Summoner 18, p.28
Summoner 18, page 28
“Sorry.” I grinned, though I wasn’t actually sorry at all. I meant every word I’d said, especially as I glanced around at my beautiful women and my precious children.
“We will raise a great family together.” Freya nodded.
“Hell, yeah, we will!” Cyra agreed, and the curly-haired summoner and the hawk shapeshifter shared a contented smile.
“Our kids will be smothered in so much love they can hardly stand it,” Nia laughed. “Not that I foresee it being an issue.”
“Of course, they will,” I agreed, but as the soothing feelings of love swept over me, I realized I couldn’t put off the news about Xanrith any longer. I wanted nothing more than to sit back and relax some more with my family, but I couldn’t ignore the Archon’s warning about something terrible on the horizon, not when there was now so much more at stake.
“Not to drastically shift the mood here, but there’s something I need to show you all,” I began slowly. “I don’t want to burst this bubble of happiness, but it’s sort of important.”
“Is everything okay?” Nia frowned, and the elementalist’s blue eyes clouded over with concern.
“Yes and no,” I admitted, and I knew my tone was annoyingly cryptic, but I wasn’t wholly sure how to go about telling my women, so I decided to just go for it.
I gently maneuvered Nessa into one arm and held onto the infant securely, and then all eyes were on me as I lifted the left side of my shirt up and revealed the newest addition to my set of body decorations. There, along the left side of my ribcage, was a slightly translucent, smoky-looking sapphire tattoo that resembled the fire of Xanrith’s wings.
My women stared at me with open-mouthed looks of bewilderment, and after a second of glaring silence, they all began to talk at once.
“Gryff, what the fuck is that?” Cyra demanded as her chocolate brown eyes flashed.
“Is that from another Archon?” Nia gasped.
“How long has that been there?” Freya wondered as she shook her head.
“It’s sort of a long story,” I said as I lowered my shirt back down and readjusted my hold on Nessa.
“Well, then it’s a good thing we have time,” Nia replied, and Nicolis let out a sharp trill as if he agreed with his mother. “Tell us everything, Gryff.”
“Maybe before we plunge right into it, we should get everyone in here?” Cyra suggested. “Or at least into the living room where there’s more room to breathe. If that mark is what I think it is, all of us need to hear Gryff’s explanation.”
“I agree.” I nodded. “I’m not trying to keep secrets from anyone, I swear. This is a very new development. As in, just before I joined you all in here.”
My women shared a look of confusion, but then their faces collectively softened as I gave them an apologetic smile.
“We know you wouldn’t be secretive on purpose,” Nia assured me in a calm tone. “But if it involves another Archon in your mind, we all need to know about it.”
“I’ll go get Arwyn and Ashla and bring them here.” Freya decided, and her gold-flecked brown eyes studied my side as she spoke. “Should I wake Erin and little Layla as well?”
“Erin and Layla are on bedrest,” Nia reminded the hawk princess gently. “With them so close to delivery, it might be best to let them sleep in.”
“I can catch them up later,” I quickly agreed with my ashen-haired wife. “I want them to be fully aware of the situation, but I can easily retell the story to them when they’re awake. They need to keep up their strength as much as possible.”
“So, I will just grab Arwyn and Ashla,” Freya confirmed, and with a sleeping Lahrra in tow, she left the room.
“It’s always something with you, isn’t it, farm boy?” Nia sighed as her eyes lingered on my side, and then she raised her gaze to meet mine. “Are you okay?”
Her voice was gentle and calm, which surprised me since I’d expected a harsher reaction from my wife, but I was grateful for the question.
“I’m fine,” I assured her. “And not in a ‘I’m not actually okay, I’m just saying that’ type of way, I promise.”
“Okay.” Nia nodded, and Nicolis let out a cute gurgle.
I glanced down at Nessa, and the baby girl was fast asleep in my arms, so I gently rubbed my thumb against her peach-soft cheek.
“Let’s head downstairs,” Cyra suggested as she wrapped up Milo in a fabric sling against her chest. My son, much like his half-sister, was fast asleep, and a few of his dark curls poked out around the harness.
A few minutes later, everyone, with the exception of my bed-ridden girlfriends and myself, were seated around the living room. I’d passed my daughter along to Arwyn so I could pace, and the professor held on to the very squirmy Nessa while Nia cradled a still-sleeping Nicolis beside her on the sofa. Freya and Lahrra were on the other side of them, and my shapeshifter wife’s face was pale as she waited for me to explain the tattoo.
“What’s going on, Gryff?’ Arwyn asked me gently, and the professor’s auburn eyebrows knitted together as she watched me pace. “You’re beginning to worry me.”
“Me, too,” Ashla spoke up from her perch on the arm of a plush velvet chair occupied by Cyra and Milo. “I haven’t seen you look this pale in a long time. Is everything okay?”
“Not exactly,” I admitted. “I’m fine personally, but we have some things to discuss.”
“Well, don’t leave us in the dark,” Cyra prompted me. “Go ahead and show Arwyn and Ashla what you showed us earlier.”
Ashla raised an eyebrow at the summoner’s words, and with a sigh, I lifted up my shirt to show off my new tattoo.
“Holy shit!” the ice mage gasped as her eyes widened. “Is that from another Archon?”
“Gryff, how can this be?” Arwyn asked in alarm. “Did you capture another goddess in the Shadowscape and fail to mention it to us?”
“No.” I shook my head. “I mean, not in the Shadowscape, but yes, I’ve added another goddess to my consciousness.”
I launched into a retelling of the morning’s events, minus some of the more intimate details of my physical tryst with the Archon. My women’s faces were a mix of concerned, scared, and awed as I explained everything Xanrith had revealed to me, and once I was finished, I was met with a room full of silence.
“So, let me make sure I’m understanding this correctly,” Ashla began slowly, and the ice mage’s chocolate brown eyes stared at me intently. “This new Archon, Xan…”
“Xanrith,” I completed for her.
I do not mind Xan, the flame-winged Archon purred in the back of my mind.
“Xanrith,” Ashla repeated back. “Just… showed up in your bedroom right at dawn and told you she was switching sides?”
“Yes.” I nodded.
Ashla frowned. “And… we’re not suspicious of this because…?”
“We can trust her,” I assured the dark-skinned mage. “She’s entirely on our team now, and she wants nothing to do with Carth and the other two Archons.”
“I’m not sure how much trust I can put in a goddess who attempted to enslave humanity,” Ashla replied, and she clenched her jaw.
“I agree with Ashla,” Nia spoke up as she rocked Nicolis in her lap. “I know I’ve voiced concerns about them before, and despite Sera’s magical interference that brought us back home after our honeymoon, I still haven’t changed my stance on the Archons.”
“I trust her,” I reiterated. “Isn’t that enough?”
“We don’t doubt your judgment, Gryff,” Arwyn pointed out in a soothing tone of voice. “You’re an intelligent and capable man who knows more of the Archons than we do. We only want to know you’re safe.”
“Having six Archons in your brain is a little scary to think about,” Cyra added in. “Not because we don’t think you can handle it, but because they’re extremely unpredictable. I know they’ve been helpful now, but that could always change, and that’s what makes us so nervous.”
“I understand,” I said. “They’re incredibly unpredictable. Still, I don’t know how to explain it, but something about Xanrith just feels… different. She isn’t like the others. She isn’t power hungry, she just wants to do the right thing.”
“That sounds all well and good, but I hope it isn’t a ruse,” Ashla replied and pursed her lips. “The last thing we need is a goddess playing on both sides.”
“Luckily, she’s in my head now, and fully under my control,” I assured her and the rest of the room. “She won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.”
“So, what’s the best course of action in terms of dealing with Carth?” Arwyn brought up. “Xanrith’s arrival has likely hastened Carth’s desire for revenge, and I can’t imagine she’s too thrilled one of her own has left to join the humans.”
“I’ve already had the same thought,” I said. “Carth is probably pretty pissed, so we need to hurry up and try to figure out what her plan is for Mistral before we run out of time.”
Arwyn nodded, and the crimson-haired healer tilted her head to the side for a moment as she considered my words. “We need to locate the book Sera stole from her library.”
“What book?” Cyra frowned. “I’m feeling a little lost here.”
“It’s another long story, but I’ll try to sum it up as best as possible,” I explained. “When I was in the Shadowscape, I found a weird book Carth stashed away in the back of a hidden library. We have reason to believe the book has something to do with the Archons’ plans for world domination.”
“Oh, is that all?” Cyra laughed nervously. “That’s definitely not terrifying in the least.”
“What was in the book when you read through it?” Nia wondered.
“The text was full of glyphs, so I couldn’t really tell,” I answered her, and the elementalist’s face fell. “But I’m hoping we can get it back here so the researchers can help me translate it.”
“You aren’t suggesting going back to Carth’s palace to get it, are you?” Cyra gasped.
“Wait, the book isn’t in the Shadowscape anymore, is it?” Nia realized.
You stole the book? Xanrith practically shouted in my mind. Gryff, when were you going to tell me that??
I ignored the flame-winged Archon and nodded at my wife. “Sera opened up a portal and hid the book away somewhere in Mistral where Carth wouldn’t think to look for it. I couldn’t stash it away myself without Carth noticing, so I had to think on my feet.”
“That was a good idea,” Nia praised me, and the elementalist wore a thoughtful expression. “So, we need to go track down this book. Has Sera given a precise location of where she hid it?”
“I honestly haven’t had a moment to discuss it with her,” I admitted. “There’s been quite a bit of activity around here lately, and with everything going on, the book was the last thing on my mind.”
“That’s fair,” Nia agreed.
“I’m going to head out as soon as possible and track the book down,” I decided. “The original plan I’d discussed with Sleet involved bringing the research team with me, but it’s going to be less conspicuous if it’s just me rather than a whole group.”
“You are not going alone, my husband,” Freya declared, and the hawk princess’ golden brown eyes flashed with defiance. “Who will protect your back should you find yourself in trouble?”
“I won’t be alone.” I shook my head. “I have my monsters, not to mention the Archons.”
“I think Freya has a point,” Arwyn spoke up as she bounced Nessa in her lap. “Going to retrieve a Shadowscape artifact on your own doesn’t seem like a safe plan, especially if your mission is disrupted by Carth. It could go south rather quickly, and none of us would have any idea if anything happens to you.”
“Let me come with you,” Ashla proposed, and the ice mage rose up from her seat. “Everyone else here is either pregnant or necessary for the others’ deliveries. I’m not.”
“I don’t know, Ashla…” I trailed off, but the dark-skinned mage jutted her chin out defiantly.
“Gryff, you can’t take everything on by yourself,” she countered. “You’re an exceptional mage, but that doesn’t mean the burden of this war is yours alone. Let me come with you.”
Ashla’s proud body language made me reconsider, and after a moment of pause, I finally nodded at the former mercenary leader.
“Okay,” I agreed. “If you wish to come, I’d be lucky to have you.”
“Excellent.” The ice mage grinned.
I glanced around at the rest of my family. “Will you all be fine here without us? I know it’s a big ask, especially with so many newborns and two more on the way--”
“We’ve got this, Gryff,” Cyra insisted with a wave of her hand. “We managed ourselves for nine months while you were in the Shadowscape. A couple of days alone should be simple enough.”
“Cyra’s right,” Nia agreed, and she gave the curly-haired summoner a smile. “We have everything under control here, and I personally feel a lot better knowing Ashla will be with you.”
“I feel the same,” Freya chimed in. “Ashla is a powerful warrior and will have your back if something goes wrong. She will also make sure you don’t try something too heroic.”
“I don’t know if I’ll be able keep Gryff from doing anything,” Ashla laughed, and then the rest of us joined in.
Once the laughter died down, Arwyn began to nod her head thoughtfully.
“I suppose you should start preparing as soon as possible,” the professor determined. “There’s much to do, and if Xanrith’s words are correct, there’s no time to lose.”
“You’re right.” I nodded, and after a few more minutes of lingering around the living room, we all separated to accomplish our individual tasks.
If we wanted to beat Carth, we couldn’t hesitate.
So, Ashla and I prepared our belongings straight away and prepared to leave for our journey the next day. As I packed up the necessary supplies for the trip, I interrogated Sera on the whereabouts of Carth’s book, and to my surprise, the dark-winged Archon was actually cooperative.
It’s in a village outside of Varle, she assured me. You should be able to reach it in a day or two, depending on your transportation.
“What’s it called?” I asked her.
I believe its name was Dassian’s Keep, Sera replied in a bored tone. Not very remarkable.
“Dassian’s Keep,” I repeated back. “I don’t think I’ve heard of it. But okay.”
I would retrieve it myself, but hiding it was...tricky, to say the least. I barely managed it unseen.
“What do you mean by that?” I implored.
All will reveal itself in time, Sera purred. Suffice it to say, if I were to return, it would cause quite a stir.
Then the Archon fell silent. I debated pushing the issue further, but I wanted to get better about the way I spoke to the goddesses, so I decided to let it go. I would ask Sera for specifics once we neared the village.
However, Ashla did not have my patience, and she was very determined to get answers.
“Why couldn’t Sera just… teleport and grab it herself?” the ice mage proposed as we stashed our travel packs near the front door that evening.
“According to Sera, the book is hidden, but it’s in plain sight enough that if she were to retrieve it on her own, her presence would create a huge disturbance,” I explained.”
“That makes sense… I guess,” Ashla reluctantly agreed. “The last thing we need is to instill panic. The people of Mistral have been through more than their fair share of intensity lately, we don’t need to add an Archon to it.”
“Definitely.” I nodded.
“I’m looking forward to spending time with you.” Ashla smiled as she tucked one of her long braids behind her ear. “I know this isn’t exactly a vacation--”
“I’m excited, too,” I interjected, and I returned the ice mage’s happy expression. “Trust me, Ashla.”
We shared a quick kiss, and then, after one last look through my pack, I headed back upstairs to say my goodbyes to Layla and Erin. Ashla and I were departing at dawn, and I didn’t want to wake the pair of mages if I didn’t have to.
Their reactions were similar to the rest of my women, but both were in agreement that we had to get to the book as quickly as possible.
“The sooner you get the book, the sooner you can come back to me and our cute little baby.” Erin smiled, and the mimic’s amber eyes sparkled at the thought.
“Whatever you do, don’t go into labor while I’m gone,” I teased her. “I don’t want to miss a thing.”
“I’ll do my best,” Erin giggled.
Layla put up more of a fight about my leaving, but she was playful in her approach.
“Gryffie, you’ve always gotta run off and be a badass, don’t you?” she pouted and shook her head at me as I held her in bed. “Can’t you just sit still for once?”
“Trust me, I’d love nothing more,” I chuckled, and I kissed the auburn-haired mage’s cheek. “But I’ll be back soon, I promise.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Layla rolled her hazel eyes. “I’ve heard that one before. Don’t worry if you’re late, Gryffie. Just come back in one piece, okay?”
“Okay,” I agreed, and I snuggled up with my pregnant girlfriend until she fell fast asleep. Once I was certain Layla was completely out, I carefully pulled away from her and tucked the blankets back around her before I snuck out of the room.
When I stepped out into the hall, I let go of the breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding. I needed this mission to be successful. For my sake and my family’s. They deserved a moment of peace. Maker, I deserved the same. Once this was all over, I would make sure to give my women and children all of the love and attention I possessed.
Ready for sleep, I returned to my room, and the minute the door closed, I sensed a stir in my mind.
You can’t ignore me forever, Xanrith practically growled at me, and the goddess’ aggressive tone was unexpected. Gryff, what the fuck were you thinking?
“I did what I had to do.” I shrugged. “I saw an opportunity and had to take it.”
Do you understand how completely unwise that was, Xanrith demanded. You realize you’ve just placed an enormous bounty on your head, right? Carth and the others will be furious. She will justify another attack on your city.
