Summoner 21
Author: Eric Vall
Date: 2021-03-05 05:00:00+00:00
Keywords: Fantasy; Harem
Description: Something has gone horribly wrong. The moon is blood-red and the sky full of tentacles. The air has become toxic, and monsters are able to manifest at night. It seems like the end of Mistral and the world. But Gryff is the Beastmaker, wielder of the nine Archons and the strongest mage in the world. Once he figures out who this new foe is, he’ll destroy it like all the rest.

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Chapter One

As I stared in horror at the blood-red moon, I couldn’t help but think we’d royally fucked up.

Sera trembled beside me. Her bright yellow eyes were as round as saucers as she stared at the eerie sight, and tiny, childlike whimpers escaped from her full lips. I’d never seen the dark-winged Archon display such vulnerability before, and the way the monster goddess quivered with fear sent shivers down my own spine.

If Sera was rendered this fearful, whatever we were about to face was worse than anything we’d ever dealt with before.

My heart raced in my chest, and I tried to reach a comforting hand out to the Archon, but the dark-haired goddess shifted away from me before I could make contact. Her already pale white-blue skin lightened to an even more ghostly pallor, and her black-feathered wings flattened against her back.

“What have we done?” Sera whispered, and then she repeated herself in an even softer voice as she shook her head in disbelief. “What have we done?”

“We didn’t do this,” I assured her, but even I wasn’t sure how much I believed my words. “There’s no way this was our doing, right? This can’t be because I just gave you a baby, can it?”

Earlier this evening, I’d professed my love to the monster goddess, and after she revealed she shared similar feelings toward me, we’d made love over and over again until we were thoroughly spent. It was the kind of lovemaking reserved for creating a child, and I’d enjoyed every second of it.

Just after we’d finally exhausted ourselves for the evening, Sera had crossed over to the window and stood in the light of the moon. The moment had been incredibly special… at least until the moon began to darken to a deep shade of red. Seconds later, the entire sky had shifted to a rich scarlet, and our beautiful night turned into a hellscape.

“Of course, we did this,” Sera whispered, and then she turned away from me, picked up her skimpy white bodysuit, and slipped into it with lightning speed. Her midnight-black hair flared over her shoulders, and she rubbed her arms like she was trying to get warm. “There’s no other explanation for the moon’s change. This is our doing, Gryff. It’s… We must have all understood the prophecy wrong.”

“Sera…” I tried to plead with her, but the Archon wasn’t interested in soothing words, so I decided to follow in the goddess’ footsteps and scrambled to find my trousers on the floor. This situation was too dire and too horrifying to handle without the added measure of being entirely bare, so once I located the pants and my shirt, I quickly dressed myself and then approached my bedroom window.“

“It knows what we’ve done,” she sighed. “It knows where we are, and it’s ready to kill us all. It wants to kill you, and me, and our unborn child.”

“What do you mean by that?” I pressed. “Sera, do you know what that thing out there is?”

Just as the entity had appeared on the moon, Sera had gone into a hysterical fit and sobbed about how something was here to destroy us. I’d been so consumed by my confusion I hadn’t pressed the subject, but now I wondered if the dark-winged Archon knew something more than she was letting on.

“I-I don’t know exactly what it is,” she admitted. “But there’s a feeling sweeping through me, a dread that fills my entire body like a strike of lightning. Somehow, I know whatever it is, it’s powerful, and it wants us dead.”

“So, it’s all just a hunch?” I pressed.

“It’s more than just a hunch,” Sera insisted. “Gryff, I can feel it with every inch of my being. Whatever that entity is, it’s exceptionally powerful and intends to destroy every last one of us.”

While the Archon’s words were a little suspicious, her tone was sincere, so I knew she wasn’t lying.

“Maker, what the fuck is it?” I muttered as I swept the curtains completely away from the window and stared at the moon. “And how did it get there in the first place?”

The once pale, silvery orb had not only changed colors but was also riddled with long, ink-black tendrils that looked like tentacles.

“I-I don’t know,” Sera admitted, and she shook her head back and forth slowly. “I’ve existed for centuries, and I’ve never witnessed such a sight before. We’ve doomed the entire world.”

“Sera, we haven’t doomed the world,” I insisted, but the Archon continued to shake her head in protest.

The tentacles writhed, stretched, and twitched as we spoke, almost as if they were searching for something to latch onto, and even though the appendages had only just appeared minutes ago, it seemed like they’d grown closer.

I could only imagine what the tentacles were attached to, but whatever it was, it wasn’t good.

You’ve got that right, I suddenly heard Xanrith’s voice ring out in my consciousness. Sera was correct in her assessment. Whatever that thing is, it wants the world to succumb to its power.

“Are you saying you feel it as well?” I wondered.

Yes, Utuni confirmed. It’s a horrific feeling of dread and terror I cannot explain.

I don’t like it, Miralea groaned. Not at all.

“Fuck,” I sighed.

Master, this is truly awful, Veopa chimed in.

It’s certainly awful, Carth agreed.

What have you done, Sera? Phi hissed.

“This isn’t her fault,” I huffed.

Does this mean you cannot make love to the rest of us? Utuni sighed.

This creature has awoken because he just inseminated my sister, Phi huffed. And you are just waiting for your turn?

So, you don’t want his seed, then? Utuni hissed. Fine. Master, I’ll go before Phi. If we are to be destroyed by this horrible thing, I want to die with the feeling of your warm love inside of me.

I didn’t say I would skip my turn, Phi growled. I wish for our Master, too--

“Stop it, all of you,” I ordered. “Unless you have something helpful to contribute to the conversation, I’d prefer it if you kept quiet while I try to sort this out.”

I waited a moment for one of the Archons to speak up, but that relief never came, so I tightened the wards around the goddesses to ensure they couldn’t speak up until I asked them to.

“They’re right,” Sera murmured. “This is all my fault.”

Before I could press Sera for other possible explanations, my bedroom door loudly creaked open, and I turned around to see the alarmed faces of two of my lovers in the doorway.

“Gryff, what’s going on?” Nia Kenefick cried out as she crossed over to my side. Her piercing blue eyes flashed in alarm as she took in the sight of the moon, and I watched her face blanch until it was nearly as white as Sera’s. “What’s happening to the moon?”

“Sera and I were trying to figure that out ourselves,” I replied to the multi-elementalist, and I looked beyond her to see Arwyn Hamner approach us with lengthy strides.

The pair of beautiful mages were clad in the flimsy night dresses they usually wore to bed, and it took everything in me to stay focused on the matter at hand. I wanted nothing more than to take my women back to bed with me and pretend everything was business as usual, but the red sky ruined any chance of that fantasy.

“There appears to be some sort of creature on the moon’s surface,” the crimson-haired healer mage assessed in a professorial tone. “Gryff, did you witness what happened first hand? I’d returned from the bathroom when I noticed the moon from the hall, and I immediately grabbed Nia and came straight here.”

“We watched it happen.” I nodded. “One second the moon was normal, and the next--”

“The moon bled red,” Arwyn finished for me. “This is both remarkable and awful at the same time. I’ve never heard or read of such an occurrence in all of my years of studies.”

“What is Sera doing here?” Nia frowned at me. The multi-elementalist’s bright blue eyes studied the Archon with a scrutinous gaze, but the monster goddess was too focused on the moon to acknowledge my wife.

“I summoned her earlier,” I explained vaguely. It wasn’t a huge secret I meant to keep from my lovers, but there were bigger matters at hand.

Nia’s eyes flew from Sera back over to me, but I gave a slight movement that told the ashen-haired mage to drop it. Nia nodded in return, but her eyebrows were still raised high, so I knew we’d have to revisit the subject later.

“This is bad,” Arwyn mused as she shook her head. “Truly a bizarre phenomenon.”

“It’s certainly not good,” I agreed with the redheaded professor. “Especially if you aren’t familiar with something like this. If anyone were to have answers, I assumed it would be you.”

“I wish I did so I’d have some indication of what to do,” Arwyn sighed as she ran her hand through her thick hair. “But I’m at a complete loss. This is nothing Mistral has ever seen before.”

“It’s all our fault,” Sera whispered beside me. The Archon took small steps backward until she was up against the bed, and then she sat on the edge and buried her face in her hands. Her hair fell like a dark curtain around her and concealed her lovely face.

“Sera, what do you mean by that?” Nia asked the dark-winged goddess, but she was interrupted by a loud commotion in the hallway. A clammer of footsteps rang out, and for a moment, I was convinced a herd of buffalo had managed to descend down the spiral staircase.

As it turns out, it was just the rest of my family.

“Gryffie, what the fuck is happening?” Layla demanded in a shaky voice as she flew into the room with impressive speed. “Why are the moon and the sky red? And what’s with those scary black tentacles? Are we under attack?”

The petite mage’s hazel eyes were so wide, I was afraid they were going to pop out of her skull, so I rushed over to her and wrapped her in my arms.

“Breathe, Layla,” I urged my auburn-haired lover as she trembled. It wasn’t often I saw the summoner mage this upset, and I hated how scared she was. “One question at a time.”

“W-What’s happening, Gryffie?” she stammered.

I swept her hair behind her ear and leaned down to kiss her forehead. Her skin was damp with sweat, which told me she’d woken in a panic.

“Breathe, baby,” I insisted quietly as I cupped her cheek.

The mage relaxed against me and dutifully took long, deep breaths. After a moment or two, some color returned to her cheeks, and she offered me a small smile.

“Thanks,” Layla whispered, and she rose up on her tiptoes and planted a soft kiss on my cheek.

Cyra, Erin, and Ashla crossed into the room soon after, and they all wore similar expressions of alarm as they breached the doorway.

“Um, do you guys see the fucking tentacles coming off the moon?” Cyra demanded. The summoner’s dark curls were in a sleepy state of disarray, and her familiar, a silver dragon named Kalon, was perched on her shoulder like a parrot.

The monster let out the tiniest of growls as it stared at the reddened moon.

“Oh, we see them alright,” I sighed.

“Oh, okay, good,” my dark-skinned wife replied. “I’m just making sure it wasn’t my imagination running away with me.”

“Rest assured, this is no figment of your imagination,” Arwyn groaned. “The tentacles are a very real problem we’re trying to solve.”

“Short of a really big harpoon gun, I don’t see how we’re going to be able to solve this one, Arwyn,” Layla remarked. “How do we defeat a monster that lives on the moon?”

“We don’t even know it’s a monster,” Arwyn continued. “It’s clearly some sort of entity, but beyond that, I’m not certain how to classify it.”

“I don’t understand any of this,” Ashla chimed in as she tugged at the hem of her dark-green nightdress. “Gryff, you’ve successfully captured all nine of the Archons, so what’s this new thing on the moon?”

“It looks positively horrifying,” Erin muttered as she hugged her arms across her chest. She rubbed her hands up and down her bare arms, just as Sera had, and her amber eyes didn’t hold the same sparkle as usual.

I retrieved a blanket from my bed and carefully wrapped it around the orange-haired mimic’s freckle-dusted shoulders. My girlfriend accepted the covering and offered me a grateful smile, and when I stepped away, Erin inclined her head and spread her arms out so the others could join her. Layla and Cyra flanked her on either side while Arwyn, Nia, and Ashla remained in place.

“Before we dive into that, is everyone okay?” I addressed the group, but when I did a quick headcount, I realized a couple of family members weren’t in attendance. “And has anyone seen Freya and Vahla?”

“Freya wanted to check on Lahrra before she came down,” Cyra answered. “We stopped by the nursery first to make sure the children were safe, and then we came down here to find you. Freya wasn’t ready to leave them alone just yet.”

“Should we grab her anyway?” Erin wondered. “I don’t like that they’re up there alone.”

“We can in a moment,” I said. “I actually feel better knowing she’s up there with them. Besides, between the two of them, they can handle anything that’s thrown at them.”

“That’s fair enough,” the orange-haired mimic allowed. “They’re the very definition of warrior princesses.”

“Not to change the subject, but could this have happened because you captured all of the Archons?” Ashla wondered, and she tapped her finger against her full lips. “I don’t really want to put that idea out there, but there’s always been a lingering concern about what would happen once all of the goddesses were captured.”

“If that was the case, wouldn’t the moon have changed when Gryff officially claimed Hunnah and Quilla?” Nia frowned. “We’ve deduced they couldn’t have reversed the enchantment since they’ve been captured, but could the act of capturing them have set this in motion?”

“In his eyes, blood shall paint the streets in rust,” Sera murmured from behind us, and we all turned to face the dark-winged Archon.

“What does that mean?” Layla frowned, and then she turned to face me and cocked an eyebrow in confusion.

“It’s a line from the Beastmaker prophecy,” Nia explained quietly as realization crashed over her. “In his ears, all cries of mercy will fall to dust. In his eyes, blood shall paint the streets in rust.”

“Holy fucking shit,” Layla whispered. “Oh, Gryffie…”

“We don’t know the accuracy of the prophecy,” Arwyn reminded us in a stern and serious tone. “As far as we know, it could all be metaphorical--”

“My predecessor did not speak in metaphors!” Sera hissed at the crimson-haired professor. “The Archon’s words were true. She wouldn’t speak in riddles.”

“I refuse to believe the words in the prophecy were meant to be taken one-hundred percent literally,” I objected before the argument could get too heated. “I might fit the bill of the Beastmaker, but I think I’ve fought against the forces of evil too many times to become some kind of benevolent harbinger of the apocalypse.”

“It’s all my fault,” Sera whispered as she hugged her arms around herself. “I knew the risks of taking the Beastmaker’s seed within my womb, and yet I allowed it anyway. Now, I’ve doomed us all to a rapturous fate. How could I have been so selfish to think I was able to bear a child of the Beastmaker?”

“The Beastmaker’s seed in your womb?” Nia asked. Her ashen eyebrows creased together in confusion, and her sapphire eyes darted between the dark-winged Archon and me. “Gryff, what is she talking about?”

“Gryff, you didn’t,” Cyra gasped as she covered her mouth.

“You made love to Sera,” Arwyn assessed. “I figured as much when we found the pair of you here together, but do you mean to say that you and Sera… made an attempt at procreation?”

“Yes,” I confirmed. “We did.”

“You had sex with Sera?” Erin blinked. “You gave her a baby? Oh, Maker…”

“Wow.” Ashla let out a low whistle. “That’s quite the development, Gryff, and definitely not what I was expecting to come out of this conversation. I figured you’d summoned Sera after the moon changed.”

“Am I the only one who thinks that wasn’t a great idea?” Layla wondered as her hazel eyes flashed. “I’m all for more cute babies around here, but a baby with an Archon--”

“Don’t you dare insult me, mortal,” Sera hissed, and she clenched her fists at her sides. “It’s one thing for me to regret the consequence of my actions, and another to suffer judgment from a mere mage--”

“That’s enough.” I stepped in front of the dark-haired goddess before she could come after Layla, and then I addressed my wives and girlfriends. “Look, I told Sera I love her. I know that may seem hard to believe, considering our experiences in the past, but it’s the truth. I’d finally accepted my feelings for her, and that’s why I called her forth tonight.”

“You love her?” Nia repeated back to me. Her voice was a mixture of surprise and confusion, but I couldn’t blame her for the reaction. This was news I’d wanted to tell them in time, but now it was an unavoidable part of this situation.

“I do.” I nodded simply. “We decided to celebrate by making love, and just before we were about to fall asleep… well…”

“The moon bled red,” Arwyn finished for me. The professor’s eyebrows knitted together, and I could practically see the gears of her brain whir in circles. “The Archons mentioned the possibility of being able to walk in the moonlight after receiving your seed in their wombs. You mentioned Sera was able to cross into the moonlight before it darkened?”

“Yes,” Sera answered for me in a small voice. “After Gryff gave me his seed, I was able to walk into the light without it affecting me.”

“Then that part of the Beastmaker tale is true,” Arwyn mused. “And if that portion of the lore is accurate… I hate to say this, but there’s now a much stronger possibility the rest is true as well.”

“Before we get too attached to that idea, let’s consider all of the possibilities,” Ashla spoke up. “I know this is a terrifying situation, but we need to think everything through before we jump to a doomsday conclusion.”

If I could’ve married the ice mage on the spot, I would’ve right then and there. Instead, I flashed her a thankful smile.

“Is there a chance Hunnah and Quilla were successful in their plan after all?” Nia asked. “I don’t know if that’s plausible in the slightest, but it’s the only other explanation I can think of.”

While I wasn’t convinced by the idea, I still saw the logic in Nia’s hypothesis. The final pair of Archons had once been a part of an alliance made up of them, Carth, and Xanrith, and the monster goddesses had a nefarious plan to reverse the enchantment that kept the human realm and the Shadowscape in separate dimensions.

My interference had rendered the plot useless, but as I stared out at the ruby-red sky, I couldn’t help but wonder if it’d really been as fruitless as I’d thought.

“They weren’t successful,” Sera whispered. “Had they truly reversed the enchantment in the way they’d intended, the magic would have already taken effect by now.”

“They have been locked away in your mind for a long time now,” Nia realized, and the ashen-haired mage tugged at her long braid in a nervous manner. “And besides, if that were the case, the talk before the battle outside of Nattanger wouldn’t have made much sense, would it?”

“It wasn’t a bad theory at all,” I assured my multi-elementalist wife. “But I think Sera’s correct. During our confrontation in the forest with the mistwolves, Hunnah and Quilla made it apparent they needed the book in order to reverse the enchantment, but the book is still in our possession. Unless they were attempting some kind of psychological manipulation, I don’t think they found a way to pull off the spell.”

“Well, does the book say anything about the moon turning red?” Cyra addressed Arwyn and Ashla.

Of anyone, the pair of researchers would best be able to answer the question.

“Not that we’ve deciphered,” Ashla sighed. “We’ve studied almost every page of the book, but our ciphers said nothing about the sky changing in the middle of the night like this.”

“There’s been no indication of this type of event before.” Arwyn shook her head. “We’re operating off pure speculation at this point.”

“That’s just great,” Layla groaned.

I glanced back out the window to see if there’d been any change since I last checked, but unfortunately, the sky was just as scarlet. This was a nightmare with no foreseeable end and no certain explanation. Was this punishment for capturing the Archons, creating a baby with Sera, or something else entirely?

“No offense, Gryff, but can we circle back to the part of this story where you decided you were going to make a baby with a monster goddess?” Erin asked. “That’s not something I think we can sweep under the rug, especially if it potentially relates to this whole thing.”

“Even before all of this, I’d made the Archons a deal that if they could come to an agreement, I would give one of them my seed,” I admitted to her. “The deal was made long ago, and they weren’t making progress on the subject, so I made the decision for them.”

“So, you’re going to have a baby with Sera?” Nia confirmed with an elegantly raised eyebrow.

“Yes.” I nodded at my wife. “At some point, at least. I don’t know if it took this round--”

“It took,” Sera interrupted. “I feel your powerful seed taking shape in my womb.”

“Okay.” I cleared my throat. “But I’d really appreciate it if you all would respect my decision. I know Sera hasn’t always been on our side in the past, but she’s really changed. If she hadn’t guided me back to my body after I’d drifted in the dreamscape, I might’ve been lost forever, and we wouldn’t have managed the victory we had against Hunnah and Quilla. Sera’s important to me, and she’s important to this war we’ve been fighting.”

My women fell silent after my mini-speech, and I watched as each of them absorbed my words. I knew asking them to trust the dark-winged Archon after everything that had happened was a tall order, but my women knew relationships and alliances were ever-shifting, and I knew they trusted me more than anything. My family was incredibly loyal, and I hoped they would approve of the idea.

Sera liked to pretend she didn’t care about the thoughts of mortals, but her lower lip twitched as she awaited the response of my other women. I was curious about it, too, but I knew my women would come to the right conclusion.

“If you trust her, so will we,” Nia finally replied in a thoughtful tone. “Besides, we’re in too stressful of a situation to get hung up on past relationships. We need to look forward and figure out what in Maker’s name we’re going to do about this and find a definitive reason why this happened in the first place.”

“Is there anything we can actually do?” Cyra wondered as she fidgeted with her hands. “It’s not like we can just… build a bridge and get to the moon from here.”

“I don’t know what there is to do,” I admitted. “But first things first, once everyone here is deemed okay, we need to get to Headmaster Sleet and discuss strategy. I’m sure the civilians in the Enclave are all in a state of terror.”

“Maker, the civilians,” Ashla breathed. “We need to get everyone to safety as soon as we can.”

“I don’t know if we can evacuate everyone or not, but the people aren’t safe outside of their homes,” I assessed. “I don’t know if the moonlight is harmful, or what it means in relation to anything else, but until we start finding out answers, we need to keep everyone inside.”

“That’s a good idea,” Layla replied.

“The headmaster will know what to do,” Arwyn agreed with me. “He’ll be able to get word to Grand Mage Kenefick, though I’m certain word has reached him already.”

“My father is quick to action, so I’m certain he’s devising a plan as we speak,” Nia chimed in. “Until we find out what that plan is, speaking with Headmaster Sleet is our next best option.”

“Then I’d suggest we get dressed, check on Freya and the children, and then head out to the Academy,” I decided. “We can sit here and speculate all we want, but we need to take action.”

“You’re right.” Cyra nodded. “Alright, let’s--”

“Let go of me!” a voice suddenly called out.

From the higher-pitched feminine tone and the usage of the language of the Southern Clans, I knew the voice belonged to my sister-in-law, but I’d never heard the hawk shapeshifter sound so upset before.

“Vahla, come back!” I heard my wife, Freya, call out after her. The older hawk-princess’ tone sounded frantic, so clearly there’d been a heated exchange between the sisters.

Sure enough, Vahla flew into the room, and Freya trailed not too far behind. My blonde wife’s gold-flecked brown eyes were wide, and a sheen of sweat glistened on her forehead, likely from the sprint she’d executed. A robe hung off her shoulders and revealed a stretch of alabaster skin that was slightly flushed from physical exertion.

“Freya, Vahla, what’s wrong?” I asked in their native tongue, and the moment the words left my lips, I instantly regretted them.

“What’s wrong?” Vahla repeated back to me. “What’s wrong is the moon and sky have turned red, and a shadow beast squirms from atop the moon’s surface! Monsters have invaded Mistral!”

“We don’t know what the thing on top of the moon is,” I tried to assure the hawk shifter, but Vahla’s nostrils flared as her hands clenched into fists at her sides.

“I want to go home, right now,” the russet-haired hawk-princess insisted. “I need you to take me back to Eyrie Island, Gryff.”

Chapter Two

The younger hawk-princess’ emerald-green eyes bored into mine with a fiery intensity, and her normally pale cheeks were flushed a brilliant scarlet that was almost comparable to the night sky. She appeared to be somewhere between scared and angry, and my heart hurt for the girl, but there was no way I could make her request possible.

“Please, Gryff,” Vahla whispered. “I want to go home.”

“I don’t think that’s the best idea right now, Vahla,” I said. “We don’t fully understand the situation at the moment, and I don’t want to make a rash decision like that before we have all of the answers--”

“This decision isn’t rash,” the hawk shifter countered. “There’s an enormous shadow beast on the moon, and I want to return home! Please take me back to Hawk Clan.”

“I’m sorry, Vahla,” I apologized to the russet-haired princess. “I truly am. I know how frightening this all must be. Trust me, I’m frightened, too. But please, take a deep breath. We will sort this out together, I promise.”

“I care for you, Gryff, but do not ask me to calm down,” Vahla interrupted as tears spilled out onto her reddened cheeks. “There is no reason to be calm right now. You brought me here to Mistral, and now I’m asking you to return me to Hawk Clan.”

“I can’t do that.” I shook my head.

The hawk shifter’s lower lip trembled. “If you cannot find a way to return me, I shall find another way to get there myself. ”

“How will you accomplish that?” Freya rolled her gold-flecked brown eyes as she rested a hand on her hip. “How will you find passage in Mistral when you cannot speak the language?”

“You can come with me,” Vahla proposed with widened eyes. “Yes, Freya, you can accompany me and help us find passage back to Eyrie!”

“Vahla, I cannot leave.” Freya shook her head. “I have a family--”

“And so do I!” Vahla interjected. “Which is why I must return at once! I will find a way. I will do whatever it takes, even if Gryff is unwilling to help.”

The younger hawk-girl said my name with frustration, but I couldn’t blame her for feeling upset with me. Tensions were high all around, so I completely understood.

“Vahla, you must speak to my husband with more respect than that,” Freya softened. “He is only looking out for your best interests.”

Tears continued to stream down the younger hawk shifter’s face, and when her lower lip began to tremble, she turned her back to us in a surprisingly vulnerable way.

I noticed the eyes of my Mistral lovers darting between the hawk shifters and I as they tried to decipher our exchange.

“Gryff, what’s going on?” Cyra asked me quietly as she raised a dark eyebrow. “Is Vahla okay?”

“Vahla wants to return to the Clans,” Freya translated as she crossed her arms against her chest. “My husband told her that wasn’t the best idea, and now she’s upset with him.”

“I really don’t think travel is advisable at this moment,” Arwyn said in a soft, maternal voice. “I don’t want to risk Vahla being hurt, especially with how strange this entire situation is.”

“I don’t, either,” Nia agreed with the crimson-haired professor. “Not to mention that if this is happening in Mistral, it has to be happening in the Southern Continent as well.”

“What are your sister-wives saying?” Vahla demanded as she whipped back around to face her sister.

“They’re in agreement with Gryff and me,” Freya sighed. “Returning to Hawk Clan right now is not a good idea, Vahla. ”

“Why do none of you care about the well-being of my homeland?” Vahla whimpered. “Do none of you worry for Hawk Clan?”

“We do care,” I insisted. “Trust me, Vahla, we wouldn’t have gone to war for Hawk Clan if we didn’t care. We wouldn’t have brought you here to Mistral if we didn’t care. This isn’t because we don’t want you to go home, or we don’t want to help your homeland. The fact of the matter is, the Southern Clans reside under the same moon. If it’s affected here, it’s going to be affected there as well.”

“Even more reason to return!” Vahla insisted. “My people need me. I’m the future leader of Hawk Clan. I should be there to help protect my people against whatever shadow creature resides on the moon.”

“And how will you help?” Freya asked her sister, and she gripped Vahla’s pale shoulders with the type of force that only a sibling could. “Tell me, Vahla, what would you do if you were to return to Hawk Clan instantly? Would you shift into your hawk’s form and fly all the way to the moon? Fight the monster yourself?”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Vahla murmured. The younger hawk-princess refused to meet Freya’s golden-brown eyes, but I could tell the effort was taxing.

“What then?” Freya pressed further. “Tell me how you would handle this situation in the Southern Clans, how you would protect them from an enormous shadow beast that’s larger and more formidable than anything that’s ever attacked Eyrie Island. What would you command our people to do? Hide? Fight? Flee? Would you expect Father to follow along with your plan? Or Mother? Do you think they would follow your authority?”

“Why are you being so cruel to me?” Vahla whispered.

“I’m not being cruel.” Freya shook her head. “Vahla, I’m trying to help you see there’s nothing you can do that our father probably isn’t already doing. We brought you here for your protection, and we would be failing Father if we return you now.”

“But I want to help,” Vahla quivered, and her large emerald eyes filled again with crystalline tears. “Why won’t you let me help them?”

The russet-haired shifter couldn’t contain her grief any longer, and suddenly, her chest heaved with sobs. The sound was absolutely heartbreaking, and before I could react, Freya swept her sister into an embrace. Vahla’s arms remained limp at her sides at first, but after a moment or two, she finally gave in and hugged her sister back.

The rest of us looked on as we waited for Vahla to calm down, and after her sobs finally quieted, she pulled away from Freya and smoothed her hair down.

I took a deep breath and then crouched down beside the petite princess and looked into her pretty eyes.

“Vahla, your loyalty and devotion to your people are amazing,” I said. “One day, you’re going to be a wonderful leader to Hawk Clan. But sometimes, as a leader, you have to think of the bigger picture. I understand that right now, protecting your people is all you want to do. Any rational person would want to do the same. But if we take you to Hawk Clan and something were to happen to you on the way… your people would be without their future queen. As the heir of Hawk Clan, you sometimes have to prioritize your wellbeing.”

“Will Father and Mother be disappointed in me?” Vahla asked me quietly. “I’m abandoning them when they need me the most. I don’t want them to feel like I don’t care about them.”

“Of course, they won’t,” I replied. “You were sent here to get away from the Moose Clan rebels. You’re doing precisely what you were brought here to do.”

“Vahla, this is the right decision,” Freya chimed in. “I promise you, taking the journey to Hawk Clan is not ideal right now.”

Vahla nodded her head as she considered my words. I could tell she wanted to continue to press on, but there wasn’t much more she could say on the matter. We’d been going in circles, and I prayed to the Maker she would understand why I had the feelings I did. I only wanted to follow through with my promise to Chief Fenrir and keep the future queen of Hawk Clan safe.

The rest of my Mistral women waited with bated breaths for the hawk-princess’ response right along with me, and after Vahla took a long, deep breath, her shoulders relaxed.

“I trust your judgment, Gryff,” the russet-haired shifter finally sighed. “I don’t wish to leave my people behind, but I must do what you think is right. If you and your family think I should stay, I will stay.”

“Thank you, Vahla,” I replied. “I know it’s hard to take a step back, but this is the right decision until we can get some answers on what happened to the moon. Once we determine what’s going on, we can make a game plan to make sure everyone else is okay.”

The hawk-princess sniffled and wiped her nose with the back of her hand, and as Freya tended to her sister and helped smooth her hair and wipe away her tears, I turned to my Mistral women and gave them a simple smile to indicate everything was okay. They collectively let out a sigh of relief, but Nia’s eyes remained troubled.

“Gryff, I have a question,” the ashen-haired mage stated. “Would the other Archons have any information about what’s happened on the moon? I know it’s sort of a long shot, but would the eldest Archons have more insight?”

“Is my insight not good enough for you?” Sera asked the multi-elementalist, and I shot the goddess a warning look before she could escalate the matter.

“Xanrith mentioned that Sera’s hypothesis was correct,” I answered Nia’s questions. “At least they have a strong feeling it is. Whatever’s on the moon gives them a strong sense of dread.”

“It gives me the same feeling,” Layla muttered.

“I was just wondering,” Nia remarked, and she crossed her arms against her chest. “I feel like I’m grasping at air.”

“Trust me, I understand your frustration,” I agreed with my wife. “I tried to ask them for more information, but they only said the same things as Sera.”

“I see,” Nia sighed. “Well, I just had to ask.”

“It was a good question,” I assured her.

“So, Gryff, how would you like us to proceed?” Arwyn wondered as her amber eyes studied me carefully. “I don’t want to waste time if there’s no further information that can be gathered amongst us. I know you want to speak with the headmaster, but I worry about leaving the children unprotected. I think it would be best if some of us stayed behind.”

“I agree with you completely,” I said, and I nodded my head as I considered the best course of action.

We needed to speak with the Headmaster, but with the insanity outside of our walls, I didn’t want to risk my women getting hurt. “Before we go speak with Sleet, I’m going to go check things out,” I decided. “I don’t want us all to rush out in case there’s toxicity in the air, or if there are possible monster attacks. I’d rather have a general idea of the environment before I subject you all to it.”

“We’re more than capable of handling ourselves,” Layla countered, and she placed a hand on her hip. “We’re badasses, too, Gryffie.”

“Oh, I’m well aware,” I chuckled. “It would just give me peace of mind. If anything were to happen to you all… I don’t even want to entertain the idea. Besides, I can’t talk to the Headmaster until I figure out more about what we’re going to be facing, so I need to get a better look at the moon.”

“I know you’re the most powerful summoner there is, but, Gryff, that sounds far too dangerous.” Nia shook her head vigorously. “We have no idea what the moon monster is capable of, and you don’t need to take that kind of risk on your own.”

“I won’t be on my own,” I said. “I’ll have Sera with me, not to mention the other Archons.”

Sera’s bright yellow eyes flashed at the mention of her name, and I watched her lips become a hard, thin line as she avoided my gaze.

“Until we uncover the exact reason why this happened, I’m not sure trusting the other Archons is a great idea,” Ashla spoke up. “If Hunnah and Quilla were responsible, they might not have your best interests in mind.”

“Even if they were responsible, I don’t think they would be able to resist my orders,” I insisted. “When I claimed them in the Shadowscape, they pledged their fealty to me. They can’t disobey me.”

“Carth did.” Layla frowned at me.

“Yes, but Carth had her influence magic on her side, remember?”

“Shit, you’re right,” the petite mage allowed. “I didn’t even think about that.”

“Gryff, if you can find a way to safely get a closer look, do it, but return immediately,” Arwyn advised me in a cautious tone. “Don’t linger longer than you need to, okay?”

“You’ve got it,” I agreed with her, and I offered my women a smile. “I know it’s really stressful right now, but we can figure this out.”

“Gryff, are you sure you don’t want one of us to come with you?” Cyra offered. “Kalon and I can follow right behind the snapdarner so you have backup.”

“I really appreciate the offer, Cyra, but I need to do this on my own,” I said in an apologetic tone. “I would feel a lot better if you stayed here while I’m away.”

“Aww, Gryffie wants to protect us.” Layla offered me an impish grin. “That’s so sweet.”

“I hate having to stay put while you go out there alone,” Nia sighed. “But I respect your decision. We’ll stay behind and get into more suitable attire. Maybe throw together a bag or two of supplies, make sure all of the doors and windows are locked and secure. I don’t know how bad any of this is going to get, but if the sky is any indication, we need to make the house as secure of a fortress as possible.”

“Well, I’m certainly glad we elected to stock up on pantry items and stash them down in the cellar,” Erin remarked in a thoughtful voice.

“No kidding,” Cyra agreed with the orange-haired mimic. “Our preparations are finally coming in handy.”

“While we’re preparing, Arwyn and I can try to consult the books,” Ashla suggested. “I don’t know if they’ll be helpful at all…”

“That’s a good idea,” I complimented her, and then I had an idea of my own. “What if I left Xanrith and Carth here to help you with the book’s translations?”

“Carth?” Ashla repeated back to me, and her eyes widened with shock.

“She and Xan know the most about the texts,” I pointed out to the curly-haired summoner. “They might be able to help you figure something out. And besides, with Xan here, Carth won’t try to pull any funny business, so you’ll be completely safe.”

“I trust Xan,” Arwyn confirmed. “And she would be helpful to have around. We’ve made great strides with the texts, but having a couple extra sets of eyes wouldn’t be a bad thing at all.”

“I think I’ll leave Utuni and Miralea here as well,” I decided. “They’re badasses when they combine forces, and I’d feel better knowing you have an extra measure of protection.”

“Will they be able to behave?” Freya asked in a soft voice. Her golden-brown eyes were weary as they shifted over to me, and I gave her a reassuring look.

“They will,” I promised.

My women shared a brief look of concern, but they all came around to the idea faster than anticipated.

“Gryff, I want you to be careful,” Arwyn advised. “We don’t know how the moon will affect monsters, rifts, anything, and we don’t know if the tentacles will lash out further.”

“I will,” I promised the crimson-haired mage. “I promise I’ll be as careful as I can.”

“I’m not a huge fan of this idea,” Ashla assessed. “I don’t have an alternative suggestion, but I just needed to say I don’t think this is safe.”

“I know you’re worried,” I said. “But I can’t just sit back while there’s a monster threatening to destroy our home. The sooner I get a look at it, the sooner I can assess what we need to do to defeat it.”

“I know.” The umber-skinned ice mage offered me a thin-lipped smile. “Just come back to me, summoner. I can’t raise this baby on my own.”

The former mercenary’s hand rested on her stomach as she spoke, and my eyes flew down to the small bump. Ashla’s belly had finally started to grow, and the slight curve of her torso made my heart swell with pride. The ice mage was pregnant with my child, and the little reminder that we were going to be parents put everything in perspective for me. I needed to exercise caution, but I also needed to be sure my children had a safer world to grow up in.

“Me, either,” Arwyn chimed in, and the crimson-haired mage gave me a small smile. The professor and I had recently become engaged, and we were also set to have a child together.

“I promise I’ll come home in one piece,” I assured the gorgeous mages.

“You’d better,” Nia raised an eyebrow, and I could tell she was trying to stifle a smile as she spoke. “I love you, farm boy.”

“I love you, too, Lady Kenefick.” I smiled back at my ashen-haired wife, and then I turned to assess the rest of my women. “I love the rest of you as well. So very much.”

“Be safe, Gryffie,” Layla whispered.

“Yes, my love, be cautious,” Freya advised me. “We need you to return to us.”

“I will,” I assured the hawk-princess, and then I reached into my consciousness and released the wards that surrounded the Archons. “Carth, Xan, Utuni, and Miralea, I need you to come out here.”

As you wish, Utuni purred.

We are at your command, master, Miralea chimed in.

A tingling sensation spread through me as the goddesses’ marks left my body, and swirls of blue-black mist spread through the bedroom. I saw Vahla rush to Freya and wrap her arms around the older hawk-princess for protection, and Freya whispered something to her sister and stroked her hair as the four Archons appeared before us.

“How can we be of service, master?” Xan asked as her violet eyes swept the room. Her azure flame wings blazed behind her, and Vahla flinched with every crackle.

“I need you all to stay behind while I go out and investigate the area,” I replied to the umber-skinned Archon. “You and Carth will help Arwyn and Ashla with some research while Utuni and Miralea will assist the others with whatever else needs to be done.”

“Research?” Carth echoed. The green-skinned Archon narrowed her russet eyes and studied me with a calculated gaze. “As in the book you stole from my palace?”

“Don’t be bitter, Carth,” Utuni laughed cruelly at her younger sister. The snake goddess ran a long-nailed hand through her black hair and cocked an eyebrow. “Your demise was long ago. It’s time to let it go.”

“Yeah,” Miralea chuckled as she crossed her arms against her ample chest and flicked her plush jaguar’s tail. “We’re all on the same team, Carth.”

“All of you need to get serious,” I commanded them in a stern voice. “I need you to do anything my women ask of you. While I’m gone, they’re your masters. Whatever they need, listen to them. Protect them as you would me. I’m counting on you.”

“We will keep them safe,” Xan promised me in her honey-smooth voice, and her full lips curled into a smile so beautiful it nearly brought me to my knees. “I promise you, Gryff, no harm will come to your family. They are my family, too.”

“Carth?” I asked as I looked at the beautiful and fierce woman.

“Yes…” she sighed and then nodded at Xan. “I will assist. Yes. I am yours, and I have no more desire to fight those you love.”

“Thank you,” I replied, and then I turned to Sera. “We need to get going.”

“C’mon, everyone, let’s give them some space,” Arwyn announced to my other lovers. “There’s much to do. Xan, Carth, would you mind following me up to my study? All of our materials are currently up there.”

“We are at your command, Miss Hamner,” Carth replied in a professional tone, and I gave her a grateful smile.

My Mistral women gave me a round of smiles and goodbyes before they left the room and headed upstairs.

Why were Veopa and I not assigned to help your women? Phi’s childish voice rang out in my mind. The angelic goddess was prone to whining when things didn’t go her way, and I knew this was one of those times where she was ready to throw a fit.

“I need you to stay with me as backup,” I tried to smooth things over. “Sure, I have Sera with me, but I need you and Veopa just in case something goes terribly wrong on this recon mission.”

Hmm, Phi replied shortly. That doesn’t sound great. Besides, they get to stay behind closed walls while we have to go out and face that entity on the moon. I can’t say I’m too thrilled by the idea.

“Phi, c’mon,” I sighed. “I didn’t mean any offense by not leaving you here. I want you with me because I know you can handle whatever is thrown at us. If I’m going to take on this entity and figure out how where it’s come from in the first place, I’m going to need to be surrounded by a team of brave goddesses.”

Is the extra room not delightful for you, sister? Veopa finally spoke up in a bored tone. We don’t have to share the space with anyone else but Hunnah and Quilla, and they’re so tucked away, it’s almost as if they aren’t here.

I suppose… Phi mused.

“Come on,” I soothed. “Show me I can count on you.”

Of course, you can, the white-winged Archon finally agreed with me in a chipper voice. Alright, let’s go kick this thing’s ass so we can get back here and revisit a chat about baby making… I want my turn soon…

Without another word, I grabbed my bandolier from the floor, fastened it around my torso, and then perched on the edge of the bed to pull on my boots. Sera scooted away from me and stood in the corner as she waited for me to finish dressing, and once I was completely ready, I offered the dark-winged Archon a raised eyebrow and inclined my head toward the door.

“Let’s go,” I said, and after I peered out the window one last time, I left the room and closed the door behind me.

Sera and I traveled down the spiral staircase, and my legs shook with every step. Anticipation and adrenaline coursed through my veins, and even though I was scared to get out into the field, I was also ready to take on my next opponent. I hated the part of me that craved battle, but it was just another aspect of my personality I had to accept about myself. I still wasn’t ready to fully accept the Beastmaker moniker, but it likely had an impact on my bloodlust, and I had to start seeing the positives of it.

Before we reached the foyer, I heard Sera’s footsteps stop behind me, and sure enough, when I turned around, the dark-haired Archon was frozen in place. Her yellow eyes were fixated on the windows above us, and the ruby light bathed her in an unnerving glow.

“Gryff, please,” the Archon whispered. “Please don’t make me go out there.”

“You’re the only one who can come with me,” I reminded her. “I’m not sure how the moon would affect the other Archons, but until I have more answers, you’re the only one who can accompany me on this trip. I need you, Sera. ”

“You don’t need me.” Sera shook her head vigorously. “If it weren’t for me, this wouldn’t have happened in the first place. I’ll only cause more of a problem if I join you.”

“Stop blaming yourself for this,” I insisted. “It’s not helping us get any further, and besides, if there’s anyone to blame, it’s me. If what we did has any bearing on what happened to the moon, then my seed is to blame. I knew there was a risk, but I allowed it anyway.”

“I don’t blame you for what happened.” Sera shook her head. “You’re a mortal man. I’m a goddess who’s lived much longer than you.”

“Technically, I’m a lot older than I look,” I reminded her, and I attempted to give the Archon a cheeky grin, but Sera wasn’t having it. “Look, instead of dwelling on the possibility that our actions caused this, we need to figure out how to put a stop to it. I can’t do it without you, Sera. Besides, if something goes wrong, you could always portal us away.”

The Archon took a deep breath, and her chest heaved as she considered my words.

“Gryff--”

“I don’t want to give you orders, but I will if I have to,” I interrupted the dark-winged goddess. “We’re running out of time, Sera, and I need to protect my family. I need you to cooperate with me.”

“You don’t have to command it,” Sera decided. “I’ll do as you ask, Gryff.”

“Okay.” I nodded, and then we continued back down the stairs. My heart thudded faster as we crossed the foyer, and I took one last deep breath.

It was time to face this fucker.

When I opened the door, my nostrils were invaded by the putrid stench of sulfur, and the smell was so pungent, I nearly fell over.

“Maker, that’s awful,” I hissed. My nose scrunched up as I tried to get away from the smell, but it was unavoidable. It was nearly as cloying as the scent that wafted off one of Quilla’s summons, the regarat, but this smell was more like brimstone than decay.

I closed the door behind me as quickly as possible so the offensive odor couldn’t seep into the house, pinched my nose shut, and then strode off the stoop and made my way out to the yard.

“Snapdarner?” Sera called back to me as she took lengthy strides.

“Yep,” I confirmed. The goddess’ monster was capable of great speeds, and it was nimble enough to weave in and out of any obstacle or obstruction, so it was the ideal mount for us to utilize.

Once we reached the far corner of the lawn, Sera snapped her slender fingers, and her snapdarner appeared in a burst of thick, blue-black smoke. The insectoid monster resembled an enormous dragonfly with iridescent wings, and its many eyes studied us curiously as it awaited orders.

Sera approached her summons first and placed a hand on the large creature tenderly. The Archon whispered something indistinguishable and then swung her long, slender leg over and mounted the monster. Once she was secure on the back of her summons, she reached her hand out to me, and I gratefully accepted it and climbed on the back of the snapdarner in front of Sera. The dark-haired beauty wrapped her arms around my waist, and after the snapdarner beat its wings, we took off into the foul-scented air.

The sight of the sky from my window had been horrifying, but now that we were actually in it, it was even scarier. The deep, blood-red color of the moon was even richer in person, and a chill ran down my spine as I studied its strange glow.

How in the Maker’s name had this happened?

I’d done everything I was supposed to do. I’d tracked down the ciphers, gone on countless missions, liberated the Southern Continent, resided in the Shadowscape for a week as a prisoner, stolen the book that contained the information about enchantments, bested not one, but nine monster goddesses, and yet, none of it was enough to keep an apocalypse at bay. I didn’t want to let myself drown in the misery of it all, but it was hard to see a positive side in this situation. I was such a fool to believe that once the Archons were captured, my struggles would be over.

I forced myself to refocus. There was no use in feeling sorry for myself when there were more pressing matters.

We soared up the hill and over to the Academy of Varle, and a pang of emotion rose up in my chest as I caught sight of the mages bustling about the grounds. The students below were outfitted in everything from their class robes to their pajamas, and I felt sorry for them. No doubt the moon had plunged everyone into a state of chaos, and I wondered how many of them would think I was responsible for this. When I was a student, I’d been the subject of many a rumor, and I was certain the appearance of the moon and sky would only add to my scandalous reputation.

Not that that mattered, of course. I had much larger problems to deal with than the gossip of young mages.

Bursts of elemental magic rose into the air as the mages prepared for battle, and I sent a silent plea for them to reserve their mana. I didn’t know what Sleet and Grand Mage Kenefick had in mind, but I had a feeling the mages needed all of the energy they could muster.

After the snapdarner circled the grounds, I decided to check on the rest of the Enclave before we breached the walls to examine the moon. If the Academy full of magic-equipped mages was in that kind of disarray, I could only imagine how the Enclave’s civilians were faring, and I needed to make sure they were being attended to.

The snapdarner beat its wings, let out a small chirp, and then headed in the direction of the city. Sera pressed her body against me, and the warmth of her soft skin breached through my heavy jacket. The Archon rested her cheek against my back, and the sensation was comforting.

The moment was ruined when we soared over the hill.

The entire Enclave was in chaos, even more so than it was at the Academy. Smoke billowed high into the air from unseen locations, and the screams of the civilians below rang out like a dark, eerie chorus. It was as if the entirety of the Enclave had decided to come out of their homes and amass in the square, and as I watched them rush to and fro like cattle, I considered what to do. I’d flown out here to get a better look at the moon, but I couldn’t just let these unarmed civilians go uninformed and unprotected.

“Sera, we need to dip lower,” I commanded the Archon. “Those people down there need us--”

“Gryff, I know your heart hurts for them,” Sera said in my ear. “But there’s nothing you can do at the moment. You may be the leader of the Archons and the most powerful mage in the entire human realm, but by human standards, you aren’t their leader. You must wait until your superiors give the official command.”

“Am I just supposed to ignore them?” I pressed as I watched people run in aimless circles.

“For now, yes,” the dark-haired goddess replied. “Your headmaster and the Grand Mage will have an idea of how to proceed. You cannot save everyone on your own, especially when we need to focus on the moon.”

“It’s not like you to say things like that,” I scoffed. “You’re always going on about how I need to seize dominion and all of that, command the human armies myself instead of awaiting orders. But now, when I want to do it, you tell me not to?”

“You don’t need to seize it,” Sera protested. “Now that the Archons are yours, the humans will come to you. You will be revered for your power, I’m certain of it.”

“I appreciate the confidence you have in me,” I thanked my lover. “I just hope it’s warranted.”

“There’s no reason to not be confident.” I felt the Archon’s shoulders shrug. “You are the Beastmaker, the human who was prophesized to rule. Once, I believed the Beastmaker to be a conqueror, one who would leave trails of bodies and blood in their wake. But now I know the Beastmaker, the true ruler of the realm, is more than just a killer. He’s a warrior, meant to fight against any darkness and rule his people with intelligence. Right now, you must focus on the darkness.”

“That’s all very diplomatic,” I sighed, though I knew Sera was right. As much as I wanted to act on my own, I needed to wait for Headmaster Sleet or the Grand Mage to issue orders.

If I wanted to be the best leader I could be, I needed to do things according to my head and not my heart.

A piercing alarm suddenly cut through the symphony of screams and shouts, and I watched as the citizens below us came to a standstill. A pounding headache bloomed behind my eyes as the shrill alarm pierced my eardrums, and I tightened my hold around the snapdarner in response.

“Maker, that’s intense,” I groaned as Sera’s grip around my waist tightened. “I’ve never heard an alarm like this before.”

“The mortals are certainly responding to it, though.” The dark-winged Archon pointed a long-nailed finger below us. “I can understand their terror. I feel so much of it.”

The mass of people had frozen in their tracks, and moments later, I watched as each of them retreated to their homes. I let out a sigh of relief. There were still plenty of stragglers, but as long as a majority of the civilians took shelter, they had a chance at staying safe.

“I guess you were right about Sleet and the Grand Mage having things under control,” I allowed as I watched droves of people leave the square.

“Of course, I was,” Sera laughed lightly, and her chin rested on my shoulder. “They’re going to be fine, Gryff. I’m sure the Enclave has had a plan for this type of thing for a while.”

“You think they prepared for a random apocalypse?” I wondered with a raised eyebrow.

“No, but I think after all of the attacks that have threatened Varle, it’s not a surprise an alarm was created,” Sera sighed against me. “We need to breach the walls and get a closer look at the moon.”

I was surprised to hear the Archon so level-headed after she’d displayed such fear when the moon had shifted, and I wondered if she was just trying to be brave for me. Even if she was, I was proud of her for prioritizing duty over her discomfort.

“You’re right,” I agreed with her. After I gave the village square one last look, I gave a nonverbal command, and then the snapdarner took off at an even faster pace than earlier.

As we ascended, I commanded the snapdarner to weave through the various airships that zoomed through the air at lightning speed. Some remained tethered in place, but others devoted to military transport flew toward the Academy, and I tried to stay out of their way as much as possible.

Finally, the orange walls that protected the Enclave filled my vision, and the snapdarner flew upward until it was nearly parallel with the structure. I tightened my hold around the monster, and before I knew it, we were out of the Enclave.

Now that there was nothing to obstruct my vision, I found myself in awe of the expanse of ruby sky. The night was entirely starless without even a cloud in sight, and an unnerving sense of dread flooded me once again.

This was all so undeniably eerie.

“I hate this,” Sera whispered behind me, and she tightened her grip around my waist as she began to shake.

“I know,” I said, and I placed a hand on top of hers. “I do, too.”

As we soared over the dark green lands beyond the Enclave, I got the sense that even the snapdarner seemed uncomfortable by the shifted landscape. The further we flew from Varle, the more timidly its large, translucent wings beat, and we began to lose speed.

“Hey, hey, hey,” I whispered to the snapdarner. “It’s okay. That thing won’t hurt you, I promise..”

I needed everyone to remain calm as we scoped out the situation, so I sent a wave of reassurance to the monster. The dragonfly was reluctant at first, but moments later, it let out a low trill in response, and we resumed our normal pace.

Finally, once we were clear of any obstacles and obstructions, I commanded the snapdarner to hover in place and fixed my gaze on the moon.

I narrowed my eyes to try to get a better view, though the effort did little to help me. The moon was still far enough away that I could only see the lines of black that flared around the surface. The long, spindly appendages surrounding the ruby-tinted orb reminded me of a monster I’d fought in a village called Adorna, a fearsome beast known as the vinkrimsul. The monster was one of Carth’s herd of mega-sized monsters, and it consisted of long, tangled, vine-like appendages of a similar color to the ones on the moon. I didn’t know if the pair were of any relation, but without any other type of feature, it was hard to make any other comparisons.

Suddenly, I had an idea.

I freed one of my hands from the snapdarner and carefully reached into my bandolier. I retrieved a pale-blue wing-shaped essence crystal and crushed it in the palm of my hand. My vingehund manifested itself in the air and let out a surprised bark as it looked around.

“I need to borrow your sight, girl,” I addressed my canine-like summons. The vingehund had pristine vision finer than my own, and if I were to get a better look at the moon, I needed a little enhancement of my senses.

So, I reached through the bond between my monster and I and concentrated. To my surprise, the effort was barely even noticeable, and my vision grew crystal clear almost instantly.

“Whoa,” I remarked as I peered around. My vision had been well enough before, but now that I shared the intense focus of the vingehund, my human eyeballs may as well have been coated in mud.

“The other Archons have made your powers stronger,” Sera pointed out to me. “You’ll find your abilities come to you with minimal effort now. In fact, you probably didn’t need to summon your vingehund to begin with. You could have simply manifested her abilities with a single thought.”

“Holy shit, are you serious?” I asked the monster goddess.

“You’re the Beastmaker,” Sera reminded me. “You’re stronger than any mortal man. That fact that you were able to capture nine goddesses within your mind alone is only proof of that.”

“I guess that’s true enough,” I realized. Then I glanced over at my vingehund and gave her a small smile. “If that’s the case, I won’t exhaust you more than you need to be. Go ahead and rest.”

My vingehund gave an affectionate bark and then disappeared as I recalled her to my hand. I replaced her essence crystal in my belt and then turned my attention back to the moon. Much to my delight, my vision remained enhanced, and I let out a small laugh.

“Wow,” I breathed. “This will definitely come in handy later.”

“Can you see the moon monster with more clarity?” Sera asked.

“It’s a lot clearer, but we could get a bit closer,” I decided.

“Then it shall be done,” the Archon confirmed, and after a clicking sound left her mouth, the snapdarner flapped its wings and took us higher into the thickly-scented air.

As we ascended, I fixed my gaze on the blood-red surface of the moon. I narrowed my eyes and zeroed in on one of the tentacles.

Any resemblance I’d likened to the vinkrimsul was lost the moment my eyes focused on the tendrils. The color was nearly impossible to describe in words. It was black, but not in the way I had perceived it before. It wasn’t merely dark, it was completely devoid of light. Even the most advanced, pitch-black darkness couldn’t compare to the void-like shade of the tentacle.

The tentacles writhed and pulsed, almost like a plant at the bottom of the ocean, and the number of tendrils had increased significantly since the first look I’d gotten at the moon. It was nearly impossible to count each individual appendage, and I soon lost track after I began to try.

“Maker, that thing is super fucking freaky,” I assessed, fully knowing that my statement was entirely obvious, but I didn’t have the right words to say it. Whatever was on the surface of the moon wasn’t anything like another creature we’d ever faced, and as I stared at its writhing tentacles, I couldn’t help but wonder if the monster’s presence had any bearing on the appearance of the moon.

“It is,” Sera sighed. “I feel like it’s watching our every move.”

“I wonder how you can sense that, and yet not have any indication of what it is,” I mused.

“I wish I knew as well,” Sera agreed. “From the moment it appeared, I just felt its eyes upon me, like it was judging me for my transgressions. I can feel its hatred. For me, for you, but especially for the child growing inside of me.”

“You are sure?” I asked as I studied the tendrils. “What if the monster just happened to show up right after we made love? It wouldn’t surprise me after everything that’s happened in the past two years.”

“I don’t know, Master,” Sera whispered. “The timing of it all is too precise, and these emotions--”

“The moon was already in a strange position before we had sex,” I pointed out to the dark-winged goddess. “It looked closer than I’ve ever seen it. Maybe we just so happened to get together on the same day that monster was set to arrive.”

“That all feels too convenient,” Sera said. “I don’t know…”

“I know it seems unlikely,” I replied. “But other than what you are thinking, it’s the only other theory I have right now.”

The snapdarner hovered in place as I continued to figure out more about this enemy.

My eyes followed the long appendages, and I tried to figure out what they were doing. Any normal monster would have sent their tentacles below to try to swipe at their opponents, but whatever was on the moon seemed to have a different idea. It’s writhing tendrils were outstretched, like a parasite looking for something to attach to.

Perhaps it is searching for something to attach to, a small voice spoke up in my consciousness. The high-pitched, musical quality of it surprised me, and I recognized the tone of it instantly.

“Quilla,” I addressed the skeleton-faced Archon. “Do you know anything about the creature?”

Not exactly, the goddess lilted in a calm and slightly amused tone. But there’s a familiarity I can’t deny.

“Have you seen it before?”

I’m searching through my memories, but cannot find a clear image, Quilla sighed. It’s more intuition-based, like the others. As Sera said, I can feel its hatred.

“You definitely don’t sound scared like the others,” I observed. “Why is that?”

Something about the goddess’ calm tone bothered me, and I wanted to get to the bottom of it before the Archon could deceive me. Quilla had pledged herself to me, but I still wasn’t certain I could trust her, and the fact she wasn’t as horrified as her sisters was a major red flag.

I am not afraid, the goddess replied. Though my reasoning isn’t what you’ll want to hear. Not that it’s any surprise by the look of my face, but my power is most aligned with death and energy magics. I don’t know the identity of this beast, but I sense we’re kindred spirits in that way, so I don’t fear it in the way my sisters do.

“I suppose that makes sense,” I allowed, though I was still skeptical. “But what did you mean about it searching for something to attach to?”

With how much distance there is between us and the moon, I can’t be certain, Quilla replied. I just think there’s some truth to your comparison. I can’t explain it, but I have the sense it needs to feed.

“It’s like a spider trying to catch us in its web,” I mused as I studied the sight with a mixture of fear and awe.

“What would it want with the planet?” Sera whispered. “Why does it wish to devour us in such a way?”

“I don’t know,” I said. “But if we don’t figure it out soon, I fear what will come.”

I prided myself on my ability to come up with a plan on the fly, but for the first time, I had no idea how to proceed. Normally, I would summon a monster, an Archon, something that would help me accomplish my goal, but how was I supposed to take on a foe so large and so out of reach? Short of breaching the atmosphere, it felt like there was little I could do to take the entity on.

I will advise you, Gryff… this monster is already powerful, Quilla warned me. More powerful than you can imagine. It’s going to take all of your power and ours to defeat it, and even then… it may not be enough.

Chapter Three

The goddess’ words lingered in my mind and repeated like some kind of haunting mantra, and for a moment, I felt swept up in her foreboding statement. I’d faced so many opponents in the past few years, but nothing with this sort of weight to its power, and up until now, I’d never been so tense about an enemy.

“We need to get back to the Academy,” I decided after a moment. “Sleet needs to know what we’ve discovered, and staring at the moon isn’t going to shift it back to silver. I can muse and wonder all I want, but that’s not going to help us.”

That’s very smart of you, master, Quilla replied.

“Thank you for your help, Quilla,” I addressed the goddess. “I appreciate it.”

Sorry I couldn’t be of more assistance, the skeletal Archon responded, and then I tightened the wards around the goddess.

The goddess had been helpful, but I didn’t want to let down my guard around her just yet. Until I’d had more time to speak with them, I couldn’t trust Hunnah and Quilla as much as I did the other Archons, and I needed to keep them at arm’s length.

Once Quilla’s wards were secured, I closed my eyes and focused on my magic. The vingehund’s powers had been helpful, but I also needed speed on my side, so I concentrated on borrowing power from my speed slug.

The creature’s magic tingled through me just as the power from my vingehund had, and a shiver ran up my spine as I felt it course through my veins.

This was so fucking cool.

Once the magic became one with me, I focused on redirecting it to the snapdarner. It probably would have been easier to just attach a slug to the dragonfly summons, but I wanted to test my new abilities a little more and figure out what I was capable of. If I could telepathically shift abilities from monster to monster, without having to physically place them atop each other, that would be advantageous for future battles.

The snapdarner chirped as the magic surged through it, and it let out another trill as it beat its wings.

“You’re learning,” Sera remarked in an amused tone. “With more practice, you’ll soon be nearly invincible.”

“I don’t know about all of that,” I scoffed. “But I appreciate the confidence in me.”

“I call it as I see it,” the goddess said, and her shoulders shrugged against me.

Before I could reply, Sera gave the snapdarner a single command, and suddenly, the monster beat its iridescent veined wings and took off at a faster pace than it had before.

The snapdarner flew back toward the secure fortress of the Enclave, and my heart thudded as we approached it. Sulfur-scented air beat harshly against my face, and it took all of my concentration to remain focused on the task at hand and to keep my mind off the foul odor.

Instead, I peered down at the ground below and tried to get a look at the villages that resided just a bit outside of the Enclave.

Nattanger was a little too far away to scope out, but there were some smaller villages I didn’t know the names of sprinkled amongst the forestry. I focused my vision on a few of those areas and was relieved to see only a few villagers were outside their homes.

The people of the Wilds were more resourceful than they ever got credit for. Enclaves had the benefit of xanyarstone walls and military forces to protect them, but the people of the Wilds had to think on their feet to survive, and I felt a swell of pride as I studied the villages below.

Even though I was technically a resident of an Enclave myself, I would always consider myself to be a man from the Wilds.

“We’ll need to get troops out here,” I assessed as the snapdarner flew on, and I lost sight of the village. “I know the people can handle themselves, but that doesn’t mean they should go without protection, especially with the number of forces at our disposal.”

“Your Grand Mage should agree to that idea,” Sera replied in my ear. “Especially after the last time you defended the Wilds. They’ll be a lot more willing to send troops out to guard your people.”

“I like this supportive side of you,” I complimented the Archon. “It’s refreshing to hear you speak of humans in a way that doesn’t sound like you're completely disgusted.”

“I swear, Gryff, you give me so little credit,” Sera said in a mocking tone. “But all jokes aside, now that we’re… involved, my thoughts toward mortals have shifted slightly.”

“I need you to apply those feelings toward my women, too,” I advised the dark-winged goddess. “No more insulting them or getting snappy with them when they question anything--”

“I’ll behave as long as they do,” Sera interjected. “Besides, was I supposed to just sit there and allow them to speak to me in such a matter when it came to the subject of our relationship?”

“No, I suppose not,” I said. “But I’d really like it if you all tried to get along.”

“I’ll try,” the gorgeous Archon agreed after a moment or two. “I make no guarantees, but I’ll try--”

Suddenly, we were interrupted by a bone-chilling scream, and the sheer volume of the sound took me by surprise. Sera, the snapdarner, and I were fairly high up, so the fact the sound was able to reach us was impressive, especially since the pitch was feminine. It had to have come from a human woman, and a strong-lunged one at that.

“We need to go find out where that came from,” I said.

“Master, it’s just some scream--” Sera started to suggest, but I quickly cut her off with a shake of my head.

“No, something’s wrong,” I insisted, and sure enough, the scream rang out again, and then another joined it. Someone was in danger, and I couldn’t ignore it.

“Master, we need to get back to your Academy,” Sera reminded me in an agitated tone. “We don’t have time to stop down--”

“We do if someone’s in trouble,” I interjected in a firm tone. “Sera, I can’t ignore someone in need of help.”

“Must you always be the hero?” she groaned.

“Someone has to be,” I replied, and the sound of the dark-winged Archon’s sigh filled my ears.

“But it’s just a human, and you are--”

“I know,” I sighed. “I’m the Beastmaker and should be too important to deal with such things, but we are still going to help.”

“Fine,” she said. “Let’s go.”

The snapdarner turned in the opposite direction, and I commanded it to be on the lookout for the source of the scream. There were long stretches of forest beneath us, so I knew whoever uttered the sound was probably in the thick of those woods.

I only hoped we could reach them in time.

A softer scream called out, and I ordered the snapdarner to trail it as if it were a map. The insectoid monster flapped its rainbow wings and obliged, and the closer we got to the trees, the louder the shrieks, screams, and shouts grew. I had no idea what we were about to fly into, but I had a feeling that whatever it was, it wasn’t going to be good.

We plunged right into the thick of emerald-green forest, and as the snapdarner expertly wove through the trees, I focused my senses and concentrated on the sounds. We were getting closer to whoever had uttered them, but I hoped our arrival wasn’t too late.

Suddenly, a feminine voice called out from the forest.

“Help! Please, someone, help!”

I craned my head around the spattering of trees and tried to get a glimpse of the ground below. I couldn’t see anyone, so I called out in hopes of getting their attention. “Where are you?”

“We’re over here!” the voice called again, and this time, I was able to figure out where they were directionally.

“We need to head that way!” I pointed ahead of us, and the snapdarner increased its speed and headed in the direction I indicated.

“Gryff, we don’t know if this is a trap,” Sera said in my ear as she tightened her hold even further.

“I have to take that risk,” I insisted as the wind whipped into my face.

We descended further down, and I used my vingehund-enhanced vision to peer between a pair of enormous trees. Finally, I spied two figures below us, and one waved her arms like a beacon.

“Please, help us!” one of them called out.

“I’m coming down!” I yelled. “Just hold tight!”

“Please, hurry!” the voice called back.

Just beyond us was a small clearing, so I commanded the snapdarner to land there so I could find the voice on foot. The dragonfly-like summons was a powerful flyer, but it was also a little too large to maneuver through close-knit trees, and besides, I was much faster on my own.

The moment the insectoid monster was on the ground, I swung my leg off and dismounted.

“Stay here, I don’t want to scare them with a monster goddess,” I commanded Sera, and the dark-winged Archon gave me a single nod.

“Be safe,” she urged me in a softened tone. “Call out to me if you need backup. I’ll be there the moment the words leave your lips.”

I gave a nod, and then I took off as fast as my feet could carry me and nimbly managed to traverse the dark forest with ease. The green trees had a slight red tinge to them that made it even harder to see, but after a few minutes of dodging past thick tree roots, errant limbs, and uneven hills, I managed to find the source of the screams beside an ancient, knobbed tree.

The women were nearly identical in appearance except for their hair colors. The woman who stood beside the tree’s trunk had long, pale-blonde hair, while the woman on the ground’s hair was a brilliant, fiery red. Each of the women were incredibly fair-skinned, with prominent freckles and elegantly arched eyebrows. Two cautious sets of dark-blue eyes studied me as I approached, and I saw the blonde reach around and rest her hand on a dagger at her side.

“Is yours the voice that called to us?” she asked in a clear tone.

“Yes,” I replied, and I held my hands in the air. “I mean you no harm. I’m here to help you. ”

The blonde studied my bandolier with a look of scrutiny, and then her serious expression fell and shifted to concern as her eyes darted over to the other woman.

“Please, sir, my sister has been injured.” She jerked her pointy chin over at the redhead. “Some sort of creature attacked us and then fled into the forest.”

I followed her eyes, and my heart dropped when I finally noticed the subject of her fear.

The redheaded woman’s arm had been torn open from shoulder to elbow, and the bright red blood that oozed from the slit was just as scarlet as the sky above us. It was as if someone had taken a crude, jagged knife and slashed the poor woman’s arm with reckless abandon. My stomach turned as I got a glimpse of pale, exposed bone, and I fought the urge to retch.

“What kind of creature did that?” I wondered as I shook my head slowly. “What did it look like?”

“It’s hard to d-describe,” the wounded woman whimpered as she rested her cheek against the trunk of the tree. Tears streamed down her gaunt face, and her lower lip trembled as she tried to keep herself together. “It was like… every creature at once and yet like none at all. Its body appeared to have been made of pure shadow, it was so dark and terrifying.”

So, it was a monster, not just a random beast of the forest.

“It was almost like a boar,” the blonde continued. “With large tusks and horns, but somehow it had this enormous maw of long, jagged teeth… I swear, the monster changed shapes so many times, it was near impossible to figure out what it was.”

How was it even possible for a monster to manifest at this time of night? Much like the Archons, monsters weren’t able to enter the human realm at night time because the moonlight sent them straight back to the Shadowscape. Night had been our only time of ease where there was no worry of monster attacks, but now… none of this made sense.

“Maker.” I shook my head, and then I peered around at our dark surroundings. “What were you doing out here at this time of night, especially in these circumstances?”

“Our family’s dog ran out into the woods when the moon shifted, and my sister and I tried to follow him out here, but we lost sight of him in the darkness,” the redhead explained in a trembling voice. “We called his name over and over, yet we heard no answer. When we found him… well, you heard what happened then. We let out screams of terror.”

“He’d been torn apart by the creature,” the blonde woman uttered with widened eyes. “It was a dreadful sight, sir.”

“I was so overwhelmed with grief I tried to shoo the beast away, but it turned on me instead of fleeing,” the wounded woman revealed. “I don’t know why I thought that idea wise. It was my own damn fault.”

“Where did the monster go?” I inquired as I scanned the area and clenched my fists at my sides.

“It ran away the moment it heard your creature’s wings,” the blonde woman replied. “Disappeared into the shadows as if it had never been there in the first place. It was awful. I didn’t even know monsters could appear at night.”

“They normally can’t.” I shook my head in confusion. “None of this makes any sense.”

“I can assure you we aren’t lying,” the blonde insisted.

“I know you aren’t,” I assured her. “I believe you. I just don’t know the mechanics of how this happened.”

“Mechanics aside, if my sister doesn’t receive aid soon, I fear she won’t make it,” the blonde woman sniffled, and she looked down at the redhead with tears spilling down her cheeks. “We don’t have any healers in our village.”

“I can get you healed right up,” I suddenly insisted, and I regretted the words the moment they left my lips. Why did I just offer to heal her?

“Are you a healer, sir?” the redhead asked me.

“Something like that,” I answered as an idea struck me.

If I was able to call upon the abilities of my monsters, could I do the same with those of the Archons? Furthermore, did my goddesses have to be in my consciousness in order for me to call on them? Xanrith was back in Varle, but I was her master, and she was bound to me. If I tried to reach out to her, maybe I could borrow her magic and use it to heal the redheaded woman.

I closed my eyes and imagined the Archon’s beautiful face in my mind. I pictured a thread of energy connecting us, and I concentrated so deeply that my head spun. Pain bloomed through my head, but I forced myself to push through it, and after a few moments, I sensed the goddess’ presence as if she was actually there in my mind, and her familiar voice rang out.

Hello, Gryff, the azure flame-winged Archon greeted me in her honeyed tone. I’m surprised to hear from you. How did you manage to reach me so far away?

“I just concentrated,” I replied in an equally surprised voice. “I wasn’t sure it would work, but apparently it did. I used a similar technique to connect with my summons.”

Being able to communicate with the goddesses without needing to be in close proximity was yet another ability that would be advantageous in the future, and I prayed that if this venture was successful, the second half of my plan would be as well.

Your power has grown tremendously, Xan noted. You’ve become quite the accomplished summoner, Gryff.

“Thank you,” I replied.

So, what can I assist you with? the azure-winged Archon inquired.

“This woman is wounded,” I explained. “Some sort of monster bite. I know this is a long shot… but since I am able to just take on the abilities of my summons without needing them to manifest… would I be able to channel your magic if I concentrate hard enough?”

Oh, the umber-skinned goddess replied in a curious voice. We’ve never attempted something of the sort, but I see no reason why we can’t try.

“I’m worried that if I summon you out here, the women will freak out,” I admitted. “Citizens of the Wilds don’t exactly see ancient goddesses very often, and though I know they’ll appreciate you healing them, I don’t want them to get upset at the sight of your wings.”

That’s understandable, Xan assessed. It would be easier for me to appear, but I want to keep the mortal woman at ease. Okay. If you’re going to heal her, you’re going to need to take her hand in yours, stare into her eyes, and concentrate. I’ll help you through the rest.

“Sir, are you alright?” The blonde woman frowned at me and pulled me out of my daze. “You seemed a million miles away.”

“I am,” I assured her, and then I turned my attention back to the wounded redhead. “Now, I’m going to need you to stay completely still. This will only work if you stare deep into my eyes and concentrate, okay?”

“Okay.” The woman nodded, though her pale lips drew into a thin line of skepticism.

“Wait, sir,” the blonde called out to me before I could make another move. “The beast you rode above us, was it not yours?”

“Sort of,” I replied vaguely.

“That makes you a summoner, does it not?” she pressed. “How can you help heal my sister if you are not one of those healer mages?”

“I have my ways,” I sighed. “Please, allow me to help heal your sister before it’s too late. She’s losing a lot of blood.”

“You’re right, I’m sorry,” the blonde apologized with a trembling lower lip. “I’m only worried.”

“Take a deep breath,” I urged her softly. “I understand your worry, but I’ll take care of her, I promise.”

“Thank you,” she whispered before she took a step back to give us some space, and I took another breath before I returned my focus to the redhead.

I held my hands out to the woman, and after she took them, she raised her pretty dark-blue eyes to me. They were the deep navy of a night sky, and the dark, familiar shade reminded me that there was a hellscape above us where our normal night sky would be.

I forced myself to snap out of it. I could worry about this apocalypse in a moment. For now, I needed to heal this woman and keep her from becoming another casualty of this war.

So, I took a long, deep breath and felt Xan’s presence in my mind.

Focus on warmth, the goddess urged me. Imagine it spreading through her veins and flooding her with life. Imagine wilted flowers absorbing water at the root once more and turning back to fragrant blooms, or taking a drink of water after being incredibly parched. The key to resurrection magic is picturing revival. Locate her wounded energy and bring life back into it.

“Bring life back into it,” I repeated back to the azure-winged Archon. “Got it.”

I stared deep into the woman’s eyes, tightened my grip around her hands, and imagined the scenarios Xan had suggested. As I concentrated, Xan’s energy rippled through me, and to my delight, the sensation was warm and pleasant, like climbing into a warm bath after being out on a cold winter’s day. As the warmth trickled through my fingertips, I concentrated on letting it stream through me and into the wounded woman. My head strained a bit from the effort, and I felt myself shake as I struggled to control the magic.

Relax, Xan urged me. You’ve got this, Gryff. I know you do.

Her words were enough to instill confidence in me, and moments later, Xan’s magic creeped through to the woman’s wounds. I imagined them sealing up and vanishing as if they’d never existed in the first place, and as the warmth continued to pour through me, I saw life return to the wounded woman’s eyes.

It’s done, Xan whispered. You can break your gaze.

I dropped my eyes and let them fall to the wound on the woman’s arm, and to my complete amazement, the fair skin of her arm was completely unblemished.

“Y-You did it,” the woman quivered before she flung her arms around my neck and hugged me gratefully. “You healed me. Oh, sir, thank you.”

“Of course,” I said softly. “I’m just sorry I wasn’t here sooner.”

“You were here at precisely the right time,” the blonde woman countered as her navy eyes studied her sister’s arm. “You saved my sister’s life, sir.”

“It was no trouble at all,” I assured the women, and I helped the redhead to her feet. “Now, please, I have to urge you to return to your homes. With the sky and the moon in the state they’re in, things are bound to be a bit messy, and I want you to avoid another situation like this.”

“Will the Grand Mage send troops our way?” the redhead asked with a curious tilt of her head. “Our village is small, but it is full of children and elderly people who cannot defend themselves in the event of an attack. I know we are not as high on the priority list as those in an Enclave--”

“I will make sure a team is sent here,” I promised the woman. “I know I must not look it right now, but I am close with the Grand Mage and the military forces, and I know if I make the request, they will hopefully oblige.”

“Thank you.” The redhead nodded.

“Sir, we never got your name,” the blonde realized, and then she glanced at her sister. “Nor did we give ours. My name is Brigitte, and my sister’s is Rachael.”

“I’m Gryff,” I introduced myself. “And it’s a pleasure to meet you both.”

“Wait, are you Gryff of Njordenfalls?” Brigitte wondered, and her sapphire eyes grew even wider as they trailed over me. “The great summoner who has saved Mistral more times than not from monsters and ancient goddesses?”

“The very same,” I replied.

“We’ve heard tales of you in our village,” Rachael chimed in as she tucked a strand of fiery hair behind her ear. “You’re a legend, sir. Thank you! Oh, Thank you so much!”

“I’m just helping out.” I shook my head humbly. “But I appreciate the sentiment at least.”

“Were it not for your heroics, my sister would have succumbed to her wound,” Brigitte insisted. “So, we thank you, Gryff of Njordenfalls.”

“You can just call me Gryff,” I insisted to the sisters. “Now, if you don’t mind, could you tell me the name of your village so I can pass it along to the Grand Mage?”

“Helux,” Rachael answered.

“Helux,” I repeated back to her, and I gave the pretty redhead a firm nod. “I’ll see to it that troops are sent here immediately. For now, please get back to your village and tell the other citizens to remain indoors until they’re given further instruction.”

“We will.” Brigitte nodded, and she held her hand out to her sister. “Let’s go, Rachael. I’m sure Mama will be searching for us.”

“Wait, would you like me to walk you back to your village?” I proposed before the pair stepped away. “Or perhaps I could at least follow you in the air until you reach home? The monster might still be out there, and I can’t in good conscience let you walk through the woods alone.”

“That’s very kind of you.” Brigitte smiled at me. “I think following above would be just fine, if that’s alright with you.”

“It’s no trouble at all,” I insisted. “My monster is near the clearing just a little bit away from here. I’ll hover above and make sure you get home okay.”

“Thanks, Gryff.” Rachael said. The redhead took her sister’s hand, and before she turned away, she gave me one last smile. “Seriously. Thank you for your kindness.”

The pair disappeared into the forest, and a deep breath escaped my lungs. That had been a tricky situation, and I still wasn’t sure how I managed to pull it off, but Rachael was alive, and that’s what really mattered. I was able to use my powers to help someone, and above all, that was my duty as a mage.

I decided to scan the perimeter in case the mystery beast was still skulking around, but every corner of the forest seemed to be empty. No owls, bats, birds of prey, deer, or anything else hid amongst the plush trees, and the pure emptiness was strange. It was as if the nocturnal wildlife had hidden away in fear, and as I stared up at the ruby sky, I couldn’t blame them.

I soon gave up on finding the creature and made my way back to Sera and the snapdarner. The black-winged Archon leaned against the beast and examined her long, pointed nails until she noticed my presence.

“The mortal woman is safe?” Sera asked with a raise of her dark eyebrows.

“She is now,” I replied as I approached my lover. “She had a run-in with some sort of shapeshifting beast.”

“At this time of night?” the dark-winged Archon asked in a confused tone. “How is that possible?”

“I honestly don’t know,” I replied. “There’s no rift in sight, so I have no idea where it would’ve come from.”

“That’s strange,” Sera assessed, and her lips pursed slightly. “And you say it was a shapeshifter?”

“That’s how they described it.” I shrugged. “One moment it appeared to be a boar, the next something else. It had a shadow-like quality to it…”

“Perhaps it is connected to the moon entity.” Sera shivered, and she wrapped her arms around herself. “That would be my only guess.”

“That’s what I thought, too,” I agreed with my dark-haired lover. “Either way, we need to get word to the Headmaster as soon as we can. Monsters showing up at night is too serious a matter to ignore.”

“Then I suggest we leave,” Sera proposed, and she indicated her head toward the snapdarner.

“Before we take off back to the Enclave, I promised the women I would follow them back to their village,” I replied. “I want to make sure they return safely, so I offered to follow them from above and make sure they get home safely.”

“That’s very kind of you,” Sera assessed with a raised eyebrow.

I mounted the beast with ease and offered my hand to Sera so she could climb up behind me. The Archon accepted it, and once she was seated, she slid her arms around my waist and pressed her body against me. The feeling of her ample breasts against my back was enough to almost distract me, but I forced myself to remain focused on getting the snapdarner in the air.

“Remind me to kiss you later,” I murmured.

“Gladly,” Sera whispered in my ear, and she planted a soft kiss on my throat.

I shuddered and then straightened my back. The snapdarner fluttered its translucent wings, and without further ado, we ascended into the air and headed back toward where I’d found Brigitte and Rachael. I used my vingehund-enhanced vision to spot the sisters, and I commanded the snapdarner to hover close enough to where we’d be most inconspicuous, but still able to swoop in if something went wrong.

True to their story, the sisters’ village wasn’t too far away, and we reached Helux in a matter of minutes. It was much smaller than Nattanger or Adorna, with dark brown-bricked homes and wooden cottages that were downright quaint.

I saw Brigitte’s eyes scan the air until they met mine, and the pretty blonde gave me a thumb’s up before she and her sister entered a small cottage. I waved down at her and waited for the door to close before I commanded the snapdarner to turn around and take us back to Varle.

The sulfuric smell invaded my nostrils once more as we ascended higher into the air, and I spent almost the entirety of our flight back to Varle staring at the moon and the tentacles atop it.

Why had this thing shown up now, and was I truly to blame for its arrival? Was it my union with the Archon currently snuggled against me that caused the creature to appear, or had it been a matter of convenient timing? If it was my fault, what else was to come? Was I to truly fulfill the Beastmaker prophecy and bring the world entirely to ruin?

“Master, release your tension,” Sera advised me. “If I am not allowed to worry about whether or not we had a hand in this moon entity’s appearance, then neither are you.”

“You don’t have to call me ‘Master’ anymore,” I reminded my lover. “I’m more than just your master now. I’m your lover, and you are mine.”

“Still, my point remains,” the dark-haired Archon replied. “Now, may I suggest we shift subjects? We’re nearly back at Varle.”

Sure enough, the sunset-orange walls of the Enclave were close, and the snapdarner began to ascend in response.

“Yes,” I agreed with the goddess, and I held on for dear life as the insectoid monster soared up into the clouds and breached the citrine walls once more.

The dragonfly summons bobbed and weaved through the airships once more, which was much more difficult a task since the level of activity had heightened since we’d first left the Enclave. It was as if the aircrafts had multiplied in our absence, and if it weren’t for the snapdarner’s nimble flying skills, we surely would have smacked right into a military vehicle and hastened our chance at demise.

As we soared over the city, I did my best not to get distracted by the chaos below. I wanted to do all in my power to help the citizens of Varle, but finding the headmaster was the most important thing right now. I had faith that Sleet and the Grand Mage wouldn’t allow the citizens to get hurt, especially within the walls of the Enclave, and the siren that rang out seemed to be doing the trick. While there was still a mess of people out, the number of civilians was much smaller than it’d been before.

After we ascended the Enclave’s second hill, the white marble walls of the Academy appeared before us, and a sigh of relief escaped me. I didn’t know if Sleet had a plan yet, but I needed to hold out hope that someone would have an idea of what to do.

I dismounted the snapdarner and then helped ease Sera off the dragonfly monster. The dark-winged Archon flashed me a grateful smile once her feet touched the ground, and had it not been for the mages who rushed about us, I’d have kissed her right then and there.

“I think it would be best for me to return within your mind for the time being,” Sera suggested quietly. “I don’t wish to alarm your colleagues and create more panic than there already is right now. If your classmates get too close of a look, they’ll suggest this is all your doing, and I don’t need those mortals to harm you, Gryff.”

“I’m not worried about them,” I replied. “But if it puts you at ease, you’re free to return to my head. I think I’ll be safe enough down here to fare on my own.”

“I know you will be,” Sera agreed, and then the Archon flashed me a cat-like fanged grin. “Try not to miss me too much.”

“Try not to miss me too much,” I countered.

Sera gave me a wink, and then the winged Archon began to dissolve into blue-black smoke right before my eyes. Her essence streamed behind me until it reached the place on my back where her mark resided, and once the tingling sensation faded, I looked around the grounds to try to locate the headmaster.

Droves of mages scurried about like chickens with their heads cut off, and it took some expert maneuvering to keep from walking straight into anyone. I managed to deftly weave through the crowds of people, and I kept my vingehund-enhanced eyes peeled for the headmaster’s head of pale-white hair. Marangur Sleet’s appearance was fairly unique, but with the blurs of color everywhere, it was hard to spot the storm mage amongst the mass of people.

Finally, I caught sight of the headmaster’s milky-white eyes, and the storm mage recognized me immediately.

“Mister Gryff,” Headmaster Sleet sighed in relief as I approached him quickly. “Thank the Maker you’ve finally arrived. I was worried I’d never find you amongst this crowd.”

“I’m sorry it took me so long to reach you,” I replied as I glanced around at the chaos surrounding us. “I had a bit of a situation outside of the Enclave--”

“Goodness, that sounds ominous,” the headmaster assessed with a frown. “What sort of situation?”

A group of mages suddenly tore past us, and I nearly gave myself whiplash as I ducked to avoid them.

“Can we step aside?” I wondered. “I know there isn’t much privacy--”

“There should be a secure place not too far from here,” Sleet indicated his chin behind me. “Follow me.”

I followed the headmaster as he strode toward the Academy, and despite the chaos, the mages parted to give us adequate space to move. The headmaster carried himself with authority, and I was impressed by his ability to command an area.

We stopped just shy of the building’s side entrance, and once we paused, the headmaster’s milky-white eyes bored into mine with a serious expression.

“Before I inquire about what happened outside of the Enclave, we should discuss the larger matter at present,” Sleet began. “Mister Gryff, do you have any idea how this happened?”

“I don’t.” I shook my head. “I mean, I have theories, but nothing is finite right now.”

“This is terrible,” the storm mage sighed and rubbed his face tiredly. “Truly terrible. I know I’m not supposed to admit that as a leader, but I’d never imagined something like this would ever happen, especially now that the Archons have all been defeated and subdued.”

“You can’t be strong at all times,” I reminded Sleet gently. “Trust me, I’m freaking out a bit as well.”

“Did you happen to witness the shift of the moon for yourself?” Sleet wondered. “I’d only managed to see it after it had already concluded, so I’m a lot more in the dark than I’d prefer.”

“I watched the entire thing happen,” I confirmed. “Part of me wishes I hadn’t. It wasn’t a pretty sight, sir. One moment the night was normal, the next, everything was red.”

“I cannot imagine how that must have looked,” the headmaster sighed as he ran a hand through his pale hair. “Gryff, I need you to tell me everything that happened. Leave out no detail. I want to hear about everything you saw. The change of color, the appearance of the creature, all of it.”

My heart raced in my chest as I considered the best place to begin the story. “Headmaster, there’s a lot--”

“I know this isn’t a short story,” Sleet interjected in a rushed tone. “But Gryff, I’ve never been so surprised like this before. I’ve never awoken to such sincere disaster, and I need to be informed on the matter, so, please, spare no detail and tell me what happened to the moon.”

“Of course, sir.” I nodded. “I’ll tell you anything you want to know.”

I brought the headmaster up to speed on everything I’d seen: the moon bleeding red, the tentacles appearing on the surface, and the strange way Sera had reacted to the entire ordeal. I decided to leave out the bit about the dark-winged Archon and I making love because I wasn’t sure if it was relevant to the story yet, and while the headmaster wanted to know every last detail, I wasn’t really willing to tell the older mage about my intimate sex life when we were surrounded by a hellscape.

“Sera witnessed the event as well?” the headmaster wondered. “How did she react to it?”

“She was terrified,” I admitted to the storm mage. “She was just as surprised as I was to watch it happen.”

“That certainly doesn’t bode well,” Sleet sighed. “With how ancient the Archons are, their nervousness only adds to my own fears. Their prophecies make no mentions of this?”

“I don’t know for sure,” I admitted. The headmaster nodded his head as he thought on my response, and then he changed the subject.

“Now, explain to me what happened after the appearance of the monster,” Sleet continued on. “When you looked closer at the moon, what did you see?”

I recounted my findings to the headmaster, and for a moment or two, I worried the storm mage was going to keel over in shock

“They’re tentacles?” Sleet pressed as I got to that part of the story, and his eyes narrowed. “My goodness, that’s even worse than I thought. I only imagined tendrils, not tentacles. Mister Gryff, how many of them are there? Hundreds? Thousands?”

“I lost track, sir,” I replied. “I attempted to identify the monster, but there were too many appendages for me to count.”

“How did you manage to get a good enough look at them?” Sleet frowned. From here, I can only see so many…”

“Before I arrived at the Academy, I took Sera’s snapdarner and flew out of the Enclave to get a better look at the moon,” I answered. “The further up we ascended, the closer I could see the creature. Whatever it is, it’s attached itself to the moon like… some kind of weird parasite.”

Headmaster Sleet’s eyebrows creased together. “If that monster is a parasite, I can’t say our realm is in for anything good for the foreseeable future.”

“That’s what the Archons said as well,” I groaned. “Quilla thinks the monster has some kind of death or energy magic.”

“I’m surprised the goddess was willing to be so cooperative.” The headmaster raised an eyebrow. “I thought Quilla would take longer to speak honestly, especially after the battle that took place outside of Nattanger.”

“She was more willing to abandon the cause than Hunnah.” I shrugged. “I was surprised, too, but I’m not going to complain about it.”

“Well, then,” Headmaster Sleet reacted with awestruck eyes. “I don’t often find myself at a loss for words, Mister Gryff, but I also have never found myself standing under the light of a red moon. This is truly a strange situation that I’m not sure how to handle.”

“Nor did I,” I admitted. “I don’t understand what’s going on, and neither do the Archons. None of this makes any sense. What would make the moon change like this, and if it’s the monster… where did it come from, and why is it here in the first place?”

“Those are excellent questions we can bring up to the Grand Mage,” Sleet replied as his milky-white eyes flew skyward. “Gallahar will surely have as many inquiries as we do.”

“Have you spoken with him already?” I wondered. “Or passed along correspondence? I can’t imagine he’s unaware of the shift.”

“The Grand Mage is currently on his way to Varle,” the headmaster revealed in a serious tone. “He wants to concoct a strategy and wanted you to be present as we discussed it.”

“Me?” I asked, and my tone was far more surprised than I intended it to be.

“Of course, Mister Gryff,” Sleet replied as if it should’ve been obvious. “The Grand Mage’s offer of employment is still on the table, and since you have so much experience when it comes to battling the Archons, he knows your knowledge will be the most valuable.”

“Wow.” I let out a low whistle. “That’s some high praise.”

“You undersell yourself, Gryff,” the headmaster chuckled. “You’ve proven yourself worthy time and time again, and you should know by now that we value your power and experience just as much as an older mage, if not more so.”

“Well, thank you for that,” I said. “Do you have any idea of when the Grand Mage is going to arrive?”

“He left moments after he received my correspondence,” Sleet answered. “But he has a tendency to travel faster than the average mage, so it shouldn’t be too long until his arrival.”

“What do we do in the meantime?” I wondered as I stared up at the ruby-tinged sky. The tentacles seemed like they’d grown even closer in the past ten minutes or so since we’d arrived, and a feeling of dread coursed through me as I watched the tendrils writhe. I still wore the vision of my vingehund, and my enhanced senses only made my anxiety rise.

“We’ve put out the alarm to keep the citizens of the Enclave indoors,” Sleet began as he nodded his head thoughtfully. “We’ve sent a team of troops to guard the city and the surrounding area to make sure that the people of Varle stay indoors.”

“Even the slums?” I wondered. “I know it isn’t you personally, Headmaster, but the people of the slums haven’t always been shown the same consideration as those who live in the wealthier estates. In this scenario, we’re all equals, and I want to ensure they’re granted the same protection as everyone else.

“The slums will be taken care of,” Sleet confirmed. “We’ve sent just as many troops there as we have the wealthier parts of the Enclave. The poor’s safety is just as much a priority as the wealthy’s. I promise you, Gryff, everyone in the Enclave is going to be taken care of

“Thank you, sir.” I nodded. “And the people in the Wilds? Have plans been made to send forces out there as well?”

“Once we have a better idea of the monster, we’ll send a team out to the Wilds,” Sleet assured me in a soft tone. “I assure you I’m not just saying that to ease your burdens. We will follow through and send teams to ensure the civilians are safe. I know you have a soft spot for the citizens out there, but our exclusion of them is in the past. We’ll make sure they get the same care as the people of Varle.”

“Thank you, sir,” I thanked the headmaster. “I appreciate it.”

“Of course.” Sleet nodded.

“On the subject of the Wilds, there’s another matter I’d like to bring up,” I began. “It concerns the situation beyond the Enclaves.

“Is this the event you mentioned before?” the headmaster inquired as his eyebrows raised. “Yes, please explain what happened.”

“I was on my way back to Varle when I ran into a pair of women who’d been injured by a beast in the forest,” I started, and I rubbed the back of my neck in anticipation. “The wounded one, Rachael, described the monster as being shadow-like in appearance--”

“Monster?” Sleet furrowed his eyebrows. “Mister Gryff, it is night time. How… how would a monster come to be in the woods?”

“I don’t know,” I admitted. “I was skeptical myself until I saw the injury. No normal animal could have made that type of wound, and the women were too serious to be lying about it.”

“And they describe the beast as being shadow-like?’ Sleet wondered with a frown. “Were there any other discernible features to the creature?”

“They mentioned horns, tusks, and fangs,” I answered as I tucked my hands in my jacket pockets. “They said it was similar to many beasts and yet none at once. Sir, is it possible the monster has something to do with the thing on the moon?”

“As in belonging to it?” The headmaster cocked an eyebrow. “I can’t say for certain, but if I were to guess, that would be my assumption as well. If there were no rifts in sight, no portals, or the like, the creature must belong to the monster atop the moon. Perhaps a minion of sorts?”

“Maker.” I shook my head.

“We shall let the Grand Mage know about this,” Sleet decided with a definitive nod. “And in the meantime, we will dispatch a team of troops out into the general vicinity of the monster sighting. Did you happen to catch the name of the village?”

“It’s called Helux,” I remembered. “Brigitte and Rachael mentioned the village was composed mainly of the elderly and children.”

“I know of it.” The headmaster nodded. “We’ll make sure there’s a team to protect them and keep an eye out for a potential return. I should like to hope that monster is the only one out there, but that would be too convenient for us all, wouldn’t it?”

“Right,” I sighed. “So, what would you like me to do while we wait for the Grand Mage to arrive?”

“Is your family protected?” Sleet asked. “I know your home is full of capable mages, but do they have a plan?”

“For now, they’re staying put,” I answered. “Arwyn, Ashla, and a few of my Archons are skimming over the books in my library and trying to find any information they can about the moon. I don’t know how successful they’ll be, but Carth and Xan should help them get further than they would otherwise. The others are gathering supplies and watching over the children.”

“That’s a wise decision,” Sleet complimented me. “Until the Grand Mage arrives in Varle, there’s not much you can do. As you can see, we’re deploying troops to different areas in the Enclave and beyond, but I’d prefer for you to stay behind while we wait for Gallahar to arrive.”

“If they need me, I can help,” I insisted. “I am officially a graduate now. Don’t my three years of service begin now?”

“Your circumstances are much different,” the headmaster reminded me with a raised eyebrow. “I would suggest you return to your home and check in with your family. We’re at a standstill when it comes to tactics, and I’m sure your wives and children are awaiting your return.”

“Most likely.” I nodded, and if I was being honest, I wanted nothing more than to return home as well. My women had been completely supportive, but that didn’t mean I wanted to be out in the thick of it instead of being there with them instead.

“We’ll sort this out one way or the other,” Sleet assured me, and he rested a hand on my shoulder. “This may be the worst situation we’ve faced, but the human realm has never turned their back on a fight. This will be no exception.”

“You’re right.” I smiled at the storm mage. I appreciated the Headmaster’s serious but sincere expression, and something about his words soothed me greatly.

However, before I could get too relaxed, the headmaster and I were interrupted when a tall, gangly mage sprinted over to us. The fair-skinned man wore blue-trimmed gold robes that denoted him as an elementalist, more specifically a water mage, and his cheeks were a deep dark red as he attempted to catch his breath.

“Conor, are you alright?” Headmaster Sleet asked the water mage. “What’s going on?”

“Headmaster, you must deploy a team at once,” the mage choked out through haggard breaths. “A rift has opened up just outside of the Enclave, and it’s a large one.”

Chapter Four

“A rift?” I repeated back in an awestruck tone. “Shit, this isn’t good. How is this even possible?”

“I don’t know, Mister Gryff,” the dark-haired mage replied with widened brown eyes, and a shiver ran through him. “I wish I had an answer, but I’m just as confused as you are. One minute we were making our usual rounds, and the next we saw the glimmer of the portal’s rim, and then a monster stepped through.”

“The moon’s shift must have affected more than just its color,” Headmaster Sleet deduced in a solemn tone, and he shook his head back and forth. “It’s changed the very rules of our realm. It’s as you mentioned when you spoke of Brigitte and Rachael. Monsters can in fact come into our world now at night, and our realm no longer has the convenience of safety.”

“Fuck,” I whispered. After the encounter in the woods, it wasn’t too much of a surprise that a rift had appeared after all, but I still couldn’t believe this was happening to us.

“I don’t tend to curse, but I’d have to agree with you, Mister Gryff,” Sleet replied. “This is most bizarre, but we can focus on the technicalities later. For now, we need to get a team down there to work on the monster. If creatures can now enter the world at night, we need to be prepared for the situation to escalate. ”

“Leave that to me.” I nodded as I composed myself. “I can head down there and take care of the monster while troops check on the citizens and make sure everyone goes indoors. Luckily, there aren’t any villages too close to perimeter.”

“We’ll make sure the Enclave is secure,” the storm mage agreed with a hearty nod. “Now, how many mages do you require to assist you?”

“I can handle it,” I assured the headmaster. “With Sera at my side, and the Archons’ powers at my disposal, I think I can take on a couple of monsters--”

“Oh, c’mon, don’t let Gryff have all of the fun,” I heard a familiar voice behind me. “Save some monster battles for the rest of us, too.”

I turned around to see the arched eyebrows of my friend, Gawain Maddox, and his heavy-lidded emerald eyes studied me with a look of amusement that made my lips curl into a smile.

“I wouldn’t dream of going without you, Maddox.” I smirked. “I take it your declaration is a proposal to volunteer? Would you care to join me for some monster ass-kicking?”

“Always, summoner,” the haughty fire mage laughed back. “I know you have your team of Archons at your beck and call, but you’ll probably need more than just them in the event that monsters come through. Besides, we’re all just waiting here at the ready anyway. We may as well be of use instead of twiddling our thumbs.”

“Mr. Maddox is correct,” Headmaster Sleet agreed with my friend. “I would prefer you to go out with a team rather than face the monster yourself. Gawain, do you have any other mages in mind to join you and Gryff?”

“I’ll round up Almasy and Braden,” Gawain proposed. “They’re lingering around here somewhere, and I’m sure they could use something to do.”

“Best hurry up,” I advised the golden-haired mage. “We need to go handle the rift quickly.”

“Give me one minute.” Gawain nodded, and sure enough, he took off in a blur of red-trimmed gold robes and cloying rose cologne.

The garment indicated his rank as a fire elementalist, and though it was late at night, I wasn’t surprised the mage had taken the time to outfit himself in the proper attire. Gawain’s family was high-ranking and admittedly a bit snobbish, and though my friend was no longer the asshole I’d met when I’d first arrived at the Academy, he still put a lot of effort in his personal grooming.

Especially when it came to that damn fragrance.

I welcomed a different scent than the sulfuric one that still tingled in my nose, but the floral smell soon tangled with it and created something even more appalling.

I noticed Headmaster Sleet was watching my expression with an amused eyebrow raise, so I quickly assumed composure and attempted to play off my scrunched-up nose.

“Mister Gryff, I’ll need you and your team to be extra careful,” Sleet advised me as I reached into my bandolier to find the best essence crystals for the mission. “Monsters appearing outside of the norm need to be approached with caution to ensure you and your squadron aren’t hurt. I know you and your usual team are more than capable of handling whatever is thrown at you, but as your former headmaster, I feel the need to warn you to be careful.”

“We will, headmaster,” I promised Sleet. “Should it get too out of control, we’ll send word back to the Enclave.”

The storm mage gave me a cautious but accepting nod. He opened his mouth to say something further, but then Gawain returned with two of our other friends in tow, and the older man’s lips drew into a thin line.

I knew the headmaster trusted us, but I couldn’t blame him for being protective in these circumstances.

“Well, well, well, it’s about time you got here, Gryff,” Keith Almasy teased me as he approached. The renowned earth mage offered me a lopsided grin as he walked up and gave me a wink. “We were beginning to think you were too cool to hang around us anymore. I was hurt.”

“Almasy, when did you get back?” I asked him in surprise. The pilot had been off in some unknown location since before mine and Cyra’s wedding, and it felt like it’d been ages since I’d seen his lopsided smile.

“Just tonight, actually,” Almasy explained as he let out a tired yawn. “It seems I’ve arrived at the right moment. But we can discuss that later. We have other things that require our attention, like the apocalypse and such.”

“And such,” I laughed. I gave Almasy a smile, and then I turned to look at Braden Flint.

My exceptionally tall, solidly built roommate wore a weary expression, but his gray eyes were surprisingly alert for this time of night. He’d had the sense to don his summoner’s robes, but the belt that contained his essence crystals was looped haphazardly across his broad chest.

“Long time no see, Gryff,” Braden chuckled after a yawn escaped his mouth. “It’s been what, a whole four hours since we parted?”

“Nearly five,” Gawain corrected the ox-like summoner mage. “I’d managed only a couple of hours of sleep after returning from your mansion, Gryff. If I’d known we were reuniting so soon after our dinner party, I’d have crashed in one of your many guest bedrooms instead of heading back to my room.”

“Same here,” Braden laughed again. “Though mine and Mati’s house is only just down the road, so I can’t complain too much.”

“Well, I’ll keep that in mind next time I go to throw a dinner party before an apocalypse,” I snorted and rolled my eyes playfully at my friends. Only they could take an incredibly tense and stressful situation and find a way to make me laugh.

“Wait, you guys had a party?” Almasy sniffed mockingly. “Without me? My heart… It’s breaking…”

“You just barely missed it,” I laughed. “Though it wasn’t much of a party without you gracing us with your presence.”

“It’s crazy how different things were just hours ago,” Braden assessed as he shook his head. “If you’d have told me at dinner the moon was going to turn red, I would have called you a liar. But here we are.”

“How did this even come to be?” Gawain asked as he fidgeted with the hem of his robe. “Gryff, did something happen after we left? Something with the Archons?”

“Before we get into that, we need to go deal with that rift,” I reminded my team gently, and then I turned my attention to Braden. “Now, Braden, let’s summon some transportation and head out there. I can equip everyone with speed slugs and bullet bass armor as well so we can get to the rift as soon as possible.”

“While you distract the monsters, we’ll send a team into the Shadowscape to shut it down,” Sleet spoke up from behind us. “We just need you and your friends to keep the monsters at bay until the catalyst can be located.”

“Can do, sir.” I nodded at the headmaster, and then I turned my attention back to my friends. “Braden, maybe your king gryphon would be the best transport--”

“I’m way ahead of you.” Braden smirked as he revealed the monster’s essence crystal in the palm of his large hand.

“Perfect.” I grinned at my friend, and then I reached into my bandolier and retrieved a handful of my own gems. If we wanted to reach the rift quickly, we needed to use mounts to transport us over there, so I summoned my strongest flying creatures to do the job.

For myself, I went with the ever-reliable pyrewyrm as my mount, and then I summoned my vingehund again for Gawain. The normally-haughty fire mage had a soft spot for animals and was particularly fond of my pale-blue, canine-like summons, so I knew he’d be excited to take her into battle.

Sure enough, my golden-haired friend lit up when my monster manifested before him and let out a single bark.

“Hey there, cutie,” he greeted the winged creature as if he were speaking to an infant, and the vingehund wagged her tail as he scratched her chin.

“That’s adorable, Maddox,” Almasy cooed. “I love seeing your more tender side. Reminds me that you aren’t just an ass.”

“Shut it, Almasy,” the fire mage grumbled as his cheeks flushed a deep scarlet, but he didn’t deny the statement.

I considered chiming in but decided it would be best to focus instead of fanning the flames. I would have plenty of time to tease Gawain later.

Braden’s king gryphon appeared before us and let out a screech that sent a chill down my spine. The Grade-B monster was impressive, and the way Braden swung his long legs over the creature and sat atop with his shoulders level was almost intimidating. Size-wise, Braden was incredibly imposing, but his personality was not even remotely close. My former roommate was an incredibly kind soul with a big heart, but he’d become quite the warrior in the past few years.

“Almasy, the monster is large enough to carry us both if you want to ride along,” the ox-like summoner proposed to our friend.

“Sounds perfect to me.” Almasy shrugged. “I’m a pilot by occupation and by nature, but I really don’t have any fondness for directing monsters.”

Braden extended his hand out and helped the earth mage climb on the back of his summons. The half-lion, half-eagle monster was large enough for the pair of them and faster than most flying beasts, which made it the perfect summons to take out to the field.

Once Almasy was situated, Braden flashed me a boyish grin, and I gave him one right back before I approached my summons.

The pyrewyrm was a strange but intimidating creature. The monster was large, with swirling shadow-like wings, a long serpentine body, and an eyeless and mouthless wormlike head that regarded me with a curious tilt. Its legs were muscular and strong, and they ended in impressively sharp talons that clenched as it awaited my orders.

“Hey, buddy,” I greeted the pyrewyrm as I approached it. “I’m going to need you to take me out of the Enclave and over to the rift. We have some monsters to take out.”

My summons let out a soft trilling sound, and without further hesitation, I mounted the serpentine monster.

Once everyone was atop their summons, Headmaster Sleet’s eyes darted around at all of us, and he offered us a solemn expression. “Stay safe, all of you, and keep your wits about you. You’re some of my most capable mages, and I don’t want to risk losing you.”

“We’ve got this,” I insisted. “We’ll try to keep the monsters away as long as possible so the other team can find the catalyst.”

“Good luck,” Sleet wished us, and then he turned to face the water mage who’d given us the news. “Conor, come with me. I want you to join the Shadowscape team.”

“Yes, sir.” Conor nodded, and then the pair walked into the crowd of mages with an authoritative air.

Once they disappeared, I took a breath and gently tapped my leg against the pyrewyrm’s serpentine side.

“Let’s go!” I called out, and each of my monsters let out sounds of enthusiasm as they pumped their wings. Braden’s king gryphon let out a war cry of its own, and then we took off into the sky.

The sound of mages clambering in scared and excited tones rose up around us, and as we soared into the air, I steadied myself atop my pyrewyrm and kept one hand near my bandolier. While I could borrow abilities at will now, I still needed to be prepared to summon a monster quickly, especially since I didn’t know what we were going up against. I prayed to the Maker that our opponent would be nothing like the Archons’ monsters, and especially not Carth’s. The last thing we needed in this hellscape of a situation was a mega-sized monster.

The pyrewyrm let out a fearsome sound as its body tilted upward, and I returned my hand to its stable position on the back of the monster. The vingehund and king gryphon flanked my summons on either side, and together, my team and I soared into the clouds and over the protective walls of Varle.

“Everyone steady yourselves,” I called out to my teammates as the wind whipped around us. “Prepare for the worst. I don’t know what we’re going up against, but count on it being a difficult fight.”

“Got it!” Braden shouted.

Almasy peeked around the ox-like summoner and gave a thumbs-up, while Gawain offered a firm nod.

I returned the gesture, and then I commanded my pyrewyrm to take us down to locate the rift.

Be careful, mast-- Gryff, Sera instructed me from within my consciousness. Things are already so different since the moon made its shift. There’s a possibility the monsters have been affected more than we realize.

“Thanks, Sera,” I replied. “I hope you aren’t right, but I’m prepared for it anyway.”

As we descended toward the emerald-green ground outside of the Enclave, I heard a sound above us, and when I looked up, I caught sight of an enormous aircraft that had to belong to the second team of mages. Though the craft was too far away to make out the pilot, I gave a thumb’s up in their direction.

When I turned back around, I recognized the shimmer of a rift just beyond us, and a rush of adrenaline surged through me. The rift wasn’t too particularly huge, but it was big enough that this fight wasn’t going to be a simple one, and while I was nervous, I was prepared to kick some serious ass.

The aircraft flew past us and landed just beside the rift with impressive grace for a ship so large. A team of mages hopped out with an even more impressive speed, and I watched as the group headed straight into the Shadowscape. Part of me wished I was there with them, but the other part was ready to take down these monsters that threatened my home.

My pyrewyrm released another screech as we flew closer, and when I caught sight of the monster Conor warned us about, my eyebrows shot up in surprise.

The monster that stood in front of the Enclave was one I hadn’t encountered since Headmaster Sleet found me in Ralor’s Stead. Maker, it was the very same species of monster that had encouraged Sleet to bring me to the Academy in the first place, so it was strange to see it outside of Varle.

It was a cyclops, and not only that, but it was a fire-eye cyclops. Forty-feet tall, and at least half that wide, the monster loomed above us and tightened its flame-covered fists as it took in the sight of our mounts.

At first, I felt a small sense of relief when I identified the enormous beast. I’d fought one of these creatures when I’d been a much less talented summoner, so I’d be much better off than I had back then.

However, as I studied the cyclops’ movements, I realized it moved in a way the last one I’d fought had not.

This monster’s single eye darted around with an unnatural erraticism that made me nervous, and its body twitched as if it were entirely on edge. It was almost as if electricity was running through the monster’s veins, and the twitchiness of it reminded me of a rabid, cornered animal.

“Maker, what’s wrong with it?” I asked, and the moment the words escaped me, I caught sight of Braden and Gawain. The pair of mages seemed to have the same thought on their minds, and I simply shook my head in response. I wasn’t sure what was causing the monster to behave so differently, but if I had to venture to guess, I would say it had something to do with the moon.

The monster’s single orange eye darted around until it caught sight of me, and then a fearsome growl escaped its maw.

“You don’t scare me,” I murmured. Regardless, I had to take the monster down and keep it from stepping any bit closer to the Enclave. The xanyarstone would keep the beast at bay, but there was a chance its behavior would make it an even larger threat to the civilians if something went wrong.

I considered the best monster to take on the fire-eye. Normally, a water-based beast would be the most helpful, or a water elementalist, but Conor had gone with the other team. I could always signal for him to join my squadron, but before I replied on that option, I wanted to find my own solution.

The last time I’d battled a fire-eye, I’d used a combination of an ice willow, electric imp, and bullet bass to break down the monster’s body chemistry, but I had this strange feeling in the back of my mind that told me something more was afoot.

I glanced through my cache of monsters and weighed the options. I needed something large enough to easily overpower the fire eye, so I went with one of my most reliable monsters: the baroquer.

The creature was somewhere between thirty-five and forty feet, heavily muscled, with a flaming sword that blazed just as brightly as the licks of flame surrounding the fire-eye’s fists. Fire against fire was normally a poor decision, but the baroquer had the physical prowess to handle such an immense beast like the cyclops, and it would be able to distract it while the rest of us worked to take it down.

The pyrewyrm ducked down to the ground, and once we landed, I threw my shooting-star shaped essence crystal and summoned the baroquer.

My summons clenched its fist around the hilt of its sword as it awaited my command, and it sent a feeling of excitement through our bond. My monster loved to battle, and I could tell it was raring to go up against this opponent in particular.

“Stay level-headed,” I reminded the baroquer. “I know you have this in the bag, but I need you to be prepared for the cyclops to try something off the wall.”

The baroquer nodded its large head in agreement and then turned to face the fire-eye. The cyclops tilted its head to the side in a raptor-like manner and hissed at my monster, which made the flames on the baroquer’s sword crackle even further.

The fire-eye strengthened its stance before it took a tentative step forward. The flames around its fists darkened in shade, and then it swung its muscular arm toward my baroquer faster than I’d anticipated.

Luckily, my summons had impressively fast reflexes and managed to catch the cyclops’ appendage before it could make contact.

The baroquer swung his enormous sword and managed to land a hit directly at the side of the fire-eye’s head, and the cyclops let out a roar and took a few enormous steps backward. The ground shook with the motion, and I found myself thankful I was atop my pyrewyrm.

With all of the movement around us, I reached through the bonds with my monsters and searched for my bullet bass. Then I utilized my new ability and imagined a coating over myself and my teammates. Bullet bass armor was near-impenetrable, and I would be safe from most outward attacks if necessary.

Well, safer than I’d be otherwise, of course.

I rested my hand on my bandolier as I watched the baroquer and the fire-eye assess one another like a pair of human males preparing for a boxing match. The monsters uttered bone-chilling growls that filled me with a strange sense of power, and my lips curled up into a grin as my baroquer’s yell transcended that of the cyclops.

“Fuck, yeah.” I smirked, and then I sent a wave of my will through the bond to my summons. “Swing your sword again, only this time aim for the knees. That cyclops needs to be knocked down a peg, and I think that’s the best way to do it.

My baroquer turned back and gave me a firm nod, and then it brandished the hilt of its sword as if it were made of gold. The monster’s fist looked like it could crush the cyclops in a single blow, and I was surprised my monster could exercise so much restraint. I’d have ended the monster before this confrontation had begun.

My monster raised his blade into the air, let out a single yell, and then swung the thick sword with impressive might right across the back of the fire eyes’ knees. The cyclops let out a sharp shriek that nearly deafened me, and then it toppled to its knees with a seriously impressive thud.

“Strike again!” I commanded my summons, and then the baroquer brought his sword up once more.

This time, the cyclops managed to roll and duck away from my powerful summons, and a pang of irritation ran up my spine. Cyclops weren’t known for being especially smart, but how did this one happen to evade my attack so easily?

The one-eyed creature let out a thunderous roar, and it took a confident but disjointed step toward my monster.

“Gryff, look out!” I heard Braden’s voice call out just as a fireball flew through the air and nearly struck me.

My pyrewyrm spun just in time, but I nearly fell from the back of the monster as it circled. Luckily for me, my reflexes were strong, and the bond between my monster and I was strong enough that I was able to anticipate the creature’s actions.

“Thanks,” I called out to Braden just before the fire-eye could let out another powerful bellow.

I commanded my pyrewyrm to fly higher, and as we ascended, I considered the best course of action. The baroquer could swing its flaming sword all it wanted, but it wasn’t going to take down the fire-eye. I needed something with water that could officially take out the blaze.

Before I could make the next move, I noticed activity near the rift, and my heart dropped as a whole mess of creatures made their way out of the portal. Among them, I spied trolls and other monsters that were generally seen as pests, but they all somehow had the same erratic, jittery walk as the cyclops.

What was going on with them? What was making them all behave so hyperactively?

“Almasy and I will take out the crowd!” Gawain called out to me as the vingehund hovered in place. “You and Braden worry about the cyclops.”

“Right.” I nodded, and I watched Gawain and Braden fly in the same direction. Almasy hopped off the gryphon while Gawain dismounted the vingehund, and I recalled the canine-like summons to her essence crystal.

The pair of elementalists wasted no time, and I watched with an impressed gaze as the mages unleashed walls of their respective elemental magics. The ground around the swarm of trolls and other monsters suddenly dropped, and the erratic creatures fell into the pit Almasy had created.

As they disappeared into the hole, Gawain’s fists glowed with fire magic and then released an inferno straight into the pit. The shrieks and screeches of the monsters filled the air like a dissonant symphony, and the sound sent a chill up my spine.

“Gryff, what do you want me to do?” Braden shouted over at me.

Suddenly, the fire-eye began to glow, and the flames around its hands crackled. The licks of fire shifted in color and shape, and my jaw dropped in confusion as I realized the fire had changed into electricity.

The monster was clearly a fire-variant, so how was it suddenly wielding electrical energy?”

“What the fuck,” I whispered as the electricity crackled around the cyclops.

“Uh, Gryff?” Braden called out to me. “What’s… why is the monster…”

The summoner struggled to find the right words, but even I was at a loss. Elemental variants never deviated from their particular element, it simply wasn’t possible.

White light flashed before us and temporarily blinded me. I shielded my eyes to keep them from harm, and when the brightness faded, I whipped my head back over just as my baroquer fell to the ground.

The sheer weight on my monster made the earth tremble, but the cyclops was unphased by it. My summons crackled as electricity sparked off it, and I shook my head in disbelief.

“Get back up!” I commanded my monster, and my hands trembled as I considered my next move. The fire-eye was not going to be as easy as I thought, and I needed a new battle strategy.

The baroquer had flame and strength on its side, but I needed something that could go up against lightning.

Wait.

That was it.

I reached into my bandolier, retrieved a crystal, and summoned one of my less-utilized monsters, a creature known as a sprucebore. The monster was rare and incredibly strange-looking. Its large body resembled a bright red beetle, but a tall structure that looked like a metallic tree rose from its back and high into the air.

The monster was unable to create its own lightning, but it was able to redirect it, and that’s exactly what I wanted it to do.

The fire-eye turned its attention away from my fallen baroquer and instead focused on the sprucebore. My summons approached the cyclops slowly, completely unaffected by the enormous, rabid-seeming creature, which only seemed to piss off the cyclops.

“Holy shit,” I heard Braden chuckle behind me.

“Back up,” I instructed him. “This could be dangerous. I’d suggest you take your gryphon and swoop up Almasy and Gawain just in case.”

“On it.” Braden nodded, and then he disappeared to follow out my instructions.

Once I was sure Braden had things handled, I commanded the pyrewyrm to fly further away from the cyclops and the sprucebore. If there was going to be lightning, I wanted to put some distance between myself and the monsters.

My summons dutifully carried us far away from the angered cyclops, and I watched the electrical energy radiate from it like a pale aura. The sprucebore remained in place, and I commanded it to stay put and let the cyclops approach on its own.

Sure enough, the cyclops ran at the beetle monster, raised its rust-colored fists into the air, and unleashed beams of electricity upon my summons. The entire area lit up, and I turned my head to shield my eyes. Energy hummed in the air, and once it was safer to do so, I looked back and gave the command to my monster.

“Redirect it!” I shouted, and the sprucebore did just as it was told. The very same lightning the cyclops had sent out flew right back at it, and the fire-eye howled in pain as it was electrocuted by its own magic.

The enormous, one-eyed monster fell flat on its back and sputtered as lightning crackled over it. The ground trembled from the weight, and I was glad I’d elected to take to the sky.

I let out a whoop of victory that was soon echoed by my teammates. That had been easier than I’d thought.

As the cyclops twitched on the ground, I glanced over at the rift, but it remained open. The catalyst must have been pretty well-hidden, and I began to worry about the other team.

Luckily, Almasy and Gawain’s fire pit had worked perfectly, and the crowd of trolls and other monsters had been contained and defeated. Now, all we needed was for the cyclops to turn to dust, and then we could return to the Enclave and discuss strategy with the headmaster.

“Hey, Gryff,” Gawain called out to me. “Why hasn’t the cyclops exploded?”

“I-I don’t know,” I replied. An elemental attack like that should have taken the monster out, so why was it still on the ground?

My question was answered pretty quickly when the cyclops suddenly rose up from its place.

“Fuck,” I whispered.

It hadn’t worked after all

The cyclops stood to its full height, stretched its long, rust-colored limbs, and broke into a satisfied smile. I watched with horror as electricity appeared around its fists once more, and dread flooded through me.

What the fuck was I going to do now?

“Look out!” I shouted as the cyclops unleashed another wave of electricity toward my baroquer, but before the lightning could strike, my sprucebore jumped in front of my sword-wielding summons and blocked the attack. It absorbed all of the elemental magic into its metallic-tree appendage, and it strengthened its stance before sending it right back at the cyclops.

I sent a wave of appreciation through the bond to my summons. The electricity would have taken the baroquer down if it weren’t for the sprucebore, and I was grateful the beetle-like monster had stepped in to help.

The cyclops crackled with energy once more, and as it studied my monsters, it seemed to realize any electrical attacks would be thwarted by the sprucebore. The lightning around its enormous fists shifted back to fire, and I let out a heavy sigh.

This thing wasn’t going to quit anytime soon, was it?

Not wanting to waste any time, I commanded the baroquer to come at it again with brute force, and my monster happily obliged. The pair of giant monsters shoved against each other’s shoulders as they locked together, and I shook my head.

This cyclops was almost impossible to take down, and I considered the other monsters in my cache. I didn’t particularly want to unleash some of my larger summons, but I was running out of choices.

My baroquer pulled away from the cyclops and braced its stance as it awaited my command. The cyclops glowed with fire magic, and its grin grew even wider.

“Hey, ugly!”

I looked up as a huge wave of water crashed over the fire-eye, and I heard a loud, crackling sizzle as the cyclops’ flame-covered fists were put out. I peered up in awe as a flash of silver flew by my face, and to my shock and delight, I saw the faces of Nia and Cyra. My wives were perched on the back of Kalon, and Nia’s arms were outstretched as she unleashed a powerful burst of elemental magic. The water bored down on the cyclops like a heavy blanket, and it howled under the weight of the water wall.

I commanded the pyrewyrm to take me over to my wives as a grin broke out across my face.

“How did you--” I called out to them.

“We heard the commotion outside,” Nia replied with a lift of her chin. “I know you asked us to stay put, but we couldn’t let you handle a monster on your own.”

“We also had no idea if more than one would appear,” Cyra chimed in as she stroked her summons. “So, here we are, and not a minute too soon, it would seem. You boys have done a fine job, but I think it’s time for the ladies to show you how it’s done!”

“Cocky looks cute on you,” I laughed, and then I gestured toward the fire-eye. “Go forth and conquer. I’d love a moment to breathe.”

“Don’t get too comfortable, farm boy.” Nia chuckled as her sparkling blue eyes danced. “We’re going to need you to help us take the thing down. Let us distract it so your baroquer can carry out the final blow.”

“Got it.” I nodded, and then I turned to Braden. “Braden, summon your chimera. I think I have an idea.”

The ox-like summoner nodded without question and retrieved the pale, icy crystal from his haphazardly-equipped belt. After the smoke from the gem cleared, his ice-variant monster appeared before us, and it let out a fearsome growl.

Part goat, part lion, and part dragon, the chimera had a coat that resembled snow, two heads, a pair of wings, and a tail that shook like a rattlesnake’s. Its large paws ended in deadly talons that flexed into the ground as she prepared for battle.

I looked back to Nia, and I saw my wife’s sapphire eyes began to darken to a deep navy and then even further until they were nearly black. Her pupil started to expand outward into the sclera, and soon, the whites of her eyes were completely eclipsed.

I knew what that look meant.

Nia was going to go supernova.

The multi-elementalist was a prodigy when it came to magic, and the kind of power she was able to wield was both intimidating and incredibly sexy.

Nia unleashed another torrent of water magic, and a grin broke out across my face as the multi-elementalist’s power swelled toward the fire-eye. Nia Kenefick was a force to be reckoned with, and her piercing eyes flashed with intensity as she zeroed in on her opponent. Her ashen hair fell out of its braid and flowed over her shoulders like molten silver, and though her forehead was slick with sweat, and her lip was curled back into a snarl, she looked like a warrior goddess.

Once the cyclops was completely soaked, Braden’s chimera opened both of her mouths and unleashed a stream of ice that froze the water instantly and caught the cyclops in its place. The fire-eye tried to move, but the ice was too thick for it to evade.

Before the monster could realize it could just melt away its snares, Cyra and Kalon swooped in, and the curly-haired summoner’s familiar unhinged her jaw and released a stream of acid that singed the cyclops’ single eye almost instantly.

Steam hissed as the fire-eye screamed, and the ground trembled as the forty-foot monster writhed in place. While it was distracted, I commanded my baroquer to raise its sword and slash at the cyclops’ throat. A thick stream of scarlet blood sprayed everywhere as my summons decapitated the one-eyed monster, and the hot liquid misted my cheekbone.

I winced as I wiped it away, and when I did, I felt the corner of my lips curl into a smile. The cyclops disintegrated into dust, and the powder littered the ground like we’d been hit with a sandstorm.

My team let out cheers of victory, and I soon joined them. We’d defeated the cyclops and the smaller mass of monsters. Now, all we needed was for the portal to close.

As if the universe had heard my request, the rift began to shift and glimmer behind us until it collapsed in on itself. Moments later, the other team suddenly appeared before us, and I watched as the mages caught their breaths and sat down on the ground.

“Is everyone okay?” I called out, and I caught the eye of Conor.

“We’re fine.” The water mage nodded at me. “Though we’re going to need to head out to find Maggie. I don’t know where the catalyst was, and I don’t think it’s a good idea to let her wander back alone considering the circumstances.”

“I agree,” I shouted back. “Do you need help retrieving her?”

“We can take the craft,” Conor replied. “It shouldn’t take too long. You should probably get to the Enclave. Sleet’s most likely waiting for you.”

“Thank you all for closing the rift,” I addressed the other team. “I really appreciate it.”

“Of course.” Conor nodded simply, and then he turned to his fellow mages. “Shall we? I don’t want to keep Maggie waiting.”

His team nodded back at him, pulled themselves off the ground, and then headed toward their aircraft. As the mages boarded their ship, I let out the breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding.

The monsters had been slayed with minimal damage to the surrounding area, the rift had been closed, and for now, the day was saved.

With a wave of my will, I recalled my baroquer back to its essence crystal and returned the gem to my bandolier once the monster vanished. I commanded the pyrewyrm to remain in the air for a moment longer, just in case, but when nothing else changed, I instructed the monster to take me down to the ground.

My creature let out a soft cry and then obliged. The entire way down, I took deep breaths in an attempt to quell the adrenaline that pumped through my body, but it was no use. I just thanked the Maker for the hasty victory.

“Maker, that was something,” Cyra remarked once she, Nia, and Kalon landed on the ground. Sweat beaded across her forehead, and her curly hair stuck out in multiple directions, but her smile was content.

“You can say that again,” Nia sighed as she climbed off Cyra’s familiar and stretched. “I could use a nap after all of that.”

“How’s your mana?” I asked the pair of beautiful mages with concern. “Are you both doing okay?”

“I’m fine.” Nia shrugged as she smoothed her silver mane down and straightened out her blouse. The thin white top that hugged her torso had been ripped in just the right spot between her breasts and revealed a good amount of porcelain skin that made my mouth water.

“Me, too,” Cyra said as she stroked Kalon’s neck affectionately. Her familiar cooed as her long tail shook back and forth like a dog’s, and I couldn’t help but chuckle at the display.

“Well, I’m fucking beat,” I heard Gawain grumble as he approached us. “That fire-eye was not what I was expecting, nor was that smaller mess of monsters. Trolls aren’t usually so irksome, nor so twitchy.”

“They were more spastic than usual,” Almasy agreed as he stepped over to our circle. “I was worried they were going to start foaming at the mouth or something.”

“Me, too,” Braden chimed in. “The fire-variant wielding electricity really threw me. Do you think the moon--”

“It has to be,” I interjected. “It’s already changed so much in our world. I wouldn’t be surprised if the changes have affected the Shadowscape as well.”

“Maker,” Cyra sighed. “This isn’t good.”

“I know,” I said, and I wanted to say more, but I had no words. Until now, I hadn’t really considered the fact that the Shadowscape was a mirrored version of our dimension and would also be affected by the shift of the moon. Maker only knew what kind of changes had taken place in that realm, especially when it came to the monsters.

“Mutated monsters.” Gawain shook his head. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I almost miss the days when we were simply hunting down ciphers in the Wilds. I didn’t realize how easy life seemed back then.”

“I don’t really want to agree with you, but I do.” Cyra smirked at the fire mage. “All of this red moon nonsense is too much. I just want to go to sleep.”

“I know,” I replied. “I miss all of the calm, too. Just when I thought things were finally going to settle down and be normal around here, they all fell to shit.”

“Such is life,” Nia mused. “At least we’re all okay, and the cyclops didn’t get too far.”

“We’ll need to find Sleet and tell him about all of this,” I decided. “Things are all good for now, but I don’t want to sit around in case this happens again. We need to get teams at the ready and prepare for more possible rifts.”

My teammates uttered sounds of agreement, all except Braden, whose gray eyes had widened until they were as round as saucers. I followed his gaze, and I noticed that just beyond us, about ten feet away, the air was shimmering. My stomach dropped as a round outline began to form.

Fuck.

We’d closed the rift, so what was happening?

A robed figure stepped through the portal a moment later, and my hand flew to my bandolier as I waited to see who was hidden beneath the garment. Was it another enemy I needed to banish? An ally? The figure was clearly humanoid, but I didn’t trust anything anymore.

I studied the robe, and something about the cut of the garment struck me as familiar. Where had I seen it before?

Just as I recognized it from my memory, the black hood dropped and revealed the pissed-off face of my aunt, Crystyn Porter.

“Gryff?” the Guardian growled as her hazel eyes blazed. “What in the Maker’s name have you done?”

Chapter Five

Crystyn’s mouth drew into a thin line as she awaited my response, and I struggled to find the words to say. I could still feel the sweat beading on my forehead from the fight, and my breath was a bit ragged in my chest.

How was I going to explain all that had happened to her?

“Gryff?” my aunt repeated as if she were speaking to a child. “What’s happened here? Why is the moon red, and what in the Maker’s name is that beast on the surface?”

“Hi, Crystyn.” I stepped forward and greeted her with a sheepish smile. “Would it be wrong for me to say I’m happy to see you?”

My aunt’s hazel eyes darted to the sky above us. “I’m happy to see you, too, nephew, and your lovely friends as well, but I can’t say I’m too thrilled by the circumstances. How one man manages to get himself into so much trouble is beyond me, and you’re certainly in quite a bit of trouble.”

“Hey, this isn’t all my fault,” I insisted, though I wasn’t sure how much truth there was to my words.

“I can’t blame you entirely, but I’m also not a fool,” the Guardian sighed as she rested her hands on her hips. “I know you don’t want to claim any part in this, but if you’re anything like my brother, I know you’re heavily involved.”

The mention of my father sent a brief pang of sadness through me. My memories of Relaude Porter were limited by the fact I was only three when I’d been pulled away from them and into the human realm, and every time my aunt mentioned her brother, I was disappointed that I didn’t have a chance to know him.

The moment was interrupted when I heard someone clear their throat behind me, and suddenly there was a hand on my arm. Nia’s pale-blue eyes assessed me carefully, and I gave her the tiniest of nods to indicate I was okay.

“You’re right,” I sighed as I turned back to my aunt. “I’m involved, but I’m not entirely sure in what capacity. This is all a big mystery to us, and we’re still trying to piece together the clues.”

“I suppose that should make me feel better, but it doesn’t,” the Guardian replied as she crossed her arms against her chest. “I’d hoped to know more when I’d arrived--”

“Wait, how did you know something had gone wrong in the first place?” I wondered as my eyebrows furrowed. “And how did you know something was up but not the specifics?”

“It was a feeling,” Crystyn explained vaguely. “I am a Guardian after all, and I just got the sense something in the human realm was imbalanced. When I stepped through the portal, I wasn’t expecting to see a red moon or red skies. This far exceeded my expectations.”

“I know,” I sighed. “I can’t really say we anticipated this, either.”

Crystyn suddenly took notice of the vast amount of dust around us. “Wait a moment… these monster remains are fresh. How is that possible?”

“They’re about as fresh as it gets,” Gawain murmured behind me.

“Are you implying you fought against a monster?” my aunt pressed. “At this time of night?”

“Yes.” I nodded.

“Shit,” the Guardian sighed, and then she pinched the bridge of her nose in disbelief. “I guess that explains why you’re all out here rather than inside of the Enclave. This is all such a mess.”

“That’s one way of putting it,” I agreed with her. “I keep waiting for the sun to rise and for all of this to be some kind of messed up dream or something, but no such luck. This is our world right now, no matter how much I wish it wasn’t.”

“Explain everything to me,” my aunt insisted. “How did this shift come to be? Did one of the Archons bring this on? I would ask if Hunnah and Quilla were successful after all, but I just came from my home in the Shadowscape, so that doesn’t seem likely.”

“They weren’t successful.” I rubbed the back of my neck. “In fact, that would be kind of impossible.”

“And why is that?” Crystyn frowned, but when all of us remained silent, realization settled over the Guardian’s features.

My cheeks suddenly grew hot, and I was sure my face was every shade of red. “Yeah… They’re all in here.”

“Y-You captured all nine Archons?” the older summoner asked, and her already large hazel eyes grew to nearly twice their size. “Gryff… how…”

“It was no easy feat.” I rubbed the back of my neck. “But yes, I captured Hunnah and Quilla. Hunnah brought her pack of mistwolves to Mistral, and there was a showdown that ended in me taking both goddesses into my consciousness, where they are now currently residing.”

“Maker, you’ve been busy,” my aunt sighed as she tucked a strand of caramel hair behind her ear. “The last time we spoke, you were about to face Carth, and now I’m hearing you’ve managed to defeat Hunnah and Quilla, too?”

“What can I say, I’m a man of efficiency.” I shrugged.

“And a humble one at that.” Crystyn smirked, but her amusement didn’t last nearly as long as I wanted it to. “So, do you mean to tell me all of this happened right after you took the final goddesses within you?”

“Well, not exactly--”

I knew exactly where the Guardian’s mind was at, and I didn’t want her to make the connection.

Crystyn and I had a complicated past. She was the twin sister of my father, Relaude Porter, and she’d been extremely close to both of my parents, who were also Guardians. The twelve protectors of Mistral had been approached by none other than Carth, who insisted I was the one to fulfill the Beastmaker prophecy.

After the horned Archon’s declaration, the other Guardians wanted to end my life. I was no more than three, but they didn’t want me to grow up and become the Beastmaker. When my life was threatened, my parents stood against their team in order to defend me. A struggle ensued, and in a last-minute attempt to save my life, my aunt had opened up a portal and plunged us into the Shadowscape.

From there, we traveled everywhere, but at one point, the Guardian and I were separated and therefore lost to time. I’d ended up in Njordenfalls, where I’d been found by my adoptive father, Maelor Corroso.

Crystyn had believed I’d been lost forever, but she ended up finding me when the Archons first awoke. While she didn’t want to believe the Beastmaker’s prophecy, she was still loyal to her duties as a Guardian and vowed to keep an eye on me, just to make sure I didn’t become the downfall of mankind. She’d admitted it was hard to see her nephew in that light, but she’d taken an oath to keep the realm safe. If I was in fact the Beastmaker, she would end my life.

The Guardian watched me carefully, and I did my best to remain calm. After a moment or two of intense staring, Crystyn’s face finally relaxed.

“Look, I can see you and your team are exhausted,” the Guardian assessed. “I know there’s much for us to discuss, but I think we can do it behind closed doors while your squadron rests. Might I suggest we return to the safety of the Enclave and proceed from there?”

“I think that’s a good idea,” I agreed. I gave the sky a quick glance, and an involuntary shiver crept up my spine. No matter how many times I studied our ruby-tinted surroundings, I still wouldn’t get used to it.

“Don’t think this means you’re off the hook,” Crystyn warned me with narrowed eyes, and for a moment, she looked more like my aunt and less like a badass ancient warrior mage. “We still have plenty to discuss. I’d just rather not do it outside of a xanyarstone wall.”

“Fine,” I sighed, and I heard a giggle behind me.

“Wow, she really is his auntie,” Cyra whispered, and she and Nia shared a brief laugh with one another.

I whipped around to playfully glare at them, and their cheeks were practically maroon.

“Would you like to get on my pyrewyrm, or would you prefer a different monster?” I asked Crystyn when I turned back, and then I scanned the essence crystals in my bandolier. “I have quite a few--”

“Did you forget I’m a summoner as well?” my aunt laughed lightly. “I appreciate the offer, Gryff, but don’t worry, I can call upon my own. Save your mana as much as possible.”

I nearly blurted out the fact that my mana wouldn’t have been affected by the addition of another monster, but I managed to stop myself just in time. Crystyn wasn’t clueless, so I knew she was aware my power exceeded that of a normal mage, but there was no way she knew the full scale, and I wasn’t ready to reveal such news when I was already in hot water for this whole red-moon business.

Instead, I signaled for my pyrewyrm to return to me, and as my worm-like monster returned to my side, Crystyn removed her robe to reveal her high-necked, blue-gray jumpsuit and a black, intricately-shaped leather harness that carried almost two times the number of crystals mine did.

My aunt noticed my stare, and her lips curled up into another smirk.

“Curious about my monsters?” she asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Yeah,” I admitted. “I’ve only ever seen your maripor, the vachiana, and the gildrid, and none of them happen to have wings, so I can’t quite put my finger on what monster you’ve got in mind.”

“When it comes to flying, there’s only one monster I really rely on,” Crystyn revealed before she plucked a black and gold crystal from her harness, studied it affectionately, and then threw it to the ground.

When her monster manifested before us, my jaw practically fell to the ground.

“Is… is that a phoenix?” I breathed. “By the Maker.”

“Yes,” she chuckled.

The monster was one of the most beautiful creatures I’d ever seen. True to myth and legend, the eagle-like body of the creature was about as long as a mountain lion’s, with long, plush feathers that went from black to a deep scarlet, and then fading into brilliant gold at the tip. The bird was not nearly as large as the pyrewyrm in body, but its wingspan was just about as long, and its golden tail feathers trailed behind it like the train of a wedding gown.

“Wow,” I breathed as the creature studied me with its large eyes. The bird monster’s irises had the same gradient as its feathers, and the gold ring around its pupil was so bright, it was almost like sunlight.

“She’s lovely, isn’t she?” Crystyn smiled proudly. “I’m not too prideful, but she’s one of my dearest creatures. I raised her from a hatchling.”

“You didn’t capture her?” I frowned.

“I did eventually.” My aunt shrugged. “But only after I’d earned her trust. Her mother was a phoenix that belonged to my own mother, and I brought her up myself until she was old enough to capture in an essence crystal.”

“I’ve never really heard of people raising and breeding monsters,” I admitted as I studied my aunt’s summons. “You speak of her like she’s a pet.”

“I suppose,” Crystyn mused. “Though I’d prefer to think of her more as a friend than a belonging.”

“I never realized phoenixes were real,” Braden said softly as he stepped forward to look at the bird monster. “I mean, I know they’re real from what I’ve read about them in textbooks, but I never expected to see one in person.”

“Same here,” Cyra remarked as she moved forward to join us, and when my curly-haired wife approached the phoenix, the red and gold monster perked up and got a twinkle in its eye.

“She likes you,” Crystyn remarked as the phoenix took a step toward the umber-skinned summoner.

Cyra held her hand out, and the phoenix gently nudged it with her beak. Once Cyra had permission, she stroked the bird monster, and it let out a soft coo.

“I like her, too,” she whispered.

“She is lovely,” Gawain remarked.

“Definitely,” Nia agreed in an awestruck tone.

“I’ve seen a lot of pretty monsters, but she’s definitely one of the more beautiful ones I’ve ever seen,” Almasy remarked thoughtfully as his head tilted to the side.

“She’ll be around later,” Crystyn reminded the group as they fell under the phoenix’s spell. “I’m sure she would love the extra attention from everyone, but we should return to Varle first.”

“Of course.” I nodded. I resummoned my vingehund for Gawain and then commanded my pyrewyrm to return to my side.

Gawain happily reunited with the pale-blue canine monster, Braden and Almasy resumed their perch on the back of Braden’s king gryphon, and Cyra hopped on Kalon’s back, which only left Nia mount-less.

“Nia, do you want to join me on the pyrewyrm?” I asked the ashen-haired elementalist. “I know you came here on Kalon--”

“I’ll come with you.” Nia nodded. “It’s not like it really matters since we’re all headed in the same direction, but I wouldn’t mind riding along with you.”

“You’re always welcome.” I smiled at my wife, and I patted the back of my serpentine monster. “Climb aboard the pyrewyrm express.”

Nia giggled as I reached my hand out to her and helped her mount the pyrewyrm behind me. The mage’s arms wrapped around my waist, and her cheek rested against my back. The familiar smell of her perfume filled my nostrils, and for a moment, nothing else in the world mattered.

“I love you,” I whispered just low enough for her to hear.

“I love you, too,” Nia replied, and she gently squeezed my waist.

“Everyone ready?” I called out to the group, and when everyone gave me a nod, I commanded the pyrewyrm to take us back home.

We lifted off into the air, and as we made our way back to the Enclave, I couldn’t help but admire my team. There was never a time where I wasn’t grateful to my friends, but I was feeling especially thankful to have them at my side after such a crazy battle.

I was still wary of how I was going to explain everything to Crystyn, but that was a problem for near-future Gryff. For right now, I just needed to get us back to the Academy and find Sleet.

It was unlikely the Grand Mage had arrived since we’d gone off to fight the fire-eye, but I’d seen stranger things before. I needed to come up with a strategy to propose to Sleet and Gallahar Kenefick so I could prove myself to them. I wanted my father-in-law to trust me more than he already did, and I wanted to show him I was capable of any task he threw my way.

“Gryff?” Nia’s voice interrupted my inner monologue. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” I insisted.

“It doesn’t seem like you are,” my ashen-haired wife continued. “Not that anyone could blame you. These circumstances aren’t ideal.”

“You’ve got that right,” I sighed, and I rested my hand on top of Nia’s. “I’m just… worried. There’s so much happening, and I’m worried about what Crystyn will say, and what your father will think of me when they learn this might have happened because I slept with an Archon.”

“Gryff, this couldn’t have just been because of you and Sera,” Nia contradicted me. “Now, had there not been an enormous entity on the moon, I might have believed said theory, but the fact of the matter is whatever is up there is the reason for the shift. I know it’s hard to believe things are just a matter of convenient timing, but you aren’t the monster you’re making yourself out to be in your head. You’re my husband, and you’re a protector of Mistral. You’d never do anything to harm it, so don’t convince yourself otherwise.”

“You’re too sweet for your own good,” I replied. “I really don’t deserve you, Kenefick.”

“Hush,” Nia whispered, and then she kissed the side of my neck. “I love you, Gryff, and nothing is ever going to change that. As for my dad and your aunt, they know you as well. They won’t hate you for anything, I promise.”

“I hope you’re right.” I nodded my head as I considered her kind words. Nia knew just how to reassure me and make even the scariest, uncertain moments feel okay again, and I was grateful to have her here.

“Now, let’s just focus on getting to the Academy,” Nia proposed. “We’ll sort the rest out later.”

We soon approached the walls of the Enclave, and as a team, scaled over the walls and easily flew down to the Academy without much traffic or interference. The airships that had flown about crazily before we’d left seemed to have either flown out or settled down, which told me troops had been deployed to the surrounding areas while we’d been fighting the fire-eye. A slight sense of relief washed over me, and I took a deep breath. The reddened moon may have been the exact same, but at least the civilians were getting the care they needed.

Finally, we reached the Academy, and I was surprised to see at least seventy percent of the chaos had quelled just as the aircrafts had. There were still plenty of mages on the grounds, but they were split off into different areas rather than shoved together in an overwhelming mob.

My former peers parted when they noticed my team approaching them with their monsters, and they gave us a wide enough berth to be able to land our mounts comfortably. I was relieved to finally be on the ground, but I now had to face both Sleet and my aunt, and the nerves crept back in. I felt Nia’s grip tighten around me once more as if to remind me of our earlier conversation, and I allowed my shoulders to relax.

“Thank you,” I said to her, and Nia kissed my shoulder.

We all climbed off our monsters and returned them to our essence crystals, except for Kalon, who shrank down to her miniature size and perched on Cyra’s shoulder like a pink and silver parrot.

I watched Crystyn carefully place her phoenix’s gem in an empty space in her harness, and something about the way she handled the essence crystal so gently warmed my heart. After thinking for so long that my aunt was my enemy, it was nice to be reminded she was a good person after all.

“Gryff!” Sleet’s voice rang out, and I looked up just in time to see the storm mage approach us with eager eyes. “I assume the rift has been handled?”

“Yes, sir,” I replied. “Conor and his team found the catalyst, and now they’re out looking for their banisher. They didn’t want to leave her to return on her own.”

“Good.” The headmaster nodded. “That’s exactly what I’d expect them to do. Now, how did everything go? Were there many monsters?”

“Sort of,” I said. “But it wasn’t so much the number of monsters that was the problem.”

“What do you mean by that?” Sleet frowned, and he crossed his arms against his chest.

“The monsters were behaving unnaturally, sir,” Braden spoke up. “It was almost as if they were cornered animals rather than invading monsters.”

“They had this strange way of moving,” I chimed in. “It’s as Braden said, they were behaving like rabid mortal animals. Their eyes were fearful, their movements disjointed…”

“Not to mention the weird deal with the fire-eye’s elemental magic.” Braden shook his head, and his gray eyes suddenly widened when he realized what he’d said.

“What was wrong with its elemental magic?” Crystyn wondered in a suspicious tone, and Braden’s cheeks darkened.

“Wait, Gryff, who is this?” Headmaster Sleet asked as his eyebrows creased together. “I’m sorry, my lady, but I don’t believe we’ve met.”

“This is my aunt, Crystyn Porter,” I introduced her to the headmaster. “Aunt Crystyn, this is Marangur Sleet, the headmaster of Varle Academy.”

“Crystyn Porter, the Guardian?” Sleet’s jaw practically fell, and he gave my aunt a small bow. “It’s a great pleasure to meet you, my lady. I’ve heard so much about you, and I’m thrilled to finally make your acquaintance.”

“It’s nice to meet you as well, sir.” Crystyn gave a genuine smile to the headmaster. “I assume you’re the one who got my nephew to join your Academy?”

“The very same,” Sleet chuckled. “It was no easy feat, but Mister Gryff has proven himself many times over the years, and I can safely say he’s one of the best mages my Academy has ever seen.”

“I believe that whole-heartedly,” Crystyn said. “Thank you for taking him under your wing, headmaster.”

“Please, call me Marangur,” Sleet insisted.

“Marangur,” Crystyn repeated back with a smile, and I couldn’t help but notice a bit of a spark between the pair.

Was it simply mutual appreciation and respect, or was there more to it?

Before I could worry about it further, Sleet cleared his throat and turned back to me.

“What was so unusual about the monster’s elemental power?” he asked in a curious tone. “Mister Flint implied something was strange?”

“It was a fire-eye,” I began. “A fire-variant cyclops, and yet… halfway through the battle, its magic shifted from fire to lightning.”

“Oh, my,” Sleet whispered as his lips parted in surprise. “I-I’ve never heard of anything like that before.”

“Nor have I,” Crystyn chimed in as she gave me a look of shock. “Elemental variants stick to their element only. How could a fire monster suddenly be able to wield electricity?”

“I don’t know,” I sighed. “I’ve been trying to figure that out myself.”

We all stood in silence for a moment, unable to find the right words to say. The fact of the matter was all of us were out of our elements, and all of our theories were pure speculation. As much as I wanted to hypothesize, I didn’t have any helpful ideas.

Finally, the headmaster cleared his throat again in a diplomatic way.

“Well, we’ll come back to that, but for now, Mister Gryff, Gallahar Kenefick is still on his way,” Sleet revealed. “He is not due to arrive until the morning, but his craft is traveling as fast as it can. I want to hear more about what had happened outside of the Enclave, but I can imagine it would be beneficial for the Grand Mage to hear it as well, so I will spare you having to repeat the finer details. I’d suggest you and your teammates return to your home and attempt to get some rest before his arrival.

“Sir, I really don’t mind continuing to help,” I insisted, but the headmaster waved me off.

“I’d say you’ve done more than enough for one night,” Sleet confirmed. “Thank you all for your contribution toward the fight against the cyclops. I’ve already deployed a good number of mages out into Varle and beyond to patrol the area for rifts and other possible attacks, so return home and get some rest. The Grand Mage should be here tomorrow, and once he arrives, we’ll have a larger conference. For now, I think you all have earned a good night’s sleep.”

“Thank you, sir.” I nodded at the storm mage, and then I turned to my aunt. “We have plenty of rooms if you’re okay with staying with us. I know you likely have a lot of business to attend to--”

“At present, you’re my business,” the Guardian said. “I’m here to speak with you, and besides, it sounds like there’s much you need to fill me in on. So, yes, I accept your invitation.”

“Would you like transport?” Sleet asked us. “Or will you be flying back?”

“I think we can fly back on our own,” I decided. “I don’t want to exhaust any of your military vehicles when there’s already so much going on.”

“I’ll see you all in the morning, then,” the headmaster addressed the group. “Mister Maddox, Mister Almasy, would you care for an escort back to your rooms?”

“That would be great.” Gawain nodded. “Thank you, sir.”

The fire and earth mages offered us small smiles, and after my aunt nodded her head at Sleet in respect, my friends and the headmaster parted ways with us.

“I’m going to get back home, too,” Braden announced. “I’m sure Mati’s worried sick.”

“Give her our love,” I said. “And thank you for everything today, er, tonight.”

“Of course.” My former roommate gave me a wide smile. “I’ll see you later, Gryff.”

The ox-like summoner walked away, and soon it was just my women, my aunt, and me. While Crystyn continued to stare at the moon, Nia and Cyra pulled me aside.

“We’ll head back on Kalon so you and your aunt can have a moment alone,” Cyra proposed, and the dark-skinned summoner tucked a curly tendril behind her ear. “I’m sure you have a lot to discuss, and we don’t want to interrupt your initial conversation, or risk saying the wrong thing--”

“You wouldn’t.” I shook my head. “And besides, we’re all going to have the same discussion once we reach the mansion, but I’m sure having a second to ease Crystyn into the situation would be a good idea. I already know where her mind is at, and I need to find a way to keep her from suspecting I’m--”

“Let’s stop this conversation before it reaches the point I’m afraid it’s leading to,” Nia interjected. The multi-elementalist’s eyes were even more piercing than usual, and the way my wife’s lips formed a thin line told me she was serious.

“You’re right,” I agreed with her. “Okay. I’ll see you both back at the mansion. Please fly safely. I don’t know if another rift will open up--”

“If it does, we’ll handle it, but we should be fine,” Cyra replied. “I know you’re worried about us, Gryff, but we’ve got this, I promise.”

“I know you do,” I said, and then I flashed my curly-haired wife a smile. “But it’s my duty as your husband to worry.”

My wives offered me small smiles and then each came on either side of me and kissed my cheeks. Heat rose to my face once again, and I gave them both kisses on the lips before they departed.

Crystyn watched me with a look of amusement, and when I approached, she laughed to herself.

“You’re so much like your father,” she assessed, and there was a tinge of sadness in her eyes. “You look at your wives just as he looked at Genevieve. Your love is just as true as his.”

“My family is my world,” I said. “I would do anything if it meant they would be safe.”

“And that’s what makes you a Porter.” Crystyn smiled at me.

We shared a brief moment of silence, and then I watched my aunt’s eyes lift to meet the ruby-tinged sky, and her peaceful smile hardened as an aircraft flew by.

“They have no idea what they’re getting into,” Crystyn mused. “No idea what kind of hellscape they now occupy. I feel for them.”

“We don’t know what it is, either,” I reminded her gently.

“I know,” she replied. “That thing, that entity… I have no idea what it is. This not knowing is worse than anything. As a Guardian, I’ve always been well-versed in our histories, and yet… I haven’t the faintest idea of what that creature could be or why it’s here. I’d been secretly hoping it was the result of one of the Archons. That would make it so much easier to defeat.”

I pursed my lips as my heart skipped a beat. If my aunt knew this had come about after I’d attempted to make a baby with Sera, I was sure she would end my life on the spot. The Guardian’s heart had opened up to me in the past, but I knew any mention of procreation with the dark-winged goddess would erase any type of progress we’d made.

“Let’s get back to my house,” I suggested. “We could use some distance away from this nasty-smelling air.”

“I’ve spent so much time in the Shadowscape, I’ve completely lost my sense of smell,” Crystyn chuckled. “Not that I’m complaining, of course.”

I joined her in a brief laugh, and then I summoned my pyrewyrm once more. I felt bad for using the monster so frequently, but it had speed and size on its side. The distance between the Academy and the mansion was minimal, but the flight would be even shorter on the wyrm.

Crystyn and I climbed on the serpentine monster, and without another word, we made our way to my home. I spent the entirety of the flight debating on whether or not I should mention any details to my aunt, but I ultimately decided against it. I owed her explanations, but I also wanted to reveal them on my own terms. The last thing I needed was for the Guardian to completely lose her shit and abandon the efforts to help the realm because of her duty to destroy the Beastmaker.

Finally, we reached my front yard, and as my monster settled down on the emerald lawn, my heart beat swiftly in my chest. I was nervous for my aunt to meet the rest of my family and children, but I was afraid of how this encounter would come to pass. Crystyn could be a little intimidating, and I hadn’t exactly had a chance to tell her about all of the children that had been born since we last spoke.

“The rest of my family will be excited to finally meet you,” I mused. “Of course, by that, I mean they’ll be happy to meet you as my aunt rather than Jace.”

“I’m glad I no longer have to hide my identity under a false name.” Crystyn smiled. “Though, I hope your family doesn’t let my prior actions impact our relationship.”

“It won’t,” I insisted. “I’ve told them you’re my aunt, and they’re all thrilled to meet you. Those who haven’t anyway. And besides, there’s more than just my women for you to meet.”

“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.”

“I agree,” my father-in-law said, and then his blue eyes lit up when he noticed Nia. “My daughter. Come here and give your father a hug.”

“Happily,” Nia replied with a dazzling smile, and she embraced her father tenderly. “I’m so glad you’re safe, Father. I was worried your transport would run into problems on the way here.”

“I appreciate your concern, love,” the Grand Mage replied. “Thankfully, we had little turbulence or disturbances. I only wish we would have arrived sooner.”

“Hartmire isn’t exactly right next door,” I reminded my father-in-law. “Speaking of which, how is that Enclave faring?”

“They’re just about as panicked as they are here in Varle,” Gallahar sighed. “I put in the same safety perimeters, but I wish there was more I could do to ease their troubles. This is all so bizarre.”

“I’m sure they understand, Father,” Nia insisted. “They know you have their best interests at heart.”

“Thanks, Nia.” Gallahar smiled, but then his expression grew more serious. “Now, shall we move on to official business? Where are we meeting?”

“Upstairs,” I answered, and I inclined my head toward the spiral staircase. “I’ll show you to the room.”

“Thank you, son,” Gallahar said, and then we all made our way up to the fourth floor.

When we entered, I was surprised to see all of my friends and family had already taken seats around the office, and each looked nervous, except for Crystyn, who seemed unbothered by it all.

I took a seat beside Nia while Sleet and Gallahar made their way to the front of the room.

The pair of older mages exchanged knowing glances that made me feel a bit nervous, and I was afraid of what they were going to say. Would we plunge right into the prophecy? Mine and Sera’s union?

“Now that you’ve all been gathered here, there’s something I’d like to discuss before we get into the matter of the moon,” the Grand Mage began in a cryptic tone. “I’ve been thinking about this particular subject for a while, and the headmaster agrees it’s the right decision.”

Tension flooded the room, and each of my friends and family members exchanged nervous looks as we waited for the Grand Mage to continue.

“Sir?” I prompted Gallahar. “What’s going on?”

“I have some good news,” Gallahar assured me. “Well, good considering these times. All of you, at one time or another, have served your realm in ways other mages have not. Each of you has sacrificed everything in order to keep the citizens of Mistral and beyond safe, and I promise you your efforts have not gone unnoticed. As such, we’ve reached a decision about a matter that hasn’t been visited in hundreds of years. We’ve decided to make some of you the new Guardians of the realm.”

Chapter Six

“Wowwww,” I uttered as I stared at Gallahar with widened eyes. “Sir, that’s such an incredible honor--”

“Don’t attempt to turn it down, Gryff,” Gallahar warned me with a raised eyebrow. “You’re far too humble, but I can assure you I mean every word I said.”

“Wow,” Cyra breathed. “Is this really happening? We get to be Guardians?”

“It is, Miss Cyra,” Headmaster Sleet confirmed with a proud smile. “This discussion has been taking place for quite some time now. We were going to hold a meeting not long after Mister Gryff graduated, but that timeline was rendered obsolete by the current state of our world.”

“Fair enough,” my curly-haired wife allowed.

“Not that I disagree with this great honor, but are we deserving of it?” Nia wondered with a slightly furrowed brow. “We’ve had quite a bit of field experience, that can’t be denied, but there are plenty of older, even more experienced mages.”

“Yes, but out of all of the mages in Mistral, you and your friends have proven yourselves to be the most powerful and the most worthy of the honor,” Gallahar insisted, and then his blue eyes bored into mine with intensity. “Our realm would be lucky to have you as their most renowned protectors, especially now. We’re going to need you all to step up even further and help us restore the realm to its former self.”

I sat back in my chair as I considered Sleet’s words. My possible involvement in the aforementioned “current event” made me worry I wasn’t actually qualified for such a dignified position, but I knew I was one of the most powerful mages alive.

Would they rescind the offer once they found out I’d had sex with Sera? What about when they found out I’d willingly decided to create a baby with the dark-winged Archon? Would they still hold me in such high esteem?

“I know my opinions hold little weight amongst you all, but I would have to agree with your Grand Mage,” Crystyn chimed in from her seat beside me. “From what I’ve witnessed, you and your team have sacrificed almost everything in order to protect the realm. Back when the Guardians were at their prime, before everything fell apart and our relationships splintered, we were a group of twelve mages, all around the same ages as you all. We were all friends brought together by circumstances, but we soon became a family. Seeing the way you interact with one another reminds me of those times, though I can tell your bonds won’t crumble as ours did. You all seem quite capable and up to the task.”

“That’s really nice of you to say, Crystyn,” I thanked my aunt, and then my brow furrowed as my mind began to move in circles.

“Gryff?” Headmaster Sleet prompted me. “Are you alright? You don’t look too particularly excited about this.”

“Please, don’t take this the wrong way, but I have a few questions about everything,” I began after I took a moment to gather my thoughts. “The first of which regards the number of Guardians. One of the original Guardians is still alive and here in this room with us. So, how would this even work? Is Crystyn still a Guardian?”

“I can’t speak for the governing of Mistral at present,” Crystyn answered before Sleet and Gallahar. “I was given my position long before any of you were born, and had the circumstances of my existence been different… I wouldn’t be here with you right now. As a Guardian, I took an oath, and I intend to uphold it until my natural death, but when it comes to current matters of this realm, it is up to your Grand Mage to appoint new Guardians as he sees fit. If you’d like my involvement, I’m here, but the official titles would belong to you.”

“As for the second half of your question, Gryff, I have an answer, but before I give it, I want to make sure there’s no awkwardness or tension in this room,” Gallahar added as he peered around the office. “I know that tactfully, we should have only brought in those appointed at first--”

“If you’re worried about anyone feeling left out, sir, don’t,” Erin spoke up, much to my surprise. “All of us are pretty level-headed, and I know we can handle it easily.”

“Absolutely.” Gawain nodded his head. “There is no jealousy amongst us here.”

“Is everyone in agreement on that observation?” Sleet asked, and everyone let out sounds of confirmation.

I knew my friends well. We were all supportive of each other no matter what.

“Of course,” Varleth spoke up. “We may not all be given an official title, but over the past few years, we’ve become a team. No matter who is given a position, we’re all still a unit, and nothing will change that.”

“I agree with Prost,” Gawain added in a serious tone. “Positions and titles are important, but we’re a team. I’m happy for whoever is named, but I won’t be offended if my name isn’t on that list.”

“Then shall we proceed?” Sleet asked Gallahar, and the Grand Mage nodded his head.

“Historically, there have always been twelve Guardians, so we’ve elected the same number to keep with the tradition,” Gallahar began. “Our selections are as follows: Gryff of Njordenfalls, Nia Kenefick, Layla Bethel, Arwyn Hamner, Gawain Maddox, Keith Almasy, Varleth Prost, Orenn Vascarti, Ashla, Cyra, Erin Lindblum, and Braden Flint.”

I studied the room and realized that among my lovers, only Freya had not been selected. The hawk princess continued to wear a smile on her lovely face regardless, which only confirmed Gawain and Varleth’s earlier statement.

Suddenly, Erin cleared her throat and sat up in her seat.

“Sir, is there a way to be… Guardian adjacent?” the copper-haired mimic asked the Grand Mage in a respectful voice. “I’m flattered by the selection, don’t get me wrong, but when it comes down to warriors and protectors, I think my position would be better filled by someone like Freya, someone who’s a true warrior. My magic can be powerful, but it also relies on the magic of others, and besides, at my core, I’m a pilot. My strengths lie in transportation and flying--”

“Miss Lindblum, Mister Almasy is of the same profession,” Sleet pointed out.

“Yes, that’s true,” Erin admitted. “But Almasy is also one of the most powerful earth mages there is. I’m not saying my magic isn’t strong. I’ve worked hard to improve myself, and my particular skill set comes in handy as backup energy, but when it comes down to it, I like being the person who’s able to navigate my team to different places and ensure them safe passage wherever they’re needed. I would rather serve the Guardians in that type of capacity than as an actual protector of Mistral, if that makes sense.”

“Erin, are you sure?” I asked her. “Please don’t sell your magic short. You’re a brilliant mage who’s helped us so many times, and I don’t want you to think you’re undeserving.”

“I know I’ve helped,” Erin assured me, and her amber eyes sparkled. “But the times where I’ve really shined are the times I helped get the team to where they needed to be. Flying aircraft is in my blood, Gryff, and that’s what I want to do. I want to be the one to make sure the Guardians have safe passage to whatever location necessary.”

“If that’s what you wish, Miss Lindblum, we’ll respectfully accept your decision,” Headmaster Sleet said, and then he turned to Freya. “Miss Freya, would you feel comfortable stepping into that role? We meant no offense when we didn’t initially ask you, it was only because we weren’t certain about the future leadership of your clan.”

“When my father grows too old to rule over Hawk Clan, my sister will become queen,” Freya announced. “I will always be loyal to my people, but Vahla will be the one to rule the next generation of shapeshifters. My place is here in Mistral, and if you would care for me to be a Guardian, I will accept.”

“Then it shall be done,” Gallahar decided. “Now, I’ll give each of you the opportunity to speak up if this isn’t what you want. We can’t force you into roles you aren’t comfortable with, and we don’t want to. So, please, if there’s anything anyone wants to say or wants to ask, feel free to do so.”

I glanced around at my friends and family members, but each seemed to be processing in a different way. Cyra, Layla, and Freya seemed thrilled while Arwyn, Ashla, and Nia seemed accepting but still nervous. My male friends looked like they were trying to wear the most professional expressions they could manage, but I could tell by their smirks they were just as excited as my women.

“I think we’re all okay,” I spoke up. “Unless…”

“I did have a minor question,” Arwyn spoke up. The professor tucked a thick strand of crimson hair behind her ear and then folded her hands in her lap before she continued. “I haven’t had a chance to announce it to anyone outside of our immediate family yet, but I’m with child. Will my physical state bear any weight on this decision?”

“Not at all.” Sleet shook his head. “And allow me to extend my congratulations, Miss Hamner. That is wonderful news, and I am very happy for the two of you.”

“Thank you.” Arwyn nodded humbly. “It will still be quite a while until I am to give birth, but I wanted you to be made aware of my condition.”

“I am pregnant as well,” Ashla announced, and when all eyes fell to her, the ice mage’s cheeks darkened. “I just wanted to make everyone aware since Arwyn just announced her news.”

“Thank you for your disclosure, and congratulations as well, Miss Ashla.” Gallahar smiled at the former mercenary. “And of course to you as well, Gryff. You and your family are certainly blessed.”

“Soon, you won’t even need the rest of us,” Almasy teased. “You’re practically building an entire armada of Guardians yourselves. Not a lot of job security.”

We all cracked up at that, even Vahla and Mur, who weren’t fully aware of what was being said. The laughter that filled the room brought a necessary amount of calm to the slightly tense atmosphere, and I was thankful my friends weren’t good at staying serious for too long.

“I assure you, Mister Almasy, your positions are secured,” Sleet chuckled as he leaned against the wall. “It’s an oath sworn for life, as Miss Porter attested to earlier.”

“Phew.” Almasy wiped his forehead in mock relief, which sent my women into another round of giggles.

“Still, you’d better watch your back, Almasy.” Cyra waggled her eyebrows. “Milo might start gunning for your position once he’s old enough to walk.”

“Well, when we reach that point, Milo and I will just have to settle the score like gentlemen with a proper duel,” the earth mage proposed. “So, I would advise you to tell him to start working on his pushups.”

“Alright,” Arwyn attempted to bring the conversation back around, but the crimson-haired professor’s lips betrayed her amusement. “Shall we return to our prior conversation?”

“Yes,” Sleet decided with a simple nod. “I think that would be a good idea.”

“We shall have a more official swearing-in ceremony at a later date,” Gallahar announced, and he turned to address my aunt. “Miss Porter, would you be able to assist us with that matter, since you’ve been through the initiation before?”

“I would be honored when the time comes,” Crystyn confirmed, and then she gave the Grand Mage an earnest smile.

“Brilliant,” Gallahar said, and then the mage transformed from my father-in-law to the Grand Mage of Mistral. “Now, back to the original reason we called you into this room. We need to discuss what’s happened to the realm, and what we can do to return things to the way they once were.”

My stomach dropped, and any calmness I’d found in the past few minutes slipped out of my body as I prepared myself for this conversation.

“I agree,” I said. “However, I’m not sure what there is to do exactly.”

“Gryff, will you please catch me up on what transpired?” the Grand Mage asked as he took a seat. The renowned mage crossed his legs professionally and rested his hands in his lap. “I was unfortunately in the middle of a meeting when I was given the news of the moon and didn’t happen to witness the event for myself. Headmaster Sleet has informed me you watched the entire thing happen, so please, fill us all in on the details.

My hands began to shake, and I tucked them under the table before any of my friends or family could see them tremble. I needed to present a calm demeanor to the Grand Mage and remain professional now that I was a Guardian.

“I was in my room when it happened,” I recounted. “All of us had been having a celebration a few hours prior, and I’d decided to turn in early. I didn’t happen to make it to bed at first, I was a little too wound up from the festivities, and after some time, I found myself staring out the window and watching the moon. Right before my eyes, the moon began to turn red, and then the sky was tinted, and suddenly those tentacles appeared on the surface.”

“Maker,” Crystyn breathed, and her hazel eyes grew weary.

“Which came first, the shift, or the tentacles?” Gallahar wondered. “They must go hand-in-hand?”

“The shift,” I answered. “But the tentacles appeared not even a minute later.”

“Wow,” the Grand Mage replied. “What happened after that? The headmaster told me you took it upon yourself to investigate the moon yourself?”

“You did what?” Crystyn asked me, and this time, her weariness was replaced with a very aunt-like expression. “Gryff, that’s so dangerous--”

“I know,” I interjected. “But it had to be done.”

I filled the room in on everything that had happened, from the tentacles I’d inspected with my vingehund-enhanced vision, to the monster attack in the forest outside of Helux, and the battle against the fire-eye. Everyone shook their heads in disbelief, even Headmaster Sleet, who’d already been aware of the situation. I wasn’t used to seeing the renowned storm mage in such shock and surprise before, and I wasn’t quite sure how to feel about it. Sleet had always presented himself in such a steady, strong way that it was odd to see him so thrown off by all of this.

The Grand Mage was the exact same way. He managed to keep his mouth even, but the moment I mentioned the monster in the woods, I watched the color leave his face, and it only got worse when I told him about the cyclops. The older mages were just as mind blown as we were, which should have made me feel better from a solidarity standpoint, but it didn’t.

I watched the pair process everything for a moment, and then my eyes flew to Crystyn. Of anyone, her reaction was the one I feared the most, and I was having difficulty reading her. Her gaze was just as stoic as it’d been before I’d shared the story, and I wanted nothing more than to know where her head was at. Had she started putting anything else together?

I was at a crossroads when it came to my involvement, and I didn’t know which path to take.

“You mentioned your family remained behind during all of this to examine what texts you had in your possession.” Gallahar finally said. “So, I take it nothing has been uncovered from Carth’s text?”

Arwyn and Ashla shook their heads in unison.

“Unfortunately not,” Arwyn replied, and her tone was disappointed. “Carth and Xanrith helped us scan through the book, and we attempted to decipher the words within, but we didn’t find anything that relates to the moon’s shift, or the entity that surrounds it. Nothing like this appears to have happened in all of Mistral’s history, and aside from the Beastmaker’s prophecy, there’s no mention of an apocalypse.”

“Can you remind me of that prophecy?” Gallahar requested. “I remember it vaguely, but I’d like to know the exact wordage if that’s alright.”

“I’ll recite it for you, Father,” Nia spoke up in a helpful tone. “I’ve memorized it in its entirety.”

“Thank you, daughter.” The Grand Mage smiled at the ashen-haired elementalist.

Nia cleared her throat and then squared her shoulders in a serious way. “Beastmaker, breaker of the Twelve. Wielder of the fell and bearer of the nine marks. In shadows sent, Beastmaker, in shadows delve. In his ears, all cries of mercy will fall to dust. In his eyes, blood shall paint the streets in rust. Around him, the broken return in kind yet different still. Monster and man alike will kneel to his power. He shall rule the worlds, rip the skies asunder, and nothing the same will be. Years may pass, and years may change, yet prophecy’s Beastmaker shall remain.”

The ominous words hung thickly in the air like a cloying perfume, and we all sat in silence as we waited for someone else to speak.

“Rip the skies asunder,” Gallahar whispered under his breath as he leaned back in his seat and rested his hands in his lap. “Nothing the same will be. I don’t want to jump to extreme conclusions, but the words are too topical to ignore. The skies… the monsters being able to enter our realm. It’s too much of a coincidence.”

“That’s what we were afraid of,” Sleet agreed in a reluctant voice.

I sensed a few sets of eyes upon me, and when I looked around the room, I caught the gazes of my women, Headmaster Sleet, and Crystyn. My cheeks grew hot from all of the attention, and while I didn’t usually mind pressure, I couldn’t help but wish I could disappear.

I wanted to ignore the prophecy, but Gallahar was right. Too many things were aligned for me to ignore, no matter how much I wished I could.

“Gryff, have the Archons provided any information to confirm this is a part of the prophecy?” the Grand Mage asked me. “What were their observations when all of this initially happened?”

“They were scared,” I admitted. “Sera in particular. She mentioned that she felt as if the entity on the moon was watching her, like it was watching all of us.”

“And did the others confirm as much?” Crystyn spoke up. “I know you trust the Archon, but I don’t want us to base everything off the assumptions of one goddess alone.”

Crystyn and her team of Guardians had once fought against the Archons as my friends and I had, only their fight ended much differently than mine. The Archons had simply been put to rest rather than contained in someone’s consciousness, and I knew my aunt still held on to a lot of hatred and distrust toward her former opponents, not that I could blame her. The Archons had not only brought death and destruction, but they’d also been responsible for tearing apart the Guardians’ relationships with each other. I just knew Crystyn had to blame the Archons for what happened to my parents, and no amount of assurance that they were under my control was ever going to change her mind, but I had to try.

“The others confirmed that’s how they felt as well,” I answered the caramel-haired Guardian. “Though, Quilla elaborated even further once I got a closer look at the moon. She’d mentioned the entity almost seemed like a parasite, almost like it wanted to feed.”

“Maker,” Gallahar whispered.

Crystyn sat back in her chair.

“What would it want to feed on?” Braden spoke up for the first time. “Us?”

“I’m afraid so, Mister Flint,” Sleet replied. “I can’t be certain, of course, but that would be the logical answer.”

“Then what’s holding it back?” Varleth wondered. “What is it waiting for?”

“It is on the moon,” Ashla reminded the gypsy. “It could simply be a matter of distance.”

“That’s a fair enough point,” Varleth allowed, and his dark eyes flew to the ground.

“Not to be the bearer of this point, but I want to remind everyone these are all mere observations,” Arwyn brought up. “Until we find some sort of mention of this entity in texts, or we find some way to go to the moon ourselves, all we can do is make guesses. We need a way to find concrete evidence so we can formulate a proper plan.”

“Well spoken, Miss Hamner,” Gallahar complimented the healer mage. “You’re absolutely right. We can sit around this room and make as many guesses as we want, but in the meantime, Mistral and the continents beyond are still at risk of attack. We need to start working toward a strategy and create a plan to keep our people safe.”

“So, if the texts in our possession don’t have any information, are there any other ones that would?” Cyra wondered.

“I was thinking about that.” I nodded at the curly-haired summoner. “The one book we found that mentioned a minor detail was from the Shadowscape, more specifically in Carth’s library. There were a dozen other books on the same shelf, and I’m wondering if there’s any further information within any of them.”

“Please, go on, Gryff,” Headmaster Sleet urged me after I took a moment of pause.

“Xan mentioned a while ago how Carth’s castle predates the separation of the realms,” I reminded the group. “Maybe there are more texts hidden away in that library, or somewhere else in the castle. Either way, I don’t think there’s anything here that could possibly help us, unless there’s a hidden wing of the Academy library I’m unaware of.”

“The Academy’s library has everything out in the open,” Sleet assured me. “Any text we have is accessible to students, minus the ciphers and the books from the Guardians’ library you recovered in Vay.”

“So, the Shadowscape is our best option,” Nia confirmed.

“I think so.” I nodded. “The palace is enormous, and there were so many rooms and chambers I didn’t even get to see during my time as Carth’s prisoner. For all I know, there’s a hidden passage filled with all kinds of books or scrolls.”

“But we don’t know that for certain,” Gallahar pointed out with a slightly raised eyebrow.

“We don’t,” I allowed. “But I don’t see why we shouldn’t explore the possibility. If Quilla’s hypothesis is correct, and the moon has been taken over by a parasite, it’s only a matter of time before it begins to infect everything else. It’s already beginning to morph the realm and the monsters in the Shadowscape. I don’t want to let things get even worse.”

The room fell silent once more, and my heart thudded so strongly in my chest, I couldn’t focus on anything else. I knew this idea wasn’t going to be super popular amongst the group, but it was the only one I had, and I needed to do something to fix all of this.

“Alright,” Gallahar finally said. “Gryff, if you think that’s the best route to take, you have my support. I can’t say I particularly love the idea of you all going into the Shadowscape right now, but I do agree time is of the essence. I appointed you all as Guardians for a reason, and I need to put trust in your assessment.”

“Then we should plan to leave at once,” my ashen-haired wife continued as she raised her chin slightly. “As the new Guardians of Mistral, we should be the ones to get into the palace and search the grounds for any type of text or spell book that could assist us, or at least give us further knowledge of the entity on the moon.”

“I don’t disagree with the plan, but I’m not so sure we should all go,” I said slowly, and my cheeks grew hot as I suddenly felt everyone’s eyes fall to me.

“Gryff, we were just appointed as Guardians,” Layla reminded me in a matter-of-fact voice. “Like Nia said, it makes sense for all of us to head into the Shadowscape.”

“I know we all usually tend to stick together, but in this case, I don’t think it’d be advantageous,” I contradicted the petite mage. “Just hear me out. In the event that something goes wrong in the Shadowscape, the entire realm would lose an entire team of Guardians at once and be left entirely helpless. This new position isn’t only about us getting a promotion. It’s about keeping the realm safe, and we can’t put all of our eggs in one basket. I think it would be best for us to divide and conquer on this one.”

“So, what would you suggest, Gryff?” my aunt wondered, and the room fell silent as my friends and family awaited my answer.

“I’m going to go into the Shadowscape,” I decided. “Alone.”

“Oh, no, no, no.” Cyra shook her head. “Absolutely not.”

“Gryff, I know you’re a superpowered badass, and we stepped aside to allow you a better glimpse at the moon, but this is too far,” Nia sighed as her pale-blue eyes stared at me wearily. “You can’t ask us to stay behind while you risk your wellbeing in the Shadowscape alone.”

“Well, I won’t be entirely ‘alone’ alone,” I pointed out. “And who better to help me search the castle than the Archons who once occupied it? Not only do I have Xan, but now I have Carth, Hunnah, and Quilla on my side. Their entire alliance occupied the palace for a long time before they were captured, so they have to have at least some kind of clue of where more information could be hidden.”

“You make an excellent point,” Gallahar spoke up. “Though, I’m not sure that I think you going by yourself is a great plan, either.”

“While I’m gone, the rest of the Guardians could help in other capacities,” I proposed. “Some could go with the research team to continue to comb through what texts we have, others could continue to help with efforts in the Enclave and its surroundings. I’m not asking everyone to sit idle while I go ‘play hero.’ I’m only thinking of what would be the best use of my abilities.”

“Gryff, are you sure?” Braden asked me softly. “We’ve gone with you into the Shadowscape before and would have no problem doing it again, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“I know you’re capable,” I assured him. “I just want to do this on my own.

My friends began to protest, but I elected to sit back while they talked amongst themselves. It wasn’t because I was trying to be difficult or anything, my mind was just made up on the matter, and I didn’t have anything else to say. This was a mission I needed to conduct alone, and I needed my team to be available to help the others in the Enclaves and beyond, just in case matters escalated with the moon.

“Okay,” Gallahar decided after some time. “Gryff, if you think this would be the best idea, then I trust your judgment. Aside from your aunt, you have the best knowledge of the Shadowscape, and the utilization of the Archons is a good strategy. Miss Porter, may I ask for your thoughts on the matter? As a Guardian, do you find this plan to be wise?”

“Former Guardian,” Crystyn corrected him. “My vows will not be broken, but with the new appointment of my nephew and his team, I don’t want to assume a place of authority.”

“My apologies,” Gallahar began, but my aunt waved him off politely.

“Don’t apologize,” she insisted. “Now, in regards to my opinion… I don’t like the idea of my nephew going alone, but he raises a good point. The Archons will be more willing to give him information without the rest of us present, especially me. I don’t trust them, but they seem to trust Gryff, so I don’t think they would lie. If this is what this team of Guardians thinks is right, I won’t stand in their way.”

“What if Crystyn goes with you?” Ashla proposed, but my aunt shook her head vigorously.

“I don’t think me being alone with the Archons would be conducive to Gryff’s mission,” she explained to the ice mage. “And besides, I think it would be a good idea for me to stay behind. I might not be official anymore, but I will see my oath through and continue to protect the realm, especially in Gryff’s absence.”

“I would be grateful for that,” I said in an earnest tone. “Any extra assistance we can get would be greatly appreciated.”

“So, it’s decided.” Sleet nodded his head. “Gryff will travel to the Shadowscape to search for information while the rest lingers behind in this dimension and works to do their own research and keep our citizens safe.”

“That sounds like a plan to me,” I confirmed, and then I turned to look at the Grand Mage. “Assuming that’s alright with you, sir. I don’t want to make decisions without your final approval.”

“You have my blessing, Gryff. ” Gallahar confirmed.

When I glanced around the room and met the eyes of my friends and family, they each gave me nods or indications of approval, except for Nia, who didn’t seem very convinced of the plan. Crystyn also seemed concerned, but I was sure that was more because of her distrust of the Archons above all else.

“I shall leave tomorrow morning, then,” I decided once I turned back to Sleet and Gallahar. “That should give me enough time to gather my belongings and make sure everyone and everything is situated here.”

“Alright.” The Grand Mage nodded. “Tomorrow, then.”

“What would you like us to do in the meantime?” Varleth wondered. “Is there anything we can do to assist you, sir?”

“I could use you, Mister Maddox, and Mister Flint at my side.” The Grand Mage raised his chin slightly. “The headmaster and I are meeting with some of the troops in the area to create a better battle strategy, and I wouldn’t mind having you there.”

“We would be honored, sir,” Gawain confirmed with a bow of his head.

“And the rest of us?” Nia raised an elegantly arched eyebrow. “Father, how can we be of help to you?”

The ashen-haired mage had risen from her seat, and her entire body shook despite her calm and even tone. I knew Nia was only putting on a confident front for her father’s sake, but even Gallahar could see right through it.

“For right now, I want you to focus on your family,” Gallahar insisted as he approached his daughter. “I would love to have you at my side, but only after Gryff leaves for the Shadowscape. Until then, help him out and spend a few more moments with the children. If the rift from yesterday was any indication, things won’t stay calm for long, so I’d advise you to take advantage of the quiet for one more afternoon.”

“Alright.” Nia nodded, but I could tell she was bothered by the idea of hanging back. The multi-elementalist’s passion and strength were two of the things I loved the most about her, but I knew how hard it was for her to stand aside when there were things to do and missions to leave on.

“Now, let’s not sit around any longer,” Headmaster Sleet cut through the tension. “There’s plenty for us to do, and we need to allow Gryff enough time to prepare for his departure.”

“Miss Porter, would you mind joining us as well?” Gallahar addressed my aunt. “I know you’d probably like some time with Gryff, but there are some things I’d like to discuss with you--”

“I’d be honored, Grand Mage Kenefick.” My aunt smiled at my father-in-law. “Gryff, is that alright?”

“Of course,” I said. “I’ll be here when you return.”

Without another word, the meeting concluded, and my friends and family rose from their seats. Cyra, Erin, and Layla said brief goodbyes and then retired to the nursery to deal with the children, while Freya, Nia, Ashla, and Arwyn followed us, and we saw the Grand Mage and the others to the door.

“Gryff,” Gallahar began. “I want you to be careful in there. I know you can handle yourself, but that doesn’t mean I don’t worry about you, son. If things start to get unmanageable or too terribly dangerous, I want you to return to Varle at once, no ifs, ands, or buts about it, okay? I don’t want you to play hero and end up in a stickier situation. We need you back.”

“I promise you I’ll do everything in my power to remain safe,” I assured my father-in-law. “And if things get too wild, I’ll be back here immediately.”

“Thank you,” he said softly, and then he turned to his daughter. “Nia, I’ll seek you out tomorrow morning. Stay strong for me, sweetheart. All will be well.”

“Thanks, Father,” Nia whispered. She and her father shared an embrace, and I watched the elementalist stifle tears once they parted. I glanced over at her and gave her a nonverbal expression of concern, but she smiled back to indicate she was fine.

“I bid you all a good afternoon,” Gallahar announced to the group. “Gryff, please be careful on your journey. We all await your safe return.”

“Will do,” I promised my father-in-law. “Thank you, sir.”

“Yes, please be safe, Gryff,” Headmaster Sleet reiterated with a paternal smile. “We shall see you soon.”

We all said our goodbyes, and I watched Mur linger behind as the rest of my friends followed after the headmaster, my aunt, and the Grand Mage. My women filed down the hall and into the kitchen without a word, and once they were gone, I turned my attention to my curly-haired friend.

“Would you like to stay?” I asked the moose shapeshifter. “I’m sure Vahla would love for you to hang around and keep her company.”

“I would love to spend more time with Princess Vahla,” Mur admitted as a dark rose blush crept across his cheeks. “But I think it would be wise for me to join the others. I know I am not a Guardian, but I’d still like to help them with whatever they need. I only wanted another moment to say goodbye to her.”

“Go on ahead.” I smiled at the shapeshifter, and I inclined my head toward the formal sitting room. “She just headed that way, and Freya returned upstairs to put Lahrra down for a nap, so I’d say you have a few minutes alone before she appears again.”

“I still wonder if Princess Freya approves of me,” Mur sighed.

“She does,” I insisted in a hushed tone. “It’s more of a protective situation. She’s only looking out for Vahla, and I can promise you, she’d behave that way toward any suitor. Now, enough about Freya. Go to Vahla and then hurry after the other guys. They move quickly.”

“Okay.” Mur nodded, and then he swiftly made his way across the foyer.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the moose shapeshifter enter the formal dining room, and then I watched Vahla approach him timidly. Seconds later, the pair of young shifters were in each other’s arms, and I looked away to give them some privacy.

“They’re so cute,” Erin’s voice suddenly rang out behind me.

“Maker, you scared me,” I laughed lightly as I turned to face the mimic.

“Sorry,” she apologized from her perch on the stairs. “Olivir went down pretty quickly, and I didn’t want to interrupt Vahla’s and Mur’s moment by being loud.”

“It’s all good.” I smiled at her.

The pilot’s amber eyes peered over at the sitting room and sparkled with delight. “I know they’re separate species of shifter, but I do hope they find a way to make things work.”

“Honestly, I do, too,” I admitted to the orange-haired mage. “I think they’re really good for each other, and they both deserve happiness after all their Clans have been through.”

“Do you think Hawk Clan will approve?” Erin wondered, and she leaned against the stair rail. “I know after the whole situation with the Moose Clan assassins, the last thing they’d want to see is a moose shapeshifter…”

“I don’t know,” I sighed. “I want to be optimistic about it, but there’s a chance they won’t be too thrilled. There’s a lot of factors that go into it, like the fact that Vahla is Chief Fenrir’s heir, and Mur is training to become a part of Mistral’s military. Vahla isn’t going to stay here forever, and Mur doesn’t want to return to the Clans, so there’s a huge chance this could end in heartbreak.”

“But for now, they’re young.” Erin smiled, and she carefully made her way down the stairs to join me. “With how messy this entire war is, they deserve to have a small bit of love and hope to cling on to. It’s all that’s gotten me through this. If I didn’t have you or our family, I wouldn’t be as optimistic as I am.”

“I don’t know about that,” I laughed. “You were pretty optimistic when we first met, Miss Lindblum.”

“True,” she giggled, and she leaned forward and planted a kiss on my lips. I felt a spark of her magic tingle as we kissed, and I enjoyed the exciting sensation of it as I pulled my girlfriend closer.

“Erin, can I ask you something?” I wondered.

“Sure,” she said.

“Are you sure you’re okay not being a Guardian?”

“Of course.” The pilot nodded. “I meant every word I said up there, Gryff. I’ll still be with everyone, still be a part of the team, but I’ll get to do what I actually want to do, which is help all of you.”

“That’s very sweet of you,” I said.

“I tell it like it is,” Erin giggled. “I know how I can be useful, and I’d prefer it over being the weakest link in the Guardians. Now, don’t give me that look. We can talk more about it later, but this is what I want, Gryff, I promise.”

“If that’s really what you want, I won’t force you,” I said. “I love you, Erin, and I only want what’s best for you.”

“I love you, too,” she whispered, and we shared another tender kiss.

I wasn’t going to press her to change her mind, but I also wanted to find a way to show the mage that she wasn’t the weakest link. Erin was a total badass, and she deserved to know it. I wasn’t sure how I would get her to see that, but once I returned from my mission, I would make it happen.

The rest of the day was spent planning and packing for my trip. I was going to travel exceptionally light, but I still wanted to have some things with me since I wasn’t sure how long I’d be gone. I elected for sturdier clothing, travel-safe food and beverages, and I packed a myriad of tiny vials of potions just in case. Xan had her healing abilities, but there’d been a time in the past where her magic had failed to revive me on its own, so I wanted to make sure I’d be covered.

This mission was more high-stakes than the others, so I needed to take every precaution. I even spent an hour rearranging the essence crystals in my bandolier and setting up each of my gems in a proper and suitable location for easy access.

Once I was completely certain I had all I needed, I spent the rest of my time with my family. I hated the idea of leaving them behind, but I chose to focus my energy on giving them a relaxing afternoon and evening instead of worrying about all that could go wrong.

I assisted Freya with a comforting dinner of shepherd’s pie and freshly-made bread, and my family happily spent the evening enjoying each other’s company.

As we laughed and played with the children, I couldn’t help but notice Nia’s eyes were duller than usual. She still interacted with everyone like everything was okay, but I could tell something was off.

When everyone made their way up to the nursery, I took Nia’s hand and held her back for a second, and then I called out to Ashla.

“Hey, Ash, do you mind grabbing Nessa and Nicolis?” I requested. “I have to talk to Nia for a sec--”

“Of course,” the ice mage agreed, and she easily took both twins into her arms. “I’m going to need all of the practice I can get. Take all the time you need, we’ll just be upstairs.”

“Thank you.” I smiled at the dark-skinned mage, and then I guided Nia into my bedroom.

“Gryff, what’s going on?” the multi-elementalist sighed.

“That’s what I wanted to ask you,” I replied to my wife, and I took her hands in mine. “I know something is bothering you. Can you tell me what’s going on, my love? I hate seeing you look so sad.”

Nia seemed reluctant to answer, but seconds later, her lower lip trembled, and she broke down a little.

“I still don’t like this,” she whispered. “Gryff, I trust you with all of my being, but every time you leave for the Shadowscape… I worry I won’t see you again.”

“Nia, you know I’ll always do whatever it takes to get back to you,” I reminded her. “I made a vow to you the day I married you. You’re mine in every sense, and I am yours. Nothing would ever keep me away, not even mysterious entities that have altered our dimension.”

“I love the specificity of that statement,” Nia giggled through her tears.

“I love you,” I said, and I took the elementalist’s hands in mine. “Nia, I promise you I’ll return as soon as possible, but first I at least have to try to find something to help us. The sooner I find the right text, cipher, whatever, the sooner we can banish the entity, save the world, and get back to the perfect life we’ve been working so hard for.”

“That’s all I want,” my ashen-haired wife sniffled as she wiped the moisture from her cheeks. “Just us, our family, and the kids. I know our lives will be complicated with us being Guardians, but once this enemy is vanquished, I don’t see things getting worse.”

“Please don’t say that,” I chuckled. “That’s the last thing we need to put into the universe.”

‘Sorry,” Nia giggled. “I take it back.”

I brushed Nia’s hair behind her ear, and after I placed a kiss on her forehead, I looked right into her piercing blue eyes.

“Now, go take a bath or do something to make yourself feel better,” I insisted. “I have a few more things to get ready, but then I’ll come join you.”

“Okay,” Nia agreed. “I’ll go find something. A bath sounds pretty nice.”

“I’ll find you once I’m done,” I said. “Just focus on unwinding and enjoying yourself.”

My wife and I shared a kiss, and then we parted. I watched the mage climb up the spiral staircase, and once her ashen ponytail vanished from sight, I closed my bedroom door and looked over my belongings once more. I was a little antsy and wanted to make sure I was completely together before morning approached.

So, we’re returning to my old stomping grounds, Carth’s voice crept into my mind, and I could practically feel her smirk through her tone of voice. What are you hoping to find there, master?

“Anything,” I sighed. I wasn’t really in the mood to entertain the Archons, but they always managed to sneak in when I was feeling stressed. “Before we leave, I wanted to ask you upfront if you know of any books or texts in your library that would help us out.”

Don’t you trust me? Carth pouted. I thought we’d finally reached a point of understanding, Gryff.

“I do,” I said. “But I’m covering all of my bases. I know you won’t betray me, but I also know you’ve been self-protective in the past, and I want to make sure you aren’t lying by omission or something.”

If there’s anything, it would likely be in the library, Carth confirmed. There are some books there I didn’t have a chance to mull through. If it didn’t have anything to do with reuniting the realms, I wasn’t interested in trying to read it.

“That’s a start.” I nodded. “Thank you.”

We’ll sort this out, Carth promised. And once we do, we can return once more to the subject of receiving your seed just as Sera had.

Nice try, Carth, Phi hissed. But there’s a line, and you’re near the very end. You have yet to prove yourself--

As if you have, Utuni scoffed at the white-winged Archon. What have you done, Phi, to show Gryff you are anything more than a suck up and a second-rate copy of your sister--

Oh, so you’re on Sera’s side all of a sudden? Phi roared at the snake goddess. I certainly don’t remember that happening when you helped me seal her away.

Times have changed, Utuni said.

“Enough,” I sighed. “I’m not doing this with any of you right now. There are far more important things at hand, and I’m not really interested in listening to you all argue about unimportant matters.”

But, master--

“Nope,” I shut that down, and I quickly locked the white-winged Archon away. I banished the other Archons moments later, and I was about to secure the ties around the others when another voice spoke up softly.

Gryff, may I speak to you in private?

“Sure.” I frowned. “Is everything alright, Sera?”

There’s just a matter I’d like to discuss without an audience, Sera replied in a meek voice. Could you tighten the wards around the others so it’s just you and I alone?

“Would it be better for you to join me out here?” I proposed. “I’ll still shut everyone out, but this sounds like a face-to-face conversation.”

That would be preferable, the Archon said in an ominous tone.

“Okay,” I agreed, and with a wave of my will, I called Sera forward and then tightened the locks around the other Archons.

Sera had never requested this type of audience before, and her voice wasn’t the one she used when she tried to entice me with sex, so I was worried about the subject of this talk. Was there some kind of information she’d left out, or did she have something to say about Carth or our newest additions?

A stream of essence flew into the air and manifested into the form of Sera. The dark-winged Archon looked just as ethereal and stunning as usual, but there was a nervous cast to her yellow eyes I’d never seen before.

The goddess began to pace around the room, and with every dainty step she took, the more my nervousness swelled.

“What’s wrong?” I asked the Archon. “Sera, why do you look so scared?”

“I’m not… scared,” the goddess replied, and her midnight-black wings folded around her. “I have something to tell you.”

“Those words are never good,” I groaned. “I knew it, there’s something you didn’t mention before. What is it? Something about the moon, the tentacles? The other Archons?”

“It’s nothing about the entity or the moon,” she assured me with raised hands. “Or my sisters. In fact, this has nothing to do with anyone but you and me.”

“Then what is it?” I asked her softly.

The Archon took a long, deep breath, took my hand in hers, and crossed over to the bed. Then she sat down gracefully beside me and stared into my eyes.

“Gryff,” she whispered. “I am very certain I am pregnant. Your child grows in my womb.”

Chapter Seven

“You’re pregnant?” I repeated back to her in awe. “Sera, are you sure? I know you said earlier that you knew, but--”

“Yes,” the Archon replied as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I wouldn’t make up such important matters, especially ones as important as this, my love.”

“I don’t think you would,” I whispered, and I thought my heart was going to explode out of my chest. “Wow.”

I rose up from the bed and began to pace across the room just as Sera had before. I didn’t find myself at a loss for words too often, but I legitimately had no idea what to say. Sera and I only just had sex, so how was it even possible for her to know so soon?

When Ashla announced her pregnancy, she’d told me Arwyn gave her a potion that helped detect the baby early, but Sera had no such thing as far as I was aware, so how did she already know?

“Gryff?” Sera prompted me as my brain tried to make sense of it all. “Gryff, you’re starting to scare me. Are you… upset by this news? I thought you wanted us to create a child together.”

“No, I’m not upset at all,” I assured her as I snapped out of my haze and halted in place. “I’m so sorry, I was just taken aback by everything, especially because our lovemaking only took place the night before. I guess I’m confused.”

“I know this is all uncharted territory,” the dark-winged Archon noted. “But this is also the first union between a mortal and a goddess, so things aren’t going to be as they would for mortal reproduction. My pregnancy is going to be entirely unlike that of your other women, and our child will be the beginning of something amazing.”

“Can I just ask, and don’t be offended by this question, but how do you know for sure you’re pregnant?” I asked, and I felt heat spread through me as I waited for the goddess’ reply.

“I don’t know how to explain it exactly,” Sera said slowly as she stood up and crossed over to me. “Since I am not a human woman, regular magics can’t be used to detect pregnancy, but I can feel another presence growing within me. I’ve never experienced a sensation like this before, not within my womb, so I know it to be true. We’ve created a child.”

“Wow,” I breathed.

“Are you not pleased?” Sera frowned. “I thought you’d look happier when I shared the news, my love. You were so eager to fill me last night, and you poured so much of your seed into me.”

“I am happy,” I assured the beautiful goddess, and I swept her raven-black hair from her face and cupped her cheek. “Unbelievably happy. I was just taken aback. I didn’t expect our single attempt at baby-making would take, and I wasn’t prepared for it to take so soon.”

“To be fair, we made more than one attempt,” Sera laughed lightly. “It may have been over the course of one night, but we made enough love to count for a week of baby-making. I can actually still feel some of your seed wet and dripping in my tunnel, since you poured so much into me.”

“You’re not wrong,” I allowed, but I still shook my head in awe. “This is incredible, Sera. I’m happy.”

“That’s wonderful.” The Archon gave me a delighted grin. “I cannot express how overjoyed I am to be carrying your precious child in my womb. This is a dream come true for me, Gryff.”

“I know this is unknown territory, but do you happen to have any idea of a gestation period?” I wondered, and when the goddess frowned, I cleared my throat and tried again. “How long do you think it’ll be before our child is born?”

“I can’t be sure.” Sera tilted her head to the side as she considered it. “It could be anywhere from nine weeks to nine months. No Archon has ever gotten pregnant before, so there’s no source of information to get answers from. It is a mystery, but one we will have to solve together.”

“It sounds a little complicated, but we’ll figure it out.” I smiled as happiness surged through my veins. “Sera, I can’t believe we’re actually having a baby together.”

“I hope she has your eyes,” Sera mused. “I’ve always found their walnut shade to be incredibly lovely--”

“She?” I prompted the Archon. “Do you think it’s a girl?”

“I can’t say for certain, but it’s just another feeling,” the goddess acknowledged with a small smile. “All of the Archons are female, so if I had to place bets, I would guess our offspring would be female as well.”

“Boy or girl doesn’t matter to me.” I shrugged. “I love all of my children equally, and I’m going to care for our child no matter how they turn out.”

“Even if they aren’t the same as your mortal children?” Sera pressed. “Gryff, I can’t say for certain what they will look like physically--”

“Even if she ends up with wings and a tail, I won’t care,” I said. “I knew that was a possibility when we made love, and I still did it anyway. I love you, Sera, and I’m going to love this kid just as much as my other children.”

“I love you, too,” Sera whispered as she wrapped her arms around my neck. “I also wanted to thank you for your discretion with your human friends and family today at your official meeting. I know how hard it must have been to keep our tryst a secret--”

“I wasn’t sure it was the right time to bring it up,” I insisted. “And I wanted to try to get more information about the moon before I do. If we can figure out something about the shift that proves our theory otherwise, then we don’t have to worry about the prophecy, or our implications in the event.”

“Ah, so those are the motives, then?” Sera asked with an elegantly arched eyebrow. “You hope to find something that will clear our names and your conscience?”

“No, it’s not like that.” I shook my head at the dark-haired goddess. “Above all, I want to seek out legends or prophecies to help figure out how to banish that thing and get the moon and sky back to its normal shade. But yes, if there’s even a possibility this creature was not brought to our world because of our union, I’m going to try to seek it out.”

“I suppose that makes sense,” Sera replied in a thoughtful tone. “But, Gryff, I must warn you… there’s a chance it won’t work out in our favor. The palace in the Shadowscape holds many secrets and histories, but the place is ancient, even older than us. Things may have been lost to time or destroyed by older Archons or others who did not want them to be found. I only warn you to lower your expectations and be prepared in case this doesn’t fall in our favor.”

“You’re right.” I nodded. “And I will prepare myself for a let-down, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to sacrifice my optimism. I have to hold out hope, Sera. It’s all any of us have.”

The Archon rested her cheek against my shoulder, and we sat there for a moment and let the gravity of our situation crash over us. I knew she was right and there was still the chance this was all our fault, but we would cross that bridge once we reached it.

Sera raised her head up and placed her lips gently against mine, and I pulled her in closer and deepened our kiss until it felt as if we were one. We continued on like that for a while until Sera finally broke our embrace.

“You should probably get back to your human women,” the Archon advised me. “They’ve been waiting on you for a while, and besides, we’re about to spend a good amount of time together--”

“On a mission,” I reminded her with a light laugh. “That hardly qualifies as alone time.”

“I’ll take anything I can get.” Sera shrugged. “Now, go to your women. I’ll see you bright and early in the morning.”

“Okay,” I finally agreed, and I cupped the dark-haired goddess’ cheek in my hand. “I love you, Sera. I’m so excited for this baby.”

“I love you, too, Gryff,” the Archon replied, and after one last kiss, I recalled her to my consciousness with a wave of my will.

My back tingled when her mark returned, and once the sensation went away, I let out a sigh.

Everything else aside, I was still in shock over the baby news. I was going to need more than a moment to take everything into consideration, but for now, Sera was right. My women needed me to spend one last night with them before I departed for the Shadowscape.

I wasn’t sure if they were all in their separate rooms or not, but I decided I would round them all up for a sleepover. Between Arwyn and I, there were plenty of large beds to occupy, and the idea of lying in a tangle of warm limbs sounded lovely.

So, I stripped out of my heavier clothing and donned a pair of silk pajama pants Nia had given me on one of her last shopping excursions. I wasn’t normally one to wear any type of coverings to bed, but the pants were surprisingly comfortable, and comfort was just what I needed. After I ran a hand through my hair and applied a couple of dabs of cologne to please my lovers, I relaxed my tense shoulders, left my room, and made my way up to the third floor.

Once I stepped off the landing, I heard voices down the hall and decided to follow them. It sounded like my women were all together, which only made things more convenient for me, but I began to wonder what they were doing. Was this some sort of secret club or something?

I followed the trail of voices until I reached Arwyn’s door, which was open just enough to allow their conversation to leak through. I crept over as quietly as possible and paused for a moment as I focused on what was being said. I wasn’t one to sneak around, but I was curious about what my women were talking about.

“I’m really worried,” I heard Nia admit in a hushed tone. “I know I need to be stronger, but between the moon, the monsters, and the Shadowscape, this is all so stressful.”

“I’m worried, too,” I heard Arwyn reply. “But we have to trust that Gryff will be okay. He’s incredibly strong and powerful, and I know he’s going to make it out just fine. We just have to have faith this will all work out.”

I smiled to myself. Arwyn was always so good at diffusing tense situations, and I was glad she was there for Nia.

“You’re right,” Nia sighed. “Thank you, Arwyn, for the reassurance.”

“We’re all a little scared,” I heard Layla say. “But we have each other, and that’s what really matters. We’re not alone in this.”

“I love you guys,” Cyra spoke up. “I know that’s sappy to say--”

“I love you all, too,” Ashla said next. “I’m happy to be here with everyone, and if any of you ever need to talk, I’m here for you.”

“We are here for you as well,” Freya reminded the ice mage. “Sister-wives must stick together no matter the circumstance.”

“You guys are the best,” Erin added. “Now, everyone get in here for a hug before we all start crying like a bunch of children.”

I heard a round of giggles, and my initial feeling of dread faded with the sound. I hated that my women were so stressed about everything, but knowing they had the support of one another helped ease my mind a bit. I waited until the sound died down a bit and then gently knocked on the door.

“Hello?” I called out, and I gently stuck my head into the doorway.

Arwyn’s room was somewhere between a library, a study, and a bedroom. One wall consisted of an enormous window that overlooked the forest, with a black stone fireplace. Emerald velvet furniture was set up around tables and desks, and the walls were lined with floor-to-ceiling shelves of books.

The best part about the room, though, was the loft bed that sat at the top of the right side of the room above the shelves. A ladder led up to the cozy space, which was essentially a giant, white comforter-laden nest big enough to hold all of us. My women were all piled into that bed, and when I stepped into the dimly-lit room, their faces grew excited.

“Gryff!” Erin greeted me in a cheerful voice. “It’s about time you got here!”

“How did you know we’d be here?” Layla wondered, and I could see her mischievous smile from across the room. “Were you spying on us?”

“You’re killing me, Bethel,” I laughed. “I was hoping to find everyone in one room so we could have a--”

“Cuddle pile?” Cyra finished for me. “We’re way ahead of you.”

“Hurry up and get up here,” Ashla chimed in. “This isn’t a proper snuggle pile without you in it.”

“On my way,” I chuckled, and I quickly crossed the room while my women giggled amongst themselves. It didn’t take me long to climb the ladder, and once I reached the top, I was greeted by a lovely sight.

My women were all outfitted in similar silk night dresses, just as they had the other night, and each wore their hair down so it spilled down over their shoulders, with the exception of Ashla, whose hair was still in braids, and Layla and Erin, whose hair still just skimmed the tops of their collarbones.

“Wow,” I breathed as my eyes trailed over the beautiful mages. “I’m truly the luckiest man in all of the realm.”

“Yes, you are.” Layla winked at me, and then she patted an empty spot beside her on the bed. “Now, get your adorable self over here and cuddle up with us. You’ve kept us waiting long enough, mister.”

“Yes, ma’am,” I chuckled, and I carefully climbed up and around the tangle of gorgeous women until I made it to the empty spot they’d left for me. As I settled into the plush warmth of Arwyn’s down mattress, my wives and girlfriends curled up and tangled around me, and soon, my eyes began to feel heavy. I was about to go on a potentially dangerous mission into the Shadowscape, but for tonight, I would enjoy the warmth of all of my women surrounding me.

The next morning came earlier than I wanted it to, and I found it nearly impossible to pull myself out of bed. Nia was curled up against me on one side while Ashla was on the other, and the rest of my women were all intertwined with one another comfortably. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt this warm and serene, and it broke my heart to interrupt such a picturesque scene.

However, it was hard to melt into the perfection when the light that streamed in from Arwyn’s window was still as red as blood.

The moon was still full and ruby-tinted in the sky, and the sight of it filled me with a different emotion than usual. The day before, all I’d felt was dread, but today a mixture of anger and determination swirled through my chest. I wanted that stupid thing atop the moon gone so my women wouldn’t be so afraid, and I wanted the realm to be back to normal so I could have the happy ending I thought was going to happen once I captured the remaining Archons. It was time to get to the Shadowscape so I could hasten the process and return back to this bed and back to my family.

Nia sensed me stir first, and the multi-elementalist’s blue eyes were soft as they blinked open sleepily.

“Must you leave?” she whispered.

“Yes.” I nodded reluctantly and kissed her warm temple. “But I’ll be back soon.”

“You’d better be,” my beautiful wife whispered back.

I nestled my face into the peach-soft crook between her neck and shoulder and spent a moment enjoying the warmth radiating from her skin.

“Once I’m back and all of this is over, I promise we’ll spend as much time as you want in bed,” I vowed to my ashen-haired wife. “Anything you want is yours.”

“Can we get a puppy?” I heard Layla murmur sleepily from the other side of us, and Nia and I broke into quiet laughter.

“I think between us and the babies, we have more than enough excitement in this house,” I chuckled

“Hey, you mentioned anything,” the petite summoner yawned. Her button nose scrunched up adorably, and her lips pouted slightly as she turned to look at me. “And I want a puppy.”

“We can revisit that later,” I replied.

Content with my answer, Layla gave me a lazy smile and then turned over and curled up against Erin. The pair of petite mages fit together like pieces of a puzzle, and the sight of them together was adorable.

“Can we just take a few more minutes?” Nia requested.

“Okay,” I decided. “I don’t see the moon entity doing anything worse in the next five minutes.”

So, we snuggled up once more, and I spent a few minutes lost in the comfort of my wife’s arms. When I finally pulled away, the rest of my wives and girlfriends roused from their slumbers and began to disentangle themselves from one another. At first, they all wore similar expressions of happy restfulness, but when they realized what was happening, the looks on their faces changed to disappointment and sadness.

“Hey, please, no long faces here,” I insisted. “I’ll be back as soon as I finish my mission--”

“We know,” Erin interjected, and then she offered me a small smile. “You have to do what’s right, and we support that.”

“We’re just gonna miss you a bunch in the meantime,” Cyra chimed in as she stretched her arms above her head.

“We shall have a party when you return,” Freya decided. “Or at least a party amongst ourselves.”

“Perhaps a party like the one we had in Hawk Clan?” Erin waggled her eyebrows suggestively.

“Ooh, what happened in Hawk Clan?” Ashla grinned as she looked between the orange-haired mimic and me.

“Let’s just say Cyra, Freya, Erin, and I had a little fun,” I replied cryptically, and the ice mage’s smile grew even wider.

“I like the sound of that,” Arwyn spoke up with glittering amber eyes.

“Me, too,” Nia added.

“Well, I will make sure we have another party like that when I get back,” I chuckled. “I didn’t expect so much enthusiasm.”

“You can’t be too surprised by that,” Cyra giggled. “We love any opportunity to spend some sexy time with you, Gryff.”

“Trust me, the feeling is mutual,” I laughed.

“Alright, let’s let Gryff go get ready,” Erin suggested. “Besides, the kiddos probably need to be fed.”

“Good idea,” Nia agreed, and one by one, we pulled ourselves up and out of bed.

We parted ways so we could get ready, but before I headed downstairs to my bedroom, I opted to take a quick shower. The palace in the Shadowscape had plenty of warm water, but I didn’t want to bank on that just in case.

Once I was squeaky clean, I went downstairs, dressed myself in my most sturdy, battle-worthy gear, and grabbed my travel pack and bandolier. I took a moment to triple check my essence crystals, and then I took a deep breath. It was now or never, and I couldn’t keep obsessing over my possessions and delaying my departure, so I straightened my shoulders, took one last look around, and then headed downstairs.

My women, children, and aunt were all gathered in the foyer, and I got a strong sense of deja vu. We’d all been in this position many times before, but the situation had never felt as dire as it did now. The fact was, things were more intense than they’d ever been before, and the success or failure of my mission carried a lot of weight.

“It’s going to be okay, remember?” Nia reminded me as she gave me a small smile. “You can do this, Gryff, I know you can.”

“Thanks for the faith in me.” I smiled back at the multi-elementalist, and then I crossed over to her and peered down at our twins.

Nessa and Nicolis’ eyes were still heavy with sleep, but their lips were curled up into identical smiles of contentment.

I leaned down and kissed my children’s foreheads, and then I did the same to their mother.

“Always,” Nia replied.

I made the rounds and said goodbyes to each of my children and my women, and finally, I came to Crystyn’s place in the circle. The Guardian’s hazel eyes were underscored by deep purple circles, as if she hadn’t slept at all.

“Are you okay?” I asked my aunt.

“I’m fine,” she assured me.

“No offense, but you don’t look it.” I frowned as my eyes scanned her up and down.

“I’m alright,” she insisted. “How about I escort you out there?”

“Sounds good to me.” I nodded. “There’s something I wanted to talk to you about before I leave.”

“Hurry up and get out of here so you can get back to us.” Cyra smirked as she bounced Milo in her arms.

“I will,” I turned back and addressed the room. “I love you all. Stay safe and keep an eye out for each other.”

“We will,” Arwyn assured me, and then she inclined her head at the front door. “Now, get going before we pull you back upstairs.”

“Okay,” I laughed lightly, and after one last smile, I turned and headed out the door with Crystyn.

The sulfuric smell of the air assaulted me, but I plugged my nose and took lengthy strides until we reached the far corner of the lawn. Once there, Crystyn and I stood there awkwardly until my aunt breached the silence.

“Gryff, I want you to be careful,” Crystyn warned me. “I know I gave you my blessing yesterday, but I feel I need to warn you again to be safe. The Shadowscape has only just begun a shift, and I don’t know how much has changed even since the time I left. You need to constantly be on the lookout for affected monsters no matter where you travel. If they were that volatile when you went up against them here in this realm, I can only imagine how much worse they’ll be in their homeland.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” I nodded. “I promise you I’ll be aware of my surroundings.

“Good,” she replied, and she stifled a yawn.

“You need to try to get some rest,” I instructed the Guardian in a semi-parental tone. “I know you’re a badass, but that doesn’t mean you can go without sleep.”

“I know,” Crystyn sighed, and she brushed a strand of caramel hair behind her ear. “Yesterday was such a packed day, and then my conversation with the Grand Mage and the headmaster went on for a lot longer than we intended it to. We ended up patrolling the city and checking in on some of the troops.”

“I’m glad they have you to help,” I replied. “I’m sure they really appreciate it. I know I do. But please, don’t exhaust yourself in the meantime. Try to refresh yourself a little, even if it’s just for a few hours.”

“When did my nephew get so mature?” Crystyn chuckled, and she shook her head back and forth. “Okay, Gryff, I promise I’ll take a shower and a nap before I meet with the headmaster again this afternoon.”

“Good,” I said, but then my expression grew serious. “Crystyn, can I ask another favor of you as well?”

“Anything,” my aunt agreed. “Just name it, and it’ll be done. Short of murder or treason, of course.”

“Please keep my family safe,” I whispered. “Do anything you can to keep them protected, no matter what it takes.”

“Of course, I will,” Crystyn assured me. “Your family is my family as well, and I will personally see to it that no harm comes to your women or your children. You have nothing to worry about here, Gryff.”

“Thank you,” I said, and then I embraced my aunt.

“Gryff, one last thing,” Crystyn said in my ear before I pulled away. “Do… do you still have the ring I gave you?”

“Of course.” I nodded. I took a step back, reached under my shirt, and gently pulled on the chain I kept hidden beneath my collar.

On the delicate silver chain was a silver ring outfitted with a multi-faceted black gem that glittered with streaks of violet and indigo. The ring had been my mother’s engagement ring, a hand-crafted piece made just for her. Crystyn had held onto it until we’d made amends in the Shadowscape, and she’d gifted it to me after a touching conversation we’d had about my mother and father. The ring meant a great deal to me, and I liked to keep it near my heart as a way to always have a piece of my mother with me.

“Good,” Crystyn replied, and she gave me a mournful smile. “I hadn’t seen it on your person, so I was afraid it was lost.”

“It’s always with me,” I assured her.

“I’m glad to hear it,” my aunt replied, and her hazel eyes flashed with a strange look I couldn’t place, but the expression disappeared just as quickly as it appeared, and she tucked her hands into the pockets of her jumpsuit.

“I should probably get going,” I decided after I tucked the chain back under my shirt. “I’m already a lot more behind than I should be. I’ll try to return as soon as I can.”

“You can do this,” the Guardian assured me with a steady gaze. “You have so much of your parents in you, Gryff. I know you’re capable of greatness. If anyone can help end this terrible situation, it’s you.

“Thank you,” I said.

A moment later, I took a step away from my aunt and then focused my mind on Sera. I concentrated on releasing the Archon, and moments later, my back tingled, and Sera appeared in a plume of blue-black smoke. The goddess flexed her raven-black wings, and her yellow eyes studied my aunt.

Crystyn’s entire body language shifted, and I watched her jaw clench as her eyes trailed over the goddess at my side.

“Crystyn,” Sera addressed the Guardian. “I know I may have caused you harm in the past, but that is not the way I am now.”

“Forgive me if I don’t believe that,” my aunt said in a stiff tone. “My family and friends suffered at the hands of you and your sisters. I trust my nephew’s judgment, but it’s going to take a long time for you to redeem yourself to me.”

Sera’s gaze intensified, and I watched her hands curl into fists at her side, but before the Archon could get into it with my aunt, I cleared my throat and sent a wave of my will through my bond with the goddess. Sera reluctantly relaxed, but Crystyn remained focused.

“We need to go,” I reminded everyone. “We can revisit our issues later.”

“Sorry, Gryff,” Crystyn apologized after a deep breath. “I’ll ease up.”

Sera stepped forward and waved her delicate hand in the air. The air began to shift, and suddenly, the glimmer of an outline began to manifest. Moments later, a door-sized portal appeared before us, and the Archon inclined her head toward it.

“Are you ready to go, Gryff?” she asked me.

“I am.” I nodded at my lover, and then I turned to face my aunt. “I’ll be back soon.”

“I love you, Gryff,” Crystyn said in a warm but firm voice. “Now, go kick some ass and find those books.”

“Will do,” I said, and after I gave the Guardian one last smile, I stepped forward and walked through the portal.

Chapter Eight

When I opened my eyes again, I was surrounded by an endless expanse of dark gray sky, and while it was a welcome break from the scarlet light of the human realm, it was just as eerie nonetheless.

No matter how many times I came into the Shadowscape, I would never be used to the dismal way the dimension made me feel. It was the embodiment of dread, fear, and death, and a shiver traveled up my spine as I studied the blackened, charred ground beneath my feet.

“Maker.” I cringed as the grass crunched beneath my boots.

The Shadowscape seemed as bleak and lifeless as usual, but even I knew that looks could be deceiving. I needed to stay on my toes as Crystyn had warned me, and be on the lookout for erratic monsters or a number of other oddities.

Sera suddenly appeared through the portal, and the Archon visibly shivered as the doorway closed behind her.

“Something feels wrong,” she assessed before I had a chance to ask what was up. “This place somehow feels… colder than it’s been before.”

“Temperature wise?” I frowned. “It feels the same to me.”

“It’s more than just temperature.” Sera shook her head, and she wrapped her arms around herself. “Can’t you feel it, Gryff?”

I took a moment and tried to concentrate in silence. At first, I had no idea what Sera was talking about, but the longer I stood there, I began to understand what she meant. A chill rippled down my spine, and I was seized by the sudden urge to wrap my arms around myself as well.

Something here felt cold, colder than anything I’d ever experienced before. The Shadowscape had a way of draining any bit of life it could find, but this was more than that. This feeling was like emptiness, like if I stood here for too long, my soul would slip right out of my body and leave me an empty husk.

“I understand,” I said as I regathered myself. “We need to get moving. I don’t know what it is exactly, but something here isn’t right, and I don’t think we should linger out in the open. I’m going to summon the other Archons. If something is as wrong as we’re sensing, I’m going to need all of you to help me fight against it--”

“All of us?” Sera frowned. “Gryff, must you invite the others? Things are so much better when it’s just you and me. We don’t need my sisters to come and spoil our time together.”

“Look, I love spending time together, too, but we need the other Archons, Sera,” I insisted, and the Archon’s lips curled down in disappointment. “There’s strength in numbers, and I’m going to need all the help I can get. I’m really counting on you to set a good example and attempt to get along with everyone, no matter what. This mission transcends any problems you all have amongst yourselves, and I need you guys to work together to help potentially find these texts, okay?”

Sera deliberated for a second, and it was clear the goddess was having a hard time with that instruction, but after another moment, she finally sighed.

“Fine,” she said. “I’ll behave. I won’t like it, but I’ll behave. For your sake.”

“I need you and Xan to keep the peace,” I requested. “The others tend to fight, and if we’re not in this together, the entire mission is going to fall apart. Of all of the Archons, I trust you and her the most, and I know you won’t let me down.”

“You like me more than Xanrith, though, right?” the Archon pressed, and this time, it was my turn to sigh.

“We’re having a baby together,” I reminded her. “Don’t forget I chose you above the others to carry my offspring. That should speak volumes of my devotion toward you.”

My answer seemed to satisfy the Archon, and she immediately perked up. While Sera had made a lot of progress when it came to maturity, she was still highly competitive when it came to affection between her sisters and me.

“You’re right,” Sera said, and she raised her chin elegantly. “I will do as you request, my love.”

The dark-winged Archon smiled to herself, and once I was sure she was completely at ease, I closed my eyes and concentrated on summoning the other Archons into the field with us. My entire body began to tingle as the goddesses’ tattoos started to shift into essence, and a swirl of smoke spun around me as they manifested.

I was a little nervous about summoning Hunnah and Quilla, but they’d both pledged themselves to me, so I knew they had no choice but to obey my orders. Even though I didn’t know them as well as the others, I couldn’t keep them hidden away forever. Besides, I’d yet to learn what their specific abilities were, and they may have a type of magic that would be useful to me.

Each of the Archons had a magical power that was unique to them. Sera’s was her portals, Phi’s was illusions, Miralea’s was her berserker abilities, Utuni’s was her blood aura, Veopa’s was shapeshifting, Xan’s was resurrection magic, and Carth’s was influence. Quilla hinted at having some form of magic that involved death and energy but hadn’t given the specifics, and Hunnah had yet to reveal her powers to me. Whatever they were, they had to be strong since Hunnah and Quilla were among the oldest of the Archons.

I would interrogate them later, but for now, I had to focus on getting the other Archons to cooperate with one another long enough for us to complete this mission.

Finally, all nine goddesses stood before me, and each wore a different expression as they met my eyes.

“Hi, Gryff,” Phi greeted me as she stretched her arms above her head. The motion called attention to the white-winged Archon’s impressive breasts, and I couldn’t help but stare at them. Phi took notice immediately, and the goddess’ lips curled into a mischievous smile as she shrugged back her shoulders so I could get a better look at them.

“Hi, Phi,” I replied to the angelic Archon, and before she could say another word, her other sisters started to approach me.

“Hi, master.” Miralea waved as her lithe body slunk over to me. The jaguar goddess was extremely slinky and graceful in her movements, and I knew she was taking extra slow steps to show off the rhythmic sway of her tan and lean body.

“Hey, Miralea,” I greeted her with a thin-lipped smile. “Good to see you.”

“It sure is,” the goddess purred as she twirled a strand of dark hair around her finger and bit down on her lower lip. “Good to see you, I mean.”

Miralea’s predatory gaze grew a little too intense for my liking, so I turned my attention away, but when I did, I met the eyes of one of the newer additions to our team.

“Hello, Gryff,” Quilla greeted me in her high-pitched, musical voice. “It certainly is nice to see you again.”

Of all of the monster goddesses, Quilla had the sweetest tone, but the most jarring appearance. She was petite, the smallest of all of the Archons, with lightly tanned skin and a mane of golden-brown hair that tumbled to her tiny waist in perfect waves. Her doll-like navy-blue eyes were enormous and rimmed by long, dark eyelashes. Quilla was like a fairy princess, except for one slightly shocking feature. The right side of her face, from forehead to jaw, was exposed bone. It was almost as if she wore a half-mask, and while the other half of her face was stunningly beautiful, it was hard to ignore the skull.

“Hey, Quilla,” I murmured back to the goddess as I stuffed my hands in my pockets, and then I peered around at the others.

Beside her was Hunnah, and the warrior wolf goddess wore the same bored expression Layla wore during classes. The Archon was tall, with long, straight copper hair and sterling gray eyes. Her features were delicate and fine, with high cheekbones and an upturned nose, and they were a sharp contrast to the golden armor that hooked into a harness around her abdomen.

Hunnah’s tail and ears resembled the iridescent hides of her pack of mistwolves, and the appendages had a translucence about them that reminded me of a bubble when the light hits it and creates an ever-changing rainbow. They only added to the ethereal appearance of the goddess, and when I stared at them, it was almost easy to forget Hunnah was a fearsome warrior who’d hated me from the moment she’d met me.

“Master,” Utuni pulled me out of my haze and greeted me with a mischievous glint in her red eyes. “I’m so happy to see you. It feels like it’s been too long.”

“I just saw you the other day when you remained behind to watch my women,” I reminded the snake goddess, but her lips remained curled up.

“Still,” she said. “It feels as if it’s been so much longer than that. Don’t you ever miss us, master? ”

“Of course, I do,” I replied, and I gave the sensual goddess a smile. Utuni was incredibly beautiful, but her forwardness was sometimes intimidating, especially when we had other things to focus on.

“Enough, sister.” Carth rolled her russet eyes. “We all know how much you want Gryff’s child, but you reek of desperation. He isn’t going to jump your bones right this moment--”

“Nor yours,” Veopa snorted as she brushed her long silver hair over one shoulder. “When it comes to pecking order, you aren’t even in the same universe as the rest of us, little sister.”

Carth’s hands curled into fists at her sides, and Veopa gave her a good look at her fangs as she hissed at the horned Archon.

“Okay, okay.” Xan stepped between the goddesses before an altercation between them could take place. “May I remind you we’re all on a time-sensitive mission? We can continue the niceties and catching up with Gryff later. For now, we need to get to the palace and start sorting through the library before things get worse in the human realm.”

“That’s what the mortals deserve after all they’ve done to us,” Miralea grumbled as she crossed her arms against her chest. Her plush jaguar tail flickered behind her in an agitated way, and her orange eyes were full of venom as she glared at the ground.

“If the human realm falls, so do we,” I addressed the Archon with venom of my own. “I know you don’t care about mortals, but I do, and as your master, I command you to focus and help me on this mission, or I’ll just lock you back up. Which will it be?”

I peered at all nine of the goddesses and used a wave of my will to show I was serious, and each of the more volatile Archons gave me solemn nods of understanding.

“I’m sorry, master,” Miralea apologized. “I will help.”

“Sorry, master,” Veopa and Carth murmured in unison.

“I forgive you,” I replied in a short tone. “Now, we need to get inside the palace. All of you keep your eyes out for anything suspicious. The last thing we need is to get ambushed out here.”

“Nothing will cross our path without your knowledge,” Utuni insisted, and I got the sense she was trying to make up for her past disobedience, but I wasn’t about to object to it. Utuni was mine, but I needed to work on taming her and molding her into more of an ally.

“Then let’s go.” I nodded in the direction of the palace, and without another word, the Archons and I began our trek over there.

I’d considered summoning one of my monsters to take us over the grounds, but since I wasn’t sure if there were any creatures in the surrounding area, I didn’t want to draw too much attention to myself. Maker, I was worried enough about having nine Archons flanking me, but they were a better means of protection than any of my monsters.

What about me, boss? a voice suddenly rang out in my mind. Am I not cool enough to assist you anymore? I know I’m not as sexy as those Archon babes, but I am pretty fuzzy and cute.

“Dio,” I replied to my familiar. “Of course, you’re cool enough. I’m not ignoring you, I promise.”

Then why couldn’t I help with your last fight? the sabertoothed-tiger implored in a quiet voice. I could have helped against the fire-eye.

“I know you could have,” I insisted to the cat-like monster. “But I didn’t want to risk you getting hurt or losing your strength against the monster when it was behaving so erratically. Now that we’re here in the Shadowscape, I’m going to need you to be at the top of your game from here on out, okay? You’re more familiar with Carth’s palace and the grounds than any of my other monsters, so I’m going to need your help later.”

Hmmm, okay, Dio decided. I suppose I can work with that. Just don’t forget I’m a badass and want to help you as much as I can.

“I love you, buddy,” I assured my summons.

Blegh, I love you, too, Dio admitted in an embarrassed voice. Keep me posted. I’ll be here when you need me.

“Will do,” I chuckled, and though the Archons couldn’t hear the exchange, they gave me inquisitive looks I didn’t address.

As we continued to walk across the scorched earth, I noticed Xan’s violet eyes were more troubled than usual. The beautiful Archon’s posture was tense, and the azure flames of her wings sputtered behind her in a way I’d never seen before.

“Xan?” I prompted the umber-skinned goddess. “What’s on your mind?”

“Oh, sorry, Gryff.” She snapped out of it. “I didn’t mean to drift. I was simply thinking about everything and trying to come up with a plan, though I’m sure you already have one. You do have one, correct?”

“Sort of, but not enough of one,” I admitted. “I know we need to look in the library first, but beyond that, I don’t know the palace super well. I’m not too sure what I need to keep an eye out for or where else to go.”

“I have some ideas,” Xan replied. “There are a few chambers that have gone mostly unexplored, or at least they were when I lived there, and I’m sure there are plenty more I’m not even thinking about.”

“Would it be wise for us to split up?” I wondered. “Now that I know I can communicate with all of you without needing you in my mind, it would be easy to keep tabs on everyone.”

“We’re all under your command, but I would advise you to be careful when dividing us into groups,” the winged Archon said in a quiet voice. “I don’t think you’d have very many problems, but many of my sisters don’t like to play nice, and some are still newer to the team, so their allegiance is precarious. I would have us stay together, but I’ll also respect your judgment on the matter.”

“I think that’s a wise observation,” I complimented the azure flame-winged Archon. “Thank you for pointing it out to me.”

“You’re welcome.” Xan nodded, and she gave me a dazzling smile that nearly brought me to my knees.

The Archon had been the only one to submit to me willingly, so she had my trust when it came to most things. As I studied her out of the corner of my eye, a feeling in my chest flared up, and I began to realize just how much I cared for her. Xan was kind, wise, and true, and a great friend to me, even though she was an ancient goddess.

There was still so much about Xan I didn’t know, but she’d always had my back, ever since she’d healed me after being attacked by the wild maripor now in my possession. The monster poisoned me to the point of near death on the castle’s grounds, and if it hadn’t been for Xan’s resurrection magic, I would have died that day. Despite being a part of the Archon alliance, the azure-winged Archon had used her power to save me, and she’d continued to help me ever since.

I watched the confident way her hips swayed as she moved, and I found myself hypnotized by her magnetic presence. Kindness aside, the Archon was one of the most beautiful beings I’d ever seen. Her flawless umber skin was studded with silvery-white freckles that looked like stardust, and I admired the way they climbed up from her ankles to her thighs like constellations. Her midnight-black hair was pinned up, and the light from the flames that flickered behind her gave the curls a pretty hue.

“Drool much?” Sera interrupted my thoughts as she joined my side. The dark-winged Archon intertwined her fingers with mine and gave me a sideward glance. “Have you tired of me already, Gryff? I thought you said you loved me more than Xanrith.”

“Don’t say that.” I shook my head. “You know how much I love you, Sera.”

“Enough to see you also share affection toward my older sister,” the goddess remarked. “I recognize the look in your eyes. I’ve seen it many times before. Not that I can blame you. I suppose Xanrith is physically appealing to the eyes...”

“Sera--”

“I really don’t mind,” Sera interrupted me, and she squeezed my hand. “I know you have many women at your side and in your heart. I only ask that, of my sisters, you love me most of all. If you can tell me that, then I’ll cast away my jealousy. Well, some of it anyway.”

“Of course, I love you the most,” I said, and I squeezed her hand back. “I gave you a baby first, remember?”

“Yes, true.” She nodded.

“I’d like to think our child is enough evidence for you, but I’ll keep reminding you just the same.”

“Please do.” Sera grinned, and when we continued to move forward, I noticed the dark angelic Archon had an extra skip to her step.

When she was no longer focused on me, I let out a small sigh. I had a feeling this mission was going to require a lot of reassurance on my part. The Archons were so much cattier and more competitive than my human lovers, and I hadn’t spent enough time with them to ensure each that I cared for them.

Finally, after crunching over grass for what felt like forever, we reached the grounds of Carth’s palace, and I was surprised to see the place was mostly unaltered.

The last time we were here, when we’d battled against Carth and her herd, the last thing on my mind post-fight was the state of the castle, but I’d been expecting it to be in complete ruins. Aside from some broken bricks along the path leading up to the castle, though, everything seemed just as it was last time.

The bricked path was lined with tiny flowers with blue, black, violet, and dark red petals, and I admired the delicate blooms as I walked. It was still strange to see life in the Shadowscape, and I made a note to interrogate the older Archons about how the flowers managed to grow here, but I shook off the subject and focused on my other surroundings instead.

The black marble palace was surrounded by an impressive wrought-iron fence topped with sharp points, and the battlements intrigued me. Who had built the castle? An Archon? Or someone else? Whoever it was, they’d taken a lot of time to make everything as detailed and protected as possible. Impressive gates aside, I couldn’t help but wonder if there were other protections in place, enchantments that kept this place pristine. The rest of the Shadowscape was a dump, and yet the palace and its grounds were most well-attended. Was there a reason for it?

“Home sweet home,” Carth murmured as we walked under the gate. “It feels so strange to be here once more, especially after being cooped up in Gryff’s mind for so long.”

“I can’t say I’m thrilled to be back,” Hunnah sighed, and I was surprised to hear the Archon’s low voice.

“She speaks,” Sera remarked at my side, and the warrior goddess whipped around to face her.

“What of it, Sera?” Hunnah demanded as her cheeks flushed red. “Forgive me for keeping to myself and not feeling an incessant need to constantly run my mouth about babies and love, or whatever else dominates your thoughts--”

“You’re only angry with me because you lost.” My dark-haired lover rolled her yellow eyes at her sister. “Admit it, Hunnah, you’re only upset to be here because it reminds you of your failures in battle--”

“Our fight happened in Mistral.” Hunnah glared, and her hand tightened around the hilt of the gilded sword sheathed at her side. “Not here. I had no failures here--”

“But your alliance was here, was it not?” Sera reminded the wolf-eared goddess. “The source of your schemes, the place where you and your sisters pretended you had even a sliver of a chance of merging the worlds together--”

“Enough,” Hunnah snapped, and her ears went flat against her head as her tail flicked behind her. “Don’t test me, sister, or I’ll have to take out my sword and remind you what happens when you become too much of a burden.”

“I don’t fear your little metal toy.” Sera rolled her yellow eyes.

“Focus.” I pinched the bridge of my nose between my fingers. “All of you. I don’t want to spend the entirety of this mission having to put out fires between everyone. This is the last time I’m going to give this speech, because I’m sick of it. No more fighting. No more snarky comments. No quips or threats of killing or imprisoning one another. Only cooperation from here on out, got it?”

“Sorry,” Sera apologized, and then I turned to look at Hunnah.

The wolf-warrior gently kicked the ground with the toe of her tall boot and then finally let out a sigh.

“Sorry,” Hunnah muttered, and I gave her a small nod in response.

It wasn’t going to be easy to get them to work together, but I had to at least try.

“Shall we proceed?” Carth prompted us as she rested one hand on her hip.

“Let’s go.” I nodded, and then we moved forward en masse and made our way to the front doors. I steadied my hand near my bandolier, and after I gathered myself, I pulled open the enormous front door.

The Archons and I stepped into the palace, and my breath caught in my chest as I glanced around the enormous entryway. Just like the outside of the castle, the walls and floors were made of shiny black marble that sparkled with veins of silver. A chandelier hung from the high ceilings, and the tiny diamonds and obsidian jewels that hung from it glittered even in the dark.

A number of wrought-iron sconces with rose motifs hung along the wall, but unlike the last time we were here, their candles were unlit. I couldn’t be too surprised by the silence of the palace, since it’d been abandoned by the Archon alliance, but it was still weird to see it so silent and dark.

Xanrith wordlessly hovered in front of us, and the azure flames of her wings flared out and lit the sconces and fireplace. In a matter of minutes, the room had a blue glow that only lent to the beauty of the castle, and a little warmth began to trickle in.

“Thanks, Xan,” I addressed the Archon, and a healthy glow of color flushed her cheeks as she gave me a humble smile.

We all flooded into the formal sitting area near the fireplace, and I admired the black velvet furniture. Whoever decorated this place had immaculate if not monochromatic taste.

“I’ve missed this,” Carth remarked as she stood with her hands on her hips. Her long, chestnut-brown hair skimmed her waist as her head leaned back to look up at the elaborately-painted ceilings, and her dark-red lips had the ghost of a smile on them. “Don’t get me wrong, Gryff, your head isn’t the worst place in the world to reside, but there is something to be said about returning somewhere with familiarity. I called this castle home for quite some time, and I’ve missed it quite a bit.”

“I missed it, too,” Xan admitted as she crossed over to us. Her heels clicking against the marble floor filled the room, and the sound was strangely satisfying.

“But you left,” Carth murmured. “Willingly, I might add, so I’m not sure if that comment truly applies to your situation.”

“And I’m sorry for abandoning you, but it was to join Gryff,” the umber-skinned Archon sighed. “Which I know is only a fair point now that you’re on his side as well--”

“I understand,” Carth interjected, and she let out a low sigh as her russet eyes fell to the ground.

“Shall we head upstairs?” Quilla suggested as she bounced in place. The skeletal Archon seemed peppier than I would have expected, and I was surprised to see her so excited. “The entryway is just as lovely as ever, but we have other matters to attend to.”

“Why do you seem so thrilled to be here?” Utuni asked before I could, and she crossed her arms against her ample chest.

“Just as Carth said, this place was once my home.” The petite goddess shrugged. “I’m just ready to get to work. Obviously, I know the castle well, but there are places I couldn’t go when I was here last, and I’m curious to see them.”

“Really?” The snake goddess raised a dark eyebrow. “You’re merely curious? I find it strange that you’re so excited, Quilla. I would think returning here would spark your agitation toward your capture, and yet you’re bouncing around like a child on vacation.”

“Stop acting like I’m going to deceive you, Utuni,” Quilla sighed, and her head hung back in exasperation. “I’ve told you all I am loyal to Gryff and to our mission. I have no plans of betrayal, and I don’t intend to let you down.”

Utuni didn’t seem convinced, but she backed off the petite Archon and instead pretended to investigate a piece of art hanging on the wall. Quilla’s eyes lingered on the snake goddess, like she wanted to say something more, but she didn’t pursue it.

“Before we go too much farther, there’s something I wanted to ask you, Quilla,” I addressed her. “It’s about your magic.”

“Ask me anything,” the skeletal Archon said as she sat down and spread out on one of the black velvet sofas by the fireplace. She crossed her legs elegantly, and I admired the way her tall boots climbed up her thighs.

“You mentioned it when we spoke about the moon entity, but you didn’t get into it specifically,” I started. “I’m curious to know, what exactly is your power?”

“I’m so glad you asked, Gryff.” The goddess grinned, and her doll-like navy-blue eyes flashed with excitement. “As you could surmise by the appearance of my face, I am closely allied with death. My power allows me to drain magic and mana from others.”

My eyebrows shot skyward, and it took everything to keep my jaw from going in the opposite direction. “You can steal people’s energies?”

“Not only that, but I can also take said magic and mana and redirect it,” Quilla continued on as she sat up excitedly.

“Redirect as in give it to someone else?” I clarified.

“Yes.” The skeleton goddess nodded. “I can give it to you… to others… there’s no limits. As long as the power already exists, I can take it and distribute it as I see fit. It really is a helpful skill, especially when you need a little boost of magic, or need a power that isn’t in your possession.”

“You’re like an energy vampire,” I noted with a raised eyebrow.

“Sure.” Quilla shrugged, and she gave me an adorable smile that made my heart skip a beat. Even though one half of her face was unnerving, the Archon had perfectly straight pearl-white teeth and full peach-colored lips that almost made it easy to forget the monstrous part. “That moniker does seem fitting, doesn’t it?”

“Your magic is really interesting,” I replied, and I began to pace slowly around the room. Quilla’s ability would certainly come in handy later, and I could only imagine the possibilities it could bring to battle. If I was able to take mana and magic from my opponents, I was going to be a tough act to beat.

“Energy vampire,” Quilla sing-songed the words quietly. “I like that. It gives me a link to you, sister.”

The skeletal Archon had turned her eyes to Veopa, who looked up in surprise.

“To me?” she clarified, and a smirk painted the succubus goddess’ lips. “I suppose you’re right. Though I like the taste of blood more than you, dear sister.”

The pair shared an eerie smile, and as much as I wanted to be thrilled they were at least getting along, I wanted to talk about the other goddesses’ powers.

“What about you, Hunnah?” I prompted the warrior Archon. “What’s your power?”

Hunnah’s sterling gray eyes were heavy-lidded with boredom, and she rolled them slightly before she answered my question. “I suppose it’s similar to Carth’s, only my influence is over beasts, not mortals. I’m particularly good at taming monsters without the need for essence crystals.”

“Is that how you managed to control an entire pack of mistwolves?” I asked, and the goddess nodded.

“I began with two, and then soon it became many more,” she explained, and she swept her copper hair behind her. “I can communicate with them with the same ease as a summoner with a familiar, even if I’ve never seen the monster before. I can tame the most feral of stray monsters with a wave of my will.”

My eyes blinked rapidly as that knowledge sank in. Hunnah was essentially the world’s best monster tamer. If I could borrow her ability and combine it with my own skills as a summoner, I wouldn’t have to worry about the turmoil of a random enemy. I could take an invading monster like the fire-eye and bend it to my will without relying on an essence crystal or exhausting my own monsters’ powers.

“Of course, there are limitations,” Hunnah pointed out before my head could swell too big. “The larger the monster, the longer it takes to tame, the more stress on the mana, and so on. It’s easier to tame multiples of the same monster, but Grade-Bs and As can get a bit difficult.”

“Oh,” I said simply, and my voice betrayed my disappointment.

“That being said it’s not impossible,” the wolf-eared goddess assured me as she examined her long, pointed nails. “It just takes practice.”

“Noted,” I replied, and the disappointment I’d just felt faded a bit. Even if I couldn’t have full control in an instant, a boost in my taming abilities wouldn’t hurt at all.

“Shall we make our way upstairs now?” Quilla wondered as she rose from the sofa and smoothed down the waist of her dark-blue military-style coat.

“I think that would be wise,” Xan chimed in, and her amethyst eyes warily fell to the grand staircase before us.

I followed her gaze, but all I could see was a great stretch of marble and nothing more.

“Let’s go, then.” I nodded. “Xan, will you lead the way?”

“Yes, sir.” The azure-winged goddess smiled at me.

The Archons assembled into a small crowd, and together we began our trek to the upper floors of the palace. As we ascended the grand staircase, my heart began to beat in my chest. I wasn’t sure if my nervousness could be attributed to the mission, or to the past memories of being here as a prisoner, but I took a few breaths to steady myself. We were going to find something here. I had to will it into existence.

Finally, we reached the third floor, and as we stepped onto the landing, I suddenly got a strange feeling in the pit of my stomach. It wasn’t nervousness, but more of an awareness, like I was sensing a presence among us. My hand flew straight to my bandolier, and I tightened my fingers around Dio’s essence crystal.

“You feel it, too?” Xan asked as the rest of the Archons halted in place.

“Yeah.” I nodded. “Is someone here with us?”

“I don’t know,” she admitted.

“Why is everyone acting so strangely?” Phi huffed, and she pushed past us until she was at the head of the group. “It’s just a spooky old castle, and you all act as if there are shadow men--”

Just as the words left the Archon’s lips, a literal shadowy figure appeared before us, and the goddess jumped back in surprise.

“Oh!” she cried out as the creature hovered in front of her.

I recognized the monster from the last time I was here. It was a strange being known as a Shadal. The creature was somewhere between ghoul and man. They were incredibly tall, thin, and gaunt, not completely transparent, but see-through enough to be unnerving. I was no stranger to shadow monsters, but something about the Shadal made me feel incredibly uncomfortable. They floated through the air wordlessly like ghosts, and they had a strange quality about them that made it seem as if they were always watching.

Back when I’d been Carth’s prisoner, I’d felt their presence with every step I took, and Dio and I had gone to great lengths to evade the shadow servants. Veopa had to use her shapeshifting magic to make me appear like one of them in order to sneak into the library, and even then, it was hard to move past the Shadal unnoticed. It had taken all of my willpower to remain calm and try to present an air of calmness.

I’d honestly forgotten about the monsters, but now that my memory of them had returned, I wondered if they were the reason I felt so on edge.

“Away with you.” Carth pushed herself through the crowd and instructed the monsters in a firm, confident voice.

Without further instruction, the monster immediately drifted away, and once the creature vanished from sight, Carth turned around and flashed me a fanged grin.

“Thank you,” I said to the horned Archon.

“You’re welcome.” Carth raised her chin in triumph. “I’m just relieved they’re still obedient toward their mistress after all this time apart. Not that I doubted my ability, of course.”

“Are they your monsters?” I frowned. “And if so, how are they still here? Shouldn’t they have come with you when I captured you?”

“They are magically bound to the palace,” the green-skinned goddess explained, and I could tell it was a sore subject. “But when I first took residence here, I used my power to bind their wills to mine. So, while their bodies remain in this place, I’m still their mistress. They must obey me in all matters except for leaving.”

“Good to know,” I said, and I began to think of ways that the shadow servants could be of use. I could have Carth ask the ghoulish monsters to search for other hidden places to investigate while we searched the library, on the off-chance our efforts weren’t fruitful.

“Those things are wretched.” Phi grimaced as she rubbed the back of her neck. “I’m glad they’re stuck in this terrifying palace.”

“Were you so frightened, sister?” Veopa smirked, and she flashed her sister a fanged grin.

“No!” Phi stomped her foot childishly. “I wasn’t scared, I was just startled. Don’t act like you've never been startled before, Vee.”

“Fine, fine, whatever you say,” the succubus Archon chuckled, and she came up behind the angelic goddess and rested a pale hand on her white-feathered wings.

Phi pulled away slightly but not enough to deter Veopa, and I wondered if the Archons were given enough time, could they actually bond with one another in ways they couldn’t before?

We began to move down the hall again, and Miralea made it a point to join my side.

“So, we’re looking for this shelf?” the orange-eyed Archon prompted me. “What does it look like?”

“It looks like a shelf, Miralea.” Carth rolled her eyes at the jaguar goddess, but after I shot the horned Archon a look of irritation, she sighed. “It’s tucked away amongst the taller shelves. It’s near the back of the library, hidden amongst some nearly identical stacks. It may take a moment or two to find it, but I know the fastest way to track it down, so it shouldn’t be a long search.”

“And you think one of the books on said shelf will contain the information?” Utuni asked the horned Archon. “Do you know what the other volumes contain?”

“I don’t know,” Carth admitted. “Honestly, aside from the spell book, I didn’t bother with the other volumes. I knew the other books were just as powerful, but their contents didn’t matter to me as much as the one for our mission.”

“Hopefully, the volume we need is there,” Phi remarked. “The shorter the stay, the better, and I’d like to rid the human world of the entity on the moon.”

“I’m surprised to hear you say that,” I admitted to her. “I remember a time when you wanted nothing more than to destroy everything.”

“Oh, I would still love to take revenge on those who opposed me,” the white-winged Archon contradicted me. “But whatever that monster is, I want it gone. I can sense the way it watches us, and I want it to go away before it can inflict whatever damage it intends.”

“That’s more like the Phi I know.” I smirked. “But trust me, I want it gone, too.”

“Wait, everyone, stop,” Xanrith suddenly instructed us, and the goddesses and I halted in place as the umber-skinned Archon’s eyes darted around.

I shuffled past the other monster goddesses until I reached Xan’s side, and I followed her line of sight down the long hallway until I located the place we were looking for.

The door to the library was completely open, and I suddenly saw a reflection in the marble floor that was too solid to belong to a Shadal.

We weren’t alone up here after all.

“I think we have company,” I growled, and before the Archons could say a word, a low growl filled the hallway, and an enormous creature emerged from the library.

Chapter Nine

If spiders weren’t already terrifying enough, this monster certainly did a great job of making them even more nightmare-inducing.

Unlike the small arachnids I’d seen every so often around the house in the corners of bathrooms or near the floorboards of the bedrooms, this spider was fucking huge and had far more legs than I was comfortable with. A quick count of the spindly appendages brought me to fourteen, but the horse-sized creature’s jittery movements made it almost impossible to be sure. Each of its long legs was dark brown and covered with coarse bristles while its furry body was a mousier brown with black and dark green tiger-like stripes throughout it.

A cluster of glittering acid-green eyes stared right at us while a pair of equally green tusks hung down past its salivating mouth, and the shakiness of its small steps only added to the rabid nature of the monster. The spider’s mannerisms reminded me of the fire-eye, which confirmed my theory that all of the monsters from the Shadowscape were experiencing the same strange behavior. I only prayed whatever this monster’s abilities were, they wouldn’t shift mid-battle.

“What the fuck is that thing?” I hissed, and I moved my head just enough to give the Archons a sideward glance.

Each of the monster goddesses, except for Xan, seemed alarmed by the sight of the spider monster, which only added to the feeling of dread that crept up my spine. It wasn’t often they exhibited fear, but it was easy to see the spider creature was not what they were expecting.

“It’s so gross,” Utuni whispered from the back of the group, and I couldn’t help but agree. The insectoid monster really was creepy, and I didn’t have a clue what the fuck it was.

“Xan, do you know what it’s called?” I asked as quietly as I could so I didn’t set off the huge spider creature with the sound. It was moving at a slow pace for now, but that could change very easily.

“It’s called an athenid,” Xan explained in an equally quiet voice. “They’re spider-like creatures with venomous fangs and incredibly sticky webbing. They normally make their nests in caves and caverns, but apparently, they’ve decided to breach the surface and settle here. They must have moved in after everyone left.”

“Over my dead fucking body,” Carth growled behind us as she completely ignored my request to stay quiet. “I will not allow such a disgusting beast to desecrate my home--”

“Your home?” Phi scoffed. “May I remind you how you were merely a squatter at this estate. Claiming it as your own is wildly inaccurate--”

“Semantics, Phi,” the horned Archon growled at the angelic goddess. “The Shadal answer to me. All the monsters that occupy the grounds answered to me--”

“And now they’re acting on their own,” Phi interrupted her. “And it doesn’t look like they want you as their mistress, so unless you want to use your power to influence them--”

“Shhh!” I warned the two as the athenid began to creep forward with slow, disjointed steps. “We don’t have time for a conversation about owners and technicalities. Right now, there’s a big, hungry-looking monster who’s practically drooling at the thought of enjoying a ten-course meal. We need to step back slowly and try to put some distance between us and it.”

“I think that would be wise,” Veopa agreed. “Where do we--”

“Anywhere,” I blurted out. “Literally anywhere in this castle but here.”

“Downstairs?” the succubus Archon suggested. “More space to move about, and besides, we need to keep the monster away from the library. A creature of that scale can inflict a good amount of damage, and we have no clue how long it’s taken up residence here.”

“Right.” I nodded. “I don’t care where we go, but we need to get this thing handled fast.”

The athenid blinked its cluster of eyes, and I watched in horror as its wicked fangs pinched together. I didn’t want to be on the wrong side of those teeth and didn’t want that for the Archons, either. The ancient goddesses were strong, but I wasn’t about to risk their wellbeing on the off chance the athenid was stronger than I knew.

The spider monster stopped in front of us, maybe about twenty feet away, and a sheen of stress-sweat broke out across my forehead. Why wasn’t it attacking us? It just sat there, twitching, as if it were waiting for something, but I couldn’t figure out what it was. Still, I kept my eyes on the creature’s and took care to not break my gaze.

“Hey, Gryff?” Xan gulped beside me. “Umm, there’s something else you should know about athenids...”

“And what’s that?” I asked as my heart beat like a drum in my chest.

The spider tilted its head and studied me like I was prey, and I wanted nothing more than to stab into it and wipe the look off its face.

“They aren’t solitary creatures,” the umber-skinned goddess revealed. “They live in clusters.”

“Oh, fuck--” I started to say, and then as if on cue, five more athenids skittered out of the library. The palace was pretty large, but now that the right side of the third-floor hallway was filled with horse-sized spiders, it was no longer feeling so large.

The athenids clacked their tusks together, and after a moment of pause, the group headed straight toward us at an impressive speed.

“Aaah!” Phi screeched as the spider monsters sprinted in our direction, and then she pumped her wings and took off into the air. The ceilings were so high she was able to put some distance between herself and the monsters, but those of us bound to the ground didn’t have that option.

“Everyone, move!” I commanded.

The other Archons and I turned in the opposite direction and ran down the hall, and as we got closer to the grand staircase, I reached into my bandolier, retrieved a gem, and then threw down the white, claw-shaped essence crystal that contained Dio. I wasn’t sure what kind of attacks the spidery monsters had, but I’d promised my familiar I’d call upon him in the face of danger, and we were definitely in danger.

What the actual fuck are those things? my cat-like summons growled as he manifested in front of me. I do not like the look of all of those legs. Gross. And also. Ewww.

“I’ll explain in a sec, but for now, we gotta move,” I said, and the sabertoothed-cat monster immediately lowered himself down until I could easily climb onto his back.

Once I was atop my familiar, I concentrated on the bonds with my bullet bass, my daggerdillo, and my speed slug, and I focused on armoring up my familiar with all of their qualities. I opted to cover myself in the bullet bass coating as well, and I stretched out as the armor spread over my limbs.

Hey, that tickles. Dio twitched as his large, tawny body was coated in a layer of spiky silver armor. He flexed his large paws, and his stubby little tail flicked in excitement. Whoa, how did you do this, boss? Usually, you gotta slap on one of those sticky guys to get me to move quickly.

“You still have the speed slug’s enhancement without all of the slime,” I explained. “Now, we need to put some distance between us and those bugs, so how about you try out those newly enhanced muscles of yours and get us out of here?”

Got it! Dio nodded his large head.

“Gryff, what do you want us to do?” the Archons asked in unison as they caught up to us.

“Whatever you can to get rid of these things,” I instructed the goddesses. “Swords, monsters, whatever weapons you have in your arsenal. We just need to cut them down and get them the fuck out of here!”

“On it!” Hunnah called out, and I watched the copper-haired Archon pivot and then unsheathe the gilded sword at her side. One hissing athenid at the head of the group ran right toward her, and she wasted no time in swinging her massive blade straight at its front legs. The monster let out a screech as a thick spray of bright green goo launched out of the wounded appendage, and Hunnah let out a wail of her own as the liquid hit her right in the face.

“Fuck!” the wolf-eared goddess cried out, and she nearly dropped her sword on the marble floor as her entire body trembled.

“Hunnah, are you--” I began to ask, but my question was disrupted by Hunnah’s sudden battle cry. The Archon raised her sword high once again and slammed into the same athenid with so much force it flew down the hall and knocked into the others. The spiders tried to climb over one another, but the more they tried to untangle themselves, the worse they got.

Uh, boss? Dio wondered. What’s going on with that green goo?

I followed where my familiar’s gaze had fallen and noticed the goo that had landed on the ground had plumes of steam rising from the surface.

Fuck.

Was their blood acidic?

“I’m fine,” the copper-haired Archon finally called out as she shook off her irritation. “Everyone needs to be careful, their blood is--”

“Yeah, we figured as much.” Sera cringed as she flicked a small glob of goo off her arm. The blood had left a small burn mark on the Archon’s skin, but my lover flashed me a reassuring glance. “I’m okay. It just stings.”

What should we do? Dio asked as he took a few steps backward. If their blood is acidic, I can’t exactly chew em up.

“We’re probably going to have to rely on your claws,” I assessed. “With the daggerdillo spikes and the bullet bass coating, I don’t think they’d be able to bite you enough to inject their venom. Now, let’s get downstairs before those things can pull themselves back up.”

Without another word, Dio, the Archons, and I turned back and scrambled down the stairs. We made it down to the second floor, and the Archons and I ducked into the hallway to catch our breaths.

“We can’t stay here long,” I said as my heart whirred in my chest. “Does anyone have any suggestions?”

“Can we get them outside?” Carth wondered. “Not because I’m worried about the castle’s decor, but because of the openness. We can hit them all we want in the palace, but leading them out of here is going to be the best move.”

“I couldn’t agree more.” I nodded at the horned Archon. “We need to try to round them up and herd them out to the grounds, past the courtyard. Once there, we can get out some of our bigger monsters if necessary.”

“Good idea,” Quilla complimented me, but then the skeletal Archon’s already huge eyes grew wider. “Gryff! Turn around!”

The urgency of her voice made me whip around just in time to see a stream of pale goo suddenly shoot past us.

“Fuck!” I shouted as I spotted an athenid with its abdomen angled toward us. Its friends weren’t far behind, and they began to launch their webs out, too. While the Archons and I tried to hustle away from the spider creatures, I peered down at the marble floor and cringed at the strands of thick webbing, but then Dio suddenly stopped in place as he got caught in the sticky goo, and I nearly pitched off his back.

Ewwwww, Dio growled as he tried to lift his paws up, and strands of the goo lifted up as he attempted to free himself. Gryff, what do I do? This is so gross, and I can’t move.

“Pull harder,” I instructed my summons, but Dio’s movements weren’t enough to free him.

It’s not coming up. The saber-toothed-cat winced. And it’s starting to sting a little.

The athenid that shot the webbing began to move toward us, and its fangs came together menacingly. The huge monster had its eyes on Dio, but there was no way the beast was going to get a hold of my familiar.

I wouldn’t let it hurt my friend.

“Back up, you ugly fucker,” I growled, and I reached into the bonds with my monsters until I came to my faun. I visualized the impressive vine-like whips my half humanoid, half-goat monster used as weapons, and within moments, they appeared in my hands. As the athenid scrambled toward us, I cracked the long whips in its direction and tripped the creature. The spider tumbled over until it was on its back, and its legs flailed in the air as it tried to get back up again.

Thanks, Gryff, Dio sighed gratefully. That was close.

“We need to get you free,” I replied. “I don’t know how, but we gotta get rid of this goo.”

“We’ve got the athenids, Gryff,” Sera called out to me as she and the other Archons carefully shuffled over to us. “Just worry about your monster. We’ll hold them back so you can get him free!”

“Thanks!” I shouted, and the Archons went straight into action once they cleared the portion of the hall scattered with webs. Once I was certain the goddesses were fine, and Dio and I were clear to work on the untangling, I turned back to my summons. “Bend down for me so I can hop off and try to find a solution.”

Okay. Dio squatted down far enough for me to reach the ground without hurting myself, and then I carefully ambled off his back. It took quite a bit of effort to land without getting stuck in the webs below, but I made it happen and managed to find a goo-free spot.

I glanced past the twitching athenid in front of us and caught sight of Hunnah and the other Archons taking on the other spider creatures. The warrior goddess hacked and slashed while Xan, Sera, and Phi made their attacks from above, and I was impressed by how well they were working together.

Once I was sure the others weren’t going to sneak up on us, I turned back to Dio. The saber-toothed-cat wore a brave face, but I knew he was experiencing a lot of discomfort that I needed to heal as soon as possible. I just needed a way to get this floor completely cleared somehow.

So, I recalled the faun’s whips momentarily and summoned my water imp’s magic instead. I wasn’t an elementalist, but this was the next best thing, and I soon felt the cooling energy of the tiny monster’s power flow through me.

“Hold still!” I commanded my summons. “I’ll try not to hurt you, but--”

Don’t worry about it, Dio interjected. I’m tough. I just need to get free so we can book it outta here. Do what you gotta do, Gryff. I’ll be fine.

“Alright, just hold still,” I instructed my familiar. With Dio’s blessing in mind, I unleashed a powerful stream of water right at the coating of webs on the ground. Normally, water wouldn’t have been able to do much against such a sticky material, but I concentrated the stream so it was essentially pressurized, and I focused on the space between his paws and the ground.

Dio winced at the harsh blast of water, but he still put all of his effort into pulling his paws free. That method seemed to do the trick and soon, he was able to move from the spot, and all of the green goo disappeared from the marble floor as if it’d never been there in the first place.

“Fuck, yeah,” I said, and then I refocused on my friend. “Are you okay?”

I’m fine, Dio assured me. Thanks for saving me. Now, do me a favor and blast that ugly little fucker in front. He’s the one that sent the blast.

“On it.” I grinned, and when I was sure the Archons were out of the way, I sent another pressurized stream of water at the front athenid just for good measure. The spider monster flew backward and slammed right into the other athenids behind it, and the monsters became a pile of writhing, tangled legs once more. It was interesting that even with all of those extra feet, the monsters were incredibly clumsy and could be bowled over so easily.

“Damn it,” Miralea cursed as she emerged from around the mass of spiders. Her hair was soaked from the mist of the water blast, and her mouth was curled into a frown.

“Sorry,” I apologized. “I thought you were all out of the way when I sent the blast.”

“Nope,” the jaguar goddess pouted, and she crossed her arms against her chest.

“Sorry, Miralea,” I apologized again, and when the other Archons scrambled over to me, I inclined my head down the stairs. “Now, let’s get out of here while they’re struggling. We’ll have just enough space to move past them and down the stairs.”

Hop aboard, Dio instructed me as he bent back down.

I climbed atop him with ease and patted his soft fur, and my familiar let out a brief purr of contentment and then straightened up.

“Let’s go,” I addressed the Archons.

As we all ran past the struggling spiders and down the grand staircase, I tried to come up with a plan. We needed to knock out all of the insectoid monsters, but their size and speed combined with their acidity made things a little difficult. They could be pushed down easily, but I needed a way to completely end them. We needed to get the athenids outside so I could unleash my full power on them without worrying about damaging the inside of the castle. With how many artifacts and texts the castle likely had, I didn’t want to risk any harm coming to the castle, so we had to herd the spiders out.

We reached the first floor and made it all the way to the entryway without issue. Phi, Sera, and Xan flew past us and opened the enormous front doors so we could guide the spider monsters outside, and another rush of adrenaline flew through me.

All we had to do was get them outside, and we’d be golden.

Suddenly, a screech rang out as an athenid launched at us, but Dio managed to raise his huge paw high enough to forcefully knock into the beast in time. The spider creature fell onto the marble floor, and it let out a sound of pain as its abdomen crunched against the hard surface.

“Gryff, look out!” Sera shrieked as another athenid tried its hand at attacking Dio, only a little more successfully than the first. It managed to wrap itself around my summons as if the daggerdillo spikes were rounded rather than razor-sharp, and the saber-toothed-cat fell to the ground from the effort, which sent me flying off his back.

I thudded against the marble ground, and my arm cried out in pain from the sudden force.

“Fuck!” I shouted as I tried to prop myself up. Even with the protective coating, there was a good amount of pain following the fall, and I had a feeling something was either sprained or broken.

But I couldn’t focus on that while Dio was currently trying to buck off an enormous spider monster.

Boss! the saber-toothed-tiger cried out in frustration, and I saw the tawny monster contort his armored body in every direction to keep the athenid from reaching his face. It was the only part of him not covered in bullet bass armor, and all it would take was one bite from the athenid to take my summons out.

“Dio, hold on!” I cried out, and after a quick inhale, I rose to my feet. I needed a way to pry the spider off Dio, but I had no idea how to make that happen. I needed a monster much bigger and stronger that could handle it, and suddenly an idea struck me.

I’d borrowed the vines from my faun earlier, but I could use the monster itself to help me out. My summons’ body was made of what appeared to be tree bark, and I doubted it would be affected by the athenid’s bite, so I threw down the yellow-green prism-shaped crystal of the faun without hesitation, and my monster appeared before me.

He was about fifteen-feet tall, humanoid from the waist upward. The monster’s broad, muscular chest was wrought with moss and vinery, and his strong legs resembled a curly-haired goat’s. His hooves were made of pure steel, and his winding horns looked like they’d be able to inflict some real damage to these spider monsters.

The athenids let out low hisses in response to my summons, but the faun seemed unaffected, and its yellow-green eyes fell to me as it awaited my orders.

“Pry the spider off Dio,” I instructed my summons, and then the goat man nodded simply before it stepped over to the saber-toothed-cat. The sound of its metallic hooves against the marble was impressively loud, and I watched the spider tense up. The faun reached down, wrapped his large hands around the athenid, and then ripped it off Dio like it was nothing.

Thanks, goat man, Dio said through heavy breaths as he rolled over and scrambled to his feet.

As my saber-toothed-tiger rejoined my side, the faun held the writhing athenid aloft. The brown bristled spider let out shrieks of agitation that made my skin crawl and tried to get out of the faun’s hold, but the sound was cut out by a crunch when the faun snapped the insect in half and tossed it aside.

“Fucccccck,” I drawled in an impressed tone.

Wicked, Dio breathed, but our excitement was interrupted again by another athenid.

I commanded the faun to use its whips to beat down on the bug, and before it could even get close, my goat-like monster cracked its weapon against the spiders and snapped off a few of its legs.

Gooey green blood oozed over the marble floor, and the wingless Archons and I scrambled to move out of the way, except for Hunnah, who leaped right into the fray and began to swing her sword once more. I had to admire the way the wolf-eared goddess didn’t let setbacks get to her and always insisted on jumping straight into battle over and over again. She was a real warrior, and her fighting skills were incredibly impressive.

With the spiders temporarily distracted by the Archon and faun, I turned to the rest of the group. “Let’s get outside!”

“I couldn’t agree with you more!” Utuni cried out, and the snake goddess practically sprinted to the door with Miralea, Veopa, and Carth at her side.

Dio and I were about to follow suit when I realized Quilla was lingering behind.

“Quilla, we need to go!” I called to the skeletal Archon, but the petite goddess shook her head at me.

“I won’t leave Hunnah!” she shouted.

“Sister, I’ll be there in a moment,” Hunnah called over her shoulder as she wrestled an athenid. “Head outside, I’ll join you with the athenids. Trust me!”

“C’mon, guys!” Phi shouted at us from her place at the front door. “Hurry up!”

I opened my mouth to shout back at the angelic Archon, but a thick stream of athenid webbing flew straight at me, and before I could duck, the sticky material managed to ensnare me in a thick cocoon and forced me off Dio’s back. Everything went completely dark, and the air was suddenly expelled from my lungs as I landed on my back against the marble floor.

Gryff! Dio’s voice flooded my head.

I attempted to thrash around to break free, but the cocoon was so tight around me that my arms and legs were pinned to my sides.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

I tried to take a deeper breath, but the cocoon was so close against me that it was nearly impossible to get oxygen. I needed to think fast if I didn’t want to suffocate. I tried to thrash around again, but the web was too strong. I needed something to cut through it.

I felt movement around me and knew that if I was wrapped up like this, the athenid was soon to follow. I was a perfectly wrapped up snack, and while I wasn’t sure if the athenids were carnivorous, their enormous fangs gave me a pretty good idea of their food preferences.

I’d lived through too much to become spider food.

“Fuck!” I cried out, but it was no use. I could hardly breathe, much less speak in this thing. The sound was so muffled it barely qualified as an actual sound. I needed a way to talk to the Archons and give instructions before it was too late. My head was already spinning from the darkness and the tight quarters, but I forced myself to steady and focus. I couldn’t speak aloud, but I could reach out to the Archons telepathically through our bonds.

I closed my eyes and used my magic to reach out feelers to figure out who was around me. I found Sera immediately and called out her name.

Gryff? Gryff, where-- Please tell me you aren’t in that cocoon.

“I am,” I replied. “And if I don’t get out soon--”

Say no more, Sera said. Okay, we need to find a way to break you out of there.

“I need to get out of here fast,” I insisted. “I’m running out of air.”

We could have Hunnah’s sword slash into it, but it might nick you instead, Sera sighed in frustration. Let me try my hand at breaking into it.

Sera’s hand moved against the cocoon, but even her incredibly sharp nails made no difference against the thick webs that encased me.

Fuck, Sera’s voice rang out in my head. Gryff, it’s too thick. Is there any way you could summon the butterfly monster of yours? The one with the blades?

“I can try,” I agreed, and I reached into the bond with my summons and used my magic to borrow the kalgori’s blades, but I realized quickly they were a mistake. My body was wrapped up too tightly for me to be able to slash properly, and what little pressure I could place on the cocoon did nothing. I waited a few moments to make sure it wasn’t a matter of timing, but when the blades didn’t pierce the cocoon, I recalled the blades and nonverbally told Sera the kalgori wasn’t an option.

I have an idea, the Archon proposed. I will warn you, it’s going to sound a little crazy, but it’s clear we can’t cut you out of that thing.

“I’m willing to do anything,” I groaned as my heart sputtered in my chest. I was running out of time to deliberate, so I was open to any suggestions the Archon had, no matter how ludicrous.

Take my teleportation power, she suggested. Teleport yourself from the cocoon.

“Would that even work?” I wondered. “You always have to open portals, and this space is a little small for that.”

It’s worth a shot, Sera said. I don’t think I could teleport you out myself, but if you had my magic, you might be able to make it happen. You have to try, my love. I can’t lose you. We can’t lose you.

“I’ll do it,” I decided without hesitation. “Honestly, it sounds just crazy enough that it might work.”

Okay, the dark-winged Archon replied. Gryff, I’m going to need you to focus on my magic. Drain your mind of anything else, except for breathing, of course.

Even though everything was already black, I closed my eyes and visualized Sera’s magic. I imagined it flowing through my veins like my summoner’s magic, and I immediately felt my entire body tingle.

Oh, fuck, was this actually going to work after all?

I refocused immediately and pictured my escape from the cocoon. I imagined my body appearing back in the entryway of the palace, and suddenly, the tingling sensation intensified. It was working.

A rush of cold air suddenly flew past me, and when I opened my eyes, I was outside of the cocoon and back in the foyer. I gasped as the air filled my lungs, and my heart cried out in my chest as it attempted to return to a normal rhythm.

“Gryff, you did it!” Sera exclaimed, and the Archon threw her arms around my neck.

My lungs were still tight from the close quarters, so I sputtered under the goddess’ hold for a moment, but I didn’t care. I was out of that cocoon, and that’s all that mattered

However, now that I was free, I was back in action. Once I was sure I could do it without falling over from dizziness, I stood up and wiped the clear goo and sweat from my face.

“Thank you,” I replied to Sera, and then I turned to Dio, who looked incredibly scared. “I’m okay, buddy. Take a deep breath.”

I was so worried, Dio sighed. Don’t do that again, boss. You were almost spider chow.

“I don’t plan on doing that ever again,” I assured the saber-toothed-cat over the sounds of battle. “Now, back to the original plan. Let’s get outta here. Where are Hunnah and--”

“Right behind you!” Quilla answered, and sure enough, the small goddess was catching up to us. Her golden-brown hair flew behind her as she ran, and her cheeks were flushed. “Let’s get outside!”

“Right.” I nodded, and then I sent instructions to my faun to lead the remaining athenids outside.

The monster let out a sound of agreement, and once I was sure he got the message, I turned and fled.

Quilla, Sera, Dio, and I finally zoomed down the entryway and out the enormous front door, and once we were out on the courtyard, relief flooded through me. We just needed these spiders out here. They wouldn’t have the same advantages they would outside of the castle, and I counted on their disadvantage to work in my favor.

The other Archons were already outside, and together we scrambled out to the grounds.

“Gryff, are you okay?” Utuni asked me in alarm as I joined them.

“I’m fine,” I assured the snake goddess.

“Where’s Hunnah?” Carth wondered.

“Leading the others out here,” I said as I leaned over to catch my breath. My lungs were still sore from being trapped in the cocoon, and my heart continued to race in my chest. When I felt steadier, I raised myself back up and peered around for Hunnah. Where was she with the athenids?

“There she is!” Xan announced in a proud voice as she pointed beyond us.

The wolf-eared Archon calmly walked out of the castle with her head held high, and I wanted to call out and warn her to run, but then I saw that she was being trailed by the athenids.

Her power.

Of course.

Hunnah’s ability was monster taming, and after she and the faun had knocked the spiders down a little, they were probably much easier to control.

The athenids followed after her with glazed expressions, and once Hunnah was only about thirty or so feet from us, she halted in place, outstretched her hand, and fixed her steely gaze on the monsters.

“Settle,” she commanded, and without hesitation, the mass of spiders froze in place. The insects turned their clusters of acid-green eyes toward the wolf-eared Archon and lowered their defensive stances. Hunnah held her chin high in the air, and the amount of power she radiated was almost enough to make me want to obey.

“Whoa,” I breathed. I’d seen Carth’s influence at work, Maker, I’d had it used against me before, but seeing Hunnah command an entire army of poisonous spider monsters like they were nothing more than dogs was impressive.

“They’re all yours, master,” Hunnah prompted me, and she lowered her hand back to her side.

My heart skipped a beat for a moment when I thought the monsters were going to shake off the Archon’s hold, but to my surprise, they remained in their submissive positions even without the goddess’ outstretched hands.

I took a slow step toward them and noticed their many eyes had a glazed appearance, like they were in a trance. I snapped my fingers, but none of them flinched. They were completely subdued.

“Wow,” I breathed again.

“What do you want to do with them?” Hunnah wondered with a curious tilt of her head. “We have quite a few options, master, it’s just up to your preference.”

I hadn’t fully thought about what I wanted to do to the spiders, and heat spread through my cheeks as realization dawned on me.

“Sera, I need you to open up a portal.”

“A portal?” the dark-winged Archon frowned. “To where?”

“Somewhere in the Shadowscape far from here,” I said. “Preferably somewhere they won’t be able to escape. A pit, a pool of fire, anything. Some spiders in the human realm have a tendency of containing babies, and the last thing I want is for us to cut into one of these things and have to deal with dozens more of them.”

“I suppose I can think of something.” Sera smirked, and her yellow eyes had a devious glint to them that reminded me once more she was a powerful monster goddess. The Archon snapped her fingers, and a portal suddenly opened up in the middle of the air.

“Now, all of you, head in that direction,” I instructed the athenids, but the spider monsters stared at me blankly.

Hunnah nodded her head at the horde of spiders and then inclined her head toward the portal. “You heard Gryff. Head to the portal.”

The athenids blinked their many eyes, and then they filed one by one into the portal, and with every spider monster that vanished from sight, my smile grew wider. I wasn’t sure if sending them elsewhere was the best idea, but I just needed those spiders far away. The Shadowscape wasn’t a small place, and I knew Sera would be able to figure out the perfect storage place for the athenids that wouldn’t come to bite us later.

Once the final spider creature was gone, the portal closed, and the Archons and I all let out a collective sigh of relief.

“Fuck, I think we finally got them,” I sighed, and my head hung back in relief as I caught my breath. That had been a lot more monsters than I’d anticipated, and I was relieved we were finally rid of those disgusting bugs.

“Good thinking on the portal idea,” Hunnah complimented me with a sincere gaze. “That was smart, Gryff.”

“Thanks, Hunnah,” I replied. “Though, I owe you the thanks for taming those creatures once we left. If it wasn’t for your magic--”

“It’s about time I acted like a team player.” The wolf-eared Archon shrugged. “I’m just doing my part.”

“I appreciate it either way,” I insisted, and after I gave the copper-haired goddess an earnest smile, I turned to the others. “Thanks to the rest of you as well. That was a messy situation, but we all managed pretty well. Now, let’s get back inside. I’ll try to blast the spider goo off the floors as we go so we don’t get stuck again.”

“Yuck.” Miralea cringed, and to my surprise, everyone laughed with the jaguar Archon instead of at her.

“You said it,” Phi chuckled.

We made our way back inside, and as we crept into the entryway of the palace, I kept my hand on my bandolier just in case there were any surprise athenids. With the other hand, I used the same water magic from my water imp as I’d used before, and soon, the foyer was clear of any athenid goo.

Dio hovered at my side, though he shrank down to his mountain lion size instead of his normal one.

Easier to move around, he explained, and I removed the daggerdillo spikes and the speed slug abilities from him. I doubted the saber-toothed-cat would need them, but I kept the bullet bass armor on him just in case something went wrong.

The Archons remained on alert as well, and each of the monster goddesses’ eyes darted around cautiously as we stepped over to the staircase.

“I hope they’re all gone,” Utuni noted. “Those beasts were disgusting.”

“Agreed.” I nodded. “If I never see another spider again, I’ll be happy.”

“I wonder how they even got in in the first place.” Miralea shivered as she wrapped her arms around herself. “Disgusting monsters. I usually love every creature, but those were too much of a nuisance to deserve my care.”

“I can fly ahead and check the halls, if you wish,” Sera offered.

“That would actually be great.” I smiled at the dark-haired goddess. “Thank you, Sera.”

“Of course.” My lover nodded at me, and after she gave me an adorable wink, she spread out her black-feathered wings, pumped them, and then took off into the air and soared up to the third floor.

I watched the Archon disappear to the third floor, and my lips curled into a smile. Sometimes it was easy to forget Sera and I were once enemies, especially when she treated me with such kindness.

“I’m never going to get this webbing out of my hair,” Hunnah groaned as she ran her hands through her mane of slightly tangled copper tresses. “I’m going to need a long bath after this.”

True to her assessment, her locks were riddled with long strands of green athenid guts and pale webbing, and I cringed as I thought about my own body. After being trapped in the spider monster’s cocoon, I knew I had to be absolutely coated in all kinds of gunk I didn’t want to know about.

Even more prominent than her tangled hair were the burn marks on her face from the athenids’ blood. Most of them weren’t too bad, but now that I was closer to the wolf-eared goddess, I could see one was dangerously close to her left eye. The wound managed to slice in a perfectly slanted line, and while it looked kind of badass, I was sure by its red hue that it had to hurt. However, the goddess didn’t call attention to it, so I decided to do the same. Xan would heal us up later, and I’d ask her to take care of Hunnah’s face.

“Perhaps once we locate these materials, we could show Gryff the private bath?” Quilla offered me a mischievous grin. “Carth, you didn’t take him there last time, did you?”

“I didn’t have the time,” Carth remarked with a small smile of her own. “But we could arrange that.”

“Only after we make some headway with this mission,” I reminded the Archons before they could get too distracted by the idea. Of course, the idea of spending some quality time with nine absolutely stunning goddesses didn’t seem like a problem to me…

Sera flew back down to us, and she had a calm expression on her face.

“No more athenids,” she assessed. “I didn’t go into the library, but the halls are clear aside from some leftover webbing and remains.”

“Lovely,” I remarked. “Better than more spiders, though. Thanks for checking.”

“Of course.” Sera nodded.

I looked over at my faun, who was awaiting my instruction patiently, and I smiled at the monster. “Thank you for helping us. We wouldn’t have gotten them if it weren’t for you.”

The faun smiled, and I recalled him to my hand. Once his essence crystal was stashed back into my belt, the Archons and I began our ascent to the third floor.

When we made it to the second floor, I went down the hall and blasted away more athenid webs. Of all of the floors, the second was the worst, and I cringed at the sight of so much viscous fluid. Luckily, it disappeared quickly, and while the floor was slick from the water, we no longer had the threat of sticky webbing.

Once it was clear, we ascended the stairs again, and I repeated the same cleanup on the third floor. When every surface was clean, I turned to the exhausted-looking Archons.

“I’m going to go ahead to the library first,” I decided. “I want the rest of you to wait out in the hall until I give you the clear to come in.”

“Master, we can handle ourselves.” Veopa raised her eyebrows. “We are quite old, remember?”

“I know you can,” I replied to the succubus Archon. “But as your master, I’m asking you to hang back. I can also handle myself, remember?”

“Yes, master.” Veopa nodded, and I softened my expression.

Veopa was right. I knew the Archons could get along just fine without me, but after we’d been through such an intense battle together, I felt the same protectiveness toward them that I did toward my Mistral lovers. The emotions surprised me, but they made sense as well. The Archons were my women, too, as strange as it felt to admit it, and I wanted to make sure they were taken care of.

“I’ll be back,” I urged them, and after I gave the goddesses one last smile, I started to head toward the library. Now that the bugs were gone, we were back on track, and I was ready to get some answers about the moon monster.

I’m coming with you, Dio declared as he followed me down the hall.

“Thanks, buddy.” I scratched the top of his head affectionately.

As we approached the door, I had a strange feeling in my stomach, but I couldn’t figure out why. Were there more athenids waiting to come after us?

No, we’d surely defeated them all. If there were more, they would’ve joined the others to battle us. So, was this feeling just leftover nerves?

I shook off the feeling. I didn’t have time to analyze every single thought in my head. I was still on edge from the spider attack, that’s all. I had to remain cool.

But when I walked through the door and finally set eyes on the library, I was met with a sight so surprising that it brought me down to my knees.

“No,” I whispered. “This can’t be happening.”

The entire library was in ruins.

Chapter Ten

“Fuck,” I breathed as I peered around at the tragic sight, and my entire body shook as the gravity of the situation slammed down on me.

This library had once been an amazing place with impressive wall-to-ceiling shelves arranged in a spiraling labyrinth that held identical black leather-bound books. I’d found myself intimidated the last time I’d stepped foot in this place, but this time around, I felt a different type of dismay.

Sticky webbing hung like curtains from wall to wall, and each dripped with the same green mucus the athenids had secreted from their mouths. The webs spiraled in a similar fashion as normal spiders, only some had a rounded shape that almost resembled a dome. Nests, I realized, and a shiver ran down my spine.

It only made sense that the monsters would take up residence in the library. After all, they needed somewhere to prepare their brood, and what other place was more perfect than a sprawling room in an unoccupied palace?

The enormous shelves were in a complete state of disarray. Some were toppled over, smashed-in, and broken, while others were simply askew. A few of them remained standing, but the wooden tops of the shelves where the webs were wrapped around for support had started to break down, and if I had to venture to guess, I would say the acidic quality of the webs were to blame. The wood was weathered and damaged, and they didn’t look like they had long until they would suffer the same fate as the shelves piled around them.

As for the books, every last volume was destroyed. All of them were plucked from their shelves and flung to the floor like they were nothing. Thick piles of torn white pages rose high into the air, and amongst them, I spied scrawls of text that were now rendered unreadable.

A foul, slightly burnt aroma wafted around the entire room, and I was almost brought to tears. We’d been so close, and now, thanks to those disgusting monsters, we would never know if the right book had been here all along. I almost wanted Xan to raise those monsters from the dead just so I’d have a chance to kill them all over again.

The umber-skinned Archon must have sensed I was thinking of her, because she suddenly ran into the library.

“Gryff, what’s wro--?” she began to ask, but the goddess’ face fell as she took in the sight of the room, and her full dark lips formed an “o” of surprise as she shook her head back and forth. “Oh, no.”

I expelled the breath I’d been holding, and with it, the last bit of hope I had.

“It’s all gone,” I muttered as I stared at a pile of acid-eaten pages. “Every last thing. If it wasn’t torn to shreds, the athenids’ mucus burned through it. There’s nothing here that seems salvageable.

“All of these books, just destroyed…” Xan shook her head in disbelief. “Who knows what kind of histories are now lost forever.”

“Don’t remind me,” I sighed. “We’re so fucked, Xan. I know a lot of these books were unreadable, but that entire shelf of books we needed is likely gone forever because of those athenids.”

“Hey, what’s taking you so long in--” Sera called out, and then the dark angelic Archon had the exact same reaction as her sister. “ Oh… Oh, no.”

“That’s the understatement of the century,” I sighed.

“After the display downstairs, I can’t be too shocked that those monsters could inflict so much damage, but this is insane,” the dark-winged Archon murmured.

“Is everyone alright in here?” Quilla’s voice called out, but when the skeletal Archon entered the room with Hunnah and Phi at her side, she reacted with the same level of shock. “Oh, wow. They built their home here.”

“Yeah,” I replied with little emotion in my voice. “Based on the number of nests and the way some of these webs are digging into the tops of the shelves, I would guess they’ve been here a while, which explains why they were so hostile and difficult to control. They thought we were invaders coming to destroy their homes. ”

“I would have destroyed it in front of them if I knew this is what we were going to find in here,” Phi groaned.

Hunnah let out a low breath as her sterling eyes followed one of the slimy athenid webs down to the marble floor. “If I thought Carth was upset before, I can’t even imagine how angry she’s going to be when she sets her eyes on all of this. She spent so long in this library, it was practically a second bedroom to her.”

“Noooo!” Carth wailed as she burst into the study with Miralea, Veopa, and Utuni close behind her. The Archon’s eyebrows furrowed, and her russet eyes glowed with a powerful intensity as she clenched her fists at her sides. “How could this have happened?”

“Carth… ” Xan attempted to comfort her sister. “What’s done is done--”

“How is this fair?” Carth growled anyway. “I spent so much time ensuring this palace would be restored to its former glory, and yet here it is, the sight of such disgusting arachnid monsters. Sera, I’m going to need you to return those monsters back here so I can destroy them myself--”

“Carth, we’re all angry,” I reminded her. “Xan’s right. What’s done is done, and as much as I’d love to hurt the athenids just as much as you do, they’re already gone.”

“What would bring them to the surface?” the horned Archon snarled, and her russet eyes filled with angry tears. “What would make them decide to infiltrate the palace when no monsters other than the Shadal can enter this place?”

“You didn’t mention that before.” I frowned. “What do you mean no other monsters can enter? Is there some kind of barrier that keeps them away?”

“Monsters belonging to someone may come through the palace, but strays cannot,” Carth sniffled. “There’s some sort of enchantment that keeps out feral beings, but apparently it isn’t working as it’s supposed to.”

“Did you cast the spell yourself?” I asked her.

“No.” The green-skinned Archon shook her head. “It was made before I came here. I only noticed it in the time I occupied the castle.”

“Xan, did you know about the enchantment?” I turned to the azure-winged goddess, but Xan shook her head as well.

“No,” she answered. “I had no idea it existed. But it makes my inquiry from earlier that much more of a mystery. Something drew or forced the athenids from the underground, but what? What would make them leave their natural habitat and decide to come here instead?”

“Do you think the moon entity may have done it?” Veopa wondered as she crossed her arms against her ample chest. “The shift has clearly affected the monsters’ abilities and strength, so I would think it has some sort of bearing on their other natural behaviors like nesting.”

“That’s a really good point,” I said. “Not good for us, but it makes sense. The moon monster is affecting literally everything. I don’t see how it wouldn’t impact normal behaviors. However, that raises the question yet again… how would the athenids be able to get past an enchantment?”

“Perhaps it isn’t just the monsters,” Quilla suggested quietly. “Maybe it’s the entire Shadowscape.”

All eyes fell to the skeletal Archon, and Quilla’s cheeks darkened.

“Of course,” I agreed with the petite goddess. “We had the thought before we even arrived. We had no idea if the moon’s shift would do anything to this realm since the two are so closely intertwined, and here we have our answer. Things are clearly amiss, and as such, we need to go with our original plan and make sure we keep our eyes out for anything. The rules that once applied no longer seem to matter, and we can’t afford to be ambushed again.”

“You’re right.” Sera nodded at me. “We do need to be careful. That run-in was a little too close for comfort, even with our combined powers. We have to stay sharp while we’re here.”

“So, what do we do now?” Utuni raised a dark eyebrow as she nudged a shredded pile of pages with her foot. “Since this place is obviously a bust, we should move on, right?

“Maybe one of the books is hidden under all of this rubble?” Miralea suggested in a small voice. “Maybe under one of those stacks of ripped paper?”

The jaguar goddess’ face was strangely hopeful, and something about it made me want to at least explore the option.

“It’s unlikely, but we could try to look anyway,” I said, and then I peered around the room. “Perhaps everyone could take a corner of the library and start to dig? I really don’t think the books would have survived, but I’ve seen stranger things, so I don’t want to completely discredit the idea.”

“Let’s do it.” Sera nodded. “I don’t know how likely it is that we’ll find anything, but let’s make the attempt. Gryff, Carth, what are we looking for?”

“The books on that particular shelf were bound in dark red leather, so if they’re here, we should find them easily,” I answered. “If you think you’ve found something, shout it out.”

“Yes, master,” my Archons replied in unison, and then we got to work.

We spent what felt like hours digging through every last pile of shredded volumes, and by the time I finally took a break, my hands were black and blue from the sting of the athenids’ acidic mucus.

At first, I’d attempted to coat myself in bullet bass armor to keep the saliva from touching my skin, but the effort made it hard to properly dig through the piles, so I gave up and went in bare-handed. I borrowed the enhanced senses of my vingehund, but even with my brilliant sight, I wasn’t able to find a single text. The athenids had torn this place to shreds, and whatever wasn’t in the slime-coated piles was stuffed into their larger webs that hung from the empty shelves.

The hopelessness of the situation made a lump form in my throat, and I had no idea what to do next, if anything. This library had been important to our mission, and I’d been certain that one of the secret volumes would contain our answers. Now, we would never know.

“Master, I think this is a lost cause,” Utuni sighed as she cast aside a gooey scrap of black leather. “I haven’t seen a single thing here.”

“Nor have I,” Carth admitted in a pained voice. “I checked over where the shelf was concealed, but no books remain. I haven’t even seen a speck of red. The athenids destroyed every last thing.”

As much as I didn’t want to admit the loss, the Archons were right. Nothing here was salvageable, and I had to stop kidding myself otherwise. It hadn’t hurt too much to attempt, aside from my burns, of course, but it was time to accept defeat and move on.

“Well, if there’s nothing here, maybe there would be something hidden somewhere no one else would ever want to be?” I suggested as I wiped my hands on my trousers. “I know roaming the castle was the last resort, but I think we need to come to terms with the fact that this library is no more. The further we wait, the longer we’re away from the human realm, and the last thing me or my women need is to lose another nine months of time.”

“Is that how long had passed when you were here as Carth’s prisoner?” Xan asked.

“I prefer the term ‘guest,’” Carth mumbled to herself.

“Yeah.” I ignored the horned Archon and nodded at Xan. “My women were pregnant, and when I came home, two of my children were already born. I have two more on the way, but even aside from them, I can’t imagine the world getting any better nine months later. Maker, there might not even be a world to return to after that much time.”

“Let’s not bother ourselves with it right now,” Sera urged me in a softened tone. “You’ll only burden your mind further with those kinds of thoughts.”

“You’re right.” I nodded, and I forced myself to take a breath. “If this place predates the separation of the realms, would there be a secret chamber somewhere? A hidden door, a secret passage, a tower?”

“Might I suggest… the dungeon?” Hunnah proposed with a raised eyebrow, and the effort against her burn mark made her wince slightly.

“No one’s been down there in centuries,” Carth pointed out as she rested her hand on her hip. “I know I certainly haven’t, and unless one of you snuck down there when I wasn’t paying attention, I’d say it’s safe to assume no one else has?”

“I haven’t.” Quilla shook her head. “I’m usually the curious one, but I had no desire to go down there.”

“Nor did I,” Hunnah said, and the warrior goddess wrapped her arms around herself as if she had a sudden chill.

“Wait, are you guys afraid of this dungeon?” I asked.

“No.” The warrior goddess shook her head vigorously. “Of course not. Why would I have mentioned it if I was scared?”

“Don’t lie to our master.” Miralea gave Hunnah a grin of mischievous delight. “You are scared.”

“Say that to me one more time, and I’ll chop the end of your precious tail off with my sword,” Hunnah threatened the cat goddess with narrowed eyes.

“Master!” Miralea clutched her plush tail and pulled it into her protectively.

“Stop it,” I growled at the pair. “You’re acting like children, and we don’t have time for it right now.”

“Sorry,” Hunnah and Miralea muttered together.

“Thank you.” I nodded at the pair, and then I addressed the group. “Now, how do we get to this dungeon?”

“There’s a passage behind the fireplace that leads there,” Xan answered me. “I discovered it when I first arrived at the palace and something drew me toward the fireplace, but I didn’t dare enter the dungeon entirely. I didn’t have any reason to go down there, so I didn’t bother checking it out. There’s a strange aura about it that made me want to stay away.”

“I think we should check out this dungeon,” I suggested. “And we should probably go together. I know we knocked out all of those athenids, but if one pack of monsters was able to take residence here, there might be more.”

“You’re right, Gryff,” Sera agreed with me. “I think sticking together is our best plan.”

“If there’s an aura, should we exercise caution?” Phi wondered. “It could have some enchantments we don’t know about that could get us into more trouble.”

“It’s a risk we have to take.” I shrugged. “We knew this mission was going to be treacherous, but I can’t return to Mistral empty-handed. It just isn’t an option.”

“Then let’s get out of here,” Xan agreed, and she held her hand out to me.

I accepted it gratefully, and the Archon helped me to my feet. Then I brushed off the last remnants of the slime, and my face scrunched up.

“Ew,” I remarked as the goo fell to the ground and made a soft plopping noise against the marble.

“Let me see your hands,” Xan instructed me, and then she pulled my hands in closer. “Look up.”

I looked the Archon in the eyes, and as her amethyst irises pulsed, I felt the pain of the sores and burns from the athenids’ saliva begin to fade until it was no longer present. Once I was sure it was gone, I broke eye contact with the beautiful goddess and offered a thankful smile.

“I appreciate it,” I thanked her, but Xan waved me off.

“It’s what I do,” she said. “No thanks necessary. Now, anyone else with burn marks, step over here so I can remove them. We all need to start fresh and rejuvenate our powers in case something is in fact amiss in the dungeon.”

The other Archons stepped up, and one by one, they were healed by Xan’s magic. Hunnah was the last one to be taken care of, but when it came to the burn on her face, Xan frowned.

“This one is deeper than I thought,” the winged Archon sighed. “I don’t understand why it isn’t healing up.”

“Leave it for now,” Hunnah requested in a quiet voice.

“You… want it there?” Xan frowned at her sister.

“No.” The wolf-eared Archon shook her head, and her cheeks flushed until they were a deep rose color. “I mean, I don’t know. I think it adds a bit of character.”

“Hunnah…”

“Please,” the goddess requested quietly. “I don’t want it to fade just yet. And besides, it doesn’t hurt too bad.”

Xan considered it for a moment and then shrugged. “Okay, but let me know if you change your mind. If we wait too long, it’ll scar.”

Hunnah nodded, and I was curious to know why she didn’t want the burn removed, but I didn’t want to press her. Maybe she would trust me with the reasoning in time, but for now, I would leave it alone.

“If everyone’s good, I’d suggest we get moving,” I proposed, and I gave Xan a sideward glance. “Thank you for healing everyone, Xan.”

“Don’t mention it,” the goddess insisted, and after one more moment of lingering, the Archons and I left the library and headed back to the stairs.

As we descended to the first floor, a lump rose up in my throat. I could only pray that the dungeon would give us answers. My women and all of Mistral were counting on me to learn more about the moon, and I couldn’t let them down. There were too many lives at stake, and we couldn’t possibly get the world back to normal without answers.

I could feel Sera’s yellow eyes on me the entire way down, and I managed to muster up a reassuring smile for her, but I wasn’t sure she was convinced. I knew she would press the subject later, but for now, we had more important matters to worry about.

The Archons and I reached the first-floor entryway and made our way over to the elaborate fireplace that still glowed with Xan’s blue flames.

“So, how do we open the passage?” I wondered as I examined the smooth black marble around the fireplace. I didn’t see a knob or a hinge, but then again, this was the Shadowscape. Not everything made sense around here.

“Like this,” Xan replied, and she stepped forward and plunged her hand straight through the flames.

My eyes nearly popped out of my head, but Xan didn’t seem affected by the heat. She simply twisted her hand, and I heard a click, like a key turning in a keyhole.

Xan removed her arm from the fire and then turned back to us. “Everyone, step back.”

We did as instructed, and then like magic, the fireplace swung open as if it were a door and revealed an entryway large enough for two or three people to enter side-by-side. The inside was pitch-black, and no matter how much I squinted, I couldn’t see a thing within the chamber.

“Wow,” I breathed, and I stood there in amazement for a moment. I’d only ever heard of passages like this in stories, so it was incredibly odd to see it before my very eyes.

“Hurry up, everyone.” Xan waved us over. “I don’t know how long the entry is going to stay open.”

“Coming.” I nodded, and I hurried over to the entryway.

The other Archons followed, and Sera stepped over to me and positioned herself so our arms were up against each other.

“Shall we?” Xan prompted us, and then we began to move down the tunnel.

The passageway was incredibly cold, and the temperature continued to plummet the further we moved. The tunnel seemed to have a slight slant to it, not enough to make it hard to move, but enough to indicate we were headed down below the first floor.

Luckily for us, Xan’s wings gave off enough of a glow that we could navigate without issue, but I found myself missing the normal sunlight back home. The Shadowscape was always so dreary and made me miss the warmth of sunshine. Not that Mistral was particularly warm right now.

A shiver ran down my spine, and then I felt Sera’s arm around my waist.

“Are you okay?” she asked me quietly as her warm body pressed against mine. “You seem a little off today.”

“The whole business with the athenids bothered me more than I want to admit,” I replied to my lover. “I was really hoping we could just… get in and get out, you know? But that was foolish of me. Things are never easy here, and I was dumb to think otherwise.”

“You aren’t dumb,” Sera insisted in a reassuring tone. “You’re hopeful, which is an admirable quality in our current climate. I know how much you want to banish the moon entity. I do, too. I want us to move on from this horrid occurrence and focus on raising our child.”

“Saving the realm is also a priority,” I pointed out to the dark-winged Archon. “Now that I’m officially a Guardian, I have to take everyone else into account as well.”

“That, too,” she allowed. “We shall accomplish it together, my love, and restore the world to what it once was, I swear. You’re the Beastmaker. If anyone can defeat an unheard-of evil, it’s you.”

“I just hope I’m not the evil one,” I remarked. “Sometimes I wonder if everything that goes wrong is my fault, whether I intend it or otherwise.”

“We know you aren’t,” Xan spoke up. “Besides, your headmaster and the Grand Mage wouldn’t have bestowed the greatest honor in your realm upon you if they thought you were evil.”

“I didn’t exactly mention impregnating Sera to them,” I said quietly. “I think it may impact how they feel if I end up telling them. When I end up telling them, I should say.”

“There’s nothing they could do about it anyway,” Utuni pointed out. “What’s done is done. Sera is pregnant with your child, and short of murdering said child, there really isn’t any way to take it back.”

“Don’t you dare say that,” Sera hissed at the snake goddess, and her hands flew protectively to her flat stomach.

“I meant it hypothetically.” Utuni looked over her shoulder and rolled her eyes. “No one’s going to murder your baby, Sera. At least not while it’s a child, anyway. Who knows how it will be received once it’s fully grown.”

“That’s enough baby talk for now,” I decided. “I don’t want to think about it anymore. I just want to worry about getting to this dungeon and looking for anything that can help us.”

“Do you think the entity will require a spell to be banished?” Veopa wondered in a thoughtful tone.

“If so, it’s going to require quite a bit of magic,” Quilla remarked. “Something with that powerful of an influence doesn’t just disappear from a few words. I would venture to guess its defeat is going to require both an immense amount of power and some sort of sacrifice.”

We all halted in place and stared at the skeletal Archon with awed expressions.

“A sacrifice?” I repeated back to make sure I heard her right. “What makes you say something like that?”

“Most intensive magic requires sacrifice,” Quilla replied as if it should have been obvious. “Blood, life force… the magic needs to be infused with devotion so it knows your intent is serious.”

“You speak of mana like it’s a deity,” I remarked.

“Mana is life, is it not?” The petite goddess flashed me a brilliant smile. “My magic ability is associated with death, but life and death are too tightly wound to ignore.”

“This is all getting too philosophical for my liking,” Carth groaned. “Let’s pray the sacrifice is merely blood. I don’t think I could handle the emotional weight of a stronger offering.”

We lapsed into silence for a while as we continued on into the dark.

“Maker, how long is this tunnel?” I wondered.

“It’s long,” Xan remarked. “But if it’s any consolation, I think we’re almost there.”

“Good,” I replied simply.

The rest of the walk continued on in silence, and I allowed my mind to drift off to a calmer state, at least for a while. It was difficult to keep myself from growing worried, but I managed to focus on my breathing and the feeling of Sera’s soft skin against me.

“I think we’re here,” Xan announced, and I snapped out of my haze and straightened my shoulders. Sure enough, there was another entryway in front of us, and judging by the rush of cool air, we were about to enter a chamber.

“Finally,” Veopa sighed, and the other Archons made similar sounds of agreement.

For all of their arguing, I was glad they could find moments to get along, even if it was just to complain.

We stepped into the chamber, and another chill ran down my spine as I tried to see in the darkness. The only light came from the low glow of Xan’s azure flame wings, and even they did little to illuminate the space.

Suddenly, I heard a crunching sound beneath my boot, and my breath caught in my throat. What the fuck was that?

“Xan, could you give us a little light?” I requested.

“Sure,” the Archon called out, and I saw her wings beat in the air as she ascended. She flew to one wall, and after she paused in midair, a torch suddenly lit up with warm flame. The umber-skinned goddess repeated this a few more times, and soon, the chamber was lit enough to see our surroundings.

I looked down, and my stomach turned as I finally caught sight of what I stepped on.

The stone floor was littered with skeletons and errant bones from creatures I couldn’t even identify. Among the mess, I spied skulls, arms, tails, and hands, which told me the bones had once belonged to both man and monster. Chains were littered around us, and I noticed more than one set of shackles were built into the stone floor.

The bone beneath my foot had turned to dust, so the owner had to have been here for a while.

“Some of these bones are human,” I remarked in awe. “But how… how did humans get to this palace?”

“You aren’t the first mortal to set foot in the castle,” Xan replied in a hushed tone. “So many teams of mages have come into the Shadowscape over the years, odds are they had to have made it down here somehow.”

“The skull I stepped on turned to dust, which tells me they’re even older than that,” I observed. “Whoever ended up down here did so a long time ago, long before any of us were alive.”

“Who would have brought them down here?” Sera wondered. “An Archon?”

“I would think the mysterious owner of the castle,” I theorized, and I tilted my head to the side as I considered the scenario. How had humans made it down here? Were they just poor souls who’d ended up at the wrong place, at the wrong time, or had they been brought here by the Archons who existed before my women?

Either way, whoever ended up down in this dismal dungeon had suffered a long, excruciating death. Without the light of the torches, this place was a pitch-black hole devoid of warmth. The prisoners would have died cold and alone in the filth of the Shadowscape without anyone knowing where they were.

I squatted down to examine the bones a little closer, and as I took one of them into my hand, my mind spun out a bit.

The humans who’d been bound to the stone floor had probably spent hours screaming for their teammates to find them, only to find their efforts were fruitless. They were in a place where no one could save them, a place where no one would ever see them again. It was tragic, and I couldn’t imagine dying like that. I’d rather be flayed alive by monsters than die alone as these mages had.

“Gryff?” Sera prompted me. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” I replied, and I rose to my feet. No sense in being morose over something that happened centuries before I was born. My sadness wouldn’t bring these people back, no matter how much I wished it would.

“I don’t think we’re going to find any books down here,” Utuni remarked as she carefully stepped over a small pile of bones. “There’s nothing here but dirt and remains.”

“Sorry, Gryff,” Xan apologized. “I really thought--”

“I’m not giving up yet.” I shook my head. “There still might be something down here, we just have to look close. This is clearly one of the oldest parts of the castle. I know it’s gross, but we need to treat this place like we did the library and search every last corner.”

I was about to assign the Archons when I noticed Miralea was facing the opposite direction as the rest of us. The fur of her jet-black tail was bristled and stuck up in alarm, and I could sense her fear through our bond. The goddess stood frozen in place, slack-jawed as her hand raised up slowly.

“Miralea?” I prompted her.

“Gryff,” she whispered. “Look.”

I turned to face the direction she was pointing, and once I saw the sight that had made the goddess stiffen, my jaw dropped involuntarily.

A pair of intact human skeletons were shackled to the ground, their jaws dropped in horror as if they’d died screaming. Each of their wrists had been secured to the stone floor, except for the skeleton on the right, whose hand was free and rested above it on the wall.

I followed the direction of where the hand was reaching, and suddenly, I felt my entire body grow cold.

Above the skeletons was a bright, violent smear of brown that looked like dried blood. It dripped down from the wall to the floor, and bile rose up in my throat.

“Oh, my,” Quilla whispered behind me, and it was then I realized the blood spelled out a word.

AZRANAETH.

Chapter Eleven

“Azranaeth,” I whispered aloud, and I got a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. I couldn’t explain it, but for some reason, it felt as if I wasn’t supposed to say the word aloud. It felt like magic, something dark and twisted that wasn’t meant for mortal ears, like some sort of incantation or curse. Maybe I was just reading into it and letting my mind wander to strange places, but something about the word on my tongue felt wrong.

“They must have written it before they died,” Xan observed in a hushed voice. “How tragic.”

“It’s more than just tragic, it’s bizarre,” Carth murmured as she crossed her arms against her chest. “Why would they go through all of the trouble? I’m assuming the blood is theirs.”

“Does the word mean anything to any of you?” I wondered, but my question was met with complete and utter silence.

“No,” Hunnah finally spoke up after what seemed like an eternity. “But there’s something about it that feels… strange.”

“I sensed it, too,” I agreed with the wolf-eared Archon. “I don’t know how to explain it, though.”

“Az-ra-nae-eth,” Veopa dissected the word phonetically under her breath, and the moment the word left her lips, she shivered.

“Whatever the word means, it holds weight,” Utuni observed. “I agree with Hunnah. Whatever ‘azranaeth’ is, it can’t be a good thing.”

“Miralea?” I prompted the goddess as she remained frozen in place. Her arm remained out in front of her, and her sudden paralysis began to scare me. I’d never seen her look so frightened before, and I wasn’t sure how to put her at ease when I was hardly comforted myself.

Before I could repeat her name, Utuni stepped over to Miralea, carefully lowered her sister’s arm back down, and affectionately wrapped her own arm around the jaguar Archon’s shoulder. Miralea’s lower lip trembled before she wrapped her arms around the snake goddess and pulled her into an embrace. I half-expected Utuni to ridicule the Archon for such a display, but she comforted her instead and stroked her long, dark hair.

“I don’t want to be here,” Miralea whispered. “None of us belong in this dungeon, and none of us were meant to see that word.”

“Miralea, we have to check this out,” I urged her. “I know you’re scared--”

“Why aren’t the rest of you?” she interjected loudly as she pulled away from Utuni. “I know I teased earlier, but I didn’t know until we stepped foot in this place that something was amiss. We aren’t meant to be down here, master.”

“What makes you think we weren’t intended to see it, Miralea?” I pressed.

“This dungeon has been hidden away for who knows how long,” she replied as her orange eyes flashed with frantic energy. “Clearly, no one has stepped foot in this chamber for a millennium, if not longer. Whatever occurred down here was not meant for our eyes. The lack of light makes it clear enough. Please, master. We need to leave. Can we return upstairs?”

Miralea’s full lower lip trembled, and I could see her tanned arms were covered in gooseflesh. The Archon was really shaken up by this message on the wall, even worse than the rest of us.

I took a deep breath. We were in too deep to leave now, and while I knew something was wrong with the blood message, I had a feeling we needed to stick around the dungeon. Something about the hidden chamber warranted a closer inspection.

“Is that what you really want?” I asked the jaguar goddess. “Are you sure you can’t stay down here?”

“Yes.” She nodded, and then her face brightened up. “While you’re exploring the dungeon, maybe I could search elsewhere? Unless you’d prefer I return to your mind, master. I’d be comfortable with either option.”

“If you want her to go check out other places in the castle, I can accompany her,” Utuni spoke up in a soft voice. “I really don’t mind tagging along.”

“I don’t know if I want to leave you both alone up there,” I sighed.

“If you don’t trust us--”

“I trust you,” I insisted to the snake goddess. “It isn’t about trust. I just worry about more athenids or other monsters coming into the castle, now that we know the intended enchantment doesn’t work on the doors. I don’t want to leave you upstairs in case there’s another pack of creepy monsters.”

“I could also join them,” Phi said in a reluctant tone. “There’s strength in numbers, and we could cover more ground if we split up and explored more rooms in the upper floors. Besides, if I’m being fully honest, I’m not too comfortable down here, either, and if there’s a way I could be more useful elsewhere, I’d like to take that option.”

“Please?” Miralea begged me with slightly pouted lips. “Master, I’d really appreciate it.”

My eyes flew to Sera and Xan, and the pair of Archons gave me similar expressions of uncertainty. I had mixed feelings about this plan myself, but I wasn’t a sadist. If Miralea wanted to leave, I wouldn’t force her to stay, and maybe she and the others could find something after all. Even if they didn’t, I would rather the Archons feel safe than be stuck here on edge. I needed all of the goddesses to remain alert and mostly content, and besides, having them upstairs searching for something of use wasn’t a bad plan. Having separate teams could only benefit us at this point.

“Okay,” I decided. “Utuni, Miralea, and Phi, head back up. Keep an eye out for monsters, and if you see anything even remotely strange, don’t wait to tell me and come right back, alright? Even if it’s something like a Grade-E monster or a strange shadow that isn’t a Shadal.”

“Deal.” Miralea relaxed her shoulders, and then she gave me an appreciative smile. “Thank you, master. I sincerely appreciate your generosity.”

“Of course.” I nodded at her. “Just be safe, Miralea. I can’t afford to lose you.”

“I promise I’ll be safe.” She smiled again, and after she gave the bloody wall one last glance, she turned on her heels and walked away.

“We’ll stick together,” Utuni promised me as she followed after her sister.

“Please do,” I insisted. “I mean it. Look after each other, and call out to me if you need me.”

“Of course, master.” The snake goddess nodded, and she gave me a small smile. “We’ll be just fine. Good luck down here. I hope you’re successful.”

“See you soon, Gryff.” Phi winked from across the room.

“Master, do you want me to go with them?” Veopa wondered as the trio of Archons made their way over to the tunnel. “Phi makes a good point about strength in numbers, so if you would prefer for me to follow them upstairs, I don’t mind.”

“It’s up to you.” I shrugged. “I think they can handle it, but if you’d prefer to follow them and add some more power to the group, I won’t oppose it.”

“I was merely trying to please you,” the succubus Archon admitted with a small but flirtatious smile as she twirled a strand of long silvery hair around her finger. “I know you worry about us, master, and I want to help relieve you of that stress.”

“I think he has more than enough people to help him relax,” Sera snarled as she crossed her arms against her chest. “But thanks for the offer, Vee. I’m sure Gryff will let you know if he wants his blood sucked--”

“Alright, ladies, let’s all try to get along,” Xan urged the Archons as she moved between them. “Gryff, do you want Veopa with them, or here?”

“I’d prefer her to stay,” I announced, and then I flashed Sera a brief glance. “But only if you all agree to stop fighting. We don’t have room for it down here, and I’m out of patience. No more antagonizing one another, or I’ll revisit the idea of recalling you back to my mind.”

“Fine,” Sera huffed, but before she turned away from Veopa, I could see the ghost of a scowl on her face. My lover’s jealousy had flared yet again, and I wanted to soothe her, but I couldn’t handle another issue when we were surrounded by a sea of them. I would try to smooth things over with her in a bit, once everyone was looking for clues.

For now, I turned my attention back to the skeletons and the ominous blood-covered wall.

“Azranaeth,” I repeated once more as I attempted to make sense of the word. “What could it mean?”

Was the word from an early form of Mistral? Or could it be a language from the Southern Continent? There were the Clans, Utun, and Vay, and each spoke a different language. Could Azranaeth mean something to them?

I proceeded to ask Veopa, but the goddess shook her head.

“It’s not a word I recognize,” she said. “But I’m beginning to think maybe it might not actually be a word at all. It could have several meanings.”

“Perhaps it’s letters arranged differently?” Carth wondered as she crossed her arms against her chest. “Though I doubt a dying mortal would have the time or the mental capacity to create a puzzle on his or her deathbed.”

“Why would they have written anything to begin with?” Sera asked as she reluctantly turned back to us. “This dungeon is so hidden away from the other parts of the castle, and it’s not as if anyone would be able to see it, so what was the purpose of writing it on the wall? Surely they weren’t writing it for the person beside them.”

“That’s a good question,” I said as I studied the blood message with a scrutinizing gaze. “But it was important enough to be their final act before they died, so we need to honor that. They wanted someone to know what Azranaeth is, and we need to get to the bottom of it. Once we find the information we came here for, of course. The moon entity is our top priority, but I don’t want to ignore this.”

“If it isn’t a normal word or a puzzle, could it be a name?” Quilla suggested in her musical voice. The dainty Archon held a skull in her hand and was admiring it with a strange expression. I would think the skeletal goddess would be uncomfortable amongst the bones, but she didn’t seem to mind. In fact, she seemed downright giddy.

“A name?” I clarified.

“Now that she mentions it, I think she might be right,” Xan spoke up, and she approached the bloody wall with slow steps. Her heels clicked against the stone floor, and I admired the sway of her hips as she moved. “The way it sounds aloud, along with the conventions of the ending of it makes me think it’s a name. Something old. Perhaps the name of a monster or something?”

“Maybe we’ll find out the answer for sure when we locate other information,” I said in a hopeful voice. “It could be a type of monster, or maybe it’s the name of whoever jailed these prisoners, or one of the elder Archons.”

“Perhaps,” Sera replied, but she didn’t seem so certain.

“I’m going to head this way,” Hunnah proposed, and she indicated her head further down the dungeon. “I don’t want to waste any more time staring at some dried-up blood. We need to get through here so we can move on with our mission.”

“I’ll come with you!” Quilla announced with a glimmer of excitement in her navy eyes. Then she dropped the skull on the ground and followed after the wolf-eared Archon like a puppy.

Quilla was a strange one for sure, and I wanted to know more about her, but I had to admit she scared me a little bit.

“Shall we investigate over here?” Sera inclined her head in the opposite direction. “I think I see a smaller section of the dungeon that might be promising.”

“Okay,” I agreed with the dark-haired Archon, and then I called out to the others. “If you find anything, speak up immediately. I don’t know what we’re looking for down here, but anything could be useful.”

“Got it,” Xan replied, and she flashed me a kind smile.

I returned the gesture and turned back to Sera. The dark-winged Archon’s elegantly arched eyebrows were raised high, and she held her hand out to me expectantly. I took it without question and let the goddess led me to the area.

Sure enough, there was a smaller room just off the central dungeon, and the space was lit just enough by the main dungeon area’s torches that we could see. Not as many skeletons littered the floor here, but I noticed there were many contraptions placed around the room. One resembled a particularly gnarly-looking bear trap, and the weapon had a human torso lodged into it.

I cringed at the sight. No doubt the owner of those bones had a terrible, painful death.

“Yikes,” I gulped. “I definitely did not expect to find something like that down here.”

“In a dungeon?” Sera scoffed. “Gryff, this isn’t exactly an entertaining place to relax. It’s a chamber meant for torture.”

“I know,” I replied, and the tension in the air was thick enough it would need the blade of my rhin dagger to slice through it. Sera was bothered, and I didn’t know what to say to help soothe her mind, but I didn’t want to stay silent. It was an unpleasant conundrum I needed to resolve quickly before it got worse, but I didn’t know how to handle it.

So, we took a little while to ourselves, and each of us moved to separate areas of the chamber. I attempted to focus on the floor near a corner of the room piled high with bones, but my mind wandered so much it was hard to pay attention to anything but my thoughts.

Luckily, the silence didn’t last too long, and I suddenly found myself pinned against the wall by my wrists. Sera’s yellow eyes stared into mine hungrily, and my heart raced as the Archon licked her lips. Adrenaline rushed through me, and I couldn’t help but feel as if I were some kind of prey.

“Sera--” I began to say, but before I could finish my sentence, the Archon pressed her mouth against mine feverishly. The urgency of her kiss took me completely off-guard, but I could feel my heartbeat in my ears as I kissed her back. I wasn’t sure what had brought on this sudden bout of desire, but the way the goddess held me gave me the sense that something more was beneath the surface.

My answer came soon enough when Sera finally came up for air.

“I know you love me just as much as my sisters,” the Archon whispered breathily as she released her hold on my wrists and ran her hands down my chest. “But bearing your child makes me want to lay some sort of claim on you as well. Every time I look at you, I feel as if I’m burning from the inside out, and I want nothing more than to feel your body and your lips against mine. So, please, Gryff, kiss me, and allow me to show you just how much I love you, and how much I want you to be mine.”

“Who am I to turn down a request like that?” I laughed lightly, and without hesitation or deliberation, I swept the goddess into my arms.

Sera wrapped her arms around my neck, and we shared a long, deep kiss, this one much less intense than the one prior, but still incredibly enjoyable. The goddess’ lips were soft against mine, and I admired the sweetness of her. Kissing the Archon was one of my favorite activities, and for good reason. I’d enjoyed that aggressive display earlier, but there was something to be said about slow, passionate kisses.

As I ran my hands down the impressive curves of her perfect figure, Sera moaned in my mouth, and she pressed herself against me tightly. Her high, soft breasts against my chest made my lower half stir, and I wanted nothing more than to take the Archon right then and there.

“You’re so beautiful,” I whispered in between kisses. “Maker, Sera… ”

“Your Maker has nothing to do with it,” the dark-haired Archon laughed lightly.

We went back at it, and soon, Sera raised her hands up and raked her nails through my hair. The sensation against my scalp was amazing, and I let out a soft groan of delight.

I kept one arm beneath her ass for support, but I used the other hand to reach up and gently cup her breast. The Archon gasped lightly, and I began to tweak her nipple until it hardened to a stiff peak.

“Ohh,” she whispered, and she bit down on her lower lip as I gently squeezed her full breast. A shudder ran through the goddess, and when she leaned her head back, her midnight-black hair spilled over her shoulders and down her back. “Oh, Gryff, don’t stop.”

I continued to play with her breasts, and once Sera’s breaths grew ragged, I carefully carried the Archon over to the far wall of the room and propped her up against it just as she had done to me. The goddess wrapped her legs around my hips for extra support, and once she was secure, we picked up where we’d left off.

Sera ran her nails down my back, and a tingle ran up my spine.

“Fuckkk,” I groaned as she increased the pressure against me, and I pressed my lips against her urgently. The beautiful Archon knew just what I liked, and I wanted nothing more than to take her right then and there.

“Fuck me, Gryff,” Sera begged me in between kisses. “Please. I want to feel you inside of me. I need you. Right now.”

“How much?” I teased her as I squeezed her ass. “Tell me just how much you want me.”

“Please, Gryff, don’t torture me,” the dark-winged Archon moaned. “You know how much I need you, and if it isn’t evident enough by my voice, you can touch me between my legs and feel just how wet and ready for you I am.”

I loved it when the dark-haired goddess was so direct, and the hungry way her yellow eyes studied me made my lower half stir with desire. She was right, I knew just how much she wanted me, and I wasn’t one to let my women go unsatisfied.

“Aren’t you worried someone will see?” I asked her as I glanced over at the entrance to the chamber. The larger dungeon area was far enough away that we likely wouldn’t be seen or heard, but then again, we were in the company of monster goddesses, not normal humans. The other Archons would probably be able to hear us, and while the idea kind of turned me on, I wasn’t so certain Sera would be thrilled by the idea of an audience.

“We can be quick,” Sera urged me, and she bit down on her trembling lower lip. “And quiet. I just need to feel you inside me. Please.”

“Hmmm,” I drawled as I pretended to consider the idea, and Sera’s yellow eyes stared into mine with urgency. I didn’t want to keep her waiting for too long, so I ended the conversation with another kiss. I gently pushed the Archon a little harder against the wall, and once I was certain she wasn’t going to fall, I reached down, unbuckled my belt, unzipped my trousers, and shifted them down my hips just enough to free my incredibly stiff member.

“Wow,” Sera whispered as she stared down at my throbbing cock. “It looks like you’re just as ready for me, master.”

“Of course, I am,” I growled playfully.

It took a little bit of maneuvering on our part, but we managed to free Sera’s impressively curvy figure from her scant black bodysuit, and soon, all she wore were her thigh-skimming black boots. Once she was completely bare, we reset our position.

I admired the swells of her perfect body, and then I took my pulsing member in my hand and used it to guide myself to the Archon’s soaking entrance. I pressed the head of my shaft against her, and Sera let out a soft moan of pleasure.

I slid into her velvet tunnel with ease, and a shudder traveled through me as the muscles of her walls tightened around me. Kissing Sera was divine, but the warmth of her pussy was even greater still, and my heart pounded in my ears as I pushed myself deeper within her.

“Oh, Gryff,” Sera whispered, and as I began to rhythmically thrust in and out of her, her head hung back until it gently rested against the dungeon wall. The movement made her already elegant neck look that much more graceful, and I suddenly had the urge to kiss the tender skin of her porcelain throat.

The dark-winged goddess moaned as I brought my lips to her surprisingly warm skin, and the sound deepened when I gently bit down. The Archon let out a soft gasp, and I took the opportunity to push myself as deeply as I could within her tight tunnel.

“Sera,” I groaned as her walls fluttered around my shaft.

“Fuck me, Gryff,” she begged. “Fuck me hard and fast and pour your hot seed deep inside me.”

“Yesssss,” I hissed, and I started to fuck the Archon with short, hard, and fast strokes.

I pounded into the dark-haired goddess for several minutes, and sweat dripped into my eyes as Sera mewled and clawed at my back. Her nails left pinpricks of pain in her wake, but this only heightened the ecstasy curling in my gut. Pleasure began to swell through me, and when a tingling sensation spread up my spine, I knew I was moments away from euphoria.

“Fuck, you feel so perfect,” I groaned as quietly as possible, and I hastened my pace even more. The pounding in my ears grew louder, and soon, all I could hear was it and the sound of mine and Sera’s bodies clapping together.

As the dark-haired goddess raked her nails against my back once more, it took all of my effort to remain quiet, and I concentrated my efforts on plunging myself as deep into the Archon as I could.

“I’m g-gonna…” Sera moaned, but she placed her hand over her mouth before her volume could escalate.

The sight of the winged goddess trying so hard to conceal her mounting pleasure was what did me in, and as the muscles of her pussy clenched around me, my own orgasm struck through me like a burst of lightning.

Our bodies convulsed together, as if we were two halves of a whole, and my seed spilled into her womb with the force of a monsoon. I unleased what felt like gallons of it within her until she was full to bursting, and the Archon moaned with delight as she shuddered around me. We trembled together for several moments, and the goddess carded her hand through my hair as she planted kisses against my neck.

“Had you not already given me the gift of a child before, we certainly would have created one from that union,” Sera whispered through ragged breaths. “That was wonderful, my master.”

“You were amazing,” I complimented her through my daze. Sometimes, I forgot just how lucky I was to have such a stunningly perfect goddess as my lover, but Sera’s sexy smile was an easy reminder.

Our intimate moment was interrupted by the sound of crunching bones outside the room, and Sera pulled away from our kiss to look at the doorway.

“Right,” the dark-winged goddess sighed. “For a moment, I almost forgot where we were.”

“Unfortunately, we still have a mission to do,” I said as my heart continued to race in my chest. “Otherwise, I’d take you again and again until we couldn’t go any longer.

“I’d love that.” Sera pouted her slightly swollen lips. “But I can’t complain too much. I wasn’t expecting you to go that far, especially with my sisters in the next room. I just… never mind. It isn’t important.”

“What?” I prompted her when she fell silent. “What were you going to say, my love?”

“I just needed you to make me feel special,” she admitted. “It’s hard having to share you with so many other women.”

“I know,” I said, and I cupped her cheek in my hand. “I promise you, Sera, I love you dearly, more than I could ever express.”

“It’s okay,” she assured me, and then she leaned in to kiss me again. “I’ll learn to share. I know you promised me before that you would love me most of all, and in turn, I promised I’d be okay with sharing you. This time, I swear I’ll get better about it and work harder at getting along with my sisters.”

“Thank you.” I smiled, and I swept a strand of dark hair behind her ear. “I love you, Sera.”

“I love you, too.” The beautiful Archon smiled back. “Now, we should probably get back on track. These skeletons aren’t exactly setting the mood, are they?”

“Not particularly,” I laughed. “Though I’m sure Quilla would be thrilled by it.”

“She’s a little eccentric,” Sera agreed with me. “Not to say it’s a bad thing. Her gift is valuable, and her surrender to you gave her a lot of bonus points when it comes to my favor. And don’t you dare repeat this, but I’m even starting to come around to Hunnah, as much as it pains me to admit it.”

“We were lucky to have her today,” I said. “I know we probably could have handled the spiders outside, but she made it so much easier to get rid of them, and so did you. The portal really came in handy.”

“Her taming ability is quite impressive,” Sera acknowledged. “I’m glad she chose to cooperate with the group rather than work against us. It’s refreshing after all the trouble we went through with Carth.”

“Definitely,” I agreed with her, and then I carefully lowered the Archon back to the ground. “Now, let’s have a look at the rest of this room. I think it’s safe to say we didn’t make a lot of progress when it comes to searching for clues.”

“It was worth it.” Sera flashed me a pretty smile.

“Yes, it was,” I chuckled.

The Archon leaned forward, planted one last kiss on my lips, and then we broke apart to dress ourselves again. Once my pants and belt were refastened around my hips, I began to move around the smaller chamber. As much as I wanted to continue replaying my brief but wonderful moment with Sera, I forced myself to refocus, and then I used my vingehund-enhanced vision to scan the ground.

Much to my dismay, all I could see were more fragments of bone and errant clods of dirt and other scum. Beyond the piles of remains, the dungeon was filthy, and I remembered the Archons’ earlier observations. This place was ancient, and I wondered how long it’d been since the prisoners had been left down here to die.

Even though they had already been sprung or contained skeletons and other bones, I took care to avoid the bear traps and other contraptions around the room. Some of the heftier ones gave me the creeps, and I couldn’t imagine getting stuck in one of them. Whoever had brought these prisoners down here was not fucking around, and I could only imagine how evil they must have been to distribute such punishment.

After a while, I began to give up hope on the room, and Sera seemed to come to the same conclusion.

“I don’t think there’s anything of note here,” the dark-winged Archon spoke up as she nudged a long bone with her foot. “Sorry, I thought maybe it would have something since it was so tucked away.”

“It was a good idea,” I assured her. “Besides, we had some fun in here. We can go rejoin the others and see if they’ve tracked anything down out there.”

“Good idea,” the dark-haired Archon agreed.

After we gave the perimeter one last look, Sera took my hand once more, and together, we headed back into the main chamber of the dungeon.

Hunnah, Quilla, Veopa, Carth, and Xan were spread out around the vast space, and each goddess wore an intense look of focus as we approached. If they’d heard Sera and I in the other room, they didn’t acknowledge it, and I was glad for their discretion.

“Anything worth mentioning out here?” I wondered.

“Not yet.” Xan shook her head, and then she immediately turned back around. The flame-winged Archon hovered in the air as she examined part of the stone wall, and I didn’t want to interrupt her, so I decided to make the rounds and see how the others were faring.

I let go of Sera’s hand, gave her a wink, and then crossed over to Hunnah.

“Hey,” I greeted the copper-haired Archon.

The warrior goddess was bent down over a monster’s skeleton, and her rainbow tail flicked back and forth as she examined the remains.

“Hello,” she greeted me after she set an intact jaw bone on the ground. “Find anything in the other chamber?”

“Nothing particularly notable, minus some shackles and other torture devices.” I shook my head. “What about you? Any luck here?”

“No,” Hunnah sighed as she wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand. “I thought maybe I had, but it turned out to be nothing but a spare bit of bone.”

“Oh.” My shoulders slumped. “I was hoping--”

“Me, too,” she finished for me. “For such a mysterious place, there’s certainly little to go off. I’d like to think there’s more down here, but beyond bones and torture devices, I don’t know what else there would be.”

“I know,” I replied, and then I squatted beside her to take a look at the monster’s skeleton. Just like the others, this particular monster’s remains had a similar yellow shade to them, and the sight of the large beast tied up like that sent a shiver down my spine.

“This is all so cruel,” Hunnah noted as her ears flattened against her head. “I can’t imagine binding a monster this way. I don’t like it.”

“I don’t, either,” I said. “I know that not all monsters are cute and cuddly, but tying them up this way isn’t alright with me, either.”

“Strange to hear that from a mortal summoner,” Hunnah remarked. “Though, I suppose my taming ability makes me no better. Both of us use magic to bind monsters to our wills and then utilize them in battle.”

“I try to make my monsters feel more like equals rather than my servants,” I said. “It isn’t always easy, especially with some of the more feral ones, but generally, my relationships with my monsters are close. I trust them, and I try to make sure they trust me, too.”

“That’s how I am with my wolves as well.” Hunnah smiled. “My pack are more than just monsters, they’re friends.”

Her sterling gray eyes lingered on mine for a moment, and then she turned her attention back to her examination, but a strange amount of tension hung in the air. While I wasn’t sure it was my best move, I decided to change the subject and take the opportunity to ask the warrior goddess the question I’d thought of before.

“So, if you don’t mind me asking, why didn’t you let Xan heal your burn?” I inquired as I studied the mark on her face. “It looks like it really hurts.”

“It doesn’t,” she lied, but her cheeks reddened as they did when she’d asked Xan to leave it. “I was hoping you hadn’t heard.”

“I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop, it’s just that you both were right there,” I explained quickly, but Hunnah looked embarrassed anyway.

“I understand,” the copper-haired goddess replied, and then she let out a softened sigh. “Honestly, I’m not sure I have a great answer. I’m still kind of figuring it out myself.”

“If you don’t want to tell me--”

“No, it’s fine,” she interjected, and then she straightened up. “Today was the first battle I fought that wasn’t against my sisters or against the Guardians. I didn’t realize it until I’d sheathed my sword, but something about it feels… strange. I’m quite old, Gryff, and I’ve fought a good number of fights both with and without my mistwolves. There was something different about fighting against those athenids. I know they weren’t as large of a threat as the moon entity, but it still felt significant to be fighting for something important, something that had nothing to do with my own ego.”

“You liked fighting with us rather than against us?” I clarified, and when Hunnah scrunched her nose, I amended my statement. “Or am I off?”

“I liked fighting with you,” she whispered, and her translucent ears flickered nervously atop her head. “It meant a lot to see you look at me with so much awe. It made me feel important, more than I’ve ever felt before, and I want a reminder of the moment, as strange as it sounds. As long as the scar doesn’t make me look ugly, at least.”

“Honestly, it’s kind of hot,” I chuckled lightly. “You’re insanely beautiful, but the scar adds a touch of badassery.”

“Then I’ll keep it.” Hunnah smiled, and the sight was lovely.

I couldn’t believe how much the warrior goddess had warmed up to me, and it was nice to see a pleasant expression on her delicate face rather than a bored or angry one. There was a softer side to the wolf-eared Archon, and with time, I hoped she would show more of that to me.

“Thanks for opening up to me,” I said. “And thank you for all you did today. We’re all really grateful to have you on our side.”

“Thanks, Gryff,” the goddess replied.

We shared a moment of silence, but it wasn’t awkward at all. It was strange to think that the Archon had once been my sworn enemy when she was acting so kind toward me. I wasn’t sure what had made the wolf-eared goddess change her attitude, but I wouldn’t complain about having a new ally.

“Gryff!” Xan suddenly called out in an excited voice. “Gryff, I found something!”

“Really?” I asked, and then I stood up, brushed the dust from my hands onto my trousers, and rushed over to where the flame-winged Archon stood.

Xan had moved away from the place near the stone wall, and the goddess’ smile was wider than I’d seen it in a while when I joined her side.

“Look.” She gestured behind her and stepped aside so I could get a glimpse of whatever she’d found, and when I did, my heart raced with excitement.

There, on the stone wall, was a light outline that resembled an entryway similar in shape to the one we’d stepped through to enter the dungeon. It was so faint I doubted I could have seen it without vingehund vision, but it was unmistakable.

“That’s a door, isn’t it?” I asked her excitedly, and a sense of relief swelled inside of me.

“I think so,” Xan confirmed, and then she pointed at a section in the far-left center of the outline. “Look closer. I think that’s where a key is meant to go.”

I narrowed my eyes, and sure enough, there was a smaller outline that resembled a keyhole.

“Xan, you’re amazing,” I complimented the Archon, and her cheeks flushed. “This is exactly the type of thing we’ve been looking for. I wonder where it leads to.”

“It has to be somewhere important,” the umber-skinned Archon replied as her full lips curled into a smile. “It’s hidden so well that it has to contain at least something of value.”

“So, it sounds like we need to locate a key of some sort,” I concluded. “Good, this gives us more direction than we had before.”

“Hopefully they thought to leave a key around here somewhere,” Xan mused, and her eyebrows creased together slightly. “I’m praying the owner of the castle didn’t keep the key with them.”

“Let’s not even think about that,” I insisted. “This is a great start, and I don’t want to let fear stop us from solving this whole thing.”

“You’re right,” she agreed. “We have to remain hopeful.”

I turned to face the other Archons who had gathered behind the flame-winged goddess and me.

“We need to find a key,” I announced. “There seems to be some kind of locked chamber back here, and it may have exactly what we’re looking for.”

“What sort of key?” Carth wondered. “Can you tell the size or the shape we need?”

“Can’t say,” I admitted to the green-skinned goddess. “I honestly have no idea what it would look like, what material, anything, so we just need to keep an eye out for anything we can find.”

“Fair enough,” Carth agreed.

“Everyone spread out and keep your eyes peeled for a key,” I instructed the group. “It could be just about anywhere, so focus on every square inch of the dungeon, no matter how gross or dirty.”

We split up once more, and I decided to start with the skeletons beneath the blood message. It seemed unlikely that the key would be even remotely close to the pair, but without knowing anything about who they were and their relationship to their jailer, I couldn’t rule it out.

To my disgust, the only things around the shackled bodies were bones, desiccated insects, and smears of old, dried blood. I gently moved the skeletons to see if a key had been placed beneath or within them, but the effort wasn’t successful.

When I couldn’t find anything, I decided it would be a better idea to search the floor. As much as the idea of digging through more old bones and leftover remains after already rummaging through piles of acidic goo earlier made my stomach turn, we couldn’t leave any inch of the dungeon untouched, so I reached through the bonds with my summons and borrowed the bullet bass armor once more, only this time, I manipulated the coating to cover only my knees. The stone floor along with shards of bone were both incredibly hard, and I didn’t need to bring my body any more pain than necessary.

“That was a smart touch,” Veopa noted with an arched eyebrow. “Good thinking, master.”

“Thanks.” I smiled at the succubus goddess, and then I raised my chin in her direction. “Have you found anything?”

“Not yet.” She shook her head. “But I can assist you over here.”

The Archon raised her incredibly pale hand in the air and concentrated. A light tingle arced through the air as her magic flared out slightly, and suddenly, a pale silvery material began to appear over her skin, almost like the bullet bass coating on my knees, but hers had a crystalline sparkle to it. The coating covered her hands like a pair of gloves.

The succubus was able to shapeshift, and no matter how many times I witnessed her magic in action, I was still impressed by it.

“That was pretty,” I noted.

“I took inspiration from your monster,” Veopa admitted. “Though I added my own flair for vanity’s sake.”

“Nothing wrong with that.” I smiled. “As long as it helps.”

“Let’s get searching,” the Archon suggested, and together, Veopa and I plunged our hands into the piles of bones and hardened remains and began to dig.

We examined every last bone, fragment, and remains that dusted the floor, but our efforts weren’t successful. There was no key in sight, and nothing out of the ordinary amongst the bones.

“This is useless,” Veopa sighed as she finally wiped her hands on her dress. “Whoever owned the key must have kept it on their person. As much as I don’t want to suggest it, there’s a strong chance they didn’t leave it down here.”

“That’s what I was afraid of,” I sighed.

“We can continue to search this dungeon, but I think we may need to consider alternatives,” the succubus Archon proposed as she rose to her feet. “Do you know how to pick locks?”

“I do, but I don’t think it’s an ordinary lock,” I replied. “I can make an attempt, but with this place being so hidden, I doubt it would open like a normal door.”

“This sucks.” Veopa crossed her arms against her chest, and despite the circumstances, a laugh rose up in my chest.

“That was very… human of you to say,” I chucked. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard you say something like that before.”

“I’ve spent too much time listening to your mortal women,” Veopa sighed. “Soon, I’m going to be speaking just like them.”

The silver-haired Archon glanced over at me, and I felt more laughter rise up in my chest. I wasn’t sure if it was exhaustion or the idea of Veopa’s vernacular becoming more like Layla’s, but I couldn’t contain the feeling for very long.

The succubus Archon didn’t seem sure about what I was laughing about, but soon, she joined in anyway. Despite being in such an awful place, it was nice being able to share a laugh with the goddess.

“What’s so funny?” Carth smirked as she walked over to join us.

“Nothing,” I replied, but a smile lingered on my face.

When I looked past the horned Archon, I spied something along the far wall I’d missed before and stepped over to it with no hesitation. Bones crunched beneath my feet, but I didn’t care. This was too important to be distracted by anything else.

It was another skeleton shackled to the dungeon, but this one’s restraints were tied around its neck rather than its paws or wrists. The bones belonged to a monster of some sort, but I couldn’t identify what it was exactly. Canine, feline, whatever it was, it had long fangs that resembled Dio’s, and I couldn’t help but cringe at the comparison. I didn’t like the idea of a monster resembling my familiar locked away in a place as dismal as this, so I forced myself to think of other possibilities. Perhaps the monster had been a guard of sorts, meant to keep the prisoners at bay.

No matter the reason for it being here, the skeleton had more than just a chain on its neck. I bent down to examine it further, and my heart raced as I spied something hooked onto the collar like a charm. I carefully leaned forward and unfastened it from the chain.

“Gryff, is that--” Xan began to ask.

“Yeah.” I nodded as I held it aloft for the goddesses to see. “I think it’s the key.”

“Be careful,” Sera warned me. “You don’t know if something is on that, like an enchantment, or poison.”

“Thanks, but I think it’s fine,” I assessed. “If it was going to harm me, I think it would have done so already.”

I examined the key in my hand. It was delicate, almost like it could break at any moment, but the metal contained tiny filigreed details I probably wouldn’t have noticed without enhanced vision. I admired the craftsmanship for a moment more and then crossed back over to the stone wall.

I could feel the eyes of the Archons on me as I went to insert the key, and I took a breath to steady my hands before I carefully pushed the piece of metal into the keyhole. It slid in perfectly, and when I turned the key, I heard a clicking sound.

“Oh, fuck,” I muttered. It worked.

Suddenly, the stone door began to move, and I took a step back as it swung toward me.

This was it, the moment we’d been waiting for. I wasn’t sure what we were going to find behind the door, but I hoped with all of my might it was more than just another useless chamber.

The seconds passed like hours, but when the door finally stopped moving, I was greeted by an amazing sight.

“Holy shit,” I breathed.

Chapter Twelve

“Whoa,” Carth breathed behind me. “This… this is amazing.”

“You can say that again,” I agreed with the green-skinned goddess as we stared at the chamber through the entry.

We’d just unlocked the door to a hidden library.

The room wasn’t what I’d expected it to be. For one thing, despite being locked, it somehow glowed with soft light, but when I peered around, I couldn’t find a source. Instead of the cold, gray stone of the dungeon, the chamber was furnished like the more beautiful rooms upstairs. The walls and floors were the same veined, sparkling marble, but there were a number of thick black rugs that lined the area and brought a warm comfort to the space.

The space was considerably smaller than the library upstairs, but there were quite a few bookcases full of books, and each tome was bound in varying shades of red, black, and green leather. A few other artifacts sat atop the shelves, but I wasn’t as interested in the baubles as I was the volumes.

Were we finally going to discover information about the moon entity within those pages?

“I can’t believe this has been down here the entire time,” Hunnah murmured as her sterling eyes trailed over the room. “To think, we were roaming the castle for so long without ever knowing about this room.”

“If only I’d gone down here when I discovered the dungeon in the first place,” Xan remarked.

“It’s probably better that you didn’t,” I noted. “Back then, this room probably wouldn’t have meant much to you, and since none of you were exactly on our team yet…”

“Right,” the flame-winged Archon interjected. “That’s a fair point.”

“Should we go in and check it out?” Sera prompted us. “There’s no use gawking at it from all the way over here.”

“Maybe we should make sure there aren’t any traps first?” Quilla spoke up. “The last thing we need is for one of those gnarly-looking traps ensnaring us the moment we step foot in there.”

“Quilla’s right,” I said. “I didn’t feel as cautious about the key, but we have to exercise more caution with this room. If it’s been a secret this entire time, there’s a reason for it. Plus, there’s obviously some magic involved since the room is so well preserved, and I don’t want anyone to get hurt.”

“We don’t want you to get hurt,” Sera emphasized as she rested a hand on her curvy hip. “You forget we’re much stronger than regular mortal women, Gryff.”

“Trust me, I know,” I assured her. “But it’s pretty clear the owner of this castle wasn’t a human, so they were likely an Archon or something else. If there’s even a way you can be harmed, a fellow Archon would know it.”

“I suppose that’s true,” the dark-winged goddess sighed.

“I have an idea,” Veopa proposed. “I could shapeshift into some other form, perhaps something less solid, more akin to mist, but still retain my vision. I doubt any trap would be able to affect me in that kind of form. I could search around the room for anything strange or potentially dangerous, and once it’s clear, everyone can enter.”

“That’s not a bad idea,” I admitted.

As crazy as that plan sounded, Veopa made a good argument. I would’ve preferred to enter the chamber myself, but I knew that wasn’t an option. I briefly considered the idea of equipping myself with some of my supplementary monsters, but I knew Sera would shoot the idea down in an instant. I was still technically her master, but I didn’t want to do anything that would upset her.

“Would it be better to use one of Hunnah’s creatures instead?” Sera raised an eyebrow, and Hunnah whipped around at lightning speed to glare at the yellow-eyed Archon.

“No,” the warrior goddess growled. “I will not send one of my monsters in there. My wolves might be tough, but I’m unwilling to sacrifice them should there be an actual trap.”

“You’d rather sacrifice your sister?” Sera countered in an icy tone.

“I volunteered,” Veopa insisted before Hunnah could raise her voice right back. “I wouldn’t have done so if I didn’t think I could do it. Please, master, allow me to help.”

I deliberated for a moment, and then I gave the succubus Archon a nod. “If you think it’s safe for you to enter the chamber in a different form, I think we should try it, but if anything seems off, I want you back here straight away, alright?”

“Thank you, master.” Veopa smiled at me, and the succubus Archon’s fangs flashed in the light and brought an element of danger to her gorgeous face. “I’ll be careful, I promise.”

As the silver-haired goddess straightened her shoulders, the rest of us backed up to give her adequate space to shift. I’d seen the goddess change forms in much tighter quarters, but if she was potentially putting her life on the line for us, I wanted her to feel comfortable and prepared.

Suddenly, a low glow appeared around her, and the Archon began to dissolve into a mist that resembled the essence the monster goddesses transformed into when they were recalled to my consciousness, only it was the same silvery shade as her bright eyes and hair.

I watched the stream of mist with fascination as it pulsed through the air, and then I sensed a stir in the back of my mind.

I’m heading in, Gryff, Veopa’s voice rang out. Wish me luck.

“Good luck,” I said. “Please, Veopa, be careful.”

I’ve got this, she insisted. I’ll be right back, master.

The stream of silver mist took off and slipped into the chamber with ease, and as I waited for her return, I couldn’t help but feel antsy. I hoped the room would be trap-free, but I’d come to expect that sort of thing when it came to places in the Shadowscape. Things in this dimension always had an element of danger, and you couldn’t place your trust in anything.

I watched the mist travel and wind around to every last corner of the room, until finally, it emerged through the doorway and transformed back into Veopa.

“No hidden traps,” she announced as she smoothed her hair down. “There appear to be no malicious enchantments, no weapons. It’s just a room.”

“Thank the Maker.” I released the breath I didn’t realize I was holding. “And thank you, Veopa. I really appreciate you checking it out.”

“Of course.” The Archon nodded. “I would do anything for you, master, especially if it had to do with your safety.”

“Alright, enough sucking up,” Carth grumbled. “Can we finally go inside? The smell of this dungeon is making my stomach turn.”

“This chamber hasn’t been opened in who knows how long,” I reminded the horned goddess. “There’s a chance it’ll smell even mustier, or worse--”

“I’m willing to take that chance,” Carth interjected, and I stifled a laugh.

“Alright, let’s go,” I decided. I braced my bandolier with one hand, took a breath, and then stepped into the room.

I could hardly contain the feeling of awe as we entered the chamber, and my lips curled up into a smile as I peered around the room in wonder.

“This is incredible,” Xan breathed as she wrapped her arms around herself. “I can’t believe this has been down here the entire time.”

“Me, either,” I said.

“Who knows what kind of histories and tales those books hold,” Carth noted as she skimmed her fingers across the marble wall.

“Whoever lived here took the time to hide these away so perfectly that no one would ever find them,” I mused as I approached the shelves. “If there wasn’t something of value down here, I’d be absolutely shocked.”

“Let’s keep our fingers crossed,” Veopa sighed. “It would be a shame if we went through all of this effort only for it to be anticlimactic.”

“We need to get to work,” I suggested. “There are six bookcases and seven of us. Everyone, start opening covers and see what you can uncover. We’re looking for anything about the moon, the entity, or otherwise. If you find anything of note, don’t keep it to yourselves. Even the tiniest hint of information could be helpful.”

The Archons nodded collectively, and then we split up and got to searching.

Each of us chose a case to comb through, and I ended up pulling from the same one as Xan.

“I’ll take the top rows,” I decided as my eyes trailed over the ten individual shelves. “You go ahead and start on the bottom. We’ll meet in the middle.”

“Yes, sir.” The Archon winked at me with her beautiful amethyst eyes.

After I grabbed the first five volumes on the shelf, I chose an empty table in the far-right corner of the room, spread out the books, and took a seat.

“Master, there are some paper and quills down here,” Veopa announced as she held a stack of loose-leaf paper aloft. “Would it be helpful for us to jot down notes?”

“That would be great,” I agreed with the Archon. “Could you pass some over to me and anyone else who might want them?”

“Of course,” the succubus goddess replied, and as she glided through the room and passed out the materials, I felt like I was back in class at the Academy. It was a strange feeling, but not an unwelcome one. Though I’d spent more time out in the field than I had in actual lectures, I’d enjoyed my time as a student, and the idea of conducting research was sort of exciting.

The first book I chose was the same red as the former books in the third-floor library, and I was surprised by how heavy it was. I took care to open it as slowly as possible. With how old this castle was, I didn’t want to risk damaging the spine.

I immediately thought about Arwyn and how amazed she would be with this place. The crimson-haired professor would have been fascinated by all of these ancient materials, and I could see her glowing smile in my head.

I felt a pang of sadness as I thought of my fiancée, and I began to wonder what she was up to in Mistral, and whether or not she and the others were safe. I missed my women and children so much, and while it was easy to succumb to the gloom, I reminded myself I was doing all of this for them. The sooner we found what we were searching for, the sooner I could return home to them. Besides, it wasn’t as if I was going to abandon these books. I intended to bring back as many volumes as possible for the research team to pour over, which would surely make Arwyn’s day.

Once my quill was prepared to take notes, I opened the book, and I was surprised to discover the pages were filled with similar black glyphs as the beige book I’d taken from the library the first time I’d been in the castle. However, these glyphs were slightly different from the others. They still held a bit of familiarity like the ones in Carth’s book, but in a stronger dose.

“Strange,” I remarked, and I brought the book closer to my face. Unsurprisingly, that didn’t do much, and I let out a slight huff of frustration. “Damn it, I just want to read you.”

Suddenly, a tingle ran up my spine, and my head swam with dizziness. I used one hand to brace myself on the arm of my chair and then closed my eyes. Was it just exhaustion finally catching up to me, or was this something different?

I waited until I no longer felt like the room was spinning, and when I opened my eyes, I was greeted by a surprising sight.

“What the fuck?” I breathed.

The glyphs in the book had been replaced by the Mistral language.

How had that happened? Just moments ago, the books were impossible to read, but now they were written in my native tongue?

I thumbed through the pages to make sure it wasn’t just my mind playing tricks on me, but sure enough, every page was filled with Mistral. Was it an enchantment of some sort to keep prying eyes from reading classified information?

“Gryff?” Xan peered over the top of an emerald green book. “What’s going on? You look as if you’ve seen a ghost.”

“No ghosts.” I shook my head. “But something here is definitely strange.”

“Stranger than being in an ancient hidden library in a dungeon?” Carth raised an eyebrow.

“Stranger than that,” I replied, and then I quickly explained to the Archons what had just happened. Each of them looked up from their books as I recounted the shift in language, and their eyes appeared as if they were about to bulge out of their skulls.

“So, you can actually read these?” Hunnah asked as she stared down at her book.

“Yeah.” I frowned. “Why, can you not?”

“I can somewhat, but not without difficulty,” she admitted. “Whatever language was used to pen these books is far older than anything I’ve read before.”

“How is that possible?” I wondered. “To me, it reads just as plain as the common tongue.”

“You are the Beastmaker,” Sera pointed out to me. “If anyone here can read this language, it makes sense that it would be you.”

“It sounds like you unlocked some sort of magic that allowed you to translate it to your own language,” Carth suggested with a slight tilt of her head.

“That’s so strange,” I muttered, and I peered back down at the book. The words appeared to me as clear as day, so why couldn’t the Archons read them, too? “I managed to make it happen by expressing my frustration. Maybe you could try that? Urge the book to become more readable?”

“We can attempt it, but I don’t know if it will do any good.” Hunnah frowned.

“So, Gryff, what does it say?” Quilla prompted me as a serious expression settled over her fairy-like features.

“That’s a great question,” I replied. “I haven’t had a chance to actually comprehend the words.”

“Well, take a little while to examine it, then,” Xan proposed. “It may turn out to have something useful, or it could be something as trivial as a diary. It’s really hard to tell without inspection.”

“Got it.” I nodded at the umber-skinned goddess. “I’ll start looking through. If it doesn’t seem to have any importance, I’ll move on to something else. There are so many books in here, and I can’t expect the first one I pulled to be the precise one we need.”

“No, but it would certainly be convenient if it was,” Sera chuckled. “It would save us a lot of time and effort.”

“Well, you’ll be the first to know if it’s the one,” I laughed lightly.

The library fell back into silence, and I settled further into my chair and began to read through the book.

While the language was clearly Mistral, the words themselves were a little outdated, and I found myself struggling to comprehend the formality of it. I wasn’t a poor reader, but it was as if this were a different dialect of the common tongue that I wasn’t familiar with, something old-fashioned. I forced myself to take my time as I read through the pages, and I dedicated myself to analyzing each paragraph with the same amount of focus as I had in school before an exam.

The book turned out to be about monster identification, and while it was interesting to read about the old ways they classified creatures, I wasn’t seeing anything that even vaguely resembled the monster on the moon, so I ended up moving on to the next book on the shelf.

I continued on with this for what felt like hours, and after I closed the fourth book, I took a break and looked around at the other Archons. I could tell they were struggling to comprehend the texts as well, but I appreciated the effort nonetheless.

“Anyone find anything?” I wondered as I stood up and stretched my arms above my head.

“Unfortunately not,” Xan sighed, and the Archon raised her hands up and began to massage her temples. “These books are interesting, but they don’t seem topical. They almost feel like they’re decoys.”

“Do you think they were placed down here to conceal the real book?” I inquired.

“I think there’s a strong chance,” the azure-winged Archon replied. “Why would you fill an entire hidden library with books that don’t matter? Why go through all of the effort?”

“They were probably worried about someone breaking in,” I said as my brain caught on to what Xan was thinking. “They kept so many prisoners down here, I’m sure they wanted further security in case the key to the room was lost or stolen.

“Then there has to be something of value in here,” Hunnah mused. “It’s like all of the books in the upstairs library. The only ones that really mattered were the ones hidden away on the shelf.”

“Then let’s try to find that shelf,” I announced.

The Archons and I began to comb through the books at a faster pace, and we placed the rejects in stacks on the marble floor. It didn’t take long for the stack to grow as tall as me, and once the stack grew too cumbersome, we started another.

After the second stack piled up, I decided I needed to give my eyes a rest, so I rose from my perch in the chair and strolled out into the larger dungeon area. While the freezing air had been too violently cold before, it was a welcome comfort after reading so many books, and I took a moment to enjoy the coolness on my slightly sweaty frame.

As I stood there amongst the bones and shackles, I decided it would also be a good idea to check on the other four Archons. I had yet to hear any type of news from them, and I needed to make sure they didn’t get into any type of trouble while we were all the way down here. Sure, they’d sworn to me they’d report if anything was wrong, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t worried regardless.

I closed my eyes and concentrated on the bonds between the monster goddesses and me, just as I’d done with Xan in the forest near Helux. I felt my mana flex from the exertion, but I forced myself to concentrate on visualizing Utuni’s face.

“Utuni?” I reached out to her. “Utuni, can you hear me?”

Oh, hello, master, the snake goddess’ voice rang out in my mind. I can hear you just fine. This is certainly a neat trick.

“Glad you like it,” I chuckled as I nudged a bone with my foot. “How’s everything going up there?”

We’re fine, Utuni assured me. Phi and I have checked all of the rooms, and as far as we know, there are no other monsters that have made their nests in the castle, thank goodness.

“Praise the Maker,” I sighed in relief. “Have you guys managed to find anything?”

No, the Archon replied in a disappointed voice. We’ve been combing through every last shelf, cranny, and closet, but there’s been nothing even remotely related to the moon or the entity. I’m sorry, master.

“Don’t apologize,” I said. “Seriously, I really appreciate all you’ve been doing.”

What about your progress? Utuni wondered. Have you managed to find anything in the dungeon? I was expecting you all to be back up here by now.

“We’ve actually made a huge discovery,” I revealed to her. “Though, we’re a little stuck at the moment. There’s a library hidden down here after all, but none of the books are helpful. Xan and I think most of the volumes on the shelves are decoys meant to conceal the real books we need.”

Wow. Utuni whistled. That’s both frustrating and exciting at the same time. I wonder where the important books are hidden away.

“That’s what we’re trying to figure out now,” I sighed. “I’m beginning to lose hope of finding it.”

I’m not the best at puzzle solving, but I might have a suggestion, Utuni proposed.

“I’m willing to entertain just about anything,” I said. “What’re you thinking?”

Well, if I were going to hide the real book amongst a bunch of decoys, I’d be sure to put it amongst the largest number of identical covers, she said. I don’t know if the bindings range in color--

“They do,” I interjected. “Black, red, emerald, and blue.”

I would try to figure out which color occurs the most and then focus on those particular books, Utuni proposed. I could be wrong, but that’s how I would have hidden them.

“It’s a good idea,” I complimented her. “Thanks, Utuni, I’m going to try that.”

No problem, the snake Archon replied. Let me know if I can be of more assistance.

Our line of magical communication dissolved, and once it did, I returned to the chamber. Then I scanned the shelves until I found a book bound in jet-black leather. The cover itself was unassuming, but until now, I hadn’t bothered to look through the volumes of that color. I’d discounted them because all of the empty books in the library upstairs had been a similar shade and assumed they’d be just as useless as those, but perhaps that was precisely why that would be the right book.

I plucked the book and was surprised by how heavy it was despite its size. This book had a stronger weight than the others I’d skimmed through, and I prayed it was a good sign.

“Gryff, is everything alright?” Sera asked me with a worried expression on her lovely features.

“I think so,” I replied. “At least, I hope it’s about to be. Utuni may have given me a lead.”

“Utuni?” The dark-winged Archon frowned.

“I’ll explain it later,” I said absently as my heart rate picked up. “I have a feeling about this book. It might be the one we need.”

I sat back down in my seat, opened the book, and I began to read the first page. It didn’t have a title or a dedication, but it did have a pair of initials at the bottom of the page: SP.

I frowned as I tried to search my mind for a name with those initials, but I couldn’t think of anyone that matched that description. Of course, with how old and weathered the book was, it made sense no one I knew fit the bill.

I turned to the following page, and two sentences into the first paragraph, Utuni’s theory was confirmed.

“It’s a history of the realms,” I breathed.

This was the book we’d been looking for.

Chapter Thirteen

I sat there in complete awe as my brain reread the first pair of sentences so many times the words almost lost their meaning. Had I actually read them correctly? Did this book really contain information about the history of the realms, or was this all a product of a willful imagination?

“Gryff, did you just say what I think you said?” Carth looked up from her book to stare at me with enormous russet eyes, but I could hardly form a cohesive reply.

I was only snapped out of my daze by the sound of the Archons closing their heavy tomes and rising from their seats. The six monster goddesses rushed over and spilled into the furniture around me, and it took me a moment to pull my thoughts together.

“Yes.” I finally glanced up and nodded at the horned Archon. “I’m not far enough into it to know if it has all of our answers, but I think this is exactly the type of book we were looking for.”

“This is incredible,” Veopa murmured.

“Hopefully,” I replied to the succubus goddess. “This first paragraph mentions that it’s going to elaborate on what the realms were like both before the split and immediately after. What is the split? The Shadowscape?”

“Wow,” Quilla breathed as she crossed her slim legs. “I can’t believe it. I mean, I’d hoped we’d find at least one piece of information here, but I was expecting maybe a paragraph at the most.”

“For all we know, it’s only a few pages,” I warned the skeletal Archon with a cautious expression. “I’m just as excited about this, but I think we need to lower our expectations in case they get crushed.”

“I understand,” the petite goddess sighed. “Sorry for the overzealousness.”

“Don’t be,” I assured her. “This is great news. Potentially.”

Despite my warning, the Archons’ eyes were still giddy with anticipation, and I almost couldn’t believe this myself.

Up until now, life before the separation of the Shadowscape and the human realm had been a complete mystery, a victim of rumors from both sides of the war, but now, I potentially had the answers in my hands. This was an incredible discovery for both realms, but it was an even more impressive one for us and our team.

“So, what does it say?” Sera pressed in an impatient voice. “Does it speak of the moon entity at all?”

“Yes, Gryff, don’t leave us in the dark,” Hunnah urged me as she leaned forward on her elbows. “Please, elaborate further before the anticipation kills us. What does the book say about the moon?”

“I haven’t gotten that far yet,” I reminded the beautiful goddesses before they could get too riled up. “But I can read what it says aloud so we don’t miss anything.”

I cleared my throat and stared down at the slightly yellowed page. Before I began, I said a quick prayer to the Maker that this was going to give us an advantage or at least insight into the moon entity. We were running out of sources, and I really needed this one to work out for all of our sakes.

Xan gave me an encouraging smile, and then I began.

“Thousands upon thousands of years ago, the world was created,” I read aloud. “It is unknown how the planet came into existence, but it is said it was the work of a singular Maker, who fashioned a world in His image. Every tree, every hill, and every sea were a product of His imagination, and under His eye, the planet prospered. The Maker was so pleased with His creation, He granted the world a special gift, the gift of magic. He infused everything from the elements, to the wildlife, and even the air with the gift, and life flourished from it.”

“How poetic.” Sera rolled her yellow eyes.

“The first humans learned they could manipulate the magic and use it in different ways to suit their needs and make everyday life easier,” I continued after giving her a warning look. “These humans were the very first mages. They passed along their gifts to their offspring, and soon, a primitive civilization began to form. Along with the magic came beings known as monsters. While these beings were similar to the wild animals the Maker had created, they also had the ability to utilize magic. Some remained solitary and preferred the company of only their own species, but others chose to interact with mankind. At first, the humans were afraid of the monsters, but they soon learned there was nothing to fear. Some of the larger beings could be more dangerous, but as long as there was mutual respect between the species, attacks were few and far between. Many of the monster species’ intelligence was low, but they were more like normal animals than they were destructive creatures--”

“Wow,” Hunnah remarked. “That’s an interesting--”

“Shh,” Carth hushed her sister. “Let Gryff continue to read.”

“It wasn’t long before humans and monsters began to form relationships with one another,” I went on. “Monsters could provide protection and assistance to the humans while mages could help take care of the monsters and provide companionship. It was mutually beneficial for monster and man to work as allies rather than enemies. As the years passed and the bloodlines between humans grew larger, there became a branch of mages who could even use their magic to summon monsters to their sides and bond with them.”

I paused. For as long as I could remember, monsters and humans had been at war with one another, and aside from the summons I’d grown attached to, I’d always seen the beasts of the Shadowscape as evil, but apparently, it hadn’t always been that way. Humans and monsters had coexisted with one another peacefully in a single realm.

Not only that, but if I was understanding the book correctly, these early mages were able to just control monsters like Hunnah did with her magic. They were summoners, only without the limitations of essence crystals.

“So, if everything was so beneficial and peaceful, what changed?” Veopa wondered just as the question ran through my mind. “What made humans and monsters become enemies?”

“Patience, sister,” Xan urged the succubus Archon.

Veopa opened her mouth to say something but instead decided to settle back in her seat.

“I was wondering the same,” I addressed the silver-haired goddess. “If everyone was in one realm, coexisting, something had to have changed.”

“Peace sounds well and good, but humans aren’t always willing to work with animals of lower intelligence,” Carth pointed out in a cruel tone. “If there’s anything I’ve learned about mankind in my existence, it’s that humans always hunger for power and control. I’m sure things changed when the mages discovered they could capture monsters and use them as slaves for their own personal gain.”

“You’re sounding like Miralea, Carth,” Hunnah snorted as she rolled her sterling eyes. “Next, you’re going to insist that nature and monsters should have risen up and taken the world for themselves.”

Carth’s burgundy lips curled back, and she appeared as if she were about to snap back at her sister, but I shot the horned goddess a warning look before she could. My eyes were beginning to ache from all of the glares I was doling out, but the Archons were acting feistier than usual.

“As I was saying,” I began again. “Civilization grew stronger and more intelligent once the humans and monsters came together. Mages strengthened their magic through study, and as their bloodlines grew even larger, the more specialized their magic abilities became. The earliest mages were able to manipulate many different kinds of magic, but as generations furthered, patterns formed, and mages began to fall into categories: adepts, summoners, and elementalists. These classifications helped simplify the human’s lives and gave each mage a duty within their ecosystem. Mankind made great advances in magic and technology, and as time passed by, life on the planet reached a state of peace. Unfortunately, that didn’t come to last.”

I didn’t like the sound of that one bit, and if my monster goddesses’ faces were any indication, neither did they.

“One day, something appeared in the far-off distance,” I read. “It started out as nothing more than a small unusual pinpoint of light in the sky, and the mages believed it to be a shooting star or something else of the sort. They didn’t think much of the object at first, but suspicions and fear mounted when it didn’t fade away. Even worse, the pinpoint began to grow larger, and it became apparent it was headed straight toward the planet. It was the first time something like that had ever been spotted in the realm, and both humans and monsters were disturbed by the asteroid’s presence took it as an omen that terrible things were to come. The strongest mages in the land gathered to discuss this coming invader, and they scrambled to come to a conclusion that would best suit the planet.”

“Coming invader,” Quilla mused as she twirled a long golden-brown tendril of hair around her finger absently. “Sure sounds familiar, does it not?”

“It does,” Sera breathed. “Gryff, is that possible? Could it be--”

“Maybe,” I said. “But before we jump to any conclusions, I think we should continue on.”

“Go ahead,” my dark-winged lover urged me with raised eyebrows, and I decided to follow her encouragement.

“The decision wasn’t an easy one, but it was the best solution for all,” I read. “Elementalists, summoners, and adepts came together just as they did in the early days and combined their magic to create a second dimension. This world would be an exact copy of the world they currently occupied, so they wouldn’t have to completely uproot the civilization they’d worked so hard to create…”

My voice trailed off as the meaning of the words set in.

“Wait, another dimension?” Xan immediately picked up on my train of thought. “Are we talking about the human realm and the Shadowscape? Was it created by those mages?”

“That doesn’t make sense.” Carth rose up from her chair and began to pace around the library. “The realms were separated by the Guardians after their fight with the elder Archons. Humans banished them by creating another dimension to imprison them. This couldn’t be talking about the same dimension.”

“Gryff, keep reading,” Sera urged me for the second time.

“No, let’s not gloss over this,” Carth insisted, and when I raised my eyebrows at her, the horned goddess let out a soft sigh. “This is just too big of a deal. I’m sorry for seeming so impatient, but this information is completely changing the histories we thought we knew.”

“I know,” I attempted to soothe her. “I feel the same way. This is all so new, and there’s a lot to take in.”

“Gryff, are we sure of the legitimacy of this book?” the horned Archon countered. “This all sounds too fantastical and far-fetched to be true.”

“It makes a lot more sense than the idea that the Guardians separated the realms because of a dispute,” I said. “Trust me, I get what you’re saying, and I can agree with those sentiments. There have been so many conflicting tales about how the realms were separated, the most common of which is the idea it was the Guardians’ doing, but there’s no denying the fact that mages’ magic is powerful when combined.”

“This is so much to handle,” Carth sighed. She shook her head back and forth, and her chestnut-brown hair flared around her.

“If the Guardians didn’t banish the Archons… then there was no reason for them to be at war,” Hunnah said slowly. “They fought each other for something neither side actually did.”

“Once again, are we sure this information is accurate?” Carth pressed, and her reddish-brown eyes flashed. “I know we want to follow the first thing that gives us even a bit of information, but that doesn’t mean we should take it as gospel without having further evidence.”

“This is the further evidence,” I countered. “And it’s the only kind we’ve found since we’ve shown up here, Carth.”

“I just don’t think it’s smart to change our entire way of thinking based on the writings of a single book,” the horned Archon insisted. “We don’t know who penned this book and what kind of bias they held--”

“This book is written with a factual tone,” I interjected. “The way the words are stated doesn’t suggest any type of bias. It’s simply a recounting.”

“All I’m saying is I could easily grab some paper and scrawl down ‘facts’ that stem from my personal views,” Carth sighed.

“I know it’s hard to believe,” I insisted. “If this is true, it means countless years and battles have been fought by sides that shouldn’t have fought in the first place. This information is giving you a perspective you wouldn’t have otherwise imagined, and it’s a little scary, but that doesn’t mean we can just write it off. We have to face the possibility that things aren’t what we thought they were.”

“Fuck,” Carth murmured.

As the green-skinned goddess continued to pace around the room, I watched her facial expressions shift with every step she took. Clearly, this was a lot for the goddess to handle, but I had no way to put her at ease. A vast majority of her life had been spent thinking about things one way when they were in fact another, and I was sure it was jarring.

“So, the humans were the ones who created the Shadowscape after all?” Veopa frowned. “In order to escape the asteroid?”

“No, the Shadowscape was the original planet,” Hunnah answered, but the Archon’s translucent rainbow ears dropped slightly as she second-guessed her words. “Right?”

“It’s a little confusing.” I frowned. “But from my understanding, I think the original world ended up becoming the Shadowscape, and the dimension humans created was the new world.”

“Got it.” The warrior goddess nodded. “I think.”

My brain began to spin as I processed everything. For so long, the origin of the Shadowscape had had a bit of mystery about it, and it was strange to finally have the answers to so many of the questions I’d always had.

We sat there in silence for a little while longer as we waited for Carth to finally settle down. Of all of the Archons, the green-skinned goddess was the one most focused on revenge against humans, so I could understand why this affected her so badly, but the fact of the matter was Carth was no longer against us. She was a part of our side now, so the events of the past didn’t mean anything anymore.

The horned Archon seemed to reach the same conclusion, and she settled down in her seat once more.

“Go ahead,” she murmured, and once I knew all the goddesses’ eyes and minds were focused on me, I turned back to the book.

“The mages also fashioned a bridge between the worlds, and the humans of the planet made their way into the new dimension just in time to avoid the asteroid’s strike.”

“What about the monsters?” Sera wondered. “Did they cross over to the new dimension as well?”

“Yes,” I confirmed. “Almost everything managed to escape over into the new world before the asteroid hit, and when the humans and monsters arrived in the new dimension, they were surprised and relieved to find there was no destruction or danger. This world was a mirror of the old, but it was safe from the asteroid and other means of harm. Meanwhile, all that remained in the original world died upon impact. Light, nature, all was completely drained once the asteroid made contact, almost like any hint of life was sucked clean.”

“How could an asteroid have caused that amount of harm?” Quilla wondered.

“That’s a great question,” I acknowledged, and I began to speed read through the next page or so to get a clear answer. “I’m not too knowledgeable when it comes to asteroids, but aside from size, there had to have been another aspect that destroyed life on the planet.”

I dragged my index finger along each line until suddenly, my eyes stopped and hovered over a word I hadn’t expected to see. It was so glaring it may as well have been underlined and circled, and no matter how much I wanted to move forward, I found myself tethered to it.

“Gryff?” Hunnah pressed as she leaned forward. “Gryff, what does it say next about the asteroid?”

“It wasn’t just an asteroid,” I whispered as a chill ran down my spine. “Of course. Sure, a giant flying space rock would have inflicted damage against a planet, but there’s more to it than that.”

“What else would it have been?” Xan asked as she leaned forward. “What are you hinting at, Gryff?”

A lump formed in my throat as I considered the best way to reveal this next part without sounding incredibly crazy, but there was no way around it.

“There was something alive in the asteroid,” I announced as another chill flooded through me and turned my blood to pure ice. “An entity, something they first believed was a monster and yet, it wasn’t.”

“If it was not a monster, then what was it?” Hunnah frowned.

“It was the same creature that resides on the moon right now,” Sera clarified in an even tone. “Isn’t it?”

“I think so,” I replied. “It has to be.”

“Gryff, answer the question,” Xan urged me. “If the entity isn’t a monster, what is it?”

“According to this book… it was a demon,” I revealed, and the Archons’ eyes grew as wide as saucers.

“A-A demon?” Quilla repeated back to me. “No, there’s no way that’s possible.”

“I-I can’t believe it,” Sera breathed. “I didn’t think demons truly existed.”

“Nor did I.” I ran a hand through my hair absently.

Demons were products of nightmares, subjects of tall tales told to children to get them to mind their parents and obey their directions. Demons were said to be more wicked and dangerous than monsters, the darkest form of evil birthed from nightmares and emptiness.

Thus far, the Archons were the evilest entities I’d ever faced, but if the myths held any weight, we were totally fucked.

“You’re certain that’s what it says?” Sera pressed as she sat forward in her seat.

“It says it plain as day,” I replied as a small headache formed at the front of my forehead. “It was a demon. Maker, it’s still a demon, if this book can be believed. Fuck, I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I wish that creature on the moon was just a normal giant monster, like a Grade-A. Monsters I know how to handle, but demons? What are we supposed to do about that?”

“I don’t know,” Veopa whispered as her silver eyes fell to the floor.

“Well, what did the humans do?” Hunnah wondered. “It’s clear something happened, and since this is the first we’re hearing of an actual demon, then something must have occurred to put it to rest.”

“Gryff, would you like me to continue reading?” Xan asked me. The azure-winged Archon’s violet eyes were soft but concerned as they stared into mine, and the look was comforting enough I almost nodded my head.

“I can keep going,” I decided. “I just need a moment before we continue.”

“Of course,” she replied. “Take all the time you need.”

I stood up from my chair and stretched my arms above my head. I felt a slight pop, and a sensation of relief ran through my joints. I hadn’t realized I’d been leaning so hard against the table until now, and it felt good to finally move.

“Master, is there anything we can do to relieve your tension?” Veopa asked over her pale shoulder as I crossed to the other side of the room. “Name it, and we will make it so.”

“Know how to take out a demon?” I muttered.

“Please, master, allow us to help you out,” Sera chimed in with a wicked gleam in her yellow eyes. “Perhaps we can finish what we started earlier.”

“Ah, so you were getting involved in that side chamber.” Quilla waggled her eyebrows in a suggestive manner. “I thought I heard you moan--”

“Would you like to hear it again?” Sera blurted boldly. “Perhaps Gryff and I could reenact it for you, Quilla, and show you how it’s really done--”

“Oh, I don’t need the guidance, Sera, trust me.” Quilla flashed her perfect smile. “I’ve been around much longer than you and have taken more lovers than you could imagine.”

“Ah, but none are as important as our master.” Sera smirked in my direction. “You may have had prior experience, Quilla, but making such passionate love with Gryff is so much more special than fucking anyone else. Not to mention his seed is the most delicious delicacy in all of the realms.”

“That’s true enough,” the skeletal Archon bit her full lower lip, and her dark-blue eyes scanned me up and down. “You would know best of all, wouldn’t you, Sera?”

Quilla’s gaze was intense but incredibly sexy, and had we not been in the middle of an important discovery, I would have picked up the petite goddess, laid her down on the desk, and taken her right there in the library. I was surprised how a single bat of her long dark eyelashes was enough to enchant me and temporarily take my mind away from things, but I would have to revisit the thought of the Archon being horizontal later.

“Okay, okay, let’s not get too heated over me.” I smirked at the beautiful goddesses. “Trust me, I enjoy making love to all of you, but I think we’ve had enough of a break. Let’s get back to the book, shall we?”

“I suppose.” Quilla mock-pouted, but then she shot me a wink from across the room.

I walked back over to the table and reclaimed my seat. It was time to get serious again, as much as I didn’t want to. Talking dirty with demi-goddesses was way more fun than reading about dangerous space demons.

I carefully lifted the slightly yellowed book off the table and held it up so I could get a good look at it. The break was shorter than I’d preferred, but my eyes felt refreshed enough to continue on.

“When the demon’s asteroid struck the planet, the force was so great, a chunk of the planet fell off,” I picked up where I’d left off. “The piece remained in orbit, and the demon left the asteroid and claimed the piece for itself. This became the planet’s moon. The demon made its new home on the moon, but to its dismay, the planet began to shift away. The gravity around it attempted to take the chunk elsewhere, but the demon couldn’t allow that to happen, so it used its long, winding tentacles to reach across space and grab the planet. Its effort was successful, and the broken planet was soon tethered to the demon-infested moon.”

Wow. The idea of the moon demon holding onto the Shadowscape for dear life was strange. I paused and reread the paragraph a few times to make sure I’d understood. Until now, I’d thought all things had been created by the Maker, even our moon, but it turned out the moon’s creation was a fluke, a result of a monster’s invasion instead.

Arwyn, Sleet, and the research team were gonna be blown away by all of this new information.

“The demon was an eater of souls, a drinker of life,” I read on. “It couldn’t feed when life escaped from the original dimension, so it went to great lengths to figure out how to open up a portal to the new dimension. This effort took the demon thousands upon thousands of years, but eventually, it figured out how to open the portal. It finally had a shred of access to the life that had escaped from its clutches, and it devised a plan to open up a permanent portal.”

I paused again. The desire for a permanent portal was shared with someone else I knew all too well. A certain white-haired, red-eyed goddess with a childish disposition.

Phi.

Before she’d joined our side of the war, the angelic Archon’s sole mission had been to open a permanent portal between the worlds. She wanted a way for life in the Shadowscape to bleed into the human world, and she’d almost been successful, but I’d captured her before her plan could come to fruition.

Of course, she hadn’t been the only goddess to express that desire. Nearly all of the Archons had shown some kind of plan that involved bringing life in the worlds together.

“Gryff, I don’t want to interrupt, but can I admit something now that we’re all on the same team?” Quilla wondered in a small voice. The fairy-like Archon always spoke in a high-pitched tone, but this one was even softer than that. This was meek, vulnerable.

“Of course.” I nodded at her.

“When we were together as an alliance- Carth, Hunnah, Xan, and I, there was this voice in my head,” Quilla revealed. “It was small at first, so much so I didn’t think anything of it, but over time, it grew more insistent.”

My eyebrows creased together. “What do you mean? What did the voice sound like?”

“It’s hard to describe.” The skeletal Archon rubbed her hand against her arm as she hugged herself. “It wasn’t quite a man but wasn’t a woman, either. It was ambiguous somehow, like maybe it was both? I don’t know.”

“I’ve heard the same voice,” I realized. “In my dreams. I kind of assumed it belonged to one of you, and you were sending me nightmares to bother me.”

“No.” Quilla shook her head. “Neither Hunnah nor I sent nightmares. We didn’t bother with that kind of attack when we were already planning the mistwolf strike.”

“Wait, Gryff, you heard this thing as well?” Xan asked, and the flame-winged Archon’s eyebrows knitted together when I nodded.

“What did the voice talk to you about, Quilla?” I asked the petite Archon. “Did it ask anything of you, or did it just want to chat?”

“It brought up a great number of things,” she replied vaguely as she tugged on a piece of golden-brown hair. “We spoke of light, of darkness, but there was a subject that was always revisited, no matter how much I didn’t wish to speak of it.”

“What is it?” I urged her.

“The two realms,” Quilla revealed, and her dark-blue eyes fell to the stone floor. “The voice spoke mainly of the two realms and how much they deserved to be restored to their original state.”

“Merging the worlds,” I whispered. “The voice wanted you to bring the realms back together again?”

“Yes,” the skeletal Archon admitted. “The voice was the one that put the idea in my head, and once it was there… it was like it took root, and suddenly, it was all I could think about. It was nearly impossible to remove my thoughts from the subject, no matter how much I wanted to focus elsewhere. I felt like an obsessed maniac.”

“Why didn’t you ever tell me?” Hunnah asked her sister quietly. “Quilla, this is something we could have faced together.”

“Did the same voice not speak to you?” Quilla frowned.

“It did,” Hunnah admitted. “But not to that level. I always wondered why you were so set on bringing the worlds together. I always assumed it was Carth using her influence magic to sway you.”

“I did, a little,” Carth finally spoke up, and as all eyes fell to her, the horned Archon began to pace across the library. “I too heard the voice, back when I originally awoke. Of course, I namely wanted to take over Mistral back then, but once you all joined me, the same voice spoke to me. Just as Quilla described, the voice began with whispers that soon turned to urgings, and eventually, I could hardly tune it out. I tried to use my magic to silence it, sway it in the direction I wanted it to go, but…”

The horned Archon’s voice suddenly trailed off, and her lower lip trembled.

“Carth?” I prompted the green-skinned goddess. “What were you going to say?”

“I can’t admit it.” Carth shook her head. “I don’t wish to sound weaker than I already do.”

“Yes, you can admit it,” I urged her. “Carth, this is all very important. Every last detail counts, and we can’t afford to let any last piece of the puzzle fall through the cracks. I promise we won’t see you as weak.”

“Are you sure?” the Archon implored.

“Yes.” I nodded. “Please, tell us what happened.”

“It’s going to sound crazy,” she warned us, and then she took a long, deep breath. “I think whatever the voice belonged to began to use my magic against me. It took my influence and manipulated it so that it affected me as much as it would anyone else.”

“That’s quite an accusation, Carth,” Xan said slowly.

“I knew you would think I’m crazy,” Carth groaned, but Xan reached out a hand and gently set it on Carth’s shoulder.

“I don’t think you’re crazy,” the dark-skinned Archon insisted. “I promise you, I don’t. I’m just making sure I’m understanding you correctly. So, you’re saying this… thing, managed to infiltrate your mind and used your own magic to further its agenda?”

“When you say it out loud, it sounds unlikely, but I assure you I’m telling the truth,” Carth replied. “When I awoke, I wanted to take revenge, but it was the voice that prompted the idea of merging the realms. It was then that I formulated the plan to undo the enchantment and brought the rest of you in on it.”

“Quilla, when did the voice come to you?” I asked the skeleton goddess. “Was it before or after you joined Carth in the castle?”

“After,” she answered. “I simply thought it was Carth infiltrating my head.”

“That’s the other part of it,” Carth murmured. “I did influence you, at least a little. The voice urged me to sway you toward the cause and insisted that once I got you on board, it would do the rest of the work.”

“Maker,” I sighed, and I pinched the bridge of my nose between my fingers. This was all becoming so much messier and confusing than it was before, and I wasn’t sure how to process it all. Carth had just revealed she’d been influenced by an outside source, and now I was learning the other Archons were under the same control.

Why did everything have to be so complicated?

Part of me wasn’t sure if I could trust the horned goddess’ words. I had a lot more faith in Carth than I had before, but the idea of her being manipulated by an outside source was a little difficult to believe. I wasn’t sure if this was just displaced blame or if it was the truth, but I couldn’t discredit either theory until I heard more from Carth.

“So, let me repeat the events back to everyone to make sure I’m fully understanding,” I said in my calmest voice. “Carth, you awoke from your slumber and wanted revenge. When you came to the castle, a voice appeared in your head and added on to your original plan for dominion over the human realm, and soon, reversing the enchantment was the only thing on your mind?”

“Yes.” The horned Archon nodded.

“Quilla, Hunnah, and Xan, you joined her not long after,” I continued on. “And when you arrived, Carth first used her influence to lure you to her team, yes?”

“That’s correct,” Quilla confirmed.

“From there, the voice visited you, Quilla, and made you prioritize the mission?” I continued on.

“Yes.” The skeletal Archon nodded.

“So, whatever this voice is, it’s not only powerful, but manipulative and vindictive,” Xan assessed. “It simply used us as a means to further its own plans.”

“This is bad.” I pinched the bridge of my nose as a sigh rose up from my chest.

“Luckily enough, I haven’t heard the voice in my head since you captured me,” Carth revealed as she tugged at a lock of chestnut hair. “I can sense a presence, but I don’t think it has the same strength to control me anymore.”

“Is that true of the rest of you?” I asked Hunnah and Quilla, and the pair nodded. “The voice doesn’t appeal to you anymore?”

“It’s hard to explain, but it’s like there was a decrease in volume when we joined you,” Quilla said. “I don’t know what that means, exactly, or how it’s possible, but I haven’t heard it in a while.”

“We belong to you now,” Carth chimed in. “The voice doesn’t have the same pull as it did before.”

I wanted to be reassured by the Archons’ words, but I found little comfort in them. As much as I didn’t want to think about the fact, it was becoming abundantly clear the voice that had appeared to me in multiple dreams was the same voice that spoke to the goddesses. Context clues from the book also brought me to the conclusion the voice belonged to the demon from the story, which only added to my discomfort.

What had made the demon come back in the first place to make another attempt at dominion?

I really wished my Mistral women were around to help ease me through this and help me understand it all. My girlfriends and wives would know just the right things to say, the right things to soothe my troubled mind.

Arwyn would approach it from a purely academic standpoint while Nia would present an air of calmness and intelligence. Ashla would offer battle strategy while Cyra and Layla would make jabs and quips to alleviate the tension. Erin would try to bring positivity to the group, and Freya would say something that would embolden me and grant me the strength to move forward.

My women were all so different, but each inspired a part of me that overall made me a great leader. Their encouragement meant the world to me, and even though they weren’t physically near me, I needed to carry their strength with me.

I pulled myself together and picked the book back up. We were nowhere near done, and I needed to get back to uncovering more information about our enemy.

“To the demon’s surprise, human life had moved forward in the new dimension.” I picked up right where I’d left off. “They’d formed kingdoms, fought wars against one another, but also had stretches of peace. The humans and monsters were blissfully unaware the demon was on the moon in the other dimension. So much time had passed that they’d forgotten the original dimension ever existed in the first place.”

“Convenient.” Sera rolled her eyes.

“The demon was infuriated by this development,” I read. “There were many planets before it, but none had been this difficult to drain. None of them had ever put up this type of fight, and the demon grew agitated. Restless and starving, it opened up portals all throughout the new dimension and sent its parasitic minions through to drag life back into the original dimension so it could finally feed. Because human life had gone on in the demon’s absence, mankind wasn’t prepared for this onslaught of parasitic minions, but they didn’t back down against the invaders.”

This was also sounding pretty familiar, and I felt a sense of pride as I thought about the military forces back home in Varle. Mankind was a lot more persistent than they ever got credit for.

“A massive war was waged,” I continued on. “Mages utilized all of the magic in their possession and even called upon older, more ancient spells in order to fight against the demon’s minions. The demon itself could not get to the human realm, but that didn’t keep it from doing all it could to wreak havoc on the life it couldn’t touch. It wanted to weaken its prey, but it didn’t realize just how strong mankind could be. The mages managed to outsmart the demon in almost every possible way, so the evil being had to get creative with its attacks.”

“I don’t like the sound of that,” Hunnah remarked. “Creativity and evil are never a good combination.”

“The demon had a few tricks up its sleeve the humans didn’t expect,” I read. “It created a toxic gas in the second dimension in an attempt to get the monsters to free that place and come back to the original dimension, so it could devour them easier. This gas was noxious and cursed, and it caused anyone unfortunate enough to breathe it in to descend into madness. Humans were plunged into insanity after long exposure. Monsters became more irate and aggressive.”

“Shit,” Veopa murmured.

“The war between humans and the parasitic minions went on for generations, but then something no one predicted began to happen.”

“Uh-oh,” Phi sighed.

“The constant exposure to the demon’s poisonous gases changed the humans and monsters. They became more powerful, more intelligent, and they evolved at a faster rate than the demon’s minions. Eventually mages and powerful monsters attacked the demon directly on the moon in the original world by navigating through one of his massive tentacles he has attached to the planet,” I revealed, and I tilted my head to the side in curiosity. “It doesn’t say how they did it, though.”

“Probably in the same way they fought before,” Carth proposed. “A combination of their magic.”

“You’re right,” I said. “It says it right here, but it’s vague. Their combined efforts defeated the demon, but in a last-ditch effort, the demon affected the portals so the monsters were banished into the original world when the moonlight of his prison appeared. Then the monsters and humans could no longer work together to defeat him. After its defeat, the demon went into hibernation. It remained dormant on the moon, and eventually grew lost to time. Unfortunately, the monsters that still resided in the new dimension were still affected by the demon. Whenever the moonlight appeared, they were banished into the second world. It was once their bastion, but it eventually grew to be a complete and total wasteland. While the humans came to re-inhabit their original world. The monsters’ world was a dark mirror, a twisted poisonous reflection of the world it once was, and it soon became a bitter reminder of the horrors the demon was capable of.”

“The Shadowscape,” Veopa whispered.

“The humans regretted losing their monster allies, and they tried the best they could to break the curse the demon had put on their allies, but it was no use, and the humans eventually, after another few hundred years, decided to stop making any more attempts.”

“They got on with their lives,” Sera sighed. “I feel as if I should blame them, but I don’t.”

“The humans had no reason to fear the demon any longer since they thought they had destroyed him, so life returned to a state of normalcy, and they began to rebuild their kingdoms. The monsters’ willingness to cooperate and ally themselves with humans soon faded. The combination of noxious gas and poor living conditions caused bitterness amongst the creatures. Every time the monsters were sent back to the Shadowscape, their resentment toward their former masters and comrades grew.”

“That’s really sad,” Sera noted, and her lips briefly drew into a thin line. “I don’t find myself feeling too terribly for beasts that often, and yet… We all know what life in the Shadowscape is like. I can only imagine what it felt like for the monsters to once permanently reside in the human world only to be banished to a place suddenly filled with poisonous fumes.”

“We were told for so long that Archons resided in the sun amongst the humans,” Hunnah chimed in. “Each time we left the Shadowscape to invade the human realm, I felt consumed by my hatred and desire to walk in the sun, to dance in the moonlight without being forced back to the Shadowscape. I thought all of that hate was meant for the Guardians. I can only imagine how lesser beasts would have felt.”

“Would they have felt anything?” Sera wondered. “Not that I’m calling monsters emotionless or brainless, but it was noted earlier their intelligence wasn’t very strong. Did the beasts have the emotional depth to harbor such resentment?”

“It actually touches on that in the following paragraph,” I noted to my dark-winged lover, and then I turned my eyes back to the page. “The monsters’ intelligence before the separation was developed, but the more time they spent amongst the poison gas, the more the monsters began to change, and they began to evolve into stronger creatures. Their mental capacity increased along with their power.”

“Which is how we now have more intelligent monsters,” Xan pointed out. “They had to adapt in order to survive the Shadowscape. I could imagine that takes quite a bit of intelligence and power.”

“Which is now why we have so many attacks,” I noted. “The monsters are mutated and angry, not that I blame them.”

“So, the demon was gone, the monsters were banished…” Sera’s voice trailed off. “What happened next?”

“It really doesn’t say much,” I noted. “There are some more musings, but it goes into a few paragraphs about--”

“About what?” My dark-winged Archon interjected.

“You,” I noted. “I mean, it talks about Archons in general.”

“Read it,” Sera insisted, and before the other monster goddesses could say anything more, I started again.

“Eventually, beings known as the Archons came into existence,” I read. “They were beautiful, immortal beings. I don’t know how they were created, but I hypothesize they were born from the mixture of monsters and the humans who may have been left behind, but there is a possibility they just came into existence because the monsters needed something to worship and lead them. The demi-goddesses were born with a natural ability to control monsters, and each was equipped with three avatar monsters of their own, to carry out their will--”

“Human and beast?” Sera spoke up. “Is that saying what I think it’s saying? That Archons are hybrids between monsters and humans?”

“Ew.” Quilla made a face, and then her cheeks darkened as her eyes shot over to me. “No offense, Gryff.”

“None taken, I guess.” I rolled my own eyes. “Like the humans, the Archons weren’t aware of the demon on the moon. All they knew was they’d been banished from the new realm along with the monsters, and soon, they decided if they killed all the humans, they would be able to reside in the new dimension once more.”

“It was ingrained in us from the very beginning,” Xanrith noted. “Trauma and pain passed along through the generations, bitterness fused into our blood.”

“Our blood,” Hunnah emphasized. “Not yours, Saint Xanrith. You never wanted this.”

“I did at one point,” Xan reminded the Archon. “It wasn’t until later that I discovered my peace, Hunnah. When I first came to be, all I wanted was dominion and revenge, same as the rest of you.”

“Something about this feels… wrong.” Veopa shivered. “It’s like we were never given a choice in the matter. We were born with anger in our hearts that was only passed along to us from the elder Archons, and it was… completely unnecessary. As much as we don’t want to admit it, our hatred toward humans was unprecedented and displaced, especially now that we know we stem from mankind.”

“We could have worked alongside humans all along?” Quilla wondered.

As I glanced around at the Archons, I was struck by a pang of sadness. I was surprised by how distraught each of the monster goddesses were, though I also felt strange about the whole matter. From the beginning, I’d heard the Archons were evil, terrible beings, and before they joined me, they were my sworn enemies. But now, it was clearer than ever. We weren’t enemies.

Our true enemy was the demon on the moon.

“This is all so much to handle,” I sighed as I leaned back against the chair. “Archons, monsters, demons, portals… How am I going to explain all of this to the people back home when I can hardly understand it myself? They think it’s some kind of monster atop the moon, but instead, it’s a fucking demon who’s trying to reclaim the realms for itself.”

“It’s going to take a while to explain,” Sera admitted as she took a seat beside me. “But you won’t be alone. All of us are here for you, and we will gladly help fill in the blanks should you lose your place.”

“There’s more to it than that,” I sighed. “How are we supposed to defeat a demon?”

“I don’t know,” the dark-winged Archon said. “But we cannot allow this development to bog us down. We need to move forward and figure out ways to send this demon back into hibernation or somewhere worse.”

“I don’t suppose the book says anything about that?” Quilla wondered.

I looked back to the book and continued to read. “Are the Archons the saviors of the monsters, or are they the destruction of the humans? I can only hypothesize. My sisters don’t trust my words or the memories I have put together from the books I have found lying and hidden in this destroyed world the humans left behind.”

“Fuck!” Phi gasped, and the other archons echoed her inhale of breath.

“An Archon wrote this?” I said.

“Keep reading!” Carth urged.

“I was not the first of my kind, and I will not be the last. The others hate me because I question their vision of killing the humans. They don’t believe, but this demon sleeps and awaits… what? I do not know, but when he does awake, he will find monsters and humans are divided, and we will be that much easier to consume. My vision is going gray now, and I know my time will soon be ending. I feel another coming to take my place, and I feel she might know how to save both the humans and the monsters. I will paint the demon’s name on the wall with my blood so she will know the terror, and maybe she will tell them. Maybe they will listen. We need a strong magic to unite us. We need a leader who loves both monsters and humans. We need a master of both realms, or this demon will end all life. Goodbye, fair ones. I am Fillona, the sixth Archon. I hope you read this before it is too late.”

“It stops after that,” I said. “I wish there was more, something that would tell us how the mages sent the demon into a state of hibernation. All it mentioned was they issued a direct attack by traveling up one of the tentacles.”

None of the goddesses said anything for a few moments, and then Xan cleared her throat.

“It sounds like the demon’s hibernation was self-imposed. Maybe it was deeply injured when the humans and monsters defeated it previously? We have to aim higher than simply putting it to sleep. We need to take it out for good.”

“I agree.” I nodded at the azure-winged goddess. “We just need to figure out how to do it, whether it’s a spell or otherwise. Unfortunately, I know that whatever the answer is, it isn’t going to be easy.”

“If anyone is going to be able to defeat this demon, it’s going to be you and your team of newly-appointed Guardians,” Sera insisted. “You’re the Beastmaker, Gryff. You are the person Fillona hoped for, and I think it’s safe to say you aren’t the one meant to plunge the world into chaos. Chaos is already there, and it was brought on by the demon, not our union.”

“I know,” I said. “I know what it says, but I’m still not completely sure.”

“If you need more proof, read back over the text,” Xan chimed in after I made a face. “It states it right there. The demon is responsible for the shift in the moon. This isn’t your fault, Gryff, so please, let go of the stress that’s been burdening you since the change. You aren’t responsible for how this began, but you’re certainly capable of bringing it to an end.”

The realization crashed over me with the umber-skinned Archon’s words, and a sense of relief flooded with it. Sera and Xan were right. I couldn’t continue to worry about the fact I could have possibly been responsible for any of this. I needed to focus on getting back home and preparing my team for the next move. I needed to be more than just a summoner.

I had to be Gryff, Guardian of the human realm.

My world needed me to be strong, so I would do just that.

“You’re right,” I finally agreed with the Archons, and then I straightened up in my seat. “All of this might be confusing, but I can’t sit here any longer and get wrapped up in the possibilities or the fear we can’t handle this. We need to get back to Mistral right away. We have a demon to take care of.”

Chapter Fourteen

Without further ado, the Archons and I rose from our seats and began to gather the materials we wanted to bring back with us to Mistral. Aside from the main history book, I wasn’t sure if anything else was necessary, but it didn’t hurt to stash a couple of random tomes away anyway.

I was a little antsy and lightheaded as the Archons and I replaced the discarded books back on their shelves, and the monster goddesses took notice straight away.

“I know this is a lot to handle, but we’ll get through this, master,” Quilla urged me in her musical voice. The skeletal goddess rested her small hand on my arm and tilted her head slightly as I looked down into her dark-blue eyes. “I promise it’s all going to be alright.”

“I know.” I offered her a thin-lipped smile. “We always manage to get through difficult situations, but this is easily the most difficult thing I’ve ever had to face. That being said, I’m ready to send this demon back to the hellscape it emerged from. I fully intend to evict it from the surface of the moon, effective immediately.”

“There’s the Gryff I know.” Sera grinned at me. “I was beginning to wonder when your fear would be replaced with battle lust.”

“I’m still a little fearful,” I admitted. “But I won’t let it paralyze me. There’s too much at stake, and if what we think is true, I’m going to need all of the confidence and strength I can muster if I want to take on this demon.”

“I like your spirit,” Hunnah complimented me with a warm smile. “Don’t forget, Gryff, you’ll have all of us on your side as well. After being deceived by the demon for so long, I’m definitely ready to dethrone that monstrosity. He caused the war between our people, and I’ll make him pay.”

“Yes,” Carth agreed with her sister, and the horned Archon’s dark red lips curled back into a snarl. “That thing spent entirely too much time in the back of my mind, and I’m ready to make it pay.”

“I appreciate all of the enthusiasm, but before we get too blinded by our passion, we need to remain level-headed,” I urged the Archons. “There’s a lot to do before we get back to Mistral--”

“Should I round up the others?” Sera asked. “There’s a lot we need to catch them up on--”

“We will,” I said. “But we’re about to head upstairs once we’re done, so I think we can hold off on summoning them down here. I don’t want to force them to come back down.”

“I wonder what it was that made Phi, Utuni, and Miralea so cautious about this place,” Quilla wondered with a curious tilt of her head. “Especially Miralea. I’ve never seen her behave that way before.”

“Neither have I,” Carth said as she tucked a book into a shelf. “I think it may have had something to do with all of the monster remains that reside down here. With her feelings toward humans and nature, I’m unsurprised she would react so intensely to the sight of monster bones spilled all over the floor.”

“You’re right,” I agreed with the green-skinned Archon. “I wouldn’t have thought of that.”

“Miralea will be just fine, master,” Veopa assured me, and then she came up behind me and rested a freezing hand on my shoulder. “She’s much tougher than any of us give her credit for. I’m sure she’s up there arguing with Phi just like old times.”

“Phi does love to argue,” I laughed lightly, and then my face relaxed into a more serious position. “I know you’re all correct, and Miralea can handle herself, I just feel bad about it all.”

“What’s strange to me is the fact the others felt strongly about a place that ended up being so important,” Sera mused, and she wrapped her arms around herself. “I was more fearful of the contents of the book than the actual dungeon itself.”

“It’s hard to tell.” I shrugged. “None of it matters, though. We’ll reunite with them once we’re done here and then head back to Mistral.”

“Why not just lock up this room and leave these things where they are?” Veopa proposed as she rested a hand on her hip. “It’s obvious no one is going to be able to enter it again without the key, so why not lock it away, return the others to us, and then walk through a portal and back to Mistral?”

“I know it seems unlikely someone would enter, but that’s precisely why I’d prefer to put the room back together,” I explained, and when the succubus Archon frowned, I elaborated further. “As I’ve said before, nothing in this realm remains the same. Should someone somehow find their way down here, I don’t want them to stumble upon the room and wreak havoc on the shelves. I’d rather them walk into a chamber and see nothing but a bunch of boring books, just as we did when we first walked in here.”

“I suppose it makes sense,” Veopa allowed. “Though, I still don’t foresee someone entering this dungeon any time soon. We were the first ones to ever come down here.”

“You’re probably right, but I want to cover all of our tracks,” I said, and the reply seemed to finally satisfy the Archon.

We continued the rest of our restacking in silence, and once the room was back in its original state, and all of the shelves were occupied with the discarded books once more, I tucked our notes and most important book in my travel bag. I wished I had a better place to put the history book, but beggars couldn’t be choosers, so my bag would have to do until I was back in Mistral. From there, the book would be headed straight to one of our upper-level studies in the mansion where it could be protected at all times. Too many faces moved in and out of the Academy, and I didn’t trust that it wouldn’t be disturbed with all of the activity as of late.

I took one last look around, and once I deemed the room restored, the Archons filed out into the main dungeon chamber. I left last and took the time to close the stone entry and lock it behind me. I tested the door a few times to make sure it was back to its original state, and then I carefully fastened the key on the same chain that held my mother’s engagement ring. While I didn’t necessarily want to put the pair together, the items were less likely to get lost if they were close to my heart.

I tucked the chain back under my shirt and then followed the Archons over to the entrance of the dungeon.

“Should we put out the torches?” Xan suggested as her violet eyes trailed over them. “If we want this place to appear undisturbed, it might be a good idea to get rid of all of the evidence.”

“Exactly.” I nodded. “Good thinking, Xan. Would you mind--”

“On it,” the azure-winged Archon confirmed, and she gracefully glided through the dungeon and put out all of the fires around the chamber until it was once again plunged into a state of darkness.

The eerie, chilling feeling we’d experienced when we’d first entered the chamber returned to me, and I couldn’t have left the room any sooner.

The Archons and I filed back into the cold, dark tunnel, and as we walked in silence, Sera hung back until she was at my side. Though we didn’t exchange a single word, I could feel the dark-winged goddess send me reassuring sensations through our mental bond, and I flashed her a grateful smile. Her support meant the world to me, and it was especially needed right now.

Finally, we reached the end of the tunnel, and as we emerged from the place behind the fireplace, I blinked my eyes rapidly. While the rest of the palace was still pretty dimly-lit, it was a million times brighter than the dungeon, and I relished in any form of light I could find.

“Master, is that you?” Miralea’s voice rang out, and before I could give an answer, the jaguar goddess, along with Phi and Utuni, suddenly appeared from the staircase. The trio of Archons ran in our direction, and each wore similar expressions of delight as they caught up to us.

“Is everything alright?” Phi demanded as her red eyes scanned me up and down. “All of you look as if you’ve seen ghosts, or monsters, or worse, if that’s even a thing.”

“It turns out there is,” I groaned. “Demons.”

“Demons?” the angelic Archon repeated back in a mocking tone. “Yeah, sure, master. Good one.”

“I’m not joking.” I shook my head at her, and after a moment, Phi’s playful smile faded.

“Demons,” she confirmed again slowly. “How… how is that even possible? And how did you reach that conclusion in the first place, master?”

“We found a book down in the dungeon,” I explained to her. “It was apparently written by an Archon of the past, and it turns out it had some of the answers we were looking for.”

“An Archon of the past?” Phi questioned, and her eyebrows drew together. “Which was it? The one who foretold the Beastmaker prophecy?”

“No.” I shook my head at the Archon. “From what I’ve gathered, she’s even older than the one who made the prophecy. She called herself Fillona, the sixth Archon. Does the name sound familiar to you?”

“Fillona,” Miralea said aloud, and the jaguar goddess tapped her long, pointed nail against her bottom lip. “I don’t think I’ve heard the name before.”

“Nor have I,” Utuni chimed in, and she ran a hand through her short raven hair as she considered everything. “But you claim she penned this book?”

“I don’t claim, I know,” I said, and I reached into my pack, procured the book, and held it out to the serpent Archon. “Take a look for yourself. From what I gathered in the small paragraphs about herself, she alluded to being able to see visions of sorts, and she also mentions she’d acquired evidence, materials, and memories to support her findings.”

“Fascinating,” the goddess murmured, and she accepted the tome with an expression of pure curiosity.

Phi and Miralea moved in closer to peer over her shoulder and see the words for themselves, but the trio of goddesses’ curiosity soon turned to confusion.

“How can you read this?” Phi wondered as her head tilted to the right and her eyes narrowed, and I suddenly remembered the book’s glyphs.

“Sorry,” I apologized. “I forgot there’s some sort of magic that keeps the book from being legible--”

“I made out the name Fillona, so I know you’re right about that,” Utuni interjected. “I also managed to make out a small section, but I’m not sure I read it correctly. Master, what is it the Archon described in this volume?”

“To make a long story short, the entity on top of the moon is a demon, not a monster, and it’s trying to return the realms back to the way they were before the separation happened, only on a much worse scale,” I summarized quickly. “It intends to suck the life out of the human realm first so the Shadowscape can bleed over permanently”

“Fuck,” Utuni cursed as her ruby eyes flashed. “I thought that vile thing was just an overgrown monster, but it’s actually a demon?”

“A demon has been the one watching us this whole time?” Miralea asked in a small voice, and she hugged her arms around herself.

“Yes.” I nodded. “We can discuss more later, but we need to get back to Mistral straight away. We have to get the book to the rest of my team.”

“Let’s not waste any time, then,” Xan announced. “The longer we wait, the more time passes by in that dimension, and something tells me the demon hasn’t ceased its attacks in our absence.”

“Exactly.” I nodded, and then I turned my attention to Carth. “Carth, is there anything else here that would be of use to us? Anything you need to grab or need us to take?”

The horned Archon considered the idea for a moment and then shook her head. “There are a few items I’d like to be reunited with, but then again, I can’t take them with me when you recall me to your mind, so they don’t matter. They’re just sentimental items, anyway.”

“Are you sure?” I urged her.

“It’s alright.” The green-skinned goddess shrugged. “Truly. The material possessions don’t matter as much as the book in your travel bag.”

I studied Carth’s face to make sure she wasn’t putting on a front, but her lovely features remained as stoic as ever. I knew how hard it was for her to have to abandon her home once again, so I made a vow to come back and grab her things for her once we got past all of this. She might not be able to take them into my mind, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t enjoy them when I summoned her into the physical world.

After I gave the horned Archon a small smile, I turned my attention over to Sera. “Sera, can you go ahead and open up a portal for us, then?”

“Your wish is my command, Gryff,” Sera purred. “Where would you prefer for us to end up at? Your mansion?”

“I think I’d like to check out the space outside of Varle first,” I decided after a moment or two of deliberation. “Part of me wants to head straight to the Enclave, but something in my gut is telling me to look around outside of the city first.”

“If that’s what you feel is right, we can do it,” the dark-haired Archon agreed, and then she waved her hand in the air.

A shimmering outline appeared as the portal began to form, and my heart started to race in my chest. This was it. Though we hadn’t been in the Shadowscape for too long, I was more than ready to get back to protecting my friends, my family, and my home.

“Wait,” Utuni spoke up before I stepped through the portal. “Master, we cannot cross through it, at least not all of us.”

“Why not?” I took a few steps back and glanced over at the snake goddess.

“The moonlight,” she reminded me with a sad glint in her red eyes. “Sera is the only one able to walk in it because her womb is full with your child.”

“She’s right,” Hunnah agreed with her. “You’ll probably need to recall us before you cross into the human realm.”

“I didn’t even think about that,” I realized. “Thanks for the reminder, Utuni.”

“Of course.” The snake goddess nodded at me.

“You know, if you impregnated all of us, master, this wouldn’t be an issue,” Phi pointed out, and then she bit down on her lower lip sexily. “In fact, we could even start the process right now.”

“As tempting as that sounds, I think it’s a conversation we’ll have to reserve for a later time.” I smirked, and the angelic Archon let out a sigh.

“One day we’ll have to finally make that talk happen,” she groaned. “You keep putting it off, master, and all we want is to please you and bear your powerful offspring.”

“I promise we’ll talk about it,” I said. “But it’s going to happen at a time when we aren’t about to battle against an ancient demon.”

“Fine,” the white-winged Archon sighed, and she crossed her arms against her chest. “Just know I won’t be letting this go. We will speak about this.”

“I know,” I assured her, and then I peered around at the other monster goddesses. “I’ll call on you again when I can. Until then, hang tight.”

“It’s not like we have another choice,” Carth snorted. “But we’ll wait by anyway. Good luck to you, Gryff.”

“Yes, good luck, Gryff,” Xan chimed in. “If something seems amiss, don’t hesitate to tell us. We may not be able to manifest, but our magic is yours. Utilize it in whatever way you need to.”

“Will do.” I nodded, and then I closed my eyes and concentrated on recalling the goddesses to my consciousness. My entire body began to tingle as I imagined them returning to my mind, and soon, the crowd of beautiful Archons around me dissolved into essence and then returned to their marks on my body.

It was then I realized I’d yet to really examine the leg tattoos I’d received after claiming Hunnah and Quilla, and I made a note to check them out the moment I had time to take a bath. With how much had happened in such a short period of time, I hadn’t thought to worry about the marks.

As her sisters faded away, I noticed Sera’s proud smirk, but I chose to not acknowledge it. I knew my dark-winged lover secretly enjoyed having a perk the other Archons didn’t.

“Shall we?” she prompted me, and she gestured toward the portal.

“Let’s go.” I nodded. I took a deep breath, relaxed my stance, and placed a hand on my bandolier. I didn’t know what horrors awaited me on the other side, but I was ready to face them down and save my home.

Sera offered me a reassuring smile, and with adrenaline coursing through my veins, I stepped through the portal.

The smell of smoke and brimstone filled my nostrils the moment I entered the human realm, and the stench erased any hope I’d had that the problem had faded away in our absence.

“Gross.” I winced, and then I peered up at the sky. To my dismay, its already vibrant scarlet hue was even more shocking than before, and the sight of it made my stomach twist itself into intricate knots.

I stared up at the writhing mass atop the moon and narrowed my eyes in irritation. In the time we’d been gone, the tentacles’ reach had grown even further, and they extended across the blood-red sky like inky strands stretched along a loom.

Fucking demon.

I was ready to put my hands around those inky tentacles and squeeze as hard as possible. Perhaps I’d unleash my kalgori on it and let my summons’ impressively deadly razored wings do all of the work. Regardless, I was over all of this and ready to put this monstrosity out however I could.

But before that, I needed to get back to my team and to my family.

I forced myself to lower my gaze, and for a moment, I was almost certain we hadn’t left the Shadowscape at all. I’d never witnessed such ruin in our realm, not on this scale.

The sprawling hills and fields outside the Enclave had darkened from their normal, vibrant emerald to a deep, ashen gray, and each individual blade of grass twisted in different directions. The tall, ancient trees that once loomed over the field were now kilted over and deflated, and some of the trunks and branches had caved in on themselves while others snapped off completely and littered the dead grass. Lakes and streams that had once been filled with crystalline water were now either dried up or filled with a dark, murky sludge.

It was as if everything was being completely drained of life. Even the air around us was just as cold as the castle’s dungeon had been, and an involuntary shiver rippled down my spine.

It was hard to believe this was the human realm and not the Shadowscape.

I hugged my arms around myself. My jacket was well insulated, but it didn’t do anything to stave away the chill.

This was even worse than I’d expected it to be. I had no idea how long I’d been away, but if the landscape was any indication, it’d been longer than I’d meant for it to be. I’d been crazy to think Varle had been a hellscape before.

This was hell, I was sure of it.

“Fuck,” I groaned as my head shook back and forth.

“I can’t believe how much has shifted in our absence,” Sera noted as the portal closed behind her. “Gryff, how long do you think we’ve--”

“I don’t want to think about that right now,” I stopped the Archon before she could go on any further.

“I-I’m sorry,” she apologized. “I know this can’t be easy for you to see.”

“No, I’m sorry for snapping at you,” I insisted. “I’m feeling a little on edge, and I didn’t mean to take it out on you. Now, let’s get out of here and head back toward Varle. I don’t think walking around out here is the best idea right now.”

“I’d have to agree,” Sera confirmed, and her nose crinkled up in disgust. “If I wanted the smell of brimstone to linger in my nostrils, I’d have stayed in the Shadowscape.”

“No kidding,” I agreed with her, and I took one last look around. I needed to get back to the Enclave as fast as possible. This detour had been necessary, but it was time to return to my women and children to make sure they were okay.

“Shall we?” Sera prompted me. There was a weariness in her yellow eyes and a frown on her full lips that I wanted to alleviate, but as long as the moon remained red, there was no hope of lifting the dark-winged Archon’s spirits.

“Yes,” I confirmed, and I reached out to take Sera’s hand in mine, only to be caught off guard by a ferocious growl. I recoiled and immediately brought my hand to my bandolier just as a monster suddenly slunk out from behind a patch of charred brush just beyond us.

The creature’s movements were fluid, as if it were moving through water rather than air, and its features were somewhere between reptilian and avian. Its long, smooth body was the same dark gray as the ground beneath it, and if it weren’t for a subtle silver shimmer on its scaled form, it would have been concealed completely by the burnt blades of grass. Its head was almost like that of a snake, only it ended with a sharp black beak, and tufts of feathers sprouted from the sides of its neck, along its spine, and from the tip of its winding tail. When it opened its mouth to hiss at us, I was surprised to see the beak concealed rows of long, jagged teeth.

“What the fuck?” I breathed as I shuffled to the side. I concentrated on the bonds of my summons and equipped myself with the standard bullet bass armor and speed slug speed, but at the last second, I decided to utilize the razored blades of my kalgori. After my body was coated in the silver armor, my butterfly summon’s blades appeared and lined my arms and legs. In its summoned form, my monster didn’t look too formidable, but its power attached to my armor turned me from summoner to deadly weapon.

“Gryff, look out!” Sera shouted.

Chapter Fifteen

The reptilian-bird creature ambled toward me with impressive speed, but it was no match for my speed slug-enhanced body.

“Shit,” I cursed as I leapt out of the way, and after I scanned the surrounding land, I took off toward a more elevated and rocky terrain in order to buy some time while I thought of a plan.

I could have very easily asked Sera to take us away from the monster and teleport us back to the safety of the Enclave, but the creature’s jagged fangs were enough to convince me it was better off dead. The last thing my conscience needed was an unnecessary civilian death because I chose to run rather than defeat this deadly monster.

The reptilian creature tried to keep pace with me, but soon it became a blur. It was difficult to create a plan without knowing how the monster was classified, but judging by its height and the fact it wasn’t sending any magical attacks my way, I could estimate it was a Grade-C at the most.

My kalgori blades were likely enough to tear this monster open, but I needed something swifter to really do some quick damage. It was fast, but I could be faster, and I needed a head start in order to get close enough to slice it limb from reptilian limb.

I scanned the terrain until I spotted a perfect spot, and then I rushed over, perched on top of a particularly large boulder, and waited for the monster to catch up to me. My heart whirled so quickly in my chest that I almost grew worried, but I centered myself on this task.

I was going to be just fine once this creature met its end.

Finally, I heard the crunching and shifting of burnt grass, and a silver shimmer appeared in the distance. I strengthened my stance, and a smile suddenly crept onto my face.

I was ready to take this monster down. I had beaten monsters and goddesses much more powerful than this. The poor bastard wouldn’t even know what hit him.

The monster slithered through the tall grasses as if it’d heard my inner musings, and once it was in the prime position, I leapt off the boulder and tackled the unsuspecting creature.

Adrenaline surged through me, and the monster hissed and snarled as it tried to snap its long, pointed beak, but I had it in such a tight lock that it wasn’t going anywhere any time soon.

The monster and I rolled around in the dirt, but I strengthened my hold.

“You can’t best me that easily,” I growled at it, and then I allowed my blades to push through the monster’s scaled hide.

The creature bucked and writhed so badly I almost grazed myself in the face with my blade, but I managed to steady my hold around the creature before that could happen. The effort took a moment, but my summon’s weapons were too sharp for the reptilian monster, and it let out a broken snarl as I shoved them through its body.

Gooey brown blood sprayed me right in the face, and then moments later, the creature exploded into dust. I cringed as the materials congealed on my face, and after I took a moment to catch my breath, I wiped the liquid away.

Why was there always so much goo involved in killing monsters?

“Gryff, are you alright?” Sera demanded as she flew over to my side. The Archon’s features betrayed her concern, and she glared down at the monster remains surrounding me.

“I’m perfectly fine,” I insisted as I retracted the kalgori’s blades. Then I laid there on my back and stared up at the scarlet sky. “That thing was fucking fast.”

“So were you.” My dark-winged lover shook her head as her yellow eyes flashed with lingering alarm. “One moment you were beside me, and the next you were nothing but a blur. I wanted to catch up to you, but I didn’t want to alert the monster to your whereabouts before you could set up your trap.”

“I appreciate you lingering behind,” I expressed. “The plan worked out perfectly, especially after I just threw it together.”

“You’re the Beastmaker, and the best summoner humans have to offer,” Sera complimented me like she wasn’t even surprised, and then she extended her hand out to me. “Now, we should probably get going before another beast appears. If we linger around this field for too long, we’re likely to find a whole herd of mangey beasts, and we’ll be stuck here all day.”

“Good point,” I allowed, and I gratefully accepted her support. The Archon helped me to my feet, and once the lightheadedness faded away, I flicked off any monster remains that still clung to me, and I recalled my bullet bass armor and my speed slug’s abilities. When they faded away, I was left with my battle clothes, and I was pleased to see they weren’t ruined any further than they’d been in the Shadowscape. I took a moment to run my hands through my hair and straighten myself out before I reclaimed Sera’s hand.

The Archon smiled as I threaded my fingers through hers, and she squeezed my hand tightly.

“I love you, Gryff,” she whispered. “Always and forever.”

“I love you, too, Sera,” I said. “Now, let’s get the fuck out of here and get back to Varle. I’m sure everyone is ready for us to finally be home. Every second with you brings me joy.”

Sera flashed me a loving smile, and then she turned and waved her hand in the air. A shimmer appeared in front of us again, and it twisted and expanded until it took the shape of a portal. The dark-winged Archon and I shared one last look before we stepped through it and teleported into Varle.

When I opened my eyes again, Sera and I were standing in the driveway of my mansion, and relief flooded through my entire body. After everything the Archons and I had been through in the Shadowscape, it was nice to finally be home, and I was thrilled by the idea of seeing my family again.

To my relief, nothing about the mansion seemed amiss. The walls were just as regal and white as usual, and the only indication that an apocalypse had struck was the dead and darkened lawn. Everything else was the same, and I let out a sigh. I’d half-expected burnt or caved in walls, smashed windows, or worse.

Before I could take a step forward, the front door flew open, and Nia raced out into the drive.

Sera moved out of the way just in time to avoid the elementalist’s advances, and her lips curled up in an amused smile as my wife slammed into me with an impressive force.

“Gryff!” Nia exclaimed in a high-pitched squeal. “Oh, thank the Maker, you’re actually back! I’ve been so worried about you.”

The ashen-haired mage wrapped her arms around my neck and pressed her long, lithe body against mine. We fit together like puzzle pieces, and I finally felt whole again now that I was reunited with my wife.

“Nia,” I whispered into her pale, silvery hair. “I’ve missed you so much.”

“I’ve missed you, too,” she murmured as she rested her cheek against my chest. “I swear, farm boy, every time you leave I tell myself it’s going to be easier, and yet I still can’t get used to it.”

“I understand the feeling,” I assured her. “Trust me, Nia, it’s no easier to leave.”

We stood there for a moment, and we were wrapped in one another so tightly it almost felt as if we’d melted into a single person until my wife finally pulled away from my embrace.

“We need to head inside,” Nia declared, and her brilliant blue eyes glanced up at the sky. “It isn’t safe out here, especially with the quality of the air. We’ve already been out here longer than we’re supposed to be.”

“You’re probably right,” I agreed with her, and then I looked over at Sera. “Sera, I’m going to recall you, if that’s alright, at least for right now.”

“I don’t mind,” Sera insisted, and she shot a small smile over to Nia. “I’ll be here when you need me, Gryff.”

I took a breath, and the dark-winged goddess returned to her marks. Once my back stopped tingling, I squeezed Nia’s hand, and the elementalist led me up the drive at a hastened pace.

“I’m surprised by Sera’s willingness to cooperate,” Nia noted when we walked through the front door and stepped into the foyer. “Doesn’t she usually make a big deal about following orders?”

“That was the old Sera,” I reminded her as I slipped my dirty boots off and cast them to the side. “The new Sera is a lot more willing to follow directions.”

“I’m sure your child in her womb helped usher that change,” Nia remarked, and I wasn’t sure how to interpret her tone, so I decided a shift in subject would be best.

“Nia, I really hate to ask this question, but how… how long has it been since we left?”

“Two weeks,” the ashen-haired mage revealed in a solemn tone.

“This all happened in two weeks?” I breathed, and relief and horror warred inside my chest. “The damage, the shriveled wildlife, the tentacles on the moon getting closer? How is that possible?”

“It began the day you left,” the elementalist sighed, and then she crossed over to the spiral staircase and took a seat on the first step. “And it’s only gotten worse. We’ve been doing our best to keep the monsters away, but it hasn’t been as successful as we’d like it to be?”

“Have the attacks continued?” I asked as I stepped over to the railing.

Nia’s lips drew into a thin line, and she let out another sigh. “Unfortunately. There’s only been one day in the past two weeks where there wasn’t an attack outside the Enclave. Our forces are almost completely exhausted, and everyone is running on fumes. And on that note, the fumes aren’t helping anyone, either. The air has become so toxic everyone has to wear masks if they’re planning on being outside longer than five minutes. Of course, the order only extends to military personnel. Civilians have been given a mandate to remain inside unless otherwise escorted by higher authorities.”

“Something tells me that hasn’t been going too positively.” I winced.

“It wasn’t at first, but people have recognized the risk,” Nia contradicted me. “We haven’t had as many incidents as you would think, but it doesn’t mean we don’t get the occasional citizen who doesn’t understand how much breathing in the air can hurt them.”

“There’s comfort in that at least,” I allowed.

Toxicity in the air was a major hazard for all involved, and I could only imagine how difficult things were for the civilians out in the Wilds who didn’t have access to facial coverings. There were so many men, women, and children out there without military forces to properly look after them, and even though a vast majority of them had chosen that life, others simply didn’t have the financial stability to allow them the comfort of an Enclave. I could only hope Headmaster Sleet and the Grand Mage had taken my request seriously and provided some kind of aid and protection to the civilians out in the Wilds.

My thoughts were interrupted by footsteps against the white marble floor, and I looked up to see another familiar and excited face enter the room.

“Gryff, you’re back!” Crystyn crossed over and swept me into a surprisingly strong hug.

I wasn’t used to this kind of affection from my aunt, but it was certainly a welcome change of pace from our past stoic relationship.

“Hi, Crystyn,” I greeted the Guardian. “I’m happy to see you.”

“Unfortunately, the circumstances have not improved since the last time we shared this exchange,” my aunt sighed. “If you’ve returned, that means either your mission was successful, or you weren’t able to recover anything after all. Judging by the look on your face, I’d assume it’s the former?”

“We found something,” I confirmed. “It’s definitely not the ideal situation, but it brings us more answers than we had before.”

“I don’t like the sound of that.” Crystyn winced. “I’m sure you’ll want to tell everyone the news at once, so I won’t ask you to reveal everything right now.

“Thank you,” I replied, and then I glanced behind the Guardian. “Not to take away from the discussion, but where is everyone else? I’m used to getting tackled by everyone the moment I step foot into the mansion.”

“They should all be upstairs,” my aunt answered, and her hazel eyes glanced up at the staircase. “Nia and Cyra just returned from a mission with the Grand Mage just this morning, and I know Cyra was quite exhausted upon arrival--”

“A mission?” I whipped my head around to stare at Nia. “You were out on a mission?”

“It’s not that big of a deal, Gryff.” My wife shrugged at me.

“It is when I’m just now finding out you’re here instead of resting.” I raised an eyebrow at her. “Have you gotten any sleep since you returned?”

“No,” Nia admitted, and a blush spread across her cheeks. “I-I was too busy for sleep.”

“Nia, you have to take better care of yourself,” I urged the multi-elementalist. “What was so important you had to stay up for it?”

“Your return,” my wife replied quietly. “I was waiting for you to come home.”

“Nia” I murmured, and my heart melted at the sentiment. Nia Kenefick had the kindest heart of anyone I knew, and it was times like this that made me eternally grateful to have her as my wife.

“I didn’t know if today would be the day,” Nia continued. “But I sat here every morning for the past two weeks just in case.”

“That means the world to me, my love.” I smiled at her. “I appreciate the thought, but now that I’m home, I’d really like for you to try to get some rest.”

“You just got back--” Nia protested, but my mouth drew into a thin line.

“And I’m not planning on going anywhere else,” I interjected. “You just returned from a mission. Please, go get some sleep. It sounds like you deserve it.”

“I don’t know if I can commit to actual sleep,” the ashen-haired mage sighed. “I should go up and check on the twins.”

“I can do it in a bit.” I shook my head. “Please, Nia, head upstairs and at least take a quick nap. I can handle things from here. ”

“Fine,” Nia finally agreed. “But this conversation isn’t over, Mister Porter.”

“Of course not, Lady Kenefick,” I replied, and I waggled my eyebrows in an attempt to make Nia laugh.

It worked, and the elementalist broke into giggles. Once the sound subsided, she composed herself and kissed my cheek.

“I love you, Gryff,” she whispered, and then she headed up the stairs without another word.

When my wife was out of my sight, I turned to my aunt.

“How have they been?” I asked her softly. “My family, I mean. Are they alright?”

“I promised you I’d keep them safe,” Crystyn assured me. “I’ve kept that promise. Your family has fared just fine in your absence, though I know everyone is exhausted. It’s been a long two weeks, Gryff, there’s no way around that fact.”

“I gathered that from the way the Enclave looked from the outside,” I replied as I leaned against the railing of the staircase. “I can’t believe how much everything has keeled over since I left.”

“It’s truly awful,” my aunt sighed, and then an alarmed expression overtook her face. “Wait, why were you outside the Enclave?”

“I wanted to get a better idea--”

“Gryff, you cannot step foot outside the walls of Varle,” the Guardian warned me in an intense tone. “I know you’ve been absent, so there’s no way you could have known, but this entire city has been placed on lockdown. No one is allowed to leave unless they’re on a military airship.”

“Wow,” I breathed. “That’s a serious order.”

“The Grand Mage made the decision shortly after you left,” Crystyn explained in a much more relaxed voice. “With the frequency of the attacks, not to mention the hazardous atmosphere, it’s best for everyone to remain inside the Enclave.”

“How are the neighboring villages faring?” I decided to ask her. “Have they been granted protection?”

“Yes,” my aunt confirmed as she crossed her arms against her chest. “A team was put together to guard the villagers. There’s a rotation of them so the mages don’t risk too much exposure. The Grand Mage has everyone wearing the gas masks normally reserved for the Shadowscape.”

“Maker,” I cursed. “Things aren’t looking good. When I got here, I almost thought I was still in the Shadowscape.”

“That’s certainly how it feels,” Crystyn sighed as she rubbed her temples in circles.

It was then I noticed just how tired the Guardian really was. My aunt was really beautiful, but her skin had taken on a wan coloring that made me worried. The whites of her hazel eyes were bloodshot, and they were underscored by a soft violet shade reserved for sleepless nights and black eyes. Even her face and body looked thinner, like all of this stress had caused her to lose weight.

“Crystyn, I appreciate all you’ve done.” I reached out and placed a hand on my aunt’s arm. “I wish I could show you just how grateful I am, but I don’t think there’s a way to do so. That being said, I’ve returned now, and I want you to do the same thing I requested of Nia and take a moment to relax.”

“Gryff, you can’t come back and dole out nap orders,” Crystyn chuckled.

“It looks like someone needs to,” I retorted. “Both of you look exhausted.”

The Guardian shook her head back and forth, “There’s no time--”

“I’m not asking you to take a sabbatical,” I interjected. “I’m suggesting you take a long soak in the hot springs, or at least take a nap. I can see just how hard you’ve been pushing yourself, and I want you to take a second to refresh yourself before you crash and burn. Please, Crystyn. I know it seems like a ridiculous request, but I’m worried about you. Please, indulge me just this once.”

My aunt opened her mouth to protest, but then her face softened considerably. “Sometimes I swear I’m in the same room as Relaude. You have so much of your father in you, especially his stubbornness.”

“It’s one of my finer traits.” I grinned at her, and the Guardian was finally forced to laugh.

“I appreciate how much you care,” she admitted. “Sometimes it’s hard for me to step back. I’ve never been great at taking time for myself.”

“I know,” I said. “I have trouble doing the same, but if I’ve learned anything over the past few years, it’s the importance of a long soak and a good nap. So, for my sake and yours, head upstairs. I can handle it from here.”

“Thanks.” The Guardian smiled at me, and then she stepped forward to wrap me in another hug. This one was shorter than the first, but the amount of love was still the same.

We finally broke apart and then made our way up the spiral staircase. Crystyn used the railing to brace herself, and every step seemed labored. If I hadn’t intervened, my aunt would have run herself into the ground trying to protect my family.

I admired the Guardian’s commitment to her vows, but I needed to stress the importance of self-care if this relationship was going to continue.

We parted ways when I stopped at the third floor, and I watched her ascend to the fourth floor before I walked down the hall and over to the nursery.

I took a breath and prepared myself for the onslaught of commotion and questions. I was so overwhelmingly excited to be reunited with my family, but I was nervous to see the state of them all. If Crystyn and Nia were any indications, they were likely all exhausted and stressed out, and it broke my heart to think of them that way.

However, when I opened the nursery door, I was met with nothing but warmth and love.

My reunion with the rest of my family was full of heartfelt embraces and kisses, and I even spotted some tears in the eyes of my women, which was almost enough to send me over the edge myself, but I managed to remain strong. I held each of my wives and girlfriends close and soothed their weary minds, and once we’d gotten past all of the emotions, they caught me up on all that had been happening.

Cyra and Nia had been going on a few missions with the Grand Mage, while Arwyn and Ashla were working with the research team to continue to pore over the Academy’s history books. Erin and Vahla had mostly stayed home to watch over the children, and Freya divided her time between childcare and assisting my aunt and Layla.

The auburn-haired summoner and Crystyn had spent a vast amount of time looking over the people in the lower parts of Varle known as the slums. It’d been difficult for Layla, whose entire family resided in the derelict part of the city, but she’d volunteered to go nonetheless.

The Bethels had all but disowned their daughter when she’d displayed an aptitude for magic and became a student of the Academy. The petite summoner’s family consisted of gamblers and drunks, and they’d expected Layla to suffer the same fate.

“I know they’re terrible, but I needed to know they were safe,” Layla admitted as she rocked Daphne in her arms. “I didn’t speak with them long. My parents tried to apologize, but I could tell it was only because we’re in the middle of an apocalypse.”

“I’m sure that wasn’t easy to deal with,” I said. “What did you end up saying to them?”

“I accepted their apology, but assured them there was no relationship between us going forward,” the auburn-haired mage replied simply. “I’ve let go of my anger toward them, but they aren’t my family anymore, and I’ve accepted that. Now, it’s their turn to reflect on how badly they treated me.”

“That was very big of you, Layla.” I smiled at her. “I’m proud of you for handling it so professionally. I don’t know if I could’ve done it.”

“It wasn’t without difficulty, Gryffie,” Layla insisted. “But it’s all done and over with, and I have higher priorities. Namely, taking care of the civilians and our family.”

“What’s the plan now that you’re back?” Ashla wondered.

“I’ve already arranged for the Headmaster, the Grand Mage, and the other members of the team to join us here tomorrow,” Arwyn announced before I could speak. “There’s a lot to talk about, and I’m sure Gryff is exhausted from his journey. I think we could all do with a bit of quietness before we plunge back into the chaos.”

“I agree,” Layla chimed in, and so we did just that.

The rest of the day was spent eating, playing with the babies, and other low-impact things around the house. There was much to do tomorrow, but for now, we focused on spending time with one another. I dreaded my return to reality, but as I sat around with my loved ones once more, I let all thoughts of demons, shadows, and monsters fade away.

The next day, another meeting was arranged in our home, just like the one we’d held before my departure, but it was vastly different in tone compared to the last gathering.

Headmaster Sleet, Grand Mage Kenefick, and my male friends all sported the same violet under-eye circles that Crystyn and a couple of my other women had, as well as generally pale, weakened visages. It pained me to see my team so beaten down, but I could only imagine what they’d endured in the two weeks I’d been gone.

“So, Gryff, you have the floor,” Gallahar prompted me once we were all seated and ready, and then he waved me forward for further emphasis. “What did you and the Archons recover in the Shadowscape?”

He was wasting no time in getting to the point, not that I could blame him. There was much to attend to, and I didn’t want to keep my team longer than necessary when there was an entire Enclave to protect, so I reached into the travel bag I’d brought with me, carefully removed the contents of it, and placed them on the table in front of me.

“Please tell me that’s exactly what we were looking for,” Varleth urged me as he and my teammates studied the book with looks of awe.

“It is,” I confirmed, and I opened the black leather-bound book and held it open to the first page. “This book is a history of the realms. We found it in a hidden chamber in the dungeon of Carth’s former castle.”

“Hidden chamber in a dungeon?” Gawain repeated back to me as his emerald eyes flashed. “Are we certain that thing isn’t cursed?”

“It definitely looks like it is,” Cyra chimed in, and her nose scrunched up in disgust. “How can you tell it’s a history book, Gryff? All I see are more of those hieroglyphics from the other book you stole from the castle.”

“I can’t really explain how I was able to make it happen, but I managed to use my magic in a way that allowed me to translate the book.” I shrugged. “It looks like glyphs to the rest of you, but to me, it reads as Mistral, plain as day.”

“I feel like none of us should be surprised our friend Gryff has managed to unlock yet another magical ability,” Almasy chuckled as he crossed his arms behind his head and leaned back in his leather chair. “At this point, it’s almost easier to just ask you what you can’t do rather than what you can.”

“Our Gryffie is a badass,” Layla agreed with a proud gleam in her round hazel eyes.

“Thanks, Bethel,” I chuckled.

“So, since the rest of us aren’t fluent in ancient glyphs, could you explain what exactly the book talks about?” Cyra suggested.

“I was just getting around to that,” I said. “It’s kind of a long story, but I’ll try to explain it quickly.”

So, I did just that and explained every detail of our mission to the Shadowscape. I explained the athenid attack and how the ruined library had led us down to the dungeon. I noticed a few of my women make faces when I described the athenids, and each let out sighs of relief when I explained how we’d gotten rid of them.

However, their calmness dissipated when I described the dark, skeleton-ridden dungeon in detail.

“That sounds dreadful,” Gallahar remarked as he shook his head. “How tragic for all who ended up in such a situation.”

“There were so many skeletons down there,” I lamented as the mental images danced through my mind. “I can’t even imagine how all of those people ended up in the dungeon.”

“Nor can I,” Sleet spoke up. “I’d venture to guess they were mages who were either there on a mission or simply wound up at the wrong place at the wrong time.”

“They could’ve been Guardians,” Crystyn lamented quietly, and all of the air left the room.

The thought had never even crossed my mind, but now that it was there, I couldn’t ignore it.

“Is that a possibility?” Nia asked my aunt.

“Anything is possible,” Crystyn replied, and she fidgeted with the sleeve of her jumpsuit. “Normal humans didn’t just end up in the Shadowscape without reason. Only Guardians and mages on response teams crossed into that realm, so whoever was locked away down there was likely important, otherwise, they would have just been killed instantly. Why torture them if they didn’t mean anything?”

“I think that’s something we should explore at a later time, but until then, I think we should hear about this book,” Gallahar proposed. “Gryff, can you explain the contents?”

“Yes.” I nodded, and I began to explain the history of the realms, according to the first page of the book. Once I reached the most revolutionary part, I was met with exclamatory remarks and slack-jawed faces.

“Gryff, please repeat what you just said,” Arwyn insisted, and the professor leaned forward with a gleam in her eyes. “I know I must have heard you wrong, because I swear you just said the entity on the moon is a demon.”

“You heard me correctly,” I said. “It’s a demon, and an ancient one at that. It’s been dormant for centuries, and something caused it to finally awaken.”

“What does it want with us?” Freya asked in a small voice.

The hawk-princess’ dark-blonde eyebrows were creased together in confusion, and I could tell she was struggling to understand the concept. I highly doubted the Southern Clans knew much about demons, and I wasn’t looking forward to explaining them to the already cautious and somewhat superstitious warrior princess.

“It feeds off life,” I revealed to the group. “When the original mages created this new dimension to escape to, the demon and its asteroid took root into the Shadowscape, and up until recently, it’d been bound there. I don’t know how exactly it managed to appear in our dimension, but it’s here now, and it won’t stop until the worlds are merged together.”

“A demon,” Sleet breathed as his silvery eyes expanded. “The invader is a demon?”

“Maker, this is even worse than I imagined,” Nia whispered, and she leaned back in her chair.

“Where did this book come from?” Cyra wondered. “Someone had to have written it, right? Did it mention an author’s name?”

“There was a section toward the end that somewhat answers that question,” I said. “Apparently, the book was written by an Archon, one of the older ones who existed before the current nine. She called herself Fillona, the sixth Archon.”

“Wow,” Layla remarked with an awed expression. “That sounds ominous.”

“Fillona,” Nia repeated back. “I’ve never heard of her. Were the other Archons familiar with the name?”

“I asked them, but none of them knew the name,” I explained, and the ashen-haired elementalist’s shoulders slumped.

“Damn,” she cursed.

“Wouldn’t the goddesses be familiar with one of their own?” Grand Mage Kenefick inquired with a scrutinizing gaze.

“She predated them by quite a while,” I said. “From what I’ve gathered, I would say she met her end just after she penned the book.”

“Why would an Archon take the time to write such a thing?” Arwyn inquired, and her auburn eyebrows creased together in confusion.

“She said she didn’t share her sisters’ visions for violence and questioned their desire to kill humans,” I replied to the professor. “She had pieced together the events of the past and uncovered the presence of the demon and tried to warn them, but none would listen, so she wrote it down for future generations to find it. She said the world needed someone who would bring together humans and monsters, and they needed to know all of this history in order to do it.”

“An Archon who wanted to help humans and monsters alike,” Gawain mused. “That’s an interesting concept.”

“That certainly is an interesting detail,” Sleet agreed with the fire mage. “I’d like to know more about this Fillona.”

“As do I,” Arwyn chimed in. “Perhaps the research team and I can try to uncover information about her.”

“Not that this past Archon isn’t interesting and all, but what do we do now?” Ashla wondered. “The demon is trying to bring the worlds together so it can devour us all, so how do we put a stop to it?”

“I don’t know,” I admitted to her, and the umber-skinned ice mage looked defeated by my response.

“Oh.” She tugged on one of her thick braids, and her chocolate eyes remained fixed on the table in front of her.

“There isn’t much we can do,” Grand Mage Kenefick explained, and his expression was grave. “All of our efforts to secure the Enclave have worked in our favor, but they’ve left us limited in others. We can’t import supplies because of the monsters beyond the Wilds, and our forces are spread too thin. Furthermore, I’m not even certain what I would ask my troops to do. How are we supposed to physically defeat an enemy that resides on the moon?”

“Does the book mention how the original group of mages managed to defeat the demon?” Nia asked me.

“Vaguely,” I replied. “It mentions the mages somehow traveled through its tentacles, but it didn’t elaborate too much further.”

“Shit,” the multi-elementalist sighed, and her cheeks turned bright red when her father whipped his head over to her with surprise. “Sorry, Father.”

“No apologies necessary.” The Grand Mage waved his hand in the air.

“Of course, I haven’t had a chance to read the entire book yet,” I pointed out to the group. “We’re operating off only a small chunk of text, and I think if I had a little longer with it, I might be able to find out the information we need.”

“I’d suggest we make that our top priority,” the Grand Mage declared. “At least your top priority, Gryff, since you’re the only one who can translate the glyphs. While we continue to monitor the Enclave and beyond, you should try to find a way for us to get to the demon.”

“I think that’s a fine idea,” Headmaster Sleet agreed with him as he stroked his closely-trimmed white beard. “Mister Gryff, would you mind--”

“Not at all,” I said. “I brought it here to be studied, and I’m willing to do whatever I have to do to get us closer to victory.”

“That’s what I was hoping you’d say.” The renowned storm mage smiled at me. “Thank you for all you’ve already accomplished for us, Gryff. The realm is once again in your debt for your discovery.”

“Yes, thank you, Gryff,” the Grand Mage agreed. “This brings us so much closer than we were before, and I know we’ll only move further on as more answers are revealed.”

“I appreciate the thanks, but I was only doing what was right,” I insisted. “I’ll do my best to discover more.”

“In the meantime, we should probably return to the Academy,” Gallahar announced to the room. “I’m sure Gryff could use some downtime, and we have some meetings with the troops to attend.”

Everyone rose from their seats, and after we said a round of goodbyes, we all went our separate ways once more. As my friends disappeared down the spiral staircase, the same feeling of dread twisted my stomach once more. My team was braver than I gave them credit for, and the mages’ dedication to protecting the realm was incredible, but I was ready to help lead us to a conclusion.

I would do anything in my power to defeat the demon and get life back to normal, both for my sake, and the rest of the world’s.

That night, I was banished to my bedroom after dinner, and with good reason. My shoulders were slumped, and it was hard to remain awake after all of the excitement of the day. I wanted to stay awake to spend time with my family, but they’d assured me we could make up for it later. My children were all just as tired, and I knew my women could use some downtime as well, so I accepted my exile with grace.

I removed my clothes and climbed underneath my comforter, but before I could drift off into sleep, I heard a soft knock on the door. A sigh rose up from my chest before I could stop it, and I pinched the bridge of my nose. I’d become accustomed to night time knocks on my door, and they were always either met with sexy encounters, big news, or even worse, bad news. It was always a gamble, and while two out of three options weren’t terrible, a knot formed in my stomach at the possibility of bad news.

“Hello?” I called out. “Come on in.”

I sat up in bed and ran a hand through my hair in an attempt to seem more awake than I was. As the door creaked open, I rubbed the sleepiness from my eyes and squared my shoulders.

To my delight, Arwyn entered the room, and a smile appeared on my face.

“Did I wake you?” the beautiful redhead asked as she took in the sight of my bare chest and the blankets wrapped around my lower half.

“No, not at all,” I insisted, and I patted the empty left side of the bed. “What’s going on?”

“There’s something I wanted to talk to you about,” Arwyn began, and she nervously rubbed her arm. “If this is a bad time--”

“It’s never a bad time.” I shook my head, and I patted the bed again. “Come on over here.”

“Okay.” The healer mage smiled at me, and she gracefully crossed the room to join me on the bed. Her amber eyes were downcast, and as she ran her hands through her long red hair, I began to fear the worst.

“Is the baby okay?” I asked her as my eyes trailed down to her subtly curved stomach.

“The baby is fine,” she said. “According to Meridan, he or she is getting stronger by the day. Despite everything else going on, this pregnancy has been fairly easy on me.”

“Good,” I let out a sigh of relief. “I was worried you were here to deliver bad news. My mind always ventures to the worst possible places, especially as of late.”

“No, I promise I’d have told you straight away if something was wrong with our child,” Arwyn swore.

“So, what is going on?” I wondered with a curious tilt of my head.

The healer mage bit her lower lip and took a deep breath as she apparently tried to gather her words.

“Gryff, I’ve been thinking long and hard about the state of the world and what it means for our future,” Arwyn finally began in a serious tone. “With all that’s happened in the past few weeks, and our little knowledge of how to defeat our enemy, it’s become very clear there’s a chance we won’t survive this fight.”

“Arwyn, don’t say that--” I started to say, but the healer mage cut me off with a firm shake of her head.

“I’m not saying it because I don’t believe in us,” she insisted. “I’m saying this because I want us to consider all of the possibilities from a realistic perspective, which brings me to my proposal. Gryff, I don’t want to spend a single second more as just your fiancée. If there’s a chance these days will be my last, I don’t want to spend them as anything else but your wife.”

“Are you saying what I think you’re saying?” I asked.

“Yes,” the redheaded professor confirmed. “Gryff, I want to marry you. Tonight.”

Chapter Sixteen

“Tonight?” I clarified, and any bit of sleepiness faded away as I stared at the healer mage in shock. “Arwyn, it’s the middle of the night.”

“Yes.” Arwyn nodded. “Before you look at me that way, I want you to know I’ve had this idea in the back of my mind since the moment you walked out of this house to leave for the Shadowscape. I’ve spent the last two weeks missing you so much I could hardly stand it, and no matter how I tried to soothe myself, it simply wasn’t possible.”

“I’m sorry to have put you through that,” I apologized to her. “I--”

“Don’t be sorry,” the healer mage interjected. “There’s no need for you to apologize, and that’s not what I was leading into when I brought it up. I only mentioned it because I wanted you to understand how seriously I felt about your absence.”

“Arwyn, I missed you, too,” I murmured as I squeezed her hands. “So much. All I could think about in the Shadowscape was returning to you, and when we were sorting through all of the books in the dungeon library, I felt sad you weren’t at my side to enjoy the discovery since I knew how much you would have loved it.”

“I’m sure it was remarkable.” Arwyn’s full lips curled into a soft smile. “I do envy your experience a little, but what matters more to me is the fact that you’re finally here and back in my arms. It’s the only thing I’ve wanted since you left.”

I leaned down and kissed the top of her red hair, and when I drew my fiancée closer to me, I found myself hypnotized by the comforting smell of her jasmine perfume. Arwyn’s body felt like home, and the feeling of her soft skin against mine was like no other in the world.

“Arwyn, you know I want nothing more than for you to be my wife,” I said softly as I took her hands in mine. “However, I don’t want to take away the chance for you to have a beautiful, elaborate wedding. You deserve a big celebration with friends and family, and I don’t want to rob you of that experience just because the world is in a state of disarray,”

“I don’t need all of the extra frills,” Arwyn maintained. “I’ve never had dreams of a huge fanciful party anyway. Don’t get me wrong, your wedding to Nia was lovely, as was your wedding to Cyra, but both of those experiences were never really my style. I don’t know if it makes me sound old-fashioned or boring in the least, but all I want is the pair of us, together. I want to be able to stare into your eyes and know at that moment, the only important thing is our love.”

“That’s a beautiful sentiment.” I smiled at her. “It sounds incredibly romantic and heartfelt, and I can tell you’ve put plenty of thought into the idea.”

“So, what do you think?” the healer mage wondered. “I don’t want to force you to go through with it if it doesn’t suit your desires.”

“I want whatever is going to make you happy,” I decided, and I pulled away from the crimson-haired healer just enough so I could stare into her amber eyes. “If a very private wedding is what you want, then we’ll make it so.”

“Oh, Gryff, thank you!” the redheaded professor gasped as she threw her arms around me. “This is so wonderful. I was afraid you would think this was too spontaneous.”

“No, I love the idea,” I swore. “I did have a question, though. Have you spoken with the others about this?”

“Oh, yes, they’re aware,” Arwyn assured me as she pulled away. “I insisted on them joining us, but they came to the conclusion we deserved a more intimate moment with just the two of us. They swore it wasn’t because they didn’t wish to be here, they just wished to grant us some intimacy. Layla said it would be more romantic that way.”

“Sounds like Layla,” I chuckled. “Well, that answers that question, but I have another. Who is going to be able to marry us at this time of night?”

“I’ve already thought all of that through,” the professor replied with a mischievous smile. “All I need you to worry about is meeting me in the room at the end of the hall in an hour’s time.”

“I love how ominous that sounds,” I laughed again, and then I took Arwyn’s hands in mine. “But your wish is my command. I’ll meet you there in an hour.”

“Good.” Arwyn gave me a dazzling smile, and after we shared a soft, tender kiss, we rose from the bed and parted ways.

As I lingered in the doorway and watched Arwyn disappear, I couldn’t help but smile. After years of hiding our relationship and love, the beautiful professor was finally going to be my wife.

This was something younger me could only dream of, so I walked back into my room and decided I should probably throw on some more appropriate attire.

Part of me wondered if this idea was the best one, but as I dressed myself in a well-crafted dark-blue dress shirt, I knew we were making the right decision. This was definitely spontaneous on my end, but then again, Arwyn and I were already engaged with a child on the way. The crimson-haired healer mage had already expressed a desire to wed before our baby came into the world, and with how insane our current world was, it made sense to do this when we had a moment of downtime.

Once I was outfitted in my nice shirt and black dress pants, I carefully sat down on the edge of my bed and laced up my nice wedding shoes. This pair was getting quite a bit of use, not that I was complaining in the slightest. It was a pleasure to have so many wonderful women as my life partners, and I was looking forward to the day when I would be able to refer to all of the lovely mages as my wives.

I stood up after tying my laces and crossed over to the mirror near the wardrobe. The sleepiness that had clung to my features before was replaced by an excited, but nervous, expression, and I couldn’t help but laugh. This wasn’t how I saw my night unfolding, but it made it the perfect night to marry the woman I loved.

Arwyn had told me to wait an hour, so I dutifully sat at my desk and waited patiently for the clock to progress. At first, I attempted to look over the history book from the Shadowscape like a responsible mage, but the more I reread the words, the more I felt my happiness about the coming events fade away, so I ended up stashing it away. I didn’t need to focus on the impending doom of the demon, at least not for tonight, so instead, I opted to take extra time to properly groom myself. I ran a comb through my thick dark hair until it hung in a more put-together way and spritzed on a few dabs of a spicy cologne my women had gifted me as a surprise after winter exams. I didn’t wear it super often, but when I did, I was reminded of all of the good times I’d shared with my wives and lovers, and it brought a smile to my face.

Finally, I ran out of things to do, so I perched on my chair and crossed my legs like I was preparing for a meeting with the Grand Mage or something. Sitting with absolute stillness somehow made me relax more than it had when I was moving about, so I forced my back and shoulders to remain in perfect posture as I waited for the clock to strike.

Soon enough, I heard the familiar clang, and it was followed by a knock on the door. I flew out of my seat with more enthusiasm than I intended and opened the door to find Arwyn on the other side.

“Hi, Gryff,” my fiancée murmured in a velvety voice, and my breath caught in my chest as my eyes scanned her up and down.

“Wow,” I sighed. “Arwyn, you look….”

The professor was so stunningly beautiful that I couldn’t find the words to complete my statement. It wasn’t often that I was at a loss for words, but the healer mage was so enchanting I was tongue-tied.

“Do I look alright?” she asked me quietly, and her cheeks flushed pink even in the low light.

“Alright doesn’t even begin to cover it.” I shook my head as I studied every inch of my beautiful bride.

Arwyn’s gorgeous mane hung like a dark red curtain down her back, and the ends had been curled in a style I’d never seen her wear before. The tendrils were soft and bouncy, and they reminded me of a painting I’d seen once of a fairy maiden. The professor always wore her hair straight, so it was definitely a change, but I admired the new style greatly. A small section of her crimson locks had been tucked behind her right ear, and a pair of simple but elegant crystalline earrings hung from her lobes.

She was clad in a simple dress of pale ivory silk, and it clung to her perfect figure like a second skin. The skirt of the garment spilled to the floor and featured a high slit that rose up her incredibly long legs and stopped just short of her upper thighs. The bodice was cut in a way that revealed just enough of her impressive cleavage to make my jaw drop, but not take away from the garment, and it was held up by a pair of thin, jeweled straps.

Arwyn’s face was just as beautiful as ever, and I noticed extra care was given to her already long black eyelashes. Subtle but slightly smoky makeup had been applied with an expert hand, and it made her amber eyes look even more golden than usual. Her gaze was doe-like, and I couldn’t help but melt as she studied me.

Arwyn’s beauty was always effortless, but this ensemble made her look downright ethereal.

“It isn’t too much, is it?” she asked me as she looked down at her skirt. “The girls helped me pick it out a long time ago, and I wasn’t sure if it was too much for this manner of ceremony--”

“Arwyn, stop,” I urged her as I took her hands in mine. “You look so unbelievably beautiful. This dress suits you so well. I’m truly the luckiest man in all of Mistral.”

“I’m glad you like it.” She blushed even darker still. “You look handsome as well. You clean up quite nicely.”

“Thank you,” I chuckled. “Though, I think after seeing your dress, I’d like to switch out my shirt, if that’s alright with you. I think I have one that would match your gown much better.”

“Of course.” Arwyn’s peach-colored lips curled into a smile, and she gestured toward the wardrobe.

I brought her hands to my lips and planted a feather-soft kiss on the tops of them before I let go. I crossed back over to wardrobe and peered around for a much more suitable shirt, and once I located it, I stripped out of the old shirt and switched it out for the more formal, golden ivory shirt.

“So, you never did answer my question about who would be officiating this midnight rendezvous,” I teased the redheaded healer as I fastened the buttons of the shirt at my throat.

“That’s for me to know, and for you to find out, Mister Porter,” Arwyn teased me right back. “I can’t reveal all of my secrets at once.”

“You know, Miss Hamner, you’re about to become Mrs. Porter,” I pointed out to her. “That is, if you’d like to change your surname. If not, I won’t be offended in the least.”

“I haven’t quite decided,” Arwyn replied as she smoothed a stray lock of hair back into place. “I like the idea of sharing a surname with you and the other girls, but I don’t want to step on anyone’s toes if they don’t wish the same.”

“I don’t think any one of them would have a complaint,” I assured her. “We might be a strange, unorthodox one, but we’re a family. I also like the idea of all of us sharing a surname, but I’m also okay with whatever you all decide. If you’d prefer to remain Miss Hamner…”

“Perhaps we can save that title for the bedroom,” Arwyn purred, and it took all of my willpower to remain in place and not carry my fiancée over to the bed.

“Only if there’s a desk involved,” I played along as a wicked grin crossed my face. “I may be an Academy graduate, but I’m sure there are still plenty of lessons you could teach me, Miss Hamner.”

“Perhaps.” Arwyn winked at me, and I forced myself to look away before she could give me another naughty gesture.

“Should we just skip the wedding and go straight into the honeymoon?” I chuckled as I smoothed the wrinkles out of my shirt.

“That’s a tempting offer, but this dress deserves a moment or two before it’s flung to the floor,” Arwyn replied with a giggle of her own.

“Oh, I won’t be flinging that beautiful garment to the floor,” I contradicted the buxom healer mage. “I fully intend to fuck my new bride in her wedding dress.”

“You’re extra naughty tonight, Mister Porter.” The professor smirked. “Before you get too ahead of yourself, we should probably go through with the wedding first.”

“I think that would be wise,” I admitted. “If we don’t leave now, I don’t think I’ll be able to control my actions.”

After I gave myself one last look-over in the mirror, Arwyn took my hand, and then she led me out into the hall. Together, we ascended to the fourth floor, and confusion ran through me as I tried to figure out where we were going.

I’d never admit it aloud, but there were still quite a few rooms in our elaborate mansion I was either unfamiliar with or had yet to fully explore, and as we headed to the end of the corridor, I figured we were on our way to one of those rooms.

The door in front of us was taller than the others, arched where the rest were rectangular, and featured a filigree decoration that had been threaded with stems of white wildflowers.

“Are you ready?” Arwyn asked me, and her cheeks darkened to a lovely shade of pink.

“I’ve been ready to make you mine since the moment I first laid eyes on you,” I replied, and after the healer mage and I shared a tender kiss, we stepped through the double doors.

The room we entered was one I’d only seen once, back when we’d first moved into the mansion. My women had shown it to me briefly, and back then, it only had a few boxes and drawn curtains within it. I hadn’t thought much of the space since then, but clearly, it’d gotten a makeover when I wasn’t paying attention.

The curtains that hung in front of the floor-to-ceiling glass windows were still closed, but the heavy, old-fashioned drapes had been replaced with sheer white ones. Garlands of white roses were intricately wrapped around the curtain rod, and other flowering vines spilled down to the white marble floor.

An array of tall candelabras had been filled with long, tapered candles, and they gave the room a soft, intimate glow.

The most surprising thing about the room, however, was the man who stood in the center of it.

“Headmaster Sleet?” I asked, and my lips curled into a smile. “What are you doing here?”

“Hello, Mister Gryff,” the storm mage greeted me with a smile of his own. “I know it was only hours earlier that we parted, but I’m here at the request of Miss Hamner. I’m here to bind the pair of you together in holy matrimony.”

I turned to look at Arwyn, and the redhead blushed even further.

“I thought it would be nice for the headmaster to be the one to marry us, since he was the one who brought us together years ago,” she explained.

Sleet looked just as proud to be here with us, and it was surprising to see the renowned storm mage dressed in such formal attire. He wore a pair of well-tailored black trousers, a dark-gray button-up shirt, and a jacket so black and refined I knew it had to cost far more than I’d ever spent on a garment. I was so used to seeing the headmaster in his normal tunics and elaborate robes, but tonight, he looked like far more than the head of an Academy. Sleet appeared elegant and refined, and I appreciated the amount of effort he’d put into himself for this.

“I’m glad to have you here, sir,” I said in my most sincere tone. “Truly. It means so much to me to have you officiate such an important event.”

“Trust me, Mister Gryff, the honor is all mine,” Sleet replied, and then his stormy eyes moved between Arwyn and me. “Now, are you and Miss Hamner ready to proceed?”

“Yes,” Arwyn confirmed, and she squeezed my hand. “What about you, Gryff?”

“Of course, I’m ready,” I assured her.

“Good,” Sleet said, and then he gestured in front of him. “I’ll keep this fairly simple, but I still want your ceremony to feel special. I think we could all use a little brightness in these uncertain times. Now, please do me the favor of standing up here.”

Arwyn and I crossed over to the small altar that had been set up in front of the headmaster, and when we stepped into the candlelight, the flickering flames made my fiancée’s features look even more serene.

My hands trembled at my sides as I grinned with excitement. This was it, the moment I’d been waiting for so long.

“Arwyn Hamner and Gryff Porter, you are two individuals who were brought together by fate,” Sleet began with a soft smile. “Every moment you’ve shared, every breath of air you’ve taken in your lungs, every footstep you’ve traveled across various lands, has led you to this moment in time. Your meeting a few years ago may have been a moment of chance, but it placed a destiny in your laps that was set in motion with your first words. You began as friends, but time and experience made you lovers. To share such a destiny with someone is the strongest magic in all of the universe and a bond that should be cherished above all else. A life partner is more than just a companion. They’re an extension of yourself, another half meant to make you whole. There are those who don’t believe in soulmates, but the nonbelievers are simply those who have yet to find their perfect matches. Gryff and Arwyn, the love I’ve witnessed between you is some of the purest and most true I’ve seen in all of my years. The two of you represent an equal partnership of loving individuals who have committed themselves to better the other, and tonight, we will seal that bond forever.”

The headmaster took a breath, and I studied Arwyn’s face as tears welled in her amber eyes. I’d never seen the professor look so overwhelmingly joyful, and I vowed to do all I could to keep her that way for the rest of our lives.

“Gryff, do you promise to honor and love Arwyn with all of your being for the rest of your natural life?” Sleet asked me. “Do you pledge to uphold and treasure her as your own, in sickness and in health, until you take your final breath?”

“I do,” I confirmed.

“Arwyn, do you promise to honor and love Gryff with all of your being for the rest of your natural life?” Sleet asked the redheaded healer. “Do you pledge to uphold and treasure him as your own, in sickness and in health, until you draw your final breath?”

“I do.” Arwyn nodded, and the tears she’d been holding back finally spilled down her cheeks.

“Then, by the power vested in me, I am happy to pronounce you husband and wife.” Headmaster Sleet smiled at the both of us, and then he gestured for us to come together. “Gryff, you may kiss your bride.”

I swept Arwyn into my arms and kissed her more passionately than I’d ever kissed her before, and my heart felt like it was going to explode from pure joy. My wife laughed as more happy tears finally streamed down her face, and even though a few of the drops landed on my tongue as we kissed, I didn’t even mind.

Arwyn Hamner was finally my wife.

Sleet’s words during the ceremony had been correct. Even though Arwyn and I had been brought together purely by chance, we’d been destined to wind up in this exact spot, and I felt unbelievable gratitude toward whatever force had set this union in motion. Arwyn brought out the best in me and inspired me to be the greatest man and summoner I could be, and I vowed to do all I could to be the best husband and father to our child.

“What’re you thinking about?” I asked my crimson-haired wife when we parted.

“Nothing,” she mused as she stared into the distance over my shoulder, but then she turned her attention back to me. “It’s just a strange feeling, being this happy at a time when things are so confusing and unpredictable. This wasn’t what I’d been expecting for my wedding day, but somehow, it’s exactly what I’ve wanted all along.”

“I’m so happy,” I replied, and I planted a feather-light kiss on her forehead.

“Me, too,” she whispered.

We kissed again, and once we parted, I turned my attention back to Sleet.

“Thank you, Headmaster, for everything,” I thanked Sleet, and I placed my hand on his arm. “I really appreciate you officiating this ceremony for us.”

“I was more than happy to be here for you on your special day,” Sleet replied, and even his eyes glistened with unshed tears. “Trust me, this lifted my spirits nearly as much as yours, so I feel like I should be doing the thanking.”

We all laughed at that, and then Arwyn glanced over at the clock. Despite the sky remaining the same vivid shade, the time had passed by at a rapid pace, and though I was no longer tired, I couldn’t speak for the others.

“I didn’t realize how late it was,” she said. “Of course, I knew this was going to be a late affair, but I wasn’t paying much attention to the time.”

“It sure does fly when you’re having fun,” Sleet noted with an amused twinkle in his eyes. “That being said, I should return to the Academy. Tomorrow is going to be a long day, and I’d like to give the two of you some time alone to enjoy your wedding night before you’ve got to get back to our mission. “

“Thank you, sir.” I nodded at the renowned storm mage. “Please, let us see you out. I would feel a lot more comfortable letting you walk out into the night if I watched you leave.”

“I brought a carriage with me, but I appreciate your concern, Gryff,” Sleet said in an appreciative tone. “Your care means a lot to me.”

“I’m not taking no for an answer, sir,” I laughed, and the white-haired headmaster finally agreed to my terms.

“Alright, Mister Gryff.” He shook his head as he laughed. “I’ll allow you to escort me to the door, but the moment I leave, you’re the sole property of your wife’s affections, do you understand?”

“I think I can handle that.” I winked at my crimson-haired wife, and then I gestured toward the door.

The headmaster, Arwyn, and I filed out of the fourth-floor room, and then the three of us descended to the first floor.

The entire mansion was completely silent, and I did my best to remain as quiet as possible to keep from disturbing anyone. The last thing I wanted was to accidentally rouse one of the children, especially since their mothers all needed a good night’s sleep.

Once we reached the foyer, Sleet, Arwyn, and I exchanged a round of embraces, and after one last goodbye, the headmaster fastened a mask around his face and turned his hand on the doorknob.

However, the moment Sleet opened the door, we were suddenly startled by a man attempting to catch his breath.

“Fuck!” I nearly recoiled in shock, but after a moment, I recognized the young man as Conor, the water mage from the fight against the fire-eye, only it was clear he’d been through a lot since the last time I’d seen him. His eyes were sunken, his cheekbones were more pronounced, and there was a thick sheen of sweat on his forehead that made his dark curls glisten. His mask hung around his neck like an industrial-strength necklace, and I could see the inside of the covering was just as wet with sweat as Conor’s face.

“Conor?” Sleet asked in a concerned tone. “What are you doing here? Are you alright?”

“Headmaster… Sleet,” the mage greeted the renowned storm mage through ragged breaths. “I’m so glad I found you. I was told you’d be here, but I was worried I wasn’t going to find you in time. I’m alright, but the Enclave isn’t.”

Suddenly, the sound of an alarm rang out so loudly that my ears ached. I jumped in response, and my stomach plummeted to the floor.

“What’s going on?” Arwyn wondered as her body tensed up.

My arm instinctively reached out around her shoulders, and I drew my new wife close to me for protection.

“No… it can’t be.” Sleet’s face blanched until it was nearly as white as a sheet. “That alarm… no, it cannot be true.”

“What’s the alarm for?” I asked, but my question wasn’t acknowledged.

Sleet appeared as if he was moments away from losing consciousness, but Conor managed to steady the older mage before his legs could waver.

“Unfortunately, it is, sir,” Conor gulped, and then he finally turned to Arwyn and me. “The alarm has never gone off before, but for good reason, Mister Gryff.”

“It doesn’t sound like a rift alarm.” I frowned as I tried to comprehend what exactly the water mage was implying. “What makes this one so special?”

“It signifies something that has never happened in all of the history of the Enclaves,” Sleet answered, and he fixed his stormy white eyes on mine. “Our worst fears have come true, Gryff. A monster has managed to enter Varle.”

Chapter Seventeen

The sense of dread that coursed through me was stronger than any I’d ever experienced before, and all the bliss I’d just experienced faded away almost as if it had never been there in the first place.

I almost didn’t want to believe the words for myself, but all it took was one look at the older storm wizard’s face to see this was no joke.

There was a monster in the Enclave.

Sleet’s statement was correct. Our deepest fears really had come true.

“T-That’s impossible,” Arwyn whispered before I could. “The xanyarstone keeps the monsters at bay. Protection against monsters is the mineral’s sole purpose--”

“Trust me, Arwyn, I know,” Sleet stopped her. “This is far more horrendous than I could have imagined. That alarm was created as an unlikely precaution in the event the impossible were to come true. It was never meant to ring out, especially in the middle of the night.”

Varle, along with all of the other Enclaves throughout Mistral, were surrounded by tall, thick walls of a material known as xanyarstone. The white-gold bricks were impenetrable and had a certain property about them that made it impossible to be broken through by magic or monster. The walls and heightened security were the sole reasons civilians flocked to Enclaves in the first place. If there was no protection for the city, monsters could enter at their leisure and render the Enclave just as dangerous as any village in the Wilds.

We needed to find a way to get the monster out and seal off Varle before it was too late.

“We need to get going,” I announced. “If monsters can get past the xanyarstone, the civilians in the city are sitting ducks. We can’t leave them defenseless.”

“I’m coming with you,” Arwyn insisted, but I shook my head.

“Arwyn, if something were to happen to you and the baby--”

“Gryff, you cannot ask me to stay behind,” the crimson-haired professor cut me off with a fiery intensity. “I know you’re only looking out for my wellbeing, but I was appointed a Guardian just the same as you. I can be of use--”

“I know you can,” I acknowledged, and then I softened my voice and my features. “Trust me, Arwyn, I know how amazing you are. I won’t hold you back, but I would ask if you won’t stay behind, you’ll at least hang back and use your magic as a healer to help any civilians or troops who find themselves in danger. I don’t want you in the middle of the battle if you don’t have to be.”

Arwyn considered my words for a moment, but her auburn eyebrows were creased together so tightly, I was afraid she was going to strain her face from the effort.

“Miss Hamner, you must make your decision quickly,” Sleet urged her. “We cannot waste too much more time.”

“I’ll do it,” she said, and then the beautiful mage glanced at me. “Heal, I mean. It’s my best talent, and if I can keep others safe, I’ll take to that position with no complaint.”

“Gryff, what’s going on?” Crystyn called out as she practically flew down the stairs. “Why is an alarm crying out in the middle of the night?”

My aunt was clad in a dark-green jumpsuit, and even though I could still see a hint of sleepiness in her hazel eyes, her bandolier was fastened perfectly, and her shiny caramel-colored hair looked like it had been perfectly styled. Even her deep under-eye circles had lightened up considerably. I was glad she’d given herself a moment of self-care, but I was a little disappointed all of that was about to be undone by my next statement.

“A monster’s broken through the walls of the Enclave,” I revealed, and the look of shock that painted my aunt’s features was enough to make a lump form in my throat.

“Maker,” she cursed. “How is that even possible?”

“We don’t know,” Sleet replied to the Guardian with a weary expression. “All we know is we have to go straight away. Crystyn, if you could join us--”

“Of course, Marangur,” my aunt affirmed, and for a moment I was taken aback by how intimate her tone toward the storm wizard was, but I didn’t linger on the thought for too long. “Headmaster, I need to retrieve my crystals from upstairs,” I announced when I realized I wasn’t wearing my bandolier.

“Hurry, Mister Gryff,” Sleet advised me, and his stormy-white eyes fixated on the window beside the front door.

I scrambled up the stairs as fast as my legs could carry me and raced into my room so quickly I was amazed I didn’t leave scorch marks on the floor. I quickly swapped out my dress shirt for a plain, casual one I’d discarded earlier on the floor, and I had just enough time to kick off my dress shoes and fasten my bandolier before a mess of bodies flew through the bedroom doorway.

“Gryff, what’s going on?” Nia demanded, and her piercing blue eyes flashed even in the darkness of the room. “What’s all the commotion downstairs? Did I hear Sleet’s voice?”

“Yeah, what is that alarm?” Cyra chimed in as she wrapped her arms around herself, and even from my vantage point on the edge of the bed, I could see her chocolate-brown skin was covered in goosebumps.

“There’s a monster here in Varle,” I explained as I threw my boots on. “We need to leave straight away.”

“A monster--” Layla began, but Nia cut her off with a single look.

“You can explain on the way,” the elementalist addressed me, and she quickly pulled her ashen hair back into a ponytail. “We need to go.”

“Dressed like this?” Layla retorted. “There’s no way I’m strutting up to a monster in only my nightie--”

“Go change, but you have literally thirty seconds at the most,” Nia replied in her most maternal yet straightforward voice. “I would suggest you run.”

“What about you?” Cyra wondered as her dark eyes trailed over Nia.

“I’ll be fine.” She shook her head. “I have a pair of boots downstairs--”

“Nia, take a moment and throw something warmer on,” I advised her. “I know you can hustle just as quickly as Layla, so don’t force yourself to run out in the middle of the night in just a nightdress.”

“Fine,” Nia decided, and without another word, my ashen-haired wife bolted from the room with Layla and Cyra in tow, which left only Freya, who had yet to say a word.

“You look like you haven’t gone to sleep yet.” I observed Freya’s normal day clothes. She was clad in a soft sweater and a pair of simple trousers, and her golden-blonde hair fell over her shoulders in tousled waves.

“Someone had to help Arwyn dress for her wedding.” The hawk-princess offered me a lovely smile. “I was so excited for you and my sister-wife that I couldn’t yet fall asleep.”

“Well, you did an amazing job with her,” I complimented my wife. “Freya, if you need to stay behind--”

“I will be coming with,” Freya announced decisively. “As a newly-appointed Guardian of Mistral, I want to help you and my sister-wives in any way possible, please.”

“Of course,” I replied. “It wouldn’t be a proper fight without the warrior princess of Hawk Clan at my side.”

“You flatter me, my husband,” Freya giggled, but the moment between us ended when Nia, Cyra, and Layla reappeared in the bedroom.

Each of the mages were clad in more battle-ready attire and no longer looked like they’d just risen from slumber.

“Ready!” Nia announced, and I took one last moment to glance around the room.

“Wait, who’s going to stay behind to watch the children?” I realized. “We can’t all leave--”

“I’ll stay behind,” Erin’s voice rang out from the hallway, and I peered past my women to see the orange-haired mimic with Vahla right beside her. “That’s what I’m here for, remember? Guardian adjacent.”

“I can stay behind as well,” Vahla offered in her native tongue, much to both my surprise and Freya’s, and the younger hawk shifter’s face reddened as all eyes fell to her. “Someone needs to keep an eye on them, and Erin shouldn’t be left alone to deal with them on her own.”

“Thank you both,” I said, and then I turned to the rest of my women. “Let’s go. I think we’ve kept everyone waiting long enough.”

We sped down the stairs at lightning speed, and Crystyn, Arwyn, Sleet, and Conor practically twitched in impatience. Arwyn had somehow found the time to slip out of her wedding dress and into more casual clothing, and her hands trembled at her sides as I joined her. I reached out and threaded my fingers through hers for reassurance, and my crimson-haired wife’s posture relaxed.

“Shall we?” Sleet prompted us, and the headmaster was met with varying sounds of agreement.

“Be safe,” Erin called out from the top of the stairs. “All of you, please come back to us in one piece!”

“We will,” I assured the orange-haired pilot. “Hold down the fort while we’re gone.”

Without another moment of hesitation, the other mages and I filed out into the scarlet-tinted outdoors, and as we hustled down the drive, Crystyn passed a mask over to me.

“Protection from the air,” she explained, and then she swiftly donned a mask of her own.

“Thanks,” I said gratefully, and then I fastened the mask over my face. It was a more intense version of the protective covering we had to wear in the Shadowscape, and I was surprised by how easy it was to breathe in it. Our normal gas masks were cumbersome and a little awkward, but these new and improved ones were almost nice. They were surprisingly light-weight, almost to the point where I could hardly feel it.

The rest of my team placed their masks on as well, except for Freya, who shifted into her hawk form straight away. No matter how many times I witnessed the warrior princess shapeshifting, I never got tired of seeing it, and a faint sense of pride ran through me as Freya flexed her impressive talons.

“Wait, where’s Ashla?” I realized. “I didn’t see her back there--”

“I think she might still be at the Academy,” Arwyn gasped with enormous eyes. “She told me she was staying late to finish up some work with the research team.”

“If Miss Ashla’s there, I’m sure she’s safe,” Sleet assured us in a calm and even tone. “She’s a clever mage, and I know she’ll be able to find a way to get to where she needs to be.”

“You’re right,” I said. Ashla was extremely clever and resourceful, and I didn’t need to worry about the ice mage remaining safe, but that didn’t stop me anyway. These were stressful times, and I wanted to be certain all of my women were protected.

“She’ll be fine,” Arwyn agreed. “Ashla’s always been incredibly capable, and between you and me, I wouldn’t want to be on the other side of her ice magic or that axe of hers.”

“Me, either,” I chuckled.

As we raced down the lawn toward the hill, I reached into my consciousness and unlocked the wards that bound Sera to the recesses of my mind.

Hello, Gryff, the dark-winged Archon purred. Congratulations on your wedding. This seems like a rather unorthodox honeymoon.

“Thank you for the first part of that statement at least,” I replied simply. “We have a little bit of an issue. I need your snapdarner straight away.”

As you wish, Sera said, and my back tingled as the Archon manifested before me. When the smoke cleared, the lovely monster goddess stretched her black-feathered wings, and then she snapped her fingers in the air.

As Sera’s insectoid summons appeared, I retrieved a wing-shaped crystal from my bandolier and threw it out in front of me. Smoke whipped around the already dust-ridden air, and when it cleared, my vingehund had appeared. I felt bad for how much I’d been relying on the canine monster lately, but my summons let out a bark as if to say she didn’t mind the extra attention.

Meanwhile, Crystyn and Cyra had summoned their own winged beasts, and before I could give instructions, the pair of summoners mounted their phoenix and dragon, which left Layla, Arwyn, and Nia without mounts.

“Layla, can you ride with Cry--?” I started to suggest, but the petite mage had already taken her place on the back of my aunt’s ethereal monster before I could even finish my request.

“Layla is always welcome on my summons,” Crystyn spoke up.

“Excellent,” I confirmed, and then I turned to Nia. “Nia, are you comfortable on the vingehund?”

“Absolutely.” The multi-elementalist nodded, and my vingehund let out another bark before she dutifully squatted down so Nia could climb on her back.

“Headmaster, Connor, Arwyn--” I began to say, but the three waved me off.

“We need to meet up with the troops on the ground,” Sleet announced. “The rest of you can get a head start and get a visual on the monster while we tend to everything else.”

“Yes, sir.” I nodded at the storm wizard, and then I hustled over to the snapdarner.

Sera and I mounted the insectoid monster, and once all of my teammates were situated on their summons, I commanded the Archon’s creature to take off. The dragonfly fluttered its wings, and we rose up into the air. The vingehund, phoenix, and Freya followed suit, and then we flew as a unit toward the Enclave.

My stomach was in knots the closer we got to the square, and I felt Sera’s grip around me tighten.

“You’ve got this, Gryff,” the Archon whispered in my ear. “I’ll be here beside you the entire time.”

“Thank you,” I murmured. “I appreciate your support in this, Sera.”

“That’s what I’m here for,” she replied, and a smile began to creep up my face, but it vanished almost instantly.

If I’d thought the Enclave was in chaos before, I was completely out of my mind, because the current state of the city was so much worse than that.

Smoke plumed high into the air and stemmed from the roofs of Varle’s homes, and the streets were riddled with civilians running, screaming, and scrambling to escape the enormous monster that loomed above them.

“What in the Maker’s name is that thing?” I breathed as my lips curled back in disgust beneath my mask.

The creature that occupied the square was larger than most I’d ever seen before and rivaled the stature of Carth’s herd. It was an ugly beast, even more muscular than my baroquer, with extremely pale skin stretched so tight over its body it was practically translucent. This characteristic was further emphasized by the spiderwebs of dark blue-black veins visible beneath every inch of its pallid form.

The monster’s head was utterly smooth, and a pair of soulless black eyes penetrated the broad planes of its face like twin black holes. It was hard to not fixate on the cavernous orbs, so I chose to study the rest of the creature instead.

Its blocky fists had three fingers, and each was tipped with a long, claw-like fingernail just as black as its eyes. Whatever this monster was, it made me feel as if I were going to be sick.

“What is it?” I asked Sera, and the Archon tightened her hold around my waist.

“That thing is called a ganndor,” the dark-winged goddess revealed. “I can’t say I’ve ever met one with much intelligence, but nothing appears to be as it was anymore, so I’m afraid my assessments don’t necessarily apply.”

“Tell me all you know anyway,” I requested as the snapdarner flew a little closer.

The sulfurous wind whipped around us, and it was only exacerbated by the ganndor’s erratic movements. The monster was absolutely massive, so every flex of its limbs had an impact on our surroundings.

“Well, for starters, the ganndor is a lot like athenids,” Sera explained. “They’re usually cave-dwellers who never step into the light. They were born in complete darkness, so any amount of sunlight harms them greatly. Unfortunately, with the state of the moon, we’re out of luck on that advantage.”

“Cave dwellers,” I remarked. “The moon is probably the entire reason these underground monsters are hunting. They were condemned to the darkness before, but now that the world is essentially nothing but darkness, they’re able to leave their caves.”

“That’s what I was thinking,” Sera agreed with me. “Ganndors usually live pretty deep beneath the earth. Like athenids, they live in groups, but aside from interactions with others of their species, they’re never around other monsters--”

“That’ll definitely have an effect on their behavior,” I noted as I studied the beast again. Its pale, papery skin was stretched so tightly over its body I half expected it to rip from all of the physical exertion.

“Another thing to note is the fact ganndors are completely blind,” Sera pointed, and I froze in place.

“Blind?” I repeated back in confusion. “I suppose that would make sense if they live in caves, but it doesn’t seem to be having any trouble moving about the Enclave.”

“It can’t see with its eyes, but it uses some type of earth magic as a sensory tool,” my dark-winged lover explained. “It uses its feet to sense vibrations in the ground.”

“So, it’s like a mole?”

“Exactly,” Sera replied.

I studied the way the ganndor moved and realized Sera was correct. The creature had a strange way of walking, and it almost seemed to drag its many-toed feet along the ground with every step. I was perplexed by the creature and made a note to do more research on the species later, but for now, I needed to figure out a way to stop it before it managed to level the entire Enclave.

As if on cue, the monster reached down and swiped one of its clawed hands at one of the two-level storefronts, and the top level of the shop was knocked to the ground as if it were a child’s plaything rather than a bricked building. To my relief, there didn’t seem to be any villagers in the shop, but that didn’t mean the rest of the buildings were going to have the same luck.

I glanced down at the dust-ridden ground and attempted to spot Sleet amongst the chaos, but with so many bodies moving to and fro, and the damaged materials littering the ground, it was difficult to point out anyone specific, and I soon abandoned that plan. Sleet, Arwyn, and Conor were likely occupied, and I had an entire team who was more than capable of handling themselves.

A silver and pink blur caught my attention, and it was accompanied by a flash of pale blue. Freya, Kalon, Cyra, Nia, and the vingehund flew over to me, and then they hovered near the snapdarner. I’d been so distracted by the monster that I had lost sight of my women, so I was glad they were able to get to me so easily.

“Gryff, what do we do?” Nia called out to me from the back of my canine-like summons.

“Above all else, we need to drive it out of the Enclave,” I shouted over the sound of thunderous footsteps and the screams of the civilians below. “If we can drive it back through the entry point of the walls, we’ll have a lot more room. I don’t want to risk damaging the city any more if we don’t have to.”

“Got it.” Cyra nodded, and the chocolate-skinned summoner’s eyes narrowed at the monster. “So, we need to find some way for it to follow us.”

“Precisely,” I noted.

“That shouldn’t be too hard.” My curly-haired wife shot me an impish grin, and she gently nudged Kalon with the side of her boot. “You heard the man, Kalon, let’s go agitate a monster.”

“Wait--” I tried to say, but Cyra and her familiar had already taken off into the air.

I shook my head as I watched my wife disappear into the distance. No matter how hard I tried, I could never stop Cyra when she was on the warpath, but it was one of the many things I adored about her.

“Should we follow after?” Nia suggested.

“Please.” I nodded as the ganndor swiped out at the buildings again.

“I will go as well,” Freya said after she shifted her human face onto her hawk body so she could speak. “We will keep Cyra safe.”

“Thank you,” I said, and after my women nodded in response, they took off after Kalon.

I suddenly realized we were short two mages, so I searched the scarlet sky for Crystyn’s phoenix, but it was nowhere to be seen. Where had they gone?

“I don’t see them,” I announced in a panic, but Sera’s hand pointed beyond us.

“Down there,” she declared, and I followed the direction of her finger.

My aunt’s feathered summons was easier to spot amongst the crowd, and I saw it over by a crowd of civilians. It appeared the Guardian was helping some of the citizens of Varle to safety, and I felt a small sense of relief as I watched Layla usher a family over to a group of mages in military gear.

While I wanted to have the mages at my side as we took on the ganndor, I knew part of being a Guardian was protecting the people of the realm no matter the danger. Layla was exactly where she needed to be, so I resigned myself to let her do her thing and focused on the cave-dwelling creature approaching the Enclave wall instead.

Cyra and Nia circled around the ganndor’s head, and I could hear them shouting. I had no idea what they were saying, but their loud noises seemed to bother the monster. It swatted around in the air, but Kalon and the vingehund were too fast for it to reach. Finally, the mages took off toward the Enclave wall, and the creature angrily pursued them.

The ground below us trembled and quaked as the ganndor followed after my wives. Military mages around the monster scrambled to avoid its clawed feet, and I winced in horror as one was almost trampled by the cave-dweller.

The only explanation I had for the ganndor being able to break through the wall was the sheer size of the creature coupled with the strange state of the planet. Had the moon not been red and the magical rules of the realm so backward and inconsistent, it wouldn’t have been able to carry out this kind of attack on its own.

I shook my head. This wasn’t good, but I needed to find a solution to keep it from getting even worse.

Suddenly, an idea flashed through my mind, and I knew what had to be done.

As the enormous creature began to head toward the break in the wall, I searched the ground for a familiar face. If I knew my friends, they had to be close to the action, and there was one mage in particular I needed.

Finally, I spotted him amongst the crowd.

“Almasy!” I called down to the earth mage. When I didn’t get his attention, I called out his name again and used one hand to stabilize myself on Sera’s insectoid summons and the other to wave in the air.

This caught the pilot’s eye, and he rushed over in my direction with impressive speed.

“I was wondering where you were!” he called out to me. “I figured you’d be out with the others.”

“I was, but there were other things I needed to figure out first,” I said. “And speaking of that, Almasy, I have an idea, but it’s going to be a tall order!”

“Name it, summoner!” Almasy shouted back, and I commanded the snapdarner to bring us down closer to the ground.

“Once the monster heads back out into the Wilds, I need you to use your earth magic to try to seal the broken Enclave wall,” I instructed. “Utilize the hardest material you can find and build it up as tall as you possibly can. I know it isn’t the same as xanyarstone, but it’s better than leaving Varle completely vulnerable. The ganndor is the only monster now, but others could follow, and we need to keep the city protected”

“We can make that happen,” Almasy confirmed, and the pilot craned his neck to peer over at a squad of mages in golden robes. “If I enlist the help of some other mages, I think we may be able to pull it off. We’ll just need some others around us to keep potential monsters away while we close the border.”

“I can help there,” Layla’s voice called out from behind me. The petite summoner approached us from the back of her hippocrans, and her hazel eyes glimmered with fierce determination.

“Where’s Crystyn?” I asked my auburn-haired lover as I craned my neck around.

“She’s with Sleet and the rest of the boys,” Layla replied. “They’re currently working on evacuation plans for the civilians.”

“Good,” I said. “If she doesn’t need your help, can you assist Almasy?”

“That’s why I’m here, Gryffie.” She grinned at me. “I’ll round up whoever I can and get some extra protection around Almasy and the others while they work on the wall. You just worry about that big ugly monster, okay?”

“Thank you,” I said, and my eyes darted between her and Almasy. “Both of you. I really appreciate it--”

“Alright, enough gushy love stuff,” Layla cut me off. “We’ve got work to do, remember?”

“Right.” I nodded, and I gently tapped my foot against the snapdarner’s side. “Be careful, both of you.”

The insectoid monster let out a trill, pumped its wings, and then raced away.

We soared over the Enclave, and a sense of relief went through me when I realized the girls had eased the monster out of the city and into the field.

Kalon and Freya whizzed around the monster’s head, and the ganndor swung its muscular arms around in an attempt to catch the dragon and the hawk. Even from my vantage point, I could tell Cyra seemed to enjoy this, and while I didn’t want to spoil her fun, we needed to lead the ganndor further out beyond the Enclave.

“We need to go faster,” I instructed Sera.

“As you wish,” she purred, and the snapdarner zoomed so quickly the air bit into my face and pushed my hair straight back.

We caught up to the ganndor, and I decided to join in on the goading of the creature.

“Hey, ugly!” I called out to the terrifying beast, and the monster stopped what it was doing and whipped its head around.

The gannador’s cavernous eyes blinked rapidly, and when its lips curled into a grimace, I was met with the sight of several rows of sharp teeth.

Just once, I would have loved to meet a Shadowscape monster that was completely toothless.

The ganndor snarled and then shot its heavily-muscled arm around as if it were trying to locate me in the air. The effort was labored, almost as if the monster was moving through water, and I realized I needed to get closer if I wanted to really get its attention.

“Sera, we need the snapdarner to take us near its face,” I decided.

“Closer?” the Archon exclaimed. “Gryff, have you lost your--”

“Just do it!” I commanded, and a moment later the snapdarner pumped its iridescent wings and flew us closer to the cave-dweller.

The monster sniffed loudly, and as we expertly flew by its head, it let out a disgruntled growl.

We had its attention now.

The snapdarner wound circles around the creature, and soon Cyra, Freya, and I successfully got the pale-skinned monster to chase after us.

“Hey, Gryff!” Cyra called out to me after she did another lap around the monster. “This is fun and all, but what’s the game plan?”

“We need to get the ganndor out even further while Almasy and the other mages try to seal the Enclave wall,” I explained. “I’m trying to come up with another plan--”

“Shouldn’t we start throwing punches at that thing?” my curly-haired lover wondered. “Magic, whatever?”

“I think we need more room.” I shook my head as the snapdarner ducked out of the ganndor’s path.

Freya let out an impressive screech, and then she flew directly at the ganndor’s head and sunk her talons deep into its pale white flesh. The monster roared as black blood oozed from the site, and when its clawed hands reached up, they nearly managed to swat my hawk wife.

While I was impressed by Freya’s bravery, I was scared the cave-dweller would hurt her, but I couldn’t let that fear stop me from being a Guardian.

“I need you and Freya to distract it for a little while longer while I get the others into position,” I said, and the curly-haired summoner nodded.

“Can do,” Cyra said, and after she let out a battle cry, her familiar sped off and took them back over to the ganndor.

Once I was sure the mages had things under control, I flew back toward the Enclave and spotted Nia and the vingehund in the air.

I commanded the snapdarner to bring us closer to them, and within seconds, we caught up to my wife and my canine summons.

“Gryff, what do you want us to do?” Nia cried out as the vingehund hovered.

“The ganndor uses its feet to sense things around it,” I revealed to the elementalist. “It’s used to living in caves, so it requires some type of earth in order to ‘see’ in a sense. Unfortunately, we’re surrounded by a ton of it, so I was thinking we need to come up with a way to completely rob it of those extra senses. If we can blind it, we can take it on much easier.”

“Agreed,” my ashen-haired wife replied.

Suddenly, an idea came to my mind, and my lips curled up into a contented smile.

“Nia, have you seen Conor?” I asked the beautiful mage.

“I think I saw him over near Almasy and that group,” Nia answered, and then she raised an elegantly arched eyebrow. “From the looks of it, Ashla’s over there, too. What do you need?”

“Water magic, and a lot of it,” I responded. “I think I know a way to cut off the monster’s senses.

“How?” the ashen-haired mage asked, and she craned her neck to get a visual on the ganndor.

“I want you to use your earth magic to build a trench as deep as possible and then fill it with as much water as you can,” I explained. “From there, I’ll need Ashla to ice it over.”

“You want to replace the earth beneath its feet with ice,” Nia summarized. “Do you think that will work? Would that be enough to cut off its senses?”

“I don’t know, but it’s worth a shot,” I said. “Try to find Ashla and Conor, and in the meantime, I’ll try to lure it out a little further. I don’t need this thing completely stomping out the new wall Almasy and the earth mages are trying to build.”

“Got it,” Nia confirmed, and as she flew away in the opposite direction, I watched the way her silvery-blonde braid bobbed in the wind.

“An ice pit?” Sera mused once we were alone. “It’s a little risky, master.”

“I live for risky.” I smirked.

It didn’t take long for Nia to track down Conor and Ashla, and the mages hustled out into the field as if they were part speed slug.

Nia and Conor got to work straight away, and I felt a swell of pride as I watched my ashen-haired wife raise her arms in the air. Nia was a prodigy when it came to elemental magic, and the sudden change in her irises and sclera indicated she was about to supercharge her magic. I’d seen this shift several times before, but it never failed to both impress and scare the hell out of me.

Once the whites of her eyes had been eclipsed entirely by darkness, the scorched ground in front of her began to quake, and I watched in amazement as a large stretch of it suddenly sunk down lower into a pit. It spanned out hundreds of feet, and I admired the skillful way Nia managed to swerve around the dead trees and other life.

When the earth pit was finalized, Nia and Conor held their arms in front of them, and suddenly, an enormous wave of water magic surged forth like a tsunami and completely soaked the field. The sunken stretch of earth Nia had created began to fill with the water, and soon, a large lake sat in the middle of the field.

Cyra seemed to understand the plan, and I watched her and Kalon fly in the opposite direction. Freya bumped into the monster to give it another chance to turn around, and soon, the ganndor started to move back toward the Enclave and right over to the trap.

The ganndor ran back toward the mages, and Nia managed to climb back onto the vingehund and pull Conor up behind her. The elementalist took off into the sky just as the cave-dwelling monster stepped into their man-made lake, and the moment its clawed feet stepped onto the surface, I watched Ashla snap into action.

“Ready for me?” she shouted, and after I gave the chocolate-skinned mage a nod, she clenched her fists and took off into a dead sprint toward the lake.

I watched with awe as the former mercenary used her magic to create a tall hill of ice, and then she leaped off from the ground and unleashed a powerful stream of ice magic right at the lake Nia and Conor had just created. An icy chill spread through the air, and a shiver ran down my spine as the lake began to freeze. In a matter of moments, the water turned into an impossibly thick layer of ice, and the ganndor began to freak out.

The cave-dweller let out a surprised grunt, and panic settled over its nightmarish features as it stumbled around. Its large body began to thrash erratically as if it’d been electrocuted, and its cavernous eyes darted around as it tried to find its footing. The thick layer of ice made the enormous monster slip and slide, and the ganndor then let out a roar of frustration.

“It can’t see,” Sera declared in a gleeful voice, and I couldn’t help but feel thrilled myself.

I hadn’t expected the plan to work out so well, but when I caught myself on the verge of celebration, I reined my joy back. There was a second, trickier part of this plan that required a lot of mana on my part, and I needed to stay focused.

But before I could execute that part of the plan, I needed to get everyone out of the field.

I commanded my mount to bring us back to the team of mages by the Enclave. To my delight, the earth mages had successfully erected a new wall, and it looked just as formidable as ever.

“Almasy!” I called to the earth mage. “I need you to create an earth fortress, lead everyone over to it, and enclose them as much as possible.”

“Can do.” Almasy nodded, and then his gray eyes narrowed slightly. “Gryff, I’m not sure I like that look on your face. What do you have planned?”

“Something risky,” I admitted. “But if it works out, it could get rid of this fucker for good.”

“Then do what you have to do.” The pilot flashed me his signature crooked grin. “I’ll gather everyone up and get them underground.”

“Thank you!” I nodded at the earth mage gratefully, and then I commanded the snapdarner to take us upward.

The ganndor continued to slip and slide on the ice, but I couldn’t bet on the monster staying put forever. The ice had merely been a means to blind the monster. Now, I needed to take it out.

“Gryff, what are you planning to do?” Sera interrogated me. “I’m not one to ever doubt your plans, but asking all of your mage friends to take cover gives me the feeling this isn’t going to be a simple maneuver.”

“It’s not,” I said. “But I need you to put your trust in me, Sera.”

“You have it,” the Archon sighed, and she didn’t press the subject any further.

The snapdarner landed just beyond the floor of ice, and I scanned the field around us. True to his word, Almasy was gathering every last mage together, even Cyra and Freya, which meant it was time for me to execute my plan.

“Sera, I need you to drop me off on the ground.”

“Gryff, what are… no.” Sera stiffened behind me. “No, I’m not going to do that.”

“Sera--”

“Gryff, whatever you’re doing, please don’t ask me to leave you,” the Archon pleaded. “I recognize the tone of your voice, and I know it means you’re going to execute some form of heroic act that would likely lead to death if you were a normal human man.”

“Then it’s a good thing I’m not,” I replied. “Sera, I don’t want to pull this card, but if you don’t follow my instructions, I’m going to have to turn it into a command.”

“I’ll obey willingly,” Sera said. “But please, Gryff, for the sake of both you and our child, don’t do something too reckless. I… I can’t imagine losing you.”

“You won’t,” I assured her. “C’mon, where’s the badass Archon I know and love? Don’t tell me you’ve gone soft?”

“Never,” Sera snarled, and then she let out a sigh. “Fine, Gryff. I’ll do as you ask.”

“Thank you,” I said. “Now, once I’m on the ground, I want you to take the snapdarner and collect Ashla. Take her over to Almasy’s fortress and wait with the others there while I deal with the ganndor.”

“Okay,” the dark-winged Archon decided. “But it’s only because I love you so much.”

The ganndor spun on the ground, and it reached out one of its clawed hands and tried to feel around. Had it not been my enemy, I might have felt bad about the monster’s pitiful display, but I didn’t have time for empathy, not when the Enclave was at stake.

The snapdarner landed on the ground, and I practically leaped off its back the moment it touched the earth. The burnt grass crunched beneath my feet, and my head spun a bit as I caught my bearings.

Sera gave me a sad smile, and then she took off into the sky again. I was sad to send her off, but this was something I needed to do on my own, and I needed her to keep the others safe while I did it.

As the ganndor thrashed and roared around the ice, I reached into my bandolier and retrieved an essence crystal I hadn’t utilized since I’d captured it. The gem glittered like an enormous diamond in my hands, and I admired the many facets of it before I threw it far beyond me. The monster within would need all of the room it could get, and with how heavily I was relying on it, I didn’t want to deny it any matter of space.

Plumes of blue-black smoke rose in the air, and once it cleared, it revealed one of the most wickedly beautiful monsters I had in my arsenal. The creature was one of Carth’s that I’d defeated and then asked Xanrith to bring back from the dead with her resurrection magic.

The dragon had three large heads that moved in different directions as it tried to survey its surroundings, and the monster reflected light with every motion.

If this plan worked out the way it appeared in my head, the prisms of the dragon were just the advantage I needed.

“I need you to break apart,” I commanded the quartzriel in an authoritative voice. “Once you’re split, I need you to surround the ganndor and await my instructions.”

The quartzriel fixed its six eyes on me as it considered my directions, and for a moment, I worried my words alone wouldn’t sway the monster to do my bidding. The quartzriel was temperamental and hard-headed, and this was the first time I’d used it, so it wasn’t used to taking orders from anyone but Carth.

I reaffirmed my order with a wave of my will, and that was all the crystalline dragon needed to know I was serious. Suddenly, a splintering sound filled the air, and the left and right necks of my summons began to pull in opposite directions. Within moments, the pair of heads crashed to the ground, which left only the quartzriel head in the middle intact. The fallen heads thrashed and writhed on the ground, and then they both glowed with a light so brilliant I was nearly blinded.

When the light faded, three separate quartzriels loomed before me, each as impressive and diamond-like as the others. My dragon summons let out a chorus of harmonious growls, and the ganndor froze in place.

The cave-dweller’s ugly head whipped around in what appeared to be an attempt to locate its enemies, but without earth beneath its feet, it was unable to sense the quartzriels, just as I’d hoped.

“Now, unleash your crystal blast,” I instructed the trio of dragons, and my summons let out a chorus of harmonious roars.

The crystalline monsters wound their heads back as far as they could go, and they used the momentum to drive them forward. Beams of white light surged from their mouths, and pillars of crystal began to rise up from the scorched earth. The columns climbed higher and higher and spread outwards at a rapid pace until the individual stacks of crystal joined together to form a border around the ganndor.

“Whoa,” I breathed as the crystals continued to climb higher into the sky, and the ganndor let out a roar just as the sparkling rock formed a dome over its head.

The cave-dwelling monster was confined to a crystal cage. The ganndor thrashed around, but the thick walls of sparkling rocks were too hard for it to break free from. Once I was certain it wasn’t going anywhere, I reached through my bonds with the dragons and told them to step back.

This next part was going to be one of the most difficult acts of magic I’d ever attempted, and there was a seed of doubt in the back of my mind that told me this wasn’t a wise idea, but the ganndor had to go.

I peered out into the field to see if Almasy’s structure had been built, and once I spied the earthen hill, I knew it was time.

So, I reached into the bonds with my monsters until I came across the strongest being in my arsenal, a monster gifted to me by my adoptive father, Maelor Corroso the day I left Ralor’s Stead and followed Headmaster Sleet to the Academy. The Grade-A creature had been gifted to him by his father, but the old man never had a reason to summon it, so it’d remained nothing but a crystal until he’d passed it along to me.

I’d only summoned this monster two or three times because of the sheer power it held. As a Grade-A monster, it required an unbelievable amount of mana and concentration to control, and the few times I’d utilized it had been touchy at best.

However, when Sera had informed me the cave-dwelling ganndor was light-sensitive, it only made sense to use a monster that could harness the power of the sun.

If this worked correctly, the crystal cage the quartzriels had just erected would be enough to refract the sun’s energy and intensify it enough to obliterate the ganndor.

I placed my hand at the top of my bandolier where the ruby-red crystal resided and closed my eyes. Normally, I could just reach through my bonds with my summons, but I figured physically connecting with the sun giant’s gem could only improve my success rate.

I closed my eyes and concentrated on the string that connected my summoning abilities to the magic of my monster, and I visualized the monster’s light abilities stemming through my veins. I imagined my blood turning golden and infusing with the sun giant’s energy, and the more detail I pumped into the image, the warmer my body grew.

Maker, was this actually working?

The heat began to spread through me and intensified to a point where I almost thought I was running a fever. A sheen of slick sweat broke out across my forehead, and I tried to wipe it away with the back of my arm, but the surface of my skin was so hot that it burned.

The sun giant’s magic scorched the palms of my hands, and the sheer intensity of the heat was almost enough to break my focus, but I was filled with enough adrenaline to keep me on track.

I approached the crystal dome and took the deepest breath I’d ever taken before, and even though the air was sulfurous, I relished the influx of the element through my lungs. Upon my exhale, I released the building magic, and a stream of pure sunlight surged from the palms of my hands.

“UUUaaaaaah!” I shouted, and my teeth gritted together as I struggled to keep my stance braced. The sun giant’s magic coursed through me like lightning, and while it was an addictive feeling to be able to harness this type of power, I couldn’t deny how painful it was. My entire body felt like it’d been set on fire, and I was worried that when I opened my eyes later, I’d be greeted by the sight of skin just as charred as the earth beneath me.

The agony was mixed with a strange pleasure, and my heart beat so furiously in my chest I was afraid it was going to explode.

Even with my eyes shut, I could see the overwhelming brightness of the sunlight beneath the crystal cage. The rainbow-colored light flashed like a lightning storm, and I tucked my head under my arm to give myself further coverage.

I could hear the ganndor’s cries of pain as the magic continued to surge through me, and I’d have given anything to be able to witness this attack for myself. The smell of burnt flesh invaded my senses, and the noxious smell was almost enough to break my focus, but I stayed strong.

Wetness began to bead on my upper lip, and when I touched it with my tongue, I recognized the metallic taste as blood. Nosebleeds were the first sign near mana depletion, which meant I wouldn’t be able to keep this up for much longer, so I took a breath and sent one last powerful wave of sunlight into the crystalline prison before I clenched my eyes as tightly as possible.

A final roar of pain from the ganndor rang out, and with it, a cry of anguish rose up from my chest. I dropped to my knees as my hands fell to my sides, and the sun giant’s energy finally drained out of my body.

Weakness overcame me, and a fierce ache traveled through my body like I’d never felt before. When I finally had the strength to open my eyes again, I was greeted by a truly intense sight.

The ganndor was nothing more than a giant pile of dust underneath the splintered crystal cage, which had shattered from the impact of the sun giant’s magic. The icy floor had melted away and evaporated, and the already scorched earth was even darker than before.

I’d done it. I’d harnessed the magic of a Grade-A monster and defeated our enemy.

I opened my mouth to utter a sound of victory, but before it could escape my lips, the world went dark once more.

Chapter Eighteen

“Gryff?”

I opened my eyes to bright light, and I blinked rapidly in an attempt to get my eyes to focus. I peered around at my surroundings as I tried to make sense of what had happened, but I was at a genuine loss.

“Gryff, can you hear me?” the feminine voice repeated.

“Nia?” I croaked, and I was surprised by how difficult it was to speak. My throat felt as if I’d swallowed a hearty amount of gravel and chased it with shards of glass.

Finally, my vision focused, and I caught sight of my beautiful ashen-haired wife peering down at me.

“I’m right here, my love,” Nia assured me, and when I looked down, I realized her fingers were tightly laced with mine.

“W-Where are we?” I wondered. I attempted to sit up, but my entire body cried out in protest. It was as if every bone and muscle had been dropped from the top of an enormous staircase, and I was surprised by the lack of casts on my limbs.

“We’re home,” Nia revealed. “In one of the unoccupied guest bedrooms. I wanted to take you to the infirmary at the Academy, but it’s currently filled with injured civilians, so we figured you’d get a more restful sleep at home.”

“Civilians?” I murmured, and then it all came flooding back to me.

The broken Enclave wall, the pale and fearsome ganndor, the crystal cage, and the sun giant’s energy flowing through my veins.

“Gryff, do you remember what happened?” the elementalist prompted me with a wary cast to her piercing blue eyes.

“I do.” I nodded slowly. “It feels a little surreal, though.”

“Gryff, what you did…” Nia trailed off as she shook her head back and forth. “We were underground in Almasy’s fortress, but that didn’t stop us from seeing a bright flash of light. What happened out there? When we emerged from the fortress, everything around us looked as if it’d been set on fire, and there were crystal shards everywhere.”

“It was a little reckless,” I admitted.

“I can see that from your physical state,” Nia scoffed. “Whatever magic you used really did a number on you. I’ve seen you pass out before, but this time… Gryff, I could’ve sworn you were dead… again.”

“I’m sorry,” I apologized to my ashen-haired wife. “It was a little crazy, but I did what I thought was right.”

“I know,” Nia sighed.

“How long have I been--”

“Surprisingly, it’s only been three days,” the multi-elementalist replied. “I was expecting you to remain unconscious for at least another week or two.”

“Three days was a lot less than I expected as well,” I said, and I suddenly became aware of the light throbbing sensation at my temples.

Nia took notice straight away, and when I winced, the worry in her eyes intensified.

“What exactly happened out there?” she asked me in a soft yet urgent voice.

“The ganndor was a cave-dweller,” I began to explain. “Sera happened to mention one of its weaknesses was sunlight, so I… borrowed the magic from my sun giant.”

“You borrowed magic from a sun giant?” Nia gasped, and her jaw dropped so far I thought it was going to fall to the floor. “Gryff, you can’t be serious. Why wouldn’t you just summon it out into the field?”

“I needed to get the beams through the crystal cage’s entrance,” I explained, but Nia didn’t seem satisfied by that response.

“That’s an insane amount of magic for one man to wield,” the elementalist breathed. “Gryff, that was incredibly reckless. You could have… I could’ve lost you. You’re lucky that magic didn’t go awry and burn you from the inside out.”

“I’m sorry,” I apologized. “I know it was risky, but I needed to be sure I could control both the quartzriels and the sun giant at once, and it felt like a better idea to take on the sun giant’s powers than to summon it into the field.”

Nia considered my words for a few seconds, and then her delicate features softened, and she gave me a beautiful smile.

“It was a good idea,” she admitted. “Sometimes I forget just how powerful of a summoner you truly are. No other mage in all of the realm has ever been able to take on so much power and live to tell the tale. It’s impressive.”

“I appreciate the compliment, but as you said, it was a little intense,” I replied as I rubbed the back of my neck. “I don’t think I’ll be attempting that again, at least not any time soon.”

“That’s probably for the best,” Nia agreed with me, and she squeezed my hand. “We need to get you healed up as soon as we can. Unfortunately, there’s still a lot for us to get done, both here and in the Enclave.”

“Speaking of the Enclave, how is the city?” I asked. “I saw Almasy and the earth mages managed to rebuild a portion of the wall, but I didn’t know if it worked out.”

“They’re rebuilding the xanyarstone as we speak,” Nia answered. “Another wall, like the one Almasy used to plug up the break, is being built around the already existing walls to give it a little more structure just in case. As for the rest of the Enclave, everyone is working around the clock to rebuild. A good number of lives were lost, but there are plenty we managed to save, and both civilians and our military are combining their efforts to restore the city.”

“I wish we hadn’t lost anyone at all,” I sighed.

“That’s just the price of war, unfortunately.” Nia squeezed my hand. “There was nothing we could’ve done. No one expected the ganndor to be able to break through the walls, but the moon has completely changed the properties of this realm. It was just a matter of time before something like this happened.”

“How are the rest of our team?” I wondered. “Did any of ours get hurt?”

“No.” Nia shook her head. “Everyone on our team came out perfectly fine. Cyra injured her arm during her scuffle with the ganndor, but Arwyn healed it up before it could have any type of lasting damage.”

“That’s a relief,” I sighed. “I know I’m supposed to care about the realm above all else, but if anything ever happened to one of you, I don’t know what I’d do.”

“Gryff, I know it’s just your way, but you can’t keep self-sacrificing in order to protect us,” Nia insisted, and her pale-blue eyes grew slightly watery at the sentiment. “We’re capable of handling so much more than you think, but the one thing we couldn’t handle is losing you. Please promise me you won’t throw yourself into the fray like that without warning us first.”

“I don’t know if I can make that promise,” I admitted. “I want to, but I’ll always do whatever I have to do to keep my family safe, no matter the cost.”

“I know,” Nia sighed. “It’s one of the many things I love about you, farm boy.”

The elementalist leaned forward and gently pressed her full pink lips against mine. Despite feeling like I’d been run over by a carriage, it was nice to kiss my wife again, and I savored the taste of her on my tongue. When we parted, I settled back down onto my pile of pillows, and my mind traveled to less exciting places.

“Once we get the Enclave fixed back up, we’re going to have to return to the original mission,” I sighed. “As much as I want to pretend the day is saved now that the ganndor is gone, there’s still the moon and the demon that resides on top of it.”

“Yes.” The ashen-haired mage nodded, and her brilliant blue eyes grew overcast. “I tried to put it out of my mind as well, but it’s difficult when everything is tinged in scarlet. I know the book was vague when it came to describing how the mages of the past banished the demon, but have you happened to find anything in the next chapters?”

“To be honest, I haven’t had much of a chance to look it over,” I replied. “In between my return and the Enclave attack, I haven’t had a moment to open the book again.”

“I figured,” Nia remarked. “I just thought I would ask anyway.”

“I’ll get back to reading it as soon as possible,” I promised her. “When I was in the Shadowscape, I found some way to tap into my magic and decipher the glyphs so I could read it. I’m wondering if there’s some kind of way for me to do that on a larger scale and make it so the rest of you can read it as well. I have a feeling I’m going to need a few sets of eyes on it to make sure there isn’t more than what I see.”

“That sounds like some more strenuous magic.” My ashen-haired wife raised an eyebrow.

“It’s worth it, though,” I countered. “This is too important, Nia. We need to find answers before the demon manages to pull off whatever it’s planning. It’s only a matter of time before another monster tries to attack the Enclave, and I’m worried the longer we’re stuck in this hazy red wasteland, the more intense and agitated the monsters are going to get. The ganndor was feral, but it could’ve been a lot worse. I can only imagine what larger, more powerful monsters could accomplish if they get in that kind of state.”

“You’re right,” she agreed. “My father and Sleet agree with you as well. I heard them discussing the same theory the other day. Word has been sent to the other Enclaves, and each of the cities are taking preventative measures and fortifying their fortresses. If it happened to Varle, it could happen anywhere, and everyone needs to be ready for more monster attacks.”

“Hopefully, we’ll be able to find out something more clarifying soon,” I sighed. “And, hopefully, it’ll happen before another attack.”

“Wishful thinking,” Nia said. “I know it’s just another concern to add to the pile, and I know Chief Fenrir is more than capable of keeping his people safe, but I fear for the Southern Clans. Maker, I fear for the Southern Continent as a whole.”

“Hawk Clan has Eyrie Island to protect them, at least from a fortress standpoint,” I mentioned. “As for the others… I don’t know. I don’t want to worry Freya or Vahla too much, but I’m also concerned for the Clans’ safety. I wish there was a way for me to send word to Chief Fenrir and at least give him an idea of what’s happening.”

“Perhaps we should mention it to my father,” Nia suggested with a determined glint in her blue eyes. “I know his reach extends only throughout Mistral, but he might be able to come up with a solution. However we manage to contact the Southern Clans, we need to do so in a safe way, one that won’t put other mages or shifters at risk.”

I opened my mouth to agree, but a cough escaped instead of words, and the sound was a lot wetter than I imagined it would be. My wife shot up in place and offered me a tissue and a glass of water. I shakily accepted both, and as I sipped at the water, the dull ache in my throat was soothed, at least a little bit.

“I think we’ve pushed you a little further than we should have,” the ashen-haired elementalist decided. “Here, I’m going to get you something for the pain, and then I’m going to need you to get some more rest.”

“Three days seems like more than enough time--” I attempted, but Nia’s eyes narrowed.

“If we don’t take the time to get you rested and healed, you won’t be of use to anyone,” she warned. “I know things are dire, but this is non-negotiable.”

I’d been in this position enough times to know my wife was right. I needed to get my mana back to its normal state if I wanted to accomplish anything. The threat of another monster attack or even something from the demon could happen at any time, and I needed to be prepared for it.

So, I dutifully accepted the potion Nia gave me when she returned, drank it down without complaint, and then settled back into the comfortable bed. My eyes began to grow heavy as the potion’s magic did its work, and soon I fell into a pleasant, dreamless sleep.

Per instructions, I spent a couple of days on the mend, and thanks to a steady stream of potions and medicines from Arwyn, homemade soup from Freya, and plenty of love from my women and children, I reached a point where I was feeling well enough to start moving around.

I’d been specifically instructed by Arwyn, Sleet, and Crystyn to keep my contact with the Archons minimal, not because they didn’t trust them, but because they didn’t want me to use any mana. It was difficult to remain completely silent, especially since I wanted to talk to Sera so badly, but I had to uphold my end of the deal and do my best to heal up.

Once I was completely back to health, the real work began.

Headmaster Sleet and Gallahar Kenefick had given me the clear to return to my Guardian duties, and my first order of business was assisting with the reconstruction of the Enclave.

The military forces had gotten a good head start on the project, but with so many teams and troops spread throughout Mistral, there wasn’t enough to do the kind of rebuilding the city truly needed.

Nia and Arwyn were still a little sensitive when it came to the topic of me using any type of mana, but I reminded them several times over that construction and reconstruction were my specialties. Before I was Gryff, Guardian of Mistral and tamer of Archons, I was just regular old Gryff of Njordenfalls, summoner of the Wilds. The beautiful mages took a little while to convince, but eventually they broke down and agreed that my help would be beneficial to everyone. The only promise I had to make was to take breaks every so often to rest and to drink plenty of fluids, which I was more than willing to do.

So, with the help of my axe goblins, cementrolls, box trolls, and other labor-specific monsters, I got to work and helped restore some of the damaged housing and storefronts back to their original state. With the toxicity of the air, my fellow mages and I were limited on how much time we could spend out there per day, but I pushed myself for as long as possible while maintaining my promise to my women. There was comfort in slipping back into my old role, and after years of combat, it felt nice to get back to my much simpler roots.

The scarlet sky and looming presence of the demon were ever present, but I tried to focus on one thing at a time.

Layla, Braden, and my former students Terrowin, Darius, Artie, and Syman worked as my assistants, and even though we were in the midst of manual labor, there was a little bit of fun in spending time with my friends.

The younger summoners even seemed to be enjoying themselves despite the long hours. I hadn’t gotten a chance to speak with them for a while, and it was nice to reconnect with them after so long.

Terrowin and Darius’ relationship seemed to be stronger than ever, and I was certain that post-graduation, the two would end up married, if not earlier. Arty and Syman didn’t have partners, but the pair’s friendship seemed to be more than enough for them for now. The young men had started out as random roommates, but over the past couple of years, they’d become best friends just as Braden and I were.

I was glad to see people were still managing to thrive in this messed up world, and I was looking forward to a time when things were put the way they should be again.

One day, after many long hours of construction, I returned home covered in grime and sweat. Thankfully, I was nose blind after my day of being stuck out in the sulfurous air, so I couldn’t smell the stench that likely clung to me, but that didn’t mean my women were immune. I needed a shower, and quickly, so I made a beeline straight to the spiral staircase and made my way to the third-floor bathroom.

I hadn’t even breached the doorway before I started stripping off my dirt-covered clothing, and once I stepped onto the white marble floor, I discarded the wad of clothing into an empty hamper. I would deal with it once I was clean so my women wouldn’t be subjected to the grossness.

I crossed over to the shower, turned the knob to the highest setting, and stood beneath the steamy water. As the stream scalded my back, the muscles in my back loosened up, and a sigh of relief escaped my lips. The water that streamed off me was tinged brown, and my nose curled up in disgust as I watched it flow into the drain. Once the water ran clear again, I got to work and scrubbed myself down until my skin was practically red and raw, but I needed to be sure every trace of the brimstone-scented air was gone.

When I was certain I was rid of the stench, I wiped myself down, turned off the faucet, and wrapped my lower half in a towel.

After I traveled downstairs and dressed myself in fresh clothes, I decided to head to the first floor to see what the rest of my women were up to, and when I stepped into the foyer, I heard the sound of voices coming from the dining room. I carefully and quietly peeked through the door and down the hall and noticed some people sitting at the table with mugs of tea.

I did a double-take when I realized the figures belonged to Crystyn and Sleet. The pair sat across from one another at the table, but they were leaned in so closely there may as well have been no table there at all. I didn’t allow myself to linger on the sight, but I watched just long enough to see the brilliant smile on my aunt’s face, and when I heard the headmaster laugh at something she said, I could tell he was just as happy.

What was going on there?

“They’ve been flirting like crazy,” Layla’s voice appeared behind me, and when I turned around, the petite mage had a mischievous grin on her elfin face. “It’s been like that for the past few weeks now.”

“My aunt and Sleet?” I asked in an amused voice, and I felt a grin of my own appear on my face. “No way.”

“Oh, yeah.” The auburn-haired mage nodded emphatically. “You should have heard them earlier. It was getting pretty gag-inducing.”

“Maker, that’s so bizarre.” I shook my head. “I knew they’d gotten a little close, but I didn’t realize it was romantic at all.”

“I get what you mean,” Layla said. “They’re both a little odd, and normally I’d be a little concerned about the age difference, but technically speaking, your aunt also happens to be hundreds of years old, so if anyone’s robbing a cradle, it’s definitely her.”

“Wait, but isn’t Sleet like four-hundred years old himself?” Cyra suddenly appeared with Freya and Erin beside her. “No offense to him, or anything, he’s just always given off ancient wizard vibes.”

“He does, doesn’t he?” I chuckled, and then we all collectively leaned in to look through the doorway.

Just as we all peeked our heads in, though, the mages turned in our direction.

Busted.

“Shit!” Layla whispered, and we all blushed in embarrassment as Crystyn waved at us.

We all waved back, and when the Guardian turned her attention back to Sleet, we all broke into a fit of laughter.

Despite the intense and crazy circumstances, it was nice to share a moment of genuine joy, and even nicer to see a pair of dedicated mages find love. While it was an admittedly weird pairing of people, I could see happiness in my aunt’s eyes I hadn’t ever seen before, and with how much Crystyn had been through over the years, she certainly deserved a moment of happiness. She’d sacrificed so much to Mistral, and even more to my parents and me, so if she found comfort in the headmaster, I would be supportive. I had no idea if anything would come of the apparent Sleet/Crystyn romance, but in these trying times, experiencing any type of love was important.

We decided to give the renowned mages a bit of space and meandered over to the living room. Ashla and Nia were seated on one of the couches and cuddling with Nessa and Nicolis, and they offered us kind smiles as we joined them.

“Did you see them?” Layla hissed at the pair before I could get a word in.

“Yes,” Nia giggled. “They’re a lot cuter than I’d figured they’d be.”

“It is pretty cute,” Ashla agreed. “The headmaster is super kind, and even though I don’t know Crystyn all that well yet, she’s also a total badass. I think they could be good for one another.”

“How weird would it be if Sleet became your uncle?” Cyra teased me with a mischievous grin.

“Uncle Marangur,” Erin quipped under her breath, which only launched all of us into another fit of laughter.

“Hey, as my wives, that makes you his family, too,” I pointed out to the mages.

“Those of us who are your wives, I think you mean,” Cyra remarked, and her dark-brown eyes traveled over to Ashla, Layla, and Erin. “I think it’s high time we all become your sister-wives for real.”

“Hey, don’t be pushy.” Ashla rolled her eyes. “What’s the rush? It’s not like we’re all going to have a wedding in an apocalypse.”

“Don’t knock it until you try it,” Arwyn’s voice chimed in from the kitchen.

“Our apocalypse wedding was pretty great,” I agreed with the healer mage. “Although, the honeymoon could have used a little work.”

“What, a ganndor attack in the middle of the city isn’t your idea of fun?” Cyra teased me.

“You’re being awfully cheeky today, Mrs. Porter.” I shook my head at my curly-haired wife. “Don’t make me come over there--”

“I mean, it wouldn’t be the first time one of your honeymoons turned into a battle,” she pointed out to me. “There was your trip to Adorna, and then our situation with Hunnah and the mistwolves…”

“Yeah, I haven’t had great luck with that, have I?” I realized.

“Not to mention the trip to Hawk Clan,” Erin chimed in, and her amber eyes shot over to Freya, who held a gurgling Lahrra in her arms.

I hadn’t even seen the hawk-princess bring our golden-haired daughter into the room, but then again, I was pretty exhausted from my long hours of work.

“I don’t mind.” The hawk-princess shrugged. “I got to see my family and spend time with my sister-wives. That’s all that truly mattered.”

“Fair enough,” the pilot allowed.

“Once we get to a state of somewhat normalcy, I promise I’ll take you all on the most illustrious vacation ever,” I chuckled. “Hopefully, that will make up for all of the prior ones that went awry.”

“We’ll take you up on that deal, but we’re all okay with how things turned out,” Cyra insisted.

“Speak for yourself, girl,” Layla snorted. “I’m not going to turn down a fancy vacation.”

We lingered there in the room for a while as the girls made plans and offered ideas for this vacation, but as they eagerly threw around suggestions, I couldn’t help but feel a pang of sadness. I wanted to give my women all of the luxuries they deserved, but I feared we were a long way away from making that all a reality.

I wasn’t sure how long it would take to vanquish the demon and return Mistral to its original state, but I had to push to win this battle.

My women, my friends, and the realm depended on it.

Chapter Nineteen

When I awoke the next morning, I decided it would be best for me to take it easy. I’d pushed myself too hard the day before, and I could feel the strain in all of my muscles as I sat up to stretch. Our efforts to restore the Enclave were almost finished, so I was certain they could go without me for one day.

After I came downstairs and found some breakfast, I spent some much-needed quality time with my children and then decided to take a look through the history book again.

However, when I tried to study in between the lines to hopefully find something I’d missed, my mind began to wander, and the glyphs grew less focused.

The hopefulness I’d had just before our return from the Shadowscape waxed and waned, and even though I wanted to stay strong, it wasn’t without difficulty. We’d gotten fairly lucky with the ganndor attack, but I feared what was to come.

Eventually, I gave up on the plan completely and decided to roam around the hall and see what my lovers were up to, and as I moved around the corridor, I heard a soft sound and decided to follow it to the source. When I neared one of the bathrooms, I realized the sound was singing, and I enjoyed the high, feminine tone. It was a pleasurable noise, and I found myself mesmerized by the perfect tone.

I didn’t want to embarrass whoever the voice belonged to, so I waited until the song concluded and then gently knocked on the door.

“Come in,” the voice called out, and when I entered the bathroom, I was delighted to see Arwyn in the midst of a bath.

“Hello, beautiful,” I greeted my wife as I crossed over to her, and I perched myself on the edge of the tub. The bubbles of the bath were just low enough to reveal the tops of Arwyn’s full breasts, and the sight of her rosy nipples against the foam was picturesque.

“Hello, my husband,” the healer mage purred as she stretched her lithe body. Her feet lightly grazed the end of the round tub, and her amber eyes were heavy-lidded from relaxation. “I didn’t even hear you come in.”

“Comfortable?” I asked.

“Absolutely,” she sighed as she laid her head back in the water. Steam danced around her face, and for a moment, I could’ve sworn my lover was some kind of ancient water nymph.

“Good,” I mused as I skimmed the top of the water with my fingertips. “You deserve to relax after all that’s happened.”

“Care to join me?” My redheaded wife offered me a flirtatious smile. “There’s more than enough room for the two of us.”

“That does sound nice,” I admitted. “But I don’t want to intrude if you’re trying to get some alone time.”

“You’re my husband,” Arwyn reminded me. “I’m never going to complain about getting extra time with you. Besides, our honeymoon was interrupted by an enormous monster in the Enclave, so I think you could afford to join me in the bath.”

“You strike a hard bargain,” I teased, and then I reached down to the hem of my shirt and carefully pulled it over my head. I discarded it onto the marble floor, and my trousers and boots were soon to follow. Once I was entirely bare, I carefully stepped over the edge and eased myself into the water.

The bathtub was large enough to fit at least three or four people, so I managed to avoid bashing into Arwyn as I sunk in, and a sigh of pleasure rose from my chest. The water was warm, but not so much that it burned, and a fragrance rose from it that instantly calmed my nerves.

“What’s in this bubble bath?” I wondered.

“It’s a mix of herbs and other things,” Arwyn replied cryptically. “I invented it myself in the Academy’s lab. It wasn’t exactly a practical use of resources--”

“It was necessary,” I assured her. “This feels incredible.”

“I needed something to help ease some of my tension,” the redhead revealed. “This pregnancy has been easy overall, so I can’t complain too much, but I’m finally starting to get hit with some of the less pleasant aspects.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.” I frowned, and suddenly, I had flashbacks to Freya’s pregnancy with Lahrra. The hawk-princess had been sick for a good chunk of the time and spent most of her days hovered over a trash bin. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

“You’re doing more than enough by being here,” Arwyn insisted. “I’m feeling so much better than I was this morning, so this is just more of a means to relax further.”

“Gotcha,” I replied, and we soon fell into a comfortable silence. I let my head hang back and allowed myself a chance to really unwind. The combination of the steam and fragrant bath water was so soothing, and for once, all of my cares melted away.

“Now that you’re nice and relaxed, why don’t you come over here and kiss me?” Arwyn proposed boldly when I finally sat up in the water.

“That sounds like a perfectly reasonable request to me.” I smirked. “Only I think you should come over here instead.”

“I believe that can be arranged,” my wife murmured.

So, I drew the crimson-haired healer closer. She glided through the water, and I carefully pulled the mage on top of me.

“Maker, you’re so beautiful,” I sighed as Arwyn’s flame-colored hair flared around us in the water.

“Thank you.” The healer blushed, and then she leaned forward and gently pressed her luscious lips against mine. Her kiss was unbelievably soft, and I reached my hand up to cup her cheek. Something about sharing such a tender kiss surrounded by warm, pleasant water and soothing steam was heavenly, and all of my stress floated away.

Before long, Arwyn’s tongue infiltrated my mouth, and the professor and I batted our tongues at each other and sampled the taste of one another. When we resumed a normal kiss, Arwyn gently tugged on my bottom lip with her teeth, and my lower half stirred with delight.

“Fuck,” I quivered, and then I leaned in and heightened the intensity of our kiss. I traced my fingertips from her cheek down to her collarbone, and the redheaded mage uttered a soft sigh at my feather-light touch.

“Oh, Gryff,” she whispered in between kisses, and she bit me once more, only this time slightly harder.

The sudden pain felt wonderful, and I moved my hands down until they reached her full breasts. I played with them for a while, and soon, my desire for my wife grew almost unbearable. I simply had to have Arwyn now, and judging by the eager look in her amber eyes, she needed the same.

The professor reached her hand down in the water and gently grazed her fingers across my rock-hard shaft. I quivered at the touch, and Arwyn’s mouth practically watered.

“You’re so hard for me,” she breathed.

“You’re so much more assertive than usual,” I complimented her. “I like this side of you.”

“I know what I want.” She shrugged. “Besides, the pregnancy hormones have me feeling a lot more turned on than usual.”

“I like the sound of that,” I said, and then I lifted her chin up with my thumb. “So, tell me, what is it you want exactly?”

“I want you,” the sexy mage whispered, and her amber eyes practically glowed with desire. “In every way imaginable.”

“Go on,” I prompted her as I carefully pulled her into my lap until she wrapped her long legs around me, and I gripped the professor’s waist under the water and leaned forward to kiss her neck.

“I… I want…” she trailed off as her head hung back in pleasure.

“Yes?” I pressed as my hands traveled down the slope of her curvy hips.

“I… I want you to….” Arwyn quivered as my fingertips moved lower, and my wife trembled as she struggled to find the words.

I was getting dangerously close to her velvet folds, and I gently bit down on her neck. I kissed all the way up her neck until I reached her ear, and then I gently tugged on her lobe with my teeth.

“Tell me just what you want,” I whispered in her ear.

“I want you to take me,” she moaned. “Right here in this tub. Take me as your wife, Gryff. Spread open my tunnel with your manhood, and then fill me up with your seed again and again.”

“That’s my girl,” I replied, and I carefully shifted the mage up so her round, perfect ass rested on my thighs. Then I slowly spread her legs and let my fingers hover near her warm lower region.

“You’re driving me mad,” she whispered as her pupils dilated. “Please, Gryff, let me have you.”

It took a little maneuvering, but I helped ease the professor into place, and I gently pressed the tip of my rock-hard member against her awaiting slit.

“Like this?” I asked her, and Arwyn nodded vigorously.

“Please,” she begged, and then she wiggled and then carefully slid down on top of my shaft.

“Oh, Maker,” I groaned as her walls constricted me with delicious tightness, and I reached out and grabbed her firm ass cheeks in each hand and pulled her closer to me. I thrust my hips with the motion until I was buried in her velvet tunnel, and Arwyn moaned in response.

“Gryff…” she shuddered as she gripped my shoulders and dug her nails into my skin. “Oh, Gryff…”

I lifted her slightly and then continued to pump my cock inside of her with long, intentional strokes. Arwyn’s head hung back in pleasure, and I enjoyed the way her full breasts heaved and bounced with each thrust. Warm water splashed around us and surged over the edge of the tub, but I didn’t care. I was too lost in the tightness of my wife’s hot pussy to mind, and with every sound that escaped her lips, my need intensified, and I hastened my pace.

I fought to maintain control as I slammed into the redheaded healer, but soon, I reached a point where I couldn’t take it any longer, and Arwyn’s squeaks of delight indicated she felt the same.

“I’m… going…” she panted.

“Yesss… with me…” I buried myself in the crook of her neck and shoulder, and when my wife’s pussy clenched around me, I was sent over the edge.

My climax was like a storm, and my seed surged into her with impressive force. We rode the waves of our orgasm together, and Arwyn clung to me for dear life as we rocked together.

We held each other like that for a while, and once our orgasms settled, we disentangled, and I planted a tender kiss on the healer mage’s lips.

“That was wonderful,” I panted once we parted.

“Yes, it was,” Arwyn agreed as she caught her breath and smoothed a few wet strands of hair from her face. “However, maybe we should move our activities out of the tub. I don’t think the others would like it if we flooded the entire bathroom.”

“Probably not,” I chuckled.

We took a little while to actually clean ourselves up, and then we carefully climbed out of the tub and tried not to slip on the water we’d spilled onto the marble floor. I passed Arwyn a fluffy towel, and the professor took extra care to wipe off every inch of her gorgeous figure.

Once we were dried off, she flashed me a suggestive smile.

“Shall we could continue this celebration in my bedroom?” she proposed. “Of course, I’ll need a little while to prepare and set the mood…”

“I’m down,” I agreed with no hesitation. “It’s about time for the kids to get settled down anyway, so once I help the others deal with them, I can return to you. Does that work?”

“Absolutely,” the healer mage agreed. “I know we’d discussed that vacation, and tonight isn’t exactly an equivalent to a honeymoon, but I’d really enjoy an evening alone with you to celebrate our marriage.”

“I’d really like that, too, Arwyn,” I said, and I took the professor’s hand in mine. “We could definitely use a moment to pretend things aren’t as twisted as they actually are, and I’d love another chance to bring you pleasure.”

“You’re naughty,” Arwyn giggled. “I like it.”

After another kiss, we parted ways, and as I headed toward the nursery, my lips curled into a smile. No matter how many times I said it, I still couldn’t believe Arwyn was now my wife.

When I stepped into the room, I was greeted by my other women, and Erin flashed me a knowing look the moment the door closed behind me.

“You two certainly sounded cozy,” she remarked with a raised eyebrow. “I’m glad you were able to score a moment of marital bliss.”

“Thanks,” I chuckled as heat rose to my cheeks. “Sorry you had to hear that.”

“I’m not.” The orange-haired mimic smirked. “Arwyn sounded like she was enjoying herself, and the visual image of you two tangled together was more than satisfactory for me.”

“Wow, Erin, you’re certainly bold tonight.” Nia shook her head in disbelief.

“I'm just telling it like it is.” The pilot shrugged as she rocked Olivir in her arms. “Besides, am I wrong?”

“Arwyn does have this graceful way of moving her body that’s pretty beautiful,” Cyra mused as she gave Milo a bottle. “I don’t know who wouldn’t be at least a little turned on by the thought of her--”

“I have to say, the idea of all of us tangled up together again does sound amazing,” Layla sighed as her hazel eyes got a dreamy cast to them. “We talked about it before, but I think the idea is worth mentioning again.”

“Arwyn and I are spending the night together,” I revealed as I gently pulled at one of Milo’s midnight-black curls. “But tomorrow night… I think we should make that idea a reality.”

“You know we’re all more than okay with that idea,” Erin said.

“I know I am,” Layla chimed in.

“Is Arwyn waiting for you right now?” Cyra wondered.

“She said she needed a moment to prepare the room,” I said. “We were going to meet up once I was done with the children.”

“Oh, so she’s taking extra time to make herself look beautiful,” Cyra revealed. “I love that.”

“Gryff, I’m going to need you to run a comb through your hair and then spritz on some of that delightful cologne we gifted to you over the holidays,” Erin instructed. “Arwyn deserves a little extra specialness tonight.”

“I have to say, you all are some of the best wingmen I’ve ever met,” I laughed.

“Wingwomen,” Erin corrected, and then she broke into an impish grin. “And thank you. We’re all very supportive here, especially when it comes to the privilege of getting to sleep with you, Gryff.”

“Now, get out of here,” Cyra added. “Go get yourself ready to rock Arwyn’s world.”

“You’re all killing me.” I shook my head back and forth.

My women practically pushed me out the door, and then I did as ordered and headed down to my room. They were right. Arwyn deserved some specialness after all she’d been through as of late, so I took the time to make myself look extra nice, and once I’d run a comb through my hair and spritzed on cologne just as my women had instructed, I made my way up the stairs and down the hall to Arwyn’s bedroom.

Once I entered the professor’s library bedroom, I was greeted with a lovely and romantic sight.

The entire room had been lined with candles, and the shadows that cascaded all around were a good contrast to the warm light.

“Gryff, is that you?” Arwyn’s voice called out to me.

“Yes,” I replied.

“I’m up here,” she mused. “Come join me.”

I crossed the room until I reached the shelves that housed her loft bed, and as I carefully climbed up the ladder, my heart thudded in anticipation. I was so ready for this night with Arwyn, and though we’d only parted a little while ago, I was excited to spend more intimate time with my new wife.

“Hello, my love,” I greeted her when I reached the top rung of the ladder.

“Well, hello, stranger,” she purred as her amber eyes trailed down the length of my body. “It’s good to see you again.”

“You as well,” I murmured.

Arwyn crooked her finger toward her and urged me to join her on the bed, and a wicked smile crept on my face as I took in the sight of the professor’s naked body.

My redheaded wife had a figure that would make a classically trained painter weep. She was all curves, with impressively rounded hips and even more impressive breasts. They were one of her finest features, and I loved the way the mounds swelled over the sides of my hands when I cupped them. Despite their size, they were wonderfully perky, with nipples the same rosy shade of her cheeks.

Arwyn’s long, trim legs were parted just enough for me to get a look at her smooth, bare pussy lips, and my entire body ached with ravenous desire. Even from this vantage point, I could see the wetness that glistened around her entrance, and my mouth watered at the sight.

“Care for a taste?” Arwyn asked me in a honeyed tone, and she spread her legs just a bit further to give me a closer look.

“Oh, I desire a lot more than just a taste.” I licked my lips as I drew closer to my gorgeous wife. “I want to consume every part of your body until you’re begging me to stop.”

“I don’t see that ever happening,” she murmured. “I never want you to stop.”

“Well, it’s a good thing we’re married, then.” I smirked at her as my eyes trailed downward. “Because I intend to take you whenever and wherever possible.”

“Perhaps we should skip ahead to that part?” Arwyn suggested with a raised auburn eyebrow.

Her suggestive gaze was so straight-forward and direct I couldn’t stand it anymore. I was ready to have my wife in every way possible.

I gently climbed on top of my wife and planted a feather-soft kiss on her full lips. From there, I traveled down every inch of her porcelain frame, and I kissed anywhere I could reach, from her long neck to her collarbones, and all the way down to her stomach.

The slight, almost non-existent, curve of her abdomen filled me with wonderment, and I couldn’t help but marvel at the fact my teacher-turned-wife was carrying our child within her perfect body. I admired the redhead greatly, and something about her physical state turned me on even further.

“Maker, you’re so incredibly beautiful,” I whispered. “I swear, sometimes I think you’re a goddess I somehow managed to dream up.”

“You flatter me so much, my husband,” Arwyn murmured as I continued to run my kisses along her body. “Not that I’m complaining, of course. Please, flatter me away.”

“Oh, I will,” I assured her.

“Perhaps you can… show me your appreciation for my body in other ways,” the crimson-haired healer purred

“Do you have any suggestions?” I asked. “Any special requests only I can fulfill, Miss Hamner.”

“Please,” Arwyn said, and she batted her hooded amber eyes at me. “Call me Mrs. Porter.”

“Arwyn… are you…”

“I’m certain,” she said. “I may choose to hyphenate, but at least for tonight, I want to wear your surname just as I wear your body.”

“Maker, you’re so fucking hot,” I groaned as my cock throbbed.

“Before I allow you to worship me, I would like to please you first,” my wife proposed, and her eyes trailed downward in a way that almost made me melt.

“Oh?”

“Yes,” she murmured. “But it’s going to require a brief shift in positions.”

“By all means, Mrs. Porter, just give the orders, and I’ll do whatever you ask,” I replied, and then I pried myself off the buxom redhead and awaited instruction.

“Lay down,” she requested, and I did just that.

My lower region was painfully tight, and I was looking forward to finding out just what she had in mind.

Once I was comfortably positioned in the mess of pillows, Arwyn folded her legs beneath her, leaned forward so she was positioned just above my member, and then gently took me between her full lips.

Arwyn devoured me eagerly, and as every inch of my cock disappeared in the luscious hold of her mouth, a shudder ran up my spine. My tip reached the back of her throat, and then she pulled up and went back for more. As she bobbed up and down along the length of me, a groan rose up from my chest, and I nearly lost myself in the euphoria.

The professor’s long red hair spilled over her shoulders and down her back like a crimson curtain, and I admired the sight of her round and perfect ass as she moved up and down and the way her impressive breasts heaved with the motion. Her nipples were a dark rosy color, and they’d hardened to stiff peaks as she sucked at me with powerful need.

I felt myself grow almost painfully firm, and I knew I was moments away from my peak. My heart pounded like a drum in my ears, and it was so loud I could barely hear anything but it and Arwyn’s soft moans.

“Fuck.” I leaned back against the pillow as my redheaded wife sucked at me with an insistent need. The more she hastened her pace, the closer I approached climax, and I gripped the sheets until my knuckles blanched.

The healer mage eased her mouth up the length of my shaft, and when she released her hold on me, there was a soft pop of sound, and a string of saliva connected from my tip to her lips.

“Shall I continue?” she whispered.

“I have other ideas,” I groaned, and in one fell swoop, I managed to flip us over until I was on top of her. My breath ran ragged in my chest as I stared down at my exquisite wife, and Arwyn’s amber eyes glittered with delight.

The redheaded professor took my cock in her soft hands and gently eased me toward her entrance. She was so thoroughly soaked I was able to slide in with little resistance, and a wave of pleasure flooded through me as the walls of her amazingly tight pussy gripped me like a fist.

“Fuck,” I groaned. “Arwyn, you feel so good.”

I pushed even deeper, and my heart began to pound in my ears as I neared the wall of her cervix. My wife’s body vibrated, and her lips parted to form an “o” of surprise.

“Oh, Gryff…” the professor moaned as I slowly slid out of her.

I started to fall into a rhythm, and her head hung back as she began to unravel. I gripped onto Arwyn’s full hips and admired the way my hands fit into them. My wife quivered under my fingertips, and her warm, soft skin broke in goosebumps.

As I continued to pump in and out of the professor, heat spread throughout me. Making love to Arwyn was one of the most pleasurable sensations in the world, and she had a way of making me feel like I was a king when we were wrapped up in one another.

“Oh, Makerrrr,” I groaned again as my head swam with dizziness.

“Gryff… I’m gonnaaaaa…” Arwyn quivered, and I hastened my pace. Her walls began to clench around me, and I was moments away from losing myself entirely. My grip around Arwyn’s hips tightened, and I was a little worried I was going to hurt her, but the healer mage moaned with the strengthened hold.

My heart felt like it was going to explode, and then Arwyn’s pussy tightened with impressive tightness, and we both reached our second set of climaxes together.

My orgasm struck me in ways it’d never hit me before, and I found myself entirely lost in the storm of my climax. I rode the pleasure as it slammed through me, and even though I had just climaxed deep inside of her not even an hour ago, my hips bucked involuntarily as gallons of my hot seed flooded the gorgeous redhead’s tunnel to the point of bursting. Arwyn’s body quaked, and soft moans escaped her full lips as she closed her eyes and sank into the pleasure.

When we finally began to settle, I slowly eased myself out of the professor and then laid down beside her as we caught our breath.

“I love you, Gryff,” Arwyn whispered with her eyes still closed.

“I love you, too,” I breathed.

We took a bit to calm ourselves, and then we went right back at it and spent the entire night making love. After countless hours, multiple positions, and too many delicious orgasms to count, Arwyn and I reached a point where we were too thoroughly spent to continue any further, so we laid down in bed and curled up with one another. The professor’s loft bed was like resting on a cloud, and I gratefully let myself be consumed by the plush down mattress.

Arwyn curled up on my chest, and as sleep began to creep up on me, I ran my fingers through her long, flame-colored hair. My wife lost the battle before me, and soon, her chest moved at a steady rhythm as she drifted to sleep.

I felt myself fade into a sleepy state, and as my eyelids grew heavy, I decided to give in to the feeling. As much as I didn’t want to admit it, I was still pretty wiped out from everything, and some more rest sounded lovely, especially with a warm, beautiful mage in my arms. So, I pulled the healer closer to me, rested my cheek against the top of her head, and allowed her jasmine perfume to lull me to sleep.

When I awoke, I was completely drenched in a thick sheen of sweat, and Arwyn’s sheets clung to me like a second skin. Once I peeled them off, I ran a hand through my hair and then took a moment to catch my breath, but when I turned to my left, I was surprised to see my redheaded wife wasn’t in bed with me.

“Arwyn?” I called out, and I tried to peer around, but my vantage point at the top of the loft bed wasn’t exactly conducive, so I stretched out and then carefully made my way over to the ladder.

I carefully climbed down, and once I set foot on the floor, I caught sight of my wife’s dark red hair. Arwyn stood in front of the window clad in a short, silky robe. Her back was facing me, but I could see her arms were wrapped around her.

“Arwyn?” I repeated, and my wife flinched at the sound. The healer mage turned around to face me, and when she did, I was met by a pair of enormous amber eyes.

“Gryff,” she whispered. “Gryff, something terrible has happened.”

“What’s going on?” I asked. “And why didn’t you wake me?”

“I-I didn’t know what to say.” The professor trembled as her eyes remained locked ahead. “Gryff, it’s too horrible to say.”

The anticipation was killing me, so I crossed over to the window to get a better look for myself. When I stepped over, I was met with a sight so awful I wanted to throw up.

“No,” I breathed. “No, no, no.”

“It’s not an illusion,” Arwyn said. “ This is real. Gryff, what are we going to do?

I stared out the window in horror, and my lower lip trembled.

“I need to get a better look,” I said, and without another word, I turned on my heels and ran out of Arwyn’s room. I flew so quickly down the spiral stairs that I nearly fell over the railing, but the adrenaline that spread through me was all-consuming.

“Gryff?” Nia’s voice called out to me. “Gryff, what’s going on?”

I raced out the front door, and as I ran down the drive, I could hear my heart pounding in my ears. I prayed that what I’d seen had been just a figment of my imagination, though I knew in my heart it wasn’t.

Once I hit the lawn, I tilted my head up and stared up at the scarlet sky. It was then I saw the phenomenon in full force. There, spanning from the surface of the garnet moon, were the tentacles, and they stretched across the sky as far as I could see. They were like an inky, twisted rainbow, and there wasn’t an end in sight.

Azranaeth had done it.

The demon attached to the planet.

Nothing you have learned will save your world from me devouring it, a familiar, chilling voice rang out in my head, and even though I should have felt fear from such an ominous threat, my mind was consumed with anger and fierce determination.

“You can’t scare me,” I growled. “This isn’t your world, it’s mine, and I’m going to take great pleasure in defeating you once and for all.”

The presence in the back of my mind faded away without reply, and my hands clenched into fists at my side.

I wasn’t sure what our next step was, but one thing was absolutely certain.

The battle for our realm had finally begun.

End of Book 21

End Notes

Thank you for reading Summoner 21! I’ll start writing Summoner 22 (the last book in the series!) once this book hits 100 reviews, so leave your review right here!

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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Copyright © 2021 by Eric Vall