by Amy Sumida
“I'm just trying out nicknames.” I shrugged. “I'll let you know when I settle on one.”
“Agreed,” he whispered and then kissed me. “Thank you for not telling my family about the spell.”
“Which one?” I chuckled.
“Both of them.” He grimaced. “I don't know what we'll do about Rentar.”
“If he insists on coming to Earth, we'll have to confess,” I said simply. “We'll deal with it.”
“Together,” he agreed.
“Together sounds good.”
“That's a relief”—Gage grinned—“because it's how we're going to be from this moment forward.”
“Yeah, sure; I've had other men promise me forever,” I whispered. “That didn't work out so well.”
“But you haven't had your griffin mate say it,” Gage growled. “I'm not leaving you, Elaria. Not for any reason. The others may—I can't guarantee their commitment—but I can assure you that mine is now steadfast. You are it for me; forever.”
I laughed grimly and shook my head.
“Why do you laugh?”
“It's so odd to hear a man proclaim forever without first vowing love.”
Gage sighed deeply before he spoke. “I know this is odd, but it's ours. This is how we were brought together, and we're going to make the most of it. Love will come, and then maybe you'll be more inclined to believe that this is eternal.”
“I believe in lasting love,” I protested. “And I even believe that we can have it. It's just the anxiety of having death hanging over my head that's bothering me. It's hard to fall in love when you're under pressure.”
“Is it?” Gage smirked. “I think we're doing just fine.”
Chapter Thirty-Nine
I was still screaming through my orgasm when Gage lifted his face from between my thighs and asked me, “Can I be the one to tell Odin we're together?”
My screams turned to giggles.
“What?” Gage growled as he climbed up my body.
“Odin was never interested in me,” I confessed. “He was playing you; trying to get you to confront your feelings for me.”
“That sneaky bastard,” he said without any heat. “I suppose I should thank him then. If not for all of his antics, I probably would have remained stubbornly set against us.”
“I'm the one who has to thank him,” I whispered. “Odin and Vivian have both done everything they could to save my life.”
“We don't have to worry about that anymore,” Gage gently stroked my cheek. “I feel it building between us, don't you?”
“I may feel a little something growing.” I wiggled my hips against him.
“Little?” He huffed and angled himself inside me. “Say that again; I dare you.” Gage made his point with a powerful thrust which left me moaning.
“It may be larger than I originally thought,” I murmured and pulled him closer.
“Tell me that you feel more than this pleasure,” Gage whispered in my ear.
“I feel more,” I said immediately. “Of course I do.”
“I do too.” He held my face within his palms as he ground his hips forward. “Sex has never been so sublime. I can feel your heartbeat syncing with mine.”
He was right; I felt the thud of his heart through our chests, where we were pressed tightly together, and it was indeed aligning with my own. Two beats later, we were in perfect harmony. Gage grabbed my hips and sped up our beat as he took us through the chorus and into a screaming finale.
We laid there panting while our aligned hearts slowed their rhythm. Then I slid out of his embrace and headed for the bathroom.
“Where are you going?” Gage groaned.
“I need to shower, and so do you.” I hooked my finger at him. “Then we are going into Tír na nÓg. I have to speak with a certain ex-Queen of Sapphire.”
“You mean that I actually get to leave the bedroom this time?” Gage smirked as he stalked over to me.
“I wish that I could keep you in my bedroom all day, honey,” I purred. “But we should probably find the woman who's causing us so much grief.”
“Probably,” he agreed and then eyed my large shower stall. “But we could multi-task.”
“Multi-task?”
“Get clean and have some bedroom-fun all at once.” Gage grinned and picked me up.
As he headed into the shower, I laughed and clung to his thick shoulders. Sweet sirens, the man was amazing. We'd been through so much in such a short time, and I felt like I truly knew him. There was nothing about Gage that I didn't like. So, why wasn't I in love with him already?
The sliver of kyanite vibrated in my neck, and its voice whispered in my mind, Because you cling to another love, and your griffin senses it.
Chapter Forty
I had been startled both by Kyanite's revelation and the fact that it could reach me through the Veil. I shouldn't have been; not by either of those things. I knew my own heart, and there was still a piece of it that belonged solely to Torin. As far as Kyanite reaching me on Earth; Declan had warned me of this very thing. He said that I would be able to access the stone's power from anywhere once I became queen, and he had been right.
By the time, Gage and I used my stone to travel to the Alexandrite Kingdom, I had calmed a bit and refocused on what I had to do. First, I would meet with Declan about Ava, and then I'd check on my new kingdom.
Declan wasn't in his bedroom, so Gage and I went out into the castle to search for him. Gage studied our surroundings as we walked, his eyes widening slightly at the shifting colors of the jewel walls, but he didn't say anything. I was too intent on finding Declan to make idle conversation or give Gage a tour, so I didn't say anything either. Which probably made us look like quite the grim pair when we happened upon Countess Elise—Torin's grandmother.
“Queen Elaria,” she said crisply.
I pulled up short and lifted a brow; I had no idea how this was going to go. Torin's mother was a lot gentler than his grandmother. I had exchanged some choice words with the Countess when we first met, but it had been a test which I had passed. She had been friendly to me afterward. But that was before I broke her grandson's heart. I may have lost all my cool points.
“Countess Elise,” I said warily.
“I've heard of Kyanite.”
“Have you?”
Gage watched us, his gaze going back and forth.
“Congratulations on claiming your kingdom.”
“Thank you,” I said softly. “Did Torin tell—”
“I know about what happened at your crowning,” she cut me off. “I'm greatly saddened that my grandson is so infected by his witch blood that he can't see his way past such a trifling issue.”
“Trifling?” I asked in surprise. “I wouldn't be able to accept it either.”
“You're not a shining one,” she sniffed haughtily.
“And yet I'm a shining one queen,” I shot back.
“That sliver of jewel inside your throat doesn't change your blood,” she said. “Nor does it alter the way you were raised. You don't understand that sex is something to be savored and cherished, but it isn't what defines us, nor is it what defines love. You say that you wouldn't be able to accept Torin if he had to take multiple lovers, but I think that's a lie, Elaria. Isn't it? You would do everything in your power to save my grandson, even if it meant sharing him with another woman... even if it meant giving him up entirely.”
“I would,” I whispered and felt Gage stiffen beside me. “But Torin doesn't believe I'm in danger, and honestly, Countess, I'm nearly saved. This is Gage Saeiqa; he's my soul mate. Gage, this is Countess Elise; Torin's grandmother.”
“My lady,” Gage bowed.
“Yes; I was at the Witch's Ball and saw the entire exchange.” Elise lifted her chin and looked Gage over. “He's an attractive man, no doubt, but he is not my grandson, and I think your heart will not be happy until you have Torin back. Good day, Queen Elaria,” Elise said. Before I could respond, she added, “Good day, Lo
rd Gage.”
She walked past us with her nose in the air.
“Is that true?” Gage asked softly.
“What?”
“That you will not be happy until you have Torin.”
“Seriously?” I huffed. “You couldn't have focused on the part where I called you my soul mate?”
“That was nice,” Gage said distractedly, “but you haven't answered my question.”
“I never denied loving Torin,” I said.
“But can you be happy without him, Elaria?” A muscle ticked in Gage's jaw.
“I'm going to damn well try,” I growled back.
“Okay!”
“Okay!”
“Yes, excellent; I'm glad that everything is okay,” Declan drawled. “Now, could you tone down your excitement a bit?”
“Declan,” I said in relief as I went forward to hug him. “Sorry, we just had a run-in with Elise.”
“Torin's grandmother?” Declan asked.
“Is there another Elise I'd have a run-in with?”
“You're so sassy today,” Declan chided me affectionately. “Do you need a spanking, Your Majesty?”
“Very funny.” I rolled my eyes, but the wicked look stayed in Declan's stare. “We'll talk about it later.”
“Oh yes; we will,” Declan purred then transferred his stare to Gage. “You're still with us, then?”
“I'm with her... forever,” Gage corrected him.
“Yes, but being with her means that you're with Banning and I as well. So, are we in love yet?” Declan asked, the slightest tremor of anxiety wrinkling around his eyes.
“We're getting there,” I murmured.
“And how did partying with the flock go?” Declan lifted a cinnabar brow.
“The tribe,” Gage growled.
“Both of you are in a fowl mood, aren't you?” Declan teased.
“Declan.” I sighed.
“All right, my love.” Declan took my arm and twined it around his. “Don't scowl so. I have some news for you about our orange-haired nemesis.”
Declan began to lead us back to his private chambers. We passed several shining ones along the way, and they all bowed to us, murmuring their congratulations to me. But those were the only verbal interactions we had. Declan didn't give us his news until his bedroom door was closed firmly behind us and he could be certain that we were alone.
“I have her,” Declan said succinctly.
“You do?” I gaped at him. “Where? Why didn't you just take me to her?”
“She's in the dungeon.” Declan held up a hand. “And Ava has denied any involvement in the monster and demon abductions.”
“Well, if she says she's innocent, then let's just forget about the whole thing,” I said sarcastically.
“She has a look about her,” Declan said softly. “I don't think Ava did it, Elaria.”
“How did she explain her hair getting to Torr-Chathair?” I asked.
“She couldn't,” he admitted. “But she is not the only woman in the whole of the realms with orange hair.”
“She is the only one with hair like that who hates me, and the griffins have determined the hair to be from a shining one.”
“That is damning.” Declan sighed. “I will take you to her, and you can judge for yourself.”
“All right.”
We went back into the hallway and through several corridors before our path started angling downward, into the foundation of the castle. After several flights of stairs, and past two more subterranean levels, we finally came to the Alexandrite Castle's dungeons. They were clean, both in appearance and odor, and not a single iron bar was in sight. I was utterly disappointed.
The cells were made of stone—jewel-free stone—and the doors were secured with onyx medallions. I knew from personal experience that onyx could ground magic. Hell, Ava knew it too; Torin's onyx magic was integral to the process of draining most of hers.
Declan nodded to a guard who was seated at a simple wooden table with a book in his hands. The guard stood up, bowed to his king, handed Declan a key ring, and then went back to reading. Okay then; I guess there wasn't a lot of concern over the prisoner escaping. Declan took us to the first door and unlocked it before ushering us inside.
Ava was seated on a slim bed, her hands demurely folded in her lap. Her hair looked as if it had been in an elaborate configuration at one point, but it had fallen loose and gotten a bit tangled. Her caramel complexion was much paler than usual and her chartreuse eyes were dulled to foggy jade. She lifted that misty stare to me, and it widened in terror.
“Hello, Ava,” I said calmly.
“Elaria,” she nervously said back.
“It's Queen Elaria,” Declan said casually. “Remember when I told you that she claimed Kyanite?”
“Yes, of course,” Ava muttered and looked away.
I gave Declan an I-told-you-so grimace.
“She's here to determine your innocence or guilt,” Declan said to Ava. “You might fare better with a little more respect.”
“And then she would think that it was a ploy,” Ava pointed out.
“Fair enough.” I agreed. Then I went to stand before her. “Did you orchestrate these monster abductions? Or did you plot with someone to do so?”
“I had no knowledge of any monsters escaping Torr-Chathair until King Declan told me of them,” Ava said. She met my stare unflinchingly. “Frankly, I don't care enough about you to go through such trouble to torment you, even if I had the magic to do so.”
I kept staring at her, but before I could say anything more, I was interrupted.
“The hair was definitely hers,” Gage announced.
We all turned to him in surprise, even Ava.
“How do you know?” Declan asked.
“Her scent,” I answered for Gage.
“The scent is unmistakable,” Gage confirmed. “She was on Torr-Chathair.”
“You have some of my hair,” Ava huffed. “How does that make me guilty? I've never been to Torr-Chathair—never. I wasn't a part of its discovery or the transporting of the monsters, and I have never felt the urge to visit the place. It sounds horrendous.”
“Then explain how your hair was found there,” Gage demanded.
“And Torr-Chathair is a fucking paradise,” I snapped. “Far more beautiful than Sapphire ever was; even before the war.”
Gage sent me a sideways smile.
“Obviously, someone put it there, but it wasn't me.” Ava rolled her eyes, but I caught a glimmer of fear in them.
“Someone is framing you?” I asked her. “That's your defense?”
“I don't know what that means precisely, but yes, I think it's what I'm saying.” Ava scowled. “Someone is trying to draw attention away from themselves and lay blame on me.”
“Who?” I asked her. “Who would have access to your hair?”
“Anyone.” She shrugged. “I don't... know...” Her eyes widened, and her stare wandered.
“Who?” I snarled. “You just thought of someone; who was it?”
“I went to see Galen last month,” she whispered. “He kept calling my charm, and I did miss him. So, I visited him in the Human Realm.”
“Galen,” I growled.
“Someone would have to be helping him,” Declan mused. “We're right back to another suspect without the means to pull this off.”
“No.” Ava shook her head. “Galen would never do that to me. He loves me.”
“Even after you refused to go with him into the Human Realm?” I asked her.
She started to look unsure.
“You can prove your innocence and get revenge on Galen.” Declan narrowed his eyes at Ava.
“I won't betray him,” she vowed.
“It sounds as if he's already betrayed you,” I pointed out viciously.
“Possibly.” She squished up her lips as if she refused to say anymore.
“You can stay here, in this cell, until your innocence is proven,” Declan noted. “Or
you can take control of your future and help us discover who Galen is working with.”
Ava remained silent.
“Admirable.” Declan nodded. “But I'm warning you; I may forget that you're even down here, depending on how long it takes to prove that you're being framed.”
