The Witching Hour

Chapter 38 - Embers

"My advice is to avoid mentioning the lack of powers and..." she glanced around for any eavesdroppers, "the Griffin thing."

"Way ahead of you there." Ivy laughed and darted up the steps. Midway through, her calves began to burn, but she pressed on. At the top she came away breathless, her chest heaving.

"A bit more than a jaunt, huh?"

Before the voice had said anything, Ivy's body knew who awaited her in the shadows. The heat had flared up and over her skin. Griffin pushed himself off the column and glided over to her with ease. She felt self-conscious with her hair a mess and cheeks flush from the physical exertion. She reminded herself that she had been forced sleeping state for multiple days and that she never ran stairs.

"Not at all," Ivy retorted through slightly labored breathing.

Marina showed up behind her, hand on Ivy's shoulder. "You ran up those stairs. Dang."

Chuckling, Griffin jammed his hands into his pockets, his shoulders going up. "Hey Mari. Good to see you again," he said, extending an arm for a side hug. When she responded to the nickname and reciprocated the gesture, some irrational feeling shot up through Ivy, her lips diving downward. Shaking her head, she tried to push the thoughts away. This was Marina after all.

"It's been, what, a day at most?" Marina laughed, her giggles sounding more akin to bell chimes. She stepped away from Griffin, putting some space between them. "Thanks again for the help on the bacon."

"He cooked it?" Ivy's head swirled to face her.

"No, he sent me instructions on how to cook it," Marina clarified defensively. "I told you that I had cooked it."

"Doesn't mean that he didn't help," Ivy teased.

"Scouts honor," Griffin interjected holding up his hand. A grin pulled as his lips. "Marina did all the cooking. I just gave her the directions."

"Which I then had to execute," Marina followed up, rocking into Griffin.

Ivy studied her shoes, following the lines of thread over the navy blue canvas material. Next thing she knew, Marina had excused herself to go find Aura and Ella, leaving Ivy with Griffin – the first time the pair had been alone together.

"So..." they both said at the same time, gazes interlocking.

"Sorry, no you." Ivy motioned forward with her hands.

"No you first," Griffin said, running a hand behind the back of his neck. "What's on your mind?"

A nervous laugh slipped through her lips. "If that's not a loaded question."

"I'm just glad you're awake," Griffin admitted, a wave of heat pulsating off him. "They said you had been out for a few days. I know sleep can be the body's way of coping with trauma, but still."

Her mouth opened, but no words came out. Instead, she turned and started for the main doors, Griffin catching up to her with a few strides.

"I needed that time," Ivy said after hesitating. She stopped midway to the front doors and rested a hand on his upper arm, feeling him tense at her touch. "Thank you for saving me and bringing my sisters with you."

Griffin reached toward her cheek, but Ivy shied away from the intimacy. She felt his hurt, but she wasn't ready. She had been bawling over Hunter's betrayal only a few hours earlier. He retracted his hand and stuffed it into his pocket.

"What brings you to the Council meeting?" she asked, meeting his gaze. A storm raged beneath them, conflicting emotions clouding his eyes; they warred for control. She waved her hand at the courthouse. "I thought you were done with this."