He sat in his accustomed seat and listened as the rest of the group came in. Lilly took her usual spot nearby. Luc, it must be, sat beside her as Alric motioned for everyone to be at ease and sit down. The dragons made the slightest sounds of scales sliding against each other as they lowered themselves to the floor to sit. Jimnel had come with them and was seated next to the new man, Luc’s brother, Detlif. The guardsmen remained, standing around the room, but with two—make that three—dragons present, they were really superfluous.
“Now, what more news do you bring, Sir Detlif?” Alric asked, curiosity getting the better of him.
“It is something Lady Dela has charged me with. I must first tell you that she is one of our most gifted seers. She oversees them all, and this vision has been confirmed by multiple sources. It is a vision that starts in the past, when you were but a child. It confirms that an Alchemist was responsible for the loss of your sight,” Detlif said, each word hitting Alric with painful memories of his own past.
“It has long been believed that was the case, but the Alchemist in question was punished. Or so the Grand High Alchemist Osmian would have us believe,” Alric replied after a moment’s thought.
He’d never quite bought the convenient answer they’d been given when he was a child, but his father and mother had still been alive, then, and they’d accepted what they’d been told. It wasn’t long after that they had been killed, and Alric had ascended to the throne at much too young an age. He’d had his hands full in those early years, just keeping his kingdom together. He hadn’t had a lot of time to pursue the very personal question of who had deprived him of his sight.
“You are right to be skeptical, Your Majesty. For a very long time, the Alchemist’s face has been clouded in the seers’ visions, but when you sent the gift that blew away the interfering magic, it also allowed our seers to identify the one responsible. It was Osmian himself. Further, he holds an antidote that, even now, so many years later, might possibly restore your eyesight.”
Alric felt all the blood drain from his face then begin pounding through his veins. Shock warred with anger and a deep-seated need for vengeance on the man who had taken so much from him.
“And there is more, Your Majesty, if you can bear to hear it. I know this must be incredibly upsetting, but you need to know. They never found those responsible for the deaths of your parents. It is clear to our seers now that it was Osmian who arranged for it all. He has been plotting the fall of your kingdom since his early days. Nobody knows why he seems to have such a hatred for you and your family, but it is clear, now, that he does. I am only sorry to have to be the bearer of such grave news.” Detlif ceased speaking, his deep voice filled with what sounded like genuine sorrow, which touched Alric deeply and steadied him.
Sorrow, he could take, but never pity. “Sir Detlif,” Alric began, then cleared his throat and started again. “Sir Detlif, I am grateful for the message, and I have little doubt about the genuine truth of the seers of your enclave. As you know, I see things, as well, and I have long known that the truth would come to me from the North. That was why it was so important to me that your people be able to see clearly and why I sent Lilly—my most trusted operative—to make contact with your people. You have now brought full circle a vision which I first had when I was a child, and your words ring true to my inner sight.” Alric stood, anger filling him. “I would go after Osmian myself, given half a chance.”
Alric felt Zallra’s hand on his shoulder, calming him. “We do this together, Alric,” she said quietly, near his ear, so that only he could hear.
Wonder filled him as he turned to face her. How he wished he could see her in this moment. Yet, he could feel the support and love—yes, love—emanating from her being.
“Just you and me, Zal?” he asked, needing to know she was with him.
“Absolutely,” she answered at once. “Always. But…perhaps, on something this important, it would be wise to have allies along. I think nothing would bring fear to the heart of an enemy who lives in a tower more than a flock of circling dragons.”
An image began to form in Alric’s mind, and he felt his lips lift in a grin, even as his brows drew together. “Friends, can I prevail upon our new alliance to seek the cure from Osmian, and perhaps, a bit of justice?”
“King Alric, I was sent here with this knowledge, expressly to do as you suggest,” Detlif intoned formally, and Alric felt his heart lift. This could work. This could really work!
Lilly was amazed at how quickly things happened once the real planning began. Alric was energized in a way she had seldom seen, and the only thing that brought fear to her heart was the idea that Alric would not be left behind this time, safely ensconced in his castle. No, he was going to be flying with Zallra, in the thick of the mission.
Lilly’s only comfort was that she believed Zallra truly loved Alric and would look out for him. Zallra was, after all, a dragon. Alric couldn’t really be in safer company, even though they would be flying into danger.
Alric had always had to take a back seat and allow others to do for him since being stricken with blindness at a young age. He’d never been able to fight his own battles—except for the mental ones that had allowed him to keep going after so much adversity.
He didn’t see it, of course. He didn’t think his contribution had been as great as those who had put their lives and safety on the line for him. He didn’t understand how much his people loved and admired him, but Lilly had hope that after this—if they all lived through it—he would begin to realize that he was as brave as, if not braver than, most of his people. He was the leader they’d needed all this time. The wise man who considered everything before making decisions that would affect all the souls in his domain.
Maybe going into this battle would help him finally realize that the measure of a man wasn’t how he fought physical enemies, but how he triumphed over the mental and emotional obstacles put in his path. By that measure, Alric stood head and shoulders above almost everyone, and his subjects knew the truth of it and loved him for his courage and wisdom.
When they finally retired that night, after ironing out all the details of the mission that would begin at first light, Lilly went with Luc, despite Det’s raised eyebrows. Det was shown to a guest chamber after making sure the rest of his Guard contingent was taken care of. The dragons mostly bedded down in the gardens around the castle while their heartmates were given beds for the night within the castle.
Lilly suspected Detlif’s opinion of her was going to be a problem, but she was too weary to worry about it. She joined Luc in the wide bed, falling into his arms with a lightness in her heart. Nobody could take this stolen time away from her. For this night, she was with the man who kept taking little pieces of her heart until she was near certain that he had it all. Wholly and completely.
They made love gently, a new awareness between them that neither spoke of openly. The loving was tender and slow, intense in a dreamy way that stole Lilly’s breath. And, when it was over, Luc held her against him, sharing his warmth and his caring. They slept spooned together until the first vestiges of morning began lighting the far corners of the room.
CHAPTER NINETEEN