by Cree Storm
Illan turned his full attention to Suneth as he stepped onto the curb, his hand outstretched. Illan released Justice’s hand and grasped Suneth’s as the two shook in greeting. “Illan. It’s good to see you again.”
“You as well. Thank you all for coming. I hope you’re hungry, I had Twix set up a nice brunch for us all for our meeting.”
“We could eat,” the one Illan thinks was named Ozcog replied.
“You all just attacked my kitchen and pretty much wiped me out,” York said as he and Timmy joined them.
“That was like an hour ago, dude. We’re growing boys,” Juddan said. “Surely as a dragon yourself, you also need lots of calories to keep that fine body going.”
Timmy’s face turned angry as he growled at his friend and reached out to strike him, but York pulled him back tight against his side. “Mine,” Timmy growled.
“Easy there, tiger. I know the dragon is yours and I wouldn’t dream of mate poaching. But you must admit, you got yourself one fine looking man there,” Juddan replied.
Timmy gave Juddan a big smile. “Yes, I know.” Then Timmy cuddled closer to York as he stuck out his tongue at Juddan.
Suneth laughed at the two as he shook his head. “Okay, you two. Timmy, before we head in to our meeting and some food, would you please be so kind as to point me toward my crown.”
Timmy smiled at Suneth then chuckled. “I can’t believe no one has seen it. I can’t believe you can’t see it, Sunny.”
“What do you mean?” Suneth asked as he turned to look down Main Street to where Town Hall stood. “You said at the tallest point in Crystal but I don’t see it there.” Suneth turned back to face Timmy.
“That’s because that is not the highest point in Crystal. That is,” Timmy stated and pointed up.
Everyone turned to look where he was pointing. Illan’s eyes opened wide in surprise as he heard a few gasps around him.
“Holy shit. It’s been sitting there all this time and no one has ever realized?” Jett said.
There, sitting on the top of Twixie’s roof, on the front façade that had a point sticking up high in the center, sat a light gray stone crown with a jewel in the center.
“I always thought it was just a part of the building,” Rhys said, staring at it.
“Me too. When we had the place remodeled for Twix we just assumed it was part of the place and left it there,” Finn replied.
Suneth turned a smiling face toward Timmy. “The tallest point. As in an actual point. You are so brilliant, Timothy. And you are right. If we had come to Crystal, that is where I would have perched. Thank you.” Suneth stretched his arms out wide to his sides and suddenly he lifted off the ground. He floated higher, until he reached the crown, then grasped it with one hand, sliding it up over the tip, freeing it. He then began to slowly lower back toward them. Once his feet touched the ground, Suneth placed the crown on his head. His eyes closed as he inhaled quickly. Illan could feel the power that rolled through the crown and into the gargoyle king.
A minute later Suneth opened his eyes and smiled. “Now that my crown has been returned and I am at full power, me and my chimera are ready to join you.”
CHAPTER 11
Everyone made their way into Twixie's. The pixie prince was running around filling coffees as Pascal helped serve tables.
"Nugget, I know you are struggling with this, but we need to put your babies to rest," York said sympathetically.
Timmy sniffled holding his nest close to his chest. "I'm not ready to say goodbye yet, Yorkie. Please don't make me."
"I would never make you do anything you don't want to do. When you're ready we will bury them together," York replied softly.
King Suneth stood next to York and Timmy. "We will all be with you when you're ready."
Timmy sniffled, lightly petting his eggs. "Thank you, Sunny."
"Damn this place is hopping, and damn, Jett isn't the only sexy specimen to be seen," Ozcog said, looking at Twix.
Finn snarled, "If you plan on keeping your dick and balls where they are and not shoved up your own ass, I suggest you take your eyes off my mate."
"And I have warned you about even peaking at mine!" Zev hissed.
Juddan raised his hands high. "Hey, a man can appreciate. No harm, no foul."
"There will be great bodily harm if I hear one more word about Jett," Zev said menacingly.
"Or if I catch you ogling my mate’s ass again," Finn hissed.
"Hey! Stand down, Zev. That goes for you too, Finn," Illan ordered making his way to the back area reserved for all of them.
Timmy didn't like fighting. It always made him nervous when people were upset with each other.
Day, Ethan, and Angelo snickered in the background as Morgan scanned the outside from his seat looking out of the window.
"Hey there, little one. That is one awesome bike you have," Jett said with a big smile.
All reservations disappeared as he smiled widely and with pride. "Thank you, Jett. It was a gift from my chimera years ago. It's my favorite color."
Pascal came rushing to Timmy. "Hi, Timmy! I'm surprised to see you here."
Timmy gasped and hugged his new friend. "Pascal! I thought that was you, but I wasn't sure. All these big lugs kinda block my view. What are you doing here? I thought you would be at the council building?"
Shaking his head, Pas replied, "Nah, Dain gave me the day off so I could visit with my brother. Toby is the cook. Things got really busy so I told Twix I'd give him a hand." Pascal jiggled Timmy's sunglasses. "I see you're still using these. Are they helping?"
"I don't know I haven't had a reason to try them out yet. I just figured, better safe than sorry," Timmy replied.
"Very true," Pascal said just as a rapid ping, ping, ping of a bell sounded.
"Are you coming to join us?" Timmy asked.
Pascal smiled, shaking his head. "No, that bell is Toby's not so subtle way of telling me to get my butt moving. It would be helpful if Ollie would get his lead butt up and help out as well."
Ollie blinked, trying to look innocent but failing miserably. "Bro, you have the day off. I, however, am working here."
Pascal snorted, "Working on my nerves maybe."
"Okay, maybe we can get together soon? Well, in a couple of days because my mate is off for three and we're spending today with my chimera, then Yorkie and I are going shopping and he's getting me a phone and everything," Timmy said with pride.
The ping, ping, ping of the bell sounded again. Pascal turned while yelling, "Toby, ring that bell one more time and you will be able to ring it by clenching your butt cheeks." Turning back to Timmy, Pascal smiled once again. "Before you leave I'll give you my number. Call me and we can arrange for a good time to get together. I'd love to hang out with my new best friend."
Nodding Timmy looked up at his mate. "Did you hear that, Yorkie. Pascal is my best friend."
York smiled wide, looking at Pascal with a tenderness he didn't normally share with others. "Yes, I did, Timmy, and I couldn't be happier for you both."
Pascal waved and went back to helping Twix as everyone took their seats. York sat and pulled Timmy onto his lap.
Timmy really liked how cuddly his Yorkie was. However, it was a little hard getting comfortable with something poking his butt. Wiggling to try and find a better spot, York grasped his hips tightly, hissing, "Nugget, can you please not move around like that?"
"Sorry, Yorkie, but something's poking me," Timmy said quietly.
Everyone at the table snickered, snorted, or coughed. Jett burst out laughing. "I have that problem myself in the mornings with Zev. I find that if I wiggle around it’s soon taken care of."
Timmy tried wiggling more, but Yorkie held his hips in place. "Yorkie, Jett said──"
"Jett is going to find it hard to take care of that problem if he doesn't stop giving advice. It's hard to wiggle an ass you no longer have. Nugget, what you are feeling is my response to you and why don't we leave it like that," York rep
lied with a strained smile.
Timmy thought about what his mate said and then gasped, "Oh! Pooper scooper. I'm sorry, Yorkie."
York kissed Timmy's cheek. "Nugget, there is nothing to be sorry for. Now, let's listen to Illan and the others so we can figure out what to do about Fallon and stopping him from attacking Crystal."
Timmy gave a sharp nod, set his nest on the table, then looked at Illan, saying, "Okay, Lonny what's the plan?"
Illan smiled back at Timmy affectionately. "We are waiting for Destrain and ──"
Destrain rushed in with Dain, Rune, and Kerrick following closely behind. "Wait no more, we are finally here. I had a bit of trouble getting those three to get a move on."
Jett snickered, "Oh, they were getting their move on, alright. Dain, your zipper's down."
Dain's cheeks pinkened. Zipping his pants, he said, "Well, a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do."
"And we did it more than once," Kerrick said wiggling his brows.
Ollie snorted, "And trust me, they do it often. I'm thinking of selling tickets to all the shows I keep walking in on."
"I thought you said sex was private?" Timmy asked in confusion.
Rune smacked his mate on the arm, saying, "It is supposed to be, Timmy."
Kerrick shrugged. "Hey, I got laid by my sexy mates. I'm not ashamed to say it loud and proud."
"Aren't you supposed to be a king or something? Shouldn’t you have a bit more restraint and decorum from that chatter box you call a mouth?" Dain asked sarcastically.
Kerrick laughed. "Be happy I didn't go into detail."
"If you like, I can do that, you know, go into detail, for Kerrick, after the meeting. Trust me, when I say they go at it often I am not exaggerating, and with all the screaming and talking they do, I can give you a blow by blow. Pun intended." Ollie said with a roll of his eyes.
"Okay, everyone. We need to get serious here. Fallon is supposed to be executing an attack on us at eleven tonight. We need a strategic plan to stop him from hurting and killing everyone in his path," Illan stated with slight impatience.
Angelo cleared his throat, getting everyone's attention. "Um, it might be a good idea to remember that I am still working on the time thing, Illan."
Nodding, Illan replied, "Yes, Angelo we know, however, I have no doubt that this attack is coming. I don't understand why he has chosen this location, but it's imperative we do what we can to stop him from succeeding in whatever his goal is."
"I believe I know what it is he is after," King Suneth practically snarled.
"What?" Illan asked.
Pointing to his head, King Suneth said, "My crown. I think he found out somehow that my crown was here."
"What does your crown have to do with anything?" Justice asked.
King Suneth looked uncomfortable about revealing his reasoning, until Timmy said, "Sunny, Lonny and the others are good people. They won't take it from you. Lonny won't let them."
"Lonny?" Finn asked in confusion.
Jett snickered, "Oh yes, Lonny is very strong and powerful. He will protect us all. You know that, brother. Ouch, damn it, Zev, that hurt."
"Then stop teasing Illan before you end up landscaping all of Crystal," Zev warned.
"People, we need to focus. Where is Ezra? Shouldn't he and Nick be here?" Justice asked looking around.
"Nick, Wyndingo, and Wyn's team are watching over Maddox while we are here. We weren't comfortable leaving it unattended in case Fallon somehow slipped a false vision to Angelo and attacked Maddox instead," Destrain explained.
"Ezra is having some serious troubles at the new town he and his coven are trying to make livable. It was a real ghost town, and water and electricity have been a bitch keeping on and running. I thought for sure he would──"
"Shit! Be back in a second," Dain hissed, disappearing into a portal.
Seconds later he walked back in with a tall, very well-built man with short black hair and piercing blue eyes. The man was very good looking and even the large scar running down the right side of his face didn't take away from the man's beauty.
Timmy gasped as he stared at the man.
"Nugget, it isn't polite to stare," York whispered in his mate's ear.
Timmy looked up at his mate, saying, "But he's hurt. Maybe I can help?"
The man drew back, but his voice remained low and gentle, "Thank you, little one, but I am fine."
"But you're hurt," Timmy said again with concern.
York drew his mate in closer, saying, "Nugget, Orion was hurt a long time ago. Let's not make the man uncomfortable."
Timmy looked confused. "But──"
"Let it go, nugget, and let's focus on why we're here," York said gently.
Sighing, Timmy nodded. "Okay, Yorkie. Do you want to sit next to my mate and me? I'm not going to use it and maybe we can become friends like Pascal and I have. I mean, he's my best friend, but you can be my other best friend if you want? Well, Lonny is kinda like a best friend, but he's a really important man. Not that you're not, but I don't know you, maybe you are. I──"
York could tell that Timmy was worried he had angered Orion. "Nugget, relax, Orion isn't upset with you."
Orion raised a brow at York then looked back at Timmy. York knew the man was trying to figure his mate out, but Timmy was like no one the man would ever meet. Yorkie kissed his mate's cheek and nodded to Orion.
"Orion, it's good to see you. Destrain was just telling us that the renovations to your town are not going well. Are you sure there is nothing we can do to help?" Illan asked.
Shaking his head, Orion replied, "Things are going slower then we’d like, but they are our problems and we prefer to take care of ourselves. Thank you for asking. Ezra tells me that Fallon is threatening Crystal and offers any assistance he can to help in the situation."
"King Suneth thinks that Fallon may be coming to try and obtain his crown. He was just about to tell us why," Justice replied.
Orion zeroed in on the king in question. His eyes widened. "You wear the jewel of resistance. I thought it a myth."
"What the hell?" Illan, Destrain, and Justice exclaimed at the same time.
York had no clue what the hell the vamp was talking about, and it seemed like many of the others were just as confused.
"Maybe for the rest of us clueless beings someone might give us a clue as to what the fuck a jewel of resistance is?" Jett asked in frustration.
Snickering Ollie said, "It sounds like it's something Twix would serve." Then in a deep French accent, Ollie said, "Come to Twixie's, we will make you the jewel of resistance, oui oui."
Illan ignored Ollie, never stopped looking at King Suneth. "I haven't heard the story since my childhood. My father would tell it to me at night, as a bed time story. It was a story of honor and reward. Centuries ago, there was a young maiden woman that caught the eye of a great Sioux warrior, destined to be chief. He began to court her as per tribal custom, but no matter how hard she tried, the woman couldn't find it within herself to feel for the warrior as he did for her. One day, the shaman asked her to gather herbs for healing. It was an odd request, but one she readily agreed to do."
"My mother said that her father was a Shaman and he often had her gathering healing plants," Justice softly stated.
Shrugging, Illan said, "I have no idea, my father said otherwise, but your mother could be right as well."
"Okay, whatever, get on with it, I want to hear the rest," Jett quickly said.
Everyone looked at him, Jett shrugged. "I love a romantic tale, what can I say? Like you guys don't want to know what happened."
Ollie snorted, "Uh, not on my top ten, Jett."
Zev kissed his mate on the forehead, saying, "I love your romantic side."
Jett giggled, "You love all my sides, especially my back side."
"Okay, eww," Ollie muttered.
"Her father wasn't the shaman, but the shaman had a vision the night before, which is why she was sent to gather the healing plants," King
Suneth stated quietly.
When the others looked in his direction, the king continued where Illan had left off. "While out, the young squaw ran into a white man. She was scared, yet intrigued. The man was said to have been the most handsome man she had ever seen. The two began to talk and the woman found herself drawn more and more to him. She would go gathering herbs every day and the two would meet, they quickly fell in love. She was fearful that the warrior from her tribe would find out and hurt the man. She told him this and how she suspected the man would soon offer a bride price to her father and she would be forced to marry the warrior, per their custom. He begged her to go away with him, but she refused. They quickly became lovers."
"An Indian woman, losing her virginity, not to a husband, could be reason to shun her if not outright excommunicate her from her tribe," Morgan stated in surprise.
Nodding, King Suneth stated, "Yes, and in others they didn't care. However, in this tribe she did risk banishment and possibly death because he was a white man."
"Can we please stop interrupting, I want to know how the stone thing came into existence," Jett practically whined.
"The Jewel of resistance.," Finn corrected.
Jett turned to his brother, hissing, "Keep it up, bro and I won't be able to resist shoving that crown up your──"
Illan held up his hand. "Enough you two."
"The stone came into existence when the woman realized she was pregnant," Justice stated.
"Oh snap! Can't hide that for long," Ollie said with a scoff at the end.
King Suneth looked at the young fox, saying, "Very true, Oliver."
Jett snickered, "Oliver."
"It is my name, Jett," Ollie said drolly.
"Can I please have some more?" Jett laughed out in his best English accent.
"Would you two shut it?" Illan hissed.
"Sorry," Both men said at once.
The king continued. "She didn't tell anyone at first, but soon the women of the tribe noticed her being sick and not eating and those that were jealous of the warrior's interest in her, went to him, telling the man of their suspicions. When she didn't deny her situation, the young woman was banished from her tribe. She went looking for her lover. It took her until dusk to find him. She was telling him what happened and why, when arrows shot through the air and hit both of them. When the great warrior and his friends went to go and finish the job, a large beast appeared from the trees. He attacked the tribe members, killing the warrior and all but one of his friends."