Chapter Text
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Earth Realm: Dark Order Estate
Wikhn watched as Hadrian portalled the others towards London. The moment they were gone, he felt himself sink—as if the only thing holding him together had been the presence of the Suite. He bit his lip as he fell back against a tree, but before he could slide down more than a few inches, his arm was caught in a firm, stable grip. He turned his face to find Lord Cunningham was bracing him. He closed his eyes against the waves of pain, only letting out a soft grunt.
“My Medic will escort you to Nevarah and he will see that you are taken to a Healer before the Royals waylay you. ”
“I…”
“Do not be stubborn. You know the Royals will waylay you with debriefing so it will be a fair few hours before you get to go to Harry. Let them place a temporary block over you so that you can report efficiently. The quicker you answer their questions, the sooner you can go to Harry.”
Lord Cunningham was right, of course. It was not like he would be reporting to Perry or Raspen, who would be brief knowing they could ask him more later. He would likely arrive in the middle of the night and would have to report to whichever Royal was on-call.
Between the Medic and Dobby, there was not much that Wikhn had to do other than hang on for the ride. He had volunteered to carry Winky since he was not doing anything else for the portal. As they stepped out in front of the entry gate, Wikhn was assaulted by his partial bond to Harry—which was no longer dampened by distance and time. He wobbled and managed to put Winky safely down before he toppled over, but it was only just in time.
----
When he regained consciousness, Wikhn knew he was in a Healer’s monitoring room based on the smell alone. He felt a warm hand on his, stroking his skin. Befuddled, Wikhn tried to place the touch. It was several seconds before it came to him and Wikhn pulled his hand back with a warning growl.
Dahlia huffed. “So, this is the thanks I get for carrying your unconscious arse in here?”
Wikhn hissed more forcefully. He could sense the damned change in her magic— she had gone through the rank shift while he had been away. She was now a Gheyic Alpha. There was a finality in that, which Wikhn welcomed, however, her presence at his bedside was in complete contradiction to that shift in their relationship.
“Dahlia, please leave. I told you that if you upset him, I would ask you to leave,” Surajini scolded as she entered the room.
Dahlia went to argue, but her attention was suddenly on the doorway behind Surajini. Wikhn followed her gaze and exhaled at what he saw. Theo stood there exuding his own Gheyic Alpha presence. Theo eyed her and then said, “I do not wish to quarrel with you, Dahlia. Wikhn is no longer your responsibility by your own choice. Please, leave.”
Dahlia squared her shoulders as she stood. “You know nothing about him. He was mine for years. I know what he needs, not you.”
“I believe you have your own Soulscreamed Circle to tend to and an Oath to Lady Paielda to fulfil. Leave me to tend to my King.”
Dahlia was clearly going to give another retort when Bharin stepped up behind Theo. Surajini motioned to Dahlia. “Bharin, please see Dahlia out. She does not have to leave the estate if she prefers to visit Dyshoka, but her presence is no longer wanted here.”
Theo moved aside to allow Bharin past him. Dahlia did not fight his direction, but she spat one last remark at Theo as she walked by. “You do not know his past, so you will never understand him.”
Theo huffed. “Your mother is my Mentor and in consideration of that, I do not wish to fight you. However, I respectfully request that you go jump into the nearest ravine.”
After Bharin ushered Dahlia out the door, Wikhn let out a sigh and relaxed back on the bed. Theo went to his side, taking the spot Dahlia had vacated. “Are you alright, Wikhn?”
“Physically? I think so.”
Surajini nodded and added, “Yes, he is physically fine. His fairy dust is naturally doing for him what we found that it did to help Harry recover. It was just the shock of coming back into the normal range of the bond. He was overwhelmed by what Harry was feeling.”
Theo nodded and Wikhn turned up on his side. “How is he? I realised it was a bad idea after only a few hours but I did not want to cross Hadrian. He is a good ACE and I do want to be his King.”
“We did not realise for a couple of days how bad it was. He was unconscious for the first day and after that, we learned that Harry is annoyingly good at masking his pain. It is something we will all have to watch for going forward.” Theo paused, unsure how to explain further.
“Just tell me, Alpha. I have to live with it too, so it’s best to just tell me what you are hesitant to talk about.”
“Well, tell me how you feel about Nyx joining the Circle.”
Wikhn blinked a few times. “Harry bonded to him?” When Theo nodded, Wikhn grinned wickedly. “I am going to give him so much sh*te over that.” Wikhn blushed and then explained. “We would hook up on occasion around the last Hunt. And this one time, I told him that we would probably end up in the same Circle. His snarky arse denied it. Seems I was right.”
Theo chuckled. “He is another Soulbonded, so you can rub it in his face all you want. Anyway, it was Nyx who figured out the fairy dust was helping Harry. So he, Rolf, Adam and Lochlan have been soaking clothes and accessories in it to help keep the worst effects at bay. Then Lady Surajini was able to put a block on him for a day and a half. However, it wore out yesterday. He was in his dragon form when I left, sleeping up on the border wall under the stars. Nyx and Alec were staying up with him.”
They stopped talking while Surajini did a quick exam on him. She gave him the clearance needed to go check in with the Royals. Wikhn sat up and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. As he stood up, he asked Theo. “So exactly how many days has it been?”
“Since you left? It has been six full days. This is the pre-dawn on the seventh day.”
“More like midnight if you are being honest, Theodore,” Surajini teased and it was like her words were a trigger because Theo yawned.
Wikhn groaned. “I would be happy if I never had to go back to that realm. The time variation really is intolerable.”
“I do believe that Harry will agree with the sentiment when we have been assured that James and his grandmother Juniper are safely returned to Nevarah. At first, he wanted this to be a short trip but despite the difficulties he has faced this week, he is courting and planning to put down roots here.”
Wikhn smiled even though he was only half pleased by the news. By the Void he felt as if he had become a possessive monster since he had been forced apart from Harry. Not that he would stop him from courting, but he wanted the chance to get a measure of them for himself.
As they walked towards the portal point Surajini explained, “We have kept the female house elf, Winky. She needs some serious detoxing and therapy with some of the Nevarah house elves before she would be fit to serve anyone.”
Wikhn nodded. “And Dobby?”
“He was sent ahead of you to give his report to the Royal on duty which you have lucked out on. Tonight, the Royal on duty is King Guthrie. He will likely use Dobby’s report to shorten your own.”
Both Theo and Wikhn were glad of this and they thanked Surajini for her help before they portalled to the Royal Quarters. As soon as they gave their names, they were escorted to King Guthrie’s office. The Air King greeted them both with a smile.
Guthrie was seated behind his desk and Dobby was quite adorable sitting in one of the guest chairs before him. The small elf was seated cross-legged on a throw pillow from the sofa to give him some height. He also had a fluffy bath towel wrapped around him acting as a blanket. Lastly, he had a human-sized teacup in his tiny hands, filled with what smelled like hot chocolate.
Theo walked in and shook Guthrie’s hand but his body betrayed him as he yawned again. Guthrie patted his shoulder. “Theodore, go rest on the sofa. I am more than capable of taking these reports without your supervision. I will duplicate them so you, Perry, Raspen and Elowen can read them in the morning.”
Theo grumbled a bit but when a third yawn hit him, he begrudgingly went and laid down. Dobby snapped his fingers and a blanket appeared to cover the young Alpha. “Thank you, Dobby.”
“Anything for Master’s Alpha,” Dobby chirped, smiling.
Theo smiled back but it did not take long for him to fall asleep. Wikhn sat in the second chair before the desk. “King Guthrie.”
“Wikhn, you have no idea how glad we are to see you home and whole.”
“Probably not half as glad as I am to be home.”
“Dobby has given me his account of the events of the Hunt. And then, while we filled the time until you arrived, he gave me an extremely detailed account of Harry’s life since he met him at the age of twelve.”
Wikhn arched his brow. “More detailed than we have from Harry?”
“I dare say your Submissive likes to downplay the threats to his life. But now thanks to Dobby here, we have the information and can deal with it. Do you have any questions before we begin discussing the Hunt from your perspective?”
“One, if you do not mind.” He looked at Theo's sleeping form. “I would have asked him but he needs the sleep. You said a name that I did not recognise. Elowen? Who is that?”
“Ah, yes. You see King Edgar came down hard on Raspen since you left. He insisted Raspen choose a Consort within days of the Royal Welcome. Elowen was the woman that he and Harry chose. She bonded to Raspen in a formal ceremony not last night but the night before. I’ve been informed that—much like when Raspen bonded to Harry—it sent quite the wave through the Earth Elementals.”
Wikhn grimaced in disgust that Raspen and Harry had been forced into that. But, at the same time, he was hardly surprised. Honestly, he expected Queen Arista to attempt to force Perry to do the same. Wikhn looked at Guthrie expectantly and the man smirked.
“I may have pointed out to my Queen that Perry has a perfect Consort in your Circle already. There would hardly be a better match for him than Rolf and Luna. Rolf is Fae Royalty. A bonding between them would not only ensure Perry can produce heirs, but it would be a significant alliance between Tír na nÓg and Nevarah. She was so pleased by this thought that it slipped her mind that Harry has not yet bonded to the Fae Prince. I am not in a hurry to remind her of this fact.”
Wikhn smiled. “You are quite sly, Your Majesty.”
“Thank you. Now let me read to you what Dobby has given me, so that you can fill in the missing bits.” Wikhn nodded in agreement and they set about working on his report.
-----
Nevarah: Merrow Waters—Volaha Jazira
Alec closed his eyes as the slightly cool breeze of the tropical night washed over him. Harry was in his land-dragon form, yes, but he was sleeping. Thank Kesmar for small favours.
Theo had swung by to check on them before heading to the Kalzik estate. He had not said anything but they all sincerely hoped this late-night summons meant that Wikhn was back.
Alec was pulled from his musings when his forearm started to burn. Alec stifled a hiss and he yanked up his sleeve to check the back of his forearm in order to determine which of his informants was calling him. To his despair, none of the runes connected to his informant had become visible. Instead, it was a sigil. Alec cursed under his breath—the sigil of a Torvak House.
He had not yet determined which Torvak House so he could not put a name to it.
Keres’s glowing eyes—which looked even more like a solar eclipse in the dark—were focused on the active sigil. “Do you have to go?”
Alec nodded as he clenched his fist. “I will take so much pleasure when I can finally end this charade and separate this arrogant man’s head from his neck.”
“Do not worry over Harry,” Nyx stated from where he was seated, Harry’s large dragon head pillowed on his lap. “Focus on your cover. You need to be safe for Harry’s sake.”
Alec dipped his head slightly. He then focused on the mark, sending a pulse back confirming the summons. Once Alec had done it, he crossed to Harry and placed a kiss on the top of his snout. “It should not be long but depending on the reason for this meeting, I may have to go straight to court.”
“We will explain it to him,” Keres assured. “Now go—you have to get yourself into your correct headspace before you get there.”
Alec nodded but he was already working on that. With one last touch to Harry’s warm scales, Alec turned and dived off the wall into the waters below. He tugged on the binding thread to his Royal Guard as he swapped his clothes to something to which the unfamiliar eye would appear to be courtly but would still hide his wetsuit beneath it in case there was trouble. He then set about glamouring himself to look like his persona.
Mesmyr and Alec’s guard approached him. He tapped his clawed finger agitatedly against plain copper, the wrist cuff which looked merely decorative but in reality, was his transfigured trident. “You will be tested on the fly tonight, Rainier. I have been summoned to meet with a Torvak. You can follow only if you are confident—you will not blow my cover. If I have to kill this man then I will never regain this ground.”
“I understand and I can handle it, Your Highness.”
Alec looked to Mesmyr, who swam close to him and tugged on Alec’s ear. Alec knew Mesmyr recognised his glamour, as did the Royal Guard. He was playing the role of a middling Royal in their court. One who was very vocal about their dissent towards the King’s bloodline but who had never been tied to any actual moves against him.
“You know how many times I have wanted to take your insolent tongue from your head, Lord Denoysers?”
“If you did not feel that way, I was not doing my job well enough.” Alec went to kiss him but Mesmyr scowled and pulled just out of reach.
“Not looking like that you don’t.”
“Not even for luck?”
“Stop tempting Lady Fate, we have bad enough luck in this circle as it is. You have a lot of headspace to gain and an ever-shortening amount of time to do so. Go and be safe.”
“I will do my best, as I always do,” Alec assured him. He gave Rainier the coordinates of the realm they were meeting at.
It was a tiny jump to a nearby realm. The jump was so short there would be no time variance for them. In reality, it was as close to Nevarah as the Torvak could get without actively trying to go on the realm himself. They had landed ways away from the actual meeting site, so that Alec could construct his persona in his head before he arrived. Rainier vanished but Alec trusted that the man was following him as he started to walk.
When Alec arrived at the meeting point, he found there were more people than he had anticipated. There appeared to be two or three representatives of each element but no Tertius. Bloody Birdbrain playing games.
“Well, if this isn’t cosy,” Alec said, scowling at the Fire Dragels, as if he would love nothing more than to drown them on the spot.
“I could not agree with you more, Lord Denoysers,” Lord Barclay grumbled with a sour look on his face. Barclay’s presence did not surprise Alec. The man was an opportunist and Tertius had offered Alec higher influence in court for his cooperation. He assumed Barclay was lured by the same promise. The third Aqua-kin’e Lord, however, was a bit more of a surprise. Alec had not expected Lord Nowaske to turn against Alcandor. He was very influential at court already—being a higher-ranked Royal than Alec portrayed himself as. He had always appeared neutral towards the Crown.
However, Alec supposed anyone could be bought for the right price. He continued to talk to his fellow Aqua-kin’e but he kept glaring around at the other elements. They were far enough apart he could not hear any names, so they may have to rely on his memories to identify who these Lords were.
Tensions between the groups kept rising until it was about to boil over. At long last, Tertius arrived. Alec bit back the curse that wanted to leave his throat. Tertius had his normal thuggish goons with him but this time there was also a young, newly inherited Torvak. One, who bore a striking family resemblance to the pair of twin flaming barbs, that persisted in jabbing into his side on a daily basis. Alec recalled that one of their brothers had opted to remain on Earth wishing to forgo his creature inheritance entirely. Apparently, that had not worked out well for the young wizard.
“Tertius, are you running a daycare now?” One of the Air Dragels sneered.
Alec hummed internally. Well, lucky him. He did not have to mention it now.
Tertius puffed up with pride. “This is my nephew’s son; recently restored to us. He is shadowing me to learn the ropes.”
Alec sneered, “You think this is a game, Tertius? We are risking the very lives of our families on this little venture of yours and you insult us by bringing a child into play.”
Thankfully, one of the Earth Dragels was thinking similarly. He growled, “The Merrow speaks true. You did not tell us you were poking your finger into every court. You made it sound as if I had you at my sole disposal unseating the Hiedler family from the throne. Now we find you have not only been offering those services to others of our own court but you have been focused on the other elements as well. I have too much at stake in this, to be playing fourth or fifth string in your orchestra.”
When the rant had finished the Earth Dragel started to leave. Alec knew what would happen, and it took every fibre of his will to allow it without interfering. Tertius had made his terms clear and backing out would mean death. One of the thugs rushed the departing Dragel and his knife was buried in his armpit before the Dragel had time to even sense the danger and turn.
The fear and pain in the Dragels' eyes tore at him. It went against his very soul to allow a Torvak to kill a Dragel. The dying man was already coughing up blood as he looked for anyone to help him. His only solace was that this man had wished to dethrone—if not dispose of—Raspen’s family. He was a traitor, and death was all that had been awaiting him. But still…
“You brought this on yourself,” one of the Air Dragels growled in response to the dying man’s whimpering pleas. “If Tertius did not have you killed, I would have done it myself. I have invested too much into this to let anyone stand in my way.”
The thug hauled the man back as he was drawing his final breaths and threw him at Tertius’s feet. Tertius watched the man gasp and struggle for a few more seconds before he went still in death.
Tertius looked unbothered by the preceding but clearly Arthur’s son was not so hard-hearted. He looked close to throwing up, but when he tried to move away, the second thug gripped his neck in a painful hold. He looked as if he could easily snap his neck with that meaty hand. He held the young Torvak in place with fear and pain.
“This is not a game, it is business,” Tertius stated smoothly. “You all agreed to the terms. Do not pretend now you were conned. Look around you—these are the faces of your new Crown Royals and their closest allies. If we only unseated one Royal, the other elements might stick their noses in but if there is a change of crowns in each court then they will all be focused inward and we have a higher chance to succeed.”
Alec inwardly snorted. Tertius did not specify who would wear the Crown, though. Alec knew Tertius had hinted at it when bargaining with him, so he assumed he had with all the rest. He would use them to remove the current Crowns, throwing the realm into chaos. And then the ensuing fight in each court for the throne would leave Nevarah ripe for a Torvak invasion. It was such an obvious plan. Alec was unsure how these Lords were taken in by something that was so apparent.
Alec looked around again. He noticed something in the two Air Dragels. They appeared to be well aware of Tertius’s scheme. Hmm…Alec wondered if they were possibly Air Element spies like him. The worst option though was that these men were true enemies of the Air Crown and they were smart enough to see the trap. If they were here while knowing it was a trap, that would mean that they needed something from the Torvaks. Alec made a mental note to stress this point when he recounted this to Alcandor later.
Tertius spent the rest of the meeting speaking to certain members about their tasks. Alec’s persona was in transport. He was key to smuggling things on-realm in the scheme of this plan.
Barclay grinned. “I certainly feel better knowing that you are handling that, Denoysers.”
“As if I would leave it in the hands of some Landwalker.” The Fire and Earth Dragels looked offended but again, Alec got the feeling that the Air Dragels were playing a larger game than the others. That was not good. After the incidents with the Earth Royal Guards, they had turned to Air for their Circle’s safety. Alec did not like feeling as if these men were far more dangerous, when he knew nothing about them.
He wondered if Alcandor could be convinced to let Denoysers tag along with him up on land. Maybe if the smuggler was accessible, then the two Air Dragels might approach him about his talents. Word of Alcandor’s on-land activities only got back to their court through the careful release of information by Keiran and Crimson Tide. So, the chances were good it would never get back to Barclay or Nowaske that the King was suddenly congenial enough with Denoysers to bring him on land with him.
The only problem with that plan was revealing to Alcandor this disguise. Damn—he had liked barbing Alcandor a bit from the safety of this shadow. Oh well, he had other personas; he would just have to make do with finding joy in those forms. Alec kept his head down for the rest of the meeting. In the opinion of Barclay and Nowaske, he was more of a small fish—good at his job but not a threat to either of their overall ambitions. Alec was glad that Nowaske and Barclay were so busy assessing each other that they were not focused on him.
When the meeting was over, Alec walked back to the point they had arrived. He felt an invisible hand close over his arm. Rainier hissed in his ear, “Let me do the portal.”
“I don’t nee—”
“You are trembling, Your Highness. You can barely contain your need to go and eviscerate that thug. Let me get you back to your ACE so that he can calm you.”
Alec wanted to say he was alright, but he wasn’t. Going back to Mesmyr was marginally better than appearing to Alcandor in this state. He finally gave a click of his tongue in acceptance and the portal started to form around him. His last thought before they left was concerned as to whether the Earth Dragels would take the dead lord home, or if his body would be left to be scavenged by the indigenous wildlife. Alec’s claws dug into his hands as the portal pulled him home.
-----
Nevarah: Merrow Waters—Volaha Jazira
Harry woke up and immediately noticed the change around him: more Fae, less Aqua-kin’e. Alec had to leave then. Harry did not begrudge him that. He knew Alec’s life was a complex one. He just hoped Alec was safe with whatever he was out there doing.
Harry chuffed as he felt someone scratching his head just behind his horns and ear. Harry kept his eyes stubbornly shut as the scratches became more insistent and Luna’s giggling voice filled his ear.
“I know you are awake, Harry.” Harry pulled the wing opposite her forward and curled the wing claw over his eyes to tease her. “Oh well, I guess we can pour the fish back into the sea then…”
Harry lifted his wing and his head snapped up as he sniffed for the fish. Lochlan was chuckling as he hefted a basket as long as his arms to bring it over to him. “Think with your stomach, do you?”
Harry chirped a bit embarrassed by the easy lure but he could not focus on that because Lochlan’s basket smelled wonderful. Harry trilled happily as Adam joined Luna and the two of them took turns presenting him with fish. Lochlan pressed a kiss behind Adam’s ear before he walked back to Kae, Leila, and Arwen. That explained why he felt more Fae energy around him. Harry was amused by the sight of Arwen in her sire’s arms. Lochlan had muscles but Kae’s bicep looked bigger than Arwen’s head. His little sister cooed happily.
Adam sighed. “At times I wondered if I would ever see this.”
Luna frowned. “What do you mean?”
“It took Lochlan a little while to clue into the fact things were wrong because he was being pulled in so many directions. However I had nothing to distract my mind and even as sick as I was, I could see someone unknown to us was going to long lengths to interfere with our family. At my lowest point, I did not know if I would live to see our Circle start to come back together.”
“How did you get through that?”
“Israfel—he refused to let me give up. There was a point in time when he stayed with me for five days straight, barely sleeping so he could encourage me to keep on fighting.” Adam smiled fondly. “He is not just ours because he is Raphael’s. I fell in love with his tenacity and his heart long before we asked either of them to bond to us.”
Harry murmured softly. He did not like to think about Adam being so sick he might have died. He needed him in his heart and soul. Adam smiled sadly and he moved a bit closer to pet Harry. “I know that is scary. You are reacting because your mum is not with us. I am your only Parental Pareya at the moment and the thought of not having me terrifies you.”
Harry nodded as Adam carefully kissed his brow, avoiding his horns. “I am not going anywhere. Now finish your breakfast. Lochlan thought you could give Luna and me a ride, as we walk around the perimeter of the island this morning.” Harry chirped in favour of that plan.
-----
Alec shuddered as the portal gave way to the warmth of their home waters. Alec raised his opinion of Rainier; he had to be a Senior Guard to be authorised to bypass the entry protocols for off-world traffic. He did not focus on that, though. He pushed away from Rainier as his glamour fell away. He checked the path in front of him was clear before he sent a wave of magic out for several metres, boiling the water in its path.
Mesmyr swam up to him and yanked Alec around. “What are you—”
Alec responded to the tug with his claws and snarls. Mesmyr whistled and Zhanore swam up and bound Alec with his tentacles. Alec snarled and struggled but he was not actually trying to hurt them; he was allowing Zhanore to contain him.
Mesmyr turned to Rainier. “He is never this out of control. Show me what happened.”
Rainier used a spell to project his memories. The murder of the Earth Dragel struck a nerve with them all and Mesmyr nodded. “Thank you for looking after him, we will take it from here.” Rainier bowed and portalled back to the Aqua-Kin’e City.
“Alec, come to me.”
“I don’t want your pity!” Alec snapped
“I am not offering any. You need to fight to burn through your rage, so let’s fight. We can talk after.”
Zhanore squeezed Alec’s shoulder once before he let him go. Alec did not hesitate to pull the cuff from his wrist and turn it back into his trident. Mesmyr was more than ready to parry him.
“Don’t hold back, Alec, you know I can handle it.”
Alec hissed and attacked, his emotions driving his blows. He was not fighting to win, so he did not care if his emotions made him sloppy. He just needed not to feel like this any longer.
-----
Harry looked up, a confused expression on his dragon face. Luna patted his neck from where she sat with Adam on his back. “It is alright, Harry. Alec is a bit upset but Mesmyr can handle him. He will be alright.”
Harry turned his head back towards her and grumbled. She pondered for a moment and then replied, “It was not a concise vision. I did not see where he had gone. I only saw that he came back upset and would need to spar with someone…as you used to spar with duelling dummies in the Room of Requirement. He just needs to work through his frustration and anger so that he can process the other emotions.” Harry nodded then and continued on his walk along the perimeter wall.
-----
Wikhn, Theo, and Dobby landed on the upper landing pad and Theo immediately turned to the young elf. “Dobby, head for that house there. You will want to speak with Ethan—he is our Head Pareya. He will determine what tasks you and the other Potter and Black elves can do to help him care for the family.”
“Yes, Master’s Alpha.”
When Dobby popped away, Theo stretched out his arms above his head. Wikhn turned and watched him for a moment. He knew Theo had gone through a shift when he had renegotiated with his Caspers, but after a bit of time away, he noticed some differences. Theo was no longer tall and gangly. The height he had gained from the Caspers was still there but Theo was filling out; he was building muscle tone to match his new frame. Wikhn was struck by the desire to test his Alpha to see if the muscles were all for show or if he could use them too.
Theo noticed his gaze and asked, “What?”
“I just was thinking I would like to spar with you sometime.”
Wikhn heard Theo’s breath increase with excitement as he nodded. “I would like that. I need to start properly grounding as I am a Gheyic Alpha.” He smiled wryly. “I can't ravage Charlie every time I get riled.”
Wikhn was very amused by that statement. “Oh? And did Charlie enjoy himself?”
Theo’s ears went red but he kept his face straight. “If you want to know then I suggest you ask him.” Theo scanned the wall as someone flew over to them. Theo smiled as Drift hugged Wikhn without asking his permission. Wikhn was startled at the unexpected welcome but reached up and ran a hand through the Queen’s hair.
“It is good to have you back, Wikhn. Are the others…” Drift trailed off at Wikhn’s solemn expression.
“They had one more Horcrux to locate.”
Drift nodded in understanding and hugged him again. “We have sorely missed all of you.”
Theo allowed their odd little reunion to happen without comment. Part of him wondered how flexible the Suites would be once they were complete, but he could be overthinking it. Maybe Drift was just feeling lonely being the only non-Merrow in his Suite. He would have to see how that played out later.
He spotted Harry up on the wall at least a third of the way around the island. As Theo expected, Harry was still in his dragon form but he could see Adam and Luna were riding on his back. At least Harry was not as averse to human interaction as he had been yesterday. Maybe Wikhn being on realm—even if not home—had helped some. Walking several yards behind them were Kae, Leila, and Lochlan, and they were carrying little Arwen.
“Drift, can you fly downwind of Harry and get Luna and Adam to get off of him? I supremely doubt they will want to be riding his back when he catches Wikhn’s scent.”
Wikhn and Drift both couldn’t help but chuckle at the mental picture that comment made. It would be funny but Theo was right—best not to let it play out. Drift took to the air and tracked out over the ocean so he was firmly downwind from the wall. He then hovered about four metres out. Theo and Wikhn watched as Kae and Lochlan moved forward to help Luna and Adam down.
Wikhn tilted his head. “Who are they? I do not recognise them.”
“Two more of Harry’s Fae parents, the sire and bearer for little Arwen. They arrived yesterday. The Gheyo is Kae, the King of their Suite, and Leila is one of their Battle Mages.”
Wikhn nodded. “They are both true d’Bineshi if I am remembering Lochlan’s early descriptions of the circle correctly.”
“It seems so. They both have the same intricate level of tattoos that Lochlan has, more so than Adam at any rate.”
“Well,” Wikhn said, studying the blond Fae of the quartet—he looked partially healthier than when he had left, at least, “Adam did Bond into the Clan. He would not have been getting tattoos from childhood as the others had.”
Theo and Wikhn both froze when Drift hovered a bit too close to Harry and his head snapped up scenting the air. Lochlan and Kae made sure the group had moved up the wall well past Harry and they were lucky they had. Harry slammed his two front feet onto the outer wall and stretched up his neck as close as he could to Drift.
Drift dropped down and let Harry smell him. It was clear Harry was too busy smelling to listen, so Drift waited patiently until he had regained his Submissive’s attention. Theo took the opportunity to step back from Wikhn.
“I would put your armour on if I were you.”
Wikhn saw Harry’s head whip towards him. He spelled his armour back on and smiled wryly. “I think you are right.”
There was nothing graceful about Harry’s turn. His clawed feet slipped on the masonry and his wings beat in his excitement, causing him to skid into one wall and then the other as he tried to move faster than his feet would carry him.
The other guards along the wall formed their wings to fly up just enough to allow the emotional dragon to run past. Theo watched Harry hit Wikhn with a heavy thud and he quickly cast a cushioning charm onto the floor of the landing pad behind Wikhn. But even the cushioning spell and his armour did little to negate being smushed like a bug by an over-eager, adolescent dragon. This set of armour had definitely exceeded its safe impact rating and he would have to take it in for professional evaluation.
“Harry, Aku.” Wikhn could hear the whinge in his own voice as he reached up to touch Harry’s large, scaled face.
Harry rumbled back—his body lost what little strength it had as he collapsed onto Wikhn. His magic seemed to be helping though because Wikhn could still breathe even though he was pinned under Harry’s heavy form.
“Aku.” Wikhn drew Harry’s head down so he could look into his eyes. Those beautiful eyes were edged with every bit as much pain as he felt and probably more, given how well Harry was at hiding it from them. Wikhn kissed Harry’s scaled lips, hoping to settle Harry’s instincts just enough for him to possibly come out of his full shift.
Harry whinged and shifted around uncomfortably. Within a minute Harry had shifted to a halfling form. The mixture of dragon and man was still very much larger than Wikhn like this but the humanoid anatomy allowed them to line up easier. With the risk of impact averted Wikhn banished both his armour and his flexisuit in favour of a pair of cotton trousers. Harry immediately sprawled over Wikhn spreading his scale-covered skin over as much of Wikhn’s skin as he could make contact with. He nuzzled his nose into his Fairy dust with a happy sigh.
Wikhn’s eyes roved over Harry’s form looking for visible damage. Not that he had expected to find any—Harry’s dragon scale should be able to handle any sharp edges his armour had on it.
“Réalta,” Nyx called out as he approached. He had just woken from sleep based on his mussed hair and thin comfortable clothes. Harry hummed but did not open his eyes or look at the Joker. Wikhn watched as his friend came over and sat cross-legged beside him. “Réalta, you barely slept and Wikhn looks as if he got less than that. Come away with me to the Shadow space—you can both rest until you are feeling better.”
Harry whimpered and claws dug into Wikhn’s shoulders. “Aku, I swear I am not going anywhere. Nyx is right, I need sleep and so do you.”
Harry whimpered some more but let Nyx help him to his feet. Nyx nodded to Theo before he shadowed the pair away. Wikhn followed after but did not have time to assess the changes in the quality of the shadows. His portal had barely finished before he was knocked to the ground again beneath Harry. Nyx drew more shadows around them and laid down a metre away. Wikhn noticed another pair of eyes glowing a bit further off in the space. Two new Shadow Elementals. That should help to ground Hadrian when he returned. Wikhn was proud of Harry for being brave enough to Hunt while they were gone. Wikhn settled under Harry’s weight and let his body fall into a partial healing sleep.
-----
Alec shivered in the tight hold of Zhanore’s arms and tentacles once more but this time of his own choice. After wearing himself out, Alec had been in no condition to report in, so Mesmyr went to give his memories of the meeting—placed into a memory pearl—to Alcandor. He had already planned to burn this alias with his cousin, so it was stupid not to give his cousin the full memories to be analysed.
Aerah swam over with some food and drinks. As he sat, he asked his Prince, “Is he alright?”
“Yes,” Zhanore said, giving Alec the drink with an order to finish it. “He is just having an adrenaline crash combined with the fact he stayed up for most of the night. However, he is being stubborn about letting himself rest, I might add.”
Alec finished the drink and he smiled against Zhanore’s shoulder. He waved a hand toward Aerah and asked lightly, “I thought you liked young and stubborn Aqua-kin’e?”
“Hush. You know you don’t want me in that way, so stop with the horrible attempt at flirting.”
Alec sighed and nodded. “I don’t think I have the emotional capacity for anyone beyond Harry, Brishen, and Mesmyr.”
Zhanore hummed., “I believe you do have the emotional capacity to like, maybe even love us eventually. But no, I do not think you will ever take another lover. You don’t seem to want or need it.”
Aerah added, “Just because you do not want us as a lover, it does not mean that we are not part of your Circle. Just as you cared for me the other night, we can and will care for you when you need it.”
Alec grunted softly as his breathing slowed. Zhanore shook his head. “Sleep, Alec. We will handle the problems of life when you wake up.”
-----
Wikhn woke up before Harry and he revelled in the fact his magic felt more balanced already, just from sleeping with Harry in his arms. Nyx was still asleep but there was movement on the other side of the shadow clearing that caught his attention. Wikhn could see that one of the small stone huts that had been built against the perimeter wall had been claimed by the other new Shadow element. That was fine because as far as he knew Hadrian and Oblis had not claimed any of the three structures for themselves.
The other person was Dark Fae and Demon at least, based on their appearance. He was not sure if they were part-Dragel or not at first glance but that did not matter to him. As long as they were good for Harry, what creature type they were was moot. Their form was small enough to be feminine but in this dark space, he would not make assumptions about that. The figure appeared to be hard at work organising stores in the shed. Clearly someone who had a career, so not likely a Gheyo.
Wikhn was quickly diverted from assessing the new Shadow elemental by a sharp bite over his claim mark on his chest. Wikhn shuddered and whimpered. This almost caused Harry to pull back but Wikhn shook his head and kept him from pulling away anymore.
“No, I am sorry that sounded like a complaint, but I need to feel you claim me. Please Aku. Tell me I have not messed this up. Tell me I am still your Gheyo.”
“Mine,” Harry grumbled clearly, still instinctive. His face had become more human as they slept and he had shrunk down to just about his normal build. But he was still covered in scales. Harry smelled him and licked the wound once before he sank his fangs in again.
Nyx rolled to his back beside them and with a small smile on his face, he turned his gaze on Harry. “Réalta, do you want to be on your own with Wikhn? Keres and I can go for a walk.”
“I have no desire to take a walk,” Keres responded as they picked up a set of rune-carved stones that hummed with energy and took them into the hut.
Harry chuckled as he pulled back from Wikhn. His eyes were more focused now. “Elowen did say they are painfully honest at times.”
Nyx rolled from his back to his feet with a surprising grace. Harry was confused about how he had managed it, until he spotted a shimmer of a glamour covering wings and heard their flutter. Well, that explained how he had done that in one move. Nyx crossed to Keres and leaned on the door frame.
“Keres, come away with me. We do not have to walk in the sunlight but Harry and Wikhn need some privacy.”
“Harry has not said he wants us to go,” Keres pointed out and Harry chuckled again.
Wikhn cupped his cheek while simultaneously wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth. “Do you want them to leave?”
“I do not care either way.” Harry trilled sadly. “I do not mind if they stay as long as you are with me.” Wikhn nodded, still feeling clingy himself. And tired. If he felt this tired then Harry must be exhausted.
Nyx stretched. “Well, I feel awkward staying. So, I am going to go check when the royals will return tonight.”
Wikhn leaned up and kissed Harry’s cheek to be sure Harry was focused on him so his movement would not startle his Submissive. He then moved to sit up so Harry could curl up in his lap. Nyx came over and kissed the top of Harry’s head.
“Do not worry, Réalta. Wikhn and I get along well. Which is actually the reason I am going. I know you and Wikhn will be very emotional and I know Wikhn might feel awkward expressing himself in front of me. Furthermore, I would not like to see either of you crying when I can’t be the one to comfort you.”
Harry trilled in understanding. Nyx walked away and Keres picked up two boxes that they carried into the hut before a gauzy layer of shadows covered the door. Harry rubbed his scaled cheek against Wikhn’s collarbone.
Wikhn hummed. “Before we talk, who is Keres and are you courting?”
“Unofficially, yes, they are courting me. It has not been formally stated but we both expressed a desire for it. Keres is Elowen’s Soulbonded. Elowen is…”
“King Guthrie explained that to me this morning. I have missed out on so much. I am sorry.”
“I wanted it done. I encouraged it. Tom needed to be freed from Dumbledore’s clutches.”
Wikhn nodded and spoke, his voice dark with anger. “He did not deserve what that Torvak did to him. No one would. Those soul shards were so damaged. I know Lady Death is the best Soulsmith there is, but even I have to wonder if there was too much damage to restore his soul.”
Harry hummed. “If anyone can heal him, it is My Lady.” He shifted his weight on Wikhn so he could stretch his wings out.
Wikhn watched them with open adoration. Harry smiled a bit bashfully as he reached up to trace a scar along Wikhn’s collarbone. “Does it bother you?” Wikhn asked.
Harry shook his head. “Ask Mesmyr to show you the memory of my meeting with Adrianna later. Scars will never bother me because they are healed. Now if you are bleeding all over the carpet, that I will have a problem with.”
Wikhn snorted as he pressed a kiss under Harry’s chin. “You know, it did not even take an hour before I regretted leaving you. I wish it had not taken the aching of my soul for me to realise what I felt. My feelings towards Dahlia have no bearing on what I feel for you. If you will have me still, I am yours—heart and soul.”
“I could never begrudge you for needing that time to figure things out. I needed to figure things out too. I had so many new bonds to sort through, that one more or less did not really make that much of a difference to my chaos. I wanted you to be sure you were ready for this.”
“I know that I am now. I should have known before but… well no one has accused me of being a genius.”
Harry shook his head. “No one has accused me of that before either. I am used to being called a dunderhead. Maybe we should make a pact to call each other smart from time to time.”
“An easy deal. I think you are brilliant.”
“And I, you.”
Harry nuzzled his nose along Wikhn’s neck and up to his ear. “I have missed your smell.”
Wikhn hummed and nuzzled him back. “I know what you mean.”
He chuckled when he felt Harry nip at his cheek with his fangs. Just enough to scrape, not enough to open a wound. Wikhn pulled Harry close, needing to feel his body against his.
“I will never leave you like that again,” Wikhn growled. “I cannot promise not to leave you, but I will not leave you when you are unconscious, unless it is a matter of life and death. I know that it accelerated your distress.”
Harry grasped his shoulder with his clawed hand. “I don’t know how much of it was caused by that because Devrim seemed to be having a similar reaction to mine and his was from when my Dragel could not forgive him. It was probably an inevitable reaction.”
“That may be, but I still feel I need to make you this promise.”
“Then, I accept your Oath, My Gheyo.”
Wikhn sighed in relief. “Do you need anything else for me, My Submissive?”
“I need you, My Gheyo. That is all I want from you. I want your vow that you are mine and I can always count on you.”
“You have it. I will be whatever you need from me. Your sword and shield, your sanctuary, your best friend. Anything you need.”
Harry pushed back from Wikhn but he pulled on his arm as he went. He lay back and shifted a bit to adjust his wings under himself. When he was comfortable, he reached up for Wikhn. Wikhn went easily, laying over him.
“What are you up for?”
“I am unsure. I am tired and worn down, but can we just see how this goes?”
Wikhn nodded as he kissed Harry’s throat. Harry sighed, content, as he closed his eyes. Time slipped away as Harry revelled in the feel of Wikhn touching him.
With every kiss and every caress, Harry could feel the taut and inflamed threads of their bond begin to mend. Harry felt a Heartcry well up in his throat. He did not care if they had partially bonded before leaving Earth, he let the cry come so he could invite Wikhn back into his heart and welcome him home.
-----
Nevarah: Between the Veil
Death stormed in. She was in a right foul mood, as she always seemed to be lately. She was looking for Time and she knew the best place to find him would be with Magic. The pair of them were thick as thieves, having come into existence around the same time. They were not actually siblings. She and Life were siblings, the same with Light and Dark.
The place was essentially a large sitting room. A common space created by Chaos that would allow no one immortal to be more powerful than the others, creating true neutrality. When you wanted the company of another immortal, this was where you went.
Death spotted her quarry. “Time! Where do you get off having that big of a difference between two realms? How can one realm have four days to one in another?”
Times stood up from whatever he had been reading over Magic’s shoulder and he scoffed at her. “I would happily explain the mechanics of my calculations to you if they would not immediately go over your head. I will simply say that one realm is beyond the cosmic horizon of the other.”
“Do not test me, Time.”
Time rolled his amber eyes and ran a hand through his curly silver and black hair. “Look, I am not going to change the layout of my time spheres. They have been working in this manner since the beginning of my existence. I will not be forced to alter them simply because your little brat decided to move from one realm to another.”
“Why not?”
“Honestly, you are acting like more of a child than the boy does. It would be as complicated as if you were to demand that Magic should change where her ley lines fall. It would disrupt the fabric on which the universe was formed.”
Magic had to agree. “He is right, Death. The boy chose to move. It’s not on us to deal with the consequences of such an action.”
Death scowled at them. “I have never once interfered with one of your children, the way you all have interfered with mine!”
Magic waved her off. “Sister, you knew what you were getting into. You saw the markers that were on display well before he was even born. The fact that you chose to adopt a tri-cursed child is not on us.”
“Do not call him that!”
“Calling him something else does not change the fact of what he is. The convergence of his bloodlines was the first marker, the timeframe in which he was born was the second, and then his death in infancy was the third. You were the one who chose to bring him back and made him into a tri-cursed child.”
Time nodded. “We are in this mess because you chose to favour him. You gave him a future where he had none. If anyone here should be in a rage, it should be Fate. She has had to rewrite so many destinies to even give your child some semblance of peace in this world.”
Fate clicked her tongue. She did not need anyone speaking for her. “That is not entirely true. And don’t make it out as though you know what my workload is in this world, Time. I have had to plan for him in this role for a long time. It was always a possibility Death could make this choice. True, my main plans had followed if she had allowed him to die, but I did not simply ignore this choice. You all think my job is one note, well, it is not just the mortals’ whims whom I must cater my plan to. It is all of yours as well.”
Chance chirped up from his corner where he was playing cards with Luck. “Yes, you lot are exhausting.”
Fate turned and arched a brow at him. “You are exhausting, Brother. I thought you had sworn off gambling with Luck after the last incident.”
Chance blushed but sighed. “Tried to do it, but I could not.”
Luck grinned and pushed her long, copper hair from her eyes. “It is addictive—the rush we get when we play each other, Big Sister.”
Fate rolled her eyes and shut her book as she stood. “You are both exhausting. I am going to go find Destiny.”
Death blinked when suddenly everyone went back to doing as they had been and ignored her. “Leave my son out of your schemes.” Death hissed and stormed from the room once again.
Chance scoffed. “There are better odds that an ice wraith would survive a swim across a lava-filled lake.”
“Leave her be.” Luck sighed. “She loves the boy and it is her worry that makes her lash out. You know Fate will not tell her what is in store for him.”
“I know and my ears are still ringing from the last lecture she gave us all. You remember the one after Destiny released that prophecy tied to the boy out to the seers?”
“I thought they were going to level the house with that argument.” Luck smacked her card on the table and Chance cursed. He fished into his pocket for the coins he owed her.
-----
Nevarah: Earth Sector – Kalzik Estate
Draco wrang his hands in agitation. Terius had told him that they had been requested to come to the Kalzik Estate, not the military medical complex he was used to. Terius had not known why the venue had changed and that made him even more anxious. Had something happened to Severus that had required them to move him?
They arrived at the portal point and there was a young healer there to greet them. “Good evening, how can I assist you?”
“We received a message from Lord Kalzik to come here but the message did not state why.” Terius showed the young man the letter. As he suspected the man scanned the string of characters in the lower left corner of the written message. He saw meaning in them where Terius could not.
He straightened and sent a message into the house. “Very good. It seems our family has become the primary carer for a Dragel with ties to your family, so Lord Kalzik wished to consult with you on their care. Please follow me and my father will meet with you shortly.”
“Why are you caring for Severus?” Draco asked, worrying his lip.
“What my Submissive means, is that our Alpha has been under the care of the Military Medical Regiment. Does this letter mean he has been transferred?”
“I am afraid not. This patient, according to my father’s note, is female.”
Draco drew a sharp, worried breath but Terius soothed him. “Relax, Draco. We just saw Callida as we left the house. She and the baby are well. I do not know who this is but we will handle it as needed.”
They were brought to a comfortable sitting room where tea was already available for them. They only had to wait a moment before Patrick Kalzik entered the room. “Good evening to you, Councilman Snape. And you as well young man.”
“Healer Kalzik. Please tell us what this is about if it is not our Alpha we are here for.”
“I have called you here because a woman was recently liberated on Earth by one of our hunting parties. At first, we only had the word of some house elves to go on to identify her but once she was here I was able to do a heritage test and she came back as being related to your family—your submissive, in fact.”
Draco frowned. “I do not understand.”
Patrick pulled a photo from his file of the Dragel woman sleeping in one of their patient rooms. He passed it to Terius who showed it to Draco.
“Mum! But that is impossible. She went to America to get away from my father.”
“I am sorry to report it does not look as if she made it there. She has been held captive for a significant time and our hunting party discovered her just yesterday.”
Terius drew Draco against his side and he started to cry softly. “What is her condition?”
“Overall, it is fairly good, considering the duration of it all. I am her primary Healer at the moment because a lot of my techniques will crossover and help to repair the muscle atrophy she has from her imprisonment. A steady nutrition plan should get her back on the mend fairly quickly.”
“Is she influenced by any of the control potions?”
“Not at this time. I venture she might have been under the same one as you when she was captured but it has long since been flushed from her system.”
“Can I see her?”
Patrick nodded, having expected the question. They moved to the patient room set up for an Air Dragel and they allowed Draco to sit with his mother and hold her hand while she slept. Patrick then turned to Terius.
“I see no reason she will not recover fully in time.”
“That is good to hear. With Severus’s lack of recovery, I do not think Draco could handle his Mother having the same issues.”
“Indeed. Now I wanted to talk to you about her treatment. I know you may have a preferred Healer within your clan, and I am happy to consult with them on her treatment plan. Furthermore, do you wish to take her home with you?”
“Draco will not allow me to leave her here. So please start making arrangements to transfer her to my family estate. As to her care…for now, I say you can remain as her primary Healer if you do not mind the house calls.”
“I do not mind doing them, although as her health improves, I may ask her to come here for treatment so we can use my workroom.”
“Understood,” Terius said. Their attention was drawn to Draco when he gasped.
“She is waking up.”
Patrick moved around the bed to her other side. “Narcissa, can you hear us?” Narcissa grumbled back like any groggy Submissive would when being woken up. Patrick smiled at the response. “Narcissa, I am your Healer. I am here with your son, Draco, and his Pareya.”
That got more of a response. Narcissa's eyes opened blearily and looked for Draco. Draco chirped and nuzzled her hand with his nose. They both warbled to each other and relief went through them both. Patrick stepped back. His scans showed Narcissa’s pain management was still in acceptable range and she was not in distress. He was more than happy to let mother and son reconnect while he and Terius finished the necessary logistics of transferring her home.
-----
Nevarah: Merrow Waters—Volaha Jazira
Dudley walked out of his parents’ quarters calmly, but in reality, he had never wanted to smack anyone as much as he wanted to smack his mother. Well, no, he would not actually hit her no matter what he felt about her—but he was not above wishing he could tape her mouth shut. He was as grumbly as an afternoon thunderstorm when he found Lochlan. Lochlan did not ask what was wrong. He just led him to where the others had settled down after leaving Harry.
Adam opened an arm to him as he huffed and burrowed into his side. “Let me guess, Petunia’s mood has not improved?”
“Not in the slightest,” Dudley grumbled back. He then looked up and frowned. “Where is Harry?”
Adam smiled brightly. “Wikhn is home. They are out in the Shadow Grove together.”
“Really? That is great.”
“It is.” Leila nodded and then added, “Which means we came back here to spend some time with you.”
Dudley blushed and he could not help but feel a bit prideful as Leila and Kae asked him to talk about himself. He had never had a problem boasting but it was a flaw he wanted to keep in check as he grew up. He certainly never wanted to become like Vernon, flaunting his wealth for all the neighbours and his coworkers to see. He wanted to learn to be humble like Harry was.
-----
Theo had not intended to seek out Neville, but he ended up wandering down to the lake and sure enough Neville was there. Theo was slightly amused to hear Neville having a one-sided conversation with his cherry tree. A few years ago, he would have thought that a crazy concept but Ithycar had included a section on dryads in his training, so he knew that even if he could not hear anything, Neville could understand his tree.
As he got closer Neville looked up and smiled at him. “You’re back.”
“I am. Wikhn returned in the night. I went first to the Healers who were checking his health and then we went to Perry’s father, so that Wikhn could give his report.”
Neville looked as relieved as any of them to hear this. “He is with Harry now?”
“Yes.”
Neville watched him for a few seconds and then said, “Come sit down, then.”
“Why?”
“You came here for a reason. I suspect it was your instincts drawing you to where we cast all that Earth magic yesterday. Come sit down and ground yourself before you go and face the rest of Harry’s horde.”
Theo laughed and he walked closer. Neville guided him to actually sit against his tree. Theo watched as Neville muttered under his breath and started to prod the ground leading away from the trunk.
“Dare I ask?”
“Some of the roots are crossed and he is being a diva about it. I am tracing it so I can untangle them.”
“I never imagined a tree could be a diva.”
“Trust me, they can be. If I do not fix them all today, then by tomorrow, he will start to wilt as if he is dying. When he is doing no such thing.” The last sentence came out in a scolding tone.
Theo actually felt what he could only take as a wave of amusem*nt running up the trunk behind his back. He leaned his head back against the bark and let his element flow in his veins. He could feel the tree reaching out, providing a grounding connection for him.
They sat in silence for several minutes and then Neville hummed. “Theo, I want to thank you.”
“What for?”
“For taking care of Harry this year. You see, I know both Harry and I liked each other and we have been slowly moving towards each other for the past two years, but I am not an Alpha and I was not what Harry needed this year. Quite frankly, I couldn’t even take care of myself the past few months, let alone take care of Harry too. I am grateful he found you.”
“I am grateful I found him,” Theo replied. “Could I have been happy with the path Ilsa was attempting to guide me down in life? Probably. But at the same time, it was not me.” He looked down at his claws. “Being Harry’s Alpha has allowed me to embrace this side of myself.”
Neville nodded. “Harry has always been like that. Accepting others for what they are without complaint. For him, the worst thing in his life has been his fame. I would say Harry hates the fame even more than the fact he is tied to a prophecy. Even more than his abusive home life.” Neville sat back for a second, frowning. “It will have to be something we watch out for going forward.”
“What do you mean? He is not the Boy-Who-Lived here.”
“No, but he is a Merrow Royal now and he is Raspen and Perry’s Submissive. As much as they will want to shield Harry from the pressures of their courts, they will falter at some point. When that happens it will only be you who can stand up to them, who can remind them that Harry was not raised Royal and therefore should not be made to do anything he is not comfortable with. It does not matter how many egotistical nobles get offended by this.”
“I see what you mean.” Theo nodded.
Neville was right. Theo was the only one who could stand up to Perry or Raspen if they tried to convince Harry to do something to please their courts. Not that he thought that would happen right away, if ever. They were too protective of him now but maybe for the next hunt or the one after that. He could certainly see Perry and Raspen attempting to accommodate their court without even realising what they were doing. And Harry was the type of person who would do the thing he absolutely hated if it meant Perry or Raspen were happy. He made a vow to himself that he would do his best to keep an eye out for that down the line.
-----
It was the middle of the afternoon when Wikhn finally ignored Harry’s grumbling complaints about not moving. He spelled their clothes back into place and picked Harry up. Harry growled as he wound his arms tightly around Wikhn’s neck.
“Growl all you want, but your stomach is louder than you are. We are going to get something to eat.” Harry sighed and stopped growling so much. Wikhn kissed Harry’s temple and they headed for the house. On the way, they came into step with a young man that Wikhn did not know. He was Harry’s age and smelled familiar but he could not place him.
The young man smiled adoringly at the sight of Harry wrapped around Wikhn. “I do not know if you remember me. I am Blaise. I went to school with Harry and Theo.”
“Ah, I see. You smelled familiar, but I could not place you.”
Harry murmured, “Blaise is a Page. He is going to train in the suite. Mesmyr took his oath.”
Wikhn could hear the slight possessiveness in Harry’s tone. It was daring him to question Blaise’s place in the Circle. Wikhn kissed his temple again. “If that is what you and Theo want then we will do it. I am sure Blaise will learn a lot from working with our Suites.”
“I want to. Learning from all of you is more than I dared to hope for.”
Wikhn liked the passion Blaise seemed to have. He was sure the young Page would fit right in. Blaise led Wikhn up the sitting room that had turned into their multipurpose room/bedroom this past week, so he would know where it was later. Then they headed for the dining room. Quinn was pleased to make Harry and Wikhn anything they wanted to eat, while Blaise went and raided the buffet of preserved food that Quinn kept stocked up for the Gheyos and Royal guards.
Wikhn nodded to that food. “I could eat from there.”
Harry growled when Wikhn tried to put him down onto his own chair. Quinn was clearly chuckling even if he was making no sound. He touched Wikhn’s shoulder. “Just sit down Wikhn. I will make you something fresh that you can eat while Harry is glued to you. Harry, are you still on fish?” Harry purred at the suggestion so Quinn ruffled Harry’s hair and headed for the kitchen.
“Been eating a lot of fish, have you?” Wikhn asked teasingly.
Harry purred some more as he trailed his claws over Wikhn’s bare chest. Since Harry was not in a talking mood, Wikhn turned to Blaise and asked him what Mesmyr had him doing so far. Blaise explained about shadowing Drift, their Jokers, or some of the Gheyos from Lewis’s circle in the mornings and the drills he was assigned to run in the afternoons. It was a good starting point and Wikhn was certain Hadrian could easily assume more responsibility for the Page’s training when he returned.
After they ate, Wikhn brought Harry back to the sitting room and attempted to leave him with his parents. Harry very loudly objected to this and when Wikhn did not heed his warning growls, Harry shifted back to his dragon form and lay on top of Wikhn.
“Oof. Harry? I was just going to speak with Mesmyr for a few minutes.” Harry snarled, then he moved just enough not to squash Wikhn but his head was still firmly planted on Wikhn’s chest. He was not going anywhere, it seemed. “You will have to let me up at some point,” Wikhn scolded, but there was no bite to it because he was petting Harry at the same time.
Harry seemed to not be bothered by Wikhn’s ultimatum and settled down for another nap. Wikhn sighed and ruefully smiled at the others in the room who could not hold back their amusem*nt any longer. The fact of the matter was, he was not going anywhere until Harry chose to let him up.
-----
Nevarah: Guarded Royal Quarters (Previous scene to this was the last part of Chapter 27: The Horcrux Hunt–NSFW)
Raspen was being forced to bite his tongue. It turned out that it was not just Perry’s parents coming to speak with them. Instead, they had been gathered up and taken to a meeting of Crown Royals.
Raspen rolled his eyes as his father ranted about the state of his clothes and his obvious escapades with Perry. Raspen was only interested in one opinion in the room and frankly, the fact that Elowen could not stop snickering and winking at the pair of them was all he was worried about.
Edgar seemed to want more of a reaction out of him and eventually said, “They should not even be here.” He pointed at both Elowen, who was sitting with Calla, and Perry.
“Firstly, he is my Bonded and unless someone is calling for a Crown Royal Seal on the information, I will be sharing it with him anyway. Secondly, Queen Arista and King Guthrie asked him to come.”
Raspen paused to nod in greeting to Alcandor as he entered the room last. “Finally, Father, in compliance with your command Elowen is my Bonded Consort before the Clan and Nevarah herself. She will become my Queen as we transition through the ‘Changing of the Crowns’.”
“Your actions as of late have proved you are too immature for the crown, Raspen. There will be no ‘Changing of the Crowns’ until I see you are worthy.”
“It has already begun. Nevarah gave her blessing at our Bonding Ceremony. Do you intend to defy Nevarah?”
“This just proves you are a naive child. Nevarah does not control these things, the Earth Court does. No one believes that Nevarah rules us anymore.”
“Perhaps that is because you have told them not to believe,” Raspen snapped.
“Can we get on with this?” Alcandor grumbled. “I do not desire to spend the whole of the evening listening to the arguments plaguing your courts. I have enough to handle in my own court.”
The Fire Royals agreed with Alcandor but before they could begin Raspen made a point of beckoning Elowen to his side. He sat her down between him and Perry and glared once more at his father before giving Alcandor his attention because the Merrow King had called this meeting.
“One of my spies was called to a meeting with a Torvak they have been working with. This Torvak has been offering him a higher ranking in the Merrow court in exchange for his assistance with removing my family from the throne. Obviously, my spy has been very keen to cultivate this alliance and has worked at this for a while to learn more about the plan. Today that effort has paid off. The Torvak did not just meet with him but with co-conspirators from every element.” Alcandor held up the memory pearl. “I have the memory of this meeting here, but before I show it, a warning. There was an Earth Dragel murdered during the course of events, in case anyone’s constitution is too delicate.”
None of the Royals moved, so Alcandor and his aide set up the memory to play. When it was finished, Alcandor took the memory back in his hand for safekeeping. “Now, obviously I cannot tell you all how to handle your own courts but I am approaching this with discretion until I can determine how far this threat has spread.”
“I have to agree with that course of action,” Calla murmured and Edgar begrudgingly agreed with her.
Queen Arista waved her hand and Perry tensed beside them. “I appreciate you attempting to warn our court of a conspiracy but like your spy, the two men of the Air Court that were present work for us.”
Dawne was livid. “Mother, how can you just dismiss this? They-”
Arista cut her off sharply. “We shall discuss this later, Dawne.”
The Fire King and Queen were clearly not as dismissive as Queen Arista. They had their heads bent together plotting in fast whispers. Ebony was listening in with a vindictive amusem*nt in her eyes. Edgar said something to Calla and then got up to leave the room.
Calla sighed and then turned to face Alcandor. “Could your spy provide the location of the meeting? We have heard nothing of Lord Westcott’s death. We will have to be discreet about it as you say, but traitor or not, his family deserves the chance to say goodbye.”
“I can ask him the next time I see him,” Alcandor said but he caught Raspen’s eye. Ah, so Alec had been the spy. Raspen could get the information easier than Alcandor could.
Calla thanked Alcandor. Then she kissed Raspen, Elowen and Perry on their foreheads before following Edgar from the room. The other Kings and Queens followed so that only Alcandor and the Princesses remained with them. Raspen stood.
“Well, Dawne has been introduced but Ebony, Alcandor—before you go, I would like you to meet Elowen formally. She is my Bonded consort and future Queen.”
Ebony came over and took Elowen’s hand before kissing her cheek. “I am so pleased to meet you, Elowen. Call me Ebony when we are not in the public eye. I will soon be Charlie’s mentor so I will be seeing you regularly.”
“Thank you, Your—… Ebony.”
As Ebony stepped back, Alcandor came forward and took her hand to kiss her knuckles. “Well met, Dear Lady.”
“Alcandor. So you are aware, she has Bonded to Harry as well.”
“Good. I look forward to seeing more of you then. But for now, I must go. Stay safe, all of you.”
“You as well, Alcandor,” Raspen countered as he watched Alcandor leave. The Merrow King waved over his shoulder. Raspen turned to Elowen. “Alec and Harry are both his cousins by blood so do not be surprised if he drops by the island at random.”
Elowen blinked and then chuckled. “Good to know.”
Dawne and Ebony spoke with Elowen for a few minutes more but Raspen reminded them that Wikhn was newly home and that he and Perry were eager to see him.
-----
Nevarah: Merrow Waters—Volaha Jazira
Wikhn looked up from his conversation with Vaeri when Raspen, Perry, and a woman who could only be Elowen walked through the door. The necromancer from earlier was at her side, acting as a silent sentinel as she finished her conversation with Raspen and Perry. The seriousness of their expressions did not at all match their attire. Raspen and Perry had obviously indulged in a bit of some much-needed stress relief, judging by their state–their shirts and robes were all rumpled and a few of the fasteners were missing. Furthermore, Perry was a bit clingy towards Raspen.
Ethan scowled at them. “Please tell me no one saw you dressed like that.”
Raspen and Perry blushed and Elowen cackled. “Only the Fire Royals, Air Royals, Earth Royals, King Alcandor, Princess Dawne, and Princess Ebony,” she listed.
Ethan rubbed his eyes. Perry blushed but mock whispered to Raspen. “We should probably not tell him that my sister walked in on us and saw you pull your spent co*ck from inside me.”
Elowen blinked and then started to laugh again. Raspen blushed. “Yeah, I was not thinking straight at that moment. I was annoyed she had overridden my command and walked into your office as if it were hers. I did it to make a point you were mine.”
Perry leaned into Raspen, clearly appreciating his reasoning. They both looked for Wikhn and were amused to find him with Harry’s dragon head in his lap. Wikhn smiled at the pair of Royals. “He has finally let me sit up so I can talk to people normally and hug them. After lunch, he laid his head on my chest and would not move.”
Perry and Raspen each took a turn kneeling behind him, so they could hug him. “We have missed you Wikhn.”
“I am sure you have missed the others too.”
Perry tensed and Raspen rumbled to soothe him. “We miss them but Perry is also annoyed with Hadrian. He is not pleased with the way Hadrian denied what Dawne told him about how Harry was being affected by the separation. Clearly, he came to see reason as you are here but…”
Wikhn smiled, a glint of amusem*nt in his pink eyes. “Are you going to kick his arse?”
“I won’t have to. Harry and Theo will do that for me.”
“Theo?”
“Theo is just as wound as I am but he is Gheyic. He will want to fight it out with Hadrian.”
Wikhn hummed. “Theo? Maybe we should arrange a sparring tournament of sorts for when Hadrian gets back. We need to evaluate everyone’s combat skills anyways and it would allow you, Harry, and the other Gheyos to work out the stress you have built up this week.”
Theo’s eyes sparkled with eagerness. “I am game.”
Charlie nodded too. “I am eager to see where I stack up against you natives.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Wikhn turned back and smiled at Perry. “There. Now you have an excuse to take a swipe at Hadrian.” Perry laughed and hugged Wikhn again.
Harry woke up at the sound and snorted warm air at Perry. Perry narrowed his eyes at Harry and teased. “I can hug him too, Brat.” Harry stood up and nudged Perry away from Wikhn with his muzzle. “Oh, you are actually being a Brat.” Perry grinned in amusem*nt as he was edged out of Harry’s perceived territory.
Harry huffed and curled around Wikhn possessively. Wikhn leaned back into Harry’s side. “Yes, yes, I am yours for now. Go back to sleep.”
Harry hummed and tucked his head next to Wikhn’s calves as he let out a huge sigh. Everyone smiled and started to settle around Harry for the night. Harry’s parents were relieved that it was safe enough to leave Harry alone with his Bonded so they went to their quarters hoping to settle Petunia. Dudley wanted no part of that, so he curled up near Riven, who nodded his approval to the young man.
The last discussion any of them had for the night was when Raspen told Theo of his conversation with Hadrian throughout the day and that evening. Theo resigned himself to possibly being woken up again tonight when the Suite returned to Nevarah but he was not going to stay up waiting for it.
