Alaric didn’t get a chance to reply; Chander raced out to the Vampyr Lord’s lab. It was now a waiting game to find out if the wizard was telling the truth. And if he was, there wasn’t anywhere Wesley would be able to hide.
Chapter 21
Wesley Draconis was relaxing on his couch wondering how long Chrysander was going to insist on keeping him from the office when there was a knock on his front door. He set down his glass of wine on the coffee table and rose to answer it. Before he could even greet the unexpected company, a hand pushed him back. Sucking in a breath to argue against the rough handling did him no good; he was unceremoniously swung around so his face was plastered against the Sheetrock. His arms were tugged behind him and metal cuffs snapped onto his wrists.
“Wesley Draconis, you are under arrest,” Reverent Knight Conley Gylde-Kempe drawled close to his ear. There was humor interlaced with the fury in his voice, and Wesley’s blood ran cold. If they truly had evidence that linked him to the things he’d done, his life was already forfeit.
“I demand to know what for.”
He was led out of his apartment and down the hall to the elevator. “I’m afraid you won’t get that answer until we arrive at Council Headquarters. This is really the jurisdiction of the Sentinel Brotherhood, but the Lich Sentinel was kind enough to allow us to make the arrest,” Reverent Knight Drystan answered as they rode down to the lobby.
“You see, some assholes arranged for our murder, and it was Emperor Chrysander who had to clean up the mess. That’s what you are. The mess who is going to pay for what you’ve done to Emperor Ellery,” Conley enlightened him as they crossed the lobby, and Wesley was helped into a waiting SUV.
“You must be mistaken. I had nothing at all to do with what happened to His Majesty.”
“Get the fuck right out of the driver’s seat, Con,” Drystan snapped.
Conley’s grin was unrepentant. “Nope, I’m driving.”
“For Fate’s sake, I should’ve brought my own car,” Drystan muttered as he pulled his seat belt over his chest.
“Did you hear what I said?” Wesley demanded. “I want to be released immediately.”
“Good for you,” Conley taunted as he put the SUV in motion. He hit the gas pedal so hard, Wesley was tossed back against the seat.
“Shit,” Drystan groused as he smacked a hand onto the dash. Conley whipped the vehicle into traffic.
“I have rights.”
“I have an emperor trapped in his dragon form. I could give two shits about what rights you think you have,” Conley responded merrily as he ignored the yellow light and sped up instead of slowing down.
“Con.”
“What?”
“You really need to at least pay attention to some traffic laws.”
“I pay attention to all of them.”
“Let me rephrase that,” Drystan said as Conley wove between cars without a turn signal or warning. “You need toobeysome traffic laws.”
Wesley gave up trying to get the two Reverent Knights to let him go. It was too much trouble to think when his heart was in his throat from Conley’s breakneck way of maneuvering the SUV. He thanked Fate for his own foresight in living close to the giant Council complex when he made it safely to just outside the Sentinel Brotherhood Headquarters, which was nestled right alongside the base of operations for the fallen knights.
Conley barely had the SUV in park when he hit the button for his safety belt and got out. Wesley’s door was opened and once again he was hustled against his will to wherever the two men wanted him to go. The Sentinel Brotherhood didn’t have outdoor access on this side of the street, so Wesley was paraded through the offices of the Order of the Fallen Knights. All the women and men resurrected for the sole purpose of keeping the Council safe came to a standstill as Wesley made his way through the space.
He tried not to make eye contact, but he could still feel their intense glares. This was everything he’d hoped to avoid. It was imperative that he keep his cool and make sure to give nothing away. He’d covered his tracks, and there was no way they’d ever know about the wizard who truly was the mastermind behind it. Wesley couldn’t have created any potion, and that made Oklin Mivorn the person these dead people should be hating instead of him. Though he’d been expecting to go to the Sentinel Brotherhood, Wesley learned quickly that the interrogation rooms were shared.
“Good afternoon, Mister Draconis,” the Lich Sentinel said as he stood. His oddly glowing green gaze bored into Wesley’s soul, but he wouldn’t let his fear show. These sentinels could sense those kinds of things, he was sure, and there was no way he was going to give away his secrets.
“I demand to be released.”
“I’m afraid you don’t get to make those kinds of demands. This room has the same nullifying magic as those cuffs, not that you would do yourself any favors shifting in here if you could attempt it. Would you like the RKs to remove them?”
“Of course I would. I shouldn’t be wearing them in the first place.”
Conley yanked the offending cuffs off, and Wesley was directed to a seat. The Reverent Knights left the room, leaving him alone with the vastly intimidating Lich Sentinel. With a glance, Wesley caught sight of the large mirror and knew there were probably all kinds of people witnessing this interview. He restrained the desire to gulp.
“Mister Draconis, I have some questions for you, but I’d like to give you the opportunity to tell me whatever you think I should know before I begin,” Alaric welcomed as he returned to his chair.
