Chapter 2

1369

Castle Draconis

Killian the Dwyer turned to watch a woman race toward them, her blond curls flowing wildly in the wind.

"I apologize for the wait," Grand Summoner Saura of Leolinnia said. Her gold-and-silver crown was askew, and she carried the heavy folds of her blue cloak in her hands as she ran.

"It is about time you arrived," Arch Wizard Egidius stated, his gaze flat and annoyed.

Killian lifted a black brow. "This meeting is of the utmost importance. It is imperative we represent The Council to the best of our ability."

"What nonsense," Egidius snapped. "This is nothing but a fool's errand. We have no need for defense. All this because of a quelled threat made years ago by an errant warlock. That is your problem, Saura. I have counseled you often on the need to use a stronger hand with your people."

Being annoyed at Egidius was nothing new for Killian. The man was irascible and far too free with his opinions. But like Killian, Egidius had been picked by Fate to rule his people. Although he was difficult to get along with, Egidius was devoted to his wizards.

Thanks to Saura and her mate, Grand Warlock T'Eirick, several races had signed a treaty two years prior. Shortly afterward, a rogue warlock had attempted to overthrow his own government. His granddaughter had overheard his plans and come to her leaders, allowing the crisis to be averted. But many among The Council—including Killian—sought a better way to protect themselves from traitors or hostile races. It had taken some convincing to get the leaders to agree and still more time to decide how to solve the problem.

Eventually, dragon shifters were considered the most likely prospect to aid them.

"Egidius, Fate chose T'Eirick and Saura to lead their people," Jarl Kolsten Eldrvalkyria stated calmly, a flash of irritation in his blue eyes. "It is not for you to comment upon the job they are doing."

"And I say once again that this is foolish," Egidius retorted. "Are your phoenixes not capable of quelling any future threat? Has your consort not perfected a stone to neutralize magick and shield us from sorcery? We have every necessary weapon to avoid war."

The ruler of the phoenix shifters pursed his lips. "Many of my warriors have the blood of the Valkyrie in their veins. They have no fear, and they will give everything to our Council. But we are too few to offer full protection to every race. My Masse's stones are valuable but have no effect on those lacking magick. Elves were recruited by that rogue warlock. The stones would have been useless against them and their weapons. That is why we are here. According to what T'Eirick and Saura have discovered, the dragons have a vast population. If we can convince them to join us, we can offer safety to everyone who cannot defend themselves."

"Like Killian and his little flower growers," Egidius muttered. Next to him, Magus Superus Jurdann chortled at the horrible attempt at a jest. Killian did not care what Egidius thought of his druids; they were fine people and dedicated to the pursuit of nurturing the earth by aiding nature in growing flora of every kind.

Killian's closest friend, Arch Lich Chander Daray, bared his teeth at the dimwitted ruler of the mages. "What of you, Jurdann? Do you believe you have what it takes to ensure the safety of every mage?"

Lifting a hand to adjust her crown, Saura blew out a breath. "Enough now. This is the course we voted on. We do not know if the dragons will be amenable to our request. But one thing we can control is how we present ourselves. A united front is necessary. Calm yourselves, and recall that we are but emissaries chosen by Fate to lead our peoples to prosperity."

"Let's just get on with it," Egidius demanded. "Cast the damn teleportation circle, Killian."

It was on the tip of Killian's tongue to point out that Saura was equally capable of casting the spell to allow them to travel as a group, but he heeded her words instead. He did not want to spend his day fighting with Egidius. They had a treaty to negotiate, and the sooner they were started, the safer he would feel. The heavy burden resting on the shoulders of Kolsten was unfair, and his people were devoted to their cause of protection, but his population was the smallest among them.

Without a word, Killian closed his eyes and allowed his magick to carry them to the spot outside the dragon castle the warlocks had discovered.

"If we are killed by these dragons, my people are prepared to destroy everything in their path to avenge me," Egidius warned the minute the ground was solid beneath Killian's feet again. "We should have sent in an emissary first. A young person who would not be mourned if these dragons are hostile."

"As if anyone would mourn you," Chander muttered under his breath.

With a smile she nearly hid, Saura lifted her chin, ignored her companions, and waved at the dragons manning the thick walls. "Good morrow, we seek the audience of your rulers on behalf of The Council."

"We know of no council, and the castle is in mourning," a heavily armored man growled. "Off with you, little baggage."

"In mourning?" Kolsten asked. "Please accept our condolences. We have traveled far, and though we understand the timing is inconvenient, may we speak with your rulers?"

"I told you, shifter, we are in mourning. Go away," a second man ordered.

"Enough of this shite," Chander snapped, then lifted his voice so the guards could hear him. "We are chosen by Fate, and we will not be denied entry. Your leaders would be most displeased to find you have kept us out if they truly honor Fate."

Saura slung her arm through Chander's to calm the leader of the necromancers. "All we ask is that you send a message to your leaders telling them of our arrival and our desire to have speech with them."

The men ignored her, and Killian narrowed his eyes.

"Did you not hear the words of Grand Summoner Saura?" Killian demanded. "Send word to your leaders immediately."

"She is a woman and not the leader of her people, as you suggest," the guard stated in a bored voice. "Think you I do not feel the difference between yourself and that tiny woman? I know not what you people are, but you have no right to be on dragon land."

"Perhaps we have made a mistake in wishing to have speech with dragons," Kolsten replied in a similarly uninterested tone. "To think a woman less than a man shows how narrow of mind they are."

Killian had to hold in his laughter as Chander stepped away from Saura and dramatically lifted his arms to the sky. Although his magick did not require him to chant words aloud, he yelled as he shifted the sky to blood red. Jurdann did his part to whip the wind into a tizzy. Not wanting to be left out, Killian begged the trees and foliage around him to turn as black as Chander's cloak.

"Stop it, demons," someone shouted from atop the gate.

In response, Chander shouted even louder as Saura added silver runes on the ground to intimidate the fools. Egidius rolled his eyes but obligingly called down thick bolts of lightning.

"It is our rulers," the guard screamed. "Our rulers are dead."

"What?" Saura asked, swiping her hand through the air to signal everyone to stop their theatrics.

"Humans broke into the castle and cut them down in their bedchamber while they slept," the guardsman confessed.

"Lower this gate. We must pay our respects. Let us in at once," Chander ordered. To Killian's surprise, the frightened men did as he commanded.

"Can we not just go home?" Egidius asked.

"There is a mystery here," Saura said as they entered the castle. The stone walls were nearly a foot thick. "If nothing else, I should like to solve it. How did humans enter this castle and get far enough inside to murder Fate's chosen?"

"Your curiosity will be the death of us all," Egidius predicted morosely. "Why did T'Eirick not accompany us today? Surely, he would have been of a mind to return home."

"You know well I serve as negotiator for our people," Saura replied. "And my mate would not meekly turn tail."

Killian and his fellow leaders were led into the Great Hall. It was richly appointed, with lavish tapestries and heavy wooden furniture. The dragons did not appear to lack for coin. A stern-faced man dressed far finer than any of the Fate-chosen rulers of The Council stalked in. His dark scaly gaze was shifty and untrustworthy as he pinned his eyes on them.

The man wore a crown larger than even the monstrosity on Egidius's head. "Welcome to Castle Draconis. I am Imperial Duke Bernal."

"Good morrow, please accept our condolences on the loss of your rulers," Saura said, then introduced each of them to the dark-haired man.

"You have our sympathy," Killian added when the man ignored Saura.

"Yes, it is a great loss," the Imperial Duke said, bowing his head for a moment. "Emperors Drystan and Conley were fine men."

As a man who preferred the company of his own sex, it was both joyous and sorrowful to know the dragons were recently led by a mated pair of two men.

"Although we appreciate your visit, it is dangerous to linger here," Imperial Duke Bernal cautioned before anyone could find their tongue. "The castle is cursed."

"Cursed?" Killian asked.

"Yes, a young dragon arrived yesterday with a most unusual appearance. It has brought a blight upon this place. His refusal to leave will doom us all."

Even though Killian was skeptical of the man's words—since he did not believe in curses—he couldn't accuse a man in mourning of telling a falsehood. "You believe this dragon had something to do with the death of your leaders?"

"Not in deed. It was humans who ended their lives, but without the dragon's arrival, I doubt the humans would have managed the feat."

"Nonsense. There is no such thing as a curse," Chander insisted.

"Believe what you will, but I would not linger here," the Duke stated, then left them alone.

"I think that man was trying to threaten us," Jurdann commented.

"Can we leave now?" Egidius asked.

"No, we need to find these rulers," Saura insisted. "I would see the wounds and come to my own conclusions."

"We are taking the bodies," Chander added.

"Whatever for?" Jurdann asked.

"Because we cannot trust the dragons," Kolsten said. "They have no respect for women. We stand in a heavily guarded castle with thick walls. How did humans enter it? I have no faith in that Imperial Duke. His gaze reminds me of the cruel men who once held my Masse and my brother Elis against their will."

Not one to ignore her curiosity, Saura grabbed the hem of her cloak and led them through the castle until they found two dead men laid out next to each other. They had been handsome men, but their kind clearly had no respect for them despite Imperial Duke Bernal's attempt to convince them he was in mourning.

They were dressed haphazardly, their plain crowns barely on their heads, and blood still soaked their skin. A sword lay on top of each of them, but they were crooked, and the taller man's weapon was more on his arm than his chest. If this was how the dragons honored their dead, their rituals were far from those of the peoples of The Council.

Saura laid her fingers over her mouth as she gently touched the arm of the shorter of the two men.

"Oh, what unspeakable havoc did you face in your last minutes?" she murmured, her blue gaze damp.

Bending down, Kolsten examined the men closer.

"Calloused hands. These men wielded weapons often. They must have been caught by surprise or vastly overwhelmed."

Whipping up the shirt of the taller dead man, Egidius frowned. "Riddled with wounds."

"A messy execution," Chander snarled.

"To allow this," Saura whispered. "Such disrespect. Do dragons have such little honor?"

"Not at all what we expected to find," Killian said. "Your eldest will not wish to hear of this."

"No," Saura replied with a sad shake of her head. "Dra'Kaedan has been obsessed with dragons since birth. To find their Fate-chosen in such a state. Chander, you will give them a new life, yes?"

"Is this what is best for The Council?" Egidius demanded.

"Something to discuss far away from the evil in this castle," Saura commented.

"What of the cursed dragon?" Killian asked. "Can we find him? Free him from this place? I fear he will die if they believe he was responsible for this."

"It is so large a keep," Jurdann said. "We know nothing of him except that he is cursed."

"Killian, teleport us out of here," Egidius ordered.

A prickling slid up Killian's neck, and the heavy scent of earth filled his senses. Without a word, he strode barefoot to the slit of a window and glanced down. In a vast garden was a dark-haired man. He glanced up, and although it was too far away to make out his features, Killian was drawn to him. A voice told him to go to the shifter, and Killian never doubted nature. A teleportation spell for one took him to the garden, and as he opened his eyes, his prick grew heavy with need. The smell of freshly turned dirt grew stronger, and he smiled.

Ahead of him was his mate. He had scaly irises of a deep forest green that matched Killian's cloak. His handsome face—dotted with endearing freckles—was startled, but no less handsome for it. Incredibly broad-shouldered, he stood several inches above Killian, and his black tresses slid forward as he bowed his head.

"I am Killian."

"Dravyn," the dragon shifter replied without glancing up. "I am Dravyn."

"I cannot stay much longer here. Can I beg your trust for a moment?"

Dravyn lifted his chin, and though there was confusion in his gaze, he nodded.

"Close your eyes," Killian ordered in a whisper so Dravyn would not grow dizzy from his magick.

Teleporting them up to Conley and Drystan's room, Killian was unsurprised by the barrage of questions thrown at him the minute the ground was solid beneath him. Ignoring his shocked companions, Killian kept his focus locked on Dravyn.

"What did you just do?" Dravyn asked softly, unbridled fear in his gaze.

"It is a spell of teleportation. I must cast it again. We can have speech, then I will take you wherever you wish to go," Killian replied, hoping to soothe this stranger that Fate had chosen as his perfect match. "Do I have your permission again?"

Dravyn gave another nod, but his panic had not lessened. It troubled Killian, but there was little he could do in the moment to calm the dragon shifter.

"What the f—"

Killian cut off Chander's words by casting a spell to return their group to the Great Hall in Castle Leolinnia, where they held their Council meetings. The newly slain bodies of the dragon Emperors rested on two long tables. Although Killian had to attend to the matters of governing, he wished the world would disappear long enough for him to stare at Dravyn and learn everything about him.