Page 21 of Becoming D'Vaire
Delaney ignored the palm Grigori had outstretched, and his spine stiffened as he gave Irina his full attention. He opened his mouth to speak, then snapped it shut again. His gaze skittered back to Grigori and his expression grew shuttered.
“We’re very proud of him,” the Prism Wizard gritted out through clenched teeth.
“No, you’ve mistaken my words. I remember you. You grew up in an orphanage. I can’t remember the name. It was a lovely old Victorian house. I used to read to the children there, and I can still recall with perfect clarity a small dark-haired boy with jet-black eyes. It was you, wasn’t it, High Arcanist? You were a precious child, and you listened with rapt attention. There was such intelligence and power in that look. It’s even more discernable today,” Irina said. She glanced over at Grigori who still had his stupid hand out. “I never imagined…well, Fate gets to decide these things, doesn’t she?”
“Irina, Fate knows what she’s doing. It’ll be fine,” Alexei told her.
“I don’t understand the byplay here, would someone like to clue me in?” Duke Macardle asked with an edge to his tone.
“Mac, Del’s mate is this Vampyr Lord,” the man who was introduced as Duff retorted. His tone was even more irritated than the dragon shifter’s. “And I have to say, I don’t know what Fate was smoking myself. Del and this guy?”
“Is there something wrong with my brother, Mr. Cominsky?” Nikolai asked.
“Besides the whole sweaty forehead thing, no. He’s like all of you…magnificent or something. I mean seriously, he looks like he should be modeling underwear,” Duff answered.
“Believe it or not, Duff, I figured out they were mates. I meant, Vampyress, why is that a problem?” the duke asked.
She let out a sigh. “Vampires and magic don’t always mix well. As a High Arcanist, your Delaney has a lot of it. It could be dangerous for them both.”
“Irina, they’re mates,” Alexei repeated.
“I’m a mom, I worry. It’s what I do,” she snapped.
“Del, would you shake his hand already? He looks like an idiot standing there like that, and how that’s even possible with that face I don’t know, but there it is,” Duff remarked.
Delaney’s eyes met Grigori’s, he glanced down at his hand; then his attention returned to his face. Grigori finally gained some control over his idiot body and lowered his arm to his side.
“High Arcanist, you named your familiar Greggory?” Nikolai asked.
The smoky crown bobbed as Delaney nodded. “I was ten. It means vigilant.”
“Your mate has the same name,” High Arcanist Idris said. “You were right, Greggory’s a dragon because of D’Vaire and Mac.”
“I guess,” Delaney responded.
Grigori hadn’t missed that he had a different version of his familiar’s name—though the little dragon didn’t seem to care that he’d been reunited with his sorcerer; he was still perched on Grigori’s shoulder. “What do you mean?”
“I believe I have a dragon because I was always meant to be at D’Vaire,” Delaney explained. “And Mac’s a black one like Greggory as he’s the duke assigned to guard Idris and me.”
“Geez, Del. Get his number or something,” Duff commented with an aggrieved expression.
Grigori’s usually sharp brain finally started grinding back into action. “I’d like to have your number, High Arcanist. Perhaps we could go out on a date soon?” He was so shocked that he managed the question, Grigori almost clapped for himself.
Delaney studied him for a minute or two, then dug into his pocket to produce a phone. “Sure, Vampyr Lord. Let’s do that.”
They exchanged contact information, and Grigori stuffed his device back into his jacket but only after he added the details for the date they arranged for the following week.
“I’m looking forward to getting to know you, High Arcanist,” Grigori offered.
“Great. Nice meeting you all, and thanks for reading me that story when I was a kid, Vampyress. For me, it started a fascination with dragons which the Prism Wizard fostered, and that road led me to becoming a D’Vaire. Nothing in my life means more to me than that. Can I have my familiar back, Vampyr Lord?”
“Sure, High Arcanist. Should I grab him or something? I don’t want to hurt him.”
Grigori swiveled to the side and lowered his body slightly when Delaney reached up for Greggory. A few inches separated them in height, so he wanted to make it easier for the wizard since he was thrilled he’d taken the initiative in grabbing the dragon. Unfortunately, Greggory wasn’t having it. He growled and flapped his wings, so Delaney couldn’t get a hold of him.
“Mac, can you get him?” Delaney asked, his voice rife with frustration.
“Come on, Greggory. It’s just like when Roger met Mac. You have to spend some time apart now, but soon you can be with him whenever you want,” High Arcanist Idris coaxed as his mate seized the familiar. Duke D’Vairedraconis kept hold of Greggory as the small group turned and walked away.
