Mac walked into the house and, not finding anyone in the kitchen, headed for the living room. “Hey, Grandma. How are you?” he asked as soon as he got to her chair and dropped a kiss on the thin, papery skin of her cheek.
“I’m doing just fine, Macardle. Are you here for lunch?”
“I wouldn’t miss a meal with my favorite two people, now would I? Is Grandpa outside?”
Her chair rocked as she worked the knitting needles in her hands. In his youth, she’d still created masterpieces, but arthritis robbed her of her dexterity. The more than three thousand years Bretta Stenetdraconis had lived showed in the lines on her face and her painful joints, but her smile was as bright as ever. “Out there watching his birds, as usual.”
“I’m going to go say hello before I make us some sandwiches and soup.”
“You don’t need to take time out of your busy day to fuss over us, you know?”
“First, you know King Alfred doesn’t let me do much of anything. And second, I happen to enjoy being here,” Mac told her. “Is loving you and Grandpa a crime now, Ms. Stenetdraconis?”
“Don’t you sass me, young man.”
He kissed her again, then headed to the back door of the small house. “I’m over two hundred years old—not exactly young anymore.”
“You’ll always be a baby to me, Macardle.”
“You hear that sound, Grandma? That’s my manhood whittling away to nothing.”
She let out a loud cackle. “Coming in here and talking about your manhood to an old woman. Go on with you.”
“I’ll be back in a few. Don’t you dare go into that kitchen.”
“You keep ordering me around, and I’m going to take you right over my knee.”
Mac grinned. “I had no idea you were so kinky.”
“Take that dirty mind of yours outside.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Doing as he was told, Mac strolled out onto the small deck attached to the quaint house. As expected, his grandfather was sitting in his favorite chair, watching the trees. He claimed to spend his mornings bird watching, but Mac knew it was more about seeing the dragons flying overhead. The doctors considered shifting at his age too dangerous. It was impossible for Mac to believe he didn’t miss it.
“Well, look who it is,” his grandfather said. “Duke Macardle Stenetdraconis, gracing us with his presence.”
“I’m literally here every day,” Mac replied as he dropped down into the chair that was always waiting for him.
“I know…you need a life.”
“I happen to like my life.”
Lloyd Stenetdraconis lifted one bushy brow. “What’s to like about it?”
“Well, as you mentioned, I happen to a be a duke, which means I’m a powerful dragon. I have amazing grandparents that I love and—”
“And a king who doesn’t respect you.”
“King Alfred would’ve preferred to choose his own dukes instead of being saddled with me when he was chosen by Fate to rule over Court Stenet.”
“King Alfred would’ve preferred you were never born.”
Mac ran a hand over the bottom of his face. “Can you blame him for the way he feels? My mother’s his mate, and I’m obviously not his kid.”
“She was eight hundred years old when she had you. It’s not like she didn’t wait around for her mate to show up before she decided to have a child,” Lloyd replied. “And no matter how you came to be, it’s not your fault—so he shouldn’t be taking it out on you. You’re the only black dragon in this court. That makes you the most powerful, even if he’s the one with the silver ring in his eyes Fate gave him. You shouldn’t be denied your rightful role in this Court.”
“I do have my rightful role. I’m a duke.”
“Dukes have duties. All you do all day is fuss over two old people and hope your mother pulls her head out of her ass, so you can have a relationship with her again.”
This was the problem with having grandparents, Mac decided. They refused to pull punches and didn’t really care if you’d gone over the same topic a million times. His grandfather wasn’t going to let him back into the house to make lunch until he said whatever was on his mind. “I have a relationship with her.”
“Moina treats you like a distant stranger. That’s not how a mother should treat her son. Does she treat your half siblings that way?”
Mac rolled his eyes. “You know I barely know Carter or Bryony.”
“Then why are you sitting there trying to convince me you have a real relationship with your mother?”
“She’s gotten better.”
His grandfather pinned him with a hard look. “Don’t you go getting delusional on me. In the past two decades, she hasn’t stood up to that jerk Fate stuck her with when it comes to her firstborn son.”
“He’s our king. You probably shouldn’t call him a jerk.”
“If Fate didn’t want me to call him a jerk, then she shouldn’t have made him one.”
“Grandpa—”
“No, don’t you start with me. You deserve better than this.”
“You’ve obviously got something on your mind. Tell me where this is all leading.”
“I was on that computer you bought me, and I saw a new ad for a court looking for a duke.”
“We’ve been over this. I’m not going to leave you and Grandma. There’s no guarantee life would be any better somewhere else. I’m not treated poorly or underpaid. I have a nice house and plenty of time to pursue my own interests. It’s not like I’m being tortured or anything else sinister.”
“You don’t want to leave us because all your life, you’ve been focused on family. It’s commendable, Macardle, but we aren’t going to be around forever. You know that. We’ve got a couple of years at best. Then what? You’ll be stuck here in this cold hell with no one. You deserve better, and this ad wasn’t for just any court.”
“I don’t want to think about you and Grandma not being around.”
“I know it, but I can’t pass to the other side of the veil without knowing you’re happy. There’s no joy for you here, and your mate’s somewhere out there looking for you too.”
Mac’s brows drew together. “Well, if switching to another court is going to make you ready to die, I’m sure as hell not going anywhere.”
“Macardle, I’m going to die whether you leave or not. It’s an inescapable truth. Now, do you want me to die happy or pissed because you’re an idiot?”
“Fine, tell me about the stupid court looking for a duke.”
“Nice attitude from a royal duke.”
“Would you please tell me about the esteemed king who needs my help?”
Lloyd’s smile was smug. “Draconis Court of D’Vaire.”
“The sanctuary court?” Mac relaxed in his chair as he mulled over his grandfather’s announcement. D’Vaire was, by all accounts, a small court whose top priority was handpicking candidates to join their sanctuary, which specialized in outcasts. The most unusual aspect of the place was that it was the only multi-racial haven within the Council of Sorcery and Shifters. Although anyone could apply, he’d heard the process to get accepted was a rigorous one.
Because sanctuary records were sealed, Mac had no idea how many people belonged. D’Vaire’s application was as unique as everything else about it—their king was the only bicolor dragon and had been ostracized for centuries before the Grand Warlock joined D’Vaire. Since then, D’Vaire’s influence within the Council had increased exponentially. It was widely known that even the Emperor, who ruled over both the dragons and the Council, spoke highly of the court and its king.
“Yes, they’re holding interviews in conjunction with their neighbors, Court Beradraconis. You can apply to both if you like.”
“Beradraconis? Aren’t King and Queen Bera the parents of the Reverent Knights?” Mac asked. The Reverent Knights ruled over the resurrected race, the Order of the Fallen Knights. Drystan and Conley Gylde-Kempe were once dragon shifters and had served as emperors before being murdered. Arch Lich Chander Daray brought them back to life and put Drystan in charge of law and order in 1367—before reuniting him with his mate a few years ago.
“Yes, you interested?”
“D’Vaire and Bera are in Arizona.”
“So? You going to complain about the heat next?”
“That’s over two thousand miles away from Maryland.”
“Not only can you fly, but there’s also a druid company called Dérive. They use magic to transport people all over.”
“I know that, Grandpa. I’ve used them plenty of times to get around.”
“Then why are you bitching about the distance between Arizona and Maryland?”
“If I were going to leave, I’d prefer it be someplace closer.”
“No, you’re just looking for excuses.”
“When did you get so cranky?” Mac asked.
“I was born this way.”
“How does Grandma put up with you?”
“You know how sex works, even if you do it with men instead of women.”
“Anyway, D’Vaire, huh?”
“Look who’s suddenly interested.”
“I’d be interested in eating shit if it meant avoiding talking about your sex life.”
Lloyd offered him an unrepentant grin. “D’Vaire would be good for you. You can fill out the application on the computer. I’ll warn you, though—it’s a long one. In addition to a normal questionnaire that relates to your potential new job, they require you to use their sanctuary application.”
“So, they want to poke into my life?”
“You got some skeletons in your closet I don’t know about?”
“Of course not. I just find it intrusive that they want to know everything about me.”
“This is a good opportunity, Macardle. They help people. You wouldn’t just be at the beck and call of a king. You’d be helping to make a difference.”
“I’ll admit, I’m intrigued by the idea of doing something valuable like working at a sanctuary.”
“Their application says they want people who desire being part of a family. That’s what they are. The entire court lives in a single house. Meals are shared, and they will only consider candidates who want their lifestyle. I couldn’t find a better place on this planet for you if I tried. Your grandmother and I could cross the veil knowing you were cared for.”
“What if I got there, and I didn’t mesh well with their family?”
“Then you come home to Maryland, but you damn well better go into this with an open mind. Don’t you leave there and come tell me it didn’t work out because you were stuck on staying here to take care of two old people. You deserve better than that, and I’m going to make sure you get it.”
“Don’t make my life sound shitty.”
“It’s empty, Macardle.”
“And you think filling out a job application is going to change that?”
“I think you getting to be the duke Fate intended you to be at a place that’s dedicated to helping others is going to give you fulfillment, and my hope is you’ll meet your mate as well.”
“Absolutely no guarantee of the second part.”
“I’m an old man. I can wish for whatever I want.”
Mac pulled himself out of his chair. “I’m going to go make some lunch. Then I’ll spend my afternoon filling out the application for D’Vaire. I’m not going to interview for both courts. The only kind of place I’d leave you and Grandma for is a sanctuary like D’Vaire. I do want to help people, and I’d like to be able to aid my king as much as I can. I know my hands are tied here and I’d hoped that it would get better, but it’s been two decades. I don’t want you to get upset if I don’t even get an interview, though. They’re probably very choosy, and I lack an extensive résumé—and we both know Alfred isn’t going to do shit to help me, even if I would be out of his face.”
“Sounds like a fair deal to me.”
“Good. You want your bread toasted or what?”
“Did we just meet yesterday? Of course I want my bread toasted.”
Mac laughed as he headed back into the house. He supposed it was a good thing his afternoon was free since his grandfather wasn’t going to let him hear the end of it if he didn’t complete the application as soon as possible. As much as Mac hated the idea of leaving his grandparents, D’Vaire was a tempting proposition. He wasn’t foolish enough to set his hopes too high, though. There had to be hundreds of dukes ready to pack their bags; he would be lucky to even get the chance for an interview. Deciding it couldn’t hurt to ask Fate for a little help, he sent out a wish and put his future in her hands.