Vengeance From The Dark (D'Vaire Book 3)

by Jessamyn Kingley

  Lorcan scrubbed his forehead with his palm. “It is not so easy to forget everything that has festered in my soul all these centuries.”

  “Have you not spent enough time alone? Without your mate?”

  “I am not alone any longer. My brother has returned from the dead.”

  “I love you too, but Talfryn needs you as well,” Corwin replied.

  “Give me time to sort my thoughts.”

  “Okay, but don’t take forever, and if you need to talk, I’m here for you.”

  “You do realize I’m the eldest and your chieftain. It is I who should be offering assistance.”

  Corwin grinned. “What would you do without me?”

  “I already know and it is not an experience I wish to repeat.”

  “I’m glad I’m not dead.”

  “Me too,” Lorcan said and pulled his brother into a tight hug.

  Pulling away slowly, Corwin gave him another smile. “Okay, so you sit in here and think things over, and I’m going to go hang out with Talfryn.”

  “Good, at least he will not have time to pester me,” Lorcan said and he walked with his brother to the door.

  Corwin stepped into the hall before turning back to say, “Oh and Lorcan, if you want to lie down or sleep, do it on the bed.”

  “Mind your own business,” Lorcan said to his brother’s retreating back. Their conversation had further muddled his thoughts. But he needed somewhere to start and so he focused on the men he had once called friends. His parents’ deaths were a mystery and he had no way of knowing if Nyley and Heriell were involved. He sincerely hoped not. Since the event was so long ago, he would never be able to answer the question anyway, so he set it aside.

  The pair had been excited when Lorcan had become Chieftain. His short reign had been mostly happy. Nyley and Heriell were fond of fighting and had often encouraged him to engage in needless conflicts, but he had simply ignored them. He had always assumed that once he had dismissed the idea, they’d moved on and focused on seeing to their daily tasks. Could he have been wrong? Had his desire to keep his tribe at peace festered in their hearts?

  Meeting Talfryn had filled his tribe with a celebratory spirit. The Acwellan had been proud that their chieftain had met his handsome mate so young and decided Fate had favored the entire tribe with the pairing of Lorcan and Talfryn. It was true that Heriell and Nyley had been more reserved in their enthusiasm, but to put together a plan to drug him and have him removed from the village spoke of a deep resentment—possibly even hatred.

  He didn’t know why it was so much easier to think of Talfryn as the betrayer. Perhaps it was because deep down, Lorcan didn’t feel he deserved such happiness. Or maybe it was that it made Lorcan fully responsible for not only all Acwellan that died but Talfryn’s people as well. If he was wrong and Talfryn had been a victim, then he was guilty of slaughtering innocents. In the end, he guessed it didn’t matter who had betrayed whom—what was certain was that Lorcan didn’t deserve the love of a mate. He wasn’t worthy of anything but scorn.

  Corwin was a gift beyond measure, and he would do his best to see his brother wanted for nothing. As far as Talfryn was concerned, once he sat down and realized that Lorcan didn’t warrant love or beauty, he would leave him be. At least he now had Cadlyr and the rest of the D’Vaire family to see to his happiness. They would have to learn to be civil to one another and Lorcan knew that started with him. From this point forward, he would do his best to be amicable but he would never encourage any real kind of conversation with the man. Staying away was the least he could do.

  Chapter 29

  Talfryn blinked hard. It was dinnertime and not only had Lorcan greeted him without prompting, but he had smiled. A weak and kind of sickly smile, but it was a smile. His heart leaped into his throat, and he wondered if Corwin had managed to talk some sense into his mate. Maybe Lorcan was finally comprehending that Talfryn had not left of his own accord. He offered Lorcan a wide, tooth-filled grin. “How was your day?”

  “I have no complaints.”

  “Wonderful, what did you do?”

  “Not much.”

  Talfryn mentally rolled his eyes but refused to get discouraged. Lorcan was talking. He would take what he could get. “Corwin told me he spoke with you. Did you guys have a nice talk?”

  “I have always enjoyed time with my brother. I am grateful for his presence in my life again.”

  “Thanks,” Corwin said as he sat down at their table.

  “You’re welcome,” Cadlyr said as he took a seat next to Corwin.

  “You wear the arrogance of a chieftain well,” Lorcan offered Cadlyr.

  “As do you,” Cadlyr replied.

  “He was that way before my parents died,” Corwin added.

  “I have no trouble believing that,” Talfryn said with a laugh.

  “You were never short of pride yourself,” Lorcan replied.

  “Is that your way of telling me I’m full of myself?”

  “It’s not like Fate could have put you with someone who was easily intimidated,” Corwin pointed out.

  “Talfryn wouldn’t have done well with a mate who wasn’t willing to speak his mind and stand up to him,” Cadlyr said. Talfryn offered his brother a bland stare. He wasn’t exactly sure he appreciated the way this conversation was going.

  “As fascinating as it is to get your opinions on my personality, I’m sure we can find more interesting things to talk about,” Talfryn said.

  Lorcan glanced at him. “What topic suits you better?”

  “Literally anything.”

  “Why don’t we make plans for tomorrow? We could all do something together,” Corwin suggested.

  “You will have to count me out,” Lorcan said.

  “Too busy brooding?” Talfryn asked. He immediately regretted the question. Here his mate was doing his best to be talkative, and Talfryn was criticizing him. “I’m sorry, that was unfair.”

  “I do have a great deal to think about. I prefer to do it alone,” Lorcan replied. Talfryn would give anything to know what he was mulling over. Could he be ready to reevaluate the events of their past? Was it possible Lorcan might see that Talfryn was guilty of nothing more than loving him? The questions bombarding him gave him a slightly euphoric feeling. If Lorcan was reconsidering Talfryn’s role, then perhaps they were one step closer to reuniting.

  “You’re going to think all day?” Corwin asked, obviously skeptical of his brother’s plans.

  “Yes.”

  “At least you’ll be comfortable. Talfryn, did I tell you I got my brother to agree to stop lying on the floor?”

  Talfryn grinned. “It would seem that all the time you spent in that cave has gifted you with the power to create miracles.”

  “If that were true, I’d do something about Lorcan’s hair. Did you hack it off with a knife? It’s a mess.”

  “I used an athame, actually.” Talfryn had an urge to smack Lorcan for using their mating dagger to lop off his beautiful hair, but he managed to swallow his outrage.

  “Why?” Corwin asked.

  “Why did I use the athame, or why did I cut my hair?”

  “Both.”

  “The athame was all I had at hand, and I cut it because it annoyed me.”

  “You’ll grow it back now that Talfryn can bead and braid it for you,” Corwin said. Surprisingly Lorcan offered no argument and even gave his brother a barely perceptible nod.

  Talfryn bit back a smile and decided not to make a big deal over Lorcan’s agreement. “Cadlyr, we will need to have beads made for you. A chieftain cannot run around with his hair so plainly dressed.”

  “I have no desire to have a fuss made over me.”

  “I can make beads for you,” Madeline said from the table next to theirs. “Sorry to eavesdrop, but it would be no problem. Just tell me what colors you want the metal and what patterns to use.”

  “Thanks, he’ll need lots of lavender beads. I can draw some patterns for you. When Lorcan’s hair get
s longer, he’ll need red like the ones in Corwin’s hair,” Talfryn said.

  “And for your hair?” Madeline asked.

  “He is both Cwylld and Acwellan. He will need black beads and lavender ones. I do not care for red in his hair,” Lorcan said. Talfryn’s eyes met Corwin’s, and he could see the joy in his gaze. Without a doubt, the same happiness was radiating from Talfryn’s. A mated elf rarely allowed anyone other than their mate to decorate their hair, and Talfryn was going to insist on that tradition when Madeline’s beads were ready.

  “He’s Chieftain-mate of the Acwellan. Technically that means he is no longer Cwylld,” Cadlyr said.

  “You saw his hair when he arrived in your village before he was blinded. Did he not have both lavender and black then?” Lorcan asked.

  Cadlyr appeared thoughtful and remained silent for several minutes before nodding his head. “That was a detail I had forgotten. I remember removing them and there were two colors.”

  Talfryn wondered if Lorcan realized the importance of Cadlyr’s statement. If he had been intent on blinding himself, he certainly would have removed the beads before the spell was cast. It gave more credence to the idea that he was abducted and that someone else had to take out the intricate braiding and beadwork Lorcan had so lovingly put in.

  “Everyone wondered why Talfryn’s hair had two colors of beads,” Corwin said.

  “They also complained about why he never wore red as the other Acwellan. Although it was none of their business, I had to end the speculation. Talfryn’s hair was dressed that way because that was how I preferred it,” Lorcan said. Talfryn remembered well Lorcan having beads made just for him in a color separate from the rest of his tribe. He told Talfryn that he had never been fond of the colors purple and red together. It struck Talfryn that Lorcan had to look in the mirror each day and see a color combination he abhorred in his own eyes.

  “You don’t like red and purple together,” Corwin said as if reading Talfryn’s thoughts.

  “No, I do not.”

  “Then why did you not listen to Mother and spend more time out of your demonic form? It turned the blue of your eyes into the very colors you hate,” Corwin chastised.

  “I did not consider the consequences of my actions.”

  “Why not?” Corwin asked as only a pesky younger brother could.

  “I was planning on dying. The color of my eyes hardly mattered.”

  “Well, you’re over that now, so stay out of your demon form and maybe you can get rid of the red at least,” Corwin said.

  “You don’t think they could return to blue?” Talfryn asked. He missed the crystal azure of Lorcan’s eyes. It seemed his brother was responsible for yet another miracle; Lorcan was past his delusion of murdering him.

  “The purple is closer to your lavender. I would think you would find that pleasing,” Lorcan said.

  “I have a mirror if I want to see lavender. Why would I want yours to be any shade of purple? I loved your blue eyes,” Talfryn said as he pushed his empty plate forward so he could use the table to prop up his crossed arms. The kitchen was emptying as most of their family had finished eating, except for Dra’Kaedan and Scheredin who looked as if they were having a contest to see who could consume the most.

  “Corwin’s are blue. You may admire his if you find mine so distasteful.”

  “I didn’t say they were distasteful. I said I preferred them blue.”

  “I have to adjust to a new reality. You have only to adjust to a new eye color. Be satisfied with the sacrifice you must make,” Lorcan said. Talfryn’s eyebrows shot up to nearly his hairline. Lorcan really was reevaluating the past. He could only hope that it would not take him long to realize Talfryn had never and would never betray him. His treacherous friends and Talfryn’s horrible parents were the ones responsible. With all the culprits now dead, there was nothing standing in the way of their happiness.

  “I suppose you are right. I can live with it. Hopefully with time, the red will fade and the purple will fade back to blue. If not, I guess I cannot complain.”

  Lorcan stood with his plate in hand. “If not, perhaps you can ask Dre’Kariston to turn dark and blind you again.”

  Glaring at the annoying elf, Talfryn said, “That’s not at all funny.”

  Chapter 30

  Idris Vioric-D’Vaire stuffed another pair of jeans into his already packed duffel bag. He was getting ready to head to Court D’Vaire to spend the weekend. As usual, he was taking too much, but his new family had given him tons of clothes. He appreciated the bounty of their gifts and never wanted them to doubt how grateful he was for their kindness. So when he visited, he sometimes changed clothes up to three times a day so they would see that he liked everything they bought. It was a good thing Noirin insisted he do his laundry before he left.

  This trip was going to be special. His best friend, Delaney, kept him up-to-date on current events, and he was still stunned that Edion was not only no longer blind but had a mate. Idris had to keep reminding himself that Edion’s name was really Talfryn. He’d heard the story about how he came to be blind, and it made Idris mad that there were so many evil people in this world. Dealing with Latarian had given him first-hand knowledge of nastiness, but he knew he was still terribly naïve. He just preferred to find the good in people.

  Yanking on the zipper of his bag, Idris realized it was not going to close. He blew out a breath before pulling a hoodie out of the duffel. The weather this time of year wasn’t cool enough to need it anyway, he thought as he finally got the suitcase shut. His phone beeped and he charged out the door of his dorm room. It had to be Dra’Kaedan texting to say he was ready to come and teleport him home.

  Glancing at the screen he saw that he was correct and picked up the pace until he was nearly running. He appreciated Dra’Kaedan taking the time to come and get him and never wanted to disappoint him by keeping him waiting. The truth was, Idris knew enough magic to make the journey home alone, but he liked that Dra’Kaedan was willing to take the time to transport him. It had become something of a tradition, and Idris was loathe to end it. Barreling around the corner, he took the stairs in leaps and by the time he was on the first floor, he was gasping for breath.

  “Dude, how many times do I have to tell you that you don’t have to hurry?” Dra’Kaedan asked as soon as he saw him. He hugged Idris before releasing him so Brogan could wrap his arms around him as well.

  “It’s okay, I don’t mind.” Dra’Kaedan shook his head before casting a spell that landed them right into the D’Vaire living room.

  “Idris,” Delaney exclaimed and held out his arms. Idris barely noticed him; he was too busy staring bug-eyed at someone he hoped he would never see again.

  “Cadlyr,” he whispered. The elf in question, who was thankfully without his spear, grinned.

  “Greetings Idris, it is good to see you again,” Cadlyr said to him.

  “Uh. Sorry, you know, for…uh—”

  “Stealing the stones that belong to my tribe?” Cadlyr asked.

  Idris grimaced. “Yeah, sorry. I really didn’t want to.”

  “I’m well aware of Latarian’s plan. It’s all right.”

  “Thanks for taking care of my brother while he was in Latarian’s care,” Cadlyr said.

  Idris decided he was going to have a few words with his good friend Delaney; he appeared to have left out some current events. “Huh?”

  “Cadlyr is my brother,” a tall blond elf at Cadlyr’s side said.

  “Edion?”

  “So they called me, but my name is Talfryn. It’s good to see you, Idris. This is my mate, Lorcan, and next to him is his younger brother, Corwin,” Talfryn said, gesturing to the two dark-haired elves. Idris didn’t want to be impolite, but Talfryn’s mate looked downright scary with his red and purple eyes and crudely cut hair. Corwin looked nice though; at least he was smiling.

  “It’s nice to meet you both. I didn’t mean to call you Edion. Delaney told me your name is really Talfryn,” Idris
said and was pleased that Talfryn pulled him into a hug.

  “It’s okay, I know it can be confusing since you already knew me as Edion. I won’t mind if you forget from time to time,” Talfryn said. Idris offered him a smile and then finished greeting the rest of his family. His ribs were nearly aching from all the affection he received.

  “This is my cousin, Scheredin,” Dre’Kariston said. Like Corwin, this newcomer was all smiles. Like Dre’Kariston, his hair was black but Scheredin’s eyes were the color of freshly cut grass. Idris was excited that he was going to get to spend his weekend making new friends. He shook hands with the newest D’Vaire warlock before Noirin shooed him out of the room to put his things in his bedroom ahead of dinner. He did her bidding, changed his clothes to another pair of jeans and T-shirt and went back to the kitchen.

  “You packed your whole closet again?” Delaney asked.

  “So what?”

  Delaney bumped their shoulders together. “Don’t get mad, I’m just teasing. We all know you appreciate everything, so you don’t have to bring it all home every weekend.”

  “I’m going to ignore you and pet Greggory,” Idris informed him before stroking the scales of Delaney’s dragon familiar. Greggory clucked his throat and nearly purred from the affectionate touch.

  “Did the Prism Wizard schedule your next test yet?” Delaney asked.

  “Yeah, it’s in a couple of weeks. I’m going to be studying like crazy.”

  “You’ll do great. You’ve only got one more after that, and then you can summon your own familiar.”

  “I know, I can’t wait. I’m going to have a dragon as cool as Greggory.” The dragon familiar gave a friendly growl at the sound of his name and Idris smiled.

  “It won’t be long before you’re studying here with me.”

  “Won’t it be awesome? Three more tests and I’ll be a full-time D’Vaire.”

  “You already are a full-time D’Vaire; you just live on campus,” Aleksander said as he grabbed a plate and began heaping it full of potatoes. He swung an elbow out to nudge Dra’Kaedan out of the way. The warlock was trying to cut in front of their king to grab his dinner first. Idris laughed as Dra’Kaedan muttered a few curses but didn’t otherwise object. If it were not their leader, he probably would have set the person on fire for blocking him that way.