Page 12 of Dryad’s Treasure

I dumbly stood there, staring in disbelief. “That’s…” There wasn’t a word strong enough. “I need a drink.”

“There’s tea in the kettle,” Keir answered.

“Not what I meant.”

He twisted his head toward a cabinet on the far wall. “You’re free to augment your tea however you like.”

I didn’t need to augment shit. I needed a shot straight from the bottle. The cabinet was small with few offerings. Thankfully, there was whiskey. There were also a couple of shot glasses. I almost didn’t bother with the glass but thought better of it.

The whiskey’s burn was welcome, distracting the pain in my heart with its unique fire. I slammed the glass down and immediately refilled it. When I glanced up, Martin’s eyes were trained on me. “Not a word,” I ordered.

A small smile tilted his lips and he shook his head. “I wasn’t going to say anything.”

“Good. You want some before I finish off the bottle?”

“No, but thank you.”

“More for me,” I answered with a shrug.

Elvira looked at my glass longingly. “I do miss a good drink,” she said. “Especially in times such as these. Hikaru will be devastated. It will reopen a wound he’s only just begun healing.”

I didn’t know Hikaru’s full story but couldn’t find it in me to disagree. “I’d apologize for finding it, but I won’t. The misery coming off that thing…” I shivered. “It needed to be found.” I could hear Keir’s muted voice on the phone as he spoke with someone. “How long will it take for Hikaru to get here?”

“This better be good.” Evidently not long. “I was about to order dinner. Niki should be home soon and…” Silence descended, heavy and near suffocating.

“Hikaru.” I didn’t know Keir well, but I’d yet to hear his voice so soft, so full of cautious concern. “I need you to⁠—”

“Stop.” That singular word instantly silenced Keir. Hikaru took a tentative step forward, his bare feet lightly tapping across the ground. Eight tails flicked behind him, each one reaching around his body as if attempting to see and touch the remnant of his original eighth tail.

“Martin, call Nikodemus.” I barely heard the command. Closer than I was, Martin understood and immediately pulled out his phone. Within seconds, he was speaking in a tone too low for me to understand.

I was staring at Martin when he ended the call. At my questioning expression, Martin moved a little closer, leaning in so only I could hear. “Warlock Nikodemus Holland claimed Hikaru as his one and only. We can’t get Holland here, but we can give him a courteous heads-up. Hikaru is going to need his mate.”

I didn’t know if Keir heard Martin or not. Honestly, I had no idea how good a gryphon’s hearing was. Either he did hear or he had the same thought because he said, “I should have told you to bring Holland with you,” when he spoke to Hikaru.

Hikaru said nothing. He stood there, staring at the quiescent remnants of his tail.

Keir tried again, “Hikaru, I⁠—”

I slammed my hands over my ears as a screeching wail burst through the room. Hikaru’s head was thrown back, his lips pulled away from his pointed teeth as the painful sound erupted. The scream seemed to go on forever until Hikaru dropped to his knees. His claw-tipped fingers danced over the tail’s surface, barely skimming the fur. Fat tears fell, splattering along the table surrounding the tail.

Gently, Hikaru’s fingertips slipped under his lost tail, his current tails rushing forward and caressing the fur. Holding the small bit of fluff to his chest, Hikaru’s form dissipated into a green mist and then he was gone.

Martin had his phone to his ear again, his words clipped when he said, “He’s on his way, Holland.” Lowering the phone, Martin hung his head, his free hand slipping to the back of his neck as he attempted to rub away the tension. I started to reach out, to help kneed those stressed shoulders. Thankfully I came back to my senses before I could so much as lift a finger. Martin wouldn’t want my touch. He would find my actions the opposite of soothing.

“I assume you got in touch with Holland?” Keir asked.

“I did. He’ll take care of Hikaru.” Martin sounded wrecked. “Hikaru and I have had our differences, but I would never wish something like this on him. I…” The wind filling Martin’s sails died.

“Of course you wouldn’t,” Elvira chided. “None of us would.” When I glanced over, the ghost’s arms were crossed and she looked peeved. “Did you believe we’d think that?”

“No,” Martin answered. “Never. That was my own guilt speaking.”

Elvira’s ire dissipated into a look of sympathy. “Understandable, but unnecessary.” Attention turning to me, Elvira cocked her head, gaze turning curious. “You may prove useful yet, Grayson Delarue.” With those parting words, Elvira vanished.

Keir stumbled toward a large, wing-backed chair, and sat heavily. Shoulders slumped and head hanging, Keir stared into the dwindling fire. “I never dreamed… I mean, maybe I should have, but I…”

“None of us would have considered this a possibility,” Martin attempted to reassure. “This is not your fault, Keir.”