by Dianna Love
Ixxter had to acknowledge that he’d taken a risk with Feenix and scared her baby.
She needed one win.
Who was she if she couldn’t gain that?
In a blast of energy, Tristan appeared in human form between them and shoved a palm hard at Ixxter who rocked back two steps.
Evalle swiped hair off her face.
Just great. Saved again.
No Belador or Alterant-gryphon would look at her the same after today. They’d all been tiptoeing around her as it was and now Tristan had come in like a principal breaking up a schoolyard argument over a toy.
Wait, where was Feenix?
She twisted around looking for him. Her gargoyle tapped the bright blue petals of a flower growing close to the ground.
When she turned back, Tristan first took in Ixxter then arched an eyebrow full of question at her.
Speaking loud enough for Bernie, Ixxter, and Evalle to know they were all being addressed, Tristan asked, “What the hell started this?”
Evalle snapped, “Ixxter,” at the same moment her opponent shouted, “Evalle.”
Tristan held up a hand for silence and turned to Bernie but said nothing. That meant those two were conversing telepathically and Tristan had chosen to shield his words from Evalle and Ixxter.
Nodding as if to end their conversation, Tristan faced Ixxter and Evalle, saying, “Bernie tells me they were flying with Feenix.”
Ixxter snarled, “Bernie squeals like little girl.”
Bernie’s gryphon made a threatening sound.
As the leader of the Alterant-gryphon pack, Tristan made a louder growl adding, “Everyone shut the fuck up for one minute so I can sort this out. I called to Petrina who has been teaching Feenix how to maneuver. My sister said she left when you showed up, Ixxter. She didn’t want to get into a conflict.” Then Tristan grumbled under his breath. “Must be nice to have that choice.”
“Evalle owes me apology,” Ixxter shouted.
“So you’re the victim?” Evalle asked, lifting her hands in disbelief. She kept up her angry mask, but leave it to Ixxter to point out how she’d failed Feenix. Had Feenix been longing for a chance to fly in the open? Her sweet little gargoyle had seemed content, but it was her job to know what he needed.
Tristan shook his head. He probably regretted agreeing to take over leading the gryphons from Evalle.
She crossed her arms, losing patience, but she’d conceded the position of pack leader to him. He’d earned everyone’s respect, including hers. He might not have the most diplomatic style, but he’d been sorting through gryphon issues for months when she’d been in Atlanta and she would not undermine his authority.
Ixxter gave Evalle a dark look but stopped mouthing off. Good to see that jerk could show respect for Tristan as well.
Sounding tired, which made sense because Tristan must have just teleported back from Atlanta and into this mess, he started again.
“As I was saying, Bernie indicated that Ixxter took Feenix to a higher level than Petrina had set before leaving.” Without slowing, Tristan said, “Stop shouting in my head, Ixxter. She may not be your leader, but she’s my sister and I trust her word. She warned everyone to be careful with Feenix. Sounds like you owe Evalle and Petrina an apology.”
Ixxter cursed and said, “You are fools. Gargoyle is testing wings. He would go too high at some point. What would happen if one of us is not around when he tries? I tell you what. He falls like rock and hits ground. I did you favor show him not to go too high. Now he knows.” At that, Ixxter exploded into his gryphon and flew away.
“Ikther?” Feenix asked in a forlorn voice. “Where go?”
Evalle squatted down in front of Feenix. “He went home for a bit.” Ixxter’s words kept banging around in her head. She had to ask, “Did you go too high, Feenix?”
He nodded with droopy eyes. “Yeth.”
“Are you going to do that again?”
“Noooo. High not good. Ikther tell me.”
Shit. She hated to admit Ixxter had a point. In his own screwed-up way, he’d shown Feenix his limits and had made an impression all the warnings in the world would not.
In addition to that, Ixxter had been right.
She owed him an apology.
Her anger lost steam. She had a sinking feeling she’d failed on yet another front. Sucking up her pride, she called telepathically to Ixxter, allowing Tristan and Bernie to hear her words.
Ixxter, it’s Evalle. You were right. I talked to Feenix and he said you taught him to not go that high again. I’m sorry if I overreacted.
Tristan gave her a pensive expression, clearly waiting on Ixxter’s reply, too.
Ixxter said, Thank you. I would not harm baby gargoyle. You should know that.
Evalle sighed and sent back, You’re right. I should. I’ll try to not judge so quickly next time.
Is no problem, Evalle. We are only human. Ixxter’s laugh followed that.
Evalle smiled.
Tristan cocked his head. “Did you understand what he meant?”
“Yes, he was making a joke. Consider that progress with Ixxter.” She chuckled, relieved she’d fixed one problem.
Bernie must have said something telepathically to Tristan who waved him off. The gryphon took a few steps, flapping his wings and lifted off.
Tristan stepped over to her. “If you want to kick Ixxter’s butt, come back in gryphon form. I have no doubt you’d take him, and I’ll bring the beer.”
She’d never be able to do that, but Tristan still treated her as an equal, which felt good. Smiling she said, “You’re on. You look beat.”
“Yeah, I have to go give Daegan a report on what’s going on in Atlanta, then I’m taking a couple hours down time,” he admitted.
“Hours? You could probably use a couple days.”
“Not yet.”
See? Tristan and the Belador teams back home needed help.
Feenix lifted a blue flower and waddled over to gift her with it. “For Evalle.”
She put it behind her ear. “Thank you, baby.”
He clapped his pudgy paws and made a chortling sound.
That washed away the last of her tension. Watching him play with the gryphons brought a question to mind she needed an answer for before she talked to Storm.
She wanted Feenix with her if she could get a day back in Atlanta, but this wasn’t about her. It was about doing a better job making her gargoyle happy.
“Feenix, do you want to go home?”
She got her answer when his face fell.
“No. I good.”
Evalle dropped to her knees. “Oh, baby, I didn’t mean you had misbehaved. You’ve been wonderful.”
He gave her his special grin. “Thay?”
“Yes, you can stay. Everyone loves having you here. If I go back with Storm for a day or two, would you want to go with us or stay here and fly?”
Feenix looked up, then at Evalle, then back up and at Evalle again. “Thay?” he asked, sounding unsure if that was the right answer.
She hated to leave him, but she wouldn’t deny him this joy. She had one more idea for fixing her power loss, which required going back to Atlanta.
Smiling to reassure him, she said, “It’s okay with me if you stay. I’ll be back before you know it.”
“Yes. Thay!” He clapped and waddled around as if dancing. A large yellow and white butterfly came floating by three feet off the ground.
Feenix grinned and lifted into the air, flapping just enough to follow his new playmate.
She called out, “Will you stay with the butterfly?” That might keep him close to the ground if the bug didn’t fly into the woods or go way up in the air.
His orange eyes blazed at her in a quick glance. “Yeth.”
Little bat-like wings stayed busy as Feenix angled to the side and banked to the right in a sweeping movement as he watched the butterfly and chortled the whole time.
Now that was his happy sound.
She h
ad never flown with him.
He’d been cooped up in her underground apartment until she’d met Storm and eventually moved into their building.
A powerful energy approached slowly from behind.
Storm stepped up beside her. “The butterfly won’t go any higher or leave this area.”
She should have known Storm had been behind Feenix’s new toy.
Tristan had started to walk off, but turned back to say, “I’m headed to meet with Daegan. He asked for you two to join us. By the way, Storm, here’s your phone.”
Storm caught it from Tristan’s toss.
Evalle asked, “What do you expect him to do with that in this realm, Tristan?”
Storm answered, “I asked him to take my phone to the human realm in case I had messages from the twins or someone else.”
“Oh. Good thinking.” Evalle had the best mate to keep up with people like the pair of teenage male witches living in their building.
Tristan said, “Someone’s been blowing up that phone the whole time I was in Atlanta today.”
Storm frowned as he scrolled the multiple messages from the same number. “No kidding.”
“What’s going on?” Evalle asked.
“My uncle is trying to reach me.”
“Uncle?” Storm had family? Evalle thought he had no one after his father died.
Why did she pick up irritation coming from him?
“Yes. No big deal. Let’s talk later.” Storm’s grim tone held an angry undercurrent. He closed the phone and changed the subject. “Before we meet with Daegan, are you ready to go home?”
Yes, she was, but she’d told Storm she’d bond once they got out of Treoir.
His face held so much hope, she didn’t know what to say. As much as she wanted to be with him in Atlanta, she couldn’t bond with him yet. Not until she figured out what was going on with her powers.
Evalle admitted, “Sure, I’d like to go, but I don’t think Daegan will let me leave until I’m battle-ready.”
“I heard Daegan will teleport us.”
“Really?”
“Yes, but not for you to be patrolling the streets.”
Her heart dropped at confirmation.
“Evalle?”
She knew when she failed with Hoyt she’d lost her chance to return to duty, but deep inside she’d held a tiny hope of joining the teams again. Pulling her shoulders back and her chin up, she did her best to sound confident. “I’m ready.”
Storm gave her a loaded look, but she hadn’t lied. She was as much as she’d ever be, based on today.
When they reached the platform for the entrance to the castle, Evalle said, “Go ahead. I want to talk to Adrianna before we leave if the dragon really is going to teleport us.”
He paused with the indecision she’d seen on his face too often lately but nodded. “See you inside.”
Once the door closed behind him so Evalle knew he couldn’t hear her words, she walked over to Adrianna and quipped, “Quite a show today, huh?”
The witch gave her a smirk. “You’re lucky Storm hasn’t locked you in a room yet. He’s a hair from losing control.”
Evalle put both hands on her head and slid them down to her neck, trying to wipe away another slug of guilt. “I know. I’m the worst mate ever. I have no idea why he still wants to bond with me.”
Adrianna said nothing.
“Okay, yes, I know he loves me,” Evalle said, smiling at the stupid comment. She hoped he still would if she convinced Adrianna to do something back in Atlanta.
“Love doesn’t begin to cover what that man feels for you, Evalle. He’s determined to bring your gryphon back. That’s why he’s pushing even harder to bond with you now.”
“That’s a problem.” Evalle had wanted to share this with Storm first, but she’d like to give him some good news for once.
Adrianna lost her relaxed expression. “Why?”
Lowering her voice, Evalle said, “My powers are failing. My kinetics didn’t work to stop Feenix a few minutes ago and ... ” She paused to lift her right arm and show it to the witch. “These lines showed up this morning.”
Leaning close to study Evalle’s arm, Adrianna asked, “What do you think that’s all about?”
“Have no fucking clue, to be honest. It may be coincidence, but they showed up this morning and now my powers are getting weak. I agreed to bond with Storm as soon as we got back to the human world. He has some special place he wants to do the ceremony, but what if my powers drain his when we do this?”
“That could be a problem.”
Tristan’s voice came into Evalle’s mind. Hurry the fuck up, Evalle. What are you doing?
Answering the same way, she said, I’m coming. Give me sixty seconds.
Tick tock.
Hurrying to finish, Evalle said, “I have to get inside, but I have an idea of what might bring my gryphon back.”
“Oh?” Adrianna asked with a load of curiosity.
“You said you didn’t want to use Witchlock here in Treoir, but what about when we go back to Atlanta? Are you willing to try it out on me there?”
The witch’s mouth fell open then closed. “I want to say yes, because I’d gladly help with anything I could, but I have no idea what would happen if I use Witchlock on an Alterant-gryphon.”
“Understood.”
Arching an eyebrow, Adrianna sniped, “You may understand, but Storm will unleash his jaguar on me if I harm you.”
“You’re not going to kill me, Adrianna. I know you have more control than that.”
The witch looked around and moved her lips in some silent conversation with herself. She turned back with her voice in that perfect calm tone she spoke in most of the time. “Yes, I’m fairly certain I won’t kill you, but you may shift into something other than a gryphon. You started out as a ... ”
“A hideous beast,” Evalle supplied. “I’m willing to shift into anything if it means hanging onto my powers. I don’t want to be a liability if I bond with Storm.”
The doors to the castle opened and Tristan called out, “Hey. What’s going on?”
Evalle gave Tristan the evil eye. He crossed his arms.
Ignoring him, Evalle asked Adrianna, “Will you try?”
“Give me a minute to think. We’d have to do it before you bond. Mixing my power with his is way too big of a gamble.”
“Got it.” Evalle took off, hoping Adrianna would agree to teleport to Atlanta with them.
CHAPTER 6
It was time to bond.
Storm couldn’t take another day watching Evalle struggle.
She came rushing into the castle foyer behind a grumpy Tristan. She jogged to Storm as Tristan continued another forty feet to where he stopped. Must be waiting on Daegan.
She caught her breath and said, “I owe you an apology. I didn’t say anything about training with Hoyt because I wanted to surprise you. Myself, too, but I kind of blew it.”
How could he complain about that?
Still, he didn’t want her going off on her own with a sword or any other weapon. What if he hadn’t been there to heal her?
When not sure what to say, he fell back on a safe reply. He hugged her and dropped a kiss on her head.
She asked in a quiet voice, “What makes you think Daegan is really going to teleport us?”
“Heard he talked to Garwyli and changed his mind as long as you’re not putting yourself in danger.”
She smiled, which might mean agreement from another person, but Storm’s lie detector gift lit up.
What was going on in that beautiful head now?
“Where does your uncle live?” Evalle asked, clearly shifting the topic.
“He’s in Arizona.”
“Do you need to see him?” She sounded excited at that idea.
“Not really.” Storm hated to squash her interest, but the surprise trip he’d planned to Arizona for their bonding had not involved his uncle. He wanted to do the ceremony on land his father had spok
en of with reverence.
Curiosity buzzed in her questions. “You aren’t concerned that he’s calling?”
Why wouldn’t she let this go? His fault. He should’ve told her about Bidziil before now. Had his uncle not chased a dream of riches where his father fought to maintain the tribe’s culture, his father might still be alive.
Evalle’s frown reminded Storm she’d asked why he wasn’t jumping to get in touch with his uncle. He brushed it off with, “I doubt it’s anything significant. Bidziil is my father’s only sibling. He’s in the casino business. I met him one time. He wanted me to join his clan on the reservation. I said no.”
“You’re not close?”
“Hell, no.” Just having to return the call annoyed him. The only thing important to his uncle was making tons of money. “I’ll eventually contact him when I have time, because I owe my father’s only family respect. I don’t have to drop what I’m doing to get back to him.”
He’d figure out what was going on once he returned to Atlanta.
Right now, he had one task, to bring joy back to his mate’s eyes.
When Tristan angled his head to call them over, Storm caught Evalle’s hand to get moving.
He said, “I want to take you home more than anything. I miss you. Miss us. I’m not asking for more than you can give, but I’d like some alone time with you just to be. I figure you’re ready to get out from under an army of people watching over you.”
She cocked an eyebrow at that. “You’ve been part of that army.”
He gave her the truth. “I’ll always be there for you, but will do my best to give you room to work out whatever you need to.”
A wave of relief rushed from Evalle, which bothered him. She should know he’d meet any reasonable request she made.
Meaning she did not want to put herself in jeopardy.
Just before they reached Daegan and Tristan, Evalle paused to whisper close to Storm’s ear. “I may never be the person I was before.”
That had been a huge admission. The first she’d made about her outlook of the future.