A Harmony of Hearts_Book 3_Spellsinger Series

by Amy Sumida

  “Yes,” he said immediately—along with Amaron and Gage.

  “Well, you're not.” I grimaced at them. “There's no way that the Shining Ones are going to be okay with me bringing a flock of griffins into Tír na nÓg to hunt one of their old queens.”

  “We are on good terms with the Fey,” Amaron declared.

  “Great; let's keep it that way,” I said firmly.

  “We'll need proof that the thief is dead,” Trathon bargained.

  “You'll have it,” Gage assured him. “They may not let in an entire flight of us, but I'm going with Elaria, no matter what. I'll verify the kill.”

  “I'm satisfied with that.” Trathon nodded then looked to Amaron. “You?”

  “I trust my son implicitly,” Amaron agreed.

  “Excellent.” Gage grinned. “Then there's just one thing left to do.”

  “Feast!” Amaron declared.

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Griffins know how to party. The celebration began at Gage's parents' house and spread throughout the whole village. Instead of making my way across a room, Gage and I drifted down torch-lit paths to every house in the valley. We ate and drank and danced in between receiving blessings for our happiness and even a few gifts. But before we even began the party crawl, Gage and I had dined with his family, and I got to meet the siblings.

  Gage's brothers were both massive warriors with courtly manners, just like him. The brothers, including Gage, had a similar look to them, but I thought Gage was the most attractive of the bunch. Perhaps I was biased, though. Kryana—Finteren's mate—sure seemed to disagree with me. She had only eyes for her husband, and he was just as obsessed with her.

  “They've only been mated a decade,” Sashaena whispered to me. “Still a pair of lovebirds.”

  I nodded sagely and hoped that my lovebird stage lasted as long with my men. Speaking of which; no mention was made of the Rooster Spell, and I hoped we'd continue to be able to hide it. I'd hate to see Gage's family disappointed. They were a loving group who hadn't hesitated in bringing me into the fold.

  “So, how did you meet?” It was Rentar, the middle brother, who asked.

  Gage was the youngest—which meant that he broke out of his egg last. Yes; I was still trying to get over the egg thing. But I wasn't the only one with issues; Amaron's eyes went wide when Rentar posed his question, flicking from his wife to me. Then he shook his head just the barest bit. Right; I wasn't supposed to mention Vivian.

  “There happened to be a Witch's Ball the evening that Gage arrived at Coven Cay,” I tried to not chuckle at Amaron's antics. “I was on stage, singing, when Gage came into the room. He just walked up to me, and I reached out to him. He took my hand, and that was it.”

  “You took a stranger's hand while you were singing at a Ball?” Kryana asked with wide eyes. “Then what?”

  “Then I lifted her off the stage and danced with her while she continued to sing.” Gage smiled softly at me.

  “That's so romantic,” Kryana whispered.

  “Thanks a lot, dingleberry!” Finteren growled at Gage. “You just made me look bad.”

  “Our death spiral was the most romantic moment of my life, Fin,” Kryana purred. “You will never look bad to me.”

  Finteren got a goofy look on his face.

  “I guess you're off the hook,” I said to Gage with a grin.

  “Griffins are very romantic,” Gage said proudly. “Finteren wasn't really worried. He wooed Kryana for months before they spiraled.”

  “Fin camped outside my village,” Kryana added. “He wouldn't leave until we were mated.”

  “Oh, you're from another tribe?” I asked.

  “That's usually where male griffins find their mates,” Finteren explained. “We journey around the world, searching the tribes until we find our mate. It's a quest.”

  “Did you go on a quest?” I asked Gage.

  “Three times,” Rentar teased his brother. “I guess we know why he was unsuccessful.”

  “Maybe you should go to the Human Realm too, Rentar,” Sashaena said gently. “It could be that your mate is outside the tribes as well.”

  Rentar blinked and then nodded. “Perhaps you're right, Mother. I should return with Gage.”

  “After this is settled, you can come for a visit,” Gage quickly added.

  “Tell me that you couldn't use another griffin out there,” Rentar challenged.

  “We have too many warriors as it is,” I tried for some diplomacy. “The witches might see another griffin as an insult to their capabilities.”

  The table went quiet; evidently, those were the perfect words to get griffins to back down. No one wanted to insult another fighter's abilities... especially not allies.

  “After it's over, then,” Rentar agreed.

  Gage shared a relieved look with me.

  After the meal, Sashaena threw open the main doors of her home and invited her neighbors inside. That's when the celebration truly began. Gage and I were whisked out onto the lawn amid his tribe, and the torches were lit. We were welcomed warmly by every family and drawn along on a happy tide. We were making our way down to another palatial home when Rentar stopped us.

  “Sing for us, Spellsinger!” Rentar called to me across someone's front yard.

  The griffins gathered around us, and musical instruments were brought forth. Musicians came forward eagerly, and I looked to Gage. He shrugged; it was my call. So, I pulled out my iPod and thumbed through it until I found a song that I thought would be appropriate for griffins; one that would take my magic to a good place. I played it once for the musicians so that they could get the melody. They marveled a bit over the machine that performed like a host of men, but then they listened, and finally nodded their agreement. Alessia Cara's “Wild Things” had an easy enough beat to follow, even without modern, electric instruments.

  As soon as my griffin band started to play, the tribe went silent and began to bob to the thumping rhythm. This type of music was new to them; I could see it in their widened eyes and even wider smiles. When I noticed that, I was glad I'd chosen this particular song. It was joyous; a story of self-acceptance and pride in being different. My voice lifted on the wings of my magic and flowed among these wild things; my new family. Feet started to pound the earth as the drumbeats moved the tribe to dance. I swayed in sublime pleasure; the feeling of acceptance and family soaking from the lyrics into my heart. Soon, I was entirely enthralled by the song, wrapped up in the sound of home and hearth; the warmth of wild things and their jubilant ways. The griffins spun each other around and leapt about, as caught up as I was in the music. Primal and passionate; the thudding rhythm carried us along until it finally faded away, and left us laughing with delight.

  After that, the musicians played on without me. Gage and I left them to it and wandered the village for hours until finally, it was time for us to leave. We bid everyone goodbye, and Gage led me up the path to the mountain ledge. We held hands and stared out at Saeiqa Village for a few moments. Firelight warmed the night along with the sound of music and laughter.

  “I am unbelievably happy,” Gage said to me.

  “You know what, feather-face? I am too.” I smiled.

  “Feather-face?” He chuckled and pulled me into an embrace.

  “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, Lord 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 ev
erything 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.”