Heart of the High King (D'Vaire, Book 19) Page 5

  “You can have mine back if you want. I don’t leave home much,” Rafferty offered.

  “That tender heart of yours is going to be your downfall someday, Paunchy. The emperors gave me an order, and I can’t refute it. This Council is driving me mad.”

  “I still can’t believe Kendrick took the first opportunity to fill out a sanctuary application,” Sullivan stated. “I was doing my best to be kind to him.”

  “Imagine going to the dragon court Ethelin called cursed. The man calls himself a High King. What the devil is that?” Charlton asked.

  “The emperors consider his court part of the royal family. D’Vaire is powerful and well-connected to many Council leaders,” Rafferty explained. His mission since his arrival was to read every book allowed in the house. If he was going to live somewhere, he wanted to know as much as he could about it, and it had finally given him a path to dull his pain. Although he would always love Molly, she’d been too wonderful a woman to want him to torment himself. For the past few months since Kendrick had left, Rafferty had worked hard to heal and had learned to accept that there was no way he’d ever get his questions surrounding her answered while his family tried their best to adjust to their new life.

  “I don’t want to know these politics; they’re too complicated,” Charlton complained.

  “It’s my job to learn everything. Just ask me questions, Your Highness.”

  “Then why are you just now telling me how powerful D’Vaire is?”

  Rafferty shrugged. “Because it doesn’t really matter. Kendrick’s there now, and he doesn’t talk to me. I don’t even think he got my new number before he left. We’re not really connected to D’Vaire.”

  “You should’ve worked harder to be his friend, Paunchy. I have his number. We text every couple of days or so,” Sullivan said. “He’s met his mate and is very happy.”

  Both Charlton and Rafferty wore matching looks of shock. “His mate?” Charlton demanded. “What is with you boys lately? I should always be kept informed of things, and instead I learn my sons—my own flesh and blood—are keeping secrets.”

  “In this case, I thought to spare your feelings. The ceremony is today, and he doesn’t want any of us there.”

  “We’re his damn family,” Charlton exploded. “All he’s got left in the world with his mother passing on and he doesn’t want us to be there when he ties himself for eternity to his mate?”

  “He told me he considers the D’Vaires his family,” Sullivan supplied. “Court Kestle is his past.”

  “Is this because the twins have gotten into trouble? Because I told those two to knock off their shenanigans. Only a couple of months here and I’ve already got the fallen knights breathing down my neck. I don’t like these strict rules keeping us from living the way we want, but I also can’t afford to keep paying their fines for those speeding tickets. Not to mention those restaurant bills those idiots think it’s funny to run out on. Do you know I got another dragon asking me to transfer out this morning?” Charlton asked, his voice forlorn. “I’m losing control around here, and now my youngest child considers me an embarrassment.”

  “It’s the Consilium Veneficus’s fault that we find ourselves in this situation.”

  “Don’t forget the roles Kings Ethelin and Varius have played in it, Sully,” Rafferty added. “They stopped doing business with us, and we had no money.”

  “We’re not going to have it for much longer if Nollan and Neil keep it up.”

  Charlton appeared pained. “I can’t discipline my children. They just want to do what they want. A few minor infractions never hurt anyone, but tell that to these fallen knights.”

  “What we need is powerful friends to help us gain some standing in the Council,” Sullivan said. “Paunchy, who is at the top of the list?”

  “Besides D’Vaire?”

  “You mean, he’s number one?” Charlton asked.

  “Essentially. It starts with the emperors, and D’Vaire is a royal extension of their court. His is full of Council leaders, and that’s not counting the ones who consider themselves allies,” Rafferty explained.

  “Well then, Sullivan, you keep up your talks with Kendrick, and see if you and Paunchy can get yourselves invited to D’Vaire. Let’s make allies with the best, and he’ll connect us to whomever else we might need.”

  “Why would I go?” Rafferty asked. “I’ve never left the house, and Kendrick doesn’t like me.”

  “You’re the one who knows about D’Vaire and when I give an order, I expect you to do what I tell you without back talk.”

  “Yes, Your Highness,” Rafferty murmured, though he was not happy about this development. The last thing he wanted to do is have to awkwardly try and make allies. That was Sullivan’s specialty, not his, but so often in his life, he’d have to be at his side to provide details. While Sullivan might have the charm, he never did his homework or really anything that constituted reading if he could manage it, which meant little money went in that direction. That had forced Rafferty into being his conduit of what scant information he could scrounge up, starting from when he was a child and first found an interest in books—and centuries later, he still wasn’t happy about it.

  ∞∞∞

  Aleksander couldn’t contain his smile as his family quieted for the mating ceremony that was about to start. Each one was special, and it was without a doubt the best thing about overseeing the group of crazies that called D’Vaire home. However, certain people made his heart swell with the knowledge that they were finally happy, and it was Aleksander’s last chance to officiate for one of the original six D’Vaires. The only other one in that core group was Aleksander himself, and since that was probably never going to happen, and should Fate surprise him, he couldn’t very well preside at his own.

  “Let’s start,” Noirin enthused, her eyes filled with excitement and love for the man opposite her. They were both standing under the Arizona sun in matching cloaks crafted by Larissa. Kendrick’s gray scales were a perfect backdrop for flowers done in Noirin’s unique violet dragonskin in the memorial garden where they’d recently added a tree with blooms the color of bright steel to represent Molly Kestledraconis.

  “Ladies and gentlemen of the entire extended D’Vaire family, we had no idea that when Grand Warlock Dra’Kaedan and Blodwen came up with the idea for a sanctuary, it would bring so many of our mates to our doorstep. It is a lovely side benefit to the idea of Dra’Kaedan’s Coven, and today we have a couple that has flourished since Seneschal Duke-mate Kendrick D’Vairedraconis walked into our magical dome,” Aleksander said.

  “Although it is our High King that has so gloriously handled many of these ceremonies, including mine, I was asked once again to assist as Seneschal Duke-mate Kendrick wanted to acknowledge our sanctuary, knowing that without it he might have had to wait longer to meet Seneschal Duchess Noirin. As the first dragon to gain entry through our application process, he has asked that many of the other people who were vital to our success take part today,” Dra’Kaedan said. “It speaks to the wonderful character of Kendrick, and we are proud that he had the courage to fill out the application. From the moment he arrived, he has dedicated himself to Noirin, and together they’ve reignited his passion for cooking. It would be remiss of me not to mention that he gained his great skill and talent initially from his mother, Molly, who I am sure is just past the veil, watching us. I know I made sure and sent her every mental invitation I could.”

  “We have all been moved by the great affection that is obvious between this pair as they’ve tempted our palates with plates of food that make us wish we had the appetite of the Grand Warlock. As a child, Noirin was sent to the kitchens and while King Ethelin intended cruelty, she instead found a fervor for what she could create. She was one of five dragons who left behind Ethelin with no guarantees, and from that moment she became the backbone of D’Vaire. I denied her a title due to my ignorance, but she earned it a million times over, and she finally got what was owed to her,�
� Aleksander stated.

  “Most couples do not have the ability to put their love on a plate, but Noirin and Kendrick do it daily to feed a horde of D’Vaires. It is a joy to watch them gather ingredients as they brainstorm together, growing closer with each meal. From the moment Kendrick walked through the door, he and Noirin have delighted us with the caring that has flourished between them, and today we will use every custom of D’Vaire to unite them for eternity,” Dra’Kaedan remarked.

  “In the tradition of D’Vaire and elven ceremonies, His Majesty, Emperor Ellery Draconis, and the first elf to join D’Vaire, Chieftain-mate Talfryn Acwellan-D’Vaire, will offer floral wreaths designed by Killian the Dwyer and Drindyr Duke Dravyn D’Vairedraconis,” Aleksander said.

  Noirin and Kendrick were beaming as they bent down so the slightly shorter elves could place the violet and gray lilies on their heads. Once they’d embraced both men, Aleksander spoke again. “Lady and gentleman, please raise your left hands.”

  The gardeners of D’Vaire—more beautifully loyal to one another than even their beloved plants—walked over, and using an athame in the colors represented by the couple, hand-fashioned by Madeline, made small cuts on the palms of the pair.

  “Stay here,” Noirin demanded when her little brother and Killian the Dwyer tried to get out of the way so the spotlight would remain on the mated pair. “I need to hug you both.”

  Killian shrugged and grabbed Dravyn’s hand as Noirin finally placed hers against Kendrick’s.

  “Draconis to Draconis. Seneschal Duchess to Seneschal Duke-mate. Their souls are now tied, and their lives now linked. May their hearts always stay united, so they will never want another,” Dra’Kaedan said.

  Noirin laid a smacking kiss on Kendrick, then squeezed both Dravyn and Killian in tight embraces. Kendrick offered them hugs that were nearly as enthusiastic.

  “Dragons claim their mates with a bite that leaves no mark. Centuries ago, a draconic tradition began of exchanging rings,” Aleksander stated. “Noirin and Kendrick will now exchange bands to allow the world to bear witness to their joining.”

  The woman responsible for every ring in the extended D’Vaire family, barring the Reverent Knights who were first bonded before her birth, strode to them with her mate. Madeline and Larissa handed them two bands that were done in a floral design, reminiscent of their cloaks, with an edge of Aleksander’s unique blue-black dragonskin.

  “Chosen by Fate and accepted by my heart as true, I accept you as my mate,” Noirin told Kendrick, and he repeated the same words back to her.

  “In an ancient tradition of the Vampyr Clutch and adopted by D’Vaire, the first applicant to be accepted, the first wizard and the first anointed High Arcanist in the Spectra Wizardry, Delaney the Dark; and our first and so far only vampire, Vampyr Lord Grigori Volkov-D’Vaire, will now assist with the attachment of collars, or necklaces as they are commonly referred to outside vampire circles, designed specifically for the Seneschal Duchess and Duke-mate. While they will not use the words sacred to the Vampyr Clutch, each chain with its blood lock will show the world they are committed to only each other,” Dra’Kaedan said.

  The pair had to bend their knees again to allow Grigori and Delaney to place the necklaces with the D’Vaire crest on the face of the gold-and-silver medallion. Like their rings, they were made from metal that would stretch when they shifted, so they would be able to keep them on for eternity.

  “Blodwen D’Vaire, our first necromancer and co-creator of the idea that led to Dra’Kaedan’s Coven; and her mate, our first hybrid and the fallen knight who fulfilled the Council requirement that allowed our sanctuary to open, will use their mating athame to assist them in binding their necklaces,” Aleksander explained. Blodwen and Trystan nicked Noirin’s and Kendrick’s fingers so they could smear their blood on the crest to seal the locks. After it was completed, Aleksander smiled. “By the tradition of the Draconis High Court of D’Vaire, you are now mates. You have honored all of us by allowing us to bear witness to your joining.”

  Noirin’s cousins, Worth and Somerly, took the cloaks the couple were hastily removing.

  “As the first to bear the mating marks our family redefined as tradition for the Council of Sorcery and Shifters, thanks to the knowledge garnered by Lichpriestess Saura and Lichpriest T’Eirick D’Vaire, Grand Duke Brogan D’Vairedraconis will cut Kendrick,” Noirin stated. Once Brogan did his duty, he received a hug and stepped to Dra’Kaedan’s side.

  “Skeleton Lord Gavrael D’Vaire was the first sentinel to arrive at D’Vaire and the first to live fully outside of the former sentinel compound. He was also, along with his mate, Skeleton Lord Gedeon D’Vaire, responsible for putting into motion a plan aided by Reverent Knight Conley Gylde-Kempe that eventually led to the freedom of the entire Sentinel Brotherhood, and we’re honored that he will be the one to cut Noirin,” Kendrick explained. Gavrael carefully put a tiny cut on her palm with the athame and strode over to stand with his other half, Gedeon.

  “Draconis to Draconis. Seneschal Duchess to Seneschal Duke-mate. Our blood has spilled, and our spirits have bonded. We ask Fate to grant us a mark from left shoulder to elbow so the world may bear witness we belong only to each other,” Noirin said as they put their hands together. It caused the pair to wear matching grimaces as their stunning dragons appeared on their biceps. Once they were fully formed, Noirin grabbed Kendrick and kissed him until his back bowed a little from her onslaught, causing Dra’Kaedan to chuckle.

  When she finally released her mate, who was gasping for air, her eyes met Aleksander’s. “You’re next.”

  Although she wasn’t Fate, and certainly couldn’t know the future, Aleksander had unease growing in his belly. Reassuring himself that she was just happy and wanted the same for him, Aleksander was content in the knowledge that he never left the estate, and his other half wasn’t going to drive up someday. Shaking off his trepidation, he informed his family that they had a party to start.

  Chapter 7

  “Are you sure you don’t mind?” Kendrick asked.

  Aleksander opened his mouth to reply but Worth beat him to the punch. “How many times are you going to ask him that? I’ve got to sit here and listen to it, you know.”

  “Actually, your office is next door, so you could just sit in there and work,” Aleksander told his brother.

  “Which I do sometimes since Killian made me CFO of his company, but I can’t deal with any bit of solitude today.”

  “Drink too much coffee again?” Kendrick asked.

  “You know me—one too many cups and I’m barely able to focus on a damn thing.”

  “Have a beer; it’ll take the edge off,” Brogan told him.

  “It’s ten in the morning.”

  “And?”

  “Anyway, Worth’s right, Kendrick. You don’t need to keep asking me about your brother coming to visit. Your family is welcome anytime.”

  “It seems weird to be inviting any of them after I applied for sanctuary, but Sullivan’s kept in touch with me through text. I appreciate that he’s tried hard to establish a friendship of sorts. I can’t say they feel like family despite our shared bloodlines.”

  “I don’t know how you stay sane, Aleksander,” Worth muttered, then gave his attention to Kendrick. “Have you not figured it out yet? You’re here because it’s where you’re meant to be. For Fate’s sake, did you not waltz through the door and meet my gorgeous cousin?”

  “Now he’s going to sit there with that goofy-ass smile on his face for the next fifteen minutes,” Brogan complained.

  “Have you seen your face when Dra’Kaedan’s around? Be nice,” Worth chided.

  “He kicked me out of his office. I frown when I think of him.”

  Aleksander lifted a brow. “Dare I ask why?”

  “All I did was suggest that he could take a break.”

  “He’s fiery but not without reason. That makes no sense.”

  “Aleksander, I love you. I truly do. I thank Fate to
have such a brother, but sometimes your innocence at your age startles me. He wanted his mate to take a break so they could engage in gay sexual acts,” Worth said.

  “We don’t know that he’s innocent,” Brogan argued. “There might be women in his past. He’s always been secretive as hell whenever the subject has come up, which I have to say, pisses me off. I’m his best friend. I should know everything about him.”

  “The only person I wish to know everything about me is my mate,” Worth argued. “Whenever the hell he decides to waltz through the door as your Dra’Kaedan did.”

  “So did our still gooey-eyed Kendrick,” Brogan responded. “I’m telling you Aleksander, yours is probably already planning her trip to D’Vaire.”

  “How many beers have you had?”

  “At ten in the morning? None. I’m not Worth; I know how to control my caffeine.”

  Wondering if he was still sane, Aleksander turned back to Kendrick. “Duke Sullivan is coming tomorrow? How long is he staying?”

  “Yes, we’ve gone over his travel arrangements a few times because it is nonsensical. He’s refusing to stay at the house and is going to rent a car. With Court Kestle being in Virginia, I did manage to talk him into taking Dérive, so Killian has a druid set to teleport him. From what he’s said, King Kestle and his family are adjusting slowly to the Council. I feel as if he might be mistrustful of sorcerers. I think he’s afraid he’ll get stranded somewhere strange or something. Our lives at Court Kestle were very isolated, and I wonder if they’ve kept to that and not ventured out much. He’s only willing to stay for a couple of days at most.”

  “It is shocking to go from the quietness of isolation in the dragon courts of the Consilium to joining the lively Council full of sorcerers and elves along with many types of shifters. I wonder how well I would’ve done had I not come to D’Vaire,” Worth mused.