Summoner 19, page 28
part #19 of Summoner Series
My heart thudded inside my chest as I waited for the healer mage to give me her feedback. Arwyn’s amber eyes darted across the paper quickly, and with each row she consumed, my patience grew thinner. I wasn’t completely sure if I’d written the script correctly, but I knew Arwyn would lay down the truth if it wasn’t up to snuff.
“This is really lovely, Gryff,” the professor mused once she finished reading it. “I think Mati and Braden are going to be especially pleased with it.”
I let out a sigh of relief. Oh, thank the Maker.
“Do you think it’s too stuffy?” I wondered as my shoulders relaxed. “I don’t want it to be too boring or anything.”
“No, I don’t think it’s stuffy at all.” Arwyn shook her head. “This is precisely what I would want to be said during my own ceremony. You don’t give yourself nearly as much credit as you should, Gryff.”
“I feel like I’m a little too confident most of the time,” I laughed. “So it’s sort of refreshing to hear I need to have more faith in myself.”
“You’re a good man, Gryff,” Arwyn assured me, and the professor passed me back my ceremony notes. “Braden is going to love these.”
“Hey, Arwyn, can I ask you something?” I inquired.
“Anything,” she replied. “What’s on your mind, my love?”
“All this talk about weddings has me thinking about our future together,” I said. “I know we’ve briefly discussed marriage, but I wanted to know if your opinions have shifted at all.”
“Well, rest assured, I have no intention of going anywhere,” Arwyn chuckled as she tucked a strand of auburn hair behind her ear. “I’m not sure the timing is quite correct at the moment, but I think one day I’d like to be your wife. I know our situation is more complicated than most, but I’d love to be able to call myself yours in a legally binding sense.”
“I’d like that, too,” I agreed with the crimson-haired professor.
“Of course, I think the best idea is to wait for you to graduate,” Arwyn continued. “You’re technically on the faculty, but since you only serve as a guest lecturer, you’re still my student, and while the headmaster knows about our arrangements and relationship, I don’t think it’s something I’d like your peers to know. Luckily, no one has really noticed the fact that we walk home together, but I’d prefer to wait and delay a possible scandal.”
“I think that’s a really smart move.” I nodded. “I don’t really know what’s in my future, but I don’t want to potentially tarnish yours with a scandal. I know we’re all adults in this situation, but I don’t want to risk you getting hurt because of something someone says.”
“Don’t worry yourself with that.” Arwyn shook her head. “My professional career is my concern, not yours. We’ll cross that bridge once we reach it. For now, I want you to worry about Braden’s union, and your studies. I’m not planning on going anywhere, Gryff, so don’t worry about that.”
“I know,” I said. “I love you, Arwyn.”
“I love you, too,” Arwyn repeated back, and she crossed over to me and kissed me deeply.
One day, I would make the redheaded professor my wife, but until then, I was content to have her as my girlfriend and partner.
Come Wednesday, everyone was nervous wrecks, and when I stepped into the kitchen that morning, I was greeted by the sleepy faces of my lovers. My wives and girlfriends all sported violet under-eye circles, and though they were all just as gorgeous as ever, I could tell they were all thoroughly exhausted.
“Mati’s lucky we love the shit out of her,” Erin remarked that morning as she sleepily poured herself a cup of coffee. The mimic’s vibrant orange hair was in a wild disarray, but she still looked extremely cute. “Because Maker, I am fucking wiped out from all of this wedding planning.”
“Cheers to that,” Cyra said as she raised a coffee cup of her own. The summoner had arranged her midnight-black hair up into a bun on the top of her head, and while I knew the hairstyle was more about form over function, it was still a good look on her.
“I appreciate all of the hard work you’ve been putting into this,” I thanked my women. “I know this means a lot to Braden and Mati, and it means a lot to me as well.”
“It’s been a fun time despite the time crunch,” Ashla assured me after she let out a small yawn. “It’ll all work out come Saturday, and then Sunday, we won’t even have to worry about anything.”
“Ashla, you aren’t pushing yourself too hard, are you?” I inquired, and my eyes drifted down to her belly.
“No, Doctor Gryff, I’m still doing fine,” the ice mage insisted. “I promise, everything is perfect with me. We’re still super early here, so I’m not too worried about these long hours.”
“If it gets to be too much--”
“If it gets too hard, I’ll take a step back,” Ashla finished for me, and her dark-chocolate eyes glinted in the morning light. “Don’t worry, Gryff.”
“Hey, my job is to worry,” I laughed as I accepted a coffee cup of my own from Erin and winked at the mimic over the cloud of steam that rose from the surface of the piping hot liquid. Then I blew on the drink and took a seat at the counter beside Freya.
“And how are you, my husband?” the hawk princess asked me with a raised golden eyebrow. “I saw your bedroom light was on last night. Did you get any sleep?”
“You noticed that, huh?” I chuckled, and I offered the shapeshifter a thin-lipped smile. “I couldn’t really sleep last night. In between studying, preparing for the wedding, and… other things, my mind has been a little restless.”
“You aren’t still worrying about the Archons, are you?” Nia inquired as she brushed a strand of silver-blonde hair away from her bloodshot eyes.
I could’ve lied and assured the elementalist that I wasn’t, but Nia knew me too well for that, and besides, I didn’t like lying to my women in the first place.
“Sort of,” I admitted. “I’m trying not to let it bother me, but at the same time, it’s a little hard to take my mind off it.”
“That’s totally understandable,” Nia said softly. “I know it’s easier said than done, but try your best to focus on taking care of yourself, Gryff. You won’t be able to take on Hunnah and Quilla if you burn yourself out first.”
“You’re right,” I agreed with my wife. “I’ll try to work on that.”
“The only other person you need to concern yourself about is Layla,” Cyra quipped, and she inclined her head to the right.
Layla was fast asleep in her chair, and her head was tilted all the way back as she snored lightly. Amidst all of the conversations, I hadn’t even noticed that the petite summoner had drifted off.
“Um, should we maybe wake her up?” Erin wondered as she stifled a laugh.
“We probably should,” Arwyn decided, and the professor offered the petite mage a sympathetic smile. “Otherwise, she’ll wake up with a stiff neck.”
“I’ll do it,” Cyra offered as she set her coffee mug down onto the counter and then crossed over to Layla’s chair. The curly-haired summoner gently shook the smaller summoner’s shoulder, and Layla woke up with a start.
“I’m awake!” she shouted, and when she glanced around the room and counted the number of eyes staring at her, her cheeks flushed scarlet. “I was just resting my eyes.”
“It’s okay to admit you’re tired, Layla,” I said gently. “No one’s judging you.”
“I normally wouldn’t suggest skipping classes, but maybe you should take a mental health day,” Arwyn advised the auburn-haired mage. “You’ve been quite helpful when it comes to helping out Mati, but if you keep going at this rate, you’re going to crash.”
“I suppose you might be right,” Layla murmured as she rubbed at her bleary eyes.
“Wow, Layla Bethel isn’t seizing the opportunity to miss class?” I raised my eyebrows. “You must not be feeling well.”
“Hey, I’ve become a good studen--” Layla began to counter, but then her words were eclipsed by an enormous yawn.
“We can handle Daphne,” Nia insisted. “You just go upstairs and get some rest, okay?”
Layla opened her mouth to say something else but closed it and then nodded her head. “Okay.”
“I will walk you upstairs and get you tucked in,” Freya soothed Layla, and the hawk princess rose from her seat and wrapped her arm around Layla’s shoulder.
Layla relaxed beneath the shapeshifter’s touch, and after she gave me a quick wave goodbye, stepped out into the corridor.
“Sleep well,” I called out, and after the sound of footsteps disappeared, I addressed the rest of my lovers. “Is everything alright with her? I’m a little worried about her.”
My women exchanged concerned glances with each other.
“I’m not entirely sure,” Arwyn admitted. “She might just be exhausted, honestly. The pregnancy was a little rough on her since she’s so small statured, and I think she’s been pushing herself a little too hard lately.”
“Well, we can’t have that,” I replied. The last thing I needed was for my girlfriend to burn herself out. “I’ll check in with her later and try to get to the bottom of it.”
“She could probably just use some alone time away from everything,” Cyra brought up. “I know right after I had Milo, I was stressed out beyond belief, and all I wanted was an evening alone with a hot bath and some relaxation.”
“She’s been trying to keep up the same pace she was maintaining before she had Daphne,” Erin chimed in. “But that level of activity just isn’t sustainable. I think she could use some time to chill out.”
“We should set up a spa evening for her once we’ve gotten past this week,” Nia decided. “Set her up for some pampering and relaxation.”
“I think that’s an excellent idea,” I agreed with the ashen-haired mage. “We can’t have Layla breaking down on us.”
I was a little worried about my girlfriend, but I knew we’d be able to cheer her up in no time. The rest of my women were right, all the petite summoner needed was a little bit of rest.
But it turned out Layla wasn’t the only one who was stressed.
“How’re you doing, my man?” I asked Braden when I sat down with him at lunch time later that day, and the ox-like summoner shook his head slowly back and forth. His gray eyes were bleary and bloodshot, which told me something had gone wrong that he didn’t want to tell me about.
“Don’t get me wrong, I’m definitely excited, but we made so much extra work for ourselves by making this wedding so last minute.” Braden rubbed at the back of his neck. “Our parents are on their way to Varle, but we still don’t have a venue figured out yet.”
“Shit, you guys still haven’t found one?” I clarified, and Braden’s red-rimmed eyes were downcast as he shook his head again.
“No, not yet,” he admitted to me quietly, as if he were embarrassed by this fact. “Most places don’t want to host anyone on such short notice, and those that do are charging a crazy amount of money that neither of us can afford. Mati’s parents offered to pay for the whole thing, but money is a little tight for them right now, and I can’t allow them to do that for us.”
“Yeah, I can see how that would be an issue,” I sighed, and I put my mind to work. There had to be somewhere we could have a small wedding and reception without spending a small fortune. “Wait, what if we hosted it in my backyard?”
“Really?” Braden frowned. “Oh, Gryff, I couldn’t ask you--”
“Don’t even go there, friend,” I interrupted my friend. “You aren’t asking, I offered. I mean, just think about it. It’s a fairly large space, and it’s pretty empty, so it’d be easy to fill with food, chairs, decorations…”
“That’s not a terrible idea at all,” Braden agreed as he pondered the idea. “Hmm, it could be pretty cute. I feel like Mati would enjoy something like that. Simple but still nice.”
“Trust me, if my family knows how to do anything, it’s how to beautify a space,” I reminded the summoner, and he let out a chuckle.
“Oh, I know that pretty intimately,” Braden replied. “I got plenty of experience with them and home improvement before you all moved into the mansion.”
“See, that makes the backyard offer even more enticing,” I pressed. “You stepped in and helped the girls get the home together in the first place. Let us take care of you and Mati for once.”
“You’re a good friend, Gryff.” Braden smiled at me. “Seriously, this is all so kind of you.”
“Don’t even mention it, my brother.” I smiled back. Part of me was nervous about how my women would react to this news, but when I revealed it to them later that evening when I returned home, I was met with noises that were equal parts excitement and pure panic.
“A backyard wedding is going to be so cute!” Cyra gasped as she slapped her hands on her cheeks.
“That does sound very lovely,” Freya mused as she cuddled Lahrra to her chest.
“Precious, really,” Erin agreed with the curly-haired summoner while she bottle-fed Olivir.
“Maker, there’s so much we’re going to have to do,” Nia realized, and the tone of the room sobered. “There’s decorations, seating, food…”
“Hey, it’s nothing we haven’t done before,” Ashla pointed out. “Besides, we’re fucking awesome in a crisis, and this isn’t even the worst one we’ve had to face.”
“Truth,” Layla chimed in, and after sleeping for a few hours, the dark circles under her eyes had lessened. “I’ll take flower arches over Archons any day of the week.”
“Well, if we’re going to pull this off, we’re going to need to pool some resources and find some supplies,” Arwyn suggested. “This won’t be easy, but if we start working at it now, we should be able to pull this off. Shall we go and make a list of things to accomplish?”
“Let’s do it.” Nia nodded, and then she addressed the others. “Shall we all head upstairs to my room to plan?”
“I’ll come,” Layla agreed.
“I’ll be up as soon as I’m done with Ollie,” Erin replied.
“I will come with you.” Freya smiled prettily at the blue-eyed mage.
“Perfect,” the ashen-haired elementalist said, and after she crossed the kitchen and planted a tender kiss on my lips, she turned to leave the room with the rest of the mages.
“Wait,” I called out before Nia could vanish down the corridor. “What do you want me to do?”
“Keep Erin company,” Nia instructed as she turned around. “Other than that, work on memorizing the ceremony, and maybe put together ideas for Braden’s bachelor party?”
Maker, I’d completely forgotten about the bachelor party.
“Can do,” I agreed. “Let me know if there’s anything else I can assist with, Lady Kenefick. I don’t really know anything about weddings, but if I can help out in any way, I’ll be happy to.”
“Thanks, Gryff.” Nia winked at me. “I really appreciate that.”
As the rest of my lovers ran up the stairs to sort out the details of a backyard wedding, I turned my attention to Erin.
“I know Layla crashed and almost burned, so I want you to answer this question honestly,” I began. “How are you doing with everything?”
“I’m perfectly fine,” my orange-haired girlfriend remarked, and the mimic’s amber eyes sparkled as she watched our son suckle his bottle. “I’m not just saying that, either. Olivir has been really well-behaved, and everything’s been pretty fun. Stressful, but fun.”
“Your optimism is refreshing.” I smiled as I took a seat next to her. Then I admired our adorable son and stroked his soft strawberry-blond hair. “He’s too cute for words.”
“He is, isn’t he?” Erin agreed. “He takes after his father in that way.”
“I think he gets that from his mother,” I contradicted her, and then I carefully leaned over and kissed the pilot. My lips tingled as soon as they met hers, and when we parted, Erin broke out into a grin.
“Your magic is so yummy,” she remarked as she licked her lips. “Definitely the best I’ve ever tasted.”
“That’s high praise from a mimic,” I noted. “Well, you can have a taste of it whenever you’d like.”
“Once everything has settled, I think I’ll take you up on that offer. There is a specific part of your body I really want to taste.” Erin winked at me, and the gesture was so incredibly sexy I had to kiss her yet again. This time, when our lips were about to touch, Olivir let out a loud sigh that made us pull apart and laugh.
The next day, I gathered up the rest of our friends for a secret meeting, and Almasy, Orenn, Gawain, Varleth, Mur, and I piled into an empty study room in the library to discuss ideas for Braden’s last night as a single man.
“Now, we need to make a plan for Braden’s bachelor party,” I prompted the rest of the group. “It can’t be too elaborate since it’s such short notice, but I still want to do something nice for him.”
“I thought Braden said he didn’t want to do anything.” Orenn frowned. “At least, that’s what he told me when I asked him the other day.”
“Braden’s having kind of a rough go at things,” I admitted to our friends. “I don’t blame him for wanting to marry Mati straight away, but I don’t think they considered all of the craziness that would follow.”
“Hey, they’re in love.” Gawain shrugged. “If they don’t want to wait any longer, I don’t blame them.”
“Neither do I,” I agreed with the fire mage. “They’ve had to do plenty of waiting already, which is why I want to give them a time they’ll never forget. That includes Braden’s bachelor party.”
“You know, thinking back to it, Braden actually said he didn’t want to do anything illegal,” Varleth remembered, and the surly gypsy rubbed his chin as he considered the idea. “But that doesn’t mean we can’t do anything at all. He’s one of our best friends, and he’s saved all of our asses at least once, or at least had our backs. I agree we need to do something special.”
“So, no dancing maidens?” Orenn summarized.
“Definitely no dancing maidens,” I confirmed.
