That deadly part of him had been cultivated by ninety-four years of training. For so many decades it had been only a hologram Gavrael had battled against. The hologram that strangely reflected his own appearance. Yesterday, ending the life of a living being had felt no different than striking out against an imaginary foe. Perhaps it was because Gavrael had been summoned for a singular purpose.
Necromancers had created sentinels to kill for them, and Gavrael had excelled at that the day before. Gavrael dug deeper inside of himself and believed it to be more than only the killer instinct he had been created with. For him, it had been an act of fairness. With a potentially lethal blade, Latarian had done her best to end a life. In his mind’s eye, she had to pay for that injustice. His dagger had answered that call, and now she was nothing but dust. It was not something he would lose sleep over or apologize for.
But now, in this moment, he had to let those thoughts go. Strike them from his mind just as he had stripped away his love for his mate. Because the man in question was somewhere very close by, and given the opportunity, his sharp daggers would strike out against Gavrael. As if his mind had somehow summoned him, Gavrael sensed the air around him shift. A sharp green glow erupted in the peripheral vision of his right eye.
Swiveling his body to the left, he swiftly balanced his weight upon his left foot and kicked his right leg out in an arc. His right heel connected briefly with some part of his mate’s body before Gedeon was once again out of his reach. Few things in Gavrael’s life compared to the excitement of sparring each day with Gedeon.
Back on two feet again, Gavrael crept stealthily in the direction where he believed the other sentinel had scurried off to. He had his daggers ready in his hands but his arms were loose at his sides. Keeping his body relaxed helped him to be ready to contort in whatever fashion necessary to escape the danger Gedeon presented. The air stirred to his left, and Gavrael pulled his body in slightly before pivoting to the left with his elbow raised. As Gavrael’s body continued to flow in an arc, his elbow connected with something solid, and he both felt and heard a distinct crunching sound.
“Fuck.”
“Geddy?” Gavrael watched his mate materialize fully in front of him. Gedeon was rubbing his nose and dropping down the barrier he had placed between their mental link. Gavrael felt his annoyance.
“Let your mind wander for one second and you get your nose broken,” Gedeon complained, but Gavrael could sense he was only disgusted with himself. It had likely hurt when his nose took the impact of Gavrael’s elbow, but with their superior healing, Gedeon was already mended.
“I am sorry,” Gavrael said and grabbed Gedeon’s hand from his face so he could kiss his mate’s now-healed nose.
“I should be apologizing to you for not concentrating enough.”
“It’s fine, Geddy. It is time for lunch anyway.”
“Of course it is.” The two sentinels left the outdoors behind them as they entered the kitchen. Gavrael shut the back door before realizing there were visitors at Court D’Vaire, and they did not seem at all happy.
“Aleksander, where is the Arch Lich?” Emperor Chrysander said with an annoyed look upon his regal face. He was dressed in a black suit with a bright white shirt and a black and white paisley tie embossed in gold accents. His crown was missing, but his stance left little doubt he ruled over all dragons. The Emperor was not alone. To the left of him was his twin brother, Imperial Duke Damian Draconis.
The two dragon shifters were not identical, but the resemblance was strong. They had the same dark hair, and of course, their dragons were both black, so their eyes were the same shade. The Imperial Duke was missing the gold circle Fate had given his brother, but his face was slightly more symmetrical in Gavrael’s estimation.
Standing to the right was a man Gavrael was unfamiliar with, though that was no surprise since he had not before this day laid eyes on the man who ruled the Council of Sorcery and Shifters. He had been taught to recognize the Draconis twins, but Alaric had never spoken of a third man. Unquestionably a duke, the man was a black dragon with brown hair tied in a ponytail at his nape. He was dressed in the same all-black ensemble as the Imperial Duke.
Besides the Emperor and his dukes, the Reverent Knight was also standing in the kitchen of the D’Vaire mansion. Like the other men, he did not look happy to be there. That was unusual; Drystan was a frequent visitor to Court D’Vaire. He was close to his son and Blodwen, and Gavrael hoped in the future he could become friendly with the man as well.
The ruler of the Court Gavrael was so proud to be a member of wasn’t wearing a comfortable expression either. Aleksander heaved out a sigh before answering His Majesty’s question. “I don’t know. He said he had something to take care of and then he would be back. Chander didn’t give us any clue as to what that something was or how long he would be gone.”
“Shit. They hate him over there. What was he thinking? He’s the Arch Lich. He can’t just up and disappear,” Drystan snapped.
“I couldn’t have stopped him, Drystan. To start, he outranks me. He’s also a powerful sorcerer that I can’t just shift and sit on until he comes to his senses.”
“Nothing is going to make me feel better about this situation, but at least he has a sentinel with him,” the Imperial Duke said as he dragged a hand through his raven hair.
“Speaking of sentinels, you must be Gavrael and Gedeon. You are both to be commended for your actions yesterday. I know everyone here at Court D’Vaire must be incredibly grateful to you both for the bravery and courage you displayed. The Council is also indebted to you,” Emperor Chrysander said. Aleksander then took the opportunity to formally introduce them to the three dragon shifters. The dragon Gavrael had been unable to place was Duke Zane Draconis.
Well used to the men that guarded the Arch Lich, no one offered their hand to shake. Instead, the three dragon shifters and the two sentinels exchanged nods in greeting and acknowledgment of each other.
“Your words are too kind, Your Majesty, but well appreciated. My mate and I are both proud to be members of Court D’Vaire. We have grown to care for all the incredible men and women who call D’Vaire home, and we have the utmost respect for the leadership of not only King Aleksander but the Coven of Warlocks as well. We could only act in a way that was mindful and respectful of the family we hold dear. It was an honor for us both to be able to come to the aid and defense of Renny and in the end Dra’Kaedan as well. We are also honored to have this opportunity to meet you and your dukes,” Gedeon said as he stood tall next to Gavrael. Opening his heart to his mate, he let all the love he felt in that moment flow over them both. Along with the emotion that was filling Gavrael’s heart, he felt such unmistakable pride that this man was his.
“I love you too, Gav.” It was wondrous. Gedeon would always have the words at ready that Gavrael needed. Whether it was to communicate as mates or to deal with the outside world. Gavrael knew he was incredibly fortunate.
“Gedeon, I’m pleased to hear that both you and your mate are well-adjusted to your life here at Court D’Vaire. Aleksander is fortunate to have so many people hold him in such high esteem. I too wish to see this place flourish,” Emperor Chrysander said as he turned away from the sentinels and leveled a glance in the D’Vaire king’s direction. “Although that will be difficult to do if you insist on losing Council leaders.”
“I didn’t lose him. He took off, and I have no clue where he was headed. Look, he’s smart. He’s not going to do anything stupid,” Aleksander said.
“He’s also ridiculously stubborn, Chrys. You know that as well as I do. I just wish I had a clue about how long he was planning on being AWOL,” Drystan said as he crossed his arms with an annoyed look.
“Are you all staying for lunch?” Noirin bravely threw into the fray. The irritated men immediately began smiling and grabbing plates to be filled. It was amazing what the promise of a good meal could do for hungry people.
Noirin fed them at the same time each day, so
pretty soon the rest of the D’Vaire family began to materialize in the kitchen to feed their own starving bellies. When Dra’Kaedan and his mate wandered in, Aleksander cast him an annoyed glance.
“You teleport Chrysander over here and then leave me alone with this bunch so I can get grilled about where the hell Chander went,” Aleksander said to the warlock as he took a seat at one of the round tables.
“Look stretch, I get a free pass for yesterday,” Dra’Kaedan said as he began to eat his lunch.
“Yeah, he had another one of those almost-dead days,” Renny threw in.
“Is the Emperor mad because he lost the Arch Lich?” Idris asked after Aleksander introduced him to their guests.
“I didn’t lose anyone,” Aleksander said irritated.
“Emperor, this is my friend Edion,” Idris said after Dre’Kariston led the elf into the kitchen.
“Edion, I’m pleased to meet you,” Chrysander replied.
“It is an honor, Your Majesty,” Edion replied and gave a little bow before taking a seat.
“Is there going to be any problem with Edion becoming a D’Vaire?” Aleksander asked.
“Well, the Cwylld do not belong to the Council. But, Dra’Kaedan’s Coven operates under a set of very unique rules. You are technically able to add anyone to the sanctuary you feel is a good match for your family. So, I don’t see it as a problem,” Chrysander said.
“All D’Vaires are considered honorary dragons in the fallen knight’s system that identifies members of the Council. We can list him as elven but not put in a tribe. It will be up to Edion who he wishes to know about his former tribe,” Drystan supplied.
“I’m so grateful to be here. You all have been so kind. I’m very happy to be an honorary dragon,” Edion said.
“I’m sorry we can’t give you a set of wings,” the Imperial Duke said with a smile.
“Someday when I learn to use my magic right, I’m going to summon a dragon like Delaney’s,” Idris said.
“You are an honorary dragon too, Idris. Please consider this as your home away from school. You are always welcome to visit us,” Aleksander said.
“I’m excited about going to this wizard school and learning how to cast spells, but someday I want to come back and live here,” Idris replied. “And I’m going to visit. Delaney, he’s my best friend now. And Edion, I have to come back and see him too. And everyone else. I will definitely be visiting all the time.”
“At this rate, you will have this place filled in no time,” Drystan said with a grin.
“I can’t imagine anything better,” Aleksander said in reply.
Chapter 25
After lunch, instead of keeping to Gavrael’s schedule of more training, the two sentinels found themselves being led into the Duke’s Den across from King Aleksander’s office. With them were the Grand Warlock and his mate, the Grand Warlock’s familiar, and the Grand Summoner. They had asked for a few minutes to speak to the pair. After everyone was seated on the pair of comfortable dragonskin sofas, Dra’Kaedan gave first Gavrael and then Gedeon a wobbly smile.
“I needed to get you two alone, so I could try and express my gratitude for everything you did for us yesterday,” Dra’Kaedan said as he gestured to his mate, familiar, and brother. “I can’t put into words how immensely thankful I am to have you both in our lives.”
Gathering up his courage and remembering his mate’s advice to not overthink about his words, Gavrael decided to trust that his brain would select the right ones. “We are the ones that have been gifted with such an incredible family. We would do anything to keep all of you safe. I am only sorry I was not able to strike that woman down before you received any injury.”
“And I’m sorry I convinced Gavrael to go shopping yesterday without either of us being armed. Had I not made that decision, yesterday would have gone very differently,” Gedeon added.
“Oh, hell no. No way am I going to listen to you guys apologize. Dra’Kaedan and I wouldn’t be sitting in this room right now if you two hadn’t done all you did yesterday. I’m going to get pissed off if you apologize again,” Renny said and crossed his arms over his chest.
“Renny is right. There is nothing that happened yesterday that either of you should apologize for. That certainly wasn’t the purpose of asking you to speak with us privately. We love that you both are a part of our family, and we are grateful you helped end a very evil and ugly part of my brother’s past,” Dre’Kariston said as he leaned forward and made eye contact with both men. His gaze was focused and intense, and Gavrael knew he meant each word. Gavrael turned to meet the minty green eyes of his mate and felt the warmth emanating from him.
Smiling, Gavrael turned back to the men and said, “It was my pleasure then to aid you, and I apologize for apologizing.”
“Wow, Gavrael can smile,” Renny said with his blue eyes widened in astonishment. Gavrael let out a laugh at the familiar, and Gedeon grinned back at him.
“Gedeon, your mate looks really hot when he smiles,” Brogan said, which raised the ire of his little blond mate.
“Excuse me, but should you be saying that? You have a mate, you know. And shit, I almost died yesterday.”
“How long are we going to have to listen to you bitching about that?” Dre’Kariston asked as he poked his brother in his side.
“I do love being a D’Vaire,” Gedeon said as he looked up at the ceiling to try and contain his amusement.
“Best fucking bunch of dragons on the planet,” Brogan said as he pulled his mate into his arms. Dra’Kaedan went willingly. Gavrael could not argue with Brogan’s statement. In his mind, it was the honest truth.
After a few more minutes chatting with Dra’Kaedan and the rest of the crew in the Duke’s Den, they decided to split ways.
“Time to train, right?” Gedeon said from where he stood behind Gavrael. His hands were resting on Gavrael’s side above where his daggers hovered next to his hips.
“Not quite; I wish to speak with Blodwen and Trystan. The talk with Brogan and the warlocks made me realize I have not adequately thanked them for the life we have here. The life we have together,” Gavrael said as he turned to look at his mate.
“You are getting pretty damn good at this word stuff,” Gedeon said and leaned in for a kiss.
When the pair tracked down their necromancers, Blodwen was having none of it. “You’ve thanked me already. It wasn’t kind to keep you there for ninety-four years before I got over my ridiculous fear of sentinels.”
“If I cannot thank you, then you cannot continue to berate yourself for waiting to summon me. Everything that has happened in my life has led me to Gedeon. You led me to Gedeon. That is all you should focus on,” Gavrael argued.
“You would have met him earlier if I hadn’t waited so long,” she tossed back as she slapped her hands onto her hips.
“I could not have met him until you met Trystan. You were not with him long before Gedeon and I were summoned.”
“He’s got a point,” Trystan said matter-of-factly.
“Okay, okay. Can’t we all be glad we are family now and stop thanking each other?” Blodwen replied and lowered her hands from her sides.
“As I said, you stop scolding yourself over the wait, and I will stop thanking you. However, my gratitude will not wane. I will just stop discussing it,” Gavrael said as he met the eyes of his necromancer.
“Fine. Deal. Can I have a hug?” Blodwen asked and then launched herself at Gavrael and gave him a big squeeze. She did the same to Gedeon. His mate was grinning as he slid back into place behind Gavrael. Gedeon pressed himself to Gavrael’s back and laid his cheek against his shoulder. Through their link, Gavrael could feel all the warm feelings Gedeon had for both of their necromancers. Life with the D’Vaires was turning out to be more incredible than the beauty of the colorful world they now lived in.
* * *
The following morning, King Aleksander received a call from a no longer missing Arch Lich Daray. He was safely back home i
n Las Vegas with his sentinel at his side. Chander refused to give the D’Vaire king any details about what his mission had been, but he did divulge that whatever it was, it had been a success. The entire family was just happy Chander was still in one piece.
After breakfast, Gedeon beat Gavrael to the punch and hauled him outside to train with their trusty daggers. But before his mate could arm himself, Gedeon wrapped his arms around Gavrael’s neck and gave him a firm kiss. Last night had been spent in what was their routine. Gavrael had cared for his mate tenderly with a warm bath and then wouldn’t allow either one of them to sleep until Gedeon had found release twice. It was a hell of a long way from where they had begun, Gedeon thought.
“You are thinking too hard, Geddy.”
“Hmm, I was just thinking about you.”
“I can feel your thoughts are making you happy. I must have pleased you in some way.” Gavrael kissed the corner of Gedeon’s mouth.
“Gav, you please me in every way.”
Gavrael’s eyes grew serious. “Once I was scared I wouldn’t be able to please you in any way.”
“And yet the only thing keeping you from me was you.” Gedeon made sure to push as much positive emotion as he could through their mind link. He did not want Gavrael to think he was speaking critically in any way.
“Yes, I have a great deal to learn about trusting myself. I’m glad I have you to help.”
“Oh yeah babe, I’m going to be right by your side helping you in every way I can. For whatever you need. For the rest of our immortal lives.” Gedeon gave his mate a grin.
“Already I have learned something new about myself since yesterday.”
“Yeah, what’s that?”
Sentinel's Dagger (D'Vaire, Book 2) Page 26
