Page 4 of Distinctly Daray (D’Vaire, #43)

T he heavy weight of the stasis spell lifted from Phillip Osdraconis’s body, and he opened his eyes and sat up. Inside him was a roar, and Phillip clenched his teeth as he fought with the dragon sharing his soul. Shifting was impossible in the small dorm room he’d walked to three days ago upon waking for the first time.

Phillip had experienced no resurrection sickness, but it wasn’t because he had increased fortitude. It was due to the sorcerer responsible for giving him a new lease on life waiting a week before peeling away his stasis. The Arch Lich wasn’t acting cruelly—it’d taken that long for Phillip to go more than a few hours without his skin rippling.

His dragon was desperate for freedom, but no one trusted the beast to remain calm or allow Phillip to regain control if he shifted.

“How are you feeling?” Chander asked.

“Annoyed,” Phillip answered. He was incapable of lying, but that was fine with Phillip. No sentinel would dishonor themselves with untruths even if they could reply dishonestly anyway.

“At us or your dragon?” Alaric drawled.

“I do not believe it is the fault of anyone that I am struggling to find some accord with my beast,” Phillip said, meeting the glowing green gaze of his leader. “It is circumstance I find frustrating.”

The door to his room opened, and the Daemon Lords rushed in. Baxter handed Phillip a plate with a burger and fries on it. Benton set a tall glass of soda on the side table next to him.

“Eat up,” Baxter encouraged.

Although they would give him a concoction of potions to ensure he was well-nourished and hydrated before he was put in stasis again, Phillip was also given a meal to enjoy while he was awake. He was appreciative and thanked both sentinels, then plucked the burger off the dish and took a giant bite.

An explosion of flavor filled his fortunate senses as he chewed.

“Should have brought him pizza,” Chander said.

“I don’t want to torture the man,” Baxter retorted, his brown eyes annoyed as they landed on the Arch Lich.

“I find it delicious,” Alaric replied as Chander scowled at Baxter. “Bring pizza for Phillip to try tomorrow.”

“Fine,” Baxter responded, but there was no joy on his face.

“As long as we don’t have to eat it,” Benton muttered.

“Let Phillip enjoy his damn meal without listening to your complaints about the tastiest food on the planet,” Chander barked.

Once again, the door whipped open, and Samson and Brynnius arrived as they did daily.

“Hey, Phillip,” Samson said. “Are you feeling any more comfortable with your dragon today?”

Phillip swallowed the last bite of his burger as his dragon screeched in outrage in his head. “I am not.”

“We’ll practice our breathing exercises again today with a renowned dragon trainer,” Samson promised. “Don’t get discouraged. If he’s anything like my dragon, it’ll take him a while to adjust to being alive again.”

“You explained your dragon grew anxious and angry because he needed to know Brynn was safe,” Phillip remarked. “I do not have a mate. It is impossible for me to understand his wildness. I want to build a relationship with him, but I do not know how to calm him.”

Samson’s smile was kind. “Like me, you’re a pioneer. You’re the first sentinel resurrected with your beast and the second undead one. Our experiences may have parallels, but each person and every beast is unique. We’ll figure this out. I wish I could offer you a timetable for how long it’ll take, but I don’t know. Thankfully, you’re sharing your feelings with us. The worst thing I did for myself was to internalize everything.”

“My inability to lie prevents me from hiding my difficulties,” Phillip responded dryly.

“That’s why we’re superior to fallen knights—we don’t lie,” Baxter boasted.

“Fallen knights and sentinels are equal,” Brynnius insisted with a bite in his voice.

“You’re only saying that because you have sex with Sam,” Baxter taunted.

“If you aren’t going to act like adults, go wait in the hall,” Chander ordered. “We’re here to aid Phillip, not squabble like children. We’re working on better potions for you, Phillip. The last thing we want to do is keep you in stasis twenty-three hours a day forever. Tomorrow we’ll have new prototypes. You started with ones like those we created for Sam, but we’ve strengthened and twisted them a bit for you. Are you okay with staying awake until your dragon gets feisty?”

Phillip nodded. “I am eager to experiment.”

“Don’t forget your fries,” Benton encouraged.

Obligingly, Phillip grabbed a few fries and stuffed them in his mouth. Like the burger, they were delicious, and he especially liked the bite of salt someone had added to them. The sentinel side of him relished the chance to eat. It was the lone act of normalcy he was allowed in his short stints between stasis spells.

But his dragon was not so easily appeased. The beast roared and growled as he fought Phillip every second for control. Some attempts to free himself were easily ignored by Phillip, but it would not be long until his skin rippled in warning of an imminent shift.

“Is there anything else we can do for you before you work on your breathing exercises?” Alaric asked as Phillip finished up his fries and helped himself to the refreshing soda.

“I wish to discuss the fallen knight recruits who have not yet begun their training,” Phillip replied. “They are waiting for me. They should not be. It is unknown how long it will take for me to attend classes. It is foolish to keep them from their futures. I am a sentinel. I can train while I am on the job once I am ready. All the required books I can study on my own. The fallen knights will grow restless and bored because of a sentinel they have never met. I find it unfair.”

“Are you sure you would not prefer to train with the fallen knights?” Alaric asked.

“I am positive.”

“Then I agree. The Skeleton Seven and I can train you, and you are intelligent. If you encounter any confusion with the textbooks, you can ask us. We will set you up in an office at our headquarters,” Alaric replied. “Your poison is unique in color. With your permission, Chander can test it. I suspect that the swirling of charcoal and green is stronger than the standard one. If I am correct, it is because Fate intended for you to have a unique role among our people. Your job and title will reflect that.”

“Don’t worry, Sammie and Arvandus are the only fallen knights who know about the black poison,” Brynnius commented. “Chand will make sure no one beyond them and our people learns about yours either.”

“I am most curious about how I differ,” Phillip said. Since he spent most of his time sleeping in stasis, the daggers engraved with his name were stacked on his nightstand. He grabbed one of them and handed it hilt first to Chander.

“I’ll return this as soon as I’m done,” Chander promised as he took the weapon.

Phillip nodded and sighed heavily as the roaring in his head grew louder.

“Right,” Samson said. “Now, everyone get out of here so Phillip can meet Magister Duke Jeremiah D’Vairedraconis and work on his breathing exercises with me and B.”

“Chand and I will be right outside so he can put you in stasis the moment you feel you are losing control,” Alaric vowed as he led his mate out the door.

“Thank you. I appreciate the kindness of everyone who has aided me,” Phillip answered sincerely. He was grateful to be surrounded by so many people willing to help him, but he hated being a burden.

∞∞∞

Keegan walked behind Arvandus with purpose in every step. Although his training had been delayed by a few days, classes were underway, and Keegan was flourishing in both his mental and physical tests. While he was unlikely to achieve the title of Venerable Knight, he’d undoubtedly land several promotions before he received his first assignment. Unless, of course, he continued his current trajectory and obtained the role of Juris Knight. Both scenarios filled him with pride and determination.

No matter what obstacles he faced in the coming weeks, Keegan was determined to make a statement with his test scores. Thankfully, he had few distractions. His resurrection had been first, which meant he was allowed to have the lone single dorm room, and while he enjoyed hanging out with the other four recruits, Keegan prioritized studying and pushing his physical abilities.

But today he was on a mission unrelated to the success he dearly wanted. There had been a lone sentinel resurrected on the same day as Keegan. But unlike Keegan, his path was far from clear. According to Keegan’s superiors, Phillip Osdraconis was struggling to find accord with his beast. Keegan hated to think of anyone stuck in the mire, so he’d suggested a visit to meet Phillip. The Venerable Knights had allowed Keegan to make his case directly to the Lich Sentinel, and Alaric had readily agreed to the plan.

Keegan needed to thank Phillip for his sacrifice of insisting the fallen knights be allowed to pursue their training without him. With the man stuck in the building for the foreseeable future, Keegan also wanted to offer him friendship. It would be easy for Keegan and his fellow recruits to make the quick journey to Phillip’s dorm to hang out with him in their free time if it’d help raise the sentinel’s spirits.

Their group paused in the hallway, and Arvandus rapped on a door. It opened, and everything in Keegan stilled. His heart thundered, and his blood rushed south to fill his groin. Keegan dearly hoped his erection was hidden in his uniform pants.

“Please come in,” the Lich Sentinel encouraged.

Somehow, Keegan got his booted feet into motion, and the scent of cinnamon filled his senses as his eyes landed on a gorgeous man with black hair hanging in his gray eyes—which were wide and fixed on Keegan’s face. The sentinel rose from his bunk slowly and took two steps toward Keegan. He had a few inches on Keegan’s five-foot-ten frame, and Keegan thanked Fate for somehow drawing him to the man’s side. Although Keegan had deemed himself unready for a mate, the sentinel was his other half.

“Hello, I’m Phillip.”

Keegan smiled and wondered why nerves filled him. “Hi, Phillip, I’m Keegan.”

“Your scent is floral, but I do not know enough about flowers to determine which one is the most accurate description of how you smell. I was allowed to go outside yesterday before I went into stasis. You remind me of the sunshine on my face.”

Flattered and overwhelmed, Keegan rubbed his sweaty palms together. He opened his mouth to respond but was stopped by a low growl.

“Phillip, take a deep breath,” Alaric stated firmly.

Lifting his hands to his head, Phillip made another guttural sound, and Keegan watched with horror as his skin rippled strangely. Keegan immediately wanted to soothe his gift from Fate. Reaching out, Keegan landed a hand on Phillip’s arm as the other fallen knights in the room gasped at his audacity. Sentinels were never to be touched. Keegan understood and respected that, but his mate was suffering.

To Keegan’s delight, Phillip lifted his chin slightly and his eyes met Keegan’s again. His smile was so small, Keegan nearly missed it.

“I am sorry,” Phillip said, then turned to the concerned sorcerer standing to his right. “I need stasis.”

In a flurry, Alaric assisted Phillip onto his bunk, and a wave of dark magic engulfed the sentinel. Keegan was forced to stand there, wondering what to do. His arm remained floating in midair, so he awkwardly lowered it to his side. Once Phillip was sleeping peacefully, locked in his magical spell, everyone turned to Keegan.

The Lich Sentinel pinned Keegan with his chartreuse gaze.

“He is your mate,” Alaric stated.

Keegan nodded. “Yes.”

Arvandus slapped Keegan’s shoulder good-naturedly as the other recruits burst into applause. His erection had wilted, and although Phillip’s scent lingered beautifully in the air, Keegan had no clue what to do. While he was happy to honor Fate, what did it mean for the future? Phillip’s beast had reacted strongly, and the last thing Keegan wanted was to be a deterrent to a man who was already struggling.

“Building a relationship with a mate made it considerably easier for VK Samson to control his dragon,” the Arch Lich said as if reading Keegan’s thoughts. “Are you willing to meet with Phillip again tomorrow?”

“Of course,” Keegan replied automatically, dearly hoping the Arch Lich was correct and that he could aid Phillip. He was also grateful for the day’s reprieve, giving him time before he would have to discuss anything with Phillip. That time would be useful for Keegan, allowing him to wrap his head around the incredible change in his life. Keegan sucked in a deep breath and memorized the face of the stunning man lying supine a few feet away. They belonged to each other.

It was a bond Keegan intended to honor. In fact, he was eager to learn everything he could about Phillip.