Fall of the Arch Lich (D'Vaire, Book 6) Read online

  Alaric gave him another one of those long stares. “He’s simply going to hand over all his properties?”

  “Billions of dollars worth of real estate,” Baxter confirmed.

  “I’ve come to realize I’m naïve when it comes to the Council of Sorcery and Shifters and even more so when it comes to dealing with personal matters. I don’t understand why Chand would be willing to do that. He believes I fucked our housekeeper in our bed. He made it clear he hates me. I can’t help but think there’s a catch here. His generosity makes no sense.”

  “I understand your trepidation,” Baxter responded. “I know it seems strange, given your history, but you do know him well enough to know he’d chop off a limb before he’d give any of the elders a dime. This solution would see that land and property benefit a race who could use it. Things didn’t work out between the two of you, but he’s never had any issue with sentinels. He was the only one to ever summon his for more than a few minutes until Gavrael and Gedeon became D’Vaires. He’s invested in the sentinels because of Ben and myself.”

  “I know he loves you both.”

  “Yes, he does,” Baxter said. “And the feeling is mutual. We’re a family. He’s always wanted to do more for the sentinels, but his hands were tied. He didn’t hesitate when Chrys suggested this. He told me to tell you we will vacate our condo by morning. Chand is that serious.”

  “I don’t want to kick him out in the street.”

  “You won’t be. We’re going to go to a hotel and then decide where we want to go from there. Chand’s serious about not returning to the Order of Necromancia.”

  “He’s a Fate-born leader. I’m sure Chrysander is going to work hard to see him reinstated. He was the one who talked him out of resigning two centuries ago.”

  “I know it’s only been a little over twenty-four hours since he resigned, but I think it’s going to take a lot to ever convince Chand to return. I think the part that struck him the most was Sigimund’s petition of signatures. He feels like he let down his people and they’re better off without him.”

  Alaric’s mouth thinned. “I guess he hasn’t gotten over his penchant for flogging himself.”

  “It’s as much a part of him as his gray eyes.”

  “Pewter.”

  “What?”

  “His eyes aren’t gray. They’re pewter.”

  Baxter had to pull his lips in so he wouldn’t smile. Only someone in love would argue over the color of a person’s eyes. It might take somewhere close to forever to fix the havoc Chander had created in his relationship, but it gave Baxter hope someday he and Alaric would be together again. In fact, he was counting on it. “I suppose they are. Look, there’s a great penthouse condo that could easily house a dozen people. You and the Skeleton Seven who don’t live at D’Vaire are going to need a place to live once you get your complex built. It would be perfect for you guys. Ben and I want to remodel and furnish it for you guys. It’s a small way we can help.”

  “That’s not necessary. We’ll be housed with the rest of the sentinels.”

  “You’re all Council leaders. You should be in your own place and we really want to do this for you guys,” Baxter pleaded. He and Benton had discussed it, and they hoped to someday live there as well—as soon as Chander did some serious groveling over that fake photo.

  “I’m going to have to discuss Chrysander’s proposal with the Skeleton Seven. How quickly do you need an answer?”

  “The elders are breathing down Chrysander’s neck. We need those papers signed as soon as possible.”

  “Then perhaps I could persuade you to go to D’Vaire and ask Gavrael and Gedeon to return so we can meet right away?”

  Baxter hopped out of his chair. “I’d be happy to.”

  “Thank you, Bax, and whether we go forward with this plan or not, please convey my gratitude to Chand. The sentinels appreciate it.”

  “Will do.” Baxter pulled his hood over his eyes. “By the way, do Ben and I get to wear the kick-ass new sentinel uniforms?”

  “Of course, you’re sentinels. Speak to Larissa while you’re at D’Vaire. She’ll take care of it.”

  “Great, thanks.”

  “It was good to see you again, Bax.”

  “You too.” Baxter could feel the pull of magic over his skin and knew his time at the compound was up. Once Chander completed the teleportation spell bringing him home, Baxter tracked down his mate. Before the other sentinel could say a word, Baxter slapped a hand over Ben’s mouth as he pulled out his phone and dialed Gavrael’s number.

  “Gavrael, I’m heading over,” he announced as soon as the sentinel answered the phone. They said their good-byes and he hung up.

  “Why are you going to D’Vaire?” Benton asked once his mouth was free.

  “Alaric wants Gavrael and Gedeon to return to the compound, so they can discuss everything.”

  “Couldn’t you say that over the phone?”

  “I need Larissa. We need those new uniforms and I want her to help us design that condo for Alaric and the rest of the Skeleton Seven.”

  “You get to have all the fun today,” Benton complained and Baxter was happy to note he was pouty about it.

  “I’ll give you a full report when I get back.” Baxter kissed his bottom lip. “Then I’ll make it up to you.”

  “I’m going to hold you to that.”

  “Oh, you’ll definitely be holding on to me.”

  “Don’t be a tease. Go to D’Vaire and then get back here. We gotta pack up shit and find a hotel. You know Chand isn’t going to pick a place where we have a suite, and then he’ll find excuses why we no longer need to guard him since he’s not the Arch Lich.”

  “Shit, I didn’t think about that,” Baxter said. “We have work to do.”

  “We’ll order him a pizza and then tell him we’ve done it all without him.”

  “Perfect plan. Kiss me good-bye.”

  Benton kissed him so long and so deep Baxter nearly tossed him to the bed, the rest of the world be damned, but then his mate shoved him away. He tugged Baxter’s hood back up and then walked out of their bedroom. Damn, he loved that sentinel and he yelled it after him before teleporting to D’Vaire. He couldn’t wait to get him alone later.

  Chapter 13

  It had been an interesting week for the Lich Sentinel. He’d been visited by Baxter and it seemed like just when he got used to some new twist in his life, there was another thing to adjust to. Who wouldn’t want to be offered billions of dollars in real estate? Even if it was from a man who accused him of cheating on him, Alaric couldn’t set aside the fact that it would help the Sentinel Brotherhood. As much as he would have liked to tell Chander to take his gifts and shove them, he wasn’t stupid enough to waste the opportunity.

  As Baxter had explained, the man had a ton of property. When Alaric had first begun his foray into real estate to find a place for the new sentinel complex, he’d been told the majority of the land was already owned by Council leaders. It was rather embarrassing to not have known it was his mate who held the deed to most of it. He’d learned from Juris Knight Mitchell Brooks that when the Council had shopped the idea of heading west, Chander had used his large personal fortune to buy up whatever he could get his hands on.

  Chander had then sold it to the Council for pennies. He’d wanted to ensure they could afford the move and he’d succeeded. Chrysander hadn’t taken all of it, and none of the remaining land had been developed. Alaric imagined it was because Chander wanted to make sure it would be available should the Council ever need to expand. Now it belonged to Lich Sentinel Alaric Daray and the sentinels. It was more than enough to build the large complex he and his Skeleton Seven wanted.

  Knowing what it could mean for the Sentinel Brotherhood hadn’t made it any easier to sign the separation agreement when it had been delivered by JK Brooks. He’d brought it to Alaric along with the extensive list of assets and Alaric had assured him he would send it over as soon as he had time to peruse the entir
e document. The truth was, he didn’t want any witnesses around. He’d known it was going to take a supreme effort of will, despite all the sentinels could gain and what Chander thought about Alaric’s character, to add his name to the bottom of it.

  Alaric had stared at it after reading it over. He’d lifted his pen more than once but set it down again. This was saying good-bye to Chander. Letting go of any chance for their relationship to be mended and calling it quits. It should have been easy, but it wasn’t. Despite that damn picture and Chander’s reaction to it, Alaric loved him. That brief time they’d spent together had made an indelible mark on his heart.

  Saying farewell to Chander was something he would have never guessed he would do in those few short weeks they’d been a couple. But eventually, he’d summoned his courage and with his hand shaking, he’d officially separated his life from Chander’s. He couldn’t stand to see it, so he’d shoved it in the folder and marched it over to the Order of the Fallen Knights. JK Brooks had handed him a copy for his records. Alaric had reluctantly taken it, and later that night when he’d returned to the compound he had destroyed it.

  Since that day, he’d kept busy and there was plenty to do. Baxter had apparently pulled favors and both Larissa and the Griffinis Construction Company were hard at work on the condo the two sentinels had insisted would house Alaric and five of the Skeleton Seven. The place was going to be incredible with plenty of guestrooms. Evergreen had suggested they hire Victor to clean it once it was done, and Alaric had extended the invitation to the cat shifter. It wasn’t his fault Chander had fired him, not that Alaric had explained any of the situation to him.

  That wasn’t the only project currently on his plate. Now that he had land, Alaric was working with an architect and his men to design a place which would hopefully someday house all sentinels. The building would rise but the question remained if they would ever get the sentinels out of the compound. The Order of Necromancia wasn’t going to give up their fight and if they didn’t cooperate, there was little Alaric or anyone else could do. It had been announced the necromancers had been under threat of being suspended from the Council until they rewrote their bylaws. The elder council had responded by having a news conference to reassure everyone they were restructuring their government and would be having an election within thirty days to select a leader. Alaric had watched it and wanted to choke all of them.

  The reporters had a multitude of questions about Chander, but Elder Sigimund made it clear they would not discuss him. He was the past and they were moving forward without him. The press had speculated wildly about where the former Arch Lich was and what he was doing but Alaric guessed he was doing what he always did—sitting in a room nose-deep in a spellbook ignoring everything including his own needs and personal hygiene. It was something that both fascinated and frustrated the people close to him.

  Alaric couldn’t help but wonder what Chander had truly thought about handing over all his property to him. He knew he’d rather torch it all than give it to the elders, but was he anything more than the lesser of two evils? Then again, to be fair, Chander did care a great deal for sentinels—especially the two who had been family to him for nearly all his life. Perhaps he had been content to help even if he didn’t think much of the man who led them.

  A beep from the phone on Alaric’s desk invaded his thoughts and he’d never been so happy to hear the sound. “Yes, Evergreen?”

  “The RKs are here.”

  “Thanks, send them up.”

  “Consider them on their way.”

  Alaric stood and straightened his jacket and then the bright green sash of his uniform. He crossed the office and opened the door just as Drystan and Conley arrived.

  “Come on in,” he offered and waved them toward the guest chairs. He headed for his own seat behind his desk.

  “How are you?” Conley asked.

  “Considerably richer than I was a week ago.”

  “I’ve been hearing some great stuff about the plans for your new digs,” Drystan said.

  “Yes, I think it’s going to be great. Bax and Ben have been too generous with us.”

  “The sentinels deserve everything they’ve received in the last couple of months and more,” Drystan responded. “It will only be a matter of time now until all of you will live amongst the Council.”

  Alaric snorted. “Tell that to the Order of Necromancia.”

  “No worries there—they’ll have no choice,” Conley insisted. “Not sure if you’ve watched the news lately, but they aren’t the most popular people these days.”

  “People are certainly divided over whether the Arch Lich should have been able to resign and what it means for the future of necromancers.”

  “Not that the necromancer at the center of the controversy has heard any of it,” Drystan stated.

  “Face in a book again?”

  Drystan nodded. “He’s so predictable.”

  “So, gentlemen, what really brings you to my office this afternoon?” Alaric asked.

  “We thought you’d like to get an update on our investigation on that little photo some asshat gave Chand,” Conley explained.

  “I’m all ears.”

  “The important thing we can tell you is we’ve been able to forensically prove it’s a fake,” Drystan explained. “But then you already knew that.”

  “Does Chand know?”

  “Not yet. We thought we’d speak with you first,” Drystan said. “It’s as we suspected from the start. Someone took a photo of you with your mate and superimposed Victor over Chand.”

  Alaric’s fists clenched. “Someone put a camera in our bedroom.”

  “Yes,” Conley replied. “We can tell from the angle of the shot where the camera was, but that’s about it. Your former home hasn’t given us much of a trail to follow. When Chander discovered it, he torched half the place. The magic is still thick in there and covers up anything we could effectively trace.”

  “Not to mention, it’s been renovated and already leased out to new occupants,” Drystan added.

  “What does that mean for the investigation?”

  “It means that’s a dead end, but we have other avenues to pursue. We’re still working on trying to chase down who sent the email to Chand in the first place, but it was expertly done,” Drystan explained. “I’m confident we’ll find the origins of it, but it’ll take time.”

  “I really appreciate all the effort you’ve put into this already.”

  “I’m sorry we didn’t come to you with the results sooner, but I had a tech guy peel it apart in layers. I have a stack of images showing exactly how it was constructed so I could show Chand without a shadow of a doubt this thing is as fake as it gets.”

  “Just how many people have seen Chand and I having sex?” Alaric asked. It made his skin crawl to think of anyone seeing them together in such an intimate way.

  “A total of three fallen knights including the two of us and an image expert,” Drystan assured him. “As far as who took it and who they had on board, I couldn’t say.”

  “If it helps, I can take a dirty picture of us and give it to you,” Conley offered with a wink. “Even out the scorecard a bit.”

  The corner of Alaric’s mouth lifted in a reluctant smile. “No offense but no thanks.”

  “I can’t believe you just said that,” Drystan told Conley who responded with a shrug.

  “Even with your evidence, I wish you luck convincing Chand.”

  “No worries.” Drystan got to his feet. “I’ll tape the real thing to his face if he gives me any shit.”

  They said their farewells and the Reverent Knights headed out of Alaric’s office. Alaric dropped his face into his hands and wondered how Chander was going to handle hearing the truth. This was the one thing he hoped Chander did feel guilty about. He had no right to think so little of Alaric, and it shouldn’t have been so easy to devastate their matebond this way. Alaric had done nothing he could think of that would undermine Chander’s trust in
him, and he didn’t appreciate the fact that he hadn’t confronted him at the very least. He wondered if he’d been given the opportunity to refute the phony photo if they would have been able to save their relationship. Alaric supposed they would never know.

  As stupid as it was considering what Chander thought of him, he couldn’t help but wish things had been different. Was this why laws like the one that punished people who got involved in separating mates existed? It was so traumatic to know the person picked by Fate for you would never be with you again that Alaric could see heartbroken men and women demanding someone pay for that injustice. As magickind, there was no such thing as having a lover outside of your matebond. This was it and when it was over, it was so final.

  The reality of seeing a long—and in Alaric’s case immortal—life alone was horrible. For time eternal, he’d be on his own. He’d never feel the love of another or get to share his days and nights. Once he’d been hopeful that someday Chander would grow to care for him the way other couples seemed to do. Now he wondered, if he’d known how things would go, would he have ever have left the compound in the first place? Would he have picked an endless existence of unrelenting hunger and fatigue over that of having Chander ripped away forever? The answer was a great deal scarier than he would have guessed.

  Chapter 14

  Since moving to the hotel suite his sentinels had picked out, Chander had been focused on severing the bond between necromancers and sentinels. He would have liked to say it had been a singular pursuit and his mind had never wandered, but it wasn’t true. The day they had arrived, he’d received word Alaric had finally signed their separation papers. Chander should have been relieved to know they were legally parted, but that wasn’t the feeling he’d been left with.

  After finding out your partner had cheated on you, there was no reason to be sad you would never be together but that’s what he’d been. Chander had thought back to those few weeks they’d been a couple and wished for the innocence of those days. Dying and sick, he’d have traded them for his new reality. His health was sound and he would live forever. It was his unfortunate luck that it would be alone. It wasn’t the concept of loneliness which left him feeling bereft. He lost more time than he kept track of, and there was always another book to read or another magical mystery to unravel. But nothing would bring Alaric back, not in the way he’d been before Chander had discovered his true nature.