Maybe he didn’t want them to stay here after all. He wasn’t keen on the idea of Sofia hooking up with another dragon.
Or anyone, for that matter.
“And this is Griffin,” Antoinette added, spurring him out of his internal worry loop. He nodded at the older dragon.
“Another gargoyle,” Trennon said. “And what in blazes is this one?” He stared down at Penelope, who looked back with nothing but mild curiosity in her eyes.
“She’s a witch,” another newcomer announced, stepping out of the house and joining the welcome party. This one was a tall, willowy witch with jet black, pin-straight hair that draped to her waist. She wore heavy eye makeup and black lipstick and a black romper. “How do you not recognize witches by now?”
“That’s Delilah,” Antoinette said. She sounded reluctant.
Trennon shrugged. “She’s a kid. They all look alike at that age.”
“Come here,” Delilah said, curling two fingers at Penelope, who looked up at her mother for approval.
“It’s fine,” Antoinette said. “She shouldn’t do anything overt while we’re all standing here, although I’d advise not leaving Penelope alone with her unless you want the child to pick up very adult and very bad habits.”
“She let me try beer,” Henri announced. “And she let me jump off the carport roof!”
Sofia’s mouth dropped open.
“He said he wanted to be a superhero,” Delilah defended. “I used my magic to ensure he had a soft landing.” She shrugged.
“See what I mean?” Antoinette said.
Trennon snorted and Delilah rolled her eyes. Griffin had a feeling this was the witch who had kept Argyle and his fellow gargoyles in forced servitude.
“Come here, child,” Delilah said again.
Penelope walked toward her until she was within arms’ reach, and then Delilah touched her face with black-tipped nails. She canted her head and studied Penelope for long moments.
“This one has a great deal of magic,” she finally announced. “Don’t tell me you found yourselves another Daughter of Light?”
Apparently, the secret was out. Griffin reached out and grasped Sofia’s hand, silently offering his reassurance that they were in this together. Whatever this may be.
“Is this one Argyle’s too?” Delilah asked.
What did she mean by that? And why were Antoinette and Ketu suddenly acting fidgety?
“Nah,” the witch said. “She’s lily white, and Argyle’s dark as ebony. No way he sired this kid.”
Griffin flung himself around to stare at Antoinette. “Argyle sired a child?”
Rule number one in Oliver’s brethren: no emotional attachments.
Rule number two: do not produce offspring.
“It gets better,” Delilah said. “He did it with the sister of the woman he’s secretly in love with.”
Argyle was Oliver’s favorite of his entire brethren, and he’d broken the leader’s two most important rules?
“What the hell are you talking about?” Ketu demanded.
Delilah flapped her hand. “Don’t even pretend you haven’t noticed. He and Pacey? Come on, seriously?” She looked around expectantly. “No one else can see it? That man is carrying a massive torch for the woman.”
Ketu and Antoinette stared at each other. Griffin glanced at Sofia and shrugged. He had no idea who the witch was talking about.
After a moment, Antoinette tilted her head. “I guess it’s possible. He’s just so hard to read. Always so stoic.”
Delilah snorted.
“Anyway.” Antoinette shook it off. “It doesn’t matter. What does is that Sofia and Penelope are staying here for a while, and I need you two to promise not to tell anyone about them.”
“Who we gonna tell?” Delilah wanted to know. “The bartender at the only bar in town that hasn’t banned us? I don’t think humans care about these two and what they are hiding from.”
“Who said they were hiding?” Antoinette asked.
“Oh come on, sweetie,” Delilah said. “You need to work on your delivery. And your poker face. It’s as obvious that they are in trouble as it is that Argyle wants to bury himself inside that witch named Pacey and never let her go again.”
Antoinette pursed her lips. Sofia inched closer to Griffin. Which he didn’t mind at all. Hey, if Argyle could fall in love…
“Well, we’re off,” Delilah said, waving at the group and then grabbing Trennon’s hand and tugging him toward the driveway. “Hopefully, we won’t get kicked out of this bar. The bartenders are hot and fun to watch.”
They disappeared around the side of the house. Antoinette sighed and said, “Those are our troublemakers. I can’t kick them out because Trennon was the previous reeve and that’s an ethical no-no. Not to mention, I feel like they’d get into far more mischief if left entirely on their own. But gods, what I wouldn’t give for a household devoid of their drama.”
“I think they’re funny,” Henri announced, and then he stepped up next to Penelope and dropped his voice to a whisper. “And she sneaks me cookies when Manman says I can’t have anymore.”
Penelope giggled. Antoinette rolled her gaze to the sky.
“Does anyone else want a drink?” Antoinette asked as she headed for the house. “I could certainly use one right now.”
They stepped into a massive, wide-open area with hardwood floors and beige furniture arranged into several different seating areas, including one that crowded around a stone fireplace framed by floor-to-ceiling windows.
This room opened into a dining area with a huge table and at least twenty chairs, and the kitchen. A granite peninsula separated the food prep area from the rest of the space.
“It’s beautiful,” Sofia said, her voice breathy. Griffin liked the way it sounded. Sexy.
“Thanks,” Antoinette
