Page 64 of Tangled Threads Of Fate

“We’re under attack. Wake Wren,” I murmured. “Take her down to my rooms below the building. I’ll get Tryp and Erus to come and guard her.” Néit was a warring God. He wouldn’t babysit. He’d fight.

On this, we could relate. I was no God, but my purpose was to protect. Demke was a rejuvenation God. Of life and fertility, but what people always seemed to forget was that energy was a finite substance. You could only have new life with death, and he was more than happy to dispatch the energy of the unworthy back into the universe. Teron’s Gryphon was… terrifying in battle.

No, the only ones of us who didn’t particularly relish a good fight were the Genii. Tryp and Erus could and would fight, but they were made for more hedonistic pleasures. Drinking, fucking, partying. They’d been designed as playthings. Bringers of joy and merriment. They would protect Wren with the ferocity of their lions, but they didn’t enjoy killing.

Néit didn’t argue, gently waking Wren as I rushed from the room. I wasn’t surprised to find Teron’s Gryphon already walking the halls. He freaked me the fuck out, even after all these years. The Gryphon and Teron weren’t the same person. The Gryphon was something else, and even though I’d say we were friendly, I knew he tolerated us only because Teron loved us. The Gryphon didn’t feel one way or another for us.

I bowed my head at the regal creature who stood eye to eye with me in this form. He was huge. His eagle eyes looked at me appraisingly, the long talons on his lion paws scraping gouges in the slate flooring. “We’re under attack.”

He tilted its head at me, then nodded.

“Néit is taking Wren down to my rooms beneath the building. She’ll be safest there.”

The Gryphon lifted the feathers around his neck and shook them out. That could have been an agreement with my decision, or it could just be a reaction to the mention of Wren.

When I’d asked Teron recently if his Gryphon might be an issue regarding Wren’s safety, he’d snorted. “Yoursafety might be more of an issue when it comes to the relationship between Wren and the Gryphon.”

Between his words that day, and the slightly haunted look on his face, I’d made an educated guess that it meant the Gryphon liked Wren. Mate-liked Wren. Though Teron had never said as much.

Now, I was beginning to think I was correct. We needed to sort this out now and quickly. “I love Wren. I will lay my life down to protect her. I know she’s your… mate.” I hesitated over the word, in case he decided to gouge me for my audacity, but he just tilted his head at me. “But she’s my mate too. She’ll need all of us.”

The Gryphon’s golden eyes watched me for so long, I began to sweat. Finally, he inclined his head, and I resisted sighing with relief. Instead, I smiled. “Glad we’ve sorted that out. I’m going to wake Demke and the others. Do you want to fly out and see what dares to step foot into our territory?”

He made an angry snapping sound at that, his outrage clear. I hurried around him, down the hall to Demke’s wing. Thumping hard, I yelled, “We’re under attack.”

But then the wards went off, waking the whole house. Rushing to Tryp and Erus’s quarters, I found them already stumbling out the door, half asleep.

“Down to my rooms. That’s where Wren is. Protect her. Soothe her. The stress is bad for the babies.”

They didn’t ask questions. They just ran.

Demke strode into the hall, fully dressed with a sword in hand. He looked like a bloodthirsty God of old, his power whipping around the room. It would be a good reminder for these fucking Mythics to knowexactlywho they were fucking with. That we wouldn’t give her up.

That we would fight for what was ours, and this time, we wouldn’t lose.

Néit appeared at the same time as the Gryphon flew back in the window, and if I hadn’t been watching, I wouldn’t have seen the normally unflappable God of War actually looking surprised. He cleared his throat and stepped around the Gryphon, and over to us.

Demke stopped him. “This is Teron’s Gryphon. He’s not Teron. You should treat him with respect, or he’ll bite your head off in a rather permanent manner,” Demke informed him.

Néit bowed to the beast, and to my surprise, the Gryphon lowered his head in return.Interesting.I’d unpack that at another time.

The Gryphon looked over at Demke, and they were clearly doing that ESP thing they had. Eventually, Demke nodded. “The Gryphon thinks this is just a probe attack. Checking our weaknesses. Six lower-level monsters, including some Verserpent and other little night demons. Nothing as powerful as the Lamia, or any of the Old Gods that Néit’s contact mentioned. He said Cy and his pack have already torn apart one of the night demons.”

Néit’s jaw tensed, and his ax glowed as he grew twice his size, the runes on his chest beginning to grow. “No survivors.”

Demke nodded and looked at me. “No survivors,” I agreed. I walked over to the weapons that still hung on the wall like this was medieval times, and palmed my favorite mace. “We’ll probably have to put these in the armory or something when the babies come,” I muttered to myself. “I’ll take the south.”

We all took a direction, splitting up. Feeling the cool weight of the mace, and the unnatural stillness of the air as I stepped into the courtyard, I went out to defend the woman I loved.

Chapter 34

WREN

Ipaced around Milo’s underground suite, anxiety making my skin feel too tight on my bones. I’d been tossing and turning all night, and when Nate had woken me, my body had reacted immediately with panic. He’d hustled me down to Milo’s bedroom and waited with me until Tryp and Erus arrived.

Then he’d kissed me hard and disappeared back upstairs, but not without shutting the heavy wooden doors. Erus had barred them after him, making the anxiety ratchet up another notch.

What if they were out there being hurt? Would I feel it? Would I know if they were in trouble, or in pain?

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