Summoner 16, page 6
“I have to buy a house?” I worked the muscle in my jaw. “I didn’t expect that.”
“I understand the prospect can seem intimidating,” Arwyn interjected in a reassuring voice. “I tried to look for a house in Varle when I first took this position, but in the end I decided to stay in my private chambers here at the Academy since I didn’t need much space.”
“I’m probably going to need a lot of space… ” I raked a hand through my hair. “It’s okay, I can do this. Pass my midterms, buy a house, a normal life.”
“Isn’t that what you’ve always wanted?” Nia’s blue eyes were bright and playful.
“Don’t forget the babies!” Cyra gushed. “You will definitely need your own place soon.”
I swallowed. “Sounds like I’m going house shopping.”
“Wonderful,” Marangur Sleet chuckled merrily. “To relieve some of the burden on the buying process, the Academy will cover the expenses at an inn of your choice for as long as you need.”
“Wow, thank you, Headmaster.” I grinned.
It was perfect. Freya and I would have our privacy and space, but we would still be close enough to attend school without too much inconvenience. Plus, I was sure the two of us would be crashing with my other women occasionally until I got my own place.
“Shall I take Freya to enroll in courses?” Arwyn suggested, then she turned to my shapeshifting wife and gave her a warm smile. “Can you read and write?”
“No,” the warrior princess said, and she shook her head. “I learn map, and I know books, but I do not know how to read the marks.”
“I can teach you,” the professor offered. “You’ve picked up the language so quickly, I expect you will have no issues grasping the basic concepts.”
“I want to school.” My wife nodded firmly. “I will do what is needed to be a good wife to Gryff.”
“How would we classify a shapeshifter?” Sleet sounded delighted with his newfound educational challenge. “We will need a new uniform category.”
“Adept?” Arwyn suggested. “She can change her form, much like a metallogue.”
“The Council will have a conniption fit.” The headmaster sounded downright excited.
“Headmaster,” the red-haired healer suddenly asked in a thoughtful tone, “may I record the progress of Freya’s education and document the experiences of the first shapeshifter in Mistral? It would be the first research of its kind.”
“Absolutely, Miss Hamner,” Sleet replied easily. “I think that is an exceptional idea. We will need to personalize a curriculum around her unique needs. I trust you to take the lead on that endeavor?”
“Yes, sir,” the redhead responded in a delighted tone.
Suddenly, the sound of stomping feet coming up the stairs echoed around the room, and raised voices penetrated the door to the stairwell.
“Maelor said he was alive!” Layla’s voice was full of fire. “I demand to see Gryff!”
“Calm down, young lady,” an unknown speaker argued. “You can’t just barge into the headmaster’s office!”
“Get your hands off her!” Ashla sounded angry.
“We can take her down,” Erin’s voice insisted. “Come on, ladies, for Gryff!”
My girlfriends were about to literally bust down the headmaster’s door in order to see me for themselves.
I grinned wide as my heart rate increased.
My women were so fucking awesome.
Chapter Four
“Open the door,” the headmaster commanded the room at large, but I was already headed toward the threshold.
I pulled on the handle at the same instant that static electricity filled the stairwell, and as I opened the door, the energy released and knocked me backward. I scrambled to keep my footing, and my hand automatically leapt to my bandolier, but then Layla’s short, side swept coppery hair popped into view.
“Gryffie!” The summoner pounced on me and coiled her arms and legs around my torso, and as Layla Bethel grabbed my cheeks in her hands and engulfed my face in kisses, I realized my hands roamed hungrily across her body.
The petite summoner wore a short mini skirt with tights and high heeled ankle boots. From what I could see through her shower of affection, her shirt was low cut and a pale orange color, and her soft auburn locks tickled against my face.
“You’re alive, I can’t fucking believe it!” the sassy mage gushed between kisses without giving me a moment to respond. “We looked for you everywhere, where did you end up? Are you okay? I’m so happy, I don’t even know what to say!”
“Hi… Layla… ” I managed to say as the petite summoner covered my face with smudges of her lipstick.
“Layla Bethel doesn’t know what to say?” Varleth snorted. “What else has changed? Has Gawain become humble?”
“Shut up, Varleth,” Layla retorted, and she paused her deluge of kisses long enough to stick out her tongue at the surly gypsy. “I was going to come say hi to you next, but now I’m not going to. You can sit and wonder if I missed you or not.”
“Of course, she missed you guys, we all did,” Ashla said as she entered the headmaster’s office, and then her chocolate brown eyes met mine, and my heart skipped a beat. Her lips parted slightly, and even from halfway across the room, I could tell her breath quickened. “Gryff. It really is you.”
The ice mage and Erin supported a woman I didn’t recognize between them, but I assumed she was the owner of the voice I’d heard from out in the hallway. She had a tightly woven bun, a narrow nose, and a severe expression. The strange woman wore a gray blazer with a yellow blouse underneath with a long matching skirt that hung to her ankles. Then Layla’s keichim bounced into the room at their feet, and the petite summoner’s familiar seemed proud of itself as it fluttered up to Layla’s shoulder.
The talkative summoner had an obviously forced expression of innocence on her face as she slid off me into a tight side-hug. It didn’t seem like she planned on letting go off me any time soon, but I was okay with that, so I squeezed her against me as my heart swelled.
“Hi, Gryff!” Erin gave me a wide grin and a small wave. Her amber eyes were bright with joy, and her desire to mimic Layla’s aggressive greeting was obvious.
The three women hobbled over to the chair in front of Sleet’s desk, and the two mages helped the woman with the tight bun settle into her seat before they rushed into my arms.
“Come here,” I urged, and when I had both my arms wrapped around the three of them, I planted warm kisses on their foreheads one after the other. I had a grin so big my cheeks hurt when I finally released them and turned back to Marangur Sleet.
“Miss Bethel,” Sleet greeted with a tired expression, “did you electrocute my secretary?”
“Um, well, not really, since if you think about it, I don’t have any electric abilities,” the petite summoner rattled out her excuse with a dismissive wave. “It’s not like I can just snap my fingers and create lightning or any--”
“Did your keichim release an electrical attack on school grounds?” the headmaster raised his voice, and Layla stiffened at my side.
The petite summoner gave the headmaster an apologetic smile. “Yeah, sorry.”
“Miss Harris, are you injured?” Sleet turned to the woman who sat in the chair by his desk.
Arwyn had already crossed the room, and the red-haired healer held her hand over the woman’s forehead.
“I’m fine,” Miss Harris replied in the same clipped tone I’d heard in the hallway. “They did not have an appointment to speak with you, I’m sorry for the intrusion.”
“No intrusion at all,” the headmaster reassured her. “We were just finishing up. Thank you, Miss Harris.”
“Of course, sir,” the woman said as she inclined her head.
Sleet turned his gaze back to Layla, and his expression hardened. “We will discuss the consequences of your actions later. You are dismissed for now.”
“Yes, sir,” the summoner sighed. “Sorry, sir.”
“I have always believed the best apology is changed behavior,” Sleet mused. “Still, another time. Soon.”
Then the headmaster clapped his hands and surveyed his crowded office.
“Some of the most powerful mages of our time stand before me, and I want each and every one of you to know I am proud to be among you. Make sure to take some time to recuperate from your mission, and most importantly, have a great term.”
“Yes, sir,” we all responded in unison.
Sleet winked at me. “Welcome back to Mistral, mages.”
We all trotted out of the room and down the stairs in a herd of stomping feet and flapping cloaks. Layla kept her arm hooked around my waist, but I didn’t mind, even though I had to keep a close watch on the steps to keep from tripping over the petite summoner’s boots.
With the debriefing done, I was finally able to let it sink in. I was home, in Mistral, with everyone I cared about nearby.
The long stairwell gave me plenty of time to process my homecoming, and by the time we exited the steps into the main building of the Academy, I was ready for an ale and some hot food.
The whole group paused as we entered the front hallway to look at me expectantly. The doors to the dining hall were closed, and the corridors were empty. We’d missed dinner.
Maelor’s request flashed through my mind.
“Let’s go to the Retching Goblin to celebrate,” I suggested with a grin.
“Ooh, yes!” Layla gasped, and she tugged me toward the doors of the Academy. “Great idea, Gryffie! What are you waiting for? Let’s go already!”
“I could go for a drink,” Varleth drawled with a shrug.
“I’ll buy you a round,” Braden offered, and he bumped his shoulder against the surly banisher. “Call it a welcome home gift.”
“I think we have all earned a night of relaxation,” Arwyn pointed out.
“And we have a lot to celebrate,” Nia added with a twinkle in her beautiful blue eyes.
“I want drink,” Freya said with a curt nod. Her gold-flecked eyes analyzed Layla, Ashla, and Erin with subtle glances, but her face was expressionless.
Layla shook her head like she was coming out of a daze, and she blinked at the warrior princess for a long moment as though the petite summoner had only just then noticed my wife’s presence.
“Um, who’s the delicious blonde with the weird accent?” she asked as she tilted her head to the side. “She looks exotic and really sexy.”
“This is Freya,” I said to the three women who had recently joined our group. “She is from Vay, and she doesn’t know much of our language yet, but she’s learning fast.”
“Hi, Freya,” the spunky summoner greeted with an uncharacteristically shy wave. “My name’s Layla.”
“Layla,” my wife repeated slowly, and she gave my girlfriend a rare smile. “Very good name. Are you a strong warrior?”
“Abso-fucking-lutely!” the summoner exclaimed, and she planted her hands on her hips with a defiant stance.
“Good.” Freya nodded her approval. “I like to meet you.”
“I just want you to know, it’s official,” Layla declared as she grabbed my wife’s hand. “We’re best friends now.”
“I like all three of you,” my wife purred as she eyed the three women. “Pretty and strong. Gryff has told me much about you.”
“Wow, that’s so great!” Erin gave the hawk woman a friendly smile. “I’d love to be friends.”
“The more the merrier,” Ashla added with a playful wink. “Not surprising, though.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked with a feigned hurt expression.
“It means you have a penchant for collecting beautiful women, and we all need a drink and some more time catching up,” the ice mage retorted in a teasing voice.
“It’s decided,” Cyra announced, and her nest of brown curls bounced behind her as she strode toward the entrance.
I chuckled as we all fell into step behind the dark-skinned summoner.
Maker, it was good to be back.
A short while later, I sat at one of the tables in the old tavern named the Retching Goblin. From the outside, the place didn’t look like much. It was basically a dingy shed with chipped paint and wood siding. The sign squeaked, the windows were fogged, and the inside wasn’t much better with a crumbling fireplace and stained floors. Still, the tavern had serviced the students and staff of the Academy for so long, it was considered an institution regardless of its dilapidated condition.
Layla was crammed against my side like a leech, and she blinked her hazel eyes at me adoringly whenever I glanced at her. On my other side, Erin leaned her elbow on the table and rested her chin on her hand while she stared at me like I was a piece of art. Ashla sat directly across from me, and she leaned over the barrier between us with her chocolate eyes full of need.
Maelor and Cyra sat at Ashla’s side, while Nia, Arwyn, and Freya occupied the rest of the bench. Braden and Mati sat at the head of the table, and Varleth balanced himself on the end of the bench to Layla’s left.
We’d claimed the last large empty table in the tavern, and the rest of the common room was packed with other students and faculty of the Academy. I saw a few faces I recognized, but for the most part everyone I saw was a stranger to me.
Well, except for the people sitting around me. My companions were the closest thing I’d ever had to family outside of Maelor, and the old man was right in the midst of us, happy as a drunk clam. Maelor practically glowed as he sipped his ale and looked around at my friends’ happy faces, and it did my heart good to see him so peaceful.
“I hope Gawain and Orenn got our message to meet us here,” Erin commented as she finally tore her eyes away from me to glance around the tavern. “It doesn’t feel like a full reunion without them.”
“I’m sure they’ll be here soon.” I smirked. “After all, who would miss out on a chance to see a long-lost friend?”
“Oh, I didn’t tell him you were back,” Layla confessed in an absentminded tone. “It’ll be more fun to see their reactions in person.”
“Oh, that’s wicked,” Erin breathed with an appreciative smile.
“Then what did you say?” Cyra asked with a twinkle in her eyes.
“I said get down here now or I’ll kick your asses.” The petite summoner shrugged. “They’ll be here soon, if they know what’s good for them.”
“Oh, Maker, this is going to be good,” Varleth commented dryly, but his eyes were bright, and he watched the door with anticipation.
The surly gypsy seemed downright excited, and with him grinning and sitting up straight, I almost couldn’t believe he was the same person who had grumbled and complained the whole way back to Mistral.
“With a message like that, who wouldn’t be excited to see you?” I chuckled.
“Exactly, but hey, what’s this drawing on your neck?” Layla asked as she poked the tattoo on the edge of my collar. “Is that from a new Archon?”
“He has another one on his hand,” Erin pointed out as she held up my limb as proof, and the gold jaguar claw imprinted on my skin shone in the dim light of the gas lamps.
“And a third on his forearms,” Cyra added in a helpful voice. “The snakes are my favorite.”
I scratched the tattooed bite mark on my neck self-consciously. “I captured three more Archons since leaving Mistral, so I got a few more marks. It’s not a big deal.”
Ashla’s chocolate eyes narrowed. “The paws are Miralea, snakes are Utuni, and your wings are Sera and Phi, but I can’t figure out what the bite marks mean.”
“They are from Veopa,” Arwyn informed the ice mage in a scholarly tone. “Our best working hypothesis is that the shapeshifter Archon has the ability to remove the magical abilities of her followers, hence a succubus type.”
“So, Veopa is like a vampire?” Layla asked as she leaned in super close to me and stared unblinkingly into my eyes. “Is she talking to you right now? You haven’t done that cross eyed look yet, so it’s hard for me to tell what’s going on inside your head.”
Before I could respond, the door to the tavern opened, and the pungent scent of rose cologne filled my nose. My head swiveled to the door, and I saw the blond-haired fire mage walk across the threshold with Orenn a step behind him.
I stood to greet my friends, and as I met Gawain’s eyes, the blood drained from his face. The haughty fire mage clutched his chest and sagged backward into Orenn as though he was going to faint, but the muscular metallogue caught him under the elbows and supported him until Gawain was once again steady on his feet.
“Y-You’re alive?” the fire mage stammered, and then his beady green eyes narrowed suspiciously. “Is Bethel fucking pranking me right now?”
“Oh, she absolutely tried,” Varleth commented as he stepped up to my side.
“Varleth!” Orenn gasped, and the metallogue crossed the distance between him and the banisher in one long step and seized the gypsy in a tight hug.
I heard Varleth’s back pop, and I smirked as the banisher let out a pained grunt. It was good for him.
“What the fuck, Layla?” Gawain called over my shoulder. “Can’t you warn a guy before scaring him to death?”
“Where’s the fun in that?” Layla countered with a mischievous grin.
Cyra laughed. “This is almost better than finding out Gryff got married!”
Orenn dropped Varleth and spun to face me with a flabbergasted expression. “You got married? Congratulations, Gryff!”
“You mean you actually managed to convince someone to tolerate you?” Gawain snickered. “That’s more surprising than you coming back from the dead.”
“So, um,” Orenn stammered as he blushed, and his eyes flicked around the group at my women. “Who’s the lucky lady?”
“Guys, I want you to meet Freya,” I said with a wide grin, and I beckoned my wife forward to meet my friends.
“Nice meet you,” the warrior princess said in heavily accented Mistral, and she gave the two men a small bow of her head.
Gawain’s eyes widened, and Orenn burst out into a wide grin.
