The Morgannate: The Dregian Chronicles Book 3

by D E Boske

  “Were you afraid to ask her to be your consort?” asked Brandiel.

  “Absolutely terrified. But only because she rejected my proposal before. No one’s ever done that to me…” A weird look crossed Darian’s face and was gone a second later. Brandiel wasn’t sure what to make of it, but he vowed from now on, he would pay closer attention and have a backbone.

  “And Brandiel, Lustryl likes a no-nonsense attitude and you should definitely take charge in the bedroom.”

  Brandiel merely nodded, not sure if he’d be able to speak on the subject right now. They walked back to the Mage’s room and Darian took Renlyss in his arms and kissed her thoroughly, his tongue sliding into her eager mouth. She leaned into the man she loved and moaned softly as he continued to explore her in front of the others.

  Brandiel watched closely to the way Renlyss seemed to merge with the powerful Mage

  and how he seemed to possess her. Darian looked into her eyes as he stroked her lips with his thumb. Renlyss’s tongue flicked out to lick his thumb and he groaned as her lips enclosed the digit. He clasped her face in his hands and kissed her again, as he grabbed her bottom, pulling her nearer.

  “Mm babe, you’re deliciously naughty,” he whispered and she smiled wickedly.

  “That’s what you love about me, Mage,” Renlyss said, her voice soft and low.

  “One of the many things, darlin’,” he drawled.

  A knock at the door brought their attention around, and Darian groaned in frustration. He was good and ready to make love to his consort and resented the interruption.

  “Darian, it’s Thelarki,” said Kelindril, his features giving away nothing.

  “Send him in,” he said, looking to Brandiel.

  The Gor Li’ Khan flanked Darian, Renlyss, and Hunter, their faces carved from stone, impassive, but watchful. The Monarch swept into the room acting as if he owned the place, which Darian guessed he did. He looked at those gathered ‘round, but said nothing.

  “I trust you find everything to your liking? We do not have the same comforts as Mogan Dar after all,” said Thelarki, not unkindly, but not quite friendly either. Darian frowned at his tone.

  “The room is fine, thanks,” said Darian in the same tone and it was Thelarki’s turn to frown.

  “Is this your first time in the presence of a Monarch?” asked Thelarki in a clipped tone.

  “I think you know that it is not,” said Darian.

  “Did they not teach you how to speak to your betters in Mogan Dar?” Renlyss hissed in anger, but she knew Darian had it under control.

  “Indeed, they did, but none of them are present at the moment,” challenged the Mage and Thelarki’s face turned red with his anger. A knock on the door had them both turning around. Nephraete and Kyler came strolling in and when the seer saw her father, she froze. It was clear he still terrified her and Kyler held her tightly against him, lending her his strength and confidence.

  “Nephraete, my dear, what are you doing here?”

  “Kyler and I came to see if Darian and Renlyss wanted to have lunch with us,” she said, her voice strong and sure.

  “You interact with the Mage?” asked Thelarki, shocked.

  “Of course. He and I are good friends,” she replied.

  “A Mage of The Order does not have friends,” countered Thelarki.

  “This one does,” said Kyler, not liking the Monarch at all, but needing to show the proper

  amount of respect.

  “I don’t think we’ve met properly. You are Kyler, son of Galavad and next in line, correct?”

  “Yes, Ac Quay’ Ya,” replied Kyler.

  “Are you courting my daughter?” he asked, eyes steely. He wanted to see if this young elf had backbone.

  “I am and I care deeply for her,” he said, hugging the tiny seer closer to him.

  “Nephraete, does he treat you well?” asked the Monarch.

  “Yes, father. He is good to me,” she said, looking him in the eye.

  “Are you happy? Do you love him?” he asked.

  “I am and I do, father,” she replied.

  “That is good. Give your father a hug,” he said, reaching out to her. She went to him and embraced him and was surprised at the tenderness he showed.

  “I’m sorry about Kryndale. I had no idea you did not love him in that way. Can you forgive me?” he whispered.

  “Of course, father. It is already forgiven,” she kissed his cheek. He released her reluctantly and turned his attention to his prized possession.

  “Kelindril, why are you here acting like you are his slave?”

  “I work for him now,” said Kelindril, showing no fear. Thelarki looked irate at losing his best weapon.

  “I have not ordered any such thing!” The Monarch’s temper was explosive. “Return to your post, all of you, or prepare to face my wrath,” Thelarki’s voice was low and cold.

  “No. We no longer work for you, Thelarki. You command us no more,” said Kelindril, hands resting easily on his weapons.

  “How dare you!” Thelarki began, but the Mage cut him off.

  “No, how dare you!” Darian fired back. “How dare you treat them little better than prisoners of war? They were loyal to you and did your bidding, but that wasn’t good enough for you. You tortured and killed them like they meant nothing to you.”

  “They’re expendable,” retorted the Monarch. “It is none of your concern what I do with my people.”

  “Oh, but that’s where you’re wrong, Thelarki. I make it my business. You cannot treat them this way any longer. You have to know that this is not right. They do not deserve to be beaten and killed, Thelarki,” Darian’s tone was chill, he was attempting to reach the Monarch so

  he reigned in his temper.

  “Father, you… you… No! How could you?” Nephraete cried, turning her face away from

  him into Kyler’s waiting arms.

  “What would mother say?” she sobbed and for a split second, pain flashed across his face, but was gone just as quickly.

  “Don’t mention her again!” he shouted. “I do not like to be reminded of her loss.”

  “Neither do we, father, but it is there nonetheless,” said Rohn, stepping into the room.

  “And you! How could you leave and fake your death? How could you do that to me, Rohn? I put you in charge and this is how you repay me?”

  “I couldn’t work for you anymore, father. The things you made me do, I could no longer reconcile. I had to leave or become lost and I was not about to let that happen.”

  “We’ll discuss it along with your punishment when you return home,” said Thelarki.

  “Don’t you get it? I’m not coming back home. None of us are returning. We work for Darian now. Had you treated us better, maybe we’d still be here,” said Rohn.

  Thelarki swung a fist at his son, but Rohn didn’t blink. He was no longer scared of him. He stood his ground, but the blow never landed.

  Darian saw Thelarki’s stance and knew what he was about to do and grabbed his wrist in his hand. The Monarch looked ready to spit fire, but the Mage was as strong as he looked. Maybe stronger.

  “Don’t lay a hand on him, Thelarki. I will not stand for this behavior. Don’t you understand that this is the reason your son abandoned you in the first place? You want others to serve you because they want to, not because they have to,” said Darian.

  “Don’t lecture me! I’m not your pupil. I am the Monarch!”

  “I’m just trying to help,” said the Mage, his tone soft. He wanted Thelarki to see what a jackass he’d been, but quickly realized it would take Thelarki a lot longer to admit that and he didn’t have that kind of time. He needed to get to the Haunted Lands and find that damned book.

  “Father, Darian’s right. That’s why Rohn left and it’s why I left. Can’t you see that? You changed after mom died and… You’re not the only one who lost her. We all did,” Nephraete said softly.

  “What is Bryndyl doing here and why is he on
your couch?” asked Thelarki, looking at the resting elf.

  “He works for me now, too,” said Darian. “Do you see a pattern forming here?”

  “I see,” said Thelarki, looking to his guards who’d accompanied him, but they made no move against the others. He was furious, but he was clearly outnumbered.

  Darian began chanting in low tones so as not to catch Thelarki’s attention. He wanted to

  see what the elf was thinking. What was the reason behind the violence? He released the spell and froze the Monarch and he looked none too happy about it.

  Without warning, he delved into the wicked elf’s mind, peeling back layer after layer,

  until he stood naked before the Mage. Thelarki’s guards came forward, but before Kelindril could even stop them, Darian froze them as well.

  Thelarki’s eyes widened in shock and he knew this was the Mage The Order was looking for. He was dangerous. More dangerous and powerful than they’d led him to believe and he was thankful he’d turned them down. He didn’t need this one as an enemy. He needed to make a friend of him, if in looks only. He stopped fighting because it was pointless and because he wanted to act like he was no threat. He needed this Mage on his side. He could be a powerful weapon. He believed he could come to an agreement with him. After all, what did a Mage desire? Gold, he had that aplenty. Women? There were thousands here to choose from. Power? He could appoint this young Mage to a high post here in Kaleika Bay.

  Thelarki thought he could accomplish these things because he did not know the Mage who stood before him, nor what he was capable of. So, he’d taken a few of his Gor Li’ Khan, so what? Even Kelindril was a worthy price to pay if he could get this Mage on his side.

  Darian strolled through the Monarch’s memories and saw Mishtari, Nephraete’s mother. She was radiantly beautiful and the seer looked a lot like her. He saw flashes of her grisly death and the years of solitude and pain that the Monarch had suffered. He followed this train and felt resistance from Thelarki, so he pushed on. These must be memories he didn’t want Darian to see. And with good reason. What’s this? A secret rendezvous? With… Kelindril’s girlfriend! Now he had his proof and he could see the cold panic in the Monarch’s eyes, silently pleading with him not to tell.

  Darian pushed further and found that Thelarki and Kel’s girlfriend had been seeing each other secretly before Kel’s affair with her even began. This pissed the Mage off. Why’d she string him along then? Why not end it sooner? Because Thelarki ordered her not to until he decided it was time. So, he likes to play with others’ lives? Let’s see how he likes it, thought Darian, sending shards of pain careening through the Monarch’s memories and helping him to focus on all memories he’d rather forget.

  Thelarki winced, but wouldn’t let the Mage get the better of him. He accepted this as part

  of what needed to be done to gain the Mage’s trust. Besides, pain was no stranger to him. He could handle whatever this young Mage threw his way. Or so he thought. The elf badly underestimated the young Mage and would live to regret it.

  Darian intensified the pain until Thelarki buckled, falling to the floor. He rolled and retched, but the young Mage pursued his agony like a desperate suitor. Darian finally let up before it did any permanent damage.

  Darian saw images of how Thelarki had treated Nephraete, locking her behind doors guarded by Gor Li’ Khan. He came to her regularly and asked about her visions, but the tiny seer

  was stronger than she appeared. She told him only what she needed to and didn’t provide any details that he could use for nefarious purposes.

  More images of the Monarch and Kelindril’s girlfriend danced through his thoughts, including one from this morning. Darian’s eyes turned cold and hard. Now Thelarki was nervous. The elf knew what an efficient killer Kelindril was and his eyes inadvertently flicked to the volatile elf. The Mage’s smile was harsh and the Monarch’s heart rate picked up. Perhaps he’d badly misjudged this one. Darian encased them both in a shield and spoke quietly to the wily elf.

  “I will not reveal your secret to Kelindril,” began the Mage and the relief was evident on his face. “Yet,” added Darian and the elf’s blood turned cold.

  “I don’t have to explain myself to you,” Thelarki sneered.

  “No, you don’t. But I don’t need you to. I think I have a pretty good understanding of how you operate, Thelarki. Now, let me explain how I operate,” Darian’s voice had a frightening edge to it now and the elf almost trembled.

  “I’m a hard man, Thelarki. I was raised by The Order and I don’t expect you to understand what that means, but I’m not very forgiving. When someone betrays me or those close to me, I take offense to that.

  “Kelindril is not just my guard, he’s my friend. A friend who has placed himself in harm’s way in order to protect me. I do not take that commitment lightly!” Darian exclaimed. “How could you betray him by sleeping with the elf he would propose to? And then you force her to continue a bogus affair with him that has deeply scarred him for decades. What could he possibly have done to deserve such treatment?”

  “I told you, I don’t have to explain myself to you.”

  “Fine, I’ll just explain what happened to Kelindril. I’m sure he’ll understand. I mean, it’s not like he loved her. It’s not like he was going to ask her to marry him,” said the Mage and felt the elf flinch.

  “Alright! I did it to keep him in line. I figured if she hurt him, he’d throw himself into his work and he did. He excelled in every assignment I ever gave him.”

  “That tends to happen when you’re faced with execution should you fail,” commented Darian.

  Darian let the shield dissolve and the Gor Li’ Khan looked on, faces expressionless. That is, until Darian delivered the parting remark that made Thelarki want to scream in terror.

  “Kelindril, Thelarki’s been having an affair with your girlfriend since the beginning. He knows exactly where she is,” Darian smiled wickedly, as he saw the blood drain from the elf’s face.

  39

  The room exploded into chaos. Kelindril stepped forward, releasing his twin swords from their hilts and Thelarki’s guards moved to block him. Darian dispelled the tight hold he’d kept on the demon and felt him immediately stir and come forth. Grey smoke boiled across the floor, trembling with the Falahari’s agitation and need to get free.

  Kyler looked to Darian, who shrugged and sent, It was getting boring. The elf prince laughed and shook his head. Thelarki’s guards looked quizzical until the smoke dissipated, leaving in its wake a towering giant. The gates of Oblivion vomiting out its Sovereign miscreants and striking terror into the hearts of the Gor Li’ Khan.

  Sigorna was pissed; Darian kept him locked away for too long and he’d grown accustomed to coming and going as he pleased. He’d stepped into something messy here and knew the Mage had released him to stir up trouble. He obliged because he was mind numbingly bored.

  The demon looked around the room, sniffing for fear and didn’t have long to locate its origin. His face split into an evil grin as he made his way to the source and the elf nearly fainted. Thelarki made no move to protect the elf, but eased his way farther into the background. The Falahari’s gaze snapped to the Monarch, who froze in place.

  “Do not harm the Gor Li’ Khan, for they serve the Monarch out of fear. Him, you may do with as you wish,” commanded Darian, shooting the demon a meaningful look. So, this was all for show. This was going to be fun.

  The demon snorted, appearing angry, and moved toward an important looking elf. Nephraete buried her face in Kyler’s chest as the Falahari came closer to her father. Realistically, she had a pretty good damn idea that Darian would never be so bold as to allow a Monarch’s death. Even one who was as big a pain as her father.

  “Little elf,” Sigorna rasped and a chill raced up Thelarki’s spine. The demon’s voice made Thelarki feel as if the skin had been flayed from his bones. It hurt him to hear it, but he wouldn’t give the foul beast the satisfaction.


  A Gor Li’ Khan struck the demon from behind, sword slicing deep into its thick legs. Sigorna howled in agony, as blood oozed from the elves’ ears. The demon swiped at the quick elf,

  but he ducked out of the way. The Mage was quicker and froze him where he stood.

  “Why do you still protect him?” asked the Mage, looking at the Gor Li’ Khan. “Join with me and you will never know punishment for failure and I will never abuse you or your skills. You will be richly rewarded and all I ask is your loyalty. Tell others of my offer. My enemies are real and you would be just in their slaughter. Stop defending one who exploits your talents for personal gain.” Darian took a chance and released the hold on the elf. The Gor Li’ Khan looked at the others, looked at Thelarki, then looked to the demon.

  “Worry not, he will not harm you, I control him.” Darian motioned for the elf to come over and he did.

  “I’m sorry for attacking,” he said, looking contrite.

  “I know you were just doing as ordered, as you fear punishment for failure,” explained the Mage and the elf nodded, looking relieved.

  “My name is Tarathys,” he said, holding out his hand and taking a big risk, but one he felt justified in taking. He saw how relaxed Kelindril was and wanted to be like that. If this Mage could deliver everything he promised, then Gor Li’ Khan would flock to him en masse. There had been rumblings of discontent for decades among the Gor Li’ Khan, but faced with no other options, they stayed with Thelarki. Tarathys believed that now that a Mage of The Order was offering them work, he’d have more than he could count following him.

  “My name is Darian,” he said, taking the elf’s hand in his. Soon, the others that came with Thelarki joined Darian too. Darian quickly healed the Falahari and the demon went back to taunting the Monarch.

  Thelarki was pissed, but unable to do anything. Next time, he wouldn’t bring any Gor Li’ Khan with him. So, this was the infamous Darian Brade.

  I knew it! Thelarki thought. I knew he was far more dangerous than they led me to believe. Never get involved in the affairs of Mages if you want to live. Should I try to forge a relationship with him? Or is it past the point of success? He does not seem like the forgiving sort. I will need to keep him here and work on restoring his good faith.