Page 18 of D’Vaire or Nothing (D’Vaire #44)
“I was going to ask Saura to pick something like she did for Lucian,” Josh revealed.
Saura grinned. “I may have put together a short list in case I was called into service. I’m leaning toward one, but we’ll have to meet him and get a sense of which suits him best.”
With a nod, Josh swallowed thickly and was grateful that he was soon pressed against a familiar chest. Donnell’s lips landed on his head.
“Imagine how excited you were the day you went to D’Vaire and finally got to meet all of your found family,” Donnell said.
“The rest of them,” Josh corrected. “My first genuine family was the Ursus Arctos-Arturuses. The D’Vaires were the icing on the cake.”
Renny groaned. “Please don’t bring up cake with Dra’Kaedan in the room.”
“Oh, don’t worry, I’m already planning the celebration we’ll have for our newest D’Vaire on our next family weekend,” Dra’Kaedan said. “We’ll have a cake that looks just like him.”
“Dude, maybe rethink that,” Josh remarked. “Not sure how I’d feel spending the weekend with people who used a knife to cut up my body parts and feast on my cake self.”
“Thanks for that haunting image,” Donnell replied. “Are you ready?”
Josh scooped his elemental from the floor and handed Dylan to Donnell. “Will you hold him?”
“Of course,” Donnell said, nestling the little watery bear into the crook of his elbow.
Walking to the center of the room, Josh faced the twins who ruled the Coven of Warlocks.
“Whenever you’re ready,” Dre’Kariston said. “There’s no rush.”
With a nod, Josh closed his eyes and forced himself to stay rooted to the warlock side of his magic.
He brought the image to mind that had appeared on his skin a year into his magical studies and watched as a form filled the space in front of him.
At five-foot-two, Josh was tiny, and his familiar was perhaps an inch shorter.
His hair was black like Josh’s but lacked the thick teal streak he’d added permanently to his locks. The familiar’s smile flashed as he became a solid figure and rushed forward to hug Josh.
“Thanks for summoning me,” the man said.
“Sorry for taking so long,” Josh muttered as they stared at one another with matching aqua eyes.
“Don’t be, you weren’t ready. And it doesn’t matter, we’re best friends now.”
“I’d like that,” Josh replied, surprised at his sudden desire to weep. “I’d fuckity love that. I thought Saura could pick your name if that’s okay.”
In a flash, the familiar switched positions so he was at Josh’s side. With a courtly bow, he brandished a grin.
“My fair Lichpriestess, I am most eager to learn what wonderful name you have selected to be my moniker for eternity. Will you provide it to me?”
“Welcome to our D’Vaire family, what do you think of the name Winstan?” Saura asked. “It means friend, and I thought it suited the familiar of the Aqua Superus.”
“I love it, and I believe I will hyphenate my last name, even though I’m not a mage, so it matches my summoner,” Aqua Superus Familiar Winstan Arturus-D’Vaire declared.
“My duties will be straddled between the Coven of Warlocks and the Circle of Mages. It seems fitting for the only lockmage familiar.”
“Welcome to the Coven of Warlocks, Winstan,” Dra’Kaedan said. “Given the independent spirit of your summoner, I’m not surprised that you already know what you want to do with your life, and we can’t wait to work with you.”
Winstan flashed a grin that Josh noted lacked his small overbite. Thankfully, that imperfection had ceased bothering Josh many years ago. It didn’t hurt that Donnell thought it was sexy either. “I was summoned in a casino; I think the nickname Win suits me.”
“Yep, definitely Josh’s familiar,” Owen remarked with a chuckle. “Already knows what he wants and declares it with full courage.”
“Has this bear ever gotten over his issue with Fate?” Winstan asked, referring to Owen’s ongoing desire to avoid meeting his mate so he could continue to enjoy himself with a variety of men.
Everyone but Owen answered no.
Winstan chuckled. “His poor mate. Meanwhile, Josh, introduce me to your handsome bear and your elemental.”
Doing as he was told, Josh was thrilled that Dylan wanted Winstan to hold him.
Not only did it allow Josh to sneak close to Donnell, but Josh wanted his familiar and elemental to get along.
Since Winstan was cooing at the bear cuddling him, they were already doing great in that respect. Delighted, Josh pointed at the basket.
“It’s going to take you weeks to go through all the stuff the D’Vaires brought for you.”
“I’m surprised Aleksander and Rafe were too busy to join us,” Brogan said. “They added a ton to the basket and were nearly as excited as the Coven of Warlocks about Win joining the family.”
Josh’s eyes widened. “Wait. Who talked to them?”
“You did,” Brogan replied. “You were the one who sent out the text, remember?”
“No one told me to include the High Kings in my text,” Josh exclaimed in horror.
Renny laughed. “Sadly, this isn’t even the first time we’ve forgotten to include Aleksander. Whoops.”
“I’ll call them,” Saura said. “We’ll blame this on Dra’Kaedan. As the Grand Warlock, it’s his job to oversee everything.”
Dra’Kaedan rolled his eyes. “Anyway, Win. Let’s talk.”
“Please don’t bother him about cake; he’s been alive for less than an hour,” Renny pleaded.
“Actually, I was going to ask about his stance on ninja kittens being the most supreme way of handling disputes between a warlock and his familiar,” Dra’Kaedan corrected.
“I haven’t had the chance to discuss it with Josh, obviously, but my thought was we should do things a little differently,” Winstan said, grinning.
Josh found his smile infectious and was open to his ideas. “What did you have in mind?”
“Bears. Teddy bears, to be exact. Sword-toting teddy bears to settle our disputes.”
“That’s so fuckity fan fanfuckulous, I want to start a fight with you so we can test it out,” Josh enthused.
“We definitely need a test run, and I want to play with magic.”
“What do you think about a battle royale of kittens and teddy bears fighting?” Dra’Kaedan asked.
“That I already have the best life and I’m not even an hour old,” Winstan exclaimed. “And afterward, we celebrate with cake!”
Cackling at the way Renny and Dre’Kariston rolled their eyes in unison, Josh leaned up and kissed Donnell.
“Thanks for being my mate, and you better cheer me on as I try to destroy my familiar with a magical sword,” Josh warned.
Donnell plucked Dylan from Winstan’s hold and smiled. “Good luck wielding a sword with round little teddy bear paws.”
“Yeah, could get tricky, but the important thing is we’re going to have fun.”
Blowing a kiss at Donnell, Josh used sorcery to twist himself into a version of Dylan and made himself a sword that appropriately had a watery blade. Across from him, a bear composed of four elements appeared, and Josh honestly didn’t know how his life could get any better.