Rise of the Gryphon

  Smiling with satisfaction, Flaevynn said, "Now I don't have to worry about you working behind my back."

  The ache in Kizira's knees had dropped from a ten to a two. She forced her mask of indifference back into place. How could she risk trying to get around the queen's orders now?

  "I should give you the enchanted phrase that would allow you to live and be the next queen," Flaevynn mused out loud.

  Kizira's pulse tripped over itself picking up speed. If Flaevynn passed those words along, Kizira would outlive Flaevynn and Cathbad. She'd never be able to leave TAmr Medb again, but she could . . .

  Flaevynn finished her thought, saying, "Then you'd know what it's like to be trapped in this realm for hundreds of years, stuck depending on those who are inferior. But not even the idea of your suffering the way I have is enough for me to allow another queen to survive if I don't."

  Of course not.

  Pointing a deadly finger at Kizira, Flaevynn began her next compulsion spell, and purple energy swarmed Kizira. "Kizira, Medb priestess of my blood, I compel you to attend the Achilles Beast Championship in the mortal world during tonight's full moon. You will bring to me every Alterant that is offered to the Medb prior to the battles or those gained through trade upon winning the final Elite matches."

  Not much wiggle room in that order. Kizira said, "I will."

  Flaevynn continued, "Once you return from the beast championship, you will link mentally with all the Alterants so that you have sole control over them, including Tristan and any others in my possession . . . even after they evolve."

  "Evolve? What do you mean?"

  "Cathbad didn't tell you?"

  "No."

  Genuine happiness rushed across Flaevynn's face as she whispered, but loud enough for Kizira to hear, "I wasn't sure he could be compelled, not at this point in his life, but we now know who is the more powerful between us." Returning her attention to her spell, Flaevynn swirled her pointed finger.

  Dark purple energy suffocated Kizira until she had to squeeze out each breath. Get on with it, bitch.

  "You will ensure that the Alterants follow your every order, just as you are to follow mine, Kizira. You will be bound to my life for the next three days and will die immediately if I do. However, I will not be bound to you if you should die. Once you return from the beast battle with the Alterants, you will be in charge of their evolution and compel them to execute my orders. If any one of them fails to do what I require, you will pay the penalty."

  And Cathbad thinks I can outmaneuver this spell?

  Kizira held still, begging silently for this to end. Her knees were almost to the point that she could stand without crying out.

  "The minute the Alterants invade Treoir and kill Brina, you will bring me water from the river beneath Treoir without touching or drinking that water. Once I gain immortality, I will unleash my Alterant army on the mortal world, along with my entire coven of Medb witches and warlocks. Macha will no longer have her powerful Belador warriors once I control Treoir, because the surviving Beladors will answer to me."

  Kizira's blood turned to ice.

  Had she and Cathbad underestimated Flaevynn? But the queen had overlooked something. "Macha will not just stand by while Treoir is attacked."

  "You think I've underestimated her? Think again. I've been prepared to deal with her all along."

  What could Flaevynn possibly have in mind to prevent Macha from interfering? Or was Flaevynn so insane she actually believed she would win no matter what?

  Kizira had a sick feeling that Flaevynn had one trick up her sleeve that even Cathbad knew nothing about.

  NINETEEN

  Evalle parked in the underground level of Nicole's apartment building in Avondale Estates on the east side of Atlanta. Nicole had been her only girlfriend since Evalle first came to Atlanta. She trusted Nicole as much as she trusted Tzader and Quinn.

  And Storm.

  Lanna climbed out of the passenger side. She'd been happy with the late dinner and chatty at the apartment, playing with Feenix for hours. But she wasn't chatty or happy now.

  She wouldn't look at Evalle either.

  Evalle opened the rear passenger door with her kinetics and Feenix leaped out, floating to the ground. Seeing a couple walking over to the access elevator, she cut her eyes back and forth. Keeping her voice down, she warned Feenix, "No flying until we get inside, okay?"

  He sighed and turned big orange eyes on her. "Thorry."

  She smiled. "It's okay, baby."

  His gap-toothed grin with a two-fang overbite tickled her heart. She loved her sweet gargoyle. He stood two feet tall and wore his favorite T-shirt that read EVL TOO right above his potbelly. Thankfully, with people either sleeping in or already gone to early morning activities like church, there was little traffic in the private parking space beneath Nicole's building, a remodeled warehouse.

  Lanna retrieved her suitcase from the rear of the SUV, and Evalle snagged a tote bag loaded with lug nuts. She grabbed Feenix's pudgy three-fingered hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Don't forget to play robot if anyone sees you."

  "I know." Feenix sounded exasperated over being reminded, but he did tend to have a short memory on some things.

  One look at Lanna, and Evalle suffered a new wave of guilt. "You're going to love Nicole, and it won't be for more than a couple of days tops."

  Lanna gave her a weak smile. "I understand."

  No, she didn't, but Evalle couldn't tell anyone what she was going to do when she left. No one at VIPER could know, and Lanna talked too much, plus she had a bad habit of sticking her nose where it didn't belong.

  Better to keep her out of the loop on this one.

  "Leth go." Feenix tugged Evalle's hand, then turned his smile on Lanna. "Like Nicole."

  No one could resist Feenix, not even Lanna, who finally gave up and grinned at him. "I am sure I will."

  Evalle managed to hustle her group into the elevator and up to Nicole's floor without incident.

  Sometimes the world turned in her favor.

  When Nicole's door opened, she rolled her wheelchair back out of the way to allow everyone to enter. With exotic brown eyes, slender nose, sculpted cheeks and smooth mocha skin, she could smoke most models with her beauty, and she didn't have a vain bone in her body. Whoever she got those eyes from probably also gave her the straight, light brown hair that normally fell to her shoulders, but she'd twisted the locks up on her head today.

  Evalle introduced Lanna, who stepped aside shyly, which seemed so unlike the outgoing girl. Lanna was going to kill Evalle with guilt.

  Nicole offered her hand and Lanna took it. "Nice to meet you. I'm looking forward to having company. My partner is out of town this week."

  "Thank you for invitation." Lanna gave Nicole a polite smile, released her hand and backed away.

  Evalle said a silent thank-you that Red, Nicole's life partner, was a transportation engineer who traveled for work on occasion, which took her out of the picture right now. Standing just as tall as Evalle and the alpha female in this pair, Red would not be happy about Evalle bringing her gargoyle and Lanna to stay with Nicole, even though Nicole was a powerful witch.

  Feenix bounced back and forth from one fat foot to the other. Nicole opened her arms for him. "Come on, sweetie."

  Batlike wings flapping, he made happy chortling noises all the way to her lap. She hugged him and petted his leathery greenish skin. "I think you've gotten an inch bigger."

  Feenix looked over at Evalle with shock. "What ith inch?"

  Evalle held her index finger and thumb apart to show him. "A lot."

  Nicole patted his head between his little horns. "If you'll play for a bit so I can talk to Evalle, we'll watch television later."

  Feenix clapped his hands, wings flapping to lift him off her lap. "Nathcar! Nathcar! Danica!"

  "I'm sure I can find a race tonight." Nicole turned to Lanna. "I've got a couple whirligig type toys he'll chase around once I cast a spell for them to fly.
Would you get them out of that chest against the wall?"

  Lanna retrieved a spiral piece of plastic that fit in the palm of her hand. She whispered something and the toy came alive, spinning up in the air, changing colors as it flew.

  Feenix took off after the toy as Lanna sent three more airborne.

  Nicole nodded in admiration. "Nicely done. Thank you."

  Turning around, Lanna said, "Watch this." Then she disappeared.

  Nicole shot a look of concern at Evalle, who waved a hand. "Don't worry. She explained to me that she's learning how to cloak herself."

  When Lanna came back into view, Nicole asked, "How long can you stay cloaked?"

  "Twenty, maybe thirty minutes." Lanna rubbed her head. "Sometimes hurts. Or I'm tired."

  Pointing across the room, Nicole said, "Go ahead and get settled in the guest bedroom. Lie down if you want."

  "Thank you." Lanna gave Evalle a look. "Do not feel bad about this. I understand, and someday I will ask you to understand for me."

  "Fair enough." Evalle thought about giving her a hug, but she'd never been one to hug much. "Either I'll be in touch in a few days or Quinn will, and if not, you and Nicole both have Tzader's number to call."

  The minute Lanna stepped into the guest room, Evalle sat down on the end of the sofa that had an open space next to it where Nicole could park her wheelchair. Evalle always felt at home here and was never quite sure if it was due to the comforting autumn colors in the room or some spell Nicole cast to infuse tranquility.

  "Lanna is powerful," Nicole stated. "More than a witch."

  "She's Quinn's cousin, and he doesn't know what she is. Says she doesn't either. Long story, but basically her mother disappeared nineteen years ago for I don't know, like a month, and showed up again with no idea where she'd been or how she'd gotten pregnant."

  "I'm fine with it, but I'm concerned that she'll get past my wards on the apartment."

  Evalle shook her head. "I don't think so. She's never trained with anyone. I've gotten used to her disappearing around the apartment and in the truck today. I think she enjoys having that control. Thanks for doing this."

  "I'm happy to help, but why am I doing this?"

  Keeping her voice down, Evalle told her, "Quinn asked me to take Lanna while he's gone to help the Beladors with a problem. A wizard is after Lanna, but I drove around with her and Feenix for a while to see if there was any chance we were being followed. I've got an SUV that's warded against sunlight and unauthorized access, and I'm sure I had no tail today. Your place is warded, but if Lanna starts getting bad headaches, call Tzader or one of these Belador numbers and have her taken to headquarters."

  Evalle handed over a slip of paper, adding, "I would never bring danger to your doorstep."

  "I know that."

  "But don't answer the door to anyone you don't personally know or anyone besides Tzader or Quinn who says they're here to see me or Lanna." Evalle leaned forward, gripping the plush sofa arm. "If I'm not back in two days, please call Tzader and tell him you have Lanna. I don't want you keeping her longer than that no matter what."

  Nicole reached over and put her hand on Evalle's forearm. "Your gold aura is dark, almost a tarnished color. What's going on?" Before Evalle could answer, Nicole's grip tightened, then she lifted Evalle's arm and used her other hand to slide the sleeve back, exposing the armband. "What is that?"

  "That is a Volonte and part of the problem." Evalle gave Nicole a brief rundown on what had happened since she'd entered the Beast Club in the mountains last night. "That's why I need your help. I have to leave soon so that I can reach St. Marys tonight ahead of Storm. It's six and a half hours down there. If I leave by noon, I'll arrive just before dark so I can scout out all the docks to find the one taking fighters to Cumberland Island." That would give her a four-hour head start on Storm.

  Nicole asked, "Is that what you need the potion for?"

  "Yes. You have it, right?"

  Nicole released her and leaned back, worry ringing her eyes. "Yes, but you need Storm at this event."

  "No, I don't. I can actually get in for free as an Alterant."

  "But they'll expect you to fight."

  Evalle pointed at the armband. "I'm hoping I can make a trade with this to just watch the battles if I keep my Alterant status secret. Once I get in, I'll find a way to get to Tristan and convince him to drink the potion. It's not a great plan, but it's one I think will work."

  Nicole handed Evalle a silver flask small enough to hide in her fisted hand. It had a sun and bird engraved on the side. "Thank you, Nicole."

  Nicole closed her eyes and leaned back. Her lips barely moved with silent words.

  In the past, Evalle had seen Nicole use her skill at foretelling, and she waited for her friend to share what she saw. Finally, Nicole opened her eyes. "I can't see what happens inside this event, but I feel that you can't go in there alone."

  Evalle stood up. "Thanks for the warning, but I can't tell VIPER, and I'm not risking Storm's life."

  "You should discuss it with him."

  "There is no discussing anything with him when it comes to me. He's becoming as overprotective as Tzader and Quinn, maybe worse."

  A knowing smile lifted Nicole's lips. "So it's like that between the two of you?"

  "Yes and no." Evalle crossed her arms to keep from fidgeting. "He's been so patient with me, I may have missed my window of opportunity with him, so to speak."

  Because she might not make it back alive.

  "Did you tell him . . . about your past?"

  Evalle had never told anyone about that night, not even Nicole, Tzader or Quinn, but trying to keep something like that from Nicole was futile. "No, but he's empathic, so, like you, he has a pretty good idea that I'm screwed up when it comes to a relationship."

  "I haven't spent much time with Storm, but that one time I was around him I sensed the heart of a good man."

  Shaking her head, Evalle swallowed her regret. "The sad thing is that I'm ready to try for more with him, but I may not get a chance. If I don't make it back, I'm hoping he'll come to you to find out where I am. If he does, don't show him where I am. Don't show anyone."

  "You can't do this alone, Evalle."

  "I have to." She pinched her eyes and struggled to get a grip on her control. Evalle had to prevent her emotions from rocketing out of control for just a little longer. She couldn't wait to hand this bone over to someone at the beast fights.

  But right now, the pain of lying to Storm, even by omission, and possibly never seeing him again, was stomping her heart.

  She flexed her hand, took a breath and said, "If he does come looking for me after tomorrow, please give him a message. Tell him that he was the one, the only one I've ever wanted, and I'm sorry I missed my chance with him. But that he should not come after me."

  Nicole held a finger against her lips, looking as if she'd been asked to write Evalle's eulogy.

  Evalle really didn't do touching, but Storm had influenced her too much with his touch. She couldn't not bend down and hug Nicole to thank her. It was brief, but when she stood up, Evalle was glad for the contact. Nicole had become more than a friend over the time they'd known each other. She was a sister of the heart. Or what Evalle would envision a sister to be.

  "Please come back to us," Nicole said as if issuing an enchanted wish.

  "Going to do my best." Walking over to the foyer, Evalle lifted the tote of lug nuts from where she'd dropped the bag.

  Nicole took the tote. "Are you going to say good-bye to Feenix?"

  Throat thick, Evalle said, "No. I already told him this was a sleepover. If I talk to him now, he'll know something's wrong. I want him happy as long as possible. I'm sorry to impose on you, but if I don't come back . . ."

  "I will always care for Feenix," Nicole said quickly, then added in a quiet tone, "But you have to take Storm in the games with you. I . . . I need to tell you what I saw."

  Leaving the door open, Evalle stepped back over to he
r friend's chair and leaned down. "What?"

  "If you don't take Storm, you won't leave those beast games alive."

  Giving Nicole's hand a squeeze, Evalle nodded and walked out, closing the door softly. She hadn't needed Nicole's special ability to know she was going to die. She'd felt it in her heart all day.

  TWENTY

  Someone was following her.

  Evalle had felt a presence all the way to this sleepy coastal town in southeast Georgia.

  Lifting halfway up from a squat, she made a slow visual sweep of the dark woods behind her that hid her and her SUV. It was an hour after sunset, and nothing moved in the black void. Every breath of salt air invigorated her after six and a half hours of driving.

  Bending her knees, she resumed her position behind a thick pine tree to watch yet another dock, the same position she'd held since arriving in St. Marys ninety minutes ago.

  Eight o'clock and she still hadn't found the dock. That feeling of someone close by clung to her edgy psyche, poking at her that someone was tailing her.

  Storm couldn't have gotten here yet. Not this soon. Could he?

  No. If he had, he'd have shown his face if for no other reason than to finish letting her know how much she'd pissed him off. She'd sent him texts all afternoon, touching base as if she'd still been in Atlanta when she'd been driving southeast instead. He'd answered, his last text saying he'd found the Langaus in Atlanta and Tzader's team had managed to capture one, which the healers were using to create an antidote.

  And that he was on his way to meet her outside her apartment. In Atlanta, where she was supposed to be. The phone call to tell him that she wasn't there had been worse than she'd expected, which was saying something.

  She'd seen Storm furious before, but he'd hit rage level when he'd found out she had a four-hour head start on him. She wasn't even sure he'd heard her "I'm sorry," right before she'd crushed her mobile phone to prevent anyone tracking her electronically.

  He would never forgive her, but he'd be alive.

  Balmy night air swirled softly. Please let this be the right public dock. She had to get on one of the private boats ferrying nonhumans to Cumberland Island.

  The other boat docks had been too public for transporting beasts, and even though she could pass for a human visitor, she wouldn't trust Sen not to have someone watching for her at the public ferry.