“Inside, quickly.” He gestured for them both to follow, and then shut the doors turning to them.
To Julian and Raven.
They all wore matching garments as if they were a unified front, but he could see the anger and distrust in both their eyes. They were far from beingunifiedat all.
“Sit.” He gestured to the couch that took up part of the space and flicked on the lights, turning to the fireplace. Offering it wood and kindling and bringing it back to life. It was clear his space had been prepared the bare minimum. But that was okay, he had never been treated with respect, not since he had disappeared from Grypheem for over ten years. He didn’t expect it to be any different now. He just hoped his brother’s influence would be enough to satiate the anger of the Grypheem people.
When he came back four years ago, it was with the label of failure. To Grypheem, he couldn’t stop the Resistance from killing their citizens. To his brother, he couldn’t prevent Nightingale from going off script.
“This is a castle,” Raven said in shock behind him. “It looks…medieval? Why is it so different here than Violencia?”
“Your country focused on knowledge, ours fixated on curing the infertility problems,” Griffin explained, bending and stoking the fire until he was satisfied. He knew it was exceptionally cold in this room, that Julian and Raven wouldn’t be used to it.
“Did you ever find out the root problem?” she asked.
The question was innocent, he was sure it was a simple curiosity, but the answer was difficult.
He had his assumptions, but no proof to back it up. And if what he thought was true, it would mean that the people of the Sacred Trinity were poison.
Literally.
“Not exactly.” He turned around, his gaze landing on Julian and Raven. How they sat side-by-side on the couch, her form wrapped into him. How Julian watched her with his intense gaze.
Griffin breathed a few times, allowing the jealousy to control him for a single instant before smashing it into oblivion.
“We need to sleep on the bed together just in case anyone comes in.” He waved to it, it might not be fully necessary, but he didn’t want to take any chances.
A united front.
Julian opened his mouth to argue, but Raven squeezed his leg.
“I’m not going to fight you. It’s clear this is more than I can hope to understand. That you are the only one in this room who knows the rules to thisSacred Trinity.”She spit the words in disgust. “But then what? We get married? We invade Violencia? What about Sparrow? Jayce? How do they stay out of it?”
Griffin heaved a sigh. “I don’t have all the answers, Raven. I’m figuring this out as I go, too. But there is a place that I know that will keep them safe for us. We just have to get them there. Can you trust me on that, please?”
Raven watched him with her sharp gaze. “For now.”
Griffin deflated, his body untensing. It would be enough. “So tell me Raven, about your life before all of this. About your days in the Facility.”
Accepting his peace offering, she smiled, a quirk of her lips that sent a jolt of desire directly to Griffin’s balls. He wanted more than anything to put that look on her face again and again and again.
To fill her with joy.
And his cu—
He shook his head, clearing the invasive thought.
“Sure, but you will have to do the same.” Her grin spread into a more mischievous nature.
He fell into the chair across from them, taking it as the safer route. He couldn’t get too close to her, he wasn’t sure his self-control could handle it. “Sure. You too, Julian?”
Julian inclined his head.
And that is how they spent the next several hours. Each telling only the happiest of memories from their lives. It didn’t takeGriffin long to realize all of his best memories were made outside of Grypheem, but he buried the thought.
The warmth of sharing their souls together was incredibly soothing, and it wasn’t long until they all made their way to the bed, Raven offering herself to the middle spot.
It was the easiest Griffin had ever fallen asleep in his life. His heart warm, and the fuzziness in his head was absent.
