Summoner 20, page 24
The hawk-princesses let out soft gasps of surprise, and Vahla’s enormous emerald eyes looked as if they were going to pop out of her skull.
“Down with Hawk Clan!” the moose man bellowed, and as he wound his arm back to prepare to thrust the blade at my wife, adrenaline surged through me.
Without hesitation, I jumped out of my chair, leapt over the food-laden table, and launched myself full-force at the assailant.
Chapter Twelve
The moose shifter was much heavier than I’d anticipated, and the force from slamming into his muscular torso definitely didn’t feel great, but my pain was irrelevant.
He tried to attack my wife and her sister, and not only that, but he threatened the wellbeing of my children.
I was not going to allow him to get away with it.
We slammed down hard onto the cold stone floor, and my muscles cried out as they smacked against the hard surface, but my own comfort was of no concern to me. Food platters and goblets tumbled around us, but I was too distracted to pay them much attention.
“Get the fuck off me!” the moose shifter growled in my ear as he thrashed and tried to buck beneath me. His thick fist remained wrapped around his dagger, and he was trying his best to get the blade close enough to harm me, but I had his arms pinned down to the ground, so his effort was futile.
The torch-lit hall plunged into a flurry of commotion around us, and I briefly raised my eyes to see what was happening. Hawk shifters shouted and scurried in all directions, and my heart dropped when I realized the moose assailant wasn’t alone in his attack. Nearly fifteen other assassins were not far behind him, and each one was armed with deadly weapons and sneers etched deep into their features.
A few of Chief Fenrir’s personal guards had snapped into place, and as I struggled to keep the moose pinned beneath me, they shuffled after the remaining attackers.
“Let go of me!” the moose growled as he continued to struggle under my hold.
“Sure, I’ll let go,” I retorted, and then I briefly released my hold on one of his arms, wound my free arm back, and slammed my fist right into his face.
The moose-man’s bulbous nose crunched beneath my knuckles, and the shapeshifter let out a groan of pain as blood spurted out like a fountain’s spray.
“Gryff!” I heard Erin yell as the hot liquid misted my face, and I raised my gaze and searched the blur of moving bodies until I found her unmistakable orange hair. The mimic’s eyes were enormous as they caught sight of the blood trail on my face, and she clutched Olivir tight against her chest as she tried to duck away from the running hawk shifters.
The moose shifter lost consciousness and slumped to the ground beneath me, and once I was sure he wasn’t going anywhere, I pulled myself off him and rose to my feet.
“Get yourselves and the children out of here!” I yelled at my lover over the shouts around us. “Take Cyra, Freya, and Vahla and get back to the chamber if you can. We’ll fend these fuckers off.”
Cyra, Erin, and Vahla turned in the direction of the chamber, but Freya remained in place. The hawk shapeshifter’s gold-flecked eyes smoldered with anger, and her fists shook at her side as she followed the movement around the room.
“C’mon, Freya, we need to go!” Cyra insisted, but the hawk-princess refused to move.
“I must stay,” the blonde warrior shouted back at her friend. “Take Lahrra with you, I must remain here with Gryff!”
“Freya, you need to get yourself out of here!” I called out, but my blonde wife shook her head vigorously.
“I must protect my people,” she cried. “I am not a coward, and I won’t leave them when they need me--”
“But--”
“Go on without me!” Freya shouted once more. “Get my daughter and yourselves to safety. I must protect my people!”
The strength of her tone was so powerful, Cyra took Lahrra into her arms without further question. Vahla squeezed in with them, and the hawk-princess’ scared expression made my anger toward Moose Clan surge even greater.
“Gryff, I’ll get them away from here!” Ratreya caught up to us, and the older hawk woman’s golden-brown eyes darted all around as they took in the scene around us. “Hop in and help Fenrir, I’ll get the girls to safety!”
“Thank you!” I called out to my mother-in-law. “Go as fast as you can, and don’t stop for anything!”
My women followed Ratreya through the mess of shifters, and as they disappeared out of the hall, I fought the urge to run after them. I hated being separated from my family in a moment like this, but the children’s safety was the most important thing. Ratreya would get them to safety. For now, I had to focus on neutralizing the enemy.
Tears sprang from Freya’s eyes as Lahrra and Cyra drifted away, and her face betrayed the torn feeling she must have been experiencing. I knew my hawk wife well, and toeing the line between dutiful warrior princess and mother was likely a huge struggle for her.
Her sadness was disrupted when another moose shifter flung himself toward her, but before I could even make a move toward him, the warrior princess let out a shrill battle cry. Then she instinctually grew her razor-sharp hawk talons and slashed right into the moose shifter as if he were made of butter rather than flesh and bone. Blood spurted all over the blonde shapeshifter and covered her with a slick ruby sheen, and the moose collapsed to the ground immediately after.
My eyebrows shot skyward as I surveyed the carnage, and I’d never felt so proud and admittedly turned on by my shapeshifting wife. Freya was an absolute badass, and it would do me well to never forget it.
“Wow,” I breathed.
“I’m going to go and help the guards over there.” Freya pointed over at a group of moose warriors who were harassing a group of hawk women. “Stand your ground, my husband.”
Freya stretched her arms out, and after a quick blur, her golden-brown wings appeared. The princess pumped them thrice and then took off into the air and flew over to the group of moose men.
A shifter came right at me, and I reached down to my side and unsheathed my father’s dagger just in time to strike. The blade ripped right through the moose’s throat before he could utter a single word, and I took pleasure in kicking his limp body off to the side.
“Good riddance,” I snarled down at him.
I wouldn’t be able to fend off all of the moose invaders with just my dagger alone, so I reached into my jacket pocket and retrieved the one essence crystal I’d kept on my person.
Hawk Clan didn’t like monsters. They referred to them as shadow beasts and kept their distance as much as possible, and normally, I would have respected their wishes and kept my summons far away from their dwelling, but this situation was different.
I crushed the fang-shaped crystal in my palm, and once the plume of smoke disappeared, my saber-toothed-cat familiar appeared before me at his full height.
Holy shit, Dio uttered as his large yellow eyes took in the sight of the hawk and moose struggle. This is quite the dinner party, boss.
“Yeah, it didn’t quite go according to plan,” I replied to my tawny-furred summons. “I’m going to need your help, buddy. We need to protect Hawk Clan and get these moose out of here.”
It’s been a while since I’ve enjoyed a good moose snack, Dio purred, and he licked his enormous chops as he zeroed in on a pair of moose warriors. Those guys are looking especially delicious.
“Make sure to steer clear of the hawks, and only go after the moose,” I reminded him. “There’s a lot happening, and I don’t want anyone from Hawk Clan to get hurt in the scuffle.”
Of course, Dio insisted as if I were out of my mind. I love Freya, and she’s a hawk, so I know the hawks are our friends. Those moose fuckers, though… they’re going to make a tasty meal.
“Gryff, what is that beast doing in here?” I heard Fenrir shout at me from across the hall. I scanned the flurry of movement until I located the tall hawk warrior, and I quickly found him mid-attack. He had a moose in his clutch, and he snapped his neck like it was nothing right as I watched with awe. Then the hawk leader cast the body aside, and he pushed his way through the throng of people to join my side.
“That was badass, sir,” I complimented him.
“They threatened my daughters,” Fenrir replied, and malice dripped from his tongue. “Normally, I would simply take these invaders as prisoners, but threatening my children crosses the line.”
“You’re a good father,” I said.
Fenrir didn’t acknowledge my statement, and instead, fixed his dark eyes on Dio.
“I suppose I can make an exception to my rule for your creature,” he grunted. “Is your shadow beast as deadly as he appears?”
“Deadlier.” I grinned.
After a quick incline of my head, Dio flexed his impressive claws and then plunged right into the mess of moose shifters.
The tawny monster’s mighty roar echoed through the hall, and I watched with pride as he took down any opponents in his path. All it took was one swipe of his enormous paw to knock a moose warrior down, and I watched with a sick sort of pleasure as his curved fangs impaled a pair of moose men right through their chests.
“Gryff, look out!” Fenrir’s voice rang out as one of the moose men lurched toward me. The hawk leader let out a chill-inducing screech and then launched himself at one of the moose men, and his dark eyes were ablaze with fury as he grew his talons and slashed deep into the shapeshifter’s torso.
The moose let out a scream of terror, and blood gurgled up from his throat before he fell to the stone ground. His body made a wet thud as it made contact, and Fenrir shook with anger as he glared down at the dead shifter.
“Thanks!” I called out to the hawk chief, and my heart raced with adrenaline in my chest as I threw myself back into the fray.
The fight went on for a bit longer, and finally, only three shapeshifters remained. They stood with their daggers brandished, and while their similarly dark eyes were wild, their shoulders held a hint of exhaustion. Each of the shifters’ teeth were bared as they stared us down, but between Fenrir, Freya, the hawk guards, and I, they were completely surrounded and had nowhere to go.
“Execute them all!” Fenrir growled decisively, and then he fixed his gaze on the one who stood in the middle of the trio. “Except for you. Gryff, bring this man to his feet. Before he meets his end, he will give us answers about his origins.”
The hawk guards moved swiftly, and before the moose shifters could react, they swooped in and used their razor-sharp talons to cut the pair down. The remaining shifter let out a bloodcurdling cry of anguish, and I took advantage of his distress and snuck up behind him. I wrapped my arm around his neck and trapped him in a chokehold. After a moment or two of struggling, the shifter’s knees gave way, and I removed my hold around him. The moose-man fell to the ground and sputtered as he attempted to catch his breath.
“You’d better start talking,” I threatened him, and I held my father’s dagger to his throat.
“I’d sooner die than betray my Clan,” the moose hissed.
“Me killing you right now would be a mercy you don’t deserve,” I snarled at him. “You’re going to listen to Chief Fenrir and give him whatever information he requests.”
“And if I don’t?” the moose mocked me.
“Then I’ll find a fate far worse than death for you,” I replied, and my head pounded as the bloodlust flooded through me. “I can be pretty fucking creative when I want to be.”
My lips curled into a snarl, and although the moose-man was much bulkier than I, the venom of my tone seemed to intimidate him. He gulped and then gave a reluctant nod of affirmation.
“Who sent you?” Fenrir began the interrogation. “Moose Clan no longer occupies their old territory, so where have you come from?”
The moose shifter deliberated on his response, and I had no patience for it.
“Answer him,” I growled.
“Moose Clan may no longer have Skara, but we do have territory elsewhere,” the shifter finally confessed.
“Where?” Fenrir demanded. “Where have you been hiding out after all this time?”
“Moose Clan’s numbers have dwindled, but those who remain occupy land in each of the territories,” the moose-man answered the hawk leader. “Bear, wolf, snow leopard, hawk. We’re everywhere.”
“How many of you remain?” Fenrir pressed. “You claim you occupy land in each of the territories, but how many of you are hidden away?”
“Fifty,” the moose-man finally answered after a few minutes. “At least, the number was fifty until tonight.”
“You made it sound as if there was an armada,” I scoffed at the shapeshifter.
“Fifty is nothing to balk at,” the moose-man replied with narrowed eyes.
“What even brought you here in the first place?” I demanded. “Why did you attempt to kill my wife and her sister tonight of all nights? Was it a matter of convenience?”
“Your wife?” the moose repeated back to me with narrowed dark eyes. “I don’t care about her relation to you. I was sent to eradicate the royal family that pretends to care about unity.”
“So, you’re rebels,” I scoffed. “That’s a little pathetic, isn’t it? And besides, what are you fighting against? Peace? Unity? Your people tried to rise up against the other Clans, and you failed. It’s about time you accepted your defeat.”
“Fuck the other Clans.” The shifter spat on the ground. “Moose Clan will never make peace with hawks, bears, wolves, or snow leopards. We bow to no man.”
“You’re pathetic,” I hissed at the moose-man. “Attacking women isn’t powerful, it’s weak. Only the most cowardly of men would resort to something as low as harming a woman, especially one who is not yet fully grown.”
Dio stepped over to my side, and the enormous saber-toothed-tiger let out a low growl that made the moose-man tremble.
“Fine, fine, I’ll answer,” the shifter insisted with raised palms. His dark eyes remained on Dio’s curved fangs and refused to move away from them. “We caught wind of a celebration. The princess Freya had returned with her daughter, and the entire ruling family of Hawk Clan was coming together to celebrate their return. When the princess left the territories for a foreign land, we knew it would be a while before they returned. The plan was to kill the princesses to wound Chief Fenrir. It is because of him our Clan can no longer live as they once did, so we wanted to take our revenge by killing his beloved daughters in the same way his people killed ours.”
“Well, you certainly fucked that up, didn’t you?” I growled, and my anger swathed me in a warmth that wouldn’t fade.
“I was sent to eradicate the royal family who pretends to care about unity while my people continue to suffer,” the shapeshifter repeated. “Hawk Clan has stolen everything from us.”
“The last time I checked, your people were the ones who were enslaving and killing others.” I narrowed my eyes at the moose-man. “You kidnapped the hawk queen and held her hostage for so many years she was presumed dead, and I couldn’t even count the hundreds of other shapeshifters that have met their demise at your hands. Moose Clan doesn’t get to cry about injustice after they spent so many years as the perpetrators.”
“Fuck you!” the moose-man shouted boldly. “What do you even know about the territories? You aren’t even a shapeshifter. I can hear it in your accent and see it in your face.”
“Do you even know who the fuck I am?” I asked him as my temper swelled. “You’d be wise to remember this face. I am the one who commands the shadow beasts. I’m the one who saw to it that Skara was destroyed. I am the husband of the warrior princess Freya and the commander of seven goddesses who would gladly devour you at my instruction.”
“Y-You’re the beastmaker?” the moose-man realized.
I was surprised to hear the shapeshifter refer to me by that particular title, and it took all of my willpower to keep my face even. How did the moose-man even know the word “beastmaker” in the first place? Freya had called me beastmaker when we first met since she witnessed me summoning monsters, but this man had called me “the” beastmaker. Had he picked the title up from an outside force, and if so, how far had my reputation spread for that to be possible?
“I am.” I flashed him my cruelest grin as I refocused. “And it’d be best for you to remember that. You don’t get to fuck with me or my family and walk away unscathed. You and the rest of your Clan are fools for crossing us, and you won’t get away with it.”
“I--” the moose stammered, but his voice caught in his throat as he trembled.
“I think I’ve heard enough,” Fenrir commanded, and then he looked to two of the hawk guards who flanked him. “Take this prisoner to the dungeons. I shall need to gather the other chiefs to decide his fate.”
The hawk guards nodded at the chief, crossed over to where I stood, and grasped the moose shifter in their powerful arms. The moose-man tried to shimmy out of their clutches, but the overly muscular hawk guards were far too strong to evade.
As the guards hauled away the assailant, I fought hard to bring my anger levels down. I was so wound up my vision was tinged in red, and if caught a glance of myself in the mirror, I knew my eyes would look absolutely crazed.
It was difficult to remain calm. The moose shifters had not only threatened me, but they’d threatened my family as well, and if I hadn’t reacted as quickly as I did… I didn’t even want to think about what could have happened.
My eyes darted over to Freya, and the hawk-princess’ lower lip trembled. She was having just as much difficulty remaining calm, too, not that I could blame her at all. She clearly needed me, so I took a breath and crossed over to her.
“Gryff,” she whispered, and I swept her into my arms. My wife’s entire body shook, and my heart felt like it was going to break. With all of her bravery, sometimes it was easy to forget the hawk-princess was just as vulnerable as any other woman, and it hurt me deeply to know how scared she was.
