Page 35 of Eminently Elf


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“Every fucking time,” Chander muttered. Knowing he couldn’t wrestle it from two sentinels, Chander let a black bubble close around it. “Let go or that little sphere is going to tear off your fingers.”

“I’m a sentinel, they’ll grow back,” Baxter countered, but he did release his grip.

The globe floated down so that it was right in front of Chander. He glanced at his sworn protectors. “Are you going to let me read my mail?”

“Come on Chand, we don’t even know who it’s from,” Baxter complained.

“That’s why I’m going to open it and find out. You two are going to be good little sentinels while I do and sit there quietly until I’m done reading.”

Baxter crossed his arms over his chest, as did his mate Benton. “Fine, but I’m telling Alaric.”

Dissolving the bubble, Chander grabbed the missive as he rolled his eyes. He wasn’t afraid of his other half, and though Alaric would be annoyed that someone dared enter his personal space, it was pretty much what you got for living with a sentinel. There was nothing but Chander’s name scrawled on the outside, so he tore it open. Baxter grabbed the envelope as Chander unfolded the parchment inside.

Arch Lich Chander Daray,

I beg your pardon for disturbing you in this way. I realize it was rather brazen to send something directly to the leader of the Order of Necromancia, but I have information I’m desperate to impart. Some weeks ago I was contacted by a dragon to produce a potion to remove His Majesty Emperor Ellery Draconis from his post. I want you to know I found the idea more than a trifle upsetting.

Promising this dragon I would do what I could, I created a simple formula to force His Majesty into dragon form for perhaps a few weeks at best. My instructions were explicit to only use a single drop as I had not fully tested in my simulator what to expect with more. This dragon took it upon himself to quadruple the dosage. After the hybrid was given the concoction, I have used simulations excessively and though I don’t have his blood to know for sure, I can find no avenue for reversal.

It was my hope that this dragon had left behind some clue or lead for the Order of the Fallen Knights and the Sentinel Brotherhood to follow. I promised myself that should it take more than a week, for the man not only conspired to harm his Fate-born leader but used my potion recklessly, I’d find a way to give what information I have. As a member of the Consilium Veneficus, it is forbidden for me to contact either the Reverent Knights or the Lich Sentinel, so I hoped if I wrote to you this letter it might find its way into their hands. Arch Lich, the disgraceful man who conspired against His Majesty is named Wesley Draconis. He paid me a king’s ransom to get his potion. We also spoke several times on the phone. Perhaps now that you know where to look, you’ll get the evidence you seek to punish this repugnant and vile man for this treachery.

Sincerely,

A Remorseful Wizard

“Chand, what the fuck does it say?” Baxter asked, his voice was both stern and wary.

Running his tongue over his demonic fangs, Chander’s wings tried to unfurl, but he reined them in. Hot rage slid over his skin as he thought about Wesley betraying their emperors this way.

“Fuck this, his eyes are red, and his hands are shaking. I’m calling Alaric,” Benton shot out.

Chander didn’t argue or try to stop him. Instead he closed his eyes and tried to calm the demon that shared his soul. Like Ellery, he was a hybrid and his other side was sometimes too strong to outright control.

Alaric popped into the room behind the Daemon Lords. “Chand,” was all he said.

Without hesitation, Chander handed the note to Alaric. He shoved his chair back, so he could pace. “Call Drystan and Conley. As soon as they get here, read it out loud.”

With a nod, Alaric did his bidding. Seconds later, the Reverent Knights shimmered into the space. Alaric calmly relayed the words of the wizard, but his voice was barely more than a snarl when he got to the end. Wesley was someone they knew; he’d been a part of Chrysander’s staff for centuries.

“We have to tell Chrys and Elf,” Drystan barked.

“We need to get his financials,” Conley stated. “We’ve already been through everyone’s phone records. If he did this, he must’ve used a burner phone that we’re probably not going to be able to trace to him.”

“I vote we find Wesley and tear out his still-beating heart,” Chander growled.

“Chand.” At the sound of his name, Chander stopped clomping and stared up at the man he loved more than anything. His glowing green eyes were resolute. “We cannot take the word of a Consilium wizard as our only evidence against him. No Juris Knight or Skeleton Lord will ever convict him. We want the person or people responsible to pay, but it’s imperative we can prove they were at fault.”

“You can interview his ass and confront him with this.”

“We will.” Alaric closed the distance between them and lifted Chander’s chin to brush their lips together. “We most certainly will.”

“Did he work alone? Was he simply the one who contacted this wizard as part of a larger scheme?” Conley asked.

“The wizard very neatly shifts the blame from himself. He created the potion and gave instructions to its use, but he didn’t bother to give it parameters. If he only wanted it to work for a few weeks, why didn’t he close the spell so it couldn’t have been misused even in a larger dose than instructed?” Vadimas demanded.

“If he had, we could’ve simply waited a few weeks and let it wear off. It still would’ve totally sucked for Chrys and Elf, but it’s certainly better than the fucked-up mess we’re stuck with,” Delaney added.

“We have the envelope and the letter, could we track down the wizard?” Idris asked.