Summoner 18, p.15
Summoner 18, page 15
We entered the mansion, and without hesitation, the girls led me to the staircase. We ascended as a group, and as I glanced around the hallways, I let out a sigh of relief. There were no more Shadal around to monitor my every step, and the lack of shadow creatures in every corner put me at ease.
We stopped at the first door on the third floor, and my eyebrows furrowed as I tried to remember where we were. I’d passed by this door many times, but the room itself wasn’t one I entered often.
I heard a sound from within, and Layla eyed me with anticipation.
“What’s that?” I wondered, and the petite summoner turned the knob and held the door open for me.
“Find out for yourself.” The brunette mage grinned.
I gulped and then entered the room, only to be greeted by the shocked faces of Freya and Cyra. The curly-haired summoner and the hawk princess were seated in identical wooden rocking chairs, and they froze as they took in the sight of me.
“Gryff?” the pair of women exclaimed at the same time, and they leapt up from their seats and ran at me with the same enthusiasm as Layla and Erin.
I wrapped my arms around my beautiful women and held them tight as they wept tears of joy.
“I was so scared you were going to be gone forever,” Cyra whimpered as she nuzzled her face against my chest. “I mean, I knew you were gonna be fine, but still. Don’t scare me like that again.”
“I’m so sorry, Cyra,” I murmured into her nest of black hair.
“I knew you would return to us, my wonderful mate,” Freya declared in a determined voice. “You are a strong and powerful warrior. I knew you would be victorious.”
“You’re too good to me.” I kissed my golden-haired wife. “I’ve missed you both so much.
The three of us held each other for a few minutes, and once we pulled apart, I peered around the room. On the wall opposite us sat a row of cribs made of the same wood as the chairs, and I realized we were in the nursery.
Cyra noticed my expression, and the dark-skinned summoner took my hand gently in hers.
“There have been quite a few changes around here,” the dark-eyed summoner said with a smile. “Some pretty big ones, as I’m sure you’ve gathered.”
“Definitely.” I nodded blankly, and Cyra tucked a black curl behind her ear.
“Do you want to meet our son?” she asked quietly, and the whole world paused.
“I have a son?” I breathed.
Moments ago, I’d processed that I was going to be the father of two, but the sentiment felt too far off to really settle in.
Now…
“Yes, you do.” Cyra grinned happily. “And he’s waiting for you over there.”
I bit my lip as heat flooded my cheeks, and Cyra’s face was proud as she glanced over at the row of cribs.
“And so is your beautiful daughter,” Freya added, and the hawk princess took my other hand and then inclined her head toward the wall. “She is in the bed beside him.”
“I have a daughter, too?” I rasped, and the happy grin returned back to my face.
“She is as beautiful as I said she would be.” Freya smiled, and the hawk princess’ gold-flecked brown eyes sparkled with pride. “And so is your son. You and Cyra and I made the loveliest, most wonderful babies. Again, just as I told you.”
“My sister is always right about making babies,” Cyra chuckled. “Now, c’mon, Gryff. They’ve been waiting patiently for you to arrive.”
“Then I won’t keep them waiting any longer,” I laughed breathlessly, and I swallowed the lump that had formed in my throat, squeezed the hands of my lovers, and released them. Then I approached the cribs with shaky steps, and I took a deep inhale.
When I looked over the wooden bars of the cribs, I was met by the tiny, wide-eyed faces of my son and daughter.
Chapter Eight
Their round eyes regarded me curiously, and though they were opposite in appearance, their gazes were strikingly similar, and my breath stilled in my chest as I took in the sight of my adorable children.
My son had inherited his mother’s thick midnight black curls, and his round chocolate colored eyes were framed by equally dark eyelashes. His skin was a rich caramel tone somewhere between mine and Cyra’s, and I spotted glimpses of myself in his facial features. His chubby little legs kicked around, and he let out a small gurgle as he watched me.
“Gryff, I want you to meet Milo,” Cyra said softly as she came up behind me, and I looped my arm around her curvy waist.
“Milo?” I repeated back, and I broke into a huge smile. “That sounds just like--”
“Maelor,” Cyra finished for me, and the dark-skinned summoner smiled widely. “He was the one who brought us together all that time ago in Tallington, and if it weren’t for him, I never would’ve met you, and we wouldn’t be here together right now.
“Aww, that’s really sweet,” I chuckled, and I gave the baby a huge grin.
Little Milo. The name suited him perfectly.
“There’s also the fact he’s basically Milo’s grandfather,” Cyra continued. “I thought a similar name would be a good way to honor him.”
“It’s perfect,” I replied. Maelor Corroso had been a father to me for most of my life, and he taught me all I knew about summoning and how to be a man. My firstborn son couldn’t have been given a better namesake.
Milo studied me closely, and as I reached my hand into the crib to stroke his soft-looking curls, his tiny hand reached up and grabbed onto my finger, and my heart almost exploded.
“He’s got quite the grip, doesn’t he?” Cyra laughed, and then the dark-skinned summoner rested her cheek affectionately against my arm.
“He definitely does.” I smiled as I watched our son furrow his nearly nonexistent eyebrows at my hand. “He’s already quite the strongman, isn’t he?”
“He takes after his dad that way,” Cyra mused.
“You’re gonna be quite the heartbreaker when you’re older, aren’t you?” I asked the little guy, and he let out another gurgle of acknowledgement.
Milo squeezed my finger once more but then quickly lost interest and shifted his focus over to Cyra. Our son grinned up at his mother and started to fidget in his crib, so Cyra reached in and scooped him up into her arms. Then the summoner held him close and lightly bounced in place.
“This is all he wants,” my curly-haired lover explained as she bobbed up and down. “As far as babies go, he’s pretty simple when it comes to needs.”
“I can see that,” I commented, and Milo’s brown eyes glittered as he watched me over Cyra’s shoulder. It was amazing Cyra and I had created such a tiny, perfect human being, and despite knowing him for only five minutes, I knew I would lay my life on the line for him with no hesitation. I would do anything I could to protect him at all costs.
I stroked the baby’s peach-soft cheek, and then he settled into Cyra and disregarded me completely. So, with Milo preoccupied by his mother’s rocking, I turned to the crib beside him, and I was immediately sucked in by the intensely focused stare of my daughter.
Her eyes closely resembled Freya’s, only without the brown tones. Instead, her irises were a pure warm gold, like liquid sunshine, and after the darkness I’d dwelled in for a week, the sight couldn’t have brought me more joy. Our daughter’s soft swath of hair was almost the exact same shade as her eyes, and her skin was as fair and pink-flushed as her mother’s. She clung to a stuffed animal that resembled a yellow cat, and I had no doubt in my mind that she and Dio would become fast friends once they met.
“Beautiful girl,” I cooed at the baby, and she let out a small, yet confused laugh as if to say, ‘hey, man, who the heck are you?’
“This is Lahrra,” Freya introduced our daughter with a proud glint in her eyes.“In our histories, Lahrra the Golden was an ancient warrior queen who won many battles. Our daughter has the same fire in her eyes, and so I gave her a name to match. She will be a great warrior when she is grown. I can see it clearly in my mind and in her stare.”
“She certainly will be.” I grinned at the beautiful baby girl. “Lahrra. That’s really pretty. I like it a lot.”
“It’s definitely fitting,” Cyra agreed. “You and Freya made a super beautiful baby, so she needed an equally pretty name to match.”
“Lucky for me, my children closely resemble their mothers,” I laughed.
“Oh, hush, Gryffie,” Layla teased from behind me. “Of course, we’re all super hot, but your genes definitely helped.”
“Whatever you say, Bethel,” I chuckled at the petite summoner.
Then Freya expertly picked Lahrra up and handed her to me. I gently cradled our daughter in my arms, and though I was nervous to hold something so fragile, Lahrra was soft and warm.
“Hello,” I murmured to her, and I kissed the top of her golden head. “It’s so nice to finally meet you. I love you so much.”
Lahrra squirmed a bit, and then she scrunched up her tiny button nose.
Oh, Maker. What was going on? What if she didn’t like me?
“Shh, shh, shh…” I whispered to her. “Everything’s totally okay. Daddy’s got you.”
I rocked her lightly in my arms, and that seemed to do the trick. Lahrra let out a satisfied sigh and then closed her eyes, and my nervousness was replaced by a grin as I watched my daughter’s eyelids grow heavy.
“That’s a wonderful sight.” Layla sighed. The petite summoner had taken a seat in one of the rocking chairs, and she had a twinkle in her hazel eyes as she rubbed her swollen belly.
“Isn’t it?” Erin agreed from a few feet away. “Something about Gryff holding a baby makes my ovaries ache, and I’m already pregnant.”
“Don’t let them explode just yet,” Cyra teased the orange-haired mimic from across the room. “Can’t have that, not when Nia’s--”
“When Nia’s what?”
I turned around immediately at the unmistakable sound of Nia Kenefick’s voice, and my heart suddenly began to race. The multi-elementalist stood in the doorway, and her lovely face turned a whiter shade when she noticed me amongst the rest of our lovers.
“Gryff,” Nia breathed, and her ice blue eyes were wide as she stared at me in disbelief. “You’re back.”
“Hi, Nia,” I greeted her with a shaky voice, and as I did, Freya reached out and gently took Lahrra back into her arms. Then the hawk princess shot me a knowing smile and gestured in Nia’s direction with a single sideward glance.
I thanked her silently, and then I walked over to Nia.
My ashen-haired wife was even more beautiful than the last time I saw her, and Maker only knew how that was possible. Nia Kenefick possessed a natural grace and regal gaze that on anyone else would seem cocky, but Nia had the intellect and poise to back it up. The look she gave me was one of adoration, and I swept her into a tight embrace. I rested my head in the familiar crook of her shoulder, and then Nia tightened her arms around my chest, and as we pressed against each other, I noticed the same type of physical change I’d seen in Erin and Layla.
“Nia, you’re… you’re pregnant, too?” I asked in wonderment as I pulled away slightly and took in the sight of her very swollen belly.
“I am.” Nia blushed, and the pink color that spread across her pale face only added to her beauty. “And according to Meridan, I’m a bit late. I should be going into labor any day now.”
“Maker, this is incredible news to come back to.” I grinned as I stared down at her bump.
Seven days ago, I’d been stuck in the darkness of the Shadowscape, ducking out of sight of shadow creatures and horny goddesses, and today, I was the father of two, with three more children on the way.
“Oh, Gryff, I wanted to tell you so badly.” Nia smiled up at me. “The moment I found out I was pregnant was one of the best moments of my life, and all I wanted to do was celebrate with you. I’ve missed you so much.”
“I missed you, too, my love,” I replied as I cupped her cheek. “So fucking much. I’m sorry I was gone for so long. I really didn’t think that much time would pass. The Shadowscape is so--”
“Unpredictable,” Nia finished for me, and then the multi-elementalist gave me an understanding expression. “Don’t apologize. You were so brave to go into the Shadowscape to save the Enclave. I’ll admit, I was terrified when I heard the news from Sera, but you always do the right thing, and that’s one of the reasons I love you so much. I knew you’d return to us once you’d completed your task.”
“I just wish it could’ve been sooner,” I sighed. “For me, it was only a week, but it was one of the longest seven days of my life.”
“I have no doubt about that.” Nia nodded. “Once you’ve settled in, you’ll have to tell us all about it. If there’s anything I know about your solo adventures, it’s that they’re not exactly uneventful.”
“That’s for damn sure,” I snorted. “The Shadowscape certainly kept me busy, and I have quite a bit to catch you up on.”
“We have all of the time in the world.” Cyra smirked. “Outside of the babies, we haven’t done much else, and probably won’t for a while.”
“I look forward to making up for lost time,” I said, and I brushed a strand of silvery hair behind Nia’s ear. “And trust me when I say I couldn’t be any happier in this moment than I am now. This is all so surreal.”
“I know it’s a lot to come home to,” Nia laughed. “It was certainly an ordeal when we all found out the news, and then again when we realized we were all pregnant. It was me first, and then Erin, and then Layla.”
“It was pretty immediate, too,” Cyra chimed in. “All within a week or so of each other. It’s a little mind blowing when pregnancy announcements become commonplace dinner conversations.”
“It’s been nice to be in it together, though,” Erin noted, and she glanced around at everyone with a cheerful expression.“It helps having others around who know what you’re going through.”
“I can’t say Milo and Lahrra’s birth really made me excited about the whole process, though,” Layla admitted, and the petite summoner grimaced. “It doesn’t look super fun.”
“It’s not really meant to be a fun activity,” Cyra teased the brunette as she continued to rock Milo. “It’s childbirth, not a game of charades.”
“Yeah, yeah, I know that.” Layla rolled her eyes at the curly-haired summoner. “I just wasn’t expecting it to be so… gross.”
“Birth is beautiful,” Freya stated with a frown. “The act of bringing a child into the world is wonderful and lovely, even with the blood. It is one of the most powerful things a woman can do. You must see it as something incredible instead of something that is painful and gross. I already cannot wait for our husband to fill each of us again with our second set of beautiful and powerful children.”
“Agreed, Freya,” Cyra said, and her and the hawk princess shared a smile.
It was nice to see the friendship the two of them had forged together had continued to grow stronger in my absence.
“I guess you’re right.” Layla shrugged. “I didn’t mean to make it sound terrible. It’s just a little scary.”
“Don’t apologize, Layla.” Freya shook her head. “I understand. I was fearful at first, too.”
“On the bright side, though, at least we’ll have Arwyn and Meridan to help us through it,” Nia pointed out. “Cyra and Freya’s births may have seemed a little visually gnarly, but Arwyn certainly made things easier on them, it seemed.”
“Oh, definitely,” Cyra agreed, and her dark eyes were wide as she slowly shook her head. “If it weren’t for Arwyn, that would have been way worse for me.”
“Our sister-wife was quite helpful,” Freya chimed in. “She eased the pain of my delivery and offered kind words to us as I pushed. She was quite encouraging, and little Lahrra was born without any issues.”
“I’m so glad she was there to help,” I said with a smile. The adept healer had a soothing presence, and I had no doubt in my mind the professor was an amazing midwife as well. “And speaking of, are she and Ashla--”
“They’re back,” Nia confirmed with a curt nod. “They returned immediately following the battle, and they’ve been home with us ever since. Headmaster Sleet and my father assigned the researchers to remain here for the time being, so they’ve returned to the Academy. They have plenty to be working on, and after everything that happened out in the Wilds with the herds… Sleet thought it best for everyone to stay here, where they can be a little more protected.”
“I’m glad to hear they’re home,” I admitted. “I was worried they’d be gone when I returned.”
“They’re actually here right now,” Nia brought up. “Arwyn should be up in her room, since her class doesn’t start for a while.”
“Speaking of classes--” I began with narrowed eyes as I looked around, but Nia, Layla, and Erin gave me similar expressions. I’d seen students on campus on my way here, so I knew classes had resumed, and yet my lovers didn’t seem like they were headed to the Academy any time soon.
“We’re all so close to having these babies that we’ve been given permission from Sleet and Meridan to do our coursework from home,” Erin explained. “They wanted to make sure we were accommodated, especially since it was just us around here.”
“Freya and I are slowly transitioning back to in-person classes at the Academy,” Cyra chimed in, and then the summoner kissed Milo on the top of his curly head. “We have one lesson there per day, and the rest of the time we’re here with Milo and Lahrra. It’s been a pretty good deal.”
“I’m really glad everyone has been so supportive,” I said. “It hasn’t been easy to be away from you all, but Sera assured me you could handle yourselves. Not that I doubted you could, of course. I just love you all so much, it’s difficult to keep from worrying.”
“We’re a family.” Cyra shrugged as she placed Milo into his crib.
“A fuckin’ weird one, but a family nonetheless,” Layla laughed.
“We look out for each other,” Nia added.
