by Amy Sumida
Gage sighed and said, “Elaria; it was pure instinct. I saw my mate in trouble, and I acted. I couldn't have stopped myself if I'd wanted to. And frankly, I don't want to live if you die. If you had been hit, and my claw wasn't able to heal you, I would have killed myself; taken the lover's leap.”
“Gage, what the fuck?” I growled. “Don't say that shit to me.”
“It's the way of Griffins,” Shani said with a dreamy tone. “That's how deeply they love. You should be grateful to have that in your life, not reprimand him for being true to his nature.”
Gage grinned at me. “It's nice having someone stick up for me for once.”
“I stick up for you,” I huffed.
“Except for the times when you're the one attacking me.” Gage waved his hand out to indicate that this was one of those times.
“Fine.” I sighed. “I won't give you shit over being a griffin.”
“Thank you,” Gage said primly.
“But don't talk about dying again,” I added. “We're supposed to live forever, remember?”
“Yeah; I don't want to have to wait another two-hundred years to see Elaria again,” Banning said. “Talk about suffering. You want romance, Gage? Try living through the loss of your love instead of taking the easy way out and killing yourself.”
“Whoa; shit,” our driver exclaimed. “That was low.”
“That's affection,” I corrected. “Brotherly love.”
“Brothers are fucking mean,” the driver mumbled.
“Don't I know it, man,” Gage huffed and then looked back at Banning. “Again I say; can't you give me one fucking day?”
“All right.” Banning gave in with a grin. “I won't mess with you until tomorrow night.”
“Thank you,” Gage said.
“What else were we able to grab?” Shani asked. “I'm sorry, but I lost my item when I shifted.”
A pile formed on the seat beside me; a small statue, a scarf, and a shoe. Gage shifted and pulled a framed photograph out of his jeans. It was only a couple inches high; one of those leather frames that fold. Thankfully, it didn't have any glass or I might have been picking pieces out of his ass. I took it from him and stared at the smiling couple in the picture. The man was Osiris, and I assumed the woman to be Isis.
“Is this her?” I asked Declan.
Declan looked over my shoulder and nodded. “That's her all right.”
Isis was stunning. She had thick, straight, ebony hair and eyes that were nearly as dark. Those eyes were large and exotically shaped, with long lashes that made them look even bigger. Her lips were as lush as her figure, and her features were both strong and fascinating. I hated her instantly; it was so much worse when the villains were beautiful.
“So, now I have her underwear and a picture of her,” I noted. “I feel like a proper stalker.”
“When will you attempt to track her?” Ramses asked with a pained voice.
“Oh, shit,” Gage cursed. “Sorry, dude; I should have offered to heal you sooner.”
“No; it's fine.” Ramses held up a hand. “It's not a life-threatening wound. It's stopped bleeding already, and I'll heal completely when I shift; there just isn't space to do so right now. Save your energy.”
“Nonsense,” Gage shifted one of his hands into a giant eagle talon as he pulled a knife from his belt. “It's just a light scrape off my claw; no biggie.”
“If you insist.” Ramses stretched his leg out and pulled up his shredded and bloody pant leg.
There was a foot-long gash on his calf.
“What the hell?” I gaped at him. “That's a significant wound, Ramses.”
“Not as significant as a death curse,” Ramses said with grim sincerity. “I am both awed and relieved that you live, Gage.”
“Me too,” Gage said as he scraped his claw; a pale powder falling onto Ramses' leg.
The wound started to heal immediately, and Ramses sighed with pleasure.
“Thank you,” Ramses said. “I've never been fortunate enough to be healed by griffin dust; I'm honored.”
“We fought together,” Gage said. “The honor is mine.”
Ramses chuckled. “I've missed you griffins; you take the Chivalric Code to a whole new level.”
“Well, we wrote it.” Gage shrugged.
I looked at him in surprise.
“You didn't know that?” Gage looked just as surprised. “The Dragonslayers? That was us; we're the monster hunters, remember?”
“Yes; I know about the wrangling, but not the slaying, or the Code,” I said.
“We didn't kill unless it was absolutely necessary,” Gage admitted. “And never dragons; those we just reasoned with. You know how they are; good people, just a little feisty.”
I nodded; still in shock.
“But humans thought of dragons as the most frightening of the monsters, so every type of beast became a dragon that needed to be slain. That's how we started,” Gage said with a shrug. “We just had a way with the monsters, and the humans asked us to teach them. So, we gave them a code to follow and taught them to fight. Then the knighthood was established.”
“No fucking way,” Banning whispered. “Griffins were the original knights?”
“You promised not to mess with me.” Gage pointed at Banning.
“I'm not messing with you,” Banning protested. “I'm honestly impressed.”
“Well, I wasn't one of those griffins,” Gage shrugged again. “But we still follow the same Chivalric Code that we gave to the humans.”
“My hero,” I teased him.
But I was only partially teasing.
Chapter Twenty-Three
We went back to Kyanite to rest before we started tracking Isis. Gio came with us, but the Sphinx remained in Egypt. Shani promised to keep an eye on things there and call us if anything happened. Like a horde of Aaruns coming through the Great Pyramid and laying waste to Cairo; that sort of thing. I left her my cell number and a contact charm just in case.
Fortunately, it was late evening in Kyanite, so we didn't have to bother pulling all the numerous drapes shut in my bedroom. Nearly every wall was glass, and it got bright in there. But at night, the view made me feel as if I were sleeping among the stars. It was worth the rude awakening every morning.
As much as Gage jokingly whined about being given a day with me, the other men knew that we both needed a night together after his close call. They went to sleep in their towers while Gage stayed with me in mine.
High up in the loftiest perch of Kyanite Castle, with the sleeping kingdom spread out around us, it felt as if Gage and I were the only ones in a fantasy world. Nothing could touch us up there; nothing could hurt us. The fact that Gage had nearly died just hours ago seemed surreal; it had all the shine of a true memory but with the wonky weirdness of a dream. No; a nightmare.
“I could use a hot bath,” Gage said gently as he ran a hand over my hair. “How about you?”
I knew he was doing it for me; Gage thought I was still in shock, and heat helped with shock. Maybe I was. Everything seemed a little distant; discordant. I stared around the room blankly; taking in the cream, silk curtains that draped down dramatically from a gold medallion set into the apex of the ceiling. Then my stare strayed to the gold vanity on its dais with its soaring mirror, the wide wardrobe that held my queenly gowns, and the matching, massive bed set on a pale wood base that was carved so delicately, it didn't look capable of holding very much... just a little bird. The bed was set against the only solid wall in the room; the one separating the bedroom from the bathroom.
I headed toward the bathroom in a daze.
“Ellie.” Gage stopped me and lowered his face to look into my eyes.
Whatever he saw worried him enough for him to pick me up and carry me into the bathroom. He set me down on the raised platform the tub was set into. It was at the end of the bathroom; right up against the glass that formed the outer walls. Up on that shelf, I was high enough to see over the balcony railing outside. I
stared serenely across the jungle of my kingdom; letting thoughts of it distract me. Kyanite was a warm, humid land that produced bright-colored flora and exotic fauna. Predator cats roamed beneath a canopy of waxy, emerald leaves, and multicolored birds flew through the fruit-scented air. Kyanite's farmers specialized in tropical fruits, but everything grew well in our rich soil. It was paradise.
I heard the water running and looked down to see Gage's strong hand twisting the gold handles. His bare feet were on the mahogany floor; looking pale against the dark wood. I had a flash of him going even paler in my arms, and I started to cry.
“Ellie.” Gage's hands went to my shoulders and then slid up to cup my face. “I'm okay. Look at me.” Gage crouched before me and took my hands. “You're stronger than this. Come on, baby; move past it.”
“I'm fine,” I whispered. “I just need to process.”
“Okay,” he whispered back but sounded unconvinced. He scooped me up. “Let's get you in the tub.”
We were both undressed, and I couldn't remember when that had happened. I frowned at my bare skin as the water rose over me. Gage climbed in the round tub behind me and then pulled me back against his chest. I had been huddled forward over my knees, and the movement unbalanced me. I flailed out automatically, and Gage caught me; folding my arms across my stomach. He started to hum softly as used a washcloth to soap up my body.
It was the music that finally broke through to me.
“Fuck,” I moaned as I leaned forward again and covered my face with my hands.
Gage followed me; wrapping me in his arms. I wove my arms around his and pulled him in even tighter as I shivered through the reactions that were finally surfacing. I had been in denial during the event, then Gage made it through, and all I could feel was relief. I needed to deal with the other emotions that I'd pushed away; the fear, panic, and pain.
I had nearly lost Torin once, but that had been to his own stupidity, not death. Still, losing him had torn me to pieces. If it hadn't been for Declan and Banning, I might have lost my damn mind along with him. Of course, if it hadn't been for Declan, I wouldn't have broken up with Torin, to begin with. No; that wasn't fair. If Declan hadn't been there, I would have slept with someone else, and that would have been far worse.
Focus, Elaria.
I blinked as I brought myself back to the present. This had been a whole new level of heartache; one that would never have ended. I'd listened to Banning talk about the pain of going on without me many times, and I'd sympathized with him, but I never understood it until today. How he had continued to live and gone on to build his own gura is beyond me. But then Banning had been surviving on fury; he lived specifically to get vengeance on Cosmina—the blooder who had killed me when I was Fortune. Fury can be very sustaining.
But this empty feeling... I shook my head and shivered as I tried to work through it and not just push it aside. It was hell, and I was only dealing with a taste of it. Gage was alive—there was nothing for me to mourn—and still, I was so deeply affected that I knew I could never lose one of them. It would end me.
Then we shall guard them well, my lady, Kyanite said sweetly. For I cannot lose you either.
I sobbed more to hear his kind words, but with the sobbing came a wonderful release. All of the horror seeped away, and I could think straight again. There; I just needed to feel them so I could leave them behind. Gage turned his face toward mine questioningly, and I nodded. He leaned back so I could look at him.
“I'm okay,” I said in a steady voice. “Sorry about that.”
“You're sorry that you love me so much that the close call we had today nearly made you catatonic?” He asked with a smile. “Cause I'm not.”
“Gee, thanks,” I muttered.
“Elaria, I wasn't kidding when I said I would kill myself if you died,” Gage went serious. “You are everything; everything good and bad in my life.”
“Everything bad?” I frowned at him.
“Because if you go, bad things are all that's left for me,” he whispered. “There will be no more happiness; not even the smallest glimpse of it. The lack of you in the world will make it uninhabitable for me. Griffins who have tried to live past the death of their mates have gone mad, Ellie. That is simply the way we're built. I cannot love you without you becoming my savior and my scourge.”
“Oh,” I whispered.
“I've lived my life expecting to have that with my mate,” Gage went on. “And expecting her to feel the same way for me. It was one of the things I sacrificed to be with you. I knew that you would never love me the same way that I love you.”
“That's—”
“Not true,” he finished for me with a brilliant smile. “I know; I saw it just now. You love me like a griffin, and it has turned a horrifying day into a blessing. I'm so grateful to have nearly died.”
“Gage,” I whispered before I leaned over and kissed him. “I understand now.”
Strong hands slid over my hips and lifted me. Water splashed violently as I broke our kiss momentarily to turn over and straddle him. There was no working up to it; we both needed to connect immediately. I reached between us and angled him inside. With a violent slam, Gage slid home, and we both growled with satisfaction.
I gripped his shoulders tight and began a steady tempo; sending water splashing across the window and onto the floor. Neither of us cared. The panic that his near-death had brought on had turned into passion; a need to prove that Gage was still very much alive. I gloried in that life; my hands sliding up the thick column of his throat to thread my fingers through his hair. I pulled his head back and took his neck between my teeth; flicking his pulse with my tongue. There it was; the rush of blood that meant life, the evidence of his survival. I let it go and licked at the mark I'd made.
Gage cried out violently and held me to him tightly as he thrust upwards. I set my knees into a steadier stance and just held firm against his wild motions. Then he lifted me again; setting me over the lip of the tub. Gage spread my legs quickly and slid into me from behind before he laid over my back and slid his hands down my arms; to spread them out to either side and lay them flat against the tiled platform beneath his own. Gage wove our fingers together before he drove himself deeper inside me.
“Forever, Ellie,” Gage whispered in my ear. “It means so much more now.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Gage and I slept tangled together, and when morning flowed through the windows, we sighed awake contentedly. I looked up into his sun-streaked, golden eyes and smiled. Gold meant arousal for Gage. It also meant that we wouldn't be leaving my bed for at least another hour.
When we finally made it downstairs to my private dining room, we found Banning, Torin, and Declan already breaking their fast at the table.
You look much better,” Torin said to me as he stood.
Torin gave me a quick kiss and a smile before pulling out a chair for me.
“I just needed a good night's rest,” I said.
Gage chuckled. “If you call that resting, I don't know if I'll survive this relationship.”
“No jokes about death today,” I said sternly.
“Yes, Ma'am.” Gage gave me a soft look before he took his seat.
“We're all grateful that you're still with us, Gage,” Declan said. “And I think we've learned from this experience. We need to be more careful when we pursue an enemy. We've grown too secure in our power, and that confidence nearly killed one of us yesterday.”
We stared grimly at each other.
“Right; be more careful,” I noted. “Maybe we should start wearing armor too.”
“That's not such a bad idea,” Torin said with a look of epiphany sent Declan's way.
“I'm not walking around in a tin can.” I grimaced at the men. “It was just a joke.”
“Armor can be many things,” Declan said mysteriously. “Shining Ones have experimented with the creation of armor since we first learned the art of war.”
“Okay; what are y
ou really talking about?” I asked him.
“There is one particular piece of armor that was worn by the Gold Queen during one of our first wars,” Torin answered for Declan, but Declan nodded in agreement. “She united half the realm under her command, and it became clear that she needed to be stopped.”
“Just the piece I was thinking of,” Declan confirmed. “Queen Farina needed protection at all times, so she worked with her most powerful allies, and together they created the Golden Girdle.”
“A girdle,” I whined. “Come on; I don't need a girdle.”
“Girdle is another word for a belt,” Declan said.
“She knows.” Gage chuckled as he looked pointedly at me with a smirk. “She's just teasing you.”
“Is the twenty-four hour Gage-coddling period up yet?” Declan asked. “I have something particularly scathing to say.”
“Not yet,” Gage said smugly. “You promised to hold your tongue until tonight.”
“Yes, but I said that in a different timezone,” Declan argued. “I believe it may already be tonight in Egypt.”
“Can we get back to the armor?” Banning asked in exasperation.
“Yes; of course.” Declan cleared his throat. “The Golden Girdle made Queen Farina indestructible. At first, that was wonderful; at least for her allies and her. But then the Shining Ones realized that no single person should be invincible; especially not one who wanted to rule all of Tír na nÓg.”
“The belt was taken from her and locked away,” Torin concluded.
“How did they get it from her if she was invincible?” Banning asked.
“Her lover betrayed her,” Torin said grimly. “He convinced her to remove it while they were together, and when she was vulnerable, he killed her.”
“Fuck,” I hissed. “That's cold.”
“It was a horrible burden. Thean knew that Farina had to die,” Declan said. “He loved her, but he loved his people even more. He thought that if he did the deed, at least he could make sure that it was quick.”