Page 37 of The Hidden
As mind-blowing as last night with Zeph was, I don’t think it would be good for me or for Pigeon to tap that ass anymore in the future. Besides, if that purring tongue thing is something all gryphons can do, then we can get plenty of good sex elsewhere. My first order of business today is to talk to Sutton and find out what the hell happened last night. I tie the laces to my bra and pull up my pants just as Ami comes flying in through my balcony.
“Knock much?” I chastise as I reach for my shirt.
“Rut much?” he snarks back, sniffing at the room and wagging his eyebrows.
“Touché,” I offer as I pull my shirt over my head.
When I pop my head through the neck, I notice that Ami is doing his whole white-eye thing at me.
“Interesting,” he observes and then shields his eyes with his hand like he’s staring at something bright.
I just stare at him and wait for him to explain what the hell he’s talking about. His brown eyes flash into place, and he nods speculatively at me.
“You’re still silver, but like blinding silver now. I figured your color would blend now that you’ve…” Ami gestures toward the bed. “But it’s still one color. I’ll have to look at Zeph and see what—”
“Ami, what do you know about Bonding Magic?” I ask, suddenly cutting him off.
Ami’s eyes narrow ever so slightly. “Not much. What doyouknow about Bonding Magic?” he fires back at me.
I shrug. “I guess it was used to form the vow that created so many issues between the Ouphe and the Gryphons.”
“Yeah, that’s pretty common knowledge,” Ami deadpans. “So common in fact that Gryphons hunted down possessors of that branch of magic and tried to force them to break the bond. You can see how well that worked out for them.”
“Yeah, I guess that explains why most of them are dead now,” I admit.
“Oh, you can’t lay all of that at the feet of the Gryphons. The Ouphe in power also killed off a good portion of that branch of magic, making sure no one could reverse the power dynamic they were thriving off of,” Ami explains.
“So it’s pretty safe to say that anyone with Bonding Magic should keep it on the down low because they aren’t the most popular around these parts?” I ask, without trying to sound like I’m asking.
Ami looks at me for a beat before answering. “Yeah, that would be an accurate conclusion to come to,” he agrees with a snort. Ami pauses. “Why are we talking about this again?”
“No reason in particular. I’m just trying to understand the history here,” I tell him nonchalantly as I step into my boots and lace them up. “What’s the training plan for today?”
“I’m not sure. We should check in with Sutton and find out. I think you’ve got a better grasp on your gryphon, and your transitions will get better with time. You know better how to defend yourself, and it’s time she did too,” Ami tells me as we walk out to the balcony.
Wings press out of my back as we both climb up on the railing. Wind pushes at me, sending strands of my white hair dancing back from my face. Green trees and rocks surround me, and I glimpse the market far below me as I jump off the balcony. I dive down, chasing the adrenaline rush it invites before I flap my wings, bringing me up to crest the cliff. I hitchhike on a current, and a beaming smile takes over my face as I think about how far I’ve come. Pride fills me, and I wonder if I’ll ever get used to my ability to do this. Ami leads me toward the training fields, where we both land with ease. I pull my wings back in and walk toward the gathering crowd. I make my way to the side and start to scan the group of people, looking for Sutton.
“Nice of you to join us, highblood,” Loa sneers, and my searching gaze snaps to her.
“Where’s Sutton?” I blurt, and Loa’s eyes narrow at me.
“Unavailable,” she snaps and turns back to the group of trainees. “Now, where was I before I was interrupted by the dirty blood? Ah, that’s right... There are those of us that believe we should learn to fight in this form in the event that we can’t shift and fight as we were meant to.” Loa looks around the trainees, her stare intense and unblinking. “But when the Syta and Altern lead us to victory against the Avowed scum, we will be fighting as gryphons, as our true selves. Which is why I’ll be taking over your battle training. The day of our liberation is fast approaching, and each and every one of us needs to be ready.” Loa pauses dramatically and allows her words to sink in. “Now, I will demonstrate what skills are to be expected. Who would like to volunteer?”
No one is quick to raise their hands, and with one look at Loa’s massive size, I don’t blame them. She looks around the crowd innocently, and before her eyes even land on me, I know exactly what she’s going to do.
“Highblood, let’s see whatsuperior skillsyour tainted insides have blessed you with.” She waves me forward, and I shake my head at her obvious efforts to get under my skin.
I could try to explain to her that I don’t have any skills when it comes to fighting in my gryphon form, but I can tell she knows that. She wants to hurt me, get back at me for not listening to her in the bathroom and embarrassing her in front of her leaders. The punishing glint in her eyes speaks volumes, and I nudge at a sleeping Pigeon inside of me.
“Um, Pidge, I’m pretty sure this bitch is about to slaughter us, so if you don’t want that to happen, then now would be a good time to wake the fuck up.”Pigeon doesn’t even stir.
Perfect.
I return my focus to Loa just in time to see her boulder of a fist coming for my head. There’s absolutely nothing I can do to stop it, and my head explodes with pain as her knuckles connect to my cheek without warning. I twist and slam to the ground from the force of the blow, and full on fucking stars twinkle in my vision.
“Now, your first lesson of the day, and one every single one of you should already know, is to always be ready for an attack. We have to stay vigilant and be prepared for anything,” Loa advises, and then she walks over and kicks me in the stomach.
Tears fill my eyes, and I feel a rib crack from her armored shit kickers. I grunt against the pain and spit out the blood pooling in my mouth from her sucker punch to my face. Loa bends over me and whispers.
