The Half-Elven Warlock - 4. 1/2Elf - Chapter 4: Devin Rous and Victor Dravenport

The Director of the Agency for the Defense of the Earthly Realm sat in his chair smoking his cigar and looking out the window across the city of D.C. on this Monday morning. He peered over at his guest, a woman who wore a stunning red dress which coordinated perfectly with her raven black hair.

“I did not fail.” He motioned at her with his cigar.

“Of course you did. You were supposed to stop that child before Mithras got his mitts on him. You failed.” The woman practically purred, while she made a dismissive motion with one hand.

“No. My hands were tied by those damned Accords. ‘The earth born children of the fantastical creatures shall remain untouched until they reach the age of majority.’ Or did you conveniently forget about that, and the consequences of breaking the Accords?” He took a long pull on the cigar and flicked the ashes into the tray. It was too early to be drinking, but he was sorely tempted. “My agent on the train went missing. No reports of her whereabouts, and now that dipshit in the White House just blanket protected House Anfalas, and its allies, from anything we can do to them in the United States. Needless to say, our arrangement is not working out.”

“Our arrangement, Director, was that you would hand over Devin Rous before his powers were unlocked. We needed him powerless, but your agents fouled up.”

“We might be able to get him if he leaves the country…”

“No,” the woman interrupted. “We’ll handle him. You and the Agency need to focus on fetching the other one. He’s not House Anfalas, and nothing special. I trust you won’t fail again?”

“We won’t, and you’ll have your sacrifice.”

~*~*~*~

The library at St. Mithras was shared by the National Cathedral and the three schools that made up the surface compound. It was in its own colonial-looking building, four stories tall, and as old as the school. Inside, it contained books appropriate for all grade levels the schools accommodated, along with a special showcase of exceptionally rare books and other manuscripts. However, like the school, it had an underground section that was part of the larger complex. This section contained more mystical writings, grimoires, and other scholarly works on magic.

During his fourth period class, Devin had a note delivered to him to meet with the Headmaster in the library after his classes. His last class ended at 3:30 pm, and he strolled over to the library and waited in the lobby. He had waited only a few moments before the Headmaster walked in. Headmaster Stevenson was a tall old man with salt-and-pepper hair and a slight limp.

“Ah, Devin… I see you’re right on time.” He motioned for Devin to follow, and the two of them walked across to the elevator. Stevenson pressed the button for the basement and held it while pressing the 4-button.

The elevator descended to the sub-level part of the underground complex, and the two stepped out. “Now Devin, I’ve brought you down here so you can study and practice your magical abilities. There’s a wealth of information in these books, and just down the hall are practice rooms. We keep those room warded, so you can practice without fear of burning the school down. You’ll need to find the time that works for you, but I suggest after your classes and before dinner. Weekends too.”

Devin nodded while he listened to the Headmaster as they walked into the main room of the underground library. Wooden shelves seven-feet tall lined the walls and stood as soldiers in columns down the center of the room. The scent of wood polish and old books filled the air, bringing a smile to Devin’s face as he looked around the room. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted someone he didn’t think would be down there.

Victor, his best friend, left the library through another passageway that led towards the athletic fields above.

“Unless you have any questions, I’ll leave you to your own devices, Mr. Rous,” Headmaster Stevenson said, and gave Devin a large smile.

“No questions, and thank you, Headmaster,” Devin said with a smile on his face, as he shook the Headmaster’s hand. The two parted ways, and Devin headed for the librarian to ask about primers on magical theory.

~*~*~*~

Devin was mentally tired and physically drained. For two-and-a-half hours after the Headmaster left him, he had read over some basic primer books on magical theory and then put into practice some basic spells in one of the training rooms. He quickly learned that practical application of magic is an individual experience, especially if you’re a one-of-a-kind spellcaster in the form of a Warlock.

To Devin, magic came easily - too easily in some cases. All he had to do was tap into the fount of magic that existed inside him and envision what he wanted to do with it. He started with basic spells, like a simple light spell his brother Brandon produced on the train, and ended up nearly blinding himself from a massive source. He decided to work on control first after that incident.

When he felt himself getting near exhaustion, Devin left the training center and made his way back to the dorms. A quick shower, a fresh set of clothes, and then dinner in the dining room, where he ate enough for three people, followed his return.

~*~*~*~

Devin sat in the lounge area on the second floor of the dormitory. The old wood furniture and fixtures blended with traditional artwork for a colonial home and intermixed with modern technology. A flat screen T.V. and a PS4 sat on the main wall above the fireplace with a seating arrangement around it. Devin sat in an armchair off to the side, reading a book on his SurfacePro4. Occasionally, he would look up to watch the others who were using the lounge. There were two others there playing Horizon Zero Dawn on the PS4, and another pair talking quietly on the other side of the room.

“Heya, Devin…” Victor said, as he walked into the lounge room. He waved at the others in the room and walked over to sit next to his friend. “Sorry I’m late. Took some extra laps around the track before dinner, and then got caught up with a phone call with my mom.”

“No worries, Vic. I’m almost finished with this chapter, and then we can take a walk outside.”

“Sounds good to me… What’cha reading?”

“My Independent Literature Studies assignment, the Lord of the Flies.”

“Ugh… that book, I hated it.”

Devin gave him a quick smile, “Yeah, it’s… something.”

It didn’t take long for Devin to finish the chapter, and soon both he and Victor were outside on a walk together. The pair reached a sitting area in the garden that was not being used--but was open to people watching them. The sun hadn’t set yet, and the golden light of the end of the day cast long shadows as the night was closing in. Street and walkway lights were starting to come on. The smells of April blossoms filled the air in the garden, with Honeysuckle and Jasmine.

“So, what did you want to talk about Dev?” Victor asked as he sat next to Devin. He lounged back on the park bench with one arm on the rest and the other along the back.

Devin sat down purposely on the opposite end of the bench and turned slightly toward Victor. He looked apprehensive as he kept looking at his friend and then looking away.

“Dev… you’re starting to freak me out, man… Whatever it is, just say it,” Victor said, as he watched Devin in concern.

“Alright…,” Devin finally said, with a long sigh. “First off, I want you to know, I’ve been thinking about us, and our friendship.” He paused to look at Victor in the eyes and drew upon the loving strength he saw there. “I don’t want to lose you. You’re my best friend, and recently, we’ve been more than that…. More like fuck buddies,” he said the last part softly, and then picked his volume back up. “But even more than that, too. I had time to think about this when I was in the hospital yesterday, and well… I actually see you as more of a boyfriend…” He paused again to gauge Victor’s reaction.

Victor had listened to his friend with a passive face as he waited for Devin to come to his revelation. Now, he nodded a few times and smiled brightly. “I’ve felt the same for a while, Devin. But things have kept me from being open and admitting it to you.”

“Good, Good… You, don’t know how worried I was about admitting that to you.” Devin smiled and sighed again. “So, that leads to another topic…” He coughed a little to clear his throat. “I saw you leaving the library this afternoon, the special library with the really rare books. It was around 3:45 pm, and you took the tunnel towards the fields.”

“Ah. So, you’re one of us too? Why didn’t you say anything before now?”

“I didn’t know I was, until last Saturday on my birthday,” Devin paused and looked off for a moment. “I’m not fully sure of the rules out here, and it looks like we’re alone.”

“We are alone, so you can speak freely,” Victor said, as he looked around and sniffed the air. “Just don’t shout it and drop the subject if someone comes near us.” He smiled at his ‘boyfriend’ and said, “I’ll tell you my secret after you tell me yours.”

Devin laughed, and nodded his agreement. “Well, I went through this ritual on Saturday night, and was gifted with powers. It was how I ended up in the fucking ICU in the medical center. I’m a Warlock now, and I found out I was half-elven on the trip back to school from spring break. I know what my birthmark means too. There’s more, but I’m not sure what else I can fucking say. I wish they would have said something, aside from giving me a copy of the Accords to read.”

“Oh, cool… were you born here on Earth, or on Fairie?”

“Here on Earth. Everything I told you about myself when we met is still true. With the exception that I now know I’m half-elven, who my real Father is, and I have access to magical powers. I also met another member of my family I didn’t know of.”

Victor nodded. “Well, I wasn’t born on Earth, I’m actually from Fairie,” he said with a grin and moved to face Devin. “I came here as a refugee after my village was attacked by demons. When we met, I was 10 and you were 11, which was three weeks after the attack. I was still learning so much about this world and what a TV was, and video games. You helped me a lot, being my friend.” He paused, and smiled warmly at Devin. “I’m a lycanthrope, though not a werewolf. Specifically, my race is a werebear. Lycanthrope doesn’t really do us justice, but those idiots haven’t made a word for us yet, and we're not cursed. We’re natural shapeshifters.”

“No shit?” Devin said with open-mouthed wonder. “That’s fucking awesome. No wonder you’re hairy as a bear, and a bit brawny. I always thought you had a hormone imbalance to have so much body hair as a teenager. That’s awesome man.”

The pair shared a laugh, and Devin moved to sit next to Victor. He turned his back to his boyfriend and leaned into him. Victor wrapped his arms around him and held Devin to his chest. Devin knew he was playing dangerously, but wanted one final moment with Victor before dropping the bombshell on him.

They sat in silence for a few moments, as Devin felt the warmth coming off of his boyfriend before he spoke up. “There’s something else, and it’s a big issue… we can’t have sex anymore, and I hate to say it, but I’ve been told not to be alone with you in private anymore either. Not ‘till you turn eighteen as well. Damn, this is harder to admit than I thought.”

“I saw that coming. Who told you to not be alone with me?”

“My older half-brother did, same father, different mother. He’s a half-elf as well. We met on the Amtrak Auto Train, and he got me safely to the school for the Ritual. Kept the Agency from kidnapping me once we left the train, and tried to get to the school.” Devin paused and thought for a moment. “During the Ritual, I was knocked out by Mithras while he unlocked my gifts for me. After I woke up yesterday in the medical center, Brandon and I had a long talk. He said I needed to be careful because of being a gay adult male, with the age of consent laws, and politics. However, he firmly said to remain friends with you, but never be in a situation that could compromise either of us.”

“Your brother is a smart man. How do you want to handle this? I won’t turn eighteen for another thirteen months, but you do know the age of consent in D.C. is sixteen, and there is an age-exception clause to the law for close-in-age relationships?”

“I have no idea how to handle this, nor did I know about the age thing. You looked it up, didn’t you?”

“I did. I was gonna give you a welcome home birthday gift on Saturday,” Victor said seductively and kissed Devin on the nape of his neck. “A very special welcome home present.”

Devin melted into his embrace, and kiss. “Let me guess, you were going to pound me through the bed, weren’t you?”

“Exactly. I know I’ve been a bit selfish because you are such a fantastic top, but I was going to show you a good time. We can still do it…”

“I’m so tempted…” Devin replied and fell silent, lost in his own thoughts. He fought his conscience between his logical mind and sexual urges.

The pair were silent again for another few moments before Victor spoke up this time. “What did you mean by politics?”

“Well, you’ll hear about it soon enough. I’m a prince.”

“Wait, you mean House Anfalas? Are you a member of the elven ruling house? Holy shit!” Victor broke out in a deep barrel-chested laugh as Devin acknowledged his question. “I got fucked by a Prince of House Anfalas. Wait ‘till I tell my parents! You might not know this yet, but my family and yours are allies in Fairie. The Dravenports and House Anfalas go back thousands of years.”

“This doesn’t change anything with us?”

“No, not at all. Unless you’re rich now, then I’ll be your boy toy,” Victor said before he started laughing again.

Devin looked off, stunned, “I hadn’t thought about it, but yeah, Dad is rich. He owns a lot of companies. Well, at least he says he does. And he’s paid my tuition here since the third grade.” Devin took his phone out of his pants and checked his bank account on the app. “Holy fucking shit…”

“Is that a real number?” Victor said as Devin showed him the phone. “I thought the FDIC had limits on what was insurable.”

“I don’t know,” Devin replied and quickly looked at his contacts. He scrolled through until he found the contact for his dad, and sent off a text message to him.

Me: “Dad, I just looked at my bank account. Did you do that?”

Dad: “Yes, it was me. You now have access to some of my funding, and it will replenish over time. Just like your brother’s account does. Is something wrong?”

Me: “No, it was just a shock.”

Dad: “Well don’t spend it all at once. The government is fickle about such things. Use it for what you need, like clothes, gas for your truck, and after you graduate use it to get yourself a place, etc. Don’t go hog wild.”

Me: “I won’t Dad, but a little warning next time, please?”

Dad: “LOL. I’ll keep that in mind. Love you Son, and I will see you later this week.”

Devin sat in silence, as he leaned on Victor’s chest. He didn’t hide the text conversation, so Victor saw it all, and just held his boyfriend.

“I think we need to head someplace else,” Victor said after a moment more.

“Why, is something wrong or someone coming up on us?”

“Nah, but we’re two gay teens, at an all boy’s religious school, a Christian school to be exact, and we’re crossing into the no 'public display of affection' territory, heavily.”

“OH! I wasn’t fucking thinking!” Devin said as he sat up. “I keep forgetting St. Albans is the dominant school, and St. Mithras is a secondary service.”

“Well, St. Mithras owns all this. They use the main school and the National Cathedral as cover. Also, anyone enrolled in the St. Mithras branch has ties to Fairie.”

“I didn’t know that. Though I’m enrolled at St. Mithras, all of my classes are with the St. Albans students,” Devin said as he stood up. He held his hand out to Victor, to help him stand up.

“And that is the main reason why I thought you were a normal human. Albeit with features that made me think you had some Asian DNA in your family history. I’ve never met a half-elf before, since they are so rare, and no one has seen the House Anfalas birthmark in hundreds of years.”

The two lovers walked back slowly to the dormitory chatting about classes, and other subjects. Occasionally they would hold hands as they went.

~*~*~*~

Friday evening came, and Devin waited patiently at Tryst Coffeehouse and Bar for Brandon to show. He sat on the outdoor patio, sipping a Chaipuccino (chai latte with a shot of espresso) with a pump of caramel syrup and topped with whipped cream.

When Brandon had called and invited him out for dinner, he was told to dress to impress but remain a bit casual. Devin decided he wanted to look good for his brother’s plans, so he decked himself in a set of nice black slacks, a button-down UNTUCKit brand shirt of crimson color with black trim, and a pair of dress loafers. On his right wrist, he wore the birthday gift Victor had given him. It was a man’s cuff made of a three-inch-wide strip of tooled leather, adorned with silver and gold inlaid thread, with a moonstone centerpiece.

He looked around the establishment, which was just a couple of miles southeast of St. Mithras, and watched the hustle and bustle of people coming and going. Families came and went for a short while before the clientele turned more adult in nature. He was starting to get a little worried, as the place enforced a strict age requirement on Friday and Saturday nights.

Devin was just finishing his coffee when he spotted Brandon walking up Eighteenth Street Northwest. He waved to his brother and smiled as Brandon sat down across from him at the table.

“Sorry I’m running late, little bro,” Brandon apologized and gave him a half smile. He looked Devin over and nodded. “You look good. Have you eaten?” he asked, as he spotted the dirty coffee cup.

“No worries,” Devin replied, as he relaxed back in the chair and observed his brother. Brandon wore a similar outfit. Black slacks, matching loafers, and a tucked-in royal purple shirt with black trim. “I’ve not had anything since lunch, just the coffee while I waited.”

“Alright,” Brandon said with a smile. “I wanted to take you to a place I like. It’s right around the corner, not far from here. Afterwards, we can go back to my place, or go clubbing or something. I know a couple of places an eighteen-year-old can go in. Did you drive here?”

“No… I took an Uber,” Devin replied. “I also made arrangements with the dorm advisor, letting them know I might not be back until late tonight, or not until tomorrow. I was surprised they agreed.”

“Well, good. That handles one problem.”

After Devin settled his bill, the brothers got up together and headed north on Eighteenth Street Northwest. They hadn’t walked far when Brandon stopped at a BBQ restaurant called Smoke & Barrel.

The restaurant was busy, with a little bit of a line waiting at the hostess stand. It gave Devin time to look around. The building itself was decorated with a wood-and-brick country theme. Amber lights hung on the walls in old lantern looking fixtures, and half-barrels were used as low shelves. The smell of smoked meat filled the room, giving it a meat eater’s paradise feel. Devin’s mouth watered, while his stomach rumbled from the aroma.

“Next please,” the hostess asked as the brothers walked up to the stand. “Oh, Brandon, welcome back.” She stepped around and gave Brandon a hug and a peck on the cheek. “Who’s the hot young one here? Tell me you’re not robbing the cradle.”

Brandon laughed, and shook his head no. “Nah, this is my brother. Devin, this is Ann. Ann this is Devin.”

“Nice to meet you, Devin,” Ann said, and greeted him with a handshake. “Any brother of Brandon here is a friend of mine.” She stepped around the stand, grabbed two menus, and then escorted the brothers through the restaurant. The trio passed through a door in the back and went up to the second floor, which held several private dining rooms. She seated them in a room that had windows looking out over the front of the building onto the main street. “Here you two go. Brandon, I know what you want, two shots of bourbon and a beer chaser. What can I get you, Devin?”

“Let me have a sweet iced tea, please.”

“Sure thing, I’ll have your waitress up here in a couple of minutes.” Ann left, pulling the curtain door semi-shut for privacy.

They sat looking over the menus in silence until the waitress walked in and laid their drinks down. They ordered their meals, with Devin ordering the sampler for two for himself, and soon were rewarded with a fine meal of barbecued meats.

“Where did you get the leather cuff from?” Brandon asked between bites of his pulled pork.

“Oh, this?” Devin held his arm out for Brandon to see the cuff better. “Victor got it for me for my birthday. Said it was a special gift, a one-of-a-kind, for just me,” he said with a look of pride on his face.

“Uh-ha,” Brandon replied, as he looked it over. He mumbled a word and looked at the cuff with a spell to detect magic. “You know this is from Fairie, and it’s magical?”

“No, I did not.” Devin pulled his arm back and looked at the cuff with a new appreciation. “Before you get worried, Victor is from Fairie. I didn’t find out ‘till this past Monday when we had a talk. His full name is Victor Dravenport, and our families are allies.”

Brandon nodded. “I’ve heard of the Dravenports - they’re werebears and very loyal and honorable warriors. That’s a moonstone enchanted wrist cuff. I would have to cast other spells to fully identify its properties, but the stone itself cannot be used for evil purposes. It’s a healing and good luck stone.”

“Can you teach me to identify it?”

“Sure, it’s not a hard spell. I suspect it should be fairly easy for you.”

Devin nodded in agreement. He took a sip of his tea to wash down his bite of food. “Yes, I’ve found it comes a bit too easy. I almost fucking blinded myself casting a light spell on Monday. I’ve been working on my control all week.”

“I have a book, a grimoire really, back at my place you should have. I found it about a month ago but just started examining it. It looks like it was the personal journal of another Warlock.”

“Oh, that would be helpful,” Devin said. He finished off his food and washed it down with the rest of the iced tea. “Mithras was not lying. He did impart the knowledge of how to work my magic, but I was not suspecting how potent, or easy it would be. Anything that can help prevent me from fucking blowing myself up will be great.”

“Your birthday gift from your boyfriend should help you as well.”

“How… how did you guess?” Devin asked, with a stunned look on his face.

“You don’t give a gift like that to just anyone,” Brandon said, in a level voice. “I’m not going to tell you to dump him, nor am I going to pressure you into it. I want you to be sure you understand what this all means. You’re a member of the royal elven ruling house of Fairie, in exile. You’re second in the line of succession, and like it or not, you’ll have duties to attend to. Like a state dinner in two weeks, which we both need to be at.”

“What?”

“Yup. You get to do the same things I do now. Visit with heads of state, ambassadors, and attend political gatherings, while hiding your political affiliation. Yes, you’re still an American citizen, with all the rights and responsibilities of one, but you’re also tied to Fairie and our people there. All the while keeping it all secret from everyone from Earth.” Brandon paused to sip his beer, and watch how Devin was taking it. Devin was a little startled and looked like he was deep in thought.

“I’m actually glad Victor is a Dravenport,” Brandon confessed after a moment. “Our families are allies, and he already knows our secret. I’d love to meet him.”

“I can arrange it. He’s going off campus tomorrow with his family, but we're supposed to meet up once he gets back to the school.”

Brandon nodded his head, listening. “Alright, we’ll meet tomorrow.”

The brothers finished their meal together. Brandon paid the bill, and they left a short time later. After they left the restaurant, a night of laughter, fun, dancing, and excitement was in order for the boys. They went to a couple of clubs Brandon knew would allow an eighteen-year-old in. They ended up in a private club, where members were of the Fairie races. Being a special place, Devin was allowed to drink alcoholic beverages, and being a first-time drinker, he quickly became drunk.

Devin and Brandon journeyed back to Brandon’s apartment in Georgetown, where Brandon assisted Devin inside and onto the couch to sleep off his drunkenness.