New Chapter. Yay :) A lot happens this chapter. I'm gonna have to talk about it at the end. Hope you enjoy.
Disclaimer I own only Kiri. And Minku. And now Shadow.
For Christmas vacation, Gregory invited the entire study group to spend the time in the "Magnus Mansion", as they had come to call it. Nikola and Kiri inhabited the same rooms they had been in the previous Christmas. James was set up in a room next to Kiri's, with Nigel on his other side and John across the hall from him. Christmas passed much the same as the year before, as did New Year's Eve. Gregory gave them the house again, and they celebrated in the living room. Kiri stayed in the kitchen with Ellie; John had insisted that he would not celebrate with servants in the room. Two days later, Nikola went up to Gregory's office, where he found the door closed and the sounds of John's voice drifting out into the hallway. Nikola leaned against the opposite wall, waiting nervously for Gregory to be free. John left, shooting Nikola a dirty look as he went, and Nikola stepped forward.
"Mr. Magnus, could I speak with you?" he asked, peeking into the room. Gregory glanced up from his desk, which was covered with papers and maps.
"Nikola, how many times must I ask you to refer to me as Gregory? Heaven knows you're here often enough." He stood and walked over to the younger man extending a hand.
"I apologize, G-Gregory." Nikola shook his hand and followed him in, taking the offered seat across from him.
"What can I do for you, son?"
"I would like to request permission to court your daughter." Nikola stared at his hands while he spoke, twisting them together nervously. He had never felt this nervous before, but then he had never asked this kind of question before. Gregory folded his hands on his desk, regarding Nikola silently for a few moments. The longer he watched Nikola, the more nervous Nikola grew, until it was all he could do to keep from shifting in his seat.
"There must be something in the air today. Mr. Druitt was in here not ten minutes ago asking the same question," he finally remarked, leaning back. Nikola tried to hide his surprise and distaste, though judging by Gregory's raised eyebrow, he didn't succeed much.
"I-I apologize, sir," Nikola said, hands moving to grip the arms of the chair he was sitting in.
"Relax, son. I don't bite." Gregory chuckled. "I will tell you the same thing I told him. I am not quite ready to give up my only daughter just yet. I will need some time to decide if I even want her to get married yet." Nikola nodded, gulping.
"Thank you for your consideration, sir." He stood to leave, and went downstairs to where Helen and Kiri were sitting together reading. Both women looked up as he entered.
"How did it go, Nika?" Kiri questioned, cocking her head. Nikola gave her a look, then turned to Helen.
"Did you tell her?" he demanded, indicating Kiri.
"I figured it out. The only other time you've gone alone to Gregory's office was when Helen had been injured. Why else would you be up there?" Kiri grinned at him.
"Well? What did he say?" Helen inquired, standing and walking over to take Nikola's hands.
"He said he needs to think about it. Apparently he's not ready to give you up just yet." Nikola kissed her forehead, pulling her in for a hug. Kiri bounced over to stand a few feet away from them, still grinning.
"Gregory is a smart man. I'm sure he knows you make Helen happy," she assured him. Nikola and Helen both smiled at her, and both extended arms, inviting her in to join their hug. Ten minutes later, the three of them were sitting on the couch close together, reading, and talking quietly. Gregory walked in, followed closely by James, John, and Nigel.
"Helen, Nikola, Kiri," he greeted, nodding at them all. "I have decided, and Helen and James agree, that the rest of you are ready to learn about our work." Kiri jumped up, bouncing over to stand in front of Gregory.
"Gregory, my employer did not mention this," she told him, her eyes wide.
"I asked that she keep it a secret, we wished to surprise you." Gregory smiled at her and then turned to Nikola, John, and Nigel. "Are you three ready?" The three men nodded, and Gregory led the way out of the room and down a hallway to a locked steel door. He slid open a panel on the wall and pulled a lever, causing the door to rise into the ceiling. The group passed through the doorway and down a long hallway with no doors or windows. At the end of the hallway was a second steel door, which was opened in the same way. Inside was a large, multi-story room. On each story was a set of large cages, separated from the room by large, thick glass panels. Gregory led the way to the first cage, turning a knob which brought the gas lamps to life. There were gasps from Nigel, Nikola, and John, while Kiri let out a small squeak.
"It's so cute!" she exclaimed, moving towards the glass. Inside was a creature which had the head of an eagle and the body of a lion. The feathers on its head were a sleek black, and its fur was golden. A pair of large, black wings sprouted from its back. As Kiri moved forward, it cocked its head, clacking its beak.
"What is it?" Nikola questioned, a mix between fear and awe in his voice.
"He's a griffin. He is what we went to Austria for over the summer," Helen told him, walking forward to stand next to Kiri.
"Does he have a name?" Kiri asked, turning to the older woman.
"We call him Shadow." Helen turned to face the others, an expectant look on her face. "Well? What do you think?"
"This isā¦amazing," Nikola said slowly, moving forward to the glass. Nigel was the next to move forward, albeit slowly. There was fear in his eyes, and he didn't move as close as the other two. John was the last to do anything, and he moved forward confidently, standing just inches from the glass.
"Is this a genetic mutation?" he inquired.
"We believe all the creatures in here are the result of genetic mutations," Gregory told him, sweeping his arm to indicate the rest of the room. Kiri took Nikola's hand and together they walked around the room, looking at all the different creatures. The others heard periodic cries of delight from Kiri as she took in each creature, and Nikola gazed at it all in wonder. Meanwhile, John and Nigel hung back to talk to Helen and James.
"So how long have you two been doing this?" Nigel questioned, glancing around.
"I've been doing this for as long as I can remember," Helen told him, shrugging.
"Helen wandered down here when she was three. After that I didn't quite see the point of hiding it," added Gregory, draping an arm across his daughter's shoulders.
"Gregory brought me in my freshman year at Oxford. Iā¦interrupted a local search of his," James said, smiling at the memory. Gregory left shortly after that, and the six of them spent the rest of the day in that room, taking in everything. Kiri spent her time learning the names of all the creatures, while Nikola walked next to her, chuckling at her and examining the creatures, trying to learn as much as possible. John and Nigel stayed with Helen and James, discussing the genetics of the creatures.
So yeah, Nikola and John have both asked Gregory for permission to court Helen, and they've all met the abnormals. The reason why Kiri wasn't at all surprised will be explained later (Around the same time I explain who her employer is and everything else you've ever wanted to know about her). Which may or may not actually happen in this fic, it might happen in the sequel or the sequel-sequel. I haven't decided yet.
