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seventeen

Griff

Griff regarded Nathaniel after Cal left, working to keep his face impassive.

He had no idea what to expect from this discussion, but he braced himself for the worst. Usually when Nathaniel asked to talk, it meant an incoming lecture.

Which was why he was so surprised when Nathaniel gave a throaty chuckle.

“I like him. Seems good for you. This is the happiest I’ve seen you in years: since Amelie left at least, and probably even before that.”

It took Griff a moment to parse what Nathaniel meant.

When he did, he could scarcely believe it.

“That’s not…I mean, we’re not…”

He wasn’t certain how to finish that thought.

He trailed off at Nathaniel’s raised brow.

It was the same look he used to give Griff as a child when he tried unsuccessfully to talk his way out of blame.

Fiddling with the hem of his coat, Griff glanced down at the worn floor.

“I enjoy working with him. Even if he drives me insane more often than not.”

Another wave of shock rippled through him when Nathaniel actually laughed .

Griff couldn’t remember the last time he’d heard the gruff sound.

Not since Mother was still alive…

His gaze shot up, and he found a fond smile on Nathaniel’s lips.

His aura, usually a tight, dour thing, danced with yellow mirth.

“Your mother was the same. Such a stubborn woman, always so certain she was right. Of course, she almost always was. She’d have liked him too, you know, if only for bringing a spark of life back to your eyes.”

As it usually did, mention of his mother tugged on Griff’s heart.

He stared back down at his feet.

Maybe it was the surprising turn the conversation had taken or the stress of the night, but words he’d kept bottled up since his mother’s death came tumbling out.

“I really am sorry for not stopping by sooner to tell you I was all right. I know it couldn’t have been easy for you. Watching me walk this path after what happened to her. I never meant to hurt you or make you worry.”

Nathaniel was silent for a time, and Griff glanced up to find the old Sunkeeper frowning, deep in thought.

His aura was a solemn, thrumming blue.

When he caught Griff looking at him, he grunted and moved over to his workstation in the corner.

Though the spell with Cal hadn’t required any preparations, he set about tidying the space up anyway.

When he spoke, his words sounded as strained as his aura.

“For the longest time, I thought you were making a terrible mistake. That you were using the change in career as a coping mechanism to avoid having to face what had happened. And maybe you were, at first. But over the years, it’s become clear that you truly love it.”

“I do,” Griff admitted.

He thought of Cal’s smirking face and another confession hovered on his lips.

But he didn’t speak it aloud.

He wasn’t quite ready to admit such a thing.

Not to himself…and certainly not to Nathaniel.

Nathaniel continued cleaning up his workstation a few heartbeats longer before his movements stilled.

He rested his hands on its cleaned surface, his head bowed.

“It’s no secret that I wish you’d followed a different path. It’s not the life I would’ve chosen for you, and I can’t promise that I’ll ever approve…but that doesn’t mean I’m not proud.”

Nathaniel turned, meeting Griff’s eyes.

A lump clogged Griff’s throat at the gruff emotion in that gaze.

Nathaniel’s aura unfurled like a blooming flower.

“You help people, son…just like your old man. And that’s certainly worth celebrating.”

Griff didn’t know what to say.

He was pretty sure he couldn’t have forced any words out if he’d tried.

Nathaniel gave a decisive nod as if to emphasize what he’d said, his aura steadying.

Then, he turned and started toward the door Griff knew led deeper into the house.

“I’ll let you get back to that important case of yours,” Nathaniel said, the characteristic gruffness returning to his voice.

“If I don’t get back to sleep soon, I’ll be useless tomorrow, and I won’t have patients in need going untreated because of this late-night rendezvous.”

As Griff watched him retreat, he couldn’t help thinking about what Cal had said to him about showing grace.

About how Nathaniel was likely only worried about him.

Before he could second-guess himself, he strode forward and wrapped his father in an awkward embrace.

Nathaniel stiffened, and for a heartbeat, Griff thought he would pull away.

Then, he relaxed into the embrace, patting Griff’s arm.

Though Nathaniel didn’t say a word, his aura spoke volumes.

Its usual restrained calm erupted in hues of pink and yellow joy laced with deeper shades of crimson love.

The sight of his father’s bright aura made him think of Cal, and something that had been bothering him ever since he’d first met the charming thief.

“Cal…doesn’t exactly have the best past,” he said hesitantly, choosing his words with care.

“He’s done plenty of questionable things. Yet when I look at his aura, it appears purer and brighter than any I’ve ever seen. Why is that?”

Nathaniel chuckled, patting him on the back.

“Magical gifts often work in mysterious ways unique to the individual caster. Especially when you’re a wildling born with them, and especially when that magic is something as ephemeral as soulflame. You know how your power works far better than I do. But if I had to hazard a guess? Maybe it’s not that his soul is special, but that it’s special to you.”

Griff stiffened in Nathaniel’s arms, pondering that revelation.

Did Cal’s soul really look different to him than it would to anyone else with his same ability?

And if so, what in the Light did that mean?

Cal couldn’t possibly be something as ridiculous as his literal soulmate…

could he?

“You know, son,” Nathaniel said softly, drawing him from his thoughts.

“If there’s one thing that I’ve learned in my time on Allaria, it’s that you should always pursue what really matters to you. The Goddess knows you’ve done that so far. And if this Cal is one of those things, don’t wait too long. Don’t let him walk out of your life the way Amelie did.”

Griff squeezed his father a bit harder to signify he’d heard, then stepped back.

Swiping at his misty eyes, he said, “I’ll stop by as soon as I can for lunch.” Then, he hurried from the room, conscious of his father’s gaze following him out.

He found Cal waiting outside by the gate.

Though he didn’t say a word, he took one look at Griff’s face, then grabbed his hand and squeezed.

Griff was grateful for the point of contact as they set off down the dark street.

The rain had stopped while they were inside, and their boots sloshed in the puddles left behind.

“What do you think?” Cal asked after a time.

“Do we look for the High Commander at home or at his office?”

Griff took a moment to consider.

“Office. When I spoke with him at the gala, he mentioned needing to work late.”

Cal raised a brow.

“Are all protectors workaholics like you?”

Griff shrugged, not bothering to deny it.

“Like you said, Kelsith won’t want to hold onto the void orb any longer than he has to. Even if the High Commander isn’t there to accept it in person, Kelsith will likely try to deliver it tonight, and the High Commander would probably send him to his office rather than his home. Especially since he has a family. Plus, if nothing else, we can check his office for other clues or anything incriminating.”

Cal raised a brow, feigning surprise.

“Why, Inspector! Are you suggesting we illegally enter the office of a Pentarchy councilor?”

“I guess you must be rubbing off on me.”

Cal leaned in and whispered into his ear, “No, silly. That’ll be later.”

A furious blush colored Griff’s cheeks.

Merciful Light, what is this thief doing to me?

It didn’t take long to arrive at Headquarters, even if Cal mocked Griff mercilessly the entire time about how he must be getting old given how much he was slowing the spry thief down.

As they approached the entrance, Griff stared up at the imposing building—one of the few in all of Derimay that was neither brightly colored nor highly decorated.

Conflicting emotions racked him.

The last time he’d been here had been over a week ago, right before heading to the Siren’s Call theater.

Back then, he’d taken pride in his position.

In his fellow members of the Watch and what they represented.

But now, with High Commander Pern himself implicated of treason, Griff had no idea what to think anymore.

“You all right?” Cal asked him.

His aura pulsed with concern.

Swallowing, Griff nodded.

“Just thinking about my badge and this office. The High Commander has betrayed everything I believe in—everything I thought the Watch stood for.”

“We don’t know that for sure,” Cal said, his voice unconvincing.

It firmed as he stepped in front of Griff, cupping his face and peering into his eyes.

“Besides, who cares about that Void-eater? You haven’t betrayed it. And that’s what matters.”

Griff stared at him for a handful of moments, then leaned in for a quick kiss.

Merciful Light, how he appreciated the way Cal’s aura fluttered in response, in tandem with his heartbeat.

Breaking the kiss, he turned back to the headquarters and shook his head with a snort.

“Who would have thought I’d be receiving a pep talk about the importance of my work from a thief?”

“Not just any thief,” Cal said with a smirk as they resumed walking.

“A pep talk from Blackjack himself, the most notorious thief Derimay has ever seen, and the man you’ve been hunting for nearly two years.”

Griff eyed him askance.

“I don’t know about ‘most notorious.’ That’s a little egotistical, don’t you think?”

Cal shrugged, flashing Griff another smirk.

“It’s not egotistical if it’s true.”

With Griff’s access, it was easy to enter the Watch headquarters.

While the Watch never truly rested, most of its divisions operated a skeleton crew at night outside of an emergency response force and the protectors tasked with patrolling the city’s streets.

They found the dark antechamber deserted, the grand halls almost eerie when the only sounds were their echoing footfalls.

Cal adopted the disguise of a random inspector, duskflame briefly curling over him.

Striding deeper inside, Griff led the way toward the inspector offices, where he had his own desk.

The High Commander’s private office was just past that.

He felt a brief flare of guilt for breaking into a place like this and shoved it down.

The time for hesitation was past. Who knew what the High Commander intended to do with the void orb?

They had to assume it represented an active threat to the city.

If this was the most expedient way to find answers, then so be it.

They were nearly at the inspector offices, Griff about to unlock them, when he caught a flash of violet hanging in the air.

Turning to investigate, his heartbeat quickened when he realized it was a thin aura trail.

It must’ve been fresh for him to see at all, discernible only because there were no other auras around to dilute it.

Even then, he might’ve missed it entirely if not for the foul sense of alien wrongness that pervaded it.

Voidflame.

“Kelsith was already here,” he said.

Cal instantly came alert, falling into a crouch and scanning the hall around them for any signs of danger.

Griff’s hand lingered on the handle of his revolver as he did the same.

After a moment, he relaxed a hair.

“I’m pretty sure he already left.” He pointed after the fading aura trail.

“That way. The trail is faint, but still enough for me to track if I hurry.”

Cal nodded, his face grim.

Griff could sense the roiling anger searing his aura.

“Well then, what are we waiting for? Let’s go get that Void-eater.”

Griff hesitated, peering more closely at the aura.

Then, he shook his head.

“A bit of taint from the void orb remains, but not nearly as much as when I tracked you. I don’t think he had it with him when he left. That means he must’ve left it here. We can’t leave it unattended.”

“Fine,” Cal said.

His aura buzzed with impatient energy.

He stared at the direction Griff had indicated, obviously eager to go even if he couldn’t see the trail.

“You stick to the plan and retrieve the orb. I’ll go have a chat with my old mentor to see what he knows.”

Griff wasn’t sure he liked the idea of splitting up.

Especially when Cal so obviously had ulterior motives for confronting Kelsith.

Still, he also wasn’t keen on just letting the thief go.

Kelsith’s testimony might prove vital to any future trial, and he’d already fooled Cal once tonight.

There was no guarantee that coming here wasn’t another trick designed to throw them off.

“You won’t be able to track his aura,” Griff said.

“So what? I’ve hunted him down before. I can do it again.”

“Maybe. But time could be of the essence. With my ability, I’ll have a much easier time tracking him.” He stepped toward Cal, resting a hand on his tensed shoulder.

“I know you want to confront him, but please, trust me. Let me handle him while you deal with the orb.”

Cal grimaced.

His aura churned for a long moment before, to Griff’s relief, he finally gave a begrudging nod.

“Fine. What should I tell the High Commander if he is there?”

Griff shrugged and kissed his cheek.

“Whatever you think is best. I trust you. Take care of yourself.”

Some of Cal’s irritation faded, his aura calming as he regarded Griff.

“You, too. See you on the other side…partner.”

Flashing Griff a lopsided grin, Cal stepped into the inspector offices.

Griff stared after him for a moment, wishing he could stay by his side.

Then, he took a deep breath and turned toward the aura trail.

Even in the time they’d been talking, it had faded further.

He had to hurry.

Praying to the Light for Cal’s safety, he set off after the trail in pursuit of Cal’s former mentor.