Heart of the High King (D'Vaire, Book 19) Read online

  Copyright © 2020 Jessamyn Kingley

  All Rights Reserved.

  This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Editing: Flat Earth Editing

  Cover Design: 2020 © L.J. Anderson, Mayhem Cover Creations

  This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite eBook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  For Rose and Cecilia, thank you. Your courage inspires me every day. I love you. I miss you.

  Contents

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Part 1

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Part 2

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Part 3

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Chapter 46

  Chapter 47

  Chapter 48

  Chapter 49

  Chapter 50

  Part 4

  Chapter 51

  Chapter 52

  Chapter 53

  Chapter 54

  Chapter 55

  Chapter 56

  Chapter 57

  Chapter 58

  Chapter 59

  Chapter 60

  Chapter 61

  Chapter 62

  Chapter 63

  Part 5

  Chapter 64

  Chapter 65

  Chapter 66

  Chapter 67

  Chapter 68

  Chapter 69

  Chapter 70

  Chapter 71

  Chapter 72

  Chapter 73

  Chapter 74

  Chapter 75

  Sorcery D’Vaire

  Council of Sorcery and Shifters Advisory Panel

  About the Author

  Also by Jessamyn Kingley

  Part 1

  REVELATION

  Chapter 1

  1288 AD

  Draconis Court of Kestle

  “Make sure your belly’s full, Rafe,” Molly tutted as he stood. She was overseeing the morning meal as she did every day, but this one was special. Prince Rafferty Kestledraconis was a drakeling who would be a dragon before nightfall.

  “I’ve eaten plenty,” Rafferty assured her with a smile. Although Molly was a servant and barely sixteen years older than Rafferty, King Charlton Kestledraconis had given her the keys to the larder long ago. She ruled the household with purpose, kindness, and wisdom far above her age. Charlton was often dismissive of women but never Molly, and Rafferty unabashedly adored her.

  Her grin was dimpled and lit up her gray eyes. “You look fair handsome today.”

  “You needn’t shower me with compliments to boost my confidence. I am most eager to be a dragon.”

  “You are not the only eager one,” Duke Sullivan Kestledraconis stated, getting to his feet. “Father has never put together such a grand feast, and you are the only one who is old enough to shift.”

  “Surely your day was just as grand,” Molly responded. “His Highness’s firstborn? Come now, Your Grace. You should allow your brother to enjoy all this fussing.”

  “I just hope you gain enough confidence to finally bed a woman,” Sullivan told Rafferty, ignoring Molly as he so often did. Rafferty had tried more than once to speak to him of the way he scorned her. However, arguing with Sullivan gave him nothing but pain in his head. A strong dark-brown dragon, his half brother was mulish and had a penchant for teasing Rafferty that he’d long ago stopped taking offense at, for it was impossible to get him to stop. None of their personality conflicts had kept them from growing close, and Rafferty considered him his only confidante. However, he did not wish to speak of relations with women.

  “What I have done or not is only of my concern, and it is not proper to speak of such things in front of Molly,” Rafferty asserted.

  “She is not but a servant, and I am fair worried your manhood will shrink and wither away do you not use it soon.”

  “Sullivan, she is still a lady, and you should treat her with respect.”

  His brother rolled his eyes. “You are quite touchy today, Rafferty. Your fear over your dragon is making you quarrelsome. Father’s already outside, checking on preparations. I shall join him. Do not tarry in coming out; I wish to get this nonsense under way so I can get my belly full of drink and find a woman to bed.”

  Rafferty chose not to respond as Sullivan sauntered out. “You must not take insult at Sullivan’s words. He does not mean to be hurtful; he is just not always good with people.”

  “I have known that boy longer than you’ve been alive, Rafe. You need not worry about me and my feelings. Now, let’s focus on you, shall we? You’re feeling brave? I do not wish to have to assist your father in lighting your pyre today.”

  “I will not let either of you down by failing at my task. I am anxious only to know what color I might be. I dread disappointing Father by not being dark enough.”

  Slinging her arm through his, she walked with him toward the castle door. “Do not fret. Your father will be proud of you no matter what color you find yourself to be, and so will I.”

  “Thank you, Molly. I would not wish to displease you either.”

  “Dear Rafe, you could not. Not today or any other day. Go on, love, your father’s waiting for you.”

  Smiling at Molly, Rafferty left her side to join his father, who was standing in a circle of rocks. “The entire court is gathered,” King Charlton crowed. “And it’s a fine sunny day. Are you ready, Son?”

  “Yes, Your Highness. I am most prepared.”

  “Young Rafferty, you’ve been dedicated to your dragon training since you were practically a babe. Do you feel the beast deep inside you awaiting its release?” Charlton asked loudly, so his voice would carry.

  “Your Highness, Court Kestle and its leaders have most prepared me for this auspicious day. I have felt my beast inside since I was first told that someday I would be a dragon. I am ready to free him,” Rafferty replied. Stripping off his clothes as they would not survive his shift, Rafe stood as his father stepped out of the stones.

  Closing his eyes, he failed to curb the heat rising to his cheeks as he thought upon all the people witness to his nakedness. Already tease
d because he refused to allow servants to aid in his baths, his brother would make note of the red on his face. The last thing Sullivan needed was fuel for his ribbing, but it could not be helped. Rafferty simply wasn’t like the others. Knowing it would not help to dwell on such thoughts, Rafferty concentrated on counting his breaths to still his mind.

  Imagining soaring in the wind, a smile formed when a ripple of sensation floated over his skin. Bones elongated and his muscles grew to accommodate his enlarging frame. The blades of his shoulders tingled as his wings formed, and the flutter of them filled him with immense pride. There was no pain, only a sense of becoming more and an almost enticing feel of handing control of himself to the strong entity inside. Rafferty could not say how much time had passed, but when it was completed, he was immensely pleased to be a shifter.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, do not be alarmed,” Charlton yelled out, to Rafferty’s surprise and confusion. At first, he failed to understand his father’s words, but the murmurs and gasps soon reached his ears. “Perhaps it is best if you have a quick flight, Rafferty.”

  Lifting his lids, Rafferty glanced down and with the sharper vision of his beast spied scales darker than night. Somehow, he’d transformed into a black dragon, and with no others in his court that deep in tone, he was now the strongest. Unsure how to feel about that, Rafferty carefully took two steps forward, ensuring that both he and his dragon were ready to fly as a team. Should they not, the result might very well be death.

  “Go on, Rafferty, we do not have all of the day to spend out here waiting for you to make a spectacle of yourself,” Sullivan drawled.

  In no mood for Sullivan’s teasing, Rafferty ignored him. A calming wave settled over him, and he found the strength to flap his wings. While he kept low to the ground to preserve his safety, Rafferty did manage a perfect circle above the crowd, which was mostly stunned into silence. Black dragons were a rarity, and while he should be filled with pride, Rafferty was filled with unease as he landed softly.

  “Shift back,” Charlton coaxed.

  Rafferty did as he was told and it was a rather simple process to return to a smaller body. With alacrity, he snatched up his clothing and dragged them on while his brother chuckled.

  “Molly, take the boy into the castle,” Charlton ordered as she hustled to him.

  “He is a boy no longer, Charlton, and you would do well to remember that. He’s a dragon of immense strength.”

  “Woman, I have no time to argue. Do you not hear the distress of the crowd? Though you often forget I’m their king, I must assure them all is well. It would do better with Rafferty inside.”

  Once again, Molly looped their arms together and patted him. “Come along Rafe, let your father tell the crowd how proud he is to have a black dragon for a son. You’ll be a duke by supper.”

  “King Charlton gets to decide who gets titles,” Sullivan drawled.

  “Do not take that tone with me, Your Grace. Rafe is the darkest dragon in this court, and everyone with sense in their head knows that black ones always get titles.”

  “Your Highness, why do you always allow this servant to speak to me this way?” Sullivan demanded.

  “Mind your manners, Sully. She takes care of the household. Molly’s no ordinary girl. Now please take Rafferty inside and, for Fate’s sake, plait his hair. You know those wild curls drive me out of my mind. Most unmanly,” Charlton ordered.

  Still befuddled by his shift and what it meant, Rafferty said nothing as he and Molly ventured inside the castle.

  “Do not fret about your father or anything else. You are going to look mighty fine in a coronet, Rafe, and why he’s always carrying on about your hair I’ll never understand, but sit you down. I’ll put it back in its plait,” Molly said, pushing her stunning ringlets off her shoulder.

  Rafferty chose the closest bench and allowed her to put his curls into a braid. Although he’d taken care of it himself that morning, shifting had loosened the thick mass. Was the black of his dragon going to be yet another one of those things that annoyed his father? Already he had Rafferty’s unruly locks and his height to fuss about—although most dragons towered over the massive fireplace in the great hall, Rafferty barely reached the mantel.

  “I never thought to be darker than His Highness,” Rafferty said quietly.

  “It is hardly your fault that Fate chose it for you, and I will not listen to you take on any guilt.”

  Rafferty nodded as he got to his feet once she’d finished taming his tresses.

  “Go on then, give me a smile,” Molly ordered.

  Because she was impossible to resist, and he’d always wished she’d been his mother instead of the random servant who’d died giving birth to him, Rafferty obeyed her demand. “Yes, ma’am.”

  The doors burst open, and Charlton and Sullivan strode in. “Leave us if you would, Molly. I wish to speak to my son.”

  “I need to speak with Cook anyway; we must be ready for the feast,” she responded as she bustled out of the great hall.

  “I thought a black dragon to be a good thing, Your Highness.”

  “Make no mistake, Rafferty, it is an honor to be given such a beast, but you must understand how uncomfortable it makes the inhabitants of the court. You a black dragon while the king himself is brown? Most odd.”

  “The people do not wish to see His Highness overshadowed,” Sullivan added. “They do not like seeing a dragon who might be considered by some fools stronger than our king.”

  “I did not mean to overshadow you, Your Highness. I had never thought to even be a black dragon,” Rafferty said and wished he’d never been one at all. His beast gave a disgruntled huff in his head, but the damn thing was already ruining his life.

  “I think it would be best if we made attempts to keep everyone happy,” Charlton remarked. “I believe your shifts should take place at night, so your color cannot be discerned.”

  “And there is no need to do it regularly. There is no advantage to releasing your dragon that often.”

  “That is not what my dragon trainer told me,” Rafferty argued to his brother. “There are a great many benefits.”

  “Which you will still get, but you need not put yourself above the entire court. You must find the discipline to space them out as much as possible. I daresay you’ll build up a tolerance and will only need to do it a single time when the moon is full.”

  There was a disgusted roar in Rafferty’s head, but there was no way he was going to displease his family. “I can do that, Your Highness.”

  “I must still make you a duke, but you need not try to lord over your brother. He is and will always be the first duke, you understand, boy?”

  “Of course, Your Highness. I would never think myself above Sullivan.”

  His brother slapped his shoulder. “Good. Now, shall we go back outdoors and enjoy this day-long celebration? Perhaps find a woman willing to bed you?”

  “I will choose my bed partners.”

  “Leave off annoying your brother today, Sullivan. As long as he dares not choose a man, he is free to make his own decisions.”

  Sullivan’s face was a picture of disgust. “Rafferty would not dare, or I would run him through.”

  “I do not wish to bed a man,” Rafferty stated emphatically. The truth was, he had no wish to bed anyone. Although he’d admired the beauty of a woman’s face or even the strong plane of a man’s jaw, there was no desire to slake his lust. His lack of interest made no sense—barely a day passed without Rafferty touching himself, but he simply did not wish it was with anyone else. It was a secret he was not bold enough to let get out as it was most important to Charlton that he and his sons displayed great vigor, but Rafferty set it aside. Nothing about it would be fixed, and he had the new problem of his dragon. Rafferty would have to work hard to be a proper duke to atone for his oddities.

  Chapter 2

  1369 AD

  Draconis Court of Ethelin

  Standing at the cliffs, Prince Aleksander Ethelin
draconis let the chilly wind rip through his hair as the crowd around him swelled. Having patiently waited one hundred and two years to shift into his dragon form, it was finally time. The cousins he’d been told not to speak to at the age of seven were next to him—Noirin was shivering while her brother, Dravyn, stared at the ground. Aleksander took a step toward her to try and share his body heat. With a smile, Noirin shuffled even closer. The entire Ethelindraconis court was gathered to witness the auspicious event while twelve drakelings stood nervously awaiting their fate. There were supposed to be thirteen, but Brogan had yet to make an appearance. Aleksander idly wondered if he’d awoken yet.

  Although he considered setting out to find him, his father would not be pleased if he left to track down his wayward best friend. King Boian Ethelindraconis was often less than delighted with his only son, and Aleksander did not want to fight with his sire. Before Aleksander could ruminate over his strained relationship, he spied Brogan moving in the direction of their small group at a fast pace.

  Brogan offered Aleksander a cheerful smile as he reached his side, not the slightest bit embarrassed to be late. They did not get the chance to speak as King Boian got the attention of the crowd to start the ceremony that would change their lives. Within a few minutes, the group of people would be wearing dragon scales or they would be dead. Dragons were fierce animals, and not every shifter survived the process of accepting their beast.

  As if his possible demise was not enough of a worry, Aleksander hoped his scales would be of a dark color, for he wished to please his father. Aleksander’s sire was a deep sable brown chosen by Fate with silver rings around his pupils, and he bowed only to the emperors who ruled over every dragon. While Aleksander cared not a whit for power, his father would find fault with him if he were light. King Boian already accused Aleksander of being weak; anything less than a black dragon would only encourage his thinking in that regard.

  While his mind had been wandering, the first drakeling had taken her place in the ceremonial circle and was attempting her shift. Within moments the young, chestnut-haired woman was replaced by a brilliant blue dragon. She spread her great wings, flew gracefully above the cheering crowd, and landed close to where King Boian and his dukes stood. After she returned to her human form, the next young woman entered the circle.