A Harmony of Hearts: Reverse Harem Siren Romance (Spellsinger Book 3) Page 19

  “So, that was the urge you felt to leave,” Amaron said to Gage. “It was the draw of your mate.”

  “Yes, it was.” Gage gave me a quelling look.

  Right; so we weren't mentioning the love spell. Got it. I hoped we weren't mentioning my other spell either, not unless we absolutely had to.

  “I'm also the target of these monster abductions,” I added.

  “The target?” Amaron scowled. “How can abductions be... oh. Are you saying that someone stole the beasts to send them after you?”

  “After people I care for,” I corrected. “The thief has been leaving me taunting messages.”

  “We shall help you hunt this enemy,” Amaron declared grandly.

  “Thank you, but it's not that simple.”

  “Elaria doesn't know who this enemy is,” Gage explained. “She's made her fair share of them.”

  “Haven't we all.” Amaron grimaced. “That's why you're here? To look at our evidence?”

  I nodded.

  “And I wanted the family to meet my mate,” Gage added. “So that you'll understand why I may be leaving Torr-Chathair.”

  “Leaving the Torr-Chathair?” Both Amaron and I asked together.

  “Well, I must be with my mate,” Gage huffed, then looked to me. “Don't you want me with you? I assumed that you wouldn't want to live here.”

  “Of course I want you with me,” I fumbled for words, “but you have the ability to travel between realms; there's no need for you to give up your family.”

  “Not entirely, no,” Gage amended. “But I will live with you.”

  “Oh, okay then,” I whispered. “I'm glad that's settled.”

  So stupid, but I hadn't thought of the consequences of bonding with Gage. Declan and Banning had their own homes and heaps of responsibilities, but Gage had nowhere to go in the Human Realm, and it looked as if he had nothing keeping him in Torr-Chathair.

  “Is that a problem?” Gage asked.

  “Of course not,” I said immediately. “I have more than enough room for you. I just don't want you changing your entire life for me.”

  “Wise and just,” Amaron agreed. “You've been given a good mate; listen to her.”

  “We'll talk about this later, Father,” Gage said firmly. “For now, let's concentrate on finding Elaria's enemy.”

  “Who is our enemy as well,” Amaron agreed. “They have stolen from us and attacked my son's mate. This is not acceptable. Don't worry, Elaria; whoever is doing this; they're as good as dead.”

  “Thank you,” I said sincerely.

  Vivian had said that with a griffin on your side, the war was as good as won. Now, it looked as if I had a whole tribe of griffins to help me.

  “Of course.” Amaron nodded. “But before we head down to the site of the abductions, I must introduce you to my mate. She will turn into a harpy if she discovers that you arrived and I took you to see evidence before her. Along the way, you can tell me how it is that you recognized me.”

  Amaron strode out of the cave. I made to follow him, but Gage stopped me.

  “My life has already changed, Elaria,” he whispered ardently. “Entirely. It was altered the moment I heard you sing.”

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Amaron took us through hallways carved out of solid stone, large enough to allow giants to pass through without hunching. The rock walls were unadorned and polished, but the floor was rough and gouged in places. As we walked, I told Amaron about Vivian and his feather. He smiled brilliantly and asked after her, but then caught a disapproving look from Gage.

  “I'd be grateful if you didn't mention the Lady Vivian to my wife,” Amaron said to me. “She's a sore subject.”

  “So I shouldn't talk about how stunningly beautiful Vivian is?” I teased. “Or how she's a powerful witch elder?”

  “Please don't,” Amaron groaned.

  “No problem; I got you.” I chuckled.

  After experiencing the cave entrance to the Saeiqa village, I'd expected Gage's people to be living within the mountain. But the formation turned out to be more than just a mountain; it was a massive crater. Basically, the griffins lived in an extinct volcano. Sheer peaks surrounded the griffin town, serving as both protection and vantage points; a natural fortress. The volcanic soil was also rich in nutrients and crops thrived within the crater. It was the perfect place to build a village. Amaron was still explaining it all to me as we came out onto another ledge, giving us a spectacular view of everything he'd been describing.

  Saeiqa Village was more modern than I'd expected. Grand, stone palaces were nestled amid patches of woods and croplands, with a paved courtyard in the center of town. A waterfall poured over a cliff at the opposite end of the basin from us, adding some moisture to the air. The falls fed a pool which became a stream that ran the length of the valley. If valley was even the correct word. I feel like “crater” is too misleading; it makes you think of black rock and smelly steam. This was as far from that as you could get; a tropical haven.

  We ambled down a sloping road, right into an orchard. The scent of ripening fruit made my stomach growl; we'd forgotten to eat breakfast. Gage picked an orange-skinned fruit off a nearby tree and handed it to me.

  “You can eat the skin,” he said. “There's no need to peel it.”

  I took a bite, and sticky-sweet juice poured over my tongue. I giggled as it dripped down my chin.

  “It's called a ranbun,” Gage said with an indulgent smile.

  “It's like a cross between a mango and an apple.” I took another bite of the firm flesh and licked my fingers.

  “That's a good description.” Amaron nodded.

  “I didn't see a huge amount of buildings,” I noted to Amaron. “Does each home house a large group, or is your tribe small?”

  “We aren't an abundant race,” Amaron said without regret, “and we had to split into tribes in order to guard the planet. The Saeiqa Tribe is just over a hundred in number.”

  “Is there a reason for that?” I asked. “The small numbers, I mean.”

  “We mate for life, and generally have only one clutch.” Amaron shrugged. “Gage is one of three children.”

  “You have siblings?” I asked Gage with interest.

  “Two brothers.” Gage nodded.

  “My mate laments the lack of females in our clutch,” Amaron said with a smirk. “But she's proud of our sons; they're all strong griffins.”

  “I'm sure they are,” I murmured.

  “Finteren is mated,” Gage said, “but Rentar is still at home with us.”

  “He will be upset to hear that you've beaten him in finding a mate.” Amaron laughed then looked to me. “You know how brothers are.”

  “I can imagine the rivalry between brother griffins.” I grimaced.

  “It's good for them,” Amaron said with a grin, “makes them stronger.”

  “I used to wish for siblings,” I murmured.

  Gage gave me a curious look.

  “Growing up on an island, without other children, was rough.” I shrugged. “It would have been nice to have someone to play with.”

  “I'm sure your parents did their best by you,” Amaron said generously.

  “They absolutely did,” I agreed. “Don't get me wrong; I had a wonderful childhood. I just didn't have a lot of social interaction until after I was able to control my magic.”

  “Ah, then your parents made the right decision,” Amaron said approvingly. “Better to keep you and everyone else safe.”

  “Safe is good.” I tossed the ranbun pit into the woods we were emerging from. “But it's not very fun.”

  Gage sent me a commiserating grin and took my hand as we headed down a cobblestone road. We came upon a few people as we got further into the village, and they all stopped to stare at us in surprise. Some tried to speak to Amaron about me, but he held up a hand and declared that they'd be introduced to me later; Lady Sashaena came first. That shut them all up, but they continued to watch us like hawks... or griff
ins, I suppose.

  “You have such unique names,” I observed as we turned down a dirt lane. “Amaron, Finteren, Rentar, Sashaena, and then you have Gage? It sounds so human.”

  Gage grimaced as his father laughed.

  “What I say?” I asked.

  “We all shorten our names with each other, but Gage refuses to allow the use of his given name at all. He doesn't like it,” Amaron said. “I have no idea why; Gagerian is a noble name. There was a King Gagerian once.”

  “Gagerian,” I rolled the word around in my mouth as Gage rolled his eyes.

  “I told you, Father,” Gage huffed, “it sounds like an old scholar—Professor Gagerian.”

  “And Gage sounds like an action instead of a name,” Amaron pointed out.

  I chuckled and squeezed Gage's hand supportively. “Either way sounds good to me.”

  “Thank you, but let's stick to Gage.”

  “All right, honey,” I agreed.

  “'Honey' works too.” Gage nodded.

  “Sasha is going to be over the moon.” Amaron chuckled as he added another nickname to the mix.

  We came out into a landscaped clearing bordered by flowerbeds and adorned with a gazing pool. A snowy-stoned palace ruled over it all with a welcoming veranda stretching before it. A woman came rushing out onto the veranda and down the steps. She had long, golden hair, an athletic body, and a grin that went right up into her green eyes; Gage's eyes.

  “Gagerian!” She cried and ran to hug her son. “I've missed you!”

  “It's been less than a week, Mother.” Gage sighed, but he also smiled as he hugged her.

  “You've never been gone longer than a day,” she complained as she pulled away. “I...” she stopped, inhaled deeply, and turned unerringly in my direction. “Who is this?” She whispered.

  “This is Elaria Tanager.” Gage drew me forward. “She's a spellsinger whose assistance was integral to sending the olgoi khorkhoi and the chupacabras home. We're working together on the abductions.”

  “And she's...” Gage's mother looked back at him with hope in her eyes. “She's yours?”

  “And she's my mate,” Gage confirmed proudly.

  “A spellsinger mate,” Sashaena whispered. “I knew you were special, Gagerian. I knew it the instant you pecked that first hole in your shell and then stared so serenely out at me. I saw the flicker of greatness in your eyes.” She stroked his cheek lovingly.

  “Mother, please,” Gage groaned, “not the 'staring through the shell' story again.”

  “It's a good story, and mothers always cling to the tale of the children's hatching.” She kissed her son and then came over to hug me. “Welcome home, Daughter. You have lifted a weight from my wings and allowed me to soar with happiness.”

  I may have teared up a bit. It was such a kind, open acceptance. I had known that I wouldn't be rejected because of Amaron's initial response, but Sashaena was weeping with joy as she held me. That was a little overwhelming. She reminded me of my mom.

  “Mother, don't smother her,” Gage said gently.

  “I just want her to feel at home,” Sashaena chided her son. “She is the first non-griffin mate, and that must be scary for her.”

  “Elaria isn't scared of anything,” Gage scoffed... and got one step closer to my heart.

  “I'm Sashaena.” Gage's mother released me to shake my hand. “But you can call me 'Mother,' or if that is too uncomfortable for you, please call me 'Sasha.'”

  “Let's start with 'Sasha.'” I smiled. “My mother has yet to meet Gage, so I don't feel right giving you her title quite yet.”

  “I understand.” She nodded and then gave me a smirk. “So, we are the first parents to know?”

  “It's because I called Gage home to see the evidence.” Amaron slipped an arm around his wife's waist. “Don't go roaring on about it.”

  “Regardless”—Sasha sniffed—“as the first parents to know of their union, we have responsibilities.”

  “What responsibilities?” Amaron started to look uneasy.

  “To introduce the couple to our people, and celebrate their mating in grand fashion,” Sasha said sternly.

  “Oh, of course.” Amaron beamed at Gage and me. “There's always time for celebration. But I've already delayed our children from their mission. Make the preparations, mate”—he let go of Sasha to slap her ass—“and I will take them to see the evidence.”

  “You slap me like that again, Ama,” Sasha growled, “and the only thing I'll be preparing for is your last meal.”

  Amaron paled.

  “It was my greatest pleasure to meet you, Elaria,” Sasha sweetened her tone for me. “I'm sorry about my mate. Griffins believe in equality of the sexes, I assure you. It's just that sometimes the lion in them needs to exert his dominance.”

  “I'll try to remember that.” I pressed my lips together to keep from laughing at Amaron.

  “Simply stand your ground, and they will remember that the lion may be the protector of the pride, but the lioness is the greater hunter,” she advised. “If they want to eat, they better damn well show us some respect. And if that doesn't work, you remind them of the other hunger you can satisfy.”

  “Mom!” Gage was horrified.

  “Standing my ground won't be a problem,” I said smugly.

  “I didn't think it would be.” Sasha winked at me.

  “Sashaena,” Amaron groaned.

  “I'll see you later, my little birds,” she ignored Amaron and Gage as she sashayed back into her palace like the queen she obviously was.

  My grin faded.

  “Come along; it's this way.” Amaron brightened as soon as the threat of his mate was gone. He started leading us back down the lane.

  “What's wrong?” Gage whispered to me.

  “Nothing,” I whispered back and tried to smile.

  I wasn't about to tell him that Torin's favorite endearment for me was “little bird.” That would make things awkward. I focused instead on how perfect a griffin was for me—a woman descended from sirens, who were also part bird. Birds of a feather flock together. I may not be of the same feather, but I had avian DNA, and that was enough to make me feel a kinship.

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Amaron took us to the other end of the village; an even longer trip than it should have been because we were stopped every few feet by curious griffins who wanted to meet Gage's mate. Gage had been right; all it took was a stiff breeze to announce to the whole damn place that we were together.

  I had expected there to be at least a couple griffins who were opposed the idea of Gage mating someone outside his race, but I was wrong. Every one of them was ecstatic to hear of Gage's spellsinger mate. They saw it as fresh, strong blood flowing into the gene pool... which they made very clear to me with their repeated questions on how I felt about having a clutch of baby griffins. I admit that made me nervous. It was hard enough to think about having babies with my unusual life, but to contemplate laying eggs was not something I was ready for... nor would I ever be.

  “I doubt our children will be born in the griffin manner,” Gage whispered to me after I replied to yet another hatchling question. “Your body will no doubt carry a baby in the way of humans.”

  “Is my apprehension that obvious?” I asked.

  “No.” He pulled me to his side and kissed my cheek. “But after the way, you responded to the description of my birth, and then your stilted answers to my tribe, I assumed.”

  “Yeah, I don't relish the idea of pushing out an egg,” I admitted. “No offense, but that kind of grosses me out.”

  Gage laughed and then said, “Children are a long way off. Let's save those concerns for later.”

  “Oh, thank Persephone,” I groaned. “I was worried that you were going to start pestering me for a clutch.”

  “I think we are meant to be more than mates, Elaria.” Gage went serious. “I told you that this feels like destiny to me, and I know that Vivian said something similar to you, but what I haven't
mentioned is that I think our destiny may be to unite more than our lives. I believe we are meant to merge our strengths.”

  “Merge our strengths?” I blinked, thinking about how the spell had united Declan, Banning, and I when we fought King Sorin.

  “I was born a guardian, and so were you.” He tapped my nose. “You just didn't know it until now.”

  “I swear; you save the realms one time, and everyone thinks you're a champion,” I grumbled jokingly.