Harrowed

Chapter Twenty

This week hadn't been great. Everyone was still pissed at me for lying about the Griffin's and losing the Amulet. I think if I hadn't lied about the Landry's, then the Coven would have been nicer about the Amulet being taken. Except, the two things happened at the same time and no one was going to let me forget. I thought by Friday they would have forgiven me, but that wasn't the case. 

I wasn't looking forward to school or even at the weekend. Robert and Gemma were going to be gone this weekend, something about Griffin's needing to be in solitude in the woods at least once a month. The two of them were going to the woods to camp out this weekend, trying to become one with nature. It was a way for them to recharge as Griffin's. It would be good for them, but I already missed Robert. After the week I had, it would be nice to relax with him, but I guess not. 

I was going to have to trek through this weekend by myself. It took a lot of motivation to get out of bed. Phantom meowed loudly as I got ready for the day.

"Phantom, what do you know about Griffin's?" I asked him as I looked through my closet for something to wear. It was getting closer to Springtime, which meant cold in the morning and hot by the time school ended. It was also Mir's actual birthday. She was seventeen years old and a little over twenty-five weeks pregnant. I had given her a gift at her birthday party, which had been a pink and white baseball tee with "Mir" on the back. I had gotten Jack the same one but it said "Jack" on the back. 

I got the twins the same shirt, but Mackenzie Ann's said Mac and Jacqueline Jade's said JJ on the back. Mir had told me she picked the twin's names in hopes they would go by Mac and JJ. Nicknames had always been important to Mir. I hope she likes gifts. It was also partially a bribe for her to forgive me. She hadn't said she was upset with me, but she had to be. Everyone else was, but Mir was the easier to get back on my side. 

I missed talking to everyone.

"That's a loaded question, why do you ask?" He knew Robert and Gemma were Griffin's, but he wasn't one to give me information. Not when I wanted to know something. He was practically useless when it came to Familiars, but he was mine, so that seemed accurate. It would be my luck to have a reluctant Familiar. 

Mir had told me Teddy was constantly saving her. He reminded her to take her prenatal vitamins, to check before they crossed the road, and protected the house when they were gone. Ivelyn was always bragging about Crimson, who was like a spy when it came to Familiars. She was discrete and only Ivelyn could hear her talk. I was a little envious of them. Not to mention Kate's Familiar who was an owl, which was perfect for her. Her and Voltaire instantly bonded and sometimes didn't have to talk, they just knew what the other was thinking. I thought it could have been because Kate's power of telekinesis let her have more control over Voltaire, but who really knew.

Phantom just sat around licking himself. 

"Do you know anything about their campouts in the woods?" Hopefully, he would tell me something.

"Is that where Robert is this weekend?" His orange eyes glowed. 

"He said it's a Griffin thing," I trailed off, hoping he would fill in the blanks. 

"From what I know, yes -- Griffin's require time away from humans. It's how they 'eat' so to speak, anyway that's what I've heard. It's not like we've come across many Griffin's--

He suddenly stopped himself.

"How many have we come across?" I turned away from the closet and faced him. He was looking for an escape. His eyes darted to the open window, the one with the tree right outside my room. "Phantom? How many Griffin's have we met?" I repeated, determined to get a response.