now,” responded Darian, feeling nauseous.

  They arrived back at the palace two days later. Darian collapsed on his bed and promptly fell deep into Ru Nay’ Sha. He’d barely eaten anything since he awoke and he had lost weight that he couldn’t afford to lose. He’d turned Kyler down on his invite to dinner with him and Nephraete. He just wanted to rest. Kelindril and Nymdal stayed inside his room to watch over him. They didn’t like the looks of the Mage. Darian knew they were there but he was so exhausted he just didn’t care.

  Sometime during the night, he’d kicked the covers off and Kelindril quickly moved to cover him once more. He didn’t really want to watch a naked Darian all night. His rest seemed to be fitful and he tossed and turned all night, muttering unintelligibly. At times, it didn’t even sound like the common tongue. Kelindril didn’t think it necessarily sounded like Shivvendari, either. He honestly wasn’t sure what it was, but the sound of it chilled his blood.