AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Who died and made you funny?”
Eldon chuckles beside me and Raven smirks as her cheeks redden under Creed’s gaze.
“I can be funny,” he grumbles, shouldering past me to place himself next to Raven, and I glare at him.
Motherfucker.
“No, you can’t. Don’t bullshit the bullshitter.” I nudge him with my shoulder as Raven giggles, making me relent.
Stepping out into the mid-afternoon sun, I’m ready to kick back, relax, and spend some much-needed downtime with my girl.
“Hey, I have to go and find my father, but I already know that a meeting has been confirmed for tonight. Ten o’clock. Do you want me to come get you guys or meet you at the steps again?” Leila casually asks like she didn’t just spoil my nighttime plans. I may be able to spend some time with Raven, but now this will be hanging over our heads.
“Come get us. Or we can come to you? Don’t go out there on your own. It’s not safe,” Raven answers, and Leila shrugs.
“I’ve done just fine so far,” she muses. “But sure, I’ll stop by your house twenty minutes before ten so we’re not late. And don’t worry, I’ll mention the compound to my father too,” she adds before heading off without a backward glance.
The five of us continue toward our house, but instead of our usual formation around Raven, we hunch together a little closer. The fact that Brax doesn’t take off in front like usual instantly tells me there’s something on his mind.
“Spit it out, big man,” Raven sings, giving the gargoyle a pointed look.
“Are we trusting her now?”
Raven rubs her lips together in thought. “Honestly, I don’t know. I’m not declaring myself a good person, and I definitely don’t have all of the answers. I’m just taking her at face value right now. She hasn’t done anything shady since revealing herself in the Guild and I can use all of the allies I can get. Especially when I have Sebastian and Genie making plays at me.” I nod in understanding while Brax doesn’t reply.
He’s far more black and white and definitely more cutthroat. If it were his friend, Leila would have been cut off by now, potentially even dead. I’m surprised he hasn’t invaded her mind, despite what Raven said.
“It sounds like a plan to me,” Eldon states, and tension eases in Raven’s shoulders.
“I hope so.”
Silence blankets the five of us as we continue down the path, the crowd thinning out the further we go. The second the front door clicks shut behind us, I sigh in relief that we’re cut off from the rest of the world. Even if it is just for a little while.
“What’s the plan for the next couple of hours?” Raven asks, stepping further into the room before turning to face us.
“Seeing if my dick fits in your pussy as snug as a glove?” I offer, and she smirks, but Creed clears his throat, ruining my chances as he points toward the patio doors at the back of the house.
“I have a feeling the griffin out there has other ideas.”
Following his line of sight, there is, indeed, a griffin staring expectantly at the house. Without missing a beat, Raven drops her backpack and rushes toward him. The rest of us slowly follow.
Having a familiar is a rarity that is to be cherished, and we’re trying to give her the space to learn and grow with hers, but that doesn’t mean I can’t be pissed off that I have to share her with someone else.
When she came back on Friday, she was heartbroken, revealing a softness to her I hadn’t seen before, and now she’s determined to take on the weight of that burden. I get it, I do, but she’s wearing herself thin.
Stepping outside with the others, I hold back, watching and listening to their one-sided conversation. I can’t imagine what it’s like to have Ari in her head like that, but watching her interact with him melts me. She’s soft, gentle, and caring. Her walls are completely down since she can sense his emotions and I long for that level of connection with her.
A few moments pass before Ari takes off to the sky as Raven turns back to us.
“Is everything okay?” I ask, my brows furrowing as she folds her arms over her chest, almost hiding behind them.
“No. Apparently, the third years had Gauntlet practice today and they lost six of the minotaurs.”
Until three days ago, that wouldn’t have mattered to me, if I’m honest, but now, seeing the pain on her face angers me to no end.
“Maybe you and Ari could show us the compound this week? And if we don’t really get any information from Fitch, we could always try Lyra or something,” I offer, thinking out loud and hoping something will stick.
“Thank you,” she whispers, stepping into my outstretched arms and burying her head into my chest.
