The Summoner's Path (D'Vaire, Book 10) Read online

  Dre’Kariston nodded but he didn’t believe there’d ever be a way for Derwin to find any kind of satisfaction. He was summoned irritable and angry, and for the most part he’d remained that way. Derwin lacked any of Dre’Kariston’s personality since he was summoned with his magic so damaged. It made Dre’Kariston wonder how in the world Dra’Kaedan’s familiar, Renny, managed not to kill him. There was little doubt Renny had Dra’Kaedan’s heart; he’d chosen Derwin to be a close friend and spent nearly all his time with him. He did his best every day to try and uplift the spirits of the gloomy Derwin. It made Dre’Kariston love Renny even more for his determination, but he wasn’t going to spend his day debating an issue with no resolution, despite Dra’Kaedan’s optimism. “Okay, let’s get back to the task at hand.”

  “I can’t believe you’re finally willing to scry for your mate.”

  “It’s not the first time I’ve done it.”

  Dra’Kaedan’s eyes widened. “Seriously? You didn’t tell me that.”

  “I always figured if it worked for you, then it could work for me too—but so far, nothing. Maybe if you help, some of your good luck will rub off on me.” From the time they were reunited years before, Dre’Kariston had scryed every couple of months.

  “I don’t know how much good luck I have, but I’m happy to help. Let’s do this.”

  Walking over to one of the bookcases that were built into the wall, Dre’Kariston pulled down a beautiful silver and navy dish Madeline D’Vairedraconis made for him in metal. “What do you think…fill it with real water or use magic?”

  “I’ve had the best luck with actual water rather than summoned.”

  “Okay.” Dre’Kariston strolled over to the attached bathroom. He returned a few moments later to where his brother was standing with his bowl now filled. He set it down on the pale wood of his coffee table and kneeled on the area rug.

  With a grin, Dra’Kaedan followed suit across from him. “This better work. I want you to find your damn mate.”

  “Good. Make sure Fate hears you.”

  “So, here’s the deal. When Latarian and I did this and it led us to D’Vaire, we both pooled our magic. She preferred a mirror over water and of course, she was using my stolen energy, so how much of her actual power was in there I don’t know, but I’m thinking we should throw everything and the kitchen sink at this.”

  Dre’Kariston lifted a dark brow. “I don’t want to wind up passed out like when we did Idris’s Immortalis potion.”

  “Not that much. Shit, we wouldn’t even be able to see Fate’s answer if we did that, but I wouldn’t skimp either.”

  “Okay.”

  Together they placed their hands over the bowl and closed their eyes. “Concentrate solely on your mate, and ask Fate to give you a symbol or sign where to find him. We already know he’s a dragon, so no need to go there.”

  Like Dra’Kaedan, Dre’Kariston was born with a magical dragon form. When Dra’Kaedan met his shifter mate, he’d discovered his little beast was an exact replica of Brogan’s animal.

  “Shoving my power toward her now,” Dre’Kariston said as he followed his brother’s instructions to the letter. He begged Fate for her help, and his power swirled in the air along with his twin’s. Once he’d asked her for a clue to help him find his mate, he lifted his lashes and peered down into the water. At first, nothing happened; then a ripple flowed over the surface. A single word appeared: Ethelindraconis.

  “Fucking hell, it worked!” Dra’Kaedan exclaimed. When Dre’Kariston glanced at him, he smiled widely and jumped to his feet. “This is so awesome. Get up! I want to hug you so hard.”

  With a chuckle, Dre’Kariston stood and Dra’Kaedan squeezed him so tight he was afraid his ribs were going to crack under the strain. His brother gave him a smacking kiss on the cheek, then put a little space between him.

  “Wow,” Dre’Kariston said.

  “We gotta go find your dragon.”

  “Ethelindraconis. I know that name.”

  “Don’t get upset, but we do know that name. It’s not a Council dragon court.”

  Dre’Kariston rifled through the memories of Ethelindraconis in his mind and frowned. “I also remember that when Aeron and Helen were here, they didn’t speak highly of their king.” Aeron and Helen were the leaders of Court Beradraconis, which shared a border with D’Vaire. The land was given to the Coven of Warlocks, but since they had no desire to leave D’Vaire, they transferred it to Aeron and Helen. They were the grandparents of Trystan D’Vaire, making them family, and were lovely people.

  “Doesn’t matter. You aren’t likely going to find out that guy’s your mate.”

  “Let’s hope not. I don’t want to share eternity with an asshat.”

  “You won’t. Asshats wind up with other asshats. Fate matches you up with your perfect complement. You’re awesome, so your mate will be too,” Dra’Kaedan insisted. “This is going to be great—don’t overthink it. Now, let’s go find Aleksander and figure out the best way to track down your other half.”

  “Okay.”

  “And be excited, damn it.”

  Dre’Kariston grinned. “Believe it or not, I am excited. I finally have a clue where my mate is.”

  After pulling him into another tight embrace, Dra’Kaedan released him and headed for the door at a dead run. “Let’s go!”

  Following his twin at a more leisurely pace, Dre’Kariston couldn’t stop smiling. Fate finally decided it was time for him to share his life with the man she’d picked out for him. He was determined to make it a success and hoped whoever was waiting for him was prepared to do the same.

  Chapter 4

  When Dre’Kariston walked into King Aleksander’s office, his twin had already bounded in and plopped down on his mate’s lap. Brogan and his fellow duke Mac were in Aleksander’s office with Dra’Kaedan’s familiar, Renny. In addition to the D’Vaire king, the other “person” in the room was Idris’s little summoned dragon, Roger. As usual, he was nestled on Mac’s shoulder.

  “What’s up, guys?” Aleksander asked.

  “Big news,” Dra’Kaedan responded. “And I mean huge.”

  Brogan ran a hand over Dra’Kaedan’s golden curls. “You going to fill us in?”

  “Nope, I’m going to let Dre’Kariston have the honor.”

  Renny smirked at Dre’Kariston. “Okay, spill it. I can’t stand the suspense.”

  Dre’Kariston returned his smile and took a seat next to the familiar. “We scryed for my mate, and Fate gave us a name.”

  “That’s so fucking awesome!” Renny exclaimed. “Which dragon court are we headed to, so we can bring your mate home?”

  “His mate might have something to say about where he lives,” Brogan replied. “He’s a dark blue dragon. There’s a good possibility he’s a duke and might not want to leave his king.”

  Renny cocked his head to the side. “Too damn bad for him. The Grand Summoner stays here.”

  “We’ll let Dre’Kariston and his other half figure out the details,” Aleksander said. “But it would help to know which court we need to contact.”

  “Unfortunately, it’s not a Council court,” Dre’Kariston revealed. “Fate gave us the name Ethelindraconis.”

  Brogan’s head whipped to Aleksander, and their eyes locked for several tense seconds. It was obvious the best friends were shocked by the name, although Dre’Kariston was surprised by the depth of emotion in their gazes.

  “King Ethelindraconis is basically the guy trying to speak for all the Consilium Veneficus dragons,” Mac said. “My grandparents knew of him and they weren’t fans. Of course, they didn’t have many nice things to say about our rivals in the Consilium. Watching a documentary about how they’re teaching young people Fate doesn’t give everyone mates and their parents are exploiting that by arranging marriages for monetary or political gain didn’t help either.”

  Brogan nodded. “Guess who was on that documentary touting the Consilium’s new mate education guidelines?�
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  “I’m guessing it’s King Ethelindraconis?” Dre’Kariston responded. “So I might be meeting a guy who doesn’t even believe in Fate.”

  “Only if he’s young—the Consilium has only existed for a little over two centuries,” Dra’Kaedan insisted. “No reason to get pessimistic about things. We’ll find him, and it’ll be hard to deny Fate when you feel the pull of your other half.”

  “I don’t want to rain on anyone’s parade, but this isn’t going to be easy. There’s a very real possibility we may not even get the chance to find your mate. King Ethelindraconis hates me and everyone with the name D’Vaire,” Aleksander confided.

  “I certainly don’t want to pry into your past, but I have to ask if he has a reason to hate the D’Vaires. Is there any resolution for whatever happened? I don’t want to interfere, but I’d like to meet my mate.”

  Aleksander blew out a big breath and leaned back in his chair. He turned to Brogan and they exchanged another long look; then he returned his attention to Dre’Kariston. “I can’t begin to explain why King Ethelindraconis hates me.”

  “I can,” Brogan retorted. “He’s a dickwad who hardly likes anyone, and he should’ve treated you better—not that you’d ever complain. And when he realized your dragon was so much more powerful than his, he made it his life’s mission to make sure everyone feared the D’Vaire name.”

  “Are you telling me this is the guy who spent all those centuries telling everyone the D’Vaires were cursed?” Dra’Kaedan demanded.

  “Yes,” Aleksander replied. It saddened Dre’Kariston to know they were going to have to somehow deal with King Ethelindraconis, who’d assured anyone who would listen that the D’Vaires were the worst thing to happen to dragonkind. The past had turned Aleksander into a man who still rarely ventured out in public because he couldn’t disguise his differences. As the world’s only bi-color dragon, Fate made sure no one ever forgot that she’d made him exceptional.

  Like all his kind, his eyes were the color of his beast, but she also turned his hair both black and blue. She’d made him a king by burning a silver circle around his iris, but for reasons unknown, she also gave him a thin one of gold. That color was given to only one other man, and he was the Emperor who oversaw all dragons as well as the Council for the last two centuries.

  “Well, we’ve dealt with asshats before. We’ll figure something out. Do you know this dude personally?” Renny asked. “Or did he just see you once and decide he was going to shun you because you’re a freak?”

  Aleksander peered at Brogan once again. It was Aleksander who’d begun the practice of referring to himself and everyone else in their unique household as a freak. The D’Vaires wore the name with pride, and he made sure each person celebrated the things which made them distinctive.

  “Okay, what’s with the weird-ass looks you two keep giving each other?” Mac asked.

  “King Ethelindraconis is my father,” Aleksander stated. His words sucked all the oxygen out of the room. The occupants, except for Brogan and the little familiar resting on Mac’s shoulder, stared wide-eyed at each other. Dre’Kariston was shocked. The man who’d made it his personal mission to make the D’Vaires miserable and isolated for over six centuries should’ve been the one to protect his child.

  To Dre’Kariston, the idea of having a father who’d do such a thing was insane. His own father had been extraordinary, and Dre’Kariston couldn’t think of any circumstance where T’Eirick would’ve told anyone that he was cursed because he was different.

  “I don’t know what to say besides I’m sorry. You deserved better than to have an asshat for a father,” Dra’Kaedan said.

  “You don’t need to apologize, Squirt, but I appreciate it,” Aleksander replied. “And I can assure you King Boian Ethelindraconis is an asshat, but we aren’t going to let it get in the way of Dre’Kariston finding his mate.” He turned to Dre’Kariston. “My father has stolen enough from the D’Vaires. We aren’t going to sit back and miss out on this opportunity. Fate wants you to locate your other half, and that’s exactly what we’re going to do.”

  “Thanks, Aleksander. I know this can’t be easy for you,” Dre’Kariston managed.

  His king smiled. “I got over my daddy issues several centuries ago. It took me a long time to understand that he hated me because he’s the one lacking. He made me leave because he feared me. It wasn’t my uniqueness but because I was stronger than he was, and he couldn’t handle it. He’s a power-hungry dick. That’s why he stayed in Europe when most dragons came here to North America with the Council. Over there in the Consilium, he can pretend he’s the Emperor and bend people to his will.” Fate chose Emperor Chrysander Draconis to lead all dragons, but the ones who remained with the Consilium pretended as if he did not.

  “So, what exactly are we going to do? When he hears the D’Vaire name, he may not even talk to us,” Brogan said.

  “I think we should contact Alaric. The Sentinel Brotherhood oversees Europe now, and they’ve spent countless hours there spying on the Consilium to protect the Council,” Aleksander replied. Lich Sentinel Alaric Daray was the leader of the most elite assassins in the world, and they’d need his help to travel to Court Ethelin.

  “It’s Saturday night and it’s getting late. Are you going to contact him now?” Mac asked.

  Aleksander shrugged. “If he doesn’t want to talk, he won’t answer, and I’ll leave a message.” The D’Vaire king grabbed his cell phone and tapped on the screen, then lifted the device to his ear. Alaric answered, and Aleksander didn’t go in detail but simply invited him to their home. He ended his call and moments later, Alaric and his mate, Arch Lich Chander Daray, shimmered into the room. The couple were warmly greeted by everyone, and the situation was quickly explained.

  “Unbelievable,” Chander said with a rueful shake of his head. “Hard to believe you were raised by such an asshole. Any clue where he lives?”

  “As far as I know, he’s still on the same land we all grew up on,” Aleksander replied.

  “I want you to meet your mate,” Alaric told Dre’Kariston. “Here’s the plan. The Skeleton Seven and I will go and scout the area to get some idea about Court Ethelin. I’m sure I can get them together to do that tonight or tomorrow. As soon as we’ve had a chance to do that, we’ll travel with you to speak to King Ethelindraconis and see if he’s willing to allow you to meet any navy dragons who live there. We know such a dark hue would stand out, and it’s my understanding that it’s a rarer color. When we go, we can also bring the Coven Lords and however many more sentinels you think are necessary. We can remain invisible so Court Ethelin doesn’t think they’re being invaded.” The Skeleton Seven were the men tasked with assisting the Lich Sentinel in leading their people. Two of them called D’Vaire home—as did the Coven Lords who recently joined the D’Vaire family to protect the Coven of Warlocks.

  “You forgot to add me and the Daemon Lords,” Chander responded.

  Alaric lifted a dark brow. “No, I didn’t. The Consilium Veneficus hates you. You’re staying home, as are the Daemon Lords, since I won’t have my mate going unprotected.”

  “That’s hardly fair,” Chander retorted. “We won’t be running into the wizards who make up most of the Consilium. It’s one dragon court.”

  “You know all I have to do is call the Reverent Knights, and they’ll get Chrys to slap an order on you prohibiting you from coming with us,” Alaric stated. The Lich Sentinel would call Emperor Chrysander Draconis directly if he couldn’t get a hold of the leaders of the fallen knights; Alaric took protecting his mate seriously.

  “I’d feel safer if you stayed here. We’re going to take as few people as possible,” Aleksander told Chander. Dre’Kariston was always a little in awe of Aleksander’s ability to wade in and solve situations. “The Reverent Knights love you—as does your mate, which is why they’d take their complaint to Chrys. We won’t be gone long, and you’re certainly invited to stay here at D’Vaire while we’re in Europe.”
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  Chander folded his arms over his chest. “Skeleton Lord Albrecht is mated to a Venerable Knight. How are you going to hide your little trip to Europe from the Order of the Fallen Knights?”

  “Chand, the Sentinel Brotherhood is tasked with protecting the Council from the Consilium. Fate is sending the Grand Summoner to Court Ethelin to find his mate. I won’t discount her wishes, and I will ensure that no D’Vaire is in danger while we’re there. I’m more than happy to explain this to Venerable Knight Arvandus. He was a sentinel before being resurrected—I’m sure he will understand the need for secrecy,” Alaric argued. He turned to Dre’Kariston. “Let’s plan on going tomorrow. If Chand’s done bitching because he can’t go, I can get home and assemble the Skeleton Seven. Can you please send your four sentinels to our condo, so we can begin our plan of attack?”

  “Of course. Thanks so much, Alaric. I appreciate it,” Dre’Kariston responded.

  “My pleasure. There is no greater gift in life than that of a mate. I’m only complete when I am with Chand, and I wish for everyone to get to experience the kind of deep love which has grown between us.”

  “See? I get mad at him—then he says the sweetest shit,” Chander complained. “Let’s get home and start figuring out how to get Dre’Kariston in the company of his other half.”

  The couple teleported out, and Dra’Kaedan got everyone’s attention with a clap of his hands. “Okay, we’ve got the sentinels. Which D’Vaires are going?”

  Dre’Kariston fired off a text to Skeleton Lord Gavrael D’Vaire to figure out where the hell in their large-ass home he was so they could talk. “Obviously me.”

  “I’m going,” Aleksander informed them. “Brogan will be at my side. Mac, you and Dravyn will hold down the fort. I’m assuming you’ll be joining us, Squirt?”

  Dra’Kaedan nodded. “You better believe it.”

  “I’d like to go,” Renny said.

  “I don’t have a problem with you going. I’d just like to remind everyone—we’ll need to stay together and never stray from the sentinels. I know you three are very powerful sorcerers, but we know anything can happen, so let’s not put ourselves in any unnecessary danger,” Brogan replied. “Dre’Kariston, are you going to invite Derwin to join us?”