Page 88 of D'Vaire or Nothing
“What do youwant, Mavi?”
A scuffle or something ensued, and Ashby wasn’t sure what was happening, but he was amused by the brothers fighting in a strange mix of Modern Elvish with English curse words thrown in.
“Hi, Ashby.”
“Hi, Selti.”
“No, it’s Mavi. Voices are the same. We’re identical twins. Listen, because Selti is trying to grab the phone. I think my brother is wrong. We should tell my mom. All she wants is for us to be happy. They’re selling their business to force us to go out into the world. Selti and I…well, we have each other and don’t really need other friends. But my mom mostly wants us to find our mates. She’ll be so excited; she won’t care if things are delayed by a day or two.Ow.”
“Hello?” asked a breathless voice Ashby assumed was Seltivare’s.
“What do you think of Mavi’s idea of telling your parents?”
“Mavi! Mavi, get back here. Mavi, they’re sleeping!” Seltivare sighed heavily into the phone. “Doesn’t matter what I think because my brother is a jerk and is waking them up.”
“Would it be possible for me to teleport to your house? We could talk to your parents together and explain this unique situation?”
“It must be so wonderful to be a druid. Yes, if you want to do that, I would love your help talking to my parents. Plus, I want you to meet my family.”
“Okay, send me a picture of somewhere unique in your house and I’ll be there.”
Ashby said goodbye to Seltivare, shoved his feet into his shoes, and slipped on his suit jacket. His phone beeped, and he smiled at the picture of two beds made up in bedspreads of the same lovely blue of Seltivare’s eyes. He teleported there and opened his mouth to greet Seltivare as the door burst open to reveal a mated couple in their pajamas.
Behind them was a third elf, who was identical to Seltivare. If Mavizare didn’t wear his hair in a straight waterfall to his shoulders, Ashby mused that he’d need the sweet pea scent of his mate to tell them apart.
“Who is this strange man in our house?” the woman asked, her hand flying up to close the small gap in her robe.
“Mom and Dad, this is Bard Ashby D’Vaire,” Seltivare said. “Ashby, these are my parents, Vateltir and Zolilara Tristis.”
“Selti met Ashby tonight at work,” Mavizare remarked as he grinned at Ashby. There was a wicked gleam in the elf’s eyes that Ashby noted was missing in Seltivare’s gentler gaze. “They’re mates.”
“Mates?” Zolilara exclaimed. She moved in a flash, and Ashby squeaked as she hugged him. “Congratulations. Ashby, was it? Hello. I’m Zoli. We’re so pleased to meet you. Of course, Mavi didn’t mention we were having company or we wouldn’t be in our damn pajamas.”
“Elves don’t curse, Momma,” Seltivare muttered.
“Except I’ve already heard you and your brother fling plenty of swear words at each other,” Ashby mused.
“Wow, your mate has been here for two minutes and is already trying to get us in trouble,” Mavizare complained.
“We will discuss that later. Come into the kitchen. We’ll have something to drink and eat. I hope elven fare is fine.” Zolilara gave them no choice as she bustled everyone out of the bedroom and into a bright white kitchen. “I sense you’re a hybrid, Ashby. Do you have a beast?”
“No, my jaguar is dormant. But I have some magic.”
“A druid. You’ll have to take a look at Selti’s garden. He has loved flowers since he was a boy.”
Wonderfully surprised by that nugget of information, Ashby took a seat at the kitchen table and smiled at Seltivare. “I wish it wasn’t dark so I could see it right now.”
“It’s a small garden, and my parents are selling the house, so someone else will get to enjoy it,” Seltivare grumbled.
“And now I know why the house needs to go,” Vateltir remarked. “I thought your mother was losing her mind when she wanted us to sell both the house and our business, but Fate had plans for you, Selti.”
“Ashby, are you familiar with elven traditions?” Zolilara asked as she set a pitcher of iced tea mixed with slices of cucumber in the middle of the table and her mate handed everyone matching clear glasses trimmed in black.
“Yes, and I’ve already agreed to have a matebond ceremony as soon as possible,” Ashby replied.
“But Ashby’s family is on vacation at the resort until Monday,” Mavizare stated.
“Could we wait an extra day or two, Momma?” Seltivare asked. “It bends tradition, but Ashby wants to have it at his home in Arizona and have his entire family attend.”
