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While Kai reunited with the rest of the crew, I ignored the hubbub and focused on figuring out what subspecies of pixies I might be dealing with. Were these ones more likely to have poison claws, or a second set of teeth, or that nasty skin secretion....
When I emerged from my office, thoroughly disgusted by nature, I found Hisashi manning the bookstore and Troya tucked into her favorite corner with a book. I stretched, thinking I might haul out the box of antique tomes Halstad was fussing over and try to figure out if we could sell some of the collection to magic users for top dollar. I didn't know what Oisin's sister had been up to, but she had some freaky shit stashed away in the store. Oisin just shrugged and said "bargaining chips" when I asked him about it.
I had almost made it to the back room when the door chimed and a dark touch of creepy magic hit my senses. Fuck my life.
I turned and crossed my arms. "What now?"
White just smiled at me and hung up his trench coat. "Good to see you as well, my dear Miss Lionheart. Is your...." His dark eyes cut to Troya, then back to me. "Is Halstad at home?"
I sighed. "Upstairs."
White had suggested that he help fund Halstad's new misfit mage school. Of course, there was some bargain in there somewhere. But now I knew the truth, the demon's every move seemed so much more purposeful. He was building a city where supes and humans could live side by side. A city that, apparently, needed to be able to survive some serious shitstorm. And now, he was building his very own mage school within the city.
No wonder the guild had pulled their mages from the area. If they got wind of White's plotting to build a fucking mage army, they'd be pissed.
The demon made his way to the apartment like he owned the place. I was still staring after him, wondering how one man could manage to pull all those strings, when Troya spoke up from right beside me, her open book clutched to her chest and her eyes wide. "That guy is so scary. Like...somebody's hot dad about to turn serial killer." She shuddered in revulsion.
I looked at her, trying to see how this awkward human teenager could be White's long-lost reincarnated love. From the face she was making, she sure as hell didn't get warm fuzzy vibes from the demon.
I kind of felt...sorry for him. If he was desperate enough to ask me to be his friend, he must be really fucking lonely.
I sighed and steered Troya back toward her seat. "He's not that bad," I muttered, for some damned reason.
My phone started ringing and I sighed when I saw it was my sister. "I'll be right back, I told Hisashi. I should probably talk to my annoying family."
He smiled at me and continued putting stickers on books.
When I reached my office, I answered the phone with a growl. "What?"
Gabbi laughed. "Nice to talk to you too, sis."
"It's not that I don't want to talk to you, Gabs. But you never call just to talk."
She sighed. "Fair enough. How are you? Is your kraken back? Have you fucked the mage? How was he? Did you murder that demon yet?"
I answered her questions—well, some of them—but I knew there was a reason she had called. The clan must be having some new upheaval that needed my input.
"So," Gabbi said, her deep voice dripping with guilt. "Mom was going to call you, but I stopped her."
I sighed. "What the fuck does that thing want?" I might understand her twisted motives, but I still hadn't completely forgiven my conniving parent.
Gabbi let out a long groan. "She wants me to ask you to consider taking a gryphon into your pride."
I scoffed. "I'll just bet she does."
Gabbi was really good at soothing ruffled feathers and remaining neutral. "She even has a bunch of potential candidates picked out. I know it's a dumb idea," she said calmly. "But I can see why she suggested it. It would look good to the clan. And, you know, she just really wants some baby gryphons."
Of course. We were back to that again. My sister was trans and gay. Not a lot of hope for biological kids there. So I was my mother's last hope at continuing our proud gryphon line.
I smirked. "Why don't you put mom on the line, Gabs. I know she's probably lurking around there listening to the conversation anyway."
Hisashi wandered into the office with a book in his hand, pointing at the barcode to let me know he needed my input on pricing. I waved that away and pointed him to a chair. This was going to be fun.
"Gesa, darling," my mother purred. "How nice to hear from you."
"Cut the crap, mom," I said, before she could really get on a roll with the fake chit-chat. "Gabbi told me about your schemes. You can just chill out, grandma. I don't need a gryphon mate. I'm already pregnant."
I held the phone back from my ear as she shrieked. Okay, so my mom might actually want grandkids, and not just for political reasons. I suppose that was possible.
Of course, then she went and ruined it. "Oh Gesa, darling, I knew you'd see sense. Who's the lucky gryphon?"
I rolled my eyes. "No gryphon, Ida. Hisashi is the dad."
I winked at the fox.
My mother was dead silent for a beat. "Hisashi? Isn't that the nine-tail? You conceived with a fox?"
I grinned at her tone of abject horror. This was so much fun. "Yep. So, sorry but the old womb is occupied right now. Better luck next time."
She screeched. "But what...what...they'll still be gryphons, won't they?"
Hisashi sidled up to me and whispered in my ear, his deep voice bubbling with laughter. "Do you want to know? Or would that spoil the surprise?" His blue eyes were glowing silver around the edges and his lips were curved in a smile, not the least bit offended by my mother's stupid behavior.
Like I could say no, now that I realized he knew. Duh. I nodded.
He winked, putting a hand over my stomach as we both ignored the screeching from the phone. "Winged foxes," he breathed, grinning like a fool.
I kissed him and gleefully told my mother she was going to have grandfoxes. I think I took years off her life. One can only hope.