Making the entire palace sing with his deep love and solemn joy.
CHAPTER 32 – VICTORY
Pouring through King Markus Ambrose’s effects in the wake of his death, Layla and Adrian pawed through ledgers, journals, and lists in a massive library wing off the Sun Temple back at the Crystal Plateau. It had been two weeks since Markus’ demise, and in that time, they had returned to Egypt. Because of the Crystal Palace’s devastation during Markus and Dusk’s battle, practically the entire court and all their belongings had been moved to Egypt – new clan members of Dusk’s now helping the transplants from Prague settle in.
There were over three hundred people residing at the Crystal Plateau now, and with such a wealth of Crystal Dragon power, the Plateau was being rebuilt. Under the intensely knowledgeable supervision of Trevor, and with significant assistance from Norbu and his Tibetan clan plus all the Egyptian Royals from Prague, the city was shaping up fast as the crystallized bones of the Egyptian dead were used to re-cast temples, repair domiciles, and smooth plazas. The Tunisian dead had been resonance-identified by their clan and sent home by air freighter, to be re-cast in their homeland. Adrian’s Desert Dragon clan and the local West Nile Djinn had been called in to assist re-growing the hanging gardens by wind-planting seeds and trimming vines run riot with controlled burns.
Gradually, the city was coming back to life.
It was striking, the change taking place to the Plateau in such a short time. And the change within the Lineage was no less striking, Dusk busy dawn to midnight figuring out people’s powers and finding a good place for them as the Lineage was restructured. Because it was Dusk’s homeland, the Royal Court had been moved to Egypt, though the Czech Crystal Dragons had opted to remain in Prague to repair the damaged palace and re-establish sovereignty over their clan. Votes on Dusk’s Kingship had been trickling in over the past two weeks from Crystal clans all over the world. The final tally had come in just yesterday, and Dusk had been approved by his clans in a landslide vote.
It was official; he was now the next Crystal Dragon King.
And yet, as Layla heard Dusk growl and plunk a leather-bound ledger down on a broad opal reading-table in the massive library of the Sun Temple, bright morning shining beyond the crystal windows and citrine columns, Dusk raked a hand through his perfectly coiffed hair just like he always had. Casual today in dark jeans and a white v-neck shirt, Dusk pawed through ledgers with his bare feet thrown casually up on an opal stool nearby. Today was the first day he’d not been needed supervising the Plateau’s re-build, so he, Adrian, and Layla had decided to finally sort through Markus’ financial ledgers to get the Lineage’s assets in order.
Though it was turning out to be a nightmarish tangle.
Wearing an off-white cotton maxi dress and strappy leather sandals, Layla was as casual as Dusk today, while Adrian was classically chic in a grey pinstriped vest and trousers with a pocket watch on a chain in his vest. With his sleeves rolled up, Layla could see an ornate cuff of turquoise and rose quartz on Adrian’s left wrist, twisted through with complex golden sigils. The Adeyemi sisters had made it for Adrian, to continue healing his heart from events at the Crystal Palace. And though that battle had been hard, this one was almost harder as Dusk gestured at the ledger before him, rolling his eyes with a vicious scoff. Understanding his frustration as they poured through similar ledgers on the other side of the table, Adrian and Layla glanced up.
“What a mess!” Dusk growled irately. “God, did Markus know anything about balancing his accounts? He was practically bankrupt, burning money right and left on his palace, ostentatious living, and more bad investments than you could shake a stick at! I mean, he invested billions into Betamax, Crystal Pepsi, and DeLoreans, for God’s sake! It’s going to take ages to sell off enough gemstones to make this shit balance.”
“Good thing you have a head for organization.” Adrian glanced at Dusk with a renegade smile. “And a brother who can help you out in the business and finances department.”
“Well, at least we know why Markus wanted to raid the Egyptian and Tunisian clans for their wealth,” Dusk snorted sourly, crossing his arms over his chest. “He was red-tape broke. And he was too proud to sell off any of his palace to compensate for his failure.”
“He loved power.” Layla spoke, pouring through a different ledger that confirmed Dusk’s observation, that all of King Markus’ accounts had been heavily in the red for centuries. “He could have re-cast the bones of his dead beneath the palace and sold them to finance his dealings, but he wanted to keep their souls trapped for his own use.”
“Still.” Dusk grumped, though it was with a cheeky grin now. “That’s oodles of shit I have to clean up now. Maybe I should just sell his whole fucking palace. Adrian? You buying?”
“Not a chance.” Adrian chuckled, grinning just like Dusk. “That palace in Prague is way too fussy for my style. You could dredge up the bones in that oubliette and re-cast them though, sell them, I guess. That much gemstone would put all of Markus’ accounts solidly back in the green, probably for generations.”
“I’m seriously considering it.” Dusk spoke again, thoughtful. “Their souls have moved on, so the dead wouldn’t mind now. If the Czech Crystal Dragons weren’t so fiercely protective of the palace, which is a heritage site for them, I’d sell the whole damn thing. Most of the Royals have been more than happy to pack up and move here to the Crystal Plateau. They have such bad memories of the Czech Palace that they don’t want to go back there, ever. All Markus’ concubines and children are here now with my mother Sky and her children – apparently Markus was even a dick to his younglings, manipulating their energies so they did everything he said like perfect little automatons. Talk about an ego.”
Layla was about to respond, when the new cell phone Adrian had bought her a few days ago suddenly rang. Rising, she moved to one of the high windows between the ornate citrine columns, gazing out over a view to the east as she answered. “Hello?”
“Layla, it’s Reginald.” Her Royal Siren spoke briskly but smoothly, his oceanic power easing all around Layla as she saw him in her mind’s eye. Dressed in an elegant suit of light grey with a pearl-white pocket square and his Siren’s jewelry, Reginald was sitting in the high halls of Château de Chambord this morning, the clan-home of the Storm Dragons of Europe. “How is everything sorting out today at the Crystal Plateau?”
“Good.” Layla smiled, something about Reginald’s smooth, arrogant voice relieving her as always. “Dusk’s Ascension ceremony is scheduled for three days from now, here at the Sun Temple. We’re going through Markus’ financial papers today. Apparently, he was broke.”
“Figures.” Reginald snorted, a viciously pleased smile curling his full lips as his gaze sparkled gold-grey in the spring sunlight. “Anyway, I’m still at Chambord with Rhennic. We’ve finally gotten the Storm Dragons and Sirens to stand down from the shit-rage they were about to unleash on Prague when Rhennic and I’s contingents were opposed. Word has spread that Dusk is ascending the Crystal Throne, and there have been quite a few celebrations. In any case, I think you’ll find an enormous amount of people showing up for his Ascension ceremony. I quite think the Paris Hotel will be emptied for the week; Quindici may have to shut everything down for a short while.”
But Layla could feel Reginald smiling through their Bind. Even though he was far away in France, she could feel his energy luminous like sunlight on the ocean. It filled Layla’s heart with joy to hear how much everyone cared about Dusk. And she knew that in the coming years he would have all the connections he needed to bring peace to his people.
Dusk had been cultivating connections for decades, and he was good at it.
“I miss you.” Layla spoke into the phone. “Are you coming to Egypt for the ceremony?”
“Alas, no.” Reginald sobered, his tone soft. “My clan requires my presence right now. Once I leave Chambord tomorrow, I go straight back to the North Sea, to Deep Harbor. I miss you, too. And I wish deeply that I could be there for you, Dusk, and Adrian as history turns.”
Layla felt his sincerity, which was big for Reginald. Normally, he was a curt dick to Adrian and had even contended heavily with Dusk on numerous occasions. But now, Layla’s heart swelled as she felt his sincerity. Reginald knew that what was good for Dusk was good for them all – everyone sharing in Dusk’s emotions and power now through the Bind.
“Layla, a moment.” Reginald spoke, and in her mind’s eye, Layla saw him turn. “Rhennic wishes to speak with you.”
Layla saw her Royal Storm Dragon step in, his beautiful lavender eyes and strong Viking features beaming as he took the phone from the Siren. “Layla! Hold a space for me in Egypt. I’m flying out tomorrow after Reginald leaves, but I’ll be there for Dusk’s Ascension.”
“Can you give Reginald a little kick for me, because he won’t be?” Layla grinned, loving the ebullient laughter she could hear in Rhennic’s elegant, rich voice.
“Absolutely.” He grinned into the phone, his lavender eyes flashing like a sun-filled day. Dressed in a pinstriped navy vest and slacks with a white shirt and a gold pocket watch, he was elegantly casual in his sexy Viking way. “I would love to have a walk with you in Egypt, if you have time. I’ll be at the Plateau an entire week. Hopefully, you can squeeze me into your busy schedule?”
