Her Sky Mates

by Lark Sterling

  As the stone touched her skin, the light came back, only this time it was so bright that it enveloped everything around her. She closed her eyes and put up her arm, guarding her face. She stood with her eyes squeezed shut until she felt a hand rest on hers. "It's okay. You can open your eyes."

  Very slowly, Iris pulled her arm down and looked around her. She was encased in white light, almost floating in the air. In front of her, her mother stood a smile on her face. "My sweet Iris. You've done a great service for not only the Shifters but the humans as well. We are all thankful."

  Iris’s eyes shifted behind her mother, finding the Ancestors all lined up, standing in the Fields of Moribund, clapping. Her mother tilted Iris' chin toward her and gave her that loving and proud look she had always provided. "I knew that you would accomplish her goals, not because you're a High Alpha, not because of destiny, but because you are one of the strongest women I have ever met. Let that strength move outward, take care of the Griffins, and when you feel as though they are settled and safe, return to the castle with your mates and join your sister Althea. The two of you can begin bringing the Shifters even closer together as you await the other two on their journey."

  Iris nodded, a lump in her throat. “Will I see you again?”

  Her mother reached up, putting her hand on Iris' four head, sending bursts of memories from her life into Iris's mind. "You will see me again in your dreams and visions, but when you miss me the most, think of these memories. They are mine, my memories of you and your sisters. You will find comfort in this because you will feel my love even across the veil. Stay strong and know your destiny is not yet complete. But no matter what, you have an enormous family behind you."

  Tears trickled down Iris's face as her mother backed away, joining the Ancestors. The last face she could see was that of her great-grandfather. He stood with his hand on his chest, a look of pride on his face. He bowed to her as the light receded from the snow at her feet.

  Looking up, she found her mates standing on the edge, watching her with pride. She glanced down at the stone which no longer glowed but sat comfortably against her skin. Her body was still wrapped in flowing magic, creating a beautiful gown of moving energy. Her hair whipped around her, and she felt a sense of peace like nothing she had ever felt before. Her body felt rejuvenated, and her mind was clear and calm. Her mates shifted into their human form, grabbing their clothes from the harness and pulling on boots jackets and hats.

  They walked toward her, all standing in a row, with pride beaming from their eyes. In unison, they bent forward, bowing to Iris. She shook her head and stepped forward, lifting each one of their chins. "As I said, you will never bow to me. I'm the High Alpha, not royalty. We're a team, one that has a lot of work ahead of us, but there isn't a doubt in my mind that together we can do anything we put our minds to. Thank you for choosing me, for following me, and for always protecting me."

  They wrap their arms around her, surrounding Iris with their love. The warmth between them could have melted all the snow on Right Staff Mountain.

  Chapter Nineteen

  The sound of trumpets played loudly, echoing through the Griffin sanctuary beneath the granite and stone of the caverns. Iris, Frodi, and Alo stood side-by-side, looking out over the city. Calvary stood next to Iris, shaking his head. "The damage has been great. The loss has been greater, and the heartache is immeasurable. Yet, in the hour of our victory, the Griffins applaud you for what you have done. We will rebuild, we will survive, and we will go on to replenish the Griffin Shifter community. Without you, none of us would be here right now. We are forever in your debt."

  Calvary turned toward Iris, who smiled at him kindly and nodded. "Everyone wants to refer to me as a hero, but the true heroes are the Griffins who are still alive, still sifting through the rubble, and still burying our dead. They are owed much more than that."

  A smile pulled at Calvary's mouth. "Still humble. The Griffin will always be beside you, no matter where you are."

  Iris watched as the Griffin knelt in front of her, bowing his head. While she never could've imagined the Griffin Alpha showing her that type of respect, she knew that it was his ultimate showing of camaraderie. It showed that she was respected not only by him but by all Griffins. She had never thought that she would be in that position, even though she knew she was always destined to be a High Alpha.

  Stepping forward, Iris placed her hand on top of Calvary's head, a show of mutual respect. As her hand touched his locks of beautiful hair, her palm glowed, creating a halo around his head. It was no surprise to her; the stone was recognizing the light in him, showing Iris that she and the Alpha weren't all that different after all. As he rose, he looked over at her mates, giving them a nod of approval. After all, they had been an enormous part of why the Shifters could finally take a deep breath.

  Calvary excused himself, heading in to prepare for a banquet in honor of Iris and her mates. Iris, however, wasn't ready to go back inside. She wanted to see the city just as the people that lived there did. She wanted to feel the heartbreak they felt, knowing fully what she was leaving behind.

  Arsenio, Alo, and Frodi accompanied her into the city. Iris walked ahead of them; her hands folded gently in front of her. Her boots crunched through the piles of pebble-sized stone that littered the sidewalks and streets. As she passed a woman and her child picking through the buried remnants of their home, they stopped and smiled at her kindly. She could feel their pain, she could feel their fear, and she could feel their gratitude. She wasn't sure why or how anyone could be thankful while standing in their broken city, but these people were. It broke her heart, and it took everything in her not to burst into tears.

  She knew she had no one to be angry at any longer, Hellforth was gone, but she couldn't just leave the Griffin sanctuary as it was. What kind of leader would she be if in their darkest hour she didn't do something to help them? But what?

  As she reached the center of the town, she stopped and looked up at a giant statue of a Griffin. It still stood high, with no scratches or chips, it's feathers accented with gold. The Griffin Shifters were people of strength and courage, and though she knew they would survive and move on, she wasn't going to leave until that process was well underway. The magic in her chest began to tingle, dancing through her veins and down to her fingertips. She turned her hands over and looked at them, seeing a purple haze gently flowing around them. Her magic was trying to tell her something.

  She thought back to the moments after she took the stone, seeing her mother. Her mother had instructed her to take care of the Griffins, and only when that was done, to return to the castle to join Althea. She spun around and looked at her three mates, all of them with thoughtful glances, all of them ready to help her at a moment's notice. Her eyes shifted back to the city as she communicated with her magic, willing it to tell her exactly what she needed.

  The glow in her fingertips vibrated and trickled down across the sidewalk. She watched as it glowed, each spot the magic covered reforming like new. She closed her eyes with a smile, realizing that she had the power inside of her, she had the power to not only destroy, but she had the power to create a new as well.

  With the sudden excitement, she stuck out her hand. "Help me climb this statue, please."

  The guys hurried over. Arsenio squatted down and lifted her by the legs walking her forward and setting her down on the pedestal that held the enormous statue. He stepped back with the other two and watched as Iris faced the Griffin and placed her palms on its smooth stone surface. She closed her eyes and focused on what she wanted, what she needed for the Griffin. She could feel a rush of energy pulling from her feet up through her chest and out her arms. The magic flowed from her, a light purple mist that coursed from her body, covering everything it touched like a blanket. Over every broken sidewalk, over every crumbled building, her magic wrapped itself tightly. The people out in the street stopped and looked around them, not out of fear, but out of curiosity.

  When
every spot had been touched with her magic, she pulled the energy of it into her mind picturing the Griffin sanctuary that she had remembered it as a child. The magic grew brighter and hummed wildly. Things began to move and shift, and those around her squinted their eyes as the light became more radiant. Large boulders, small pebbles, roofs, furniture, street lamps, and everything else that had once hung in the joyful Griffin sanctuary floated and shifted like a dance reconnecting to its original place.

  As the city put itself back together, Iris' powers only grew stronger. She could feel the mood change among the people; the fear and sadness gave way to surprise and excitement. When the magic had run its course, it moved back over the city and returned to Iris' palms. She opened her eyes and turned around, finding everything just as it was before the attack. The people that had surrounded her began to cheer and clap, and she could hear cries of joy echoing across the sanctuary. She grinned proudly, looking down at the three guys who applauded along with everybody else. The history and background of the Griffin had been restored and all with the touch of Iris' hands.

  She hopped down, glancing over at the palace. Not much damage had been done there, so she focused her energy on every other part of the city. Alo brushed a piece of hair from her face. "Now what?"

  “I have one more thing I need to repair, and it’ll only take a second,” she replied.

  The four of them made their way up to the Alphas castle, heading through the hallways to the room she had first entered when she met Calvary. The guys waited outside respectfully, and Breyer opened the door for her, giving her a high five as she walked through. As she walked, she used her magic to fix the little things here and there that had been destroyed. She stopped in front of the painting of her mother; several pieces were crumbled on the ground as if one of the Bats had taken a hammer to it.

  “That just won’t do,” Iris said with a smile.

  She waved her hand, sending the mist outward toward the painting. All of the pieces shook before rising into the air and reconnecting in their original place. The mist receded, and Iris brushed her hands off, looking at her mother's beautiful face in triumph. "I did it, mother. I didn't know that I had it in me, but I did it."

  "And I bet she's prouder than any mother could ever be of you," Calvary said, standing behind her.

  Iris turned with a smile and nodded her head. "I know that won't replace the dead. But hopefully, this is a step toward rebuilding the Griffin line, which will only strengthen all the Shifters of the world. I wish the other problems were as easy to remedy. I've come to see that anything is possible, and I'm devoted to finding peace within the Shifters."

  Calvary smiled at Iris and put out his arm. "Come with me; I'd like to show you something."

  Iris giggled, finding the humor in ending her trip at the Griffin sanctuary the same way she began it. This time though, Calvary didn't take her to some hidden lair, he took her down to the hall of Ancestors. As she walked through the room, a chill ran down her spine, looking at all of the stone statues of Griffin Ancestors who'd made poignant advances or contributions to the Griffin species. Most halls of Ancestors housed a dozen sculptures, maybe two dozen, but not the Griffins. The room seemed to go on forever, lined with the faces of the brave and strong.

  Calvary stopped in front of a giant Griffin statue with a rendering of a man's human body standing next to it, his hand on his feathers. "That's your great-grandfather, the one who killed Hellforth the first time. He was such a brave man. But he was also kind and generous and cared so deeply for not only the Griffin but Shifters in general."

  Iris glanced up at Calvary, taking her arm from his and walking toward the statue. “It sounds like my mother.”

  As she turned back to the statue, she ran her hand across the nameplate. Her brow furled, confused at what she was seeing. "But this statue, this Griffin, his name is Armstrong like yours. Is this your grandfather or mine?"

  Calvary smiled. “They are one and the same. Iris, I’m your father.”

  Iris’s eyes grew wide, and they filled with tears as she looked from him to the statue and back again. She had never known who her father was, not even his name, but as a child, she had always wondered what kind of man he was. Calvary walked up to her and took her hand in his. "I loved your mother more than anything in the world, and though her life was complicated and her heart enormous, we couldn't be together. I took solace in knowing that my heart belonged to a woman who was stronger and braver than anyone I've ever known, until now. I hope that you understand why we didn't tell you all these years, and I hope that this brings closure to something in your heart that you've always wondered about."

  Her eyes shifted up towards his. "An answer doesn't have to be a closure."

  She wrapped her arms around Calvary's neck and hugged him tightly. He smiled as he hugged her back, whispering, "We have many years in front of us, and I look forward to standing by your side as we finally bring peace to the Shifter world."

  Iris leaned back, looking happily into her father’s face. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

  Epilogue

  Two Weeks Later

  "Who thought that life could change this quickly?" Althea asked, taking a sip of coffee. "Just last year, we were in our own little worlds. You were flying the skies; I was training with the Guard and mother…"

  Iris reached out with a smile, patting Althea's hand. "Mother was preparing, as she had her whole life, to see us grow and to create a safe and peaceful world for the Shifters."

  Althea grinned at her sister, nodding her head. She reached up and looked at her hair. "I thought after all of that; you would leave the purple out this time."

  Iris shrugged, looking around the garden patio where they were sitting. "I didn't have a choice this time. After connecting with the stone, and pulling all of my powers in and harnessing them, the purple grew brighter on the tips of my hair. I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to wash it out."

  Althea giggled. “That’s what I call permanent hair color. What will you do after this? I’m assuming you won’t stay here at the Castle forever.”

  Iris took a deep breath, leaning her head back and letting the sun cascade down into her skin. "I'll stay here for as long as it takes. If that's forever, then so be it, but most likely, I'll travel doing whatever the Shifter community needs. I do love it here, even more so now that I understand things better."

  Althea glanced over at her three mates and Iris' three, all standing around in a circle joking and laughing together. "Looks like the bond our mates have with each other is crossing over to others."

  Iris nodded. "We're a family. Beyond the royalty in our blood, we have a connection that no one can break, and we've given that connection to our mates. That'll only make us and the leaders of the Shifter community even stronger. Instead of having one person to protect them, by the end of all of this, they'll have sixteen."

  The guys all laughed, having their own conversation. Althea lifted an eyebrow. “Sixteen unruly and wild leaders. I hope the world knows what it’s in for.”

  Iris laughed. "Ready or not, we're coming for them."

  The girls tilted their heads back and laughed wildly, feeling the warm breeze flow around them. In the distance, a sparkling white light began to form. Iris’s eyes shifted to Althea, but no words needed to be spoken. They quickly stood from there table and hurried out across the lawn of the castle grounds. Their mates followed behind them at a distance, making sure they were safe.

  Hand-in-hand, Althea and Iris stopped at the edge of the field, which had housed hundreds of Shifters during one of the great wars. It was landscaped and preserved beautifully, a historical remnant of the past. Standing in the center of that field surrounded by a glowing, sparkling light was their mother.

  Althea and Iris smiled at each other, taking off toward her. They both wrapped their arms around Omera and hugged her tightly. Iris took a deep breath, thankful to see her again finally. "I was wondering if you would show up. Having too much fun o
ut there in the fields, sipping on some cocktails with the Ancestors?"

  Omera chuckled. “You know, even the dead have to have fun sometimes.”

  Althea giggled, not used to her mother making jokes. “What do we do now?”

  Omera rolled her shoulders, looking up at the sky with a peaceful essence to her. "You wait. Both Brighid and Indra still have to complete their journeys. You'll begin working with the Shifter counsel, pulling your efforts to continue finding a place of peace. Always remember, not everyone will be your friend. Not everyone will accept you. Cling to those you know you can trust, find strength in your mates, and each other, and always know that though the Fields of Moribund cross the plane of time, I'm not that far away. The Shifters are lucky to have such a strong and courageous team behind them, and you will find that your powers increase even further from being with each other. Use that, grow from each other, and prepare yourself for the moment that the four of you can stand tall at the head of the Shifter world. Eyes are watching, and Shifters never forget. Always do what's in the best interest of everyone, and when you need help, turn to those you trust."

  Althea reached over and took Iris' hand, their mother taking both of theirs. A light radiated around all of them, a connection that crossed the boundaries of time and pushed through the planes of existence. They had won their battles, but they knew there would be great wars ahead of them. But with the sanctity and strength of their connection, Iris knew there was nothing they couldn't handle together. The love for her mates and their love for each other would only grow stronger with time.