Page 54 of Becoming D'Vaire
“See, it’s her fault. She’s encouraged me to be strange,” Grigori teased.
“I’ve encouraged you to be yourself,” Irina corrected.
Delaney was handed a glass of wine. He took a sip and Grigori once again got his attention. “Don’t worry, Del. There are no aphrodisiacs in this wine.”
“Of course not. We never serve them at the first family dinner,” Nikolai quipped.
“Come on gentlemen, let’s have a seat. I’m sure Tigglesworth will be in here any moment with the first course. Delaney, I wanted you to know Tigglesworth and his mate Charlie are Volkovs as far as anyone in this room is concerned. However, Tigglesworth has a very stringent view on how the butler and chauffeur should behave, and the man’s impossible to argue with,” Irina remarked.
As if he heard his name, Tigglesworth appeared with salads for all five of them. “Vampyress, Charles and I are both bonded to Lord Nikolai through blood in the traditional rite of faithful servants. I’ve been at Lord Nikolai’s side for two centuries. I cannot shirk my duties whenever the whim hits.”
“You aren’t a vampire?” Delaney asked. He hadn’t even noticed that they were missing fangs; his magic senses had incorrectly identified them as vampires.
“No, High Arcanist, Charles and I were both humans. Our lives were extended to match the span given to Lord Nikolai at his request.”
“I couldn’t live without either one of them, and I’d hire replacements for them if they’d act like the family members they are, but Tigglesworth is too damn stubborn,” Nikolai said.
“May I get anyone anything before I leave you to enjoy the first course?” Tigglesworth asked.
“A chair for your butt as well as one for Charlie?” Grigori answered.
Tigglesworth pursed his lips. “I will be in the kitchen if my services are needed before the next course, my lord.”
After he retreated, Delaney asked, “I didn’t know vampires could do that for humans. Exchange blood with them to lengthen their lives, I mean.” It did explain why his magical abilities had lumped the pair into the vampire category and missed that they were converted humans. It was Nikolai’s gift to them that confused his normally reliable skill in figuring out races.
“It’s an ancient practice and one we no longer allow. It’s a big commitment for a vampire to offer immortality and make them magickind. It does weaken them in the most minor of ways, but it was a sacrifice I was more than willing to make first for Keyton—that’s Tigglesworth’s first name, though it’s rarely used—then for Charlie when he showed up at my home searching for a job at a very youthful nineteen. I wish I had a video of Tigglesworth losing his mind when he discovered they were mates. It’s really the only time I’ve seen him flustered,” Nikolai confided with a chuckle.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t born yet, because I missed it,” Grigori commented.
“We all missed it. Nikolai insisted on living in England at the time,” Irina remarked with a pointed look at her eldest child, which made guilt swamp Delaney. The Vampyress wanted her sons under her roof and here he was, ready to take Grigori off to D’Vaire.
“Mom, maybe you could rake Nikolai over the coals later? You’re going to make Del worry about me moving to D’Vaire.”
“Del—is it okay if I call you that?” she asked. Delaney managed to nod. “I enjoy my sons. I love them a great deal. Alexei and I have spent their entire lives explaining the importance of having a mate. The only thing I’m willing to give them up for is love. I want Grigori at your side at that beautiful sanctuary of yours. Or at least I hear it’s beautiful. Grigori won’t let me visit.”
“It’s difficult to build a relationship with your mom hanging around.”
“You hear that, Alexei? Your son thinks I just hang around cramping his life.”
“They’re both brats. Del, I hope you don’t mind if Irina and I are frequent visitors. Our sons are annoying shits, but they’re ours.”
“This is why I’ve kept you from D’Vaire. What kind of impression are you giving Delsaurus? In one breath, you’ve called me a brat and an annoying shit,” Grigori complained.
“He’s spent enough time with you by now to have figured it out on his own,” Alexei teased. “All kidding aside, we’re incredibly proud of these two wonderful men we’ve somehow managed to raise into being hard-working and honorable.”
“I think Grigori’s amazing. You guys did a terrific job,” Delaney told them truthfully.
“We’re very pleased with Fate’s choice for Grigori. I want you to know that. I believe you already know I have concerns, but none of it is in your control or your fault,” Irina informed him.
“Grigori told me magic’s unpredictable for vampires.”
“Have you told him about the beginning of the word ‘umpyr’?” Irina asked Grigori.
“No, it’s your story, Mom. I wanted you to be able to tell it.”
“Del, you’re well educated. What do you know of vampires?” Irina inquired.
“Well, you guys are a newer addition to the Council. You weren’t added until about a little under a century ago, so there’s not a lot of information about you within its history. I’ve learned more from Grigori in the few short weeks I’ve known him than I knew before I found out my mate was a vampire.”
