With Ardreth in his right hand, he extended his left to reach up and frame Aquilan’s right cheek. He didn’t touch the Sun King. He kept his hand a few millimeters from that silken skin. He slowly stroked downwards. Aquilan caught his hand and pressed it against his plush lips. Heat flared within Declan’s body. Finley had explained arousal to him plenty of times, but he’d never felt it. But with Aquilan, he now understood.
“Declan, you’re safe,” Aquilan murmured against his palm.
His lips were soft and his breath hot. Declan’s fingers flexed and he curled them against Aquilan’s chin and cheek.
“And so are you,” Declan was able to mumble. “I wasn’t too late.”
A soft huff of laughter. Not mocking. But relieved. “No, Declan. You were not too late. It was my intention to find you, but you found me instead.”
“Just repaying the favor for five years ago,” Declan said, remembering again how Aquilan had suddenly appeared in the distance on a white horse with that same golden sword raised.
The sword was gorgeous. A jeweled hilt. A keen blade. He could tell even without holding it that it was perfectly balanced and fit the Sun King’s hand as if forged for it. It probably had been.
“You owe me nothing,” Aquilan’s voice dipped, suddenly filled with self-loathing. He lifted his head and his eyes were full of pain. “I am the reason that you were in Lightwell in the first place when the Leviathan came. I might be the reason the Leviathan got through at all.”
Declan blinked, but then he remembered what Ashryn had said, The Sun King Ailduin has been reborn. And he will keep you safe. I know it.
Aquilan was the Sun King. He was Ailduin reborn. Ashryn had been taking Declan to him to keep him safe. But they had never made it there. Ashryn had not left this place. He had been left on Earth likely by Vulre if his brief memory of being shoved towards his adopted parents was correct. Only Vulre would have done that. Though he was surprised that the Kindreth Blood Knight had not simply killed him. Ashryn had been dead by that point. It would have been the perfect time to send him into the next life with her. But Vulre hadn’t. Instead he had disguised Declan to look like a human, taken his memories and dumped him with the Wildes.
Only to never return. He likely had no idea what good people the Wildes were. I was lucky. But why didn’t he come back? And what does Aquilan mean that he’s the reason the Leviathan came in the first place?
“My mother was bringing me to you,” Declan protested. “But she… didn’t make it.”
Aquilan studied his face. His lips parted in pain for Declan. “You remember this?”
“Not exactly, no. Vex showed me where she died. He asked if I had done it.”
“Vex?!” Aquilan blinked. “He came to you too? And accused you of murdering your own mother? He–how can he be so cruel and thoughtless and… yet not?”
“He spoke to you as well then?” Declan was not surprised though his father must have made short work of such a meeting with Aquilan considering how little the length of time was since he’d spoken to his father.
“Yes.” Aquilan shook his head. His lips moved against Declan’s palm. “Why do I think he was with the others, too? Showing them things that they did not know, but needed to?”
“You believe he can be in two places at once? Or more?” Declan lifted an eyebrow. But really he wouldn’t have been surprised if Vex could do something just like that.
“Oh, yes, I’ve read about such spells, but I could never imagine splitting my consciousness like that without compromising my judgment or worse,” Aquilan sighed and more of his hot breath gushed between Declan’s fingers.
“So my father couldn’t even give me his undivided attention while he made up his mind whether to kill me or not,” Declan shook his head and let out a soft, slightly bitter laugh. It was worse than he’d thought! Vex really didn’t care a whit about him. He was surprised the Night King hadn’t blasted him the moment his back was turned for all the care he’d shown.
“Kill you?!” Aquilan’s blue eyes flared with anger and alarm.
“My very existence is a threat to the good Night King,” Declan mocked. “He thinks I want his throne and that I’ll be strong enough to take it one day. But I want nothing from him other than for him to leave me alone.”
Declan’s eyes narrowed and sparked with anger. From everything Finley had told him about Kindreth society and all he remembered of his time at the Venomthorn, he would be happy never to deal with another Kindreth again. So the thought of ruling them had as much appeal as digging his eyes out with dull spoons. But Vex was so self-centered he didn’t seem capable of imagining that Declan would want something different than what he did. He gritted his teeth together.
“Yes, he mentioned something about that. He was quite… hurt that you didn’t care about him,” Aquilan said softly. He looked disturbed at the thought of Vex being hurt.
“Hurt?!” Declan snorted. That hardly seemed likely. But then he considered how Vex might have interpreted his decision to turn his back on his royal heritage. “Well, maybe, but he’s like a petulant child who sees an old, forgotten toy of his being played with by someone else and wants it back. Not because he cares about it. He’ll likely break it or simply toss it away. He simply doesn’t want anyone else to have it.”
Declan realized as Aquilan tilted his head to the side and regarded him that he had spoken more about Vex than he had about anyone or anything else to the Sun King. Evidently, his apparent indifference to his father was only skin deep. His hurt feelings were clearly bubbling up. He let out a breath and let the anger go. Mostly.
Vex was infuriating. But he seemed to have decided to let Declan leave and follow his own destiny. There was no nattering voice in his head nor any sense of his father nearby. So wasting anymore time on what he was thinking or wanting beyond that would only lead to bleak ruminations. He had long ago learned that such things drained one’s soul, but did little else.
“Forgive me, King Aquilan. You don’t need to hear my sob story. Just know that I have nothing to do with him or the Kindreth. And I’d like… like to come home. To Earth. To Tyrael. If you’ll have me.”
It wasn’t until that moment that he realized that Aquilan would have to allow him to return to Earth. It was part of the Aravae Empire now and the Kindreth were their old enemies. He was the Night Prince even if he wasn’t claiming the title. Despite what Ashryn had said–that Aquilan would protect him against Vex and all comers–that was asking quite a lot of the Sun King. It was potentially putting him at odds with the Night King and whoever else might come for Declan.
If anyone else figures out who and what I am. But I have no intention of ever allowing that. Rhalyf hides his white hair and red eyes. If the magic that is protecting me fails, he’ll show me how to repair it. Yet I’ll only need to do that if Aquilan allows me to come home…
