by Eric Vall
I snarled out a mental series of threats and swears, but even though I tried to keep my thoughts quiet, my face must have showed some of my anger.
“Is she talking to you right now?” Arwyn asked curiously.
“Just some lies, I think,” I replied in a voice that sparked with barely-concealed rage.
“Fascinating,” Arwyn breathed. “A direct conversation with a being who can remember ancient history. I almost envy the opportunity.”
The scholar positively glowed with excitement, and I felt pretty certain she really did envy the opportunity. I was sure Sera’s snide comments would bounce right off Arwyn’s academic mindset anyway.
“She’s driving me a little crazy,” I admitted. “I haven’t gotten a peaceful night of sleep in a while, and I’m not sure whether her offers to help us find Gawain are genuine or not.”
“She isn’t … taking control of you though, is she?” Nia asked.
“I’m fine,” I assured her. “You don’t need to worry.”
“You just told us one of the leaders of the monsters is in your head speaking with you,” Arwyn sighed, “and you fought against her attempts to control your body. I am going to need to run some tests and--”
Varleth stepped forward and addressed Arwyn. “We’re fairly sure she’s just trying to trick Gryff, but we were hoping to get some help from you to work around the downsides.”
“What’s she been offering?” Arwyn asked as her eyes jumped from the banisher back to me.
I frowned. “She says she can open a portal to get us to Gawain in the Shadowscape. It would make sense, since we saw Phi exercise the same power for him.”
“No,” Nia scoffed. “Absolutely not. We need to figure out how to get her out of your head, not get her help.”
Awww, your pretty, long-legged lover is jealous. I can understand why. You aren’t going to hold me off forever.
I gritted my teeth, but then forced my mouth into a smile when Nia looked at me.
“It does sound too risky,” Arwyn hummed, “but if she can open portals when she wants to, it might be a way we can take this war to the monsters. We don’t have to be reactive to their attacks anymore.”
She’s a smart one. All these women who take your seed … you are quite powerful, aren’t you?
“That’s what I was thinking,” I said as I ignored Sera’s words.
“We’ll need to figure out a way to prevent her from escaping or taking control of you,” Arwyn continued.
“Exactly,” I replied with a discontented huff of air, “but we have faith in you and the other researchers. You guys can figure something out, right?”
Arwyn tilted her head to the ceiling and shifted her weight as she considered it. “I believe so. You’ll have to give us a lot of time, both for the ciphers and for this.”
“We don’t have a lot of time,” I said. “Gawain has the last two ciphers, and Phi is--”
“I know,” Arwyn interrupted me. “We are going to do our best to translate what we know using the ciphers you brought us back, then we can all figure out a plan that doesn’t involve risking you. You are too important, Gryff.”
“I’m not that important,” I sighed. “The world is more important.”
“Speaking of the world,” Nia cut in, “we do need some help with repairs around the city. That might get your mind off Sera while Arwyn does what she can with the ciphers.”
I looked closely at the ashen-haired mage and noted how tired she appeared. The signs were almost impossible to see, since Nia was so great at keeping up her image and staying on task, but they were there.
Her eyes flickered too quickly from place to place as she tried to absorb more information and make up for sleepless nights. She shifted her weight aimlessly as if she was ready to take off running at any moment. The space around her brows was tight, like she was constantly restraining a frown.
“Okay, we can work on fixing some things around Varle,” I said, and my lover seemed to relax a bit. If Nia was tense, it meant things needed a lot of work. Since even she was willing to admit she wasn’t completely on top of things, we’d have a lot to do before we were ready to go out after Gawain again.
I just hoped he could hold out till then.
“Sleet will want to see you, also,” Arwyn said.
“When?” I asked her.
She put a manicured finger to her lips as she considered my question. “I’m sure he’ll call a meeting sometime tomorrow. He’s been disobeying Meridan’s advice as well as mine, so the odds are good he’ll want to get to it first thing in the morning.”
I felt bad Sleet didn’t know when to stop pushing himself, but I was guiltily grateful we wouldn’t be left hanging for too long. Arwyn was right though, we needed a few days of rest and recuperation before we went after Gawain again.
“Sounds good,” I replied. “We’ve been racing around for a while now chasing Gawain, so we should probably spend today resting. We could catch a bite to eat before lunch is over.”
“Thank the Maker,” Layla breathed. “I thought you’d never bring it up. I’m starving.”
Nia smiled fondly. “Despite Gryff’s troubles with Sera, it’s good to see things haven’t changed too much since I last saw you all.”
“You have that right,” I replied with a happy chuckle. “All this talk of food reminds me of Braden. I assumed they’re not back yet, is that right?”
“Still in Balvaan,” Arwyn confirmed as she straightened some of the papers on her desk. “They sent a letter to tell us they wouldn’t be too much longer, though. It arrived yesterday, so it’s possible they’ll be on their way back sometime this week.”
“I’m glad they’re all okay,” Cyra said with a pleased smile. “I feel like I’ve known all of you for years.”
“The feeling is mutual,” Erin replied as she bumped shoulders fondly with the tawny-skinned summoner.
The group chatted happily as we all went to lunch, and I was pleased to see Nia and Arwyn join us. I knew they were hard workers, and I didn’t doubt they’d skip meals without a second thought just to get more done for the Academy.
“I missed this,” Layla gushed as we waited in line for our trays of food.
The rest of us made eager noises of appreciation as we went down the line and fixed our eyes on today’s meal. I caught Erin and Layla filling the extra spaces on their plates with leftover muffins from the Academy breakfast this morning. Even Varleth hungrily asked for seconds after he received his helping of pasta with tomatoes, cream sauce, and wild mushrooms.
We stuffed ourselves and went on to soak in the Academy baths before bedtime. Though it was only last night when we’d gotten to stay at the inn with the hot springs, time seemed to stretch endlessly for me whenever I spent more than a couple hours on an airship. I was sure the rest of my team was grateful for the respite from travel as well as the return to normalcy, at least in part.
I went to bed in my own room that night, but it felt strange without Braden there to keep me company. The room was somehow too small and claustrophobic, though the wide stretch of wooden floor past the foot of my bed made me feel small and lonely at the same time.
I thought I’d have to spend the whole night tossing and turning as I lay in anticipation of the terrible nightmares Sera was sure to send me.
Instead, my door creaked open quietly in the dark, and I turned to face the tiny sliver of light that peeked through it.
“Gryff?” came Layla’s soft voice as she hesitated in the entrance.
“I’m awake,” I told her, “and I’m definitely relieved you showed up.”
“Oh, good,” she whispered as a flirtatious note entered her voice. “I’m not alone.”
The door drifted open to reveal both Layla and Nia framed in the dim light from the hall. Nia’s hair shone silver in the light, and her eyes were an unmistakable shade of vibrant blue, the color of the sky on a cloudless day.
“I’ve missed you, Gryff,” Nia murmured into the darknes
s, and her smooth, beautiful voice made my breath catch in my throat.
Layla giggled softly, and both of the girls padded across the room on silent feet before they joined me in bed.
“I’m never going to get tired of this,” Nia sighed as she stretched out on my left side.
I ran my hand down her curves, and her porcelain skin was soft and warm under my palm. She moved against my touch and pressed a kiss to my chest.
“It’s a good tradition, I think,” Layla responded with a soft whisper in the dark.
“Only a girl like you would think picking my room’s lock to break and enter is a good tradition,” I replied as I fondly brushed my right hand through her hair.
“But it is a good tradition,” Layla said happily as she smiled against my shoulder and basked in the attention.
“She really is one of a kind,” Nia admitted with a soft laugh. “Though, I didn’t exactly protest the idea.”
“The two of you are smarter than I am,” I joked with a smile as I drew my girls closer to me. “You both had this idea before I did.”
Layla tucked her petite body next to mine, and Nia sighed happily as we lay there in peaceful bliss. It had been too long since we’d done this, but it felt so perfect and right, like this was what we’d been waiting for.
Before long, all three of us fell soundly asleep.
I had a few vague dreams of running while something unseen chased me, but each time I awoke next to Layla and Nia. With the two girls at my side, I found the nightmares didn’t bother me too much. I drifted off with a smile as I considered how it must have irritated Sera to see her usual tricks failing.
At the crack of dawn, a polite knock at the door startled Layla, Nia, and I awake.
“It’s me, Ms. Hamner,” Arwyn said through the closed door. “We’ve been called into a meeting with Headmaster Sleet.”
“Shit,” Layla swore, “I left my fancy clothes back in my room. Do you think I’ve got time to get them?”
I peered at the canary yellow miniskirt and sheer, white tank top that lay scrunched up in a pile on the floor. They’d certainly collected some new wrinkles overnight.
“I need to dress up more, too,” Nia added with a yawn, though her own clothes were folded neatly and left on top of the dresser.
The ashen-haired mage would probably look impeccable no matter what she wore. She was able to carry herself with such poise and grace, nobody would question her even if she showed up in pajamas.
“I think you can both afford the time to visit your rooms for a change,” I said wisely with a smile.
Layla kissed me on the cheek before she hopped off the bed and slipped on yesterday’s clothes in record time.
Nia followed at a more leisurely pace as she dressed herself and tucked her hair behind her ears.
As soon as I opened the door, the petite summoner dashed out into the hall with an apology, and I caught a glimpse of Arwyn’s bemused expression through the doorway before it closed again.
Nia gave me a lingering kiss and followed after Layla, though she took the time to properly greet Arwyn and explain things before I heard her walk off.
I suited up with the most formal outfit I could muster, which ended up being a pair of dark gray pants and a collared white shirt. It looked pretty good, but I followed it up with layers of belts, pouches, and my leather bandolier. All the additions ended up giving me a more battle-ready look than I’d planned on, but I wasn’t willing to part with my gear, so I shrugged and called it good.
I opened the door to see Arwyn in a stunning blue dress that wrapped around her curves like a second skin. The form-fitting fabric revealed the left side of her abdomen in a stylish cutout that managed to be both sexy and classy at the same time. Aquamarine earrings dangled from her ears like drops of crystalline water suspended in midair.
“Had a nice night?” the professor teased with a sly smile.
“It was very restful,” I said honestly, though a grin snuck onto my face.
“I’m sure,” Arwyn said with a pleased expression. “I wish I could join in, but I’ll have my hands full with research for a while.”
The suggestion was enough to make my imagination run wild, but I shook off the fantasies as I examined Arwyn’s stunning outfit.
“Wow, you look fantastic,” I complimented easily as I stared at the way her dress wrapped around her hips.
Arwyn smiled slyly and looked me up and down. “You look ruggedly handsome, as usual. It’s a very particular brand of not caring, yet you still pull it off somehow.”
I chuckled and shook my head. “I seriously doubt I’m pulling it off. I just hope I won’t be horribly underdressed, now that I see what you’re in.”
Arwyn led me down the hall as we made our way to the secret staircase near the cafeteria. The entrance to the meeting room was in plain sight in the hall outside the cafeteria, but anybody who wasn’t authorized to see it wouldn’t even notice it was there.
Arwyn’s blue high heels clicked as she walked down the hall. “In truth, the only reason I’m dressed like this is for Goredrin Madox.”
Gawain’s father had been appointed as temporary Headmaster of the school, so I guessed it made sense for him to be at this meeting.
I grimaced as I looked at her with disappointment in my eyes. “Is he that unmanageable? He demands the female professor be in heels and a dress?”
Arwyn chuckled. “Oh no, on the contrary, Goredrin has been nothing but kind and respectful toward me. Dressing up simply means something special to him. He has a bit of a fashion sense. Well, you’ll see.”
I wasn’t really buying into the innocence of it all. Was Goredrin too posh to allow casual dress? Did he sneer at people in plain clothing? Was he shallow enough to be swayed in his opinions if we showed up in expensive suits and dresses?
We descended the secret staircase, and my trepidation grew until my stomach felt like it was tied in knots. I knew exactly what to do when I faced down a monster in battle, but I didn’t have any clue how to deal with politics. Despite all the valuable information I’d gained over the past few days, I wished I didn’t have to be at this meeting to tell it.
Arwyn opened the door into the secret meeting room, and I steeled my face into a stoic, neutral mask. At the very least, I could keep my mouth shut and avoid ruining this for my allies.
I recognized General Kenefick at the table, and he sat stiffly as he went over a stack of papers as thick as my waist. His hair was messy, and his beard was longer and more unkempt than I’d ever seen it before. He had the slow, cautious movements of a man who’d been worn thin, though he didn’t look close to giving up.
General Kenefick looked awful, but there was nothing to be done for it. The reality was he’d become one of the most important leaders in all of Mistral. Not only did Kenefick have the difficult job of replacing an entire council of mages, but it also came at a time of unprecedented conflict with the Shadowscape.
“Gryff of Njordenfalls!” boomed a muscled man with a long face and a chiseled jaw.
My eyes widened in shock as I took in the man who had to be none other than Goredrin Madox.
He looked like a drawing of a hero from ancient myths or children’s tales. His legs were proportional and well-clad in a pair of trousers that tapered at the ankles and complimented his form. His torso broadened at the shoulders with a massive chest that indicated layers of hardened muscle underneath.
Goredrin’s hands were large without being bearish, and his enormous biceps were barely concealed by the tailored jacket that draped stylishly across his shoulders. He wasn’t particularly tall, but everything else about him spoke of agility, speed, and power that could dwarf any opponent in every contest he ever entered.
As I froze in shock, Goredrin Maddox opened both arms in a jovial gesture that caught me off guard as it clashed with my image of him.
He couldn’t be asking for a hug, could he?
He didn’t give me a chance to think about it, because within m
oments, I was enveloped in a bone-crushing embrace as Goredrin chuckled deeply and patted me on the back.
“Gryff! I’ve waited so long to meet you, what a pleasure this is for me to make your acquaintance,” the enormous Madox rumbled out.
“You have?” I asked in shock.
“Of course!” Goredrin bellowed as he hugged me. “You’ve been a great boon to the summoner community. In fact, I was always telling Gawain what a fine, outstanding mage you were. You’re truly one of the best. And look at your shoulders! My, the taper to your waist is just perfect.”
“Uhh, sir?” I asked through the big man’s hug.
“I’d like to re-do these uniforms,” he barreled on, “especially for the upper echelon students who are part of the response team. You know, something to give a touch of class suited for one of your abilities.”
I realized my mouth was open, and it closed with a snapping sound. His compliments were nice, but I was struck entirely wordless by surprise. Well, that and the tight pressure of Goredrin’s arms as they squeezed the air from my lungs.
“Don’t scare him,” General Kenefick grated out. “We don’t want him getting shy on us now that he’s got such an important job to do.”
“Huh?” I gasped out from the crush of the hug. “What am I doing?”
General Kenefick flicked his eyes up to me with a warm smile. “Nothing much. We just need you to save all of humanity.”
Chapter 15
“Save all of humanity?” I echoed in shock as I patted Goredrin’s iron-hard shoulders in an attempt to escape.
The enormous man chuckled and let me go before we both turned to face Kenefick.
The General nodded and held up a sheaf of papers. “I just got this report in from a research team. It says monster rifts have been appearing more often, but we already knew that. It also says at this rate of escalation, humanity can expect to be completely wiped out in the next fifteen years.”
I stared at Nia’s dad with my mouth open. “Is that guaranteed? Seriously?”
“Pretty guaranteed,” the General said grimly. “We’re going to need a new tactic if we have a chance of beating this, and the ciphers are the only lead we’ve got on how to stop the rifts. Your little mission is suddenly much more important than most of us expected.”
