The Morgannate: The Dregian Chronicles Book 3

by D E Boske

  They seemed very familiar with each other and why wouldn’t they be? Calisha bound himself to his daughter when Nephraete was hours old. Were they intimate? Was she with Kyler?

  These were questions he couldn’t ask yet, as their relationship was still rocky. He guessed it wasn’t

  his business to know whom she slept with, if anyone.

  “You held yourself well in there, little seer,” Darian said, as he walked her back to her room. He held her hand, the electric sizzle of his touch keeping her panties moist. She chanced a look at him, but he was clearly not flirting with her. Renlyss had changed him, a feat Nephraete had thought impossible when she first met Darian.

  The enigmatic Mage turned every female eye and he’d certainly slept with a fair number of women since Nephraete had known him. She could only imagine how many women he’d been with in his life, as she would never ask. To see him now, so alive and happy, was almost unnerving as much as it seemed totally natural.

  “I just couldn’t take it anymore, Darian. To see him hurting the Gor Li’ Khan and Kaleika Bay was just too much. Losing Rohn should have forced him to take a step back and evaluate his plans. Instead, it was just a minor inconvenience. At least that’s how it makes me feel. I don’t know if I can ever truly forgive him. Am I wrong? Am I being too hard on him?”

  “Of course not, Nephraete. After what you suffered, he better be damn glad you’re giving him another chance. You could have told him to Mahk Li’ Ova,” Darian said and the seer gaped at his words.

  “Succinct and charming as always, Mage,” she grinned and he laughed.

  “Sorry, I tend not to watch my tongue,” he explained.

  “It’s ok, I know how you are and accept you just the same,” she grinned at his feigned look of pain.

  “Is that so?” he asked, amused.

  “Mm,” she replied, blushing furiously and he grinned.

  “Why are you blushing, little seer?” he asked, knowing full well why she was. She smacked his arm playfully and he grinned mischievously but he didn’t want to embarrass her.

  Later that day, Kelindril, Nymdal, Brandiel, and Stilhan accompanied Darian to the Mermaid’s Kiss to meet the Gaffer. The Mage kept the talk light and entertained the Gaffer with safe stories and Kelindril wasn’t sure how much truth there was to them. Darian felt that it was important to accept the offer because he needed to ensure The Order’s payment continued to remain safe within the town bank gaining interest until he could return.

  Several days passed as the Mage worked closely with Thelarki, silently changing him without the elf being the wiser. One day, the sun had barely risen and the air was already heavy and warm. Darian rose and drew a cool bath, letting Renlyss rest. He padded quietly to the bathroom and both Kelindril and Nymdal followed.

  The Mage sank into the water, soaking his hair and cooling his body down. Darian lath-

  ered his hair and began washing himself while the Gor Li’ Khan looked on.

  “So, what’s going on with you two? Anything I need to know about?” Inquired the Mage as he cleansed the fragrant soap from his skin.

  “Everything’s fine, Darian,” commented Kelindril, not letting anything show.

  “Nym? What about you?”

  “I’ve been seeing different women almost every night,” responded Nym with a grin.

  “Anything serious?” asked Darian, sincerely interested.

  “Nah, I’m not looking for a committed relationship right now, Darian. I just want to have some fun for a while.”

  “Nothing wrong with that,” laughed the Mage. “When and if you’re ready for more, you’ll know. There’s no need to rush into anything, though some will try hard to get their way. Don’t give in, Nym, because your happiness is of the utmost importance. Understand?”

  “I do,” Nym replied.

  “Good,” said Darian, turning his attention back to Kelindril. “Kelindril, how are things with Kylee?”

  “Good,” said the Gor Li’ Khan leader. He didn’t seem to be comfortable talking about his personal affairs but he should know the Mage better. Darian would get it out of him one way or another.

  “Kelindril, are you holding anything back? Is there anything I can help you with?” Darian was sincere and Kelindril’s tough, outer exterior cracked.

  “I really appreciate everything you’ve done for us, Darian. For me to be standing here, admitting to be in love with a beautiful forest elf, is somewhere I never saw myself to be. After Elyssa, I isolated myself and had no interest in being with anyone. I lost all trust in others. Until the day I met you.

  “When you knocked on my door that day, I swear that was Shenna directly intervening. You changed the course of my life completely and that is something I will never forget. I owe you everything and I will lay my life on the line for you because I believe in your cause. You saved not only me, but all the Gor Li’ Khan who follow you and we will forever be in your debt.” Darian looked at Kelindril, saw the sincerity in the assassin’s eyes and smiled warmly at him.

  “I hope you know that I have done nothing, Kel. You are responsible for the changes you’ve made, not me. It begins with a choice. A choice that you and you alone can make. Sure, I could help you along and I did so through our in-depth conversations. I knew that I would have to give up valuable information about myself but weighed my options and found that it was worth the sacrifice. From the moment I met you, I was intrigued. I could tell you had deep seated issues, but you weren’t ready to deal with them. I hoped that in time, I’d be able to draw you out more and discover the truths that you worked so hard to keep hidden. I’m proud of you and the changes you’ve made,” said Darian, standing to grab the thick, fluffy towel Nym held out to him.

  The Mage dried himself off, dressed in black pants that fit him well, a dark blue shirt, and

  black leather boots. He fixed his hair, donned his Shryvven and sat down to enjoy a cup of coffee with his guards.

  About thirty minutes later, Renlyss rose and joined them at the table. She kissed the Mage, sitting in his lap as he plundered her mouth with his tongue. Nym grinned at the display but Kelindril ignored it, paying attention to the smallest details, whether it was a change in the room temperature, or peculiar noises. His eyes scanned the room and everyone in it, never stopping for long on anyone or anything.

  “Darian,” the warning in Kelindril’s voice was clear and had the Mage’s immediate attention.

  “A Mage approaches.” Seconds later, there was a knock on Darian’s door and Kelindril signaled Nym and Brandiel to flank him as he answered.

  “Kelindril, does Darian have time to meet with me this morning?” asked Raschel. Kelindril looked to Darian and the Mage nodded, sighing in regret as Renlyss slid out of his lap. The Mage tugged her back, pulling her into him and held her tightly against him. She kissed his cheek and he grinned.

  “Morning, Darian. I hope I’m not interrupting?” he asked, though he damn well knew that he was by the way the beautiful elf sat in Darian’s lap.

  “Not at all, Raschel. What can I do for you?”

  “Actually, I’d like to talk to your guards as well, if you don’t mind. It concerns all of you.”

  “What is it?” asked Darian, his interest piqued.

  “Last night, I saw a figure in a black cloak coming from a room that wasn’t his. He was going from room to room, but I don’t know what he was doing as I dared not enter behind him. He attempted to gain access to your room, but couldn't. No doubt due to the heavy wards you have in place. He was constantly looking behind him as he moved and a few times, he almost caught me with his seeking eyes.

  “I followed him for as long as I could and at one point, he stopped and turned around, as if he sensed me there. Perhaps he did at that, I had a simple invisibility spell and I’m not sure it was enough. Darian, it was Aganor. What was he looking for and… Darian, I think Aganor is the Dark Mage,” said Raschel, almost whispering.

  49

  Darian’s blood turned co
ld at his friend’s words. He didn’t want to believe it. Aganor was his mentor. He looked out for him and saved him from numerous punishments. Why would he be out to kill me now, when he’s had numerous opportunities in the past? Thought Darian. It didn’t add up, but he couldn’t dismiss it outright, either.

  “Thank you for bringing this to my attention, Raschel,” said the young Mage. “Have breakfast with us,” he offered.

  “Thank you,” Raschel said, taking a seat and pouring hot coffee into a mug that Renlyss placed before him. He took cream and spread it on elvish bread called Peylan A’ Rue and took a bite, sighing in satisfaction.

  They talked as they ate, relaxed and comfortable with each other. It felt good to spend time with friends. Soon, Darian would have little time for such trivial nonsense. He frowned as he thought about the path his life had taken but couldn't deny that it was for the best.

  Later in the afternoon, an elf came running to alert the Mage that a captain accepted his offer and would depart in a ten day. Darian handed the elf a gold piece and offered him to come and sit for a bit but he declined, saying that he needed to return to his duties. He nodded and shook the Mage’s hand and left, looking back several times.

  “We’ll see him again, mark my words. He’s unhappy and wants to speak with you but he’s afraid of the repercussions. Kaleika Bay will likely lose more than half of her warriors to you,” said Kelindril.

  “They’d be most welcome,” replied the Mage. “Shall we?”

  “You want to speak to the captain?” inquired Kelindril.

  “I do,” confirmed the Mage. He kissed Renlyss, her slim arms sliding around his neck, as she tugged his mouth to hers.

  “May I accompany you?” asked Raschel, as they stepped onto the walkway.

  “You may,” said Darian and it took Raschel a moment to realize that Darian was not being stern. He was hard to read sometimes even though Raschel knew him. They’d been friends for centuries, engaging in all sorts of debauchery together before Raschel’s abrupt disappearance, but that didn’t mean that Raschel knew him any better for it. Nor would he receive any special treatment now that Darian was Shangmarrum.

  “Remember when we switched the crushed Dragon flower for crushed Rainbow petals?” Raschel snickered and Darian laughed out loud.

  “I do,” Darian chuckled. “The novices received a harsh punishment for that debacle.”

  “How could you do something like that since both of you experienced The Order’s fury?” demanded Kelindril.

  “That’s exactly why we did it!” Darian exclaimed, laughing and slapping Raschel’s shoulder.

  “We needed to exert our rank and authority over them and let them know who was in charge. We understood that most of them would never make it past Novice anyway. Those that did, most of them never made it to Journeyman and so on.”

  “Why is that, Darian?” Kelindril asked, his interest piqued since the Mage rarely talked about his time in Piri-Tuma.

  “The Order only wants the elite, Kel. They want the best of the best and will kill to get it. Once a student reaches the level of Journeyman, The Order believes they are ready for accelerated training. I’ll leave it to your imagination to decipher what accelerated training means,” said Darian, face stony.

  “Don’t stop there, Darian. What do they do?” asked Kel, knowing it wouldn’t be good. The Mage’s stance did not speak to warm and fuzzy.

  “Anything they can to make you fail,” admitted the young Mage.

  “Failure means death, right?”

  “It does. They want to cull out the weak to make The Order stronger and I don’t necessarily disagree. We need strength, not weakness. For there is nothing worse than a weak Mage at your back as I’m sure you can attest to.”

  “I can. But are the methods justified?” pushed Kel.

  “How else would you suggest we cull out the weak, Kel? Putting them through harsh training is the only way other than simple murder,” replied Darian, matter of factly.

  “It’s murder either way if that’s The Order’s intention, wouldn’t you say?” Kelindril looked at Darian and the Mage smiled, his lips curving into a sensuous grin that women found to be sexy as hell. The young Mage had attracted the attention of every woman they passed on their way to the human port town and when he smiled, the hunger in their eyes was obvious.

  “Every student has an equal chance to be great, Kel. It’s their fault if they fail, not The Order’s. The Order does not intend to see all students perish. The Order gives its students all the tools needed to succeed but it’s inevitable that most will die due to the laws of nature and probability.”

  One particularly bold woman bumped right into the Mage, and when Darian raised his

  hands to catch and steady her, she twisted herself to ensure his hands landed on her large breasts.

  “I apologize, ma’am. I did not mean to touch you,” he confessed, knowing full well what she had on her mind. Only a few short months ago, he would have taken her somewhere and filled her needs, listened to her screams and cries of pleasure, but he no longer had the desire to do so.

  “Oh, that’s quite alright, Mr.…” she stopped and waited for him to give his name.

  “Lord Beltran,” Darian said, eyes twinkling mischievously.

  “Lord Beltran! It’s a pleasure to make your scrumptious acquaintance,” she said, touching his arm.

  He smiled but said nothing more. He could see the disappointment in her eyes but she went on her way without incident, looking back several times to see if he was watching her. He wasn’t.

  The Dockmaster was standing outside his office talking to a tall, lean, salty looking man. Petrul glanced over his shoulder to see what caught the Captain’s attention. Immediately upon seeing the Mage, Petrul began stammering, but the tall Captain paid the Dockmaster no mind. His attention was on the commanding presence of Darian.

  “You must be the one looking to book passage to the Haunted Lands?” he said, his common unblemished by brogue.

  “I am,” Darian replied, grasping the Captain’s outstretched hand in greeting.

  “Your payment is more than acceptable, thank you,” said the Captain, to which the Mage only nodded.

  “My name is Aidan and you are?” said the Captain.

  “Well met, my name is Lord Beltran,” responded Darian but the Captain knew it was a lie.

  “Lord Beltran, of course,” he said. “I will be ready in about eight days, is that acceptable? My men need a bit of rest. We’ve been out to sea for six months now.”

  “Eight days is fine, Aidan. I appreciate your willingness to accommodate such a large group.”

  “Not a problem. We sail at dawn in eight days, Lord Beltran,” informed Aidan.

  Darian nodded, shook his hand and began walking back to the castle. Aidan watched the Mage and the Gor Li’ Khan flanking him until they were lost from sight. He could tell the tall stranger was no mere lord. The deadly Gor Li’ Khan that guarded him missed nothing; eyes ever watchful. Aidan didn’t think a mere lord would be able to afford such an assembly of Gor Li’ Khan, but a Mage of The Order? It wouldn’t be a problem.

  He’d entertained the idea of charging more until he saw the Mage approaching. There was no way he would try to screw a Mage of The Order. He kind of liked breathing. The tall

  stranger could be nothing else. He had a commanding presence and raw power that radiated from him in waves. His silvery grey eyes hinted at deadly skill and Aidan knew the dark stranger was nothing if not deadly. He would be a welcome passenger on the perilous road to the Haunted Lands. Neither him nor his crew would disembark the ship, for the mists were fatal. None that entered lived to tell what they saw beyond the wall of lethal shadows. None that Aidan knew of anyway. He supposed it was possible, just not probable.

  Aidan doubted the Dockmaster knew Lord Beltran was a Mage of The Order. Aidan had dealings with The Order from time to time, sailing far for supplies for them and he became accustomed to their look and feel. They
always paid well, so he continued to answer their call.

  He thought long and hard about the mysterious Mage and why he’d hide his identity. Could Lord Beltran be the elusive Darian Brade The Order searched for? He didn’t want to get involved with Order affairs, but The Order was paying good gold for information concerning the missing Mage. For now, he’d keep his thoughts to himself. He had no proof that lord Beltran was a Mage nor could he prove it was Darian. He’d just wait to see what happened on the upcoming journey before he made a final decision. He didn’t need to make such a powerful enemy of the tall Mage.

  Aidan wanted to know why The Order wanted this Mage so badly. They probably wanted to kill him out of jealousy. Aidan had been around Mages and students and could tell the difference between ranks if they wore their accoutrements. He had the distinct impression that Lord Beltran was a high-ranking Mage and that the power he wielded was beyond most, if not all the Mages in Piri-Tuma.

  Eight days later, Darian and company departed the castle, making their way to the human port town. It was dark, Kelindril scanned the sky and the surrounding beach for any sign of threats but found none. Darian seemed relaxed and at ease, Hunter propped up on his shoulders laughing and giggling. Renlyss walked beside the man she loved more than life itself, clutching his hand in hers.

  Darian looked down at Renlyss and grinned a boyish, sexy smile and she grinned back. His magic encased her and she felt safe and secure. The Mage spent countless hours, working on a spell that would hide her pregnancy from everyone. He could not risk anyone finding out. It was bad enough that Hunter was exposed and an easy target, but Darian would die before letting anything happen to them.

  The young Mage wasn’t prepared for the love he felt for these three. Not in his wildest fantasies had he ever wanted to feel this connected to another living creature. Reny had a tight hold on his heart and had no intention of letting him go, nor did he want her to.