Page 15 of Becoming D'Vaire
“I’m twenty-six. I have zero concern about meeting my mate at this point.”
“There’s no age requirement.”
“I’m immortal. Fate’s not going to waste her time matching me up right now.”
“When he does show up, do us all a favor and make time for him outside your lab.”
“Mates come first.”
Sebastian grinned as the elevator doors slid open. “I didn’t realize your lab would share you so easily.”
“You’re making my lab sound like my lover.”
“I know.”
Grigori rolled his eyes as Sebastian opened the limousine doors. He clambered into his parents’ vehicle and smiled. It was not often that he thought about mates—or at least not his own. His parents were a beautiful example of two people who shared every aspect of their lives together. So were their butler and his other half, who were more like family than employees. To pair himself up with a man who would understand him fully and be willing to overlook his quirks was beyond even his intelligent brain.
No such creature could possibly exist, and Grigori couldn’t live with himself if Fate put him in a relationship where neither person was happy. But if Fate were listening somewhere, what he truly wanted was someone who could be his best friend. Though he was blessed in the family department, he didn’t have any confidantes. There was no one to call when he had a crazy thought or new idea. Grigori’s aptitude in school had set him apart from the beginning, and it had only gotten worse as he moved from grade to grade.
Deciding he might as well make a wish list, he added smart and handsome. With a mental shrug, he decided he didn’t care if it sounded greedy. Wishes were supposed to be ambitious, and he wanted a wonderful man who Grigori could talk to easily. Wrapping up his request, he added that he didnotwant a vampire. The ultimate partner for his people was one you could feed from, and one vampire could not do that for another. As scary as it was to consider being with a human, since most of them disliked vampires, he wanted something beyond his own race.
Scrunching his nose, he stared out the window of the car as they whisked past a few buildings, he asked Fate to please not give him a shifter. From what he’d heard, their blood tasted weird, and it was an acquired thing to get used to. If he was being choosy, he might as well break all the rules and ask for magickind. Sure, sorcerer blood was addictive and had a different effect on each vampire, but he’d always liked a challenge. Shaking off his crazy thoughts, Grigori set the mate idea aside. He easily had several thousand years before he would find out if Fate listened to forgetful scientist vampires.
Chapter 6
“Is it going to work?” High Arcanist Idris D’Vaire asked. His indigo eyes were full of curiosity, and his brown hair was a full riot of curls Delaney secretly wished he had.
“I guess we’ll find out. Dark sorcerers need better ways to heal.”
“A stone’s a good idea. You and Dre’Kariston were really smart to think of it,” Delaney’s best friend told him. They met at the age of sixteen after Idris was conned into helping an evil warlock named Latarian into kidnapping two of the D’Vaires. Unlike the fantastic education Delaney had, Idris hadn’t known how to cast the most basic of skills when he arrived. Vadimas sent him off to the same school Delaney had once lived in and at twenty-one, the two ascended to High Arcanist together.
Idris’s arrival into Delaney’s life changed his goal of finishing at nineteen. It’d been too tantalizing to join the leadership of the Spectra Wizardry with another High Arcanist, so Delaney had eagerly allowed Idris all the time he needed to get caught up. Idris wasn’t just another caster either—they were both orphans and had clicked as soon as they met at the D’Vaire household. They’d been close ever since, and Idris hadn’t kept anyone waiting long to reach his potential. The sorcerer exceeded all expectations and managed to learn all ten magical levels in five short years.
“Well, if the Cwylld elves could find a stone to diffuse magic, why not make a D’Vaire one to heal?” Delaney replied with a shrug. The idea was to infuse a rock in the rich colors of Aleksander’s dragon with the light healing power, then have Idris twist the dark magic of Delaney’s or Dre’Kariston’s around it. They were still in the planning stages, but the simulations were promising.
“Where are all the warlocks anyway?” Idris asked. When Delaney first arrived at D’Vaire, there were only three known to be living plus two familiars. After Idris stumbled upon Latarian and their plan was set in motion, the female warlock was killed by Gavrael’s dagger after she plunged a knife into Dra’Kaedan’s heart. Thanks to Idris’s ingenuity and the quick thinking of Dre’Kariston and the Arch Lich, the Grand Warlock’s life was spared.
After her death, Dra’Kaedan’s cousin was found, he and his familiar also called D’Vaire home. A fourth sorcerer was located at the former home of Dre’Kariston’s mate. Wullem didn’t have a great deal of power, so Dra’Kaedan recently built a spell to funnel enough power into him to summon a familiar named Leopold. Like Wullem he was on the shy side, but Delaney found both to be extremely kind. There were others out there, but they’d yet to locate them.
“No idea, maybe with T’Eirick and Saura?” Delaney responded.
“It’s been so nice having Dra’Kaedan and Dre’Kariston’s parents here.”
“Yeah, I’m glad they agreed to be temporarily resurrected.”
“I wish they’d stay with us forever. You think they’re all in Aleksander’s office?”
Delaney gave Idris a knowing glance and patted Greggory’s head. “What’s next? You going to ask me where Roger is?”
“How would you know where my familiar is?”
“Because he’s always in one place,” Delaney answered. “With your mate.”
“Hmm.”
Getting out of his chair, Delaney waved his hand at Idris in a “let’s go” motion. “Come on, time to say hi to Mac.”
Idris’s bright smile blossomed. “Well, if you insist.”
