Summoner 21, page 11
“Oh?” Crystyn raised an eyebrow.
“My children,” I explained. “You’ve got a lot of little babies to meet.”
“Maker,” the Guardian muttered as her eyes widened, and I saw the gears of her mind turn as my words soaked in. “I leave you alone for a stretch of time, and suddenly you’re a father. I’m proud, but wow, Gryff. To be a father at such a young age…”
“If we want to bring age into it, let’s not forget I’m technically much older than I look,” I reminded my aunt with a cheeky smile.
“Fair enough,” the Guardian chuckled.
We hopped off the pyrewyrm and walked up the circular drive, and my heart thudded in anticipation. I was sure my family would accept Crystyn and vice versa, but something about all of this made my palms sweat.
When we stepped through the front door, I was surprised to see the atmosphere was mostly calm. I heard low voices beyond us, most likely in the living room, and there weren’t any crying babies or rushed footsteps as I’d expected.
“Gryff?” Arwyn asked, and her head tilted to the side in curiosity as she walked into the foyer. “And… Crystyn? Hello.”
“Hello, Miss Hamner,” my aunt greeted the redheaded healer. “I’m sorry to drop in unannounced--”
“Don’t apologize,” my fiancée insisted. “We’re happy to have you here. What… what are you doing in this realm?”
“Crystyn came to help us,” I explained. “She appeared after our fight outside of the Enclave, and now she’s going to help us work through everything that’s gone down.”
“We could certainly use the help,” Arwyn remarked.
“I take it the books were of no use, then?” I sighed.
Arwyn shook her head. “Unfortunately. Carth and Xan attempted to help, but they couldn’t find anything, either.”
“Carth and Xan are free?” Crystyn asked in an alarmed voice, and her hands flew to her belt.
“I released them and ordered them to stay behind,” I explained to the Guardian before she could lose it. “They can cause no harm while they’re under my command.”
Crystyn opened her mouth to object, and her nostrils flared as her eyes darted around, but finally, she relaxed.
“This is all so strange,” she whispered. “Archons assisting humans?”
“I know how it sounds,” I said. “But I swear to you, they won’t do anything to betray me or hurt anyone.”
“If you say so,” Crystyn murmured, but her lips were still pressed into a thin line.
“Are they upstairs?” I addressed Arwyn. “Or are they with everyone else?”
“They’re upstairs,” the healer mage answered. “They should be up in my study, and everyone else aside from Ashla, Nia, and Layla are in the living room. Ashla’s retired for the evening, and Nia and Layla are attending to the kids.”
“Is Ashla okay?” I frowned.
“She’s just tired,” Arwyn insisted. “We were at it for quite a while, and with the baby… I encouraged her to get some sleep.”
“Thank you for that,” I replied to the professor, and then I turned to my aunt, who was studying the mansion around us. “While I return the Archons, maybe Arwyn can show you to the living room? I’m sure you’d like to meet the rest of my family, and it sounds like they’re all gathered there.”
“Of course,” my crimson-haired fiancée agreed. “Crystyn, shall we?”
“Sure.” The Guardian nodded. “I would like to meet the rest of your family and properly introduce myself.”
“I’ll join you in a moment,” I said, and that seemed to put my aunt at ease.
Once the women disappeared down the hall, I sent a wave of my will to the Archons who remained in the house and commanded them all to return to my consciousness. My entire body tingled as Miralea, Utuni, Carth, and Xan’s marks returned to me, and once the sensation settled and the wisps of blue-black essence vanished, I braced myself against the stairs’ railing.
“Thank you for everything,” I thanked the goddesses once they’d settled in my mind once again. “I appreciate you staying behind while I attended to business.”
Did you make any progress? Carth wondered.
“Not really,” I admitted. “We closed a rift, but nothing more.”
I wish we had something to report as well, but we don’t, Xanrith chimed in in a sad tone. There’s no mention of anything in any of the texts we have available to us.
“Thank you for attempting anyway,” I said.
I’d really hoped they could find something to help us, but if it wasn’t there, it wasn’t there. We would simply have to find another source of information somewhere else. Maybe Gallahar Kenefick would have a master plan for us tomorrow.
I took a deep breath to center myself and then decided to save my aunt from the craziness of my large family.
However, craziness was in short supply.
My women were all gathered around the room, except for Nia and Layla, and they were in the middle of introducing Crystyn to our children. For a moment, I was worried the Guardian would be overwhelmed by the onslaught of babies, but she actually looked as if she was enjoying herself.
“And who is this?” Crystyn cooed in a voice that floored me.
I’d never heard my aunt speak in such a girlish, excited tone, and a smile broke out across my face.
“Crystyn, this is mine and Cyra’s son, Milo,” I introduced my curly-haired son, and my aunt’s face brightened with delight.
“Hello, Milo,” she greeted him.
“Would you like to hold him?” Cyra proposed. Her dark-brown eyes glittered with pride as she bounced our son in her arms, and my aunt gave her an excited nod. Cyra gently passed Milo over to the Guardian, and Crystyn expertly took him into her arms and cuddled him in just the right way.
Milo lit up immediately and reached his chubby little hand up to touch her face.
“Hello there, sweet boy,” Crystyn whispered to him. “My goodness, you are too precious for words.”
“No one is immune to Milo’s spell,” Cyra mused as she studied my aunt and our son. “All it takes is one look into those adorable eyes and boom. Instant melt.”
“He is pretty damn cute,” I agreed with my curly-haired wife. “I’m just glad he takes after you.”
“Oh, hush,” Cyra giggled.
“And this is Olivir,” Erin introduced our strawberry-blond son next, and Crystyn’s smile was precious as she studied the infant.
“Hello,” she greeted the baby warmly, and then she offered an equally lovely smile to Erin. “Redheaded children always make me weak in the knees. He’s adorable.”
“Aww, thank you so much,” the pilot gushed as she bounced our son in her arms. “He destroys me, too.”
“And who is that precious one there?” Crystyn inclined her head toward Freya.
The hawk princess held our baby in her arms and watched my aunt with a bird-like gaze.
“This is Lahrra,” I introduced my golden-eyed daughter.
The infant peered up at the Guardian with a radiant, though gummy smile, and my heart melted as Crystyn’s face softened into a look of pure joy.
“Oh, goodness,” the Guardian whispered. “Wow, you’re certainly a lovely one, aren’t you?”
Lahrra gurgled in response, which made the rest of us laugh. The baby chimed in with a high, tinkling laugh of her own, and soon I found it difficult to stop myself. My golden daughter had the same charm as her curly-haired half-brother, and her laughter was downright infectious.
“I bet you can’t wait for more adorable babies!” Layla called out as she and Daphne strutted into the room in identical outfits. The petite mage and our daughter were practically twins, and sometimes I wondered if Layla had just cloned herself and just aged the clone down rather than actually given birth to her.
The pair wore matching sweaters and leggings, and their enormous hazel eyes twinkled in the low lighting. Daphne had finally started to grow hair, and her dark auburn wisps curled against her head. The curls were the only feature our daughter didn’t share with her mother, and I wondered if she’d inherited them from someone on my side of the family or Layla’s.
“Has anyone ever told you how freaking adorable you and Daph are?” Erin wondered as she bounced Olivir on her hip, and the copper-haired mage wore an enormous smile as she assessed Layla’s outfit. “That’s some seriously cute styling.”
“Hey, just because it’s the end of the world doesn’t mean I can’t look cute,” Layla pointed out with an impish grin that cracked me up all over again.
“You have a lovely family,” Crystyn complimented us as Cyra took Milo back into her arms. “So many adorable children.
“There’s still two more for you to meet,” Nia said as she brought in the twins, and Crystyn stopped in her tracks as she took in the sight of the babies.
“Twins?” the Guardian assessed in an incredulous tone, and I watched her lower lip tremble slightly. The gesture faded just as fast as it’d appeared, but it surprised me nonetheless. Such displays of emotion were rare for my badass aunt, and I wondered what had brought that on.
“Yes,” Nia answered in a soft voice. “This is Nessa Genevieve and Nicolis Gallahar.”
Crystyn’s head turned to me at the sound of my mother’s name, and I nodded softly to confirm she’d heard right.
Nessa studied my aunt with a curious expression, and she reached her little arms out toward the Guardian. She began to squirm in Nia’s arms, which surprised the both of us, because we’d never seen Nessa so fidgety before.
“Wow,” I remarked. “Someone really wants you.”
“May I?” Crystyn asked politely, but Nia had already started to pass her the squirming baby before the words fully left the Guardian’s lips. Crystyn snuggled Nessa close, and the baby rested her head against her chest affectionately. The display was absolutely adorable, though incredibly curious. I’d only ever witnessed Nessa show that kind of love toward her mother, but she clung to Crystyn like she’d been missing her for a long time.
Crystyn peered down at the infant, and her soft pink lips formed an “o” of surprise.
“Her eyes,” the Guardian breathed. “One is clearly the same as her mother’s, but the other… ”
“She got that from me,” I chuckled. “Most of my kids resemble their mothers, but Nessa looks more like me. Well, better looking than me.”
“It’s your mother’s coloring,” Crystyn assessed. “She had the same hair and eyes.”
“Really?” I asked in surprise, and my aunt nodded.
“Just like Genevieve,” she murmured. “I can see traces of her in your daughter’s face.”
A lump formed in my throat, and I studied my little girl. To have that kind of connection with the mother I’d barely had a chance to know meant the world to me, and though I treasured each of my children, it made my connection with Nessa feel even stronger.
“Thank you for allowing me to meet your children,” Crystyn said once Nessa was back in Nia’s arms. “You and your family are incredibly blessed, Gryff, and I am so happy for all of you. The Maker looks upon you all favorably.”
“That’s so kind of you to say.” Nia gave the Guardian a dazzling smile. “Thank you, Miss Porter.”
“Please, just call me Crystyn,” my aunt requested. “We’re family. There’s no need for formalities.”
“Thank you,” my ashen-haired wife replied. “I really appreciate that.”
“Crystyn, I’ve arranged a guest bedroom for you on the fourth floor if that’s alright,” Arwyn announced as she rested her hand on her stomach. “Would you like me to show you around?”
“That would be lovely, Miss Hamner, thank you.” Crystyn smiled at the redheaded professor.
“While we’re on the subject of formalities, please feel free to call me Arwyn,” the healer mage insisted.
“Besides, she won’t be Miss Hamner for much longer.” Layla waggled her eyebrows suggestively.
Crystyn’s hazel eyes darted between the professor and me, and then realization settled over her features.
“Are you engaged?” she wondered.
“Yes,” I confirmed. “It just happened recently.”
“That’s such wonderful news!” my aunt proclaimed. “Congratulations to you both!”
“I know a wedding is the furthest thing from anyone’s minds right now, but should you be around, we would love to have you in attendance, Crystyn,” Arwyn said, and I could tell my aunt was touched by the gesture from the way her cheeks flushed a deep rose.
“I would be honored,” she replied.
“Awwww,” Layla drawled, and I playfully rolled my eyes at her.
“Now, shall we go take that tour?” I said. “It doesn’t have to be a full one, since it’s been a long, err, night, but I’ll show you the basics like the bathrooms, etc.”
“I have no problem showing your aunt around, Gryff,” Arwyn insisted with a wave of her hand. “You should try to get some rest. As you mentioned, it’s been a long day, and I’m sure some rest would do you good.”
“I can come with,” I pressed, but a yawn suddenly crept up before I could stop it. Then I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned to see Nia had come up behind me.
“I know you want to stay up in case something happens,” the multi-elementalist said softly. “But it’s been hours since the shift, and nothing further has changed, aside from the rift. Don’t exhaust yourself more than you already have just because you’re worried something else will happen. We’ve all got things under control here.”
“Gryff, we can speak more tomorrow,” Crystyn spoke up. “We have an audience with the headmaster and the Grand Mage in the morning, don’t we? Trust me, I’d love to be completely filled in, but if you’re exhausted, you won’t be able to operate at full capacity. I’d rather you be completely rested so you can tell us everything tomorrow.”
“Are you sure?” I asked. “I know I haven’t given you a lot of information to begin with--”
“It can wait,” my aunt assured me. “I can see the exhaustion all over your face. Your wife is correct, there’s been no change here, and I don’t suspect there will be any in the next few hours. Should that actually happen, we will find you immediately. For now, I’d like you to relax and set your mind at ease.”
“When am I ever at ease?” I asked a joking voice. “But okay. I’ll head up. If anything happens--”
“We’ll find you,” Nia insisted. “Now, go to your room, young man.”
“Aye, aye, captain.” I mock-saluted my wife, and after I shared a laugh with my family, I headed upstairs to my room.
After I spent several minutes staring at the blood-red moon, I stripped out of my battle grime-ridden clothes and had enough time to set my bandolier on my nightstand when I heard a knock on the door.
I opened it to see Freya on the other side.
“Husband, may I sleep with you?” my hawk wife asked. “After you left, I spent much of my time calming down Vahla and tending to the children, so I can’t say I got much sleep.”
Her golden-brown eyes were doe-like on her delicate face, and her dark-blonde hair spilled over her shoulders made her look like an angel.
“You never have to ask,” I insisted, and I swept Freya into my arms and carried her over to the bed. Once there, I helped her strip out of her clothes, and then I eased her under my plush gray comforter.
We curled up in bed, and as I stroked my wife’s soft hair, any thoughts of the outside world began to vanish. My eyelids began to grow heavy, and soon, I drifted into a thankfully dreamless sleep.
When I awoke in the morning, I was disappointed to see the sky was the exact same scarlet as before. I’d hoped the entire thing had all been some kind of twisted nightmare, yet all was as it was before, even the moon. I scanned the ruby sky for the sun, but to my surprise, it was nowhere to be found.
Was this the world now? An endless, blood-red night devoid of sunshine?
I had to force myself to turn away from the window and decided a nice hot shower and some fresh clothes might make me feel better, or at least soothe my aching muscles.
I spent the next hour standing beneath the hot steam of the shower, and when I emerged, I felt like a brand-new man.
When I came downstairs, Arwyn informed me that she’d arranged for the Grand Mage to arrive at our house. We had a large enough office room to contain everyone, and with how many family members I had, it was easier for Sleet and Gallahar to come to us rather than the other way around.
The rest of our friends had been invited as well. Braden, Gawain, and Almasy arrived first, and they were joined later by our other friends, Mur and Varleth, who’d been absent from our mission the night before.
“Hey,” I greeted the banisher and the moose shapeshifter at the front door. “Maker, where were you both last night?”
“Good morning to you, too,” Varleth greeted me dryly. “We’re great, by the way.”
“I know you all are good,” I chuckled. “But where the fuck were you?”
“The headmaster sent us on a mission to help the Enclave,” the moose-boy informed me in his native tongue, the language of the Clans. “We were escorting others into their homes. Orenn is still with them, so he won’t be here.”
“Yeah, whatever he said,” Varleth yawned and waved his hand dismissively.
“I’m glad you two are okay,” I said. “It’s good to see you.”
“Do you have coffee?” the surly gypsy wondered. “It was a really long night--”
“We’ve brewed some in the kitchen,” I answered, and I inclined my head toward the hall. “Help yourself and then feel free to come upstairs. We’re meeting in the biggest office upstairs.”
“Thank you,” Varleth let out a sigh of relief, and he practically ran down the hall and into the kitchen.
Mur lingered for a moment and then joined the banisher.
About an hour later, the Grand Mage and Headmaster Sleet arrived. Each wore their finest robes, but they also sported under-eye circles that indicated a rough night.
“Hello, Gryff,” Gallahar Kenefick greeted me with a sad but loving smile. “I’d say it’s lovely to see you--”
“I understand.” I nodded. “It’s good to see you here. It feels like it’s been both a long time and not since we’ve seen each other last.”
