Summoner 5

by Eric Vall

  “Hang on just a minute here,” I intervened. I wasn’t about to sit here and listen to Ashla make such a rash decision.

  “If this is about the money, let me talk to Arwyn, er, Ms. Hamner,” I started. “She has the authority to pay you for your services so you aren’t moving from inn to inn scrubbing dishes and running nightly patrols to earn your keep.”

  Drew quirked a brow at me curiously. “I didn’t realize you had that kind of weight.”

  “I don’t,” I admitted, “but as part of the monster defense squad I have some pull with the Headmaster. I report directly to Arwyn Hamner, who reports directly to Marangur Sleet.”

  Drew nodded in understanding. “Sleet is a generous man from my experience. Maybe your idea isn’t so farfetched.”

  I grinned proudly. “I can’t promise anything, but it doesn’t hurt to try.”

  Ashla and Drew deliberated silently amongst themselves and spoke only through long glances and body language. After a moment, Ashla nodded with a relieved smile.

  Drew stood then, and his gaze shifted to Gawain and me. “I’ll pitch the idea to them. If they go for it, it will at least buy us some time before we have to seek out a new shield and banisher.”

  He motioned to the notes and maps scattered across the table. “Our information is yours as well,” Drew assured us. “Whatever we can do to help understand all of this, we’re happy to do our part.”

  Both of us blinked, completely stunned, and it wasn’t until Ashla cleared her throat that either of us said anything.

  “Um, thank you,” Gawain mumbled graciously.

  “That’s extremely kind of you,” I added.

  Drew ran a hand through his thick red hair and shook his head with a light snort. “Don’t let it get to your heads.”

  With that said, he wandered off to sit with Doc and Zyg, who looked to be engrossed in some game that had colorful orb pieces and a wooden board with multiple bowls on it.

  I turned my attention back to Ashla, who still had her chin in her hands as she stared blankly at the maps and notes on the table.

  “Why don’t we go talk somewhere?” I suggested.

  She gave me a short nod in response, and I allowed her to lead me back up the stairs and into what I assumed was the room she had moved to after I put Layla in my bed. Ashla had insisted I take her bed so I could stay near Layla whilst she slept, and she happily gave up her bed and moved to another room. It was mighty kind of her, though I would have been more than willing to simply share it with Layla.

  I closed the door to her room behind me and watched as she paced from one end to the other, arms crossed, head down, and lips pursed in deep thought. I didn’t necessarily want to drag her away from that, but I didn’t want to awkwardly stand and watch her either.

  “Can you really persuade Arwyn to give us funding?” she asked quietly as she looked out the window.

  “Like I said, I can’t promise anything, but I’m going to try,” I told her.

  When she crossed back towards me for the fifth time, I reached out and held her still until she looked up at me. I wanted to say something profound, something that would ease her mind and take away the confusion in the beautiful depths of her eyes. I wanted to have the ability to make all of it easy to understand, to make all of the answers in the world suddenly appear before her. That wasn’t something I could do though, no matter how badly I desired it. I wasn’t that kind of person, be it mage or man.

  Instead, I kissed her.

  I crashed our lips together and pulled her close so our bodies were flush. Ashla tasted of something sweet, and I was eager to run my tongue along hers to get even just a sample of what she had to offer me.

  I didn’t have to ask, nor did I have to wait long. Ashla’s hands cupped my face, and her nails dragged along my neck as she deepened the kiss. We warred with our tongues, but she was all too happy to let me be in control this time. My hands slid down her body and rested at her hips as our kisses became more furious and passionate.

  When I felt her fingertips tease along the hem of my shirt, I knew where this was going to go. My body ignited with her longing touch, and as I made expert work of her armor and exposed her perfectly round breasts, I grew even warmer.

  One piece of clothing after another fell to the floor at our feet, and they left a trail in our wake as I hoisted her against the opposite wall beside the window that overlooked the alley on the side of the inn. She smirked against my lips and spread her legs wide.

  “Anyone could see, you know?” I teased her with the tip of my cock and reveled in the delightful purr that rumbled in her chest.

  “Let them watch if they so choose,” she whispered as she rolled her hips, desperate for more friction than what I was giving her. “I don’t mind an audience.”

  I chuckled breathily against her neck and moaned at the implications. My fingers tightened on her ass, and I surely would leave some light bruises there.

  “You’re terrible,” I joked, and I grazed my teeth ever so slightly along the shell of her ear. “I like it.”

  “Then do something about it,” she said to try to egg me on, but it came out as more of a whimper as I finally pushed myself inside of her. Ashla was hot, wet, and heat rushed up my back and neck as I felt her form to me.

  I moved slowly at first, but within seconds, our pace became wild and deep. Her moans, though soft, were erotic and sweet in my ears, and I was high on the idea that someone could stop and watch as Ashla’s back slid up and down the wall and see her legs inviting me into her.

  Our bodies moved as one, and our breaths were short as we came up for air between scorching kisses. Nails scored my shoulders and sweat dripped from my brow, and Ashla’s tanned skin seemed to glitter in the light of dusk over Balvaan.

  When she came, it was hard, and her body shuddered against mine. She bit down on her lip to keep her moans to a reasonable volume, and all I could think of was what she would have sounded like if she hadn’t restrained herself.

  “Yessss,” the ice mage purred as she rode out her orgasm.

  The feeling of her tightening around me pushed me over the edge. With a stifled sound of my own, I came as well, and I swore I could see stars on her skin as my own orgasm caused my body to shake and pour what felt like a gallon of my seed deep inside of her tight tunnel.

  My chest heaved when I finally emptied, and I stayed motionless and slumped against Ashla as her fingers threaded through my slick hair. The gentle affection was nice and definitely appreciated. I could get used to this, to Ashla, and I hoped whatever decision she made tonight would allow me the chance to have her like this again.

  Chapter 14

  The following morning found me in the same spot beside Layla’s bed that I had been in for most of the previous day. Ashla had insisted she wanted the time alone to come to her decisions, and I was more than willing to respect that. After we finished making love, I kissed her goodnight and found my way back to my room, where Layla was still out cold. Gawain had returned at some point after I’d fallen asleep, and he snored softly in the bed closest to the door.

  It was just past dawn when Orenn came into the room quietly.

  “Hey,” he greeted with a grin, “how is she?”

  “Still out like a light.” I smiled tiredly and shook my head. “Whatever happened to her must have really wiped her out.”

  Orenn nodded and pulled up a seat beside me. “I’m sorry I was out all night. Spent the evening with my brother and ended up crashing there.”

  “No need to apologize. He’s your family. Enjoy the time you can have with him.” I smiled a little wider. “Besides, we can’t make any moves until either Layla wakes up or we receive word from Sleet about what we should be doing next.”

  “Still nothing from him, then?” Orenn clarified.

  “Nothing. I hope the letter wasn’t intercepted.” I frowned. I didn’t want to have Maelor involved with whatever this was, and if he went down for me trying to be sneaky, I’d never forgiv
e myself.

  Orenn placed his hand on my shoulder. “Don’t worry about it so much. The Headmaster wouldn’t have put any of us on this mission if he didn’t think we’d be able to handle ourselves outside of the Academy. He has faith in us.”

  “Thanks, Orenn.” I smiled and patted the hand he placed on me. “So, how was your brother?”

  “Fine,” he chortled and sat back in the little wooden chair. He almost looked too big to sit in it properly, and I couldn’t help but wonder if the whole thing was going to collapse under him or not.

  “He’s a fisherman, so we spent the afternoon out on his boat,” he went on.

  “What’s his name?” I asked, genuinely curious.

  “Errol,” he replied. “Two years my elder, and boy, does he love to remind me of it.”

  I chuckled a little. “He’s one of those, huh?”

  “Don’t get me wrong,” Orenn corrected, “he’s a great man. He’d give the shirt off his back to anyone and always puts others before him, but he doesn’t understand magic.”

  “He doesn’t have magic?” I looked at Orenn with an odd expression.

  Orenn shook his head. “Errol has always been supportive though, even if he can’t comprehend the intricacies and politics of it all. He’s the type of person who likes to see things before he believes them.”

  I laughed dryly. I knew the type. Skeptics were rare to come by anymore, but there were, of course, a few people who believed magic wasn’t real or that it was the only thing that could save them from monsters. Of course, there were the actual soldiers who were usually the first dispatched to the rifts, but my experience with rifts personally was more along the lines of entering them head-on without waiting for any kind of backup, because that was the way I rolled.

  “What do you think happened to Nia?” Orenn asked, and suddenly his face was sullen, sad.

  I could relate. Knowing she had been away in Hartmire was enough heartache. Now, we didn’t know where she was, or what had happened to her, and the only person who could give us any clue was recovering from extreme exhaustion and severe mana depletion.

  I hung my head solemnly. “I don’t know.”

  The two of us fell quiet for a while as we watched over Layla. I thought a lot about the things that had already happened on this journey, and what might still be to come. I had a hunch that whatever this was wasn’t something that was going to be swept under the rug. No, this would be something continuous until we were able to locate all of the ciphers, and then what? What would they tell us? So much of what we didn’t know rode on the discovery and translation of the tablet and the book.

  My eyes landed on Layla again. She was still sound asleep, and I hoped whatever she was dreaming of was pleasant, but from the downward tug of her lips, I could tell it was anything but. I wanted to wake her, to gently pry her out of whatever was plaguing her, but I didn’t have to.

  Suddenly, she shot up from the bed, eyes wide and watery, and she screamed.

  “Nia!”

  Orenn and I were on our feet in an instant, and I took her hands in mine.

  “Layla, look at me,” I coaxed gently.

  Her eyes met mine, and they welled up with giant tears that spilled over. They ran down her cheeks, and I was quick to catch them with the pad of my thumb.

  “We’re in Balvaan. We’re safe,” I assured her as I sat on the bed beside her and pulled her close.

  Her shoulders shook as she wailed into my chest.

  “She’s gone, Gryff!” She sobbed brokenly. “Nia is gone, and it’s all my fault!”

  My stomach sank at the implications as to what she could mean, but I had to remain calm if I wanted her to tell me anything. I ran my hands through her knotted hair and kissed the top of her head as I rocked her slowly.

  “Talk to me, Layla,” I soothed. “Tell us what happened.”

  Orenn and I exchanged worried glances as she hiccupped and coughed into my shirt. The poor girl was still completely exhausted, and she tried to catch her breath. I rubbed small circles over her back in hopes that it would comfort her. It seemed to work because eventually, her shoulders slumped, and the wails quieted to soft whimpers.

  Gawain had rolled out of bed and joined Orenn at his other side. He’d opened his mouth to speak, but Orenn shushed him with a warning look. He must have thought Gawain would say something stupid and get Layla worked up again.

  After another moment, Layla sat back and wiped her eyes on the back of her hands. She sniffled, and Orenn pulled a handkerchief from his pocket for her.

  “Thanks,” she mumbled and then leaned into me again.

  “Can you tell us what happened, Layla?” I asked again. “Where were you and Nia headed?”

  Layla tensed, but she nodded. “We were on our way to Faigan’nam Enclave.”

  “Faigan’nam?” I scrunched my face.

  “It’s directly east of here,” Orenn supplied. “About a three-day ride. They’re the only Enclave with a port system in place because it’s right on the water.”

  I nodded. I’d never heard of it, but it sounded like an awesome place. I definitely wanted to see it in person sometime.

  “Is that where Sleet sent you two?” I prodded, and again, she nodded.

  “General Kenefick sent us off on an airship, but there was an issue in Faigan’nam that prevented us from landing there, so we had to dock outside of the Enclave on the beach,” she explained. “It wasn’t a big deal. Nia said it happened sometimes because of how busy it gets in there with all of the trade and stuff, so we would just have to hoof it a little bit. It would have only taken us an hour at most because I wanted to look at the shells as they washed onto the shore.”

  I stifled a laugh at that. It was so like Layla to be distracted by something shiny, and I was willing to bet she hadn’t ever seen the open water before, so it was an all-new experience for her from beginning to end.

  “Anyway, we were nearly there when a rift opened in the middle of the sea,” she continued.

  “A rift there?” My eyes went wide. “How?”

  “I don’t know!” she snapped defensively, then sagged again. “I don’t know, but it was there, and it started to swallow all of the water around it. We waited to see if anything would come out. We figured the least we could do was fend them off until the Faigan’nam Academy reacted and sent in a response team to close the rift.”

  “Sounds a lot like what you and I did in the thicket,” Gawain commented as he looked at me.

  “We were trained well, one way or another.” I smiled a little, but it didn’t quite reach my eyes.

  “What happened next?” Orenn pushed gently.

  Layla shook her head. “We waited, but nothing came out. We expected something, even if it was just some weird minnow monster, but we stood there for twenty minutes and nothing came out.”

  “So you just left?” Gawain asked.

  “Of course not, you idiot,” Layla spat. “We turned our backs for two seconds because we heard the gates to the Enclave in the distance. We thought it was the monster response team, and then suddenly, this shadow started to loom over us.”

  “What was it?” I asked and tried not to seem too eager.

  Layla stiffened, and she stared a hole into the sheets as she hung her head and shook it. “… I don’t know. I couldn’t get a good look at it, but I heard Nia scream, and then she…” Her voice broke toward the end of the sentence and she sniffled. “She was gone, Gryff. I didn’t even get a chance to save her. The wave crashed down on me, and when I looked next to me again, she was gone.”

  Gawain bounced his foot in place, clearly agitated. “You don’t remember anything else? What did the monster look like? Surely there’s something--”

  “Hey, back off, Madox,” I warned and pulled Layla instinctively closer. “You heard her as clear as Orenn and I. She doesn’t know anything else.”

  He scoffed, frustrated, and I couldn’t blame him. I was worried about Nia, too. I wanted to get out there and fin
d her, but we didn’t even know where to start.

  “Actually, I do remember something,” Layla mumbled.

  Gawain bristled and stepped closer to the bed. “Well? Out with it then.”

  Layla pouted as she glared at him, and it was simultaneously the cutest yet most threatening thing I’d ever seen her do. No one should be so cute and so menacing at the same time.

  “It isn’t much,” she admitted, “but it had wings, huge ones, and they were a dark color, like black or purple.”

  She was right, it wasn’t much to go on, but it was better than nothing.

  “What about the rift?” I asked. “Did the Faigan’nam mages close it?”

  Again, Layla shook her head. “No. They didn’t need to. The rift disappeared after the wave crashed down. They got there and there was nothing for them to do.”

  The three of us sat in silence, bewildered over the entire situation. How had these missions gone so astray? It felt like a punch to the gut to think about it, but I remembered the things we’d learned, and while it didn’t feel like much in the grand scheme of things, they were things that would absolutely help us in the future. We just had to conquer things as they came at us, and right now, this was the hurdle we were being faced with.

  I looked at Layla and cupped her cheeks in my hands. When I gazed into her eyes, I saw a world of hurt and shame, and my heart broke for her. I knew she did everything she could have done. This wasn’t her fault, but I knew she blamed herself.

  “We’re going to get Nia back. I promise.” I rubbed my thumbs over her cheekbones, and she choked back another sob as she nodded slowly. I could still see the exhaustion in her eyes. She needed more rest, but time wasn’t on our side these days. All we could hope for was that Sleet would respond to our letter soon so we had an idea of what was going on in Varle and figure out what our next step was in the mission he gave us.

  “Why don’t you get some more rest?” Orenn smiled at Layla and stood. “Gawain and I will fetch Doc and let him know you’re awake. He’ll want to take a look at you.”