Padme's Library: 👻🎃Saturday's Series Spotlight🎃👻: D'Vaire by Jessamyn Kingley Part 8

Saturday, October 19, 2024

👻🎃Saturday's Series Spotlight🎃👻: D'Vaire by Jessamyn Kingley Part 8

Deceiving D'Vaire #30

Summary:

Greyson Variusdraconis is a newly shifted dragon searching for purpose. Growing up in the Consilium Veneficus, his tutors taught him not to trust Fate. Raised by his elder brother who serves their king directly, Greyson still lives under his sibling’s roof. King Varius recently signed a treaty, so Greyson’s job is guarding wizards. Greyson finds it boring, and he worries his brother will never accept his desire to avoid a political arranged marriage.

As a child, Morgen Bassett struggled to find his footing. Two centuries later, the wizard works in a tiny library, lacks family, and has a rented room barely large enough for its furniture. Although Morgen’s early education included mentions of matebonds, the split between the Council of Sorcery and Shifters and the Consilium changed everything. With no promise of his other half or anything else, Morgen is doing little more than surviving.

On an otherwise normal trip to the supermarket, Greyson and Morgen meet, and neither man is prepared for the force of their connection. Not long after the sparks fly between them, Greyson accepts a mission to infiltrate the Draconis High Court of D’Vaire. The pair will have to find a way to stay together. Should they be successful in gaining entry, they’ll also need to learn how to unearth all the D’Vaire secrets. However, Greyson and Morgen will soon find that nothing about their lives is what it seems.

Gargoyle Birthright #31

Summary:

Watchman Hunter Stone understands little about his gargoyle heritage. Before his death, Hunter’s father was their leader, but the gargoyles renounced him. The gargoyles’ current location is a mystery to Hunter and his twin, Talon. Although he longs to be reunited with his people, Hunter lives among humans. With his brother’s help, Hunter is raising his sons and growing the business he and Talon built.

Except for a brief and painful period as a teenager, Jordan Hawthorne has always lived in the human world. Jordan is half jaguar, but he is indifferent to Council of Sorcery and Shifters and the Fate-chosen ruler of his people. Recovering from his tumultuous past, Jordan’s focus is on working hard to keep a roof over his head and caring for his beloved brother.

A chance meeting brings Hunter and Jordan together, and the two shifters learn what it means to be mates. Swept easily into love, they must blend their families and decide if staying near humans is a realistic option for their future. In the end, Jordan and Hunter must put their faith in Fate and hope she will not lead them astray.

Beauty and Valor #32

Summary:

Preston Hawthorneonca-Stone is a warrior. In a fit of rage, his father changed Preston’s life on a horrible day in 1994. Now a brain injury survivor, Preston lives with his brother and their growing family. A recent addition to the Council of Sorcery and Shifters, Preston has landed his dream job of working with animals.

Resurrected in 1995, Ridgely Walsh is dedicated to his job and the tightknit group of friends he considers family. With his penchant for honesty, Ridgely is the level-headed and sometimes hard-assed member of their little group. Ridgely doesn’t play foolish games, and he accepts people at face value.

Although Ridgely yearns for a mate, nothing prepares him for the moment he meets Preston. The beautiful jaguar-human hybrid with the big brown eyes halts Ridgely in his tracks. Ridgely rapidly discovers his true purpose is to be a good partner to his other half. Preston is equally taken with Ridgely but fears how the fallen knight will handle his imperfections. Together, they must navigate the path Fate chose for them and discover what it means to love unconditionally.

Lich Reaper's Lament #33

Summary:

Ripped apart by life, Lich Reaper Grymington Daray is drowning in sorrow. Each day, he strives to find the people responsible for killing his best friend, and he wishes his own existence had more meaning. The last thing on Grymington’s mind is finding the other half of his soul. While a loving family surrounds him, the coldness growing in his heart keeps him separated from joy.

Decades ago, Devlin Nero ran away from the world. Being a rock star was everything Devlin wanted, but it turned into a nightmare. Now, the enchanter-human hybrid is living alone and surrounded by nothing but fading memories. Desperate for happiness, Devlin makes his way to the Council of Sorcery and Shifters and winds up at a sanctuary designed for freaks like him.

On a fateful day, Grymington and Devlin discover they are mates. Sparks fly, and the two men venture forth to honor Fate’s choice for them. However, Grymington is too lost and much too fearful to allow Devlin near his tattered soul. Devlin wants love, but the Lich Reaper may not be able to offer it. If their confusing relationship isn’t enough, they have pasts to reconcile, and the future will not wait. It will be up to Grymington and Devlin to discover if they have a matebond worth saving.

Deceiving D'Vaire #30

When Morgen lifted to his toes and tilted his chin up for a kiss, Greyson’s mouth landed on the wizard’s, and he tugged him into his arms for a hug. Everything in Greyson settled for a minute, then his worry over the conversation they needed to have filled his senses again.

“Sorry I’m late.”

“Was there traffic?” Morgen asked, stepping away from Greyson and leading him to his room.

“No, my brother wanted to talk to me.”

“Is everything okay?”

“I hope so,” Greyson said. “Sit on the bed with me.”

Once Morgen was settled on the bed next to Greyson, he gently pushed some of his bangs out of the wizard’s unique eyes. There was concern in them, and Greyson wanted to alleviate it, so he got straight to the point.

“I’m being sent on assignment in a few weeks. King Varius and my brother are going to help me get into the sanctuary at D’Vaire. We need to figure out how to recruit dragons. Either we discover D’Vaire is not what it seems, or I study the Council to find the weak points so we can advertise that the Council is inferior to the Consilium. They want me to stay until I gain everyone’s trust, so they expect I’ll be gone for many months or longer.”

Morgen’s gaze hit his lap, and he exhaled heavily. Instead of putting his hand into Greyson’s as he usually did, Morgen clasped them together and put them between his legs.

“You’re leaving?”

“In a couple of weeks, yes,” Greyson said. “It has me thinking about us. We don’t know everything about each other after a week, but we’re both determined to learn more. We’re united in following what our souls and Fate are telling us. I’d hoped someday to ask you to move to Court Varius. Today at lunch, I was looking around online and found that there’s a library within biking distance from my brother’s house. I thought it could possibly be a good place for you to work if you wanted.”

“I biked to work prior to finding this room.”

The words were soft, and Morgen still wouldn’t look at him.

“Come to D’Vaire with me. We could work on our relationship while I handle my assignment. We’ll potentially be there for a long time. I bet we’ll be ready to seal our bond before we learn the things King Varius wants to know. When we return to Court Varius, we could be bonded mates. My brother wouldn’t be able to say shite about political marriages or anything else. We’d be together, and he’d have to accept it.”

Morgen’s head lifted, and he stared at Greyson for several seconds, then he bit his bottom lip. “You want me to go with you?”

“Didn’t I just ask you to? Of course I do. Think about it. Our only job would be research. That’s something we both love, and we’d be together the whole time. We’d get to learn everything about each other, and these feelings we’re building would grow.”

“How could I go?”

“We’ll figure it out. I promise. There’s no question that I’ll leave here without you. I can’t say no to my king, but I think I can be pretty convincing. You do seem to like me.”

With a small smile, Morgen reached over and slipped his hand into Greyson’s. “There’s nothing keeping me bound to my job or this room. I don’t like the idea of springing us on your brother when we get back, though.”

“We’ll tell him before we make the trip home. No worries. We’ll figure out the best way to tackle the entire situation as a team. What do you say? Do you want to handle this secret mission with me?”

“As long as you promise I get to take a trip to the Spectra Library.”

“I’m not leaving the Council without seeing it either,” Greyson assured him. “What do you say we get some takeaway and start our research?”

“A kiss could sway me.”

Greyson grinned. His fingers danced over Morgen’s jaw, his lovely lips, then Greyson settled his mouth on the wizard’s. Morgen touched his tongue to Greyson’s, and all thoughts of subterfuge, D’Vaire, and giant libraries flowed out of his brain.

Gargoyle Birthright #31

“Tell me about your day, babe,” Jordan said.

“Work was good. This is better.”

“My steak is fantastic. How’s yours?” Jordan asked.

“Delicious.”

“Thanks for bringing me here. You know I’m not fancy, and I love being at the house with everyone, but it’s nice to have some us time too.”

“I agree. I like our us time. If I’d thought more about matebonds prior to meeting you, I still couldn’t have imagined being like this after a few months of knowing you. Our lives are complicated, but we’re making it work. I guess this Fate deal is pretty special. Humans have traditions too, and since that’s half your genetic makeup, I never lose sight of honoring both sides of you.”

Since he’d gobbled his steak and potatoes, Jordan set his fork down. “What do you mean?”

Hunter set his napkin on the table and stood. After shoving a hand in his pocket, he yanked something out and, to Jordan’s horror and surprise, kneeled next to the hybrid’s chair. There were faint murmurs from other patrons, but he didn’t give a shit about strangers.

“Jordan Hawthorne, I love you. I want to spend my life with you. Will you marry me?” Hunter asked, flipping open a box. It held a matte silver band with six stones that were glittering in the light from the chandeliers.

“Are those diamonds?” Jordan blurted.

“Of course they are. Would you mind answering the question?”

“Are you kidding? Of course I’ll fucking marry you.”

Jordan laughed as Hunter scooped him right off his chair and crushed him against his broad chest. The humans might not have been prepared to watch two gay guys get engaged, but they got an eyeful as Hunter kissed him. There was polite applause from the surrounding diners, but Jordan ignored it and concentrated on the gargoyle holding him close.

“Will you put the ring on?” Hunter asked.

After squeezing Hunter, Jordan sat and wiggled his fingers. “Go ahead, babe.”

Carefully, Hunter tugged the ring from the box and slid it onto Jordan’s hand. “There are six diamonds. One for you, me, Talon, Preston, Colby, and Crispin.”

“You think of everything. Thank you, it’s perfect.”

When Hunter returned to his chair, he smiled. “I’m glad you like it.”

“By the way, I love you too. But don’t force me to do some big, grand fancy wedding. I just want you and our family.”

“I thought we’d have a simple ceremony followed by dinner with our family, then we bite each other.”

“And I’ll finally satisfy your curiosity and have my wicked way with you in bed.”

“Just how soon do you think we can arrange this?”

“You’re the one with the plan. Get it going, Hunter.”

“I don’t want to wait. The sooner the better. Do you have any problems with that?”

“No,” Jordan said, reaching out and smiling as Hunter took his hand. “I love that idea.”

“I waited my whole life for you, Jordan. I’m so glad we found each other.”

“Me too. I don’t want to imagine my life without you.”

“What do you say we order dessert and get home to our family?”

“As long as I don’t have to eat another frozen gummy worm, I’m cool with that idea.”

Beauty and Valor #32

“That’s okay,” Ridgely said. “We’ll work around your schedule. There are seven days in a week. We’ll work our dates into the nights you’re free.”

“Yeah.”

The lack of enthusiasm in Preston’s voice had a chill running through Ridgely. Although they hadn’t known each other long, they talked frequently, and the man enchanted Ridgely. Until that moment, Ridgely had believed they were on the same page, but perhaps he’d misjudged the situation. It was difficult to discuss it without being able to see the emotions cross Preston’s face, and Ridgely wished he were with him. However, there was no way Ridgely could wait until their date the following night to get the answers he needed.

“Tell me what’s on your mind,” Ridgely prompted and internally winced at the sharpness in his voice.

“I have challenges.”

“I know,” Ridgely responded softly. “That’s not a problem for me.”

“Okay. I didn’t want to bombard you with them at the start though.”

“Don’t worry so much. Talk to me.”

“I tire easily sometimes, and I also have insomnia. I’m concerned that if I’m out most nights, I’ll get exhausted because I still have work and do my therapies. I don’t want my schedule to overwhelm me, and it makes me sad because I want to be with you. Maybe I should wait to do the school stuff.”

“Absolutely not, Dimples. There’s no reason we can’t approach things casually. If we hung out and relaxed instead of dressing up for fancy restaurants, would that make things easier for you? Because honestly, that sounds like more fun anyway.”

“Maybe you could come to my house and have dinner with my family.”

“And meet some cuddly kittens?”

“Yes. You could watch a movie with me in my room or take a nap with me if you wanted. You wouldn’t even have to wear your clothes.”

Ridgely’s laughter was full-throated. “I’m going to need you to repeat that when I can see your face.”

“I’m probably blushing, but I’ve already spent plenty of time wondering what you look like naked.”

“I’ve used my imagination a lot lately too. Invite me to your house for dinner.”

“Tomorrow, instead of you picking a restaurant?”

“All I need is an address.”

Snagging a pen from his desk drawer, Ridgely jotted down the information he needed, then promised to call Preston later. After hanging up, nervousness crept in. Although Ridgely loved the idea of a more relaxed avenue to get to know Preston better, meeting a couple of Council leaders was intimidating.

“Okay, so I was curious before, but now I’m dying to meet Preston,” Warner said.

Ridgely nearly jumped at the sound of Warner’s voice. So swept up in talking to Preston, Ridgely had forgotten he wasn’t alone, which was nuts since he’d shared an office with Warner for nearly two decades.

“What?”

“Your voice and body language completely changed when you spoke with your mate. I’ve never seen that side of you. You were practically gushing.”

“Clearly, I was not, but I won’t pretend I don’t like him either.”

“I feel so good about this now. I was nervous you’d over-analyze every aspect of your relationship and drive your man crazy.”

“Glad to hear it because, clearly, your opinion of the situation is what matters most,” Ridgely deadpanned.

“Seriously, I must meet this beautiful dimpled man.”

“Find some patience, Warner. Or better yet, find your other half.”

“I wish,” Warner replied, and Ridgely did too.

Ridgely wanted everyone to have Fate pair them with someone as wonderful as Preston was turning out to be. And the fact that Preston was pursuing a dream pleased Ridgely. It wasn’t enough for Preston to have only pieces of what he wanted; Ridgely intended to ensure that his mate had everything.

Lich Reaper's Lament #33

“You still play and sing?” Grymington asked.

“Every day. Music is me, and I love composing words, writing melodies, and crafting beautiful songs. But trust me…I don’t deserve to be standing on a stage to cheers while I belt out a tune. My decision to leave my career wasn’t fair, and I hurt people, including someone I loved. It ruined everything she worked for, and I still lack the courage to do anything about it. That’s probably not the best thing to tell the person you’re hoping to build a matebond with, but I’ve learned the value of honesty, and I won’t lie to you about the kind of person I was or am.”

“I wasn’t resurrected yet in 1998 when you left, but I’m going to download your music after I get home.”

“You’ll have to let me know what you think.”

“I will. I guess you don’t miss it,” Grymington said. His dog ventured over to lie across his sneakered feet.

“Who wouldn’t miss having fans? I enjoyed that part, but I’m good without having any of the rest of it in my life.”

“If you’re not a rock star, what are you going to do now that you don’t have to hide?” Grymington asked.

Devlin shrugged. “I haven’t figured that out yet. I haven’t been a D’Vaire that long, and now I have a matebond to focus on. I’m in no rush to decide anything. Taking things a day at a time is far less intimidating than trying to structure my entire life.”

“I do that too,” Grymington confided softly. “It is definitely easier if I focus on a single day at a time.”

“I hope it’s one of many things we find we have in common.”

They fell silent again, and Devlin studied the sexy man sitting several feet away. There was something about Grymington’s pert nose and his perfect heart-shaped mouth that brought out a visceral reaction from Devlin. Cute men had always been his downfall, and Grymington had no match. The desire to taste Grymington was so intense, Devlin went with instinct, though he acknowledged he was probably being led by his dick.

“I’d love to kiss you,” Devlin murmured.

Grymington’s pale citrine-colored gaze widened for a second, then a rush of euphoria rushed through Devlin as the reaper scooted closer to him.

“I haven’t been kissed before,” Grymington offered apologetically.

The grin Devlin gave him was wolfish. “I know.”

Because he had to touch those messy curls, Devlin lifted a hand and tangled his fingers in the soft blond twists. Grymington titled his head so their eyes met fully, and Devlin swore the faint smell of lilies bewitched him.

Since he was worried that the spell could break at any moment, Devlin leaned forward and pressed his lips to Grymington’s. The reaper lacked experience, but Grymington had initiative. Grymington’s mouth parted, and Devlin wasn’t foolish enough to ignore the invitation. Their tongues touched, and Devlin nearly moaned.

His scent was elusive, but Grymington’s taste was intoxicating. The way Grymington copied each thing Devlin did was a lovely reminder of his innocence. It brought out a tender side of Devlin he hadn’t known existed as he carefully explored Grymington. Devlin rested his free hand on Grymington’s waist and stifled the urge to crush the reaper in his arms.

Ever so gently, Devlin coaxed Grymington into tipping his head slightly, and it took their kiss to an entirely new level. With nothing but the simplest of touches, Devlin grew hard, yet he was in no rush to devour Grymington. It would be an insult not to savor him, and Devlin refused to squander such an opportunity.

Instead, Devlin used his many years of practice to please Grymington. Devlin teased, tormented, and nibbled Grymington’s lips. When he finally lifted his head, Devlin was outrageously pleased by the desire swimming in Grymington’s gaze.

“You’re a beautiful kisser, Grym,” Devlin murmured.

“Thank you, so are you,” Grymington replied. “I’d like to kiss you again.”

Since only a fool would tell Grymington no, Devlin smiled at him and dove in for another taste.

Saturday's Series Spotlight

Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4

Part 5 / Part 6 / Part 7 / Part 8

Monday's Mystical Magic

Letters to Aleksanta / Dragon Masquerade

Sunday's Short Stack

Lich Hollow

Jessamyn Kingley

Jessamyn Kingley has published over thirty titles and refuses to pick a favorite among them. With an extraordinary passion for her characters, Jessamyn eagerly adds new tales to her D’Vaire series and avidly re-reads them whenever her schedule allows. Jessamyn shares a home in Nevada with her husband and their three spoiled cats. When she is not writing or adding new ideas to her thick stack of beloved notebooks, she is gaming with family and friends.