Spearing the Dragon

TWENTY

The ship docked in the Dokkalfar attack vessel's hangar bay, a ramp sliding down to the floor. Lieutenant Commander Farmiga strode from the shuttle, followed by Lieutenant Ragnar, with Commander Brandt coming down last. His subordinate led the way as though she'd been on such a vessel before, but he had no doubt her husband had given her schematics of the ship's layout and she'd dedicated it to memory.
Chancellor Loridian slipped from a corridor down the hall they hadn't approached, giving the illusion he'd walked through a solid wall, but William wouldn't put anything past these people. Even from a distance, the elf seemed about ten years older, a feat considering his immortality. He'd lost some of the calculation in his eyes, though he still gave the impression he saw everything at once.
Farmiga gave him a cursory glance as she approached him first. Ragnar looked around the ship, as usual too distracted for William's taste, but Farmiga and Neith swore on her abilities on a stack of bibles, so he took their word for it. The chancellor's gaze fell on William, ignoring the others, as it had been when he was on the Freyja.
"Come with me," he said in a hollow version of the voice he'd used before. When all three began walking toward him, the Dokkalfr cast a dark look at the women. "Only him." He turned swiftly on his heel, his long legs carrying him down the corridor as though caring little if he followed.

William followed him inside a medical bay of shorts, a circular room with supplies, with private rooms lining the walls. The chancellor walked up to the only lit room, stopping a few feet from the observation window. William stopped beside him, blinking at the female in the bed.
"Is that...the enforcer?"
"My mate. She carries my child." William frowned. "There are time differentials between systems, of course," he said smoothly, those cold blue eyes looking at him. William nodded.
"What happened?"
"We were attacked," the chancellor said in his calm, deep voice, returning his gaze to his sleeping mate. "A small force led by her brother, another enforcer. This is the second attack since occupying this space. The first time, we managed to eradicate the threat before they could do much damage, aside from the capture of my other mate. If she hadn't trained him, all of us might have died this time.
"It wasn't without consequences, however. Her brother threw a knife in her back. She survived because of him, but she's going to need some time to recover."
"And the baby?"
The chancellor looked at him with his icy blue eyes and he had difficulty believing him father material, but he supposed he didn't have a leg to stand on there.
"The child survived, thank the gods," the Dokkalfr said in a softer voice that surprised him, looking back at her.
"Your people are strong."
"My mate Alvaen is strong," he countered him immediately, again surprising William. "He wouldn't let her give up. I owe her life and the life of our child to him."
"Is he one of the elves that accompanied you to the Freyja?"
The chancellor looked at him, perhaps with curiosity, but William found him difficult to read.
"Yes. He is our chief negotiator on the Black Council." William heard the pride in his deep voice and he found it a little charming in such a formidable individual.
"And the other elf? Was he yours as well?"
Those icy blue eyes regarded him with strength that might have made another man look away, but he'd grown up in the icy wastelands of Greenland. Few things intimidated him. The chancellor grunted, perhaps in amusement, he couldn't tell, returning his gaze to his sleeping mate.
"Alvaen has put a cap on the number of mates I'm allowed."
William smiled. That told him more about the elf than anything he'd said so far.
"How long have you been together?"
"Just since we've been here," the chancellor said in a soft, nearly wistful tone. "I am a slow learner. Come."
William followed him from the medical bay, strangely touched he had wanted to show him his mate and told him such personal information. He would not have expected it of so-called "dark" elves.

William followed him inside a mostly dark chamber, about the size of the bridge on the Freyja, a portion illuminated by the large viewscreen giving an image of the stars outside the vessel, and light from an alien sun. His eyes were immediately drawn to the individual standing in front of three chairs, his stance very different from the innocuous elf who'd been aboard the Freyja. He now took up space, holding his hands in front of him, his direct gaze on William the moment he entered. In truth, he was more intimidating than the chancellor, but he admired an individual who could give that effect.
They approached him and one look into his dark eyes, he could easily imagine him being the mate of a chancellor. He saw the strength the chancellor had spoken of, the dominance of their people muted, but still present. William saw a prospective enemy in those eyes, if he didn't watch himself. The chancellor walked up to him, the elf's harsh features only softening a hair at his approach. The chancellor rested a hand on his back, near his neck.
"You remember the commander of the Freyja."
Those eyes studied him for a moment, the intensity of them mellowing for distance.
"For not liking surprises, you certainly don't mind offering them."
William looked at him curiously since he hadn't been present when he'd said that to the chancellor upon Lady Belzarac's arrival, not lost on the fondness in the chancellor's eyes. William gave him a steady look.
"It's been over a month. We grew concerned over our allies." He didn't bother putting warmth into his tone, and received none in those watchful, dark eyes. The elf, smaller than the chancellor by about three inches took a seat first, and the chancellor followed suit, William noticing the arrangement with the eyes of a hawk. He took the only available seat, turning to look at them since the chairs were placed just so where they could have direct eye contact.
"A situation has arisen that prevents us from returning to the Scorpii sector as quickly as we would have liked," Councilor Alvaen began, William looking from him to the chancellor before returning his eyes to the one who would obviously be in charge of this conversation. He waited rather than prompting him. "While our mate recovers, we must address the attacks that have come against us," he went on in a calm, controlled voice. "Until the matter is taken care of, no army will be provided for the war effort."
"I see," William replied calmly. "May I ask what task lies before you?"
"The matter is—"
"Needing all the assistance we can come by," the chancellor interrupted him, earning a sharp look from the councilor, but he didn't refute him. William looked at the chancellor with direct gaze, silent request for more information. The chancellor folded his hands in his lap. "The leader of our military forces needs to be eliminated."
"He is the one responsible for the attacks?"
"My chancellor believes so, yes," Alvaen replied, William not lost on the fact he didn't sound convinced.
"Once that is finished, Terynzia will replace him as General, and nothing will stop us from joining your fight against the Ljosalfar and Jotunheim."
"The one that's lying in a bed?" William asked sharply.
"She will recover quickly," Alvaen said in a similar tone.
"And if she doesn't? She's also quite pregnant."
The councilor straightened in his seat.
"Dokkalfr females are extremely capable—"
The chancellor laid a hand on his mate's shoulder and Alvaen silenced, obviously regaining his stoicism.
"Even if she Mulans her way through the conflict, the fact of the matter is that she is still unconscious." The elves obviously would not get his reference to the literary character Fa Mulan who rode into battle with a baby on her back, but they seemed to understand the gist of his comment. "The enemy could show up at any moment—"
The chancellor held up a hand.
"We understand the eminence of your need, Commander, as this fight affects us all. However, it will take time for us to handle the General, and in that time, she will have healed."
"Are you asking for my help?" William asked in a warning tone, but he was mostly curious. The councilor gave his mate a sharp look, but the chancellor appeared in perfect control despite his next words.
"Your skill set would prove beneficial."
William's gaze turned calculating.
"How do you know of my skill set?"
Those mysterious elven eyes only met his gaze, and he almost smiled. Neith would enjoy this.
"My satyr friend has informed me of your accolades, Commander," he said after a few moments, William raising an eyebrow. He surmised Lillevenn must have learned whatever he'd told the chancellor from Neith. He leaned back in the chair, giving him a calculating look.
"I am not in the habit of joining goodwill missions," he said flatly, Alvaen looking at the chancellor, evidently in agreement. It was obvious he had plenty to say, but held his tongue in front of a Midgardian. The balance of power between the two intrigued him, and impressed him. Few humans were capable of sharing effectively. A bit of sadistic mischief filled the chancellor's eyes.
"We have little goodwill in mind, I assure you."
William gave a brief, sardonic smile.
"Be that as it may, you are asking me to leave my ship to go off with you to parts unknown, to further your agenda rather than seeing to my own."
"With the time differential, it would hardly be a blip for your people," came surprisingly from the councilor, earning his chancellor's fond gaze for backing him up when he disagreed.
"And come now, Commander, we all know you have a chain of command for when the captain is off the ship," Loridian went on smoothly. He crossed his ankles, the perfect power in his eyes like a fly trap. "You scratch our back and we'll scratch yours, isn't that the Midgardian saying?"
William gave him a dark look.
"I dislike the feeling of being emotionally blackmailed, Chancellor."
Loridian spread his hands.
"Look at it as an agreement of mutual benefit. We would love to contribute to the war effort, but before we can, we need to free up our forces. You could help us do that."
William gave him a resigned look, knowing what Neith would counsel him to do. He folded his hands at his belly.
"I would need an outlined plan of your expectations and timeline for completion of the mission."
"You'll have it within the hour," Alvaen said without hesitation. They rose at once, and it was the first time William felt fucked without the satisfaction. He stood as well, turning to swiftly leave the room.

As soon as the door slid closed, Alvaen rounded on his beloved.
"What in the ever living fuck was that?"
Loridian chuckled. "You backed me up—"
"Because that's my job, why did you put me in that position?"
Loridian gave him a fond look. "As my councilor or my darkling?"
Alvaen narrowed his eyes at him.
"Why would you ask for their help?"
"You said we couldn't do it on our own—"
"Yes, because I wanted you to drop this insane idea! I didn't think you'd bring in the Midgardians, and how do you know you can trust him?" Loridian put his hands on his shoulders and Alvaen shrugged them off, his chancellor's eyes heating at his fussiness. "Don't look at me like that right now. Answer my question."
Loridian gave him a sultry, approving gaze.
"We can trust his self-interest."
"Why of all races—"
"Humans like helping."
"Not that one." Loridian smiled mischievously and Alvaen huffed. His chancellor tilted his head.
"Did you like him?" Alvaen rolled his eyes, looking away from him. "I wouldn't mind if you did—"
Alvaen held up a finger. "I said no."
Loridian chuckled. "Too bad. I bet that one rides hard."
Alvaen grunted a laugh. "That is literally all you think about."
Loridian's eyes flashed seductively.
"In certain company."
Alvaen couldn't help the smile in his eyes.
"You just think you're so charming, don't you?"
"I must be, to get a ring on your finger."
The smile softened in Alvaen's eyes.
"No charm needed, only consciousness." Loridian chuckled, grabbing his hips, the warning look returning to his darkling's eyes. "We're not finished with business—"
"We are when you start flirting with me."
Loridian brought him roughly against him, and Alvaen looked up at him with tolerant eyes, fondness around the edges.
"You've always been a master with negotiations, now more than ever."
The tolerance was quickly replaced by warmth.
"Thanks to Terynzia." He looked down before Loridian lifted his chin.
"She will be fine and back to her terrorizing ways soon enough."
Alvaen nodded, still subdued.
"Just seeing her with a knife in her back..."
Loridian's gaze softened. "You hardly seemed emotionally affected by it at the time, other than the killing," he added with a smile.
"That's how I show my care, don't you know that by now?" Loridian laughed and Alvaen rolled his eyes. "You know what I mean."
Loridian gave his forehead a soft kiss and Alvaen didn't push him away. He wrapped his arms around his fierce darkling, and surprisingly, he rested his head on his shoulder. Loridian smoothed his hair at his neck.
"We're kind of amazing together, aren't we?" he asked after a moment. Alvaen tightened his arms around him.
"We always have been."
The words filled Loridian's heart to capacity, as this incredible elf always managed to do.