Renny was smiling as he took a bag. After thanking them with hugs, he stood at Dra’Kaedan’s side. The Grand Warlock’s trays were empty of treats since he’d helped himself for hours to the goodies Noirin and Kendrick had baked for him.
“First place was the easiest of the selections as it’s not often that you find a costume that is functional not by magical means but by what we’ve learned was months of work to orchestrate a gumball machine she could wear. Fanta, congratulations,” Grymington stated, referring to Kantarellen by her preferred nickname.
Fanta let out a scream, then threw herself into Chander’s arms. Or at least she tried, but the large glass dome of her costume prevented much contact. “This is so awesome!” she crowed.
“You deserve it,” Chander assured her. “I love your costume. Great job.”
“Before we let you get back to dancing or whatever else you prefer to do tonight, we want to give an honorable mention to Frankenstein’s monster and the Bride of Frankenstein’s monster. Madeline and Larissa have worked hard for months, crafting magnificent costumes for everyone. Not only did theirs just narrowly get squeezed out of the top three, but they crafted the majority of what we’re gawking at tonight. Thanks, guys. We know you do it because you love it, but we couldn’t allow your hard work to go unnoticed,” Eduard said.
“Thank you, everyone,” Albrecht stated. “Enjoy the rest of the night.”
“Gather Sorcery D’Vaire,” Chander ordered, and his Daemon Lords took off to do his bidding. Chander was excited at the prospect of what was to come, and hoped Victor was receptive to their offering.
When he noticed that the Cinderella in question was trying to leave their little huddle, Chander grabbed his frilly sleeve. “Victor, we need to talk to you in the office.”
Victor’s green eyes met Chander’s, and he appeared confused. “Okay.”
“He’s not going to fire you again,” Alaric intoned.
“I want everyone else with us as well. Let’s go, guys. And how did I not realize you would go there with Victor?” Chander grumbled, leading his family toward the cave that would serve as their office until morning, when he’d lift the magic of the Lich Hollow.
“Let’s be honest, after everything that happened, it had to be a concern for him,” Arvandus teased.
“I didn’t think any such thing. It seems like you guys know why we’re going to the office, so I am a little unnerved,” Victor said as his heels clicked over the wooden floor once Chander shut them into the office.
“Relax, we’re going to have a small chat as soon as everyone gets here. Then you can go back to the party and enjoy yourself. And these guys don’t know what’s about to happen either.”
“Speaking of the party, I think things went really well,” Victor said.
Brynnius nodded, and his whiskers twitched as he smiled. “We’re even going to have leftovers at this point. I’m glad we made so much food.”
“Agreed,” Victor responded. “Better to have too much than not enough.”
“We only had three trick-or-treaters, so there’s a ton of candy too,” Cassius pointed out.
“I’ve got to sneak some of it into people’s pockets or something,” Chander muttered as the jerk who owned his heart laughed.
“I see nothing wrong with candy in the house,” Alaric stated.
“That’s because you always mysteriously disappear when these idiots gorge on the shit.”
Before the Lich Sentinel could reply, the door swung open to reveal the members of Sorcery D’Vaire. Together, they’d altered the course of history on more than one occasion, and Chander had never realized how much he’d yearned to share magical projects until they’d accidentally formed. One of their most precious gifts was the one of immortality, and Chander’s belly was filling with butterflies. Not only was he concerned with Victor’s refusal, but the sentinels in his family didn’t always respond in a fashion that could be predicted. Could they handle Victor’s rejection with grace, or would they simply badger him to the point where he felt he had no choice but to leave? There was a lot at stake, and Chander could only hope their family would survive the tumult of this decision.
Once everyone was in the room, Rafe turned to Chander. “Proceed however you wish.”
Chander nodded and sucked in a breath. “As everyone in this room is aware, much of what Sorcery D’Vaire does happens in secret. We do not lack trust in the world but often in ourselves to accomplish a goal, which is why we refuse to give out details until we’ve completed a task. That is true of most of our projects but there is one that formed us, and we give out no information on it because we cannot. It was simply created at too great a cost to dispense it freely. We crafted a potion at the behest of Idris, and he is the steward of it. Without his guardianship and wisdom, we would be lost. Idris, would you care to explain?”
“Sure. I needed a project to become High Arcanist, and I found an ancient warlock scroll that spoke of a potion that was difficult to craft. Our team chose a different road, and we were successful. At the inception of Sorcery D’Vaire, whose name was given to us by Emperor Chrysander well after our formation, we were able to produce Immortalis. With a single drop, it grants the recipient an endless lifespan. It cost each of us a sliver of our soul, so we have no plans to move forward with it again. Therefore, we select only those we can’t live without. Today’s recipient was considered long ago, but it’s still unknown if he’s willing to accept it.”
“I can’t believe you guys made a fucking potion that makes someone immortal,” Baxter yelled.
“This is your plan for him, isn’t it?” Albrecht asked as he pushed back his hood. His greenish-yellow eyes were brimming with liquid, and Chander held his own emotions in check.
“Yes,” Chander replied. He strode forward and to the shock of Cinderella, grabbed his hands. “Victor, Sorcery D’Vaire has unanimously selected you to be a recipient of Immortalis. Will you drink our potion, so that you can remain a part of the Daray and the greater D’Vaire family forever? Before you respond, we must tell you that we’re unable to provide it to the rest of the Antonovs. It’s not that we wish you to say good-bye to those you love, but as Idris mentioned, there is only so much to go around and the reality is, none of us know if they’re able to keep our secret.”
Big fat tears slid down Victor’s cheeks, and his chin quivered as he stared into Chander’s eyes.
“Victor, you may not share our last name, but you are a Daray as much as any of us are, and we would be lost without your presence in our family,” Alaric stated.
