“I’m sure you’re anxious to spend time with Idris as well as learn the layout of the house and land, but we wanted to get you up to speed on the things you need to know to properly protect D’Vaire and its people,” Alexander said as he lowered his long body onto a dark blue sofa. Mac took a seat as did Brogan, Dravyn, and the four sentinels who served Aleksander. Roger remained perched on his shoulder, and Mac hoped Idris didn’t think he was stealing his familiar.
“I’m guessing from this meeting, you have more than standard security issues,” Mac observed.
“We do,” Brogan confirmed. “Bear with us. We’re going to have to give you a rather lengthy story. Bridger, you want to start?”
“Of course. It began over six hundred years ago. Are you familiar with Carvallius of Mallent?” the sentinel asked.
“Yes, I learned about him when I was young. He’s the dark warlock who betrayed his own people and nearly exterminated them.”
“Correct,” Bridger responded. “To accomplish his plan, he needed to get the twin sons of the former rulers of the warlocks out of the way. With the help of my former necromancer, he facilitated the abduction of Dra’Kaedan. I was the one who knocked him out. Then Carvallius used dark magic to essentially turn him into the familiar of his granddaughter, Latarian.”
“A few weeks later, he sent the pair to an enchanted cottage,” Brogan explained. “With them safely tucked away where they couldn’t be found, he tricked the Cwylld into attacking the warlocks. Once the war was underway, he used the necklace he’d stolen from Dra’Kaedan’s neck to find his twin brother. When he located Dre’Kariston, he confronted him. He was no match for Dre’Kariston. Carvallius died at his hand, but it was too late to save the warlocks. The Cwylld hunted down everyone they could find. As far as we know, only three remain and they all live here with their familiars.”
“Fast forward six-hundred-plus years,” Aleksander said. “Dra’Kaedan convinces Latarian to scry to ask Fate to send them somewhere else safe, so they could figure out where to locate Carvallius. They’d languished at the cottage with no idea how the world had changed. Instead, Fate sends the pair here. Brogan and Dra’Kaedan meet and eventually fall in love. After their matebond, Dra’Kaedan fell ill and—for all intents and purposes—died. Dre’Kariston had shown up at D’Vaire by then—in disguise. When he lost his brother, he revealed his true identity. Latarian was supposed to face her crimes, but she escaped. Dra’Kaedan’s deceased parents used their magic to push their oldest son back to this side of the veil, so he could be reunited with Brogan.”
“Why was Dre’Kariston in disguise?” Mac asked.
“Carvallius had carved spells into Dra’Kaedan’s back, transforming him into Latarian’s familiar. He had no clue he was the Grand Warlock. With his brother missing and the Cwylld hunting down all the warlocks, it was necessary for Dre’Kariston to remain hidden to save his life. As for Latarian, she went to Europe and stumbled upon a teenage boy who was wickedly powerful but had no idea how to use his magic,” Gedeon disclosed. “Latarian manipulated him into participating in a plan to kidnap one of the warlocks or their familiars, so she could repeat the spells her grandfather had once used. Together, they stole the Cwylld rocks which neutralize power and acquired Talfryn in a trade. Then they came to Arizona and kidnapped Renny. I found them with Renny before they teleported out, and I wound up going with them to the home the kid grew up in.”
“We tracked them down to save Renny and Geddy, who wound up trapped there alongside the familiar. Before we could get out of there, Latarian managed to stab Dra’Kaedan in the heart. I used my own dagger to kill her. The young man who was her accomplice then saved Dra’Kaedan’s life,” Gavrael stated.
“The Arch Lich decided what the boy needed more than anything was to be trained to use his magic, and he was sent to the most prestigious wizard school on the planet,” Aleksander said. “He also came here, and we found him to be an irresistible kid with a heart of pure gold. In two short years, he graduated. Today, he’s known as Arcanist Idris Vioric-D’Vaire.”
Mac’s eyebrows rose in astonishment. He had no idea Idris had led such a complicated life. The information they’d imparted was lining up in his head, and he was doing some basic math. The Grand Warlock’s return to the Council was major news, but it was only about five years ago…if his memory served him correctly. “How old is Idris?”
“He just celebrated his twenty-first birthday,” Aleksander replied.
“I’m flummoxed. Idris just told me Delaney’s the same age. How is it possible for them to be so close to High Arcanist at their age?” Mac asked.
Aleksander’s smile was broad. “Because they’re extremely intelligent and driven young men. We’re very proud of them.”
“I’m in awe. I can understand that. Tell me why I couldn’t learn all this from Idris? What do two dead people have to do with D’Vaire now?”
“Because former Arch Lich Sigimund Roth resurrected them,” Hadley responded.
“Why the fuck would anyone resurrect two criminals?”
Aleksander shrugged as his mouth flattened into an angry, thin line. “Your guess is as good as mine. We don’t know anything about why they were brought to this side of the veil.”
“What we do know is that Latarian, Carvallius, and his father were temporarily resurrected. His father, Le’Terrius, has already crossed back over the veil and is no longer of any concern. He was unable to give us any insight into Sigimund’s plans,” Gavrael stated.
“The former elder Hubert murdered Sigimund and the other three former elders are missing, so they can’t tell us anything. We discovered the former warlocks were brought to the home of Jael Giles. He’s the son of the late Arch Wizard Egidius,” Gedeon explained. “Carvallius and Latarian were put in stasis, which has slowed their slide back to the veil.”
“Egidius. That’s Consilium Veneficus,” Mac said.
“Yes, and we put up surveillance on the entombed bodies of Carvallius and Latarian. A few months ago, they disappeared. In a blink of an eye, they were gone. Sentinels have been all over the globe. We cannot find them or the former elders. We believe they are on a magical realm but have no way of searching to find out if we are correct,” Gavrael responded.
“So, we have two former sorcerers who have a particular interest in Dra’Kaedan and Dre’Kariston as well as Idris, potentially.”
“The Consilium was also incensed when they found out the heir of the supposedly once prominent Vioric name was now part of the Council. We were able to keep Idris’s name out of the press because he was a minor at the time and once he arrived at the sanctuary, all his records were permanently sealed,” Aleksander commented. “Idris and Delaney are now poised to join the Spectra Wizardry as part of the leadership. There’s going to be a press blitz, which will begin when they get closer to their highest rank. No one’s going to ask them to delay this. They’ve worked too damn hard to get where they are, but it’s going to open Idris to potential danger.”
“Which brings us to you,” Brogan said. “Since you’re Idris’s mate, it only seems reasonable that you’d be the duke in charge of keeping him and Delaney safe as they fulfill their fates as Council leadership. Duff isn’t a wizard, but he’s usually with his two closest friends, so I’d like to include him in the men you’re specifically chosen to protect. He’s a bit younger at seventeen and has recently started taking college courses.”
“I’d be happy and honored to take up the task of protecting all three of them, as well as everyone else here at D’Vaire.”
“Good, then you understand what we expect of you. They are very sheltered here at D’Vaire. Part of it is the nature of our isolation in terms of geography, but it’s also their choice. They see parties, bars, and other things that men of their age enjoy as frivolous,” Brogan replied. “One thing D’Vaire has given them is self-assurance, which means arguing that nothing about experiencing life is trivial goes in one ear and out the other.”
“With a duke dedicated to the three of them, they could get out and be with other young people,” Aleksander said.
“I’m not opposed to taking them to a bar or club.”
“I still say good luck getting any of them to go,” Gedeon threw in.
“I’m greedy. I want everyone here to get a chance at everything,” Brogan commented. “We might not convince them to get a social life outside of D’Vaire, but at least now there’s no barrier to it happening.”
“So, this might be a question better addressed to Idris, but I’m sitting here wondering how his family allowed him to go get hooked up with Latarian.”
“One of the things all three of our youngest D’Vaires have in common is that they’re orphans. Idris doesn’t know who his parents were or are. He was raised by his grandfather, who passed away not long before he met Latarian. Idris was living in a crumbling old house by himself,” Aleksander replied. “I’m going to let Idris fill you in on his life with his grandfather, so you can draw your own conclusions. I’ll admit, I’m rather biased about it.”
Mac’s heart broke over the young boy left without anyone to care for him. He might not have a great mom, and he had no idea who his father was, but he had his grandparents. There was no way for him to understand why no one planned a future for Idris, leaving a young boy all alone and perfect prey for someone like this Latarian. “Tell me about the house. How safe is everybody here?”
“D’Vaire’s the safest place on the planet. Dra’Kaedan, Dre’Kariston, Delaney, and Idris have cast an impenetrable magical bubble which encases Court D’Vaire and our neighbors Court Bera,” Brogan explained. “You can fly through it to spread your wings if you like, and the land on the other side of the Beras is owned by Harley Griffinis. We can use his sky, and the griffins are welcome to ours.”
“You should also know about our visitors. We have a number of frequent or regular guests at our home. You met Trystan. His parents are the Reverent Knights, which is how we’re related to the Beras. They’re here all the time. The Arch Lich and the Lich Sentinel consider this their second home. When they come, they bring their family, which includes the Lich Reaper, five of the Skeleton Seven, the Daemon Lords, and one of the Venerable Knights. Prism Wizard Vadimas Porfyra comes and goes on a consistent basis. And finally, the Emperor travels to D’Vaire when his schedule allows,” Aleksander revealed.
Mac was awestruck by the number of Council leaders who made repeated trips to D’Vaire. “I have to say I’m impressed. I haven’t met any of them, and I wouldn’t mind being introduced to the Emperor.”
“You’ll like Chrysander and his brothers,” Aleksander predicted. “I was pretty awed myself when he started making trips down here. It still means a great deal to me.”
“Under this roof, we know the family’s safe—so it’s when we leave D’Vaire land that we need to be extra vigilant,” Mac surmised, then turned to the sentinels. “I’ve read the Sentinel Brotherhood is training the fallen knights. Would you be willing to train a dragon?”
Gedeon grinned. “We already do. Brogan and Dravyn have begun working with daggers, and Scheredin’s familiar, Brexton, is practically a sentinel himself. If you want to learn, we’d be happy to teach you. Madeline can make you weapons. She’s got a basic D’Vaire design she can customize for you.”
“Perfect. I look forward to learning. Then I get to brag that I’ve been taught by two Skeleton Lords and the Coven Lords.”
“Now do you understand why we have so many people tasked with security?” Brogan asked.
“I get it. In fact, I’m wondering if we’ve got enough.”
“I would’ve liked another duke, but we didn’t get any other valuable candidates,” Brogan confessed.
The jerk from the day he interviewed came to the forefront of Mac’s mind. “Did King and Queen Bera hire anyone?”
“They didn’t. Did you meet someone interviewing for them you thought could be good?” Brogan asked.
“No, the only candidate I spoke with was for Bera, but he referred to D’Vaire as being full of misfits.”
Aleksander’s look was bland. “We happen to like being freaks.”
“If being a freak means being a D’Vaire, sign me up.”
“You’ll do,” Aleksander replied. “One last thing before I let you get a tour from Idris. You’ve already learned how incredibly special he is. He had to grow up fast and because of his power, he’s got a lot of responsibility on his shoulders. Despite what life has tossed in his path, he’s managed to retain trust in the world around him. He has faith in people. I’d like him to keep that as he ascends to assist his Council leader.”
“Is that a super fancy way of telling me to be nice to him?”
“Yes.”
“You have my word. I’ll do my best to be a good and supportive mate.”
“Good, because I’m your king and I can make you do nothing but clean toilets.”
Mac laughed. “Wouldn’t be the first time I had a toilet brush in my hand.”
“I’ll let Noir know—she’s responsible for keeping the common spaces clean.”
“I didn’t say I wanted to clean toilets.”
“Too late,” Brogan declared as he stood. “You all heard him volunteer.”
Mac followed the group out the door. “I’m going to have to be on my toes around here,” he grumbled.
“No worries, Mac. I like to be fair. If one of my dukes is scrubbing toilets when he doesn’t want to, then all of them are,” Aleksander said.
“Then Brogan’s full of shit, and Noir gets to decide how the toilets get cleaned,” Dravyn rushed out.
“I must have misheard,” Brogan stated quickly. “I don’t want to clean for Noir. The woman’s a tyrant, and she’s incredibly picky about everything.”
“Why do you think she runs the house?” Aleksander asked. “Mac, go find your mate and give him back his dragon.”
Roger made a grumbly noise and wiggled a little on Mac’s shoulder, then relaxed again. Clearly, he wasn’t going anywhere. “I’ll go find Idris, but I’m pretty sure Roger’s going to have the final say on where he naps.”
“Like all D’Vaires, he’s pretty damn sure of himself. Idris might have to cast the summoning spell he hates if he wants Roger again,” Aleksander replied. “I’m sure Idris is waiting for you in the living room.”
“I’ll go find him, thanks.”