Summoner 16, page 11
“They are the puppet masters behind the Kenefick strings, so to speak.” Gallahar sounded exasperated.
“But all of you guys are super famous, talented mages who’ve made history.” I shook my head in disbelief. “Why do you listen to some old women? I don’t need their money or their social promotions.”
“Elders deserve respect,” Freya interjected in a stern voice. “If we must honor Nia’s elders before the wedding, then so be it.”
“Freya’s right,” Nia agreed with a bright smile. “Relax, Gryff, everything is going to be fine.”
“Alright,” I said with a sigh of surrender.
“Good.” Nia rubbed her hands together with excitement. “Now, can we decide on a date? I’d rather sooner than later.”
“Why the rush?” her father asked with a raised eyebrow. “Is there more you haven’t said?”
“No, no,” the ashen-haired mage dismissed, but her cheeks reddened. “I am just ready to formalize our love, Father. I’d like to get married as soon as possible.”
“It would take a couple of weeks to make all of the arrangements,” Gallahar mused, “and you have midterms coming up. I wouldn’t want anything to distract you from your studies before the tests.”
“Have faith.” My fiancée smirked. “Remember who you’re talking to. I could ace the midterms with my hands tied behind my back.”
From anyone other than the talented prodigy, the words would have sounded boastful and arrogant, but Nia Kenefick merely spoke the truth. If she doubted her knowledge in any way, she would have voiced her need for more time to study.
“But are you strong enough to let go of your pride and ask for help when you need it?” The Grand Mage gave her a patient smile. “I know you think you can handle everything on your own, but you should keep in mind there are plenty of people who love you.”
“I understand.” Nia nodded.
“Nia is strong,” Freya added decisively. “I will help her. I will be a great sister-wife to her, and she to me.”
“You’re right,” I said with a confident grin. “We have a lot of people who love us and want to help us prepare for the wedding. Nia and I both need to focus on our studies, too, though.”
“Nia told me about your sparring matches and how much your training sessions helped her performance.” Gallahar nodded knowingly. “I’m sure once the two of you are driven toward a common goal, that nothing will stand in your way.”
“That’s what I always say,” I laughed. “Sometimes I bite off more than I can chew, though, but Nia and all my other friends have always had my back, and I’ve learned I operate best when under some pressure.”
“After the time you’ve spent in the Southern continent, I’m sure you are more than capable of performing under pressure.” Gallahar gave me a look I could only express as fatherly pride. It was a look I’d see on Maelor and Sleet’s faces, and adding the Grand Mage himself to the list was awesome.
“The midterms are in two weeks,” Nia continued on the discussion in a clipped voice, and I could tell she was eager to get everything planned out. The multi-elementalist probably had a stockpile of ideas and plans just waiting for the official date to put into motion. “I think the weekend after that would be perfect.”
“Three weeks from now?” Gallahar’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “We would have to move with speed and efficiency.”
“You mean, be Keneficks?” Nia grinned. “The imposing task itself would demand respect from the Aunts.”
“So,” I interjected with a tentative smile, “does that mean I’m going to meet more of your family really soon?”
“We will have to host a dinner party for the Aunts,” Gallahar explained. “They would deem any other approach to the topic to be disgraceful.”
“Alright.” I shrugged. “I can play nice for a dinner party.”
“We need to inform your sister… and I’ll have to send word to Nayveth and your mother, as well,” the Grand Mage said to his daughter. “They will be thrilled to hear the news, I’m sure. I will arrange everything, transportation, lodgings… Obviously, there is room for everyone here.”
“I hope they don’t get upset about getting such short notice,” Nia worried as she gnawed on her bottom lip.
“I’m sure you could tell them the wedding was tomorrow and they would still drop everything to attend,” Gallahar laughed before he glanced at me. “Nia is the last Kenefick daughter to get married, so it’s going to be the most discussed event of the year.”
“Maker, help me,” I groaned. “Will I ever stop being the talk of the town?”
“I doubt it.” Gallahar winked at me. “Not after marrying a Kenefick.”
“I’ve already had someone say there were rumors about me,” I informed them with a wry twist to my smile. “Not sure what the gossip is, but the guy seemed nervous.”
“Well,” Nia said in a thoughtful voice, “you basically came back from the dead. It can be a bit shocking to imagine a human accomplishing what you have, and then living to tell the tale.”
“It’s true.” Gallahar nodded. “I’ve heard more than one mention of you around the council table. Everyone is curious about your accomplishments and your unexplained return.”
“It’s not like there was some unusual magic involved,” I said in an exasperated voice. “Everyone knows about the time differences inside a rift, and then it was just a coincidence when the squad ran into Freya and me outside Eyrie Island.”
“The publicly available information does not connect you directly to the defeat of the Archons,” Gallahar informed me. “The rumors merely paint you as an incredibly talented and lucky summoner who seems to always end up at the center of the action.”
“I can live with that.” I smirked. “I thought they were saying I was some kind of fraud, or something like that.”
“I’m sure there are a variety of half-truths and complete fabrications floating around,” Nia commented.
“What is rumor?” Freya tilted her head to the side with an expression of bird-like curiosity.
“It’s like when someone talks about other people who aren’t there,” I explained. “Like if we were to say something bad about our friends right now.”
“It sounds disrespectful.” The warrior princess grimaced. “Show me who rumors you, I will make them stop.”
I laughed and gave her a reassuring smile. “It’s not even worth it.”
“I enjoy hearing your wife’s perspective on our world,” Gallahar observed. “I assume the three of you will be living together after the wedding?”
“That’s the plan,” I confirmed. “I have to find a house first, though. Until I do, Freya and I are staying in a tavern near the Academy.”
“It is a good time to buy,” the Grand Mage informed me. “With fewer and fewer rifts opening across Mistral, many people are moving out of the big enclaves into some of the smaller towns and villages without the xanyarstone walls, so there are many recently vacated places listed.”
“That’s good news,” Nia chirped happily. “I don’t want to move again for a long time, so I want to make sure our home is perfect.”
“With a perfect wife,” I murmured in a loving voice, “nothing else will do.”
“I will help in any way I can, of course,” Nia’s dad added.
“Any house will do,” Freya insisted. “We can build. I just need dirt, straw, and water.”
“That sounds like a barn,” Nia scoffed. “No, we will find a nice home in a good location with enough room for our whole family.”
“I have to admit, Gryff, I do not envy you having to keep two women pleased.”
“Sir Dad, sir,” I laughed. “You don’t even know the half of it.”
“Spare me the details, please,” my fiancée’s father pleaded, and he lifted up the palms of his hands as his shoulders bounced with laughter.
“Stop,” Nia pleaded, and her blush had increased to a bright red.
The rest of the night passed with lighthearted conversation, and when Susi flourished the garlic roasted pheasant onto the center of the table, my attention was focused entirely on the meal.
Freya ripped into a leg with ferocious glee, and juice dribbled down her chin as she moaned with delight.
Nia had more elegance as she used the proper silverware to pick apart bites and place them delicately between her perfect lips.
My method was a mixture of class and crass, but when I sensed Gallahar watching me, I swiped the grease from my chin with my napkin and cleared my throat.
“This is delicious,” I complimented the Grand Mage as I gestured toward the exquisite meal. “I can’t remember the last time I ate so well.”
“Eat up, please,” Nia’s father urged with a grateful smile. “I often eat alone, so it is nice to see someone enjoying the food as much as I do.”
“If you ever want to watch someone enjoy a meal,” I suggested, “you should invite Layla Bethel. That girl can put away some food.”
“It’s true,” Nia giggled. “It’s a point of pride for her.”
“Layla so small,” Freya commented with a concerned frown. “She needs to eat more.”
I laughed. “I guess so.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Gallahar responded with a twinkle in his blue eyes. Then he turned his penetrating gaze toward my wife and gave her an appreciative smile. “Freya, your accent is beautiful. I’d love to hear more of your native language.”
The warrior princess’ gold-flecked eyes blazed with pride, and she held her chin high as her voice rang out clear and bright in the shapeshifter’s language.
“Thank you, Grand Chief, for welcoming me into your home. I give you my word that I will protect your daughter, care for her children as my own, and fight her enemies side by side.”
I translated my wife’s words in a serious tone befitting the weight of her promise, and the Grand Mage’s eyes welled with emotion as he listened.
“Beautiful,” he breathed when Freya finished and I’d spoken the final translation. “I am beyond grateful for your words.”
The warrior princess inclined her head gracefully, but her gold-flecked eyes showed her pleasure.
It seemed like my family would get along just fine.
I’d get on the Aunts’ good sides, pass my midterms, and buy a house.
Within the next three weeks.
I swallowed hard, but then I forced myself to push all thoughts aside to be present with my wife, my fiancée, and her father. Oh, and the pheasant. Couldn’t forget the pheasant.
After dinner, we enjoyed some slices of cheesecake with coffee, and then the three of us bid the Grand Mage goodnight and piled into a carriage.
Your fancy dinner is over, and I didn’t even say one word. Dio’s voice rang out in my mind as soon as I settled into the plush interior of the coach. I bet you didn’t even bring me any of your kill.
I chuckled as I pulled the yellowed fang shaped crystal from my bandolier and tossed it onto the floor between mine and Nia’s feet. A thick plume of smoke erupted from the shattered stone, and then my familiar meowed up at me from the floor.
“Thanks for the warning.” The ashen-haired mage shot me an icy glare, but then she reached down and scooped Dio up into her lap.
Yes, love me… The kitten sized monster purred and stretched his paws as he leaned into the ashen-haired beauty’s touch.
“All babies are cute,” Freya announced like she’d just had an epiphany. “Even a shadow beast is adorable when it looks like a baby.”
It’s an efficient defense mechanism, Dio explained in a pleased tone. Being adorable is a gift, but also a curse.
I rolled my eyes at the dramatic monster. He wasn’t wrong, though. I would be a lot more hesitant to kill something cute and cuddly. Something about the youthful energy and vulnerability created an air of innocence, no matter how vicious the beast could be once full grown.
When the carriage halted in front of the Retching Goblin, Freya and I hopped out, but when I looked back, I noticed Nia hesitating at the entrance to the coach.
“Are you going back to the girls’ dorm?” I asked in an innocent voice. “Or do you want to stay with me and Freya tonight?”
Nia bit her lower lip, and a small line creased her brows. Then her eyes lit up, and she nodded as though she’d won a silent argument with herself. “I’ll stay with you.”
“Perfect.” I grinned. “Well, hurry up, then.”
The ashen-haired beauty paid the carriage driver and stepped onto the paving stones with fluid grace, and I found myself captivated by her movements. Then Nia took my hand in hers, and a sweet smile brightened her face.
I returned her smile, and then I led her inside the tavern and up to the room where Freya and I were staying. The warrior princess walked a pace ahead of me, and I was pleased with the confident air about her as she navigated the crowded Mistral tavern.
That night I slept with Nia on one side and Freya on the other, and my two women laid their heads on my chest as their hands were intertwined across my torso. The love and respect shared between them was obvious, and I sighed with pleasure as I drifted into a peaceful slumber.
Dio stayed curled up in a ball near my feet, and I could feel the warmth radiating off him. My familiar was a wonderful snuggler, but I was glad he didn’t want to be piled on top of my women.
I supposed he was more motivated to stay out of his crystal than he was to be close to the ladies.
Morning came before I was ready, announced by the sound of Layla shouting my name as she burst into the room and pounced onto the bed.
“Layla!” Nia growled with a sleepy glare. “What the fuck?”
I blinked up into the hazel eyes of the very awake petite summoner, and I groaned from the pressure of her knees on my gut.
“Good morning, Layla,” I greeted in a strangled voice. “Can you, um, let me breath?”
“Um, no,” the summoner chirped with a mischievous grin. “That way I can always say I take your breath away.”
“How romantic,” I gasped.
“I know. I’m wonderful like that.” She hopped off the bed anyway, and she bounced on the balls of her feet while I pushed myself out of the nest of arms and hair.
“Oh, hi, Layla,” Freya greeted happily, and she was on her feet before I was. The warrior princess wrapped the petite summoner in a tight hug, and Layla squeaked as my wife squeezed her firmly.
“How was dinner?” she asked with a flip of her auburn hair once she was freed from the warrior princess’ embrace. “Did you dad agree to let you guys get married?”
“He sure did,” Nia confirmed with a pleased smile. “Gryff just has to learn to dance before the gala.”
“Oh, Maker, that’s rich!” Layla cackled. “I have got to see that. I’m going to every single dance lesson. Watch.”
“It’s not a big deal,” I asserted. “I can dance just fine.”
My two Mistral women turned to give me mirrored looks full of skepticism, and I couldn’t help but laugh at the seriousness on their faces.
“Come on,” I pushed. “It’s just a dance. How hard could it be?”
“Be careful, Gryff,” Nia warned with a twinkle in her blue eyes. “You might find yourself eating your words soon.”
“Hold me to it, then.” I shrugged. “Give me your best shot.”
“After studying,” the ashen-haired prodigy countered with a stern look. “You need to spend today studying with Arwyn if you expect to know what’s going on in your classes tomorrow.”
Arwyn is the fire haired hottie? Dio yawned and stretched on the bed. I miss her. Let’s go.
“You’re right,” I sighed. “I’ll head up there after breakfast.”
“The Academy serves a late breakfast on the weekends,” the blue-eyed beauty reminded me with a playful smile. “If we hurry, we can catch the buffet.”
“Let’s go already!” Layla shrieked, and she ran out of the room at full speed.
I shook my head in amusement, and then I quickly pulled on my clothes and deposited Dio into my hip pouch before I followed Nia and Freya out of the tavern and toward the Academy campus.
The dining hall was pretty much deserted by the time we arrived, and the reason became obvious when I inspected the buffet and found most of the dishes cold. There were a few things still warm, though, and I managed to get enough to fill my plate.
I ate quickly, and when we’d completed our meals, the three women and I parted ways. Nia, Layla, and Freya went to meet up with some of our other friends, and I headed toward Arwyn’s classroom and private chambers.
As I traversed the empty hallway, my footsteps echoed down the corridor behind me, and my thoughts turned to my previous tutoring session with the gorgeous professor. My blood warmed, my heart rate increased, and I practically skipped the rest of the distance.
Arwyn’s melodic voice urged me in when I knocked, and I had a wide grin on my face as I pulled open the door, but my face fell when I saw Varleth.
Obviously, the banisher had also missed a lot of school, and it was only fair that he received tutoring as well, but the chance for sexy rewards was gone.
“Gryff, I didn’t expect you so early in the day since you had your dinner last night,” the red-haired professor greeted me with a warm smile. “Mister Prost and I have already started, but you are more than welcome to jump in and join us.”
“Sounds great,” I replied, and I tried to hide my disappointment over having company.
“I can leave if you guys want some privacy,” Varleth offered in a reluctant tone.
“No,” I argued immediately. I didn’t want my friend to feel excluded or unwelcome, and besides, he needed the help just as much as I did. We were starting school the next day, so it was our last chance to get caught up. “If anything, I should leave.”
Both of you can go. Dio let out a low growl. I will keep the beauty entertained.
“Nonsense,” Arwyn countered with a dismissive wave of her hands. “Now, let’s get you set up on your study guide, Gryff. Have a seat anywhere you’d like, I’m going to go gather the materials.”
The red-haired professor swiveled, and her heels clicked against the wood floor as she ducked inside her private chambers.
