Draechen's Mate [Chronicles of the Shifter Directive 2] (Siren Publishing Epic Romance, ManLove) (12 page)

Oh. That was a relief. Smiling, Sari replied, “Thank you very much. Please lead the way.”

He said good-bye to his breakfast companions, then followed after Sagenamadeen as the draechen lieutenant started to walk down the palace corridors. The library seemed to be a good distance away, and they lapsed into awkward silence. Sari desperately tried to come up with something to say, but no topic of conversation would appear in his mind. He was greatly relieved when Sagenamadeen finally stopped in front of two large doors and opened them.

As he walked into the room beyond them, Sari revised his opinion of Draechenburg. There might be something else of value in this place other than Karein. Shelves over shelves of books were lined in front of him, and the smell of leather and old pages tickled his nostrils. Sari had always been passionate about reading, and he thought that he might have found a place in the palace where he could actually feel right at home. He pushed past the draechen lieutenant and immediately started to explore.

Some of the books were of human origin, treatises on philosophy, mathematics and astrology, or even fiction and poems. Sari even saw copies of the Bible, the Koran, and many other religious books, as well as Sun Tzu’s
Art of War
. A lot of the older ones weren’t even in bound volumes, but in scrolls, some of which were in encased glass. His gaze finally fell on one of the stands, where an ancient, open tome lay. Sari scanned the first few visible lines and instantly knew. It was a copy of the Directive of the Shifter Castes.

Sari had been well educated on each detail of the Directive. Another copy existed in Rose Noire, having been handed in to the first Norrenddare king after the Directive had been signed. He had seen it many times, in the Temple. Still, for some reason, browsing it here and now left him unsettled.

Turning away from the book, Sari glanced at Sagenamadeen. “This place is left unguarded?” he asked.

The draechen smiled, although the expression held no warmth. “The most valuable items or artifacts aren’t kept here. Naturally, that’s not the original Directive.”

“Of course it isn’t,” Sari replied, arching a brow. “I can tell the difference between a copy and the real thing. I just meant that the value of the literature on these shelves is overwhelming.”

His comment seemed to surprise the lieutenant. “You’ve seen the actual Directive?”

“Naturally,” Sari answered. Actually, he knew it by heart, which was one of the reasons why he hated it so much.

“I never have,” Sagenamadeen commented, sounding thoughtful. “Sometimes, I wonder if that’s for a good reason.”

Before Sari could figure out what that meant, the door opened and Karein walked inside. Instantly, the lieutenant saluted. “General, if there’s nothing else you require, I’ll take my leave.”

Karein nodded and waved him off. “You’re dismissed, Sage. Thank you.”

The tone of his voice and his expression alarmed Sari. Whatever the draechen imperial couple had told Karein, it couldn’t have been good. As soon as the lieutenant left the room, Sari rushed to Karein’s side and hugged him. “Tell me, Karein. What’s the matter?”

Karein didn’t reply. Instead, he just looked at Sari, his gaze so intense that it took Sari’s breath away. Neither of them moved, and yet, Karein seemed to be all over the place, all over the room and inside Sari. “I want you to promise me something,” Karein finally said.

“Of course,” Sari replied automatically. “What is it?”

“If something bad happens to me, or if for whatever reason, Draechenburg becomes a danger for you, I want you to leave. Don’t look back. Don’t think about me, or the fae, or anyone else. Find a safe haven and leave.”

Sari gaped at his mate. “Karein… What’s happened? Why are you asking me this?”

“Just promise me. Swear it, on my life, on our bond.”

Karein’s voice was ragged, desperate. This was important for him. Sari didn’t want to make this promise. He couldn’t imagine abandoning Karein in his time of need. But the pain in Karein’s eyes finally made him surrender. “All right. I swear it.”

Instantly, the tension within Karein’s body melted away. “Good. Now, come here and sit with me. I have good news. My father’s given me leave to woo you, and I plan to start at once.”

Together, the two of them sat down on one of the couches. It didn’t take a genius to realize Karein was trying to distract him, and Sari had every plan to draw the truth out of his mate. And then, Karein kissed him, and Sari forgot about promises, ominous feelings, and political entanglements. They’d managed to solve it all somehow. The only thing that mattered now was that they were together and soon getting married. The rest could wait.

A few days later

The wind blew through Sari’s hair as he walked onto the cliffside, making the long tresses fly into Sari’s face and tickle his nose. He released a frustrated sound, trying to tame his locks. It was pointless. Why had he ever agreed to come out without tying his hair back? Right, Karein liked how it looked this way.

Huffing, Sari glowered at his mate. Karein just grinned back. “Do you want to go back inside?” he asked.

Sari shook his head. Windy or not, this place was at least free of annoying presences like his siblings or Karein’s. In the past couple of days, he and Karein had been spending a lot of time together, but somehow, their brothers and sisters always got in the way. Akarawem in particular always seemed to find it very interesting to intrude in their private time, but Hareematek was no better. From time to time, he’d sweep in and steal Karein with no explanation and only random words of apology to Sari.

But now, through some clever maneuvering from Karein’s part and with the help of Karein’s lieutenant, they’d managed to escape. Sari estimated that it wouldn’t take long until they were found, but any moment spent together was precious to him. He looked out toward the forest and inhaled deeply, wishing he could be down there, walking through the woods with Karein. “When are you going to take me exploring?” he asked.

“Soon,” Karein answered. His voice gained that strange quality it had when he was holding something back. “Soon, beautiful. After the wedding.”

Sari frowned at Karein. Stepping closer to his mate, he took Karein’s hand and met his gaze. “Talk to me, Karein. What are you afraid of? Is it about what you said that first day? Are you afraid of hurting me?”

He’d been acting so strangely, running hot and cold all the time. Sari didn’t even know how he could detect it and not judge this was normal for Karein, but he did, and he wasn’t the only one who’d caught onto it. A group of guards passed within a few feet of them. Karein just glanced at them, and they immediately rushed away. It was a strange reaction, but Sari had seen it many times. At first, he’d thought it to be a natural thing, caused by the respect Karein’s underlings had toward him, but he was beginning to doubt that.

It was clear to him that Karein’s power could be very destructive, but Karein wouldn’t harm him. Sari knew that. Then why did his mate always shy away? Why hadn’t he shifted in front of Sari ever since that first day when they’d met? And that promise Karein had pushed him into making in the library. What did it all mean? It bothered him more than he’d have liked to admit.

“I guess it’s about time I told you.” Karein grimaced. “You deserve to know before you tie yourself to me. Come on. I need to show you something.”

They left the cliff and reentered the building. Karein led him toward the imperial wing, just like he had that first night after the dinner. This time, though, they bypassed the office without stopping. Sari didn’t ask any questions, knowing Karein well enough by now to realize that his mate would reveal everything now that he had basically agreed to do so.

He was, however, more than a little surprised when Karein ushered him into what seemed to be a personal apartment. “Are we in your quarters?” he asked. Karein had never brought him here—after all, it was hardly appropriate—but Sari couldn’t imagine Karein taking him into someone else’s quarters. He experienced a surge of heat at the thought of what it might mean, but Karein obviously didn’t have anything sexual in mind. They did enter the bedroom, but Karein didn’t even look in the direction of the bed. Instead, he gestured at a side door that Sari had originally thought to be either a bathroom or a closet. “It’s through here,” he said.

The draechen’s tone made Sari dread what he would find beyond that door. This assessment proved to be more than correct. As Karein let him inside the mysterious room, Sari was astonished to find himself in something that looked like… Well, Sari didn’t even know what it was. It seemed to be a cage of sorts, as every wall was made out of metal, and there were no windows or any other access point other than the one they had used. “What is this place?” he asked. He caught sight of thin scratches over the metal, and felt sick to the stomach. Who or what had been trapped here? He had a feeling he wouldn’t like the answer to that question.

Predictably, he was completely correct. “Do you remember when Akara said I’m obsessed with Prince Kael?” Karein asked. Upon Sari’s nod, he continued, “Well, it’s true. The truth is, Sari, that I dream of them. I dream of Kael and Talrasar. Sometimes, I have nightmares of how they died, and it gets so bad, that I try to fight it, with them. Every night, I lock myself in here so that my power is contained when it happens. And it gets worse with every passing day. I’m approaching my two hundredth birthday. When that day comes, my dragon will take over completely, and whoever gets in my way will die.”

Sari didn’t even know what to say. He had expected the situation to be bad, but not quite to this extent. “But surely, there must be a way to prevent it.”

“There is,” Karein replied. “I need an anchor, a mate to calm my dragon down.”

Sari breathed a sigh of relief. “Well, you’ve found me then. You don’t have to be afraid anymore.”

“That’s the problem, baby.” Karein looked a little desperate now. “My beast is so wild that I’m afraid that if I touch you, if I even do more than kiss you, I’ll crush you. I’m on the edge. An anchor is supposed to be someone with whom the dragon feels safe to let go. But I worry that it’s too close to the deadline now. You asked me if I was afraid to hurt you. Overlords, yes. I’m terrified. Right now, I can’t even shift long enough to carry you into the forest without worrying I’ll lose it.”

It seemed Karein was stuck inside a vicious circle, and he stubbornly refused to leave it out of some misguided sense of protectiveness. “You need to have more faith in our bond,” he whispered, stepping closer to Karein and pressing his body against that of his mate. “We have enough people trying to sabotage it without us doing the same thing.”

Karein’s arms came around him, as if of their own accord. “It’s not that I’m lacking faith,” he argued. “But when I see them… It’s so easy to put you in his place. Do you realize what truly happened there, Sari? Do you understand?”

“I admit that I don’t grasp it fully,” Sari answered. “I’ve read records of the onslaught of power that was triggered there, and I can’t imagine what spell they could use to do that.”

“It wasn’t a spell,” Karein answered. “Kael tore their bond. His dragon ran amok and absorbed everything, including Talrasar’s power. That’s what happened. Kael killed his mate.”

Silence fell in the room. Things were finally starting to make sense. Sari could see now why Karein was so reluctant to share his secrets with Sari. But he and Karein were not Talrasar and Kaelezrin. “We can’t let the past haunt us forever, Karein,” Sari said. “If we do, you’ll never have a future.”

Karein broke their embrace and shook his head. “Baby, you don’t understand…”

“Then show me.” Sari met his mate’s eyes with decision. “Show me your truth, as you experience it. Close that door and let your dragon out. It’s only growing impatient because you’re refusing to do it.”

At first, Karein seemed reluctant, but Sari had never been one to give up easily. “Please,” he insisted.

Finally, the draechen yielded to Sari’s wishes. “All right. If anything goes wrong, just press this pattern on the door.”

He showed Sari how the mechanism worked a couple of times until he was sure Sari had memorized it. He obviously didn’t want to do this, and it was unfair of Sari to push him into it. But as a healer, Sari knew that sometimes he had to be cruel to be kind. Karein’s guilt and self-loathing were like a disease that could only be cured once he let it all out.

At last, Karein closed the door with a metallic bang. He stepped away from Sari, walking to the other side of the room while gesturing for Sari to remain next to the exit. Sari complied, realizing that now, any refusal would easily cause the draechen to stop this.

Karein took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He started to remove his clothing, and Sari had to admit that, in spite of the seriousness of the situation, he found himself growing aroused. Shaking himself, he buried that feeling in a deeper corner of his heart and focused on what mattered right now—understanding Karein’s concerns.

Finally, the draechen finished discarding his garments. Sari held his breath as Karein’s form began to change, growing into something else, a much larger creature, the black dragon Sari had seen that first night. But there was something different about it. When its eyes opened and fixed on Sari, the dragon looked wild, like he wasn’t Karein at all anymore.

The beast watched Sari with an almost predatory expression, its tail swishing back and forth on the metal floor. For a few moments, they just looked at each other without moving. And then the dragon finally began to move. It—he—headed straight for Sari, and Sari was honestly surprised the room didn’t collapse under the beast’s massive paws. Had it been so big before? It didn’t seem like it.

Well, Sari could definitely see now why Karein had been so apprehensive about sharing this with him. And all right, Sari couldn’t say he wasn’t a little anxious, too. He refused to allow it to get in the way of helping his mate. Dragon form or no, this was still Karein. No matter how powerful the beast was, Sari didn’t think Karein would ever hurt him.