“No,” Darius snapped, pointing at her. “Where’s Gabriel?”
“I do not know. He disappeared like a wraith into the night after he told us the news, claiming he had another important quest from the heavens to attend.”
“He’s hiding from us,” I gritted out. “But I’ll find him. Get on my back, Darius.”
Darius leapt up without a word, latching his arms and legs around me and I shot out of the kitchens at speed. At least if we could find out where they were maybe we could visit them. How could Blue have left without coming to see me first? It wasn’t like I begrudged her learning about her kind, and frankly I was fascinated to hear about the secrets of that palace, but couldn’t she have given me a heads up?
“GABRIEL!” Darius bellowed, amplifying his voice with magic so it echoed all around The Burrows and the bastard would know we were coming.
We came to a halt outside Gabriel’s room and Darius blasted it with fire, a Dragon’s roar leaving his lips, but it billowed across a firm air shield and sparked out of existence just as fast.
I let him down, frowning at him. I mean shit, I was pissed they’d gone without saying goodbye and I would miss Blue like hell, but he was acting like Geraldine had said Tory would never return.
“Chill, man, what’s going on?” I asked him as he started pacing back and forth in front of the door.
“She’s not going to be back for months,” he spat. “I don’t have months.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked in confusion and he shook his head, smoke spewing from his lips.
“I’ll miss her, that’s all,” he muttered.
“Yeah and I’ll miss, Blue, but…maybe this is a good thing. They’ll learn more about their Order. Maybe they’ll uncover new gifts that can help us with-”
“I don’t care,” he snapped, his eyes shifting to the golden eyes of a Dragon. “She needs to be here. With me.” He strode up to the door, hammering his fist on it. “Gabriel! Come out and face me.”
“He’s busy,” a male voice carried to us and we both snapped around, finding a golden haired Lion Shifter standing in the shadows, leaning against the wall with one leg kicked up.
“Leon,” I said in realisation, striding towards him. “Where’s Gabriel?”
“He could be in his room. He could be miles away. Who can say?” he said casually, pushing his fingers into his long mane.
“You can say,” I insisted.
Darius slammed his fist against the barrier to Gabriel’s room again and a feminine moan carried from beyond it.
“Gabe’s busy,” Leon said with a smirk.
“And what are you, his bodyguard?” Darius spat at Leon.
“I’m just a mysterious Lion, lurking in the shadows with many secrets to his name,” he said in what I guessed he thought was a spooky voice. He folded his muscular arms, pouting at us when we didn’t immediately respond to that. “Don’t you want to know my secrets?”
“Is one of them where Gabriel is?” I asked.
“Yes…and no,” he said, tossing a grin at Darius as he narrowed his eyes at him.
“If you know, then tell me right now,” Darius commanded, his shoulders pressing back and a look of his father entering his eyes. A loud groan sounded that definitely belonged to Gabriel and I muttered a curse under my breath.
“Wow, I’m quaking in my little puss-n-boots,” Leon chuckled. “Gabe’s gone, dude. He’s either in that room fucking his wife into another realm, or he went swimming with the dolphins in Sunshine Bay. Who can really say?”
“You,” Darius snapped. “You can say. And I can hear them in there, so I know the answer anyway.”
“Do you?” Leon asked, waving his hands and wiggling his fingers. “Or is it all just an illusion?”
I ran a palm down my face and sighed, knowing in my heart that we weren’t going to get to Gabriel. He’d have seen every route we took to try and reach him, and my shoulders dropped as I accepted that.
“Come on, man. Let’s go,” I said to Darius, but Leon’s hand swung out and slapped me.
“Hey,” I barked.
“Do you feel that, Lance? That’s the strike of fate.” He gripped my shirt, yanking me close to his face as he smiled like the Cheshire Cat. “And I’m it’s messenger. Ride me towards your destiny. Ride me!”
“For the love of the moon, Leon.” I shoved him back. “Personal boundaries, remember? I don’t know how many times I have to say it.”