Sentinel's Dagger (D'Vaire, Book 2)

by Jessamyn Kingley

  “The only person who has handled my underwear is me,” Gedeon said with a smile after he finished chuckling.

  “So, how are you liking the wardrobe?” Blodwen asked.

  “It’s taking some getting used to, but I like it.”

  “So, you gonna talk Gavrael into buying something that isn’t gray?” Renny asked.

  “I don’t think so. Pretty sure he prefers it.”

  “I was talking to Larissa and she showed me the fabrics she thought might work for you. What’d you think of them?” Blodwen asked.

  “They were all great; it’s going to be tough to narrow it down.”

  “You and Gavrael are friends, maybe you should show them to him at lunch and see what he thinks,” Dra’Kaedan offered and did his very best to act casual.

  “Maybe, but I don’t think decorating is his thing. I mean in anything that isn’t gray, and we aren’t always at the same table.”

  “Oh, well, if you need one of us to move so you can sit with your friend, just say so; any of us would move so you guys can talk,” Dre’Kariston offered.

  “No big deal, we’ll sit together if there is space. We share a room, so it’s not as if we don’t have plenty of opportunity to talk,” Gedeon said with another half shrug.

  “Not for long though, right? Then you’ll probably be fighting the rest of us to sit together,” Dra’Kaedan said with a smile.

  “Yeah maybe, good thing we’re experts at that kind of thing. All that training, you know,” Gedeon replied with an answering grin.

  “I think we can take the hint. Guys, let’s let Gedeon get back to work and head outside to find Gavrael,” Dre’Kariston said and began herding their group out the door. Dra’Kaedan didn’t budge. Dre’Kariston gave his brother a pointed look, but his twin was unmoved so he grabbed Dra’Kaedan by the arm and all but shoved him into the hallway.

  Without a word the quartet headed back upstairs and once there, Dra’Kaedan turned toward his brother with a glare. “We didn’t learn a damn thing.”

  “Learn a damn thing about what?” Dra’Kaedan heard a voice ask from above him. “Tell me you are not still on this whole Gavrael and Gedeon thing? I thought you were going to stay out of what is probably nothing anyway,” Brogan complained as he stood over Dra’Kaedan in the hallway with Aleksander at his side. Dra’Kaedan had no clue how his mate had so stealthily crept up on him.

  “Why are you skulking around the house? Don’t you and Big Bird have something to do?” Dra’Kaedan asked his other half.

  “Hey, if I’m Big Bird, that makes you Snuffleupagus,” Aleksander said to Brogan and began to laugh.

  “Not helping.” Brogan sighed and elbowed his best friend in the ribs. “And that better not be a fat joke.”

  “Sorry,” Aleksander began, although the laughter in his blue-black eyes showed he clearly was not. Turning his attention to Dra’Kaedan, he asked, “So squirt, did you guys bother Gavrael and Gedeon?”

  “We didn’t bother them. We talked to them,” Dra’Kaedan replied, annoyed at the question.

  “We didn’t learn shit anyway. Gavrael was short on words and Gedeon was short on information,” Renny reported as he tapped his sneaker-clad foot.

  “Perhaps that is because there isn’t anything to learn,” Brogan said and tugged Dra’Kaedan close. Without hesitation, Dra’Kaedan rested his head on his mate’s chest and wrapped his arms around his waist. Holding him close with one strong arm, Brogan reached down and dropped a kiss on the top of Dra’Kaedan’s head.

  “I’m telling you; something is up there,” Dra’Kaedan argued.

  “It’s called the sun,” Aleksander replied and Dra’Kaedan rolled his eyes.

  “Not at night. At night, it’s moon,” Renny said.

  “Don’t you mean the moon?” Dre’Kariston asked.

  “No, it’s not the only moon. So it’s just moon.”

  “It’s our planet’s only moon,” Aleksander said.

  “Yeah, and how sad is it we didn’t even give it a name. Just started calling it the moon. Probably to make it feel better since no one gave it a real name,” Renny replied, and Dra’Kaedan shook his head. He had no idea how Renny thought these things up.

  “Okay, well, let’s allow Gavrael and Gedeon to work out their friendship on their own and give them the space to do that,” Aleksander said with a dark eyebrow quirked at a grinning Renny. Dra’Kaedan agreed without any argument. It wasn’t like he had been successful this morning in determining whether or not there was anything at all to be concerned about, but he was going to keep an eye on their two newest residents. The last thing Dra’Kaedan or anyone else in the household wanted was for either of the sentinels to be unhappy.

  Chapter 10

  Hitching his snug jeans across his hips, Gedeon let out a loud sigh. A few days ago, buying new clothes had seemed like such a great idea. Shopping for them had turned out to be a fun experience, although considering his family, that wasn’t surprising. Rather quickly he had realized actually wearing the damn things was a whole other story.

  The T-shirts and button-down shirts were not that big of a deal. They were mostly cotton and similar to his gray stuff. The jeans, however, were quite a contrast to his very roomy sentinel pants. Denim was a much coarser fabric, and they were quite a bit tighter than he was accustomed to. It wasn’t uncomfortable, but it did feel bizarre.

  His daggers were the biggest issue. He missed them. It was like having a limb removed. Besides the Arch Lich’s sentinels, only fallen knights walked around with weapons at their sides, and they were expected to enforce laws and keep the peace. All the other races wore clothes like Gedeon now wore, he reminded himself. Acclimating to this life meant he was going to have to endure a few sacrifices.

  The bonus was, Gedeon did like the way they hugged his ass. He hoped his mate appreciated the view. If the stubborn man ever allowed them to move forward with their relationship, he hoped he could talk Gavrael into buying at least one pair. His firm ass would do wonders for a pair of low-slung jeans.

  Thinking of Gavrael had him shaking his head. He wondered exactly how his thought processes worked. The night before, he’d plopped down in a chair close to Gedeon, but in typical Gavrael fashion, he had not spoken a word. There was no way he could have missed the conversation he’d had with Larissa. Undoubtedly, he was now aware he was decorating a room upstairs.

  What Gavrael thought about that development was as much a mystery as everything else that went on in his brain. His facial expressions were non-existent, but it had not escaped Gedeon’s attention—the other sentinel had not stayed in the living room for very long after the big secret got out. While Gedeon didn’t relish the idea of purposely hurting him, it would be nice if Gavrael were upset at the prospect of them sleeping in separate rooms.

  Gedeon considered whether or not Gavrael would speak to him about it. He hoped so. It would give him the opportunity to tell him the room was for the two of them. They were not going to spend any more time in their current gray monstrosity than absolutely necessary.

  Pulling a white T-shirt over his head, Gedeon headed out of said gray monstrosity and went to go find breakfast. As much as it pained him, he was going to continue this stupid stand-off and choose a seat far away from the sexy sentinel he was dying to see outside of his drab uniform.

  * * *

  Gavrael took a deep breath and made a beeline for his mate who was heading out of the kitchen after dinner. Once again, Gavrael had trained alone, and it was time to talk. He tried not to quake in his boots at the thought. He let out a breath and longed to have a conversation that didn’t wrap his tongue and his stomach into knots.

  “Gedeon,” he called out and watched the other sentinel come to a halt and turn to face him.

  “Yeah?”

  Gavrael closed the distance that separated the pair. “May we talk?”

  “About what?” Gedeon inquired as he lifted one black brow. His tone was ripe with suspicion. Gavrael was unsurprised; none
of their conversations seemed to go well, and he had no reason to think any future ones would change that trend.

  “Did you train today?”

  “I did.” Gavrael was surprised to hear his reply. He had thought Gedeon preferred working out with him, but apparently, he was content to go at it alone.

  “I did not realize you preferred to train alone,” Gavrael said.

  “I’ve switched to only working out in the afternoons. It gives me more time to do other things. Maybe you should consider doing the same,” Gedeon suggested. He wasn’t quite sure what to make of Gedeon’s words; he had several hours a day still to focus on his efforts to adapt. That was his top priority since it would draw them closer together, but Gavrael didn’t want to bring up that topic because he knew it would do nothing but lead to an argument.

  Gavrael decided perhaps a change of topic was in order. “You are decorating a room.”

  “Yep, I figured it was time. Everyone does that when they arrive here. It’s an important part of fitting in. I’m looking forward to seeing the project completed.”

  “I’m glad it pleases you. How soon will it be done?”

  Gedeon didn’t seem to appreciate his words. His eyes narrowed, and he stared at Gavrael for several moments before speaking. “It does please me. I can’t wait to move to such a quiet and private area of the house, and I plan to get it finished as quickly as I can.”

  Gavrael would have liked to unstick his tongue from the roof of his mouth and say something about not wanting Gedeon to move out at all, but his mate had already turned on his heel and marched away. It was impossible for Gavrael to understand what he had said to once again irritate him. He didn’t want to spend no time at all with Gedeon. Training was so important to the both of them, he thought desperately. Perhaps he would track Gedeon down tomorrow afternoon, and they could resume their workouts. It would still leave Gavrael alone in the mornings, but it was certainly better than the alternative.

  * * *

  So much for Gavrael being anything but “pleased” about Gedeon decorating a new space in their home, Gedeon reflected as he marched away from yet another unpleasant conversation. It didn’t seem like his mate was at all perturbed by the idea of being separated. Gedeon, on the other hand, was not at all “pleased.” Gavrael made him crazy with his insistence they delay moving their relationship toward anything more intimate, but the other sentinel did belong to him, crazy or otherwise.

  On the other hand, perhaps if Gedeon did move out, it would make Gavrael come to his senses. After all, it had taken only a few days before they were discussing Gedeon’s decision to work out alone. Considering that, it might be feasible that if he kept away from him as much as possible, his mate might well miss him to such a degree, he would stop being so freaking stubborn.

  It was now obvious to Gedeon; it was not enough to wear some new clothes to convince Gavrael they were certainly more than ready to be together. It was going to be a real trial not spending time with him, but if the tactic worked, then the sacrifice would be well worth it. Gedeon wished he could move back to a seat near him at meals and spend some time training together, so surely Gavrael was going to feel the same soon. Please let it be soon, he pleaded with the universe; Gedeon already missed the hell out of his mate.

  * * *

  Two weeks of training alone and Gavrael was at a loss. He had tracked his mate down to the basement to inquire if they could work out together in the afternoons, and Gedeon had slammed the door right in his face. It was not as if Gavrael would be able to find any words capable of convincing him he did not want to shut him out, but each time they conversed, he pissed the man off more. Most of the time, he wasn’t even sure how he managed such a feat.

  Gavrael walked into the living room for the weekly meeting their king held. The room was abuzz with excitement. All the requirements for the sanctuary had finally been completed, and Dra’Kaedan’s Coven had officially opened its doors this morning. Everyone in the house was thrilled they were finally going to get their chance to help people in their Council.

  Taking a seat as far away from Gedeon as possible, Gavrael surreptitiously watched him from across the spacious living area. Gedeon was smiling as he spoke with Blodwen and Trystan. His mate was happy, and to Gavrael that was all that mattered. It was his job to bring joy to Gedeon’s life, and it seemed that by spending time away from one another, he was succeeding in doing so. The thought was horribly depressing.

  “Everybody, thanks for coming tonight,” Aleksander began. “I think we are all waiting to hear from Dra’Kaedan, so I’m going to hand things over to him.”

  “Thanks, Aleksander,” the Grand Warlock said. “As you all know, we opened this morning, and I’m thrilled to tell you we have our first serious applicant. I have a copy of his application for everyone, so I’m going to pass that around, and then we can talk.” Dra’Kaedan passed a stack of papers to Aleksander on his right and to Dre’Kariston on his left.

  Since he was sitting so far from everyone else, Gavrael was the last person to get a copy. The applicant was for a wizard named Delaney, and he had recently graduated from the Academy of Wizards at the age of sixteen. Gavrael began reading and discovered Delaney had no family and didn’t fit in well amongst the other wizards. His application also stated he had been bullied and was feared and hated in equal measures by the others.

  “Questions, guys?” Dra’Kaedan asked.

  “He graduated at sixteen? That seems really young,” Noirin posed the first question.

  “Yes, the Academy of Wizards is intended for students until the age of twenty-five. The only way to graduate early is to reach the rank of Master, which Delaney has done. He is the first to accomplish that task at sixteen. The Prism Wizard believes he is strong enough to someday reach the rank of High Arcanist. That’s a big deal; the most powerful wizards didn’t follow the Council to North America, and currently the Prism Wizard is the only one with that rank. If Delaney were able to do that, it would automatically give him a position at the Spectra Wizardry, and he would serve as an advisor to Vadimas. That’s partly why he makes the others so uneasy,” Dra’Kaedan supplied.

  “And what are the other reasons Delaney makes people uncomfortable?” Dravyn asked softly. The dragon shifter always spoke quietly; it was as much a part of his personality as his penchant for spending all his time outside with his plants.

  “Wizards are drawn to colors, and each color of the rainbow has its own strengths and weaknesses. They generally find spells in a certain part of the color spectrum come easiest to them. If they reach the level of High Arcanist, they are formally ascribed a color. So their name becomes “the Red” or “the Indigo.” The problem with Delaney is he’s drawn to something never seen before among his people; he’s the world’s only dark wizard. Delaney’s milieu is so unusual, he’s had to make up a lot of his own spells,” Dre’Kariston answered.

  “But he hasn’t picked his color since he hasn’t reached the High Arcanist level yet, so there is a chance he might not remain dark, right? So these wizards might be wigging out over nothing?” Madeline inquired.

  “Well, no. Wizards who reach the level of Journeymen are generally strong enough to summon a familiar. Delaney is past that and has already cast the spell. Wizard familiars come in a wide variety of beasts in varying sizes, but they are always in the color that is natural to that sorcerer. Delaney’s familiar is a small black dragon,” Aleksander replied with a wide smile.

  “He’s got a dragon? That’s awesome. If that isn’t a sign he’s meant to be with us, I don’t know what is,” Larissa exclaimed, her eyes wide with excitement.

  “You guys talked to him. What’s he like?” Trystan asked.

  “He’s a nice kid. Very polite. Seems very mature. He was abandoned as a baby and spent his first few years being moved from family to family. Even at a young age, his power was evident, and due to his circumstances, the Academy of Wizards became his home at the age of four. While classes do begin around four
or five years of age, students don’t usually become residents until they are pre-teens. Delaney was forced to grow up quickly, and because he was stronger than most of his teachers, they were reluctant to do anything to make his life easier. Vadimas became personally involved in his education fairly early, but his duties prevented him from being able to keep Delaney safe from bullies and the other day-to-day issues that plagued him. Now that he’s graduated, no one wants to take him in, and while Vadimas is willing to provide him a home, he thinks it would be best to find Delaney an environment where he can have a support system. I think Delaney very much wants to be a part of a family and after speaking to the kid, I think he would do great here with us,” Aleksander informed his family.

  “And he can continue his training from here?” Trystan asked.

  “Absolutely. At this point in his education, much of it is self-study anyway. Vadimas will be the one performing the tests he needs to pass to ascend to each future magic level, and he’s even offered to have them here,” Dra’Kaedan answered.

  “Any more questions or are we ready to call for a vote?” Everyone in the room seemed satisfied with the information handed out and shortly thereafter, they voted unanimously to add Delaney. Cheers erupted around the room; their sanctuary was now real. Gavrael was thrilled everyone was so pleased. The D’Vaires had worked hard to make this dream of theirs a reality, and there was now going to be a living and breathing recipient set to reap the benefits.

  There was not much more to discuss after Delaney’s application was accepted, and the meeting wrapped up shortly thereafter with Dra’Kaedan promising he would call the young wizard first thing in the morning to inform him of their decision. Gavrael left the living room as soon as Gedeon began his own journey to their bedroom. As usual, he enjoyed the view of his mate’s backside in his jeans, although he kept those thoughts to himself.