After gathering his courage and hoping his blood cooled so his dick would behave, Mac opened the door to King Aleksander’s office. Eight men and one woman rose to their feet as soon as he stepped into the room. Six of the men wore sharp, tailored suits while the other two were dressed in charcoal uniforms with glowing daggers at their sides. The woman was wearing a tailored dress in a pleasant shade of blue. Crowns were scattered across several pieces of furniture, but he had no idea how many of these people bore titles. Fortunately, the D’Vaire king was not only unique in dragon form; he stood out in his human guise as well. His hair was black with blue underneath, and his eyes were the same mix of colors.
Like all dragon kings, he had a ring of silver around his pupils, given to him by Fate. King Aleksander also had one of gold, which was a color once thought to be exclusive to their Emperor. With no idea how else to proceed Mac said, “Your Highness, thank you for allowing me to interview here today.”
“We appreciate you taking the time to visit D’Vaire, Your Grace. Allow me to introduce you to everyone,” King Aleksander replied. “You know Duke Brogan. The short blond is Grand Warlock Dra’Kaedan, and next to him is his twin, Grand Summoner Dre’Kariston. The green dragon at his side is Duke Dravyn. Across the room are our sentinels, Skeleton Lord Gavrael and Skeleton Lord Gedeon. To their right are the Beras—King Aeron and Queen Helen.”
“Grand Warlock, Grand Summoner, Skeleton Lords, Your Highnesses, and Your Graces, it’s an absolute pleasure to meet all of you.”
They all returned similar sentiments; then the small crowd took their seats. King Aleksander waved Mac toward a chair as the Grand Warlock muttered, “Really appreciate you introducing me to everyone as the short blond.”
King Aleksander smirked. “There’s a lot of people in here. I didn’t want Duke Macardle to get confused.”
“Likely story,” the Grand Warlock grumbled.
“Your house is incredible, Your Highness,” Mac offered once he was settled in a chair. He was glad his unruly body had calmed down enough after meeting Idris to focus on the task at hand. Though he had to admit, he really did want to sit and grin like an idiot.
“Should we get started on the interview?” Duke Brogan barked. The dragon shifter was clearly annoyed because he’d found him speaking with Idris and his two friends. Mac hoped it didn’t sink his chances of getting into D’Vaire based on his résumé and not his connection to Idris.
The Grand Warlock raised a brow at Duke Brogan, then patted his thigh. The pair were mates, and obviously the Grand Warlock surmised something was up with his other half. “Your Grace, perhaps you’d like to begin by telling us why you chose to apply?”
“Of course, Grand Warlock. I must admit, the idea was not initially my own. My grandfather suggested it. He knows I’ve always wanted to do what I can to help people, and I have a strong belief in family. D’Vaire, from what I’ve heard, is both of those things wrapped into one. It was, quite simply, an opportunity I couldn’t allow to pass by.”
“Your family all lives at Court Stenet, Your Grace?” Queen Helen asked.
“Yes, Your Highness. I was raised in Court Stenet with my mother and grandparents. When our old king died and a new one arrived, he turned out to be my mother’s mate. They went on to have two children,” Mac replied.
“How would you characterize your relationship with King Stenet, Your Grace?” Grand Summoner Dre’Kariston asked.
“Grand Summoner, although I would’ve liked to establish a closer bond with my mother’s mate, we relate no closer than the traditional relationship between a king and a member of his court.”
“Your Grace, did you not mean a king and his duke?” King Aeron asked.
“No, Your Highness. I don’t function in the same role as I did before the death of our previous king.” The only way Mac could handle the situation was to be as truthful as possible. If they spoke with Alfred, he doubted he’d get a glowing reference. The man could hardly stand Mac.
“Your Grace, I appreciate your sincerity. I spoke with King Alfred this morning,” King Aleksander said. “He described you as adequate. When I pressed him for details, he refused to say more. It left me confused as to the level of involvement you have in your court.”
“Your Highness, King Alfred was understandably upset to meet his mate and find out she had a kid in tow, though I was by no means a youngster he had to raise. I’d already served as a duke for about eight decades.”
“Your Grace, I’m certainly not trying to insult your king or your family, but there’s nothing at all wrong with having a child outside a matebond. My son had a child when he met his mate the second time, and Trystan was immediately accepted,” Queen Helen stated as her lips pursed in disapproval.
“Your Highness, I did wish to get along with him. It didn’t work out that way, but I’m still pleased my mother has her mate.”
“You’re young for a duke, Your Grace,” Duke Brogan observed.
“Brogan, he’s a black dragon,” King Aeron replied. “He was likely given his title the day of his first shift.”
“That’s correct, Your Highness. I was,” Mac said. “I was also lucky enough to have two experienced dukes to train me in all I needed to know. They’re incredible men I still look up to, though I’m no longer allowed to interact with them as I did in the past. I assure you I can be an asset to Court D’Vaire, and I’m intelligent enough to know there’s always more to learn wherever I go.” Mac’s thoughts returned to Idris asking Fate to give him a mate that “wasn’t too stupid.” The thought of Idris had him raising a hand to cover the smile he couldn’t contain.
Before anyone could offer a comment or throw out another question, there was a rap on the door. It swung open and a small blond man with a striking resemblance to the Grand Warlock sauntered in. He was wearing faded jeans, worn sneakers, and a blue-black T-shirt with a logo on the pocket that read, Elven D’Vaire. “Hey,” he said.
“Time for me to go?” the Grand Warlock asked as he rose.
“Nah, take a seat. Chand called.”
The Grand Warlock’s eyebrows drew together in confusion as he lowered himself back to the sofa cushion. “What’s up?”
“Bill was pulled. You’re off the hook—no need to go Council session today,” the blond replied, then turned to Mac. “ ’Sup, I’m Renny.”
“Duke Macardle Stenetdraconis, allow me to introduce Grand Warlock Familiar Renny D’Vaire,” King Aleksander said.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Grand Warlock Familiar.”
“Yeah, just call me Renny. My title’s like a mile long.”
“His Grace didn’t give you leave to drop his title,” the Grand Warlock told Renny.
Renny rolled his navy eyes. “You okay with me calling you Macardle?”
“I’d actually prefer it if you didn’t. Only my grandparents call me that. Please call me Mac.”
“Since we’re friends now, I’ve got a question for you, Mac,” Renny said. “Don’t you think it’s strange these dragons are here for interviews from all over the country, and not one asked to be teleported by the warlocks who live here?”
“I think it’d be pretty presumptuous to expect a Council leader or his family to play taxi,” Mac replied.
“Where are you from, Mac?”
“Maryland.”
“Did you fly all the way here from Maryland, either in dragon form or on a plane?”
“Nope, I used Dérive and was teleported to Arizona by a druid. Then I rented a car and drove the short distance here.”
Renny folded his arms over his chest. “Smart. How often do you shift?”
“Every couple of days. I like to fly.”
“What the best thing about being a dragon?”
“Cross between flying and breathing fire. What’s the best thing about being a warlock familiar?”
“Definitely magic. What do you think is the best thing about D’Vaire?”
Mac could’ve offered him a lengthy list of things which were beginning to appeal to him about Court D’Vaire, but he’d already learned the true treasure of King Aleksander’s domain. “The people.”
“Renny, you might as well take a seat since you’re giving the interview,” the Grand Warlock said. “Which is odd if you ask me, considering you’re the one who opted out of attending the interviews in the first place.”
“Nah, I got shit to do,” Renny replied. “Some asshat keeps filling up our damn inbox with sanctuary applications filled out with nothing but the alphabet.”
“Would you like me to call Arvandus?” Skeleton Lord Gavrael asked.
“No need, already talked to him. Seems the asshat is also filling up the main Order of the Fallen Knights’ sanctuary application inbox with the same shit. They’re trying to hunt the guy down,” Renny answered, then returned his attention to Mac. “Good luck, dude.”
“It was a pleasure meeting you,” Mac offered to the spunky familiar as Renny exited.
“I hope you don’t mind the intrusion, Your Grace,” King Aleksander said. “Everyone here is encouraged to speak their minds and as the Grand Warlock revealed, Renny was asked to be included in these interviews but decided to handle the sanctuary duties instead.”
“I’m delighted to hear about the openness of your court, Your Highness. I’d like to ask, is that same attitude applied to how decisions are made here at D’Vaire, or is it something decided solely by you or by you and your dukes?” Mac asked.
“Not a single decision is made at D’Vaire without a discussion. The entire family meets once a week to go over whatever issues might be on people’s minds or to debate a change someone in the house feels is necessary. My dukes and I encourage each D’Vaire to offer suggestions on how we can make their lives better. Our single most important goal is to enrich and inspire when possible,” King Aleksander replied. Mac was delighted to hear it; he was constantly frustrated by his current circumstances. He had no voice and no way to improve the situation for anyone at Court Stenet.
“Your Highness, may I ask how fast you are planning on allowing D’Vaire to grow?” Mac inquired.
“I wasn’t aware the number of people who live at D’Vaire was public, Your Grace,” Duke Brogan retorted.
“Your Grace, I don’t know how many people live here, but it’s common knowledge that D’Vaire is the smallest court in the Council. My question about size is due to the desire to acquire additional dukes. There are courts out there with hundreds of members, and yet they might only have a trio or handful of dukes.”
“It’s a fair question, Your Grace,” King Aleksander remarked. “I’m afraid the nature of the people who live here as well as the very real threats we face have forced us to have what might be considered excessive somewhere else. As you can see from just the people in this room, we have Council leaders, which is unique among dragon courts. The Emperor’s court is the only one that can boast the same. I can’t get into the nature of the challenges in our lives, but you can likely deduce that with outcasts, there’d be detractors.”
Mac thought of the jerk across the hall who’d referred to D’Vaire as being full of misfits while sitting under King Aleksander’s roof. “I understand perfectly, Your Highness.”
“Do you have any further questions for us, Your Grace?” King Aleksander asked.
“I do not, Your Highness.”
King Aleksander rose and offered his hand, which Mac stood to shake. “Thank you for your time today, Your Grace. After we conduct all the interviews, we’re going to relay our thoughts to the entire D’Vaire family on Monday night. If we feel you’re a suitable candidate, we’ll call for a vote. Only a unanimous decision will allow me to offer you the position.”
“Your Highness, thanks again for allowing me to interview with all of you today. It’s been not only a delight but an absolute honor.”
“If you’d like to stick around, lunch will be provided shortly, Your Grace,” King Aleksander invited. It was an offer Mac had no intention of refusing, as it gave him the perfect opportunity to stay and hope he could somehow locate Idris to exchange numbers. Otherwise, he was going to have to wait until after the D’Vaires had their meeting to find out if he got the job he now desperately wanted or was denied it.
Either way, if he didn’t find the wizard before he left D’Vaire, he was going to reveal to King Aleksander about his connection to Idris and make sure he got his number that way. One thing was for sure, Mac’s heart was already gone, and he was going to make sure he did what he could to make Idris his partner for life.