Page 27 of My Guardian Gryphon

“I can’t do this. I lo—” My chest tightened and I froze. What if they were angry at Alek? What if Rose punished him or sent him away. What was I doing?

Astrid’s arm went around me and she tensed. A rush of air fled her lungs, and I knew she was having a vision. Her fingers tightened around my arm until the pressure was painful. I held in the hiss I wanted to release and just waited. Hopefully, it wouldn’t be a long vision.

When her fingers released, I watched her and waited. Her eyes opened and her worried gaze mirrored the sense of dread wrapping around my stomach. “You haven’t slept with him yet, have you?”

My heart stopped in my chest. Slept with who? What had she seen?

“Gretchen.” Her fingers tightened again, digging painfully into the flesh of my forearm. “Tell me you haven’t slept with him.”

I shook my head, still unable to speak. Fear blossomed in my breast, spreading like a dark cloud over my soul.

She audibly sighed with relief. “You can’t let this happen, Gretchen. We are not allowed to copulate with supernatural men. Our powers would transfer to the child if we were genetically compatible. They would forever be tied to this life. At least humans age and die in the span of a century, but paranormals would exist in this—”

“Hell?” I snapped. As if just because we had a typical human lifespan, it was easier to survive this sentence. At least an immortal would live with the hope of seeing the end of this torment. We lived and died knowing the end wouldn’t happen in our lifespan. The visions hadn’t shown anything more than that. Astrid had seen the seventh Protector in a few visions, but they’d been blurry and unclear—a sign that our numbers were weakened. More Sisters equaled more magick equaled better visions.

“We have a good life. This is far from the hell it could be if it weren’t for Rose.”

“They made us this way. How can you defend her?”

“Regardless of how we arrived at this moment, Rose protects and cares for us, and if I want my children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren to be free, then we have to keep our numbers solid. If we don’t, the visions will remain unclear. You know as well as I why my visions and some of the other Sisters are covered in shadow.”

“I can’t.”

“Then you would curse more of our Sisters’ children to the same fate, instead of pulling your weight and helping us to finish this. We’ve added two Protectors in the last year because Vella, Keri, and Mata have all had two children each in the last three years. Their favored joining choices have returned to them year after year.”

“It’s not that easy for all of us. Reagan has only conceived once in ten years, and some of the Sisters have never conceived.”

“You’ve never tried, Gretchen. What if you’re one who can bless the House with many children?”

“I can’t—”

“You’re being selfish.” Astrid’s angry tone bit into my already tender emotions like the sting of a whiplash. “You can’t be with him, and I’ll make sure of it.” She got up quickly from the sofa and marched away from me and out of the library.

I sank to my knees on the floor. Sobs overtook my body. My tears burned with the knowledge that I’d not only ruined my life, but I’d ruined Alek’s as well.

“Astrid!” I screamed, getting up and chasing after the Oracle. “Astrid, please!” I turned the corner and ran down the hallway, nearly colliding with one of the Blackmoor Drakonae brothers.

Miles caught me by the shoulders and leaned down to meet my gaze. “What’s wrong, little one?”

“She’s going to tell Rose, and Rose will hurt Alek. I can’t let her. I love him. I’ll never see him again. We didn’t do anything. He shouldn’t be punished because of something in a vision that hasn’t happened.” Oh, gods! My hand clapped over my mouth like it had a mind of its own. How could I have blurted that out? Could I really make it worse? Of course I could. I could tell one of the dragons that the Sisters oh by the way I’ve fallen in love with the Gryphon who lives in town. That’s definitely what I should do.

I wanted to evaporate into the air and disappear on the breeze flowing down the hall from the open window ahead.

“Alek Melos?”

“I don’t want to sleep with a stranger at the joining. I was hiding in the library, but the Oracle found me. When she touched the couch where Alek and I used to read together, she saw it.”

“Saw what?” His tone was calm and comforting. I trusted him. I didn’t know why, but I did.

“She saw the vision I’ve had of Alek and me…together.” My voice was barely more than a whisper, but he’d heard every syllable. I waited for the lecture to come, but all I saw in his brown eyes was compassion and flecks of orange that looked like flames dancing in his irises.

“No one will force you to participate in the joinings. It has never been forced in the past, and it will not happen in the future, little one. On that, you have my promise, but I also know the limitations placed on the House of Lamidae are there for a reason.”

“I know.” The words fell from my lips, and my hope shattered like a crystal vase smashed against a stone floor. At least I had his promise that I could live the rest of my lonely human life without being afraid I’d be forced into something I didn’t desire.

“Your Oracle is in the courtyard. I can hear her speaking to Rose on the com connected to the Cafe.”

My vision blurred, and a new wave of tears burst from my eyes, rolling down my cheeks and leaving hot streaks of pain in their wake. “Please stop her.” I couldn’t live with myself if he were hurt or cast out of Sanctuary. At least if I knew he was safe and in Sanctuary, I could survive alone with my fantasy of how my life could’ve been in a different world.

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