Becoming D'Vaire (D'Vaire, Book 11)

by Jessamyn Kingley

  They grabbed each other’s hands as they snickered.

  “Nobody tell Duff—he’ll be camped outside my bedroom door,” Delaney teased as his eyes fell shut. Seconds later, the room got quiet. Grigori peeked over at Alaric, whose jaw flexed. Somerly wrapped his arm around Saura, who held him close. Grigori felt an arm on his back and turned his head to find Idris at his side. He offered a sheepish grin to him and seconds later found himself comforted by not only Idris but Mac as well. Greggory let out a whine on his shoulder, and Mac reached up with his free hand to pet him. Together they would all sweat out the next twenty minutes. Grigori hoped they’d get what they needed on the other side of the veil.

  * * *

  Weightlessness registered, and Delaney opened his eyes and found himself in a village. There was a grayness at the edges of his vision telling him he’d made it to the other side of the veil.

  “What the hell are you doing here?” a voice said. It was one Delaney recognized, as he used to be a D’Vaire.

  “Derwin, I’d like to talk to you, if that’s all right,” Dre’Kariston offered. “I’m sorry to come barging over here like this, but it’s important. The way everything happened—”

  “Is none of your damn business,” Derwin finished for him. “You screwed up my life, and I’ll always be a dark caster because of you. I’m not going to forgive you, and we’re never going to be friends. I’m happy now. I’ve found people like me, and I’m finally getting the respect I deserve as Grand Summoner Familiar even if you did waste zero time replacing me. Now fuck off and go away.” The dead familiar stomped off and disappeared around a large round structure.

  Dre’Kariston closed his eyes and heaved out a sigh. “So much for talking to him,” he muttered.

  “Well, there’s a face I haven’t seen in over six centuries,” a friendly voice called out. Delaney, Chander, and Dre’Kariston turned toward a man who bore a remarkable resemblance to T’Eirick walking in their direction. At his side was a blonde woman, and she launched herself into Dre’Kariston’s arms.

  “Briallen, it’s so good to see you,” Dre’Kariston said after they hugged. He embraced the man next. “You too, Eldwyn.”

  “Don’t worry over Derwin. We’re not all meant to have happy souls. I think he’s faring well here with us,” Eldwyn remarked.

  “After the way he died, I’ve lain in bed at night wondering how it all went wrong and what I could’ve done—”

  Eldwyn laid an arm on Dre’Kariston’s which halted his words. “He believed he was stronger than the stones. It might soothe you to know it was an accident. Derwin lost consciousness and after that, death was inevitable. He made his choice to steal them and hide.”

  “Thank you for that,” Dre’Kariston replied, his voice full of relief.

  Briallen turned to Chander. “Arch Lich, it’s been a long time, but it’s good to see you.”

  Chander shook hands with both familiars. “Grand Familiars, please call me Chander or Chand. I’d like to introduce you to High Arcanist Delaney Volkov-D’Vaire.”

  “The world’s first dark wizard—what a wonderful addition you are to your people and to those that walk the path of darkness. May I call you Del as your family does?” Eldwyn asked.

  “How did you know they call me Del?”

  “Oh, we peek in on our living warlocks from time to time. Fate’s kind enough to give us glimpses into the lives of all the D’Vaires,” Briallen told him. “We like knowing that you’re all doing well.”

  “Have you scryed lately?” Dre’Kariston asked.

  “Are you asking me if I know Chand brought T’Eirick and Saura there to visit you?” Eldwyn asked.

  “I know your relationship is difficult, but yeah.”

  Eldwyn frowned. “I’ve made mistakes in life and in death. I don’t regret separating the familiars from the warlocks. I think it’s easier for both sides, but I deeply regret the rift between us and our former sorcerers. I believed there were better choices to be made to save our lives, but now I realize nothing was going to stop Carvallius or the Cwylld. I’m glad your parents are with you. I have a message I’d like you to carry to them. I’ve seen things while scrying, and their jobs aren’t finished. I’d love for them to come visit when their resurrections are permanent.”

  “You’ve seen their future?” Delaney asked.

  “I’m not giving away anything, young Del. You’ll see for yourself soon enough. You’ve put together quite a group of sorcerers. That was something T’Eirick always dreamed of and what led to the Council being created. He feared the dark then because it was already tugging so hard on his soul, so it’s nice to know there’s a balance of magic within your little pack.”

  “They wanted to come and visit you today, but we feared having them shadow walk with only a temporary spell keeping them on the other side,” Dre’Kariston revealed.

  “I don’t think it should be attempted,” Eldwyn said. “Chand, you must remind them that when they get their new permanent vessels, T’Eirick and Saura will need to be mated again just as Del here was yesterday. Beautiful ceremony and that’s a fine vampyr you’ve found yourself.”

  “Thank you, did you attend?”

  “All of us did. There was a great deal of applause. We have a special place in our hearts for you, Del,” Briallen replied. Delaney had no clue what to say, but he was touched that this entire Coven of Familiars took the time to watch him unite his soul with Grigori’s.

  “Shit, I didn’t even think about T’Eirick and Saura needing to exchange blood again,” Chander remarked. He shook his head with a small grin. “Some Arch Lich I am.”

  Eldwyn lifted his head to stare into Chander’s eyes. “You’re the best Arch Lich your people have ever had.”

  “Thank you, I appreciate it. We’d like to talk to you about Carvallius and Latarian. Do you mind?”

  “I should get Carvil,” Briallen called out as she took off running.

  “Carvil?”

  “Carvallius’s familiar,” Eldwyn responded. “Murdered by that fucker just a few years after being summoned. Thought he could suck all his power and give it to himself as if he were an incubus. You only get a slight bump of strength if you lose your familiar. The man isn’t half as smart as he thinks he is or as powerful. Right, Dre’Kariston? You sure walloped his ass, but you paid a dear price.”

  Briallen returned before Dre’Kariston could reply, and at her side was a frowning man with a long red ponytail. Introductions were quickly made, then Carvil said, “No one should’ve resurrected Carvallius or his idiot granddaughter.”

  “We agree, and we want to be sure it never happens again,” Chander answered. He explained their plan to have T’Eirick and Saura cross over with a slice of a Cwylld stone to anchor the pair where they belonged.

  “What a plan. Genius in its simplicity. I think it’ll work. We’ll have to jam the stone into Carvallius and Latarian on this side,” Eldwyn remarked. “There’s a place all souls cross—we can camp there until our plan is complete, and both Carvallius and Latarian are dead again. We can head there—we know T’Eirick and Saura don’t have much time left. I know you’ve found Carvallius, but what about the granddaughter?”

  “We were hoping you might have some information on Latarian. We’ve scryed and haven’t found shit,” Dre’Kariston confided.

  “All I can tell you is that she’s working with Egidius’s horrible son. Now there’s a cranky-ass spirit we all steer clear of, but Jael’s still living and has met with Latarian on a few occasions. There was a woman present in all but the first one. She’s a relative, perhaps a cousin of Jael’s. I can sense she’s mated, but her other half hasn’t been present. I can’t sense him as magickind, so I would guess he or she’s a shifter—or perhaps something rarer, like a demon,” Eldwyn said.

  “How many demons are living?” Chander asked.

  “I don’t know. They have their own realm,” Briallen answered.

  Chander did a slow nod. “Okay, that would explain
why we haven’t found any.”

  “Jael and his companions fear the Sentinel Brotherhood. Chand, tell your mate to continue to scour the planet looking for them. It’ll keep them from growing bold,” Briallen suggested.

  “No worries there. Alaric’s not the kind to give up on a pursuit. Latarian spends the rest of her time on a magical realm, right? What about the three missing necromancer elders?”

  “I have no clue of their whereabouts or if they’re still alive,” Eldwyn replied. “We can start searching for them after our plan is complete if you like.”

  “If you wouldn’t mind, I’d like to know one way or another.”

  “We appreciate having things to keep us busy. Consider it our mission once we pin these fuckers back on this side,” Eldwyn said.

  “Our time’s gotta be getting short. Is there anything else we need to go over? We won’t know exactly when the fallen knights are going to execute Carvallius, but if you’re waiting there it shouldn’t be a problem, right?” Chander asked.

  Eldwyn smirked. “We’ll just see who handles the execution but yes, we’ll be waiting. We aren’t going to miss this opportunity to pay him back for killing us all.”

  “I don’t suppose you’re going to explain that comment,” Chander remarked.

  “Not at all.”

  “I’m looking forward to the opportunity to ram a rock into Carvallius’s evil soul,” Carvil stated. His eyes were burning with fury. “It’s going to hurt like hell and drain me, but it’s going to be worth it to see him pay.”

  “Thank you for doing this, Carvil. It’s a great gift for all of us,” Dre’Kariston responded.

  “It’s my pleasure.”

  “It would be remiss of us not to ask you to carry a message to the Cwylld chieftain,” Eldwyn stated without any warmth in his voice.

  “I’ll listen to whatever you have to say, Eldwyn, but know that the Cwylld chieftain is a dear and well-loved member of my family,” Dre’Kariston warned.

  Eldwyn rolled his eyes. “Didn’t we just talk about Del’s mating ceremony yesterday? I can see he’s your family. Listen, you need to tell him the truth of the elves he thinks are missing. He’s the last living Cwylld-born since his brother’s now Acwellan. His parents, they sold those that he worries over to a brutal tribe called the Torstratan. They hunt people for sport and that was how they lost their lives. The former chieftains feared there was not enough food to go around, so this was how they decided to solve that problem. Steer clear of the Torstratan, they’re beyond evil and easy to recognize—they have skin the color of blood. Cadlyr should focus on his mission to rebuild the Cwylld name and protect those stones. You may just find yourselves hunting for more someday.”

  “Well, that’s fucking great. I destroyed a giant pile of them,” Chander complained.

  “I didn’t say you needed more, just that you might prefer it. I think your group of sorcerers might find themselves creating an alternative that’s as helpful but less dangerous. I can’t say why or how you’re led down that path. Fate only offers me glimpses of the future.”

  “That’s horrible about the Cwylld. I’ll tell Cadlyr. In the end, his parents were just as dangerous to their own people as they were to ours,” Dre’Kariston said.

  “Truly horrid people. Trust me, when I run into them—because I’m looking—I plan on doing what I can to make their afterlife as wretched as our deaths.”

  “Thank you for everything,” Dre’Kariston offered as three portals popped open in front of them. “We have to go. One last question—do you know where we can find Klodjana? Scheredin would love to be reunited with his sister.”

  “I wish I knew. Visit again and ask the leaders of this side’s Coven of Warlocks. As her parents, they might have a better chance pinpointing her location,” Briallen suggested.

  There were hugs all the way around; then Delaney stepped through the portal Grigori opened for him. The shadowy world faded away, and he slowly opened his eyes back in the D’Vaire mansion he loved. His lips curved upward when he found a worried vampire studying his face carefully. Letting go of Chander’s hand, he got to his feet and wrapped his arms around Grigori. He was soon cuddled against his chest.

  “I’m so doing that again,” Delaney whispered.

  “Why am I not surprised?” Grigori responded with a chuckle. “I guess it was worth it?”

  Delaney leaned back so their eyes met. “Depends on how bad you suffered.”

  “Mac and Idris made sure I survived. I had our family to see me through it as I will every time you shadow walk.”

  “Grigori?”

  “Yeah?”

  “You’re the best,” Delaney told him, then leaned up to kiss him. They had tons of information to hand out and plans to make, so he decided to ravage him later. He doubted Grigori would offer any complaints.

  Chapter 31

  Grigori was lost in thought when Delaney put a hand on his thigh. “Hey, I only yanked you out of your lab because I figured you’d want to be included in our meeting, but if you prefer to go back and work on whatever’s making you frown like that, it’s not going to hurt my feelings.”

  His lips curved upward. It was wonderful to have someone who knew you well enough to realize your mind was elsewhere. “No, I failed at another blood experiment, and it got me thinking. What if I’m not supposed to figure out how to make us independent of real blood? How would it affect our culture and way of life? Would our clubs become obsolete, and would having a mate who nourished you suddenly seem like a burden instead of a gift? I’m not sure I want to know the answers to those questions.”

  “I didn’t even think about that kind of stuff. You’ve got it to the point where your people are safe. Maybe that should be enough. I’d hate to see everything unique about vampires disappear.”

  “I think I’ll talk to my parents about it and explain why I think it’s a smart idea to start focusing on other projects,” Grigori decided. For over a decade, he’d been trying to accomplish his goal and it was a bit strange to consider moving on, but it was almost as if without being dependent on real blood, he was the one curing vampirism.

  That was something he could not stomach, and he wondered why it had taken him so long to come to that conclusion. A sense of sureness settled in his soul, and he knew it was time to give up his pursuit. He had his side projects with additives, and now his aphrodisiacs, but nothing major. Inside of him, excitement and curiosity brewed over what other improvements he could make to vampire life and perhaps a project to enhance more than just his people.

  “Not that I want to intrude upon your conversation, but there are some sicknesses vampires can either be born with or develop. They’re mostly related to blood, the inability to tolerate certain aspects of it, or the body doesn’t absorb it properly. As wizards, we’ve worked with doctors to manage it the best we can, but if we had a brilliant mind like yours to investigate these things we might be able to offer cures,” Vadimas said. “You’re likely the only person on the planet that has spent years looking exclusively at how blood’s absorbed and what nutrients are vital to your people.”

  “Vadimas, you’re awesome. That’s right up my alley. I’d love to work on that.”

  “Wonderful, I’ll give you all the data we have to get you started,” the Prism Wizard promised.

  Grigori laid a hand over Delaney’s where it rested on his thigh, and they interlaced their fingers. The dark wizard grinned at him, and Grigori leaned forward to give him a kiss. He’d just pulled his head away when the door swung open.

  “Sorry I’m late,” the Arch Lich said as he flopped down into a chair and loosened his tie. “I was in a meeting that some idiot invited Aloisa the Dwyer to, and she wouldn’t shut up.”

  “I tuned her out after the first five minutes,” Alaric stated as he took a seat next to his mate. Like Alaric, he was still dressed in his work clothes. Grigori thought the charcoal gray uniforms Larissa designed for the Sentinel Brotherhood were amazing, and their leader wore i
t the best.

  “You called us all together in the middle of the week. What’s up?” Dra’Kaedan asked.

  “You’re not going to like it, but I’m losing sleep over this, and we need to talk about it,” Chander replied.

  A line formed between Dra’Kaedan’s brows. “Why aren’t I going to like it?”

  “I imagine he’s worried because our time’s running short, right?” Saura asked.

  “We’re down to any day now, and you’re going to feel the compulsion to go into a deep sleep. Even if you’re already snoozing, it’s going to wake you up to prepare you for your crossing. It’s imperative we’re all on the same page. Let’s start with the resurrection spell. Have you got the final version, Del?” Chander inquired.

  “Yeah, you put together a great framework. I just went over every line with T’Eirick and Saura to be sure we covered all the bases of what they want the darkfallen to have. Alaric was nice enough to give me the nearly complete version of the sentinel spell you guys found, and I have the full fallen knight one. They’ll be able to track and have invisibility as well as the ability to teleport. Those are skills, not spells. Their immortality will be absolute like the fallen knights but after talking about it, we decided they want something closer to sentinels as far as fighting skills go. They’ll have swords instead of daggers—shorter than the Lich Reapers to make them distinct—and those have already been designed by Madeline. It’s a more ornate version of the dagger the D’Vaire guys who practice sentinel skills use,” Delaney explained.

  “Did you figure out the poison thing?” Alaric asked.

  “No, that part’s missing from the sentinel spell, and every time I put it into the magical simulator, that section fails. I believe the problem is that they’re intended to be a cross between a sorcerer and a warrior. We’re relying on Fate to provide the magic, so this spell’s partially left up to her. Without knowing how much power they’ll have or whether they will have any at all, it’s difficult to give them abilities that require a spell. Sentinels do have a bit of magic—that’s where the poisons come from and what allows their daggers to float,” Delaney responded.