Chapter 34

Killian twisted the ring Dravyn had thrust at him that morning around his finger and marveled at Madeline's craftsmanship. Gold vines with deep emerald accents flowed in a perfect circle, and Killian was proud to wear a symbol of draconic tradition. His matebond was astonishingly wonderful, and so was being part of the D'Vaires.

Somehow, the entire family had unanimously agreed to allow Duke Macardle to join them. Perhaps it was the written answers Mac had insisted Killian carry back to them, or maybe Brogan had given in so he wouldn't hurt his family, but even the cautious navy dragon had consented.

Instead of joining The Council to break his fast, Killian had spent it with the D'Vaires and sent word to Mac that he had a new home. Later that day, Killian hoped to arrange to teleport the man to Aleksander's land. But Killian had a host of things to attend to prior to that, and he needed to focus or risk some detail escaping him. His daily meeting with The Council had concluded hours ago, but Killian was returning to Castle Leolinnia. It was too late for luncheon, but he'd munched on various morsels while visiting the restored village of Renata, so his belly was full.

Killian made it to the Great Hall without encountering another soul. The fireplaces were roaring but heating no one. Ready to head off to the kitchen or the solar to locate any of the Leolinnias, Killian paused as several people popped into view.

One look at Kaedan's face told Killian where they'd been and why.

"Which village? Any survivors?" Killian asked.

Kaedan shook his head and tugged Killian into his embrace.

Terrified of what had Kaedan shaking, Killian's gaze found a grim-faced Chander. "What happened?"

Egann showed up in the Great Hall before Chander uttered a word, and the Magus Superus was visibly furious.

"Kaedan," Egann gritted out. "Get every leader here now."

Instead of putting the overstepping mage in his place for treating him like a lackey, Kaedan stepped away from Killian and disappeared.

"Chand, tell me. What happened?"

"You want to know?" Egann shouted. "I will tell you. Egidius is dead!"

Killian sucked in a shocked breath and waited for Chander to dispute Egann's words, but the Arch Lich swallowed thickly instead.

"Both Egidius and Jael are dead," Chander stated, his pewter eyes both furious and sorrowful.

Around Killian, leaders appeared, and Egann was forced to repeat the solemn news. It was doing nothing to temper his fury. Unsure whether to first seek or offer comfort, Killian stood helpless as he thought of the once-cranky wizard who'd learned through loss after loss the importance of opening himself up to family. Egidius was as loved as any other person in the room, and now he was gone. So was his beloved son.

By the time Kaedan returned and everyone was gathered, including his familiar, the Grand Warlock was weeping as he coaxed people into chairs. Killian flopped into a tall chair.

"Arch Wizard Egidius of Giles is gone," Kaedan said, his voice tight. "He did not die alone. Jael of Giles and many other people within Castle Giles have perished. Others were wounded, but I have healed them."

A missive popped up in front of Kaedan's face, and he unrolled it quietly. Then he cleared his throat.

"Fate has been swift," Kaedan remarked. "Arch Wizard William Vadimas has been picked as Egidius's successor. I will inform him and his family that they must see to their people first. We will worry about arrangements for funeral pyres and formally adding the new ruler of the Circle of Wizards as soon as is feasible."

Egann slammed his fists on the table. "Why are you not angry, Kaedan? It takes nothing more than a slight offense to have you shouting down the rafters. But here we are. A dragon has found the castle of a Council leader. Castle Giles is not so far from any of our homes. Who will be next? Will my people suffer the loss of another Magus Superus?"

"I did not say I wasn't furious, Egann. But yelling will not bring Egidius back. We must focus on what we can do."

"Yes, people are hurting, and we must help," Kalthekor said.

"The survivors need a place to sleep. What of the new Arch Wizard? It would be safer, perhaps, to build a new castle elsewhere," Conley remarked.

Egann hopped to his feet. "Tell me where we are safe, Reverent Knight. Is it not your duty to ensure we are unharmed? Or am I mistaken?"

"Egann, I understand your fear and anger," Killian said, his own emotions twisting as his heart refused to accept what had happened. "We share your feelings, but we must remain calm. Our job is to aid those on this side of the veil. Fate gave us that duty. She will care for the dead."

"Yes, we remain calm. We sit here on our arses. We make our plans. Then a dragon comes along and destroys everything we've built. These pitiful beasts are burning everything around us, but yes, let's accept that we have no choice. That our duty is to the living only. Do not mourn the dead. Fate planned this. Well, she is either a bitch of a goddess or we are fools to be at the mercy of dragons."

"Egann, calm yourself," Drystan stated firmly, his blue eyes narrowing at the enraged mage. "The choice is to tend to our people or give in to the festering emotions the dragons want us to embrace. I am sure they would love a war with far more casualties than they can manage now. We will not fall into their plans. We are better than that."

"Says the man who was a dragon himself. The Emperor of these foul creatures. How do we know you are not telling them where to find us? They conveniently found our trail, but until now they have burned villages alone. It took a century and a half to find a giant castle when we have many?"

"Do not accuse me and my mate of having anything to do with marauding dragons," Conley warned, slowly rising to his feet. "We were murdered by the same men who started these attacks. Why would they have our loyalty? Chand offered us a second chance. Think you we are so foolish as to waste it? I cannot say why or how they plan their attacks. But know this—if I could stop it, I would not hesitate."

"I cannot abide another meeting where we are satisfied with no retaliation," Egann cried. "How do I explain our indolence to my people?"

"It is not indolence to decide not to engage in a war which will kill many innocent people," Kolsten stated.

"We are dying anyway," Egann shouted. "Kaedan, do you care? Do you? Each day you have your meetings where we tally the dead and worry about how many apples they want at the next dance. Where is the leadership? Why must we continue to suffer such torments while you sit on your arse in front of the fire munching on cakes?"

With his teeth clenched, Kaedan shoved his chair back, and it scraped loudly across the wooden floor. His shoulders lifted as he sucked in a deep breath. Then he locked his furious navy gaze on Egann's red face.

"You will not prod me into a senseless war," Kaedan bit out. "I did not ask to be preyed upon by dragons. None of us did. My people have no appetite for battle. What about the rest of you? Do your people want to take up arms and hunt dragons? How do we tell friend from foe? Do we kill any that cross our path? What of the druids? They are intrinsically tied to dragons now. How many lives will you sacrifice? How much loss will you suffer to keep from feeling the fear and pain inside you now?"

"We are stronger than them," Egann shouted.

"Do you think we don't know that?" Chander demanded. "We cannot be in every village at once. Their attacks are sporadic, and they are not working together. These are dragons with no leadership. Rogue pockets of festering evil. They leave behind destruction, then disappear again. We have burned the pyres of many dragons, Egann. They still keep coming."

"Kaedan, we live on the land of our ancestors. No one knows that better than you. If the answer is not to fight, we must go somewhere they are unwilling or are unable to follow," Lorcan said. "My people have suffered persecution long before dragons became an enemy. It is why we traveled so much and so far."

"Lorcan, only a vast ocean would stop a dragon," Aristos replied.

Killian swallowed thickly and worried. His life was already straddled between a dragon court and The Council. What if more separated him from Dravyn?

"Humans have traveled the globe," Egann pointed out. "It was not too many decades ago they found various land masses. Perhaps we should contact them and learn if we would be welcome elsewhere."

"You cannot discover something if inhabitants are already living there," Drystan drawled. "If we are seriously considering relocating, we must speak with the natives directly."

"I have no connection to any land here, so it is a simple decision for the vampyrs," Irina said. "If we can be safe somewhere else, we owe it to ourselves and our people to consider the option of moving. Leaving land is far easier than mourning loved ones."

"Killian, your thoughts?" Kaedan asked.

"For tens of thousands of years, we have called Europe home," Killian stated, his gaze dropping to the stained wood beneath his hands. "I have a connection to the land. To the dirt. To the roots of the druids. I cannot know if they wish to leave, but I would be failing them as a leader if I did not ask the question and listen to their answer."

"Tonight, we light pyres for Egidius, Jael, and everyone else lost at Castle Giles," Kaedan said, his jaw clenching with his grief. "In the morning, gather your people. We will convene tomorrow evening to discuss this issue further."

Heart heavy with grief and fear for what the future would hold for him, Killian nodded and rose to hug the people he'd considered his family since he was in his teens. They were as much a part of him as his title. Killian did not want to go because he already understood nothing would pry Dravyn off his land. Not now.

But he did not have the final say. His title was only worthwhile if he respected the wishes of his people and the oath he'd taken as a leader of The Council.

◆◆◆

It was an act of cowardice, but Killian had spent the night without Dravyn. He'd arrived with Mac and explained the horrible events of his day. Then Killian had kissed Dravyn, ignored the confusion in his eyes, and teleported home. Pyres had roared with flames, and Killian had cried with the others mourning Egidius, Jael, and the rest of the lost souls.

The night hours he'd spent wandering his garden while Clara and Aloisa tried unsuccessfully to coax him indoors. As the first rays of sun hit the land, Killian had sent out a swarm of missives to gather the druids. There he'd discovered his fears were well-founded.

They loved their land, but the idea of safety was too tantalizing to keep them mired in villages so often preyed upon by dragons. So, as the day waned, Killian trudged to Castle Leolinnia and tasted none of the food Hilanore had prepared for the evening meal. The platters were being pulled off the tables before Killian met the eyes of anyone else in the Great Hall.

The heavy weight of grief was tangible, but so was the pity in their gazes. Killian did not have to ask what it meant. He had a mate whose family had refused to join The Council. Within hours or days, Killian would have to tell Dravyn that duty would part them further.

"Several of us have spoken throughout the day," Kaedan said into the stillness of the room. "What I need to know now is whose population is opposed to leaving? Killian, what say the druids?"

Killian forced his lips upward, but it was likely more grimace than smile. "Safety is too tantalizing a thought to dismiss it. Egidius's death has rattled them. Not just that he is gone, but his castle's proximity to the rest of our homes. None of us are protected any longer."

"I told you. It was foolish of us to stay this long," Egann remarked with a bang of his fist.

"Although it seems as if our people agree, I doubt this was a straightforward decision for anyone," Kaedan said. "Nothing is settled either. We must find natives and negotiate with them any possibility of us building upon new land."

"You will find a way," Egann remarked. "It is your duty."

Kaedan's lip curled, but he ignored the pompous mage. "Killian, would you care for me to pen a letter to Court D'Vaire? Perhaps a second invitation can convince them to join us on our journey."

"Nothing for them has changed," Killian replied. "It would be a waste of your time."

"Killian, it has changed," Drystan commented. "You are Killian the Dwyer. If we go, you cannot return to Europe. I say this not because I wish to interfere with your matebond, but because we cannot risk your life. Your mate and his family will understand that and will follow."

Tears Killian had no hope of holding in trickled down his cheeks.

"I can only hope you are right," Killian whispered. He was terrified of speaking with Dravyn. He would have to explain that they would both be alone again and Killian would have to teleport far from the tree he'd grown for Dravyn. Once the words were said aloud, he wasn't sure how he would keep his heart from shattering in his chest.

"If he is wrong, Drys and Iwill speak with King Aleksander and his family," Conley vowed. "Perhaps these old dragon Emperors can convince a King that sometimes it takes change to find true peace."

"I will not stop you," Killian replied, brushing the dampness from his face with an impatient hand.

"Killian, go now and speak to Dravyn," Kaedan ordered. "The rest of us can plan our next steps without you. We will gather in the morning and fill you in on what we have discussed."

With a nod, Killian teleported to a grand garden whose jumbled song told him Dravyn had worried the entire day about being left by himself with little explanation. Sensing his despair, the stalks of the plants bent toward Killian and, in their way, offered what compassion they could for his plight.

Dravyn noticed him, and his brow knitted. Then he raced to Killian and pulled him into his arms. Grateful for the tight warm embrace, Killian held on.

"You are unwell," Dravyn said.

It was nearly funny. Killian could not get sick, but he had never been so unwell in his life. "We must talk."

"Good. Tell me what is plaguing you. Your eyes…they are broken."

"There is no gentle way to tell you this," Killian said, pulling away so their gazes locked. "The Council has decided that it has grown too dangerous for us to remain in Europe. Tonight, we begin the journey to negotiate moving across an ocean. I cannot return. The Reverent Knights forbid it. My duty forbids it. But my heart…well, that is a different story."

Dravyn studied his face, and Killian did not know what the dragon found there, but he leaned forward and kissed him. It was soft and sweet and shattered Killian.

"Court D'Vaire believes peace can be provided here," Dravyn replied.

"I know."

"I hope they are right," Dravyn said. "Can you still write? We could leave magical paper here. That way, if the dragons find them, we can rescue them, right?"

"We?"

"Killian, I lost you once. If I had been braver and not so afraid of magick, I might not have left your side in the first place. Now that you are truly the other half of my heart and soul, I cannot stomach being parted from you again. The D'Vaires need this place. I love it here. But I love you more. I can a grow a new garden, and my penmanship needs work."

Killian yanked Dravyn close and grabbed his tunic in his fists as he cried into the undyed linen. "I was trying so hard to prepare myself to let you go. But it was the last thing I wanted. Are you sure? Are you sure you will leave your family behind?"

"Am I sure I want to be at your side? Yes. I need not think about it. The decision is easy. This is not us making our lives work by counting on your teleportation ability. If you go, that luxury disappears, and I will not lose you."

Dragging Dravyn's head down to rest their foreheads together, Killian breathed in the scent of freshly turned dirt and smiled as the melody around him lifted into one of pure joy and love. Dravyn could not disguise his feelings from his plants, and as he said, he was at peace. He wanted to be with Killian. It was everything Killian had not dared hope for in the last day as the world crumbled around him.

"Then I hope Drystan and Conley make good on their vow tonight and convince your King to join us on our journey. I would feel best if you were not forced to choose between two things you hold dear. We can use magick to take your plants with us. Otherwise, they must stay and be tended so your family does not starve."

"I am unsure if anyone can convince them, but I welcome them to try," Dravyn said. "Now, kiss me, Killer. You have given yourself a horrible fright. Next time such dread seeps into your soul, speak to me instead of tending to your hurts alone. As your mate, I am at least owed the chance to soothe you."

"My apologies, I will not hide again."

"Good. Now, tell me you love me and help me tend to this plant; it is not faring well."

Killian laughed. "Anything you wish, Dragon Boy. I love you with everything I am and all that the future makes me."

"Oh, did I mention the Dwyer bands began growing on my arms while you left me sleeping alone last night?"

"Did they? That makes sense, you are as much a Dwyer as me. My equal. My mate."

Dravyn cupped Killian's cheek. "You have taught me all I know of trusting my heart and finding genuine joy."

"Here in your garden, I found the man I was intended to be. A gardener lucky enough to soar in the sky on the back of a mighty dragon. I feared even a moment in my life without you."

"Thank you for answering my letter," Dravyn said, the twinkle in his deep green gaze delighting Killian. From the moment they met, it was as if everything had worked against them. But through it all, love endured. As Fate intended.

Killian sealed his mouth to Dravyn's and held the man he cherished in his arms. Fate had offered them a gift, and Killian intended to keep Dravyn at his side—assured of his deep and abiding adoration—forever.