Page 52 of Gryphon’s Fire

The jet was a luxury. I would never deny that. When Keir had first contacted me all those months ago, I’d considered arriving in my wyvern form. I was certainly strong enough to do so, but something had niggled the back of my mind and I’d wound up taking the jet. It had been parked at the nearby airport ever since. I’d wound up flying to the Magical Usage Compound from the airport. The trip had been short. Keir and I opted to travel to the airport in our natural forms. We could have taken a car, but I think we both longed for the freedom of flight before being encased within confining metal and steel.

Keir was magnificent. His feathered wings spread, catching the wind as he glided with deceptive ease. Neck stretched forward, Keir’s sharp eagle’s beak opened, chirping into the sky. The sounds eagles made were not terribly earth-shattering. They were not a reflection of a gryphon’s true fierceness.

My responding cry more than made up the difference. The suitcases strapped to both our backs diminished our combined fear-inducing images. I would argue until the day of my death that Grayson took great pleasure tightening down the straps and snapping more than a few pictures for “posterity’s sake.” The accompanying giggles were not lost on me either.

Despite our extra luggage, Keir and I swooped through the skies, dancing between each other as if we’d been flying together for centuries instead of this being the first time. Why had we waited so long?

The skies were thankfully clear. Nothing of note or threat came at us, not that either Keir or I had anticipated anything different. Jaakobah would be a fool to attack Keir now. After all, as far as Jaakobah was concerned, he was getting exactly what he wanted.

Personally, I would take great pleasure seeing the expression on Jaakobah’s face when he realized his dreams were about to come crashing down.

All too soon the airport came into view, and Keir and I landed without incident. Keir’s descent was so much more elegant than my own. Transforming, we slipped the straps of our belongings off our shoulders and back, picking them up and carrying them to the awaiting jet.

Tossing his head from side to side, Keir tilted his nose to the sky. “That was… It’s been far too long since I’ve spread my wings.”

“Agreed. When we return, that is a situation that will need rectified. It will also be important teaching Vi and Blu how to fly outside in the elements. Flying through the protected corridors of the compound is one thing. Learning how to use the lift of air currents while dodging Mother Nature’s wrath is something wholly different.”

“Then that is exactly what we’ll do,” Keir answered, his head turned back to me so I could see half a smile pulling his lips.

The steps were already down, and Duncan was standing at the bottom. As the pilot, Duncan would be the only other on the plane with us. I had no use for further staff.

“Duncan,” I greeted, holding out a hand to the human. “It is good to see you. I trust the plane is ready.”

Tall and broad for a human, Duncan’s graying, ginger hair was cut close to his head, a pilot’s hat perched at an odd angle. His clothing reflected that of a commercial pilot as well. Retirement hadn’t changed the way Duncan dressed.

“Ready and waiting. I’ve alerted the proper authorities regarding our flight plan. We’ll need to refuel in New York. We’ll pick up our co-pilot, Jenna, there as well. After that, we’re on to Eastern Europe.” Gaze traveling to our baggage, Duncan asked, “Can I take that for you?”

Keir’s appalled “absolutely not” brought a smile to my face. The very thought of asking this aged human to do such a thing was abhorrent to my intended mate.

Far from offended, Duncan gave a smile that crinkled his weathered face. “As you like. If you want to head inside, I’ll close things up and we’ll get on our way soon.”

I followed Keir up the steps and into the temperature-controlled plane. While the jet wasn’t large, it could comfortably seat four. There were top bins and lower bins to stow our carry-on luggage.

Keir stowed his luggage, and I followed suit, each of us picking a seat. Given the jet’s small size, each seat had its own window. I was pleased Keir picked the seat opposite me. It would be nice having something pleasant to look at on the long trip.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve been home,” Keir said, his gaze already staring out the window. Darkness had fallen. Tiny lights lit up various runways. Larger lights flooded specific areas of the tarmac, illuminating the area for the mostly human pilots. “Last time I was home, Europe was still a mishmash of smaller countries. The European League hadn’t been formed yet.”

With the exception of England, all the other countries within the European continent had joined and become a singular nation some one hundred and fifty odd years ago. The individual countries that went together to form the League retained their names and were now considered provinces, much like states in the United States or provinces in Canada. Our final destination would be an old, Eastern European nation called Slovenia. This was the home of Keir’s former flight.

“It is much the same,” I answered. “French was chosen as the universal human language but nearly every major city has signs in French, Spanish, English, and German. There has been talk of reviving the Latin language and making it the official language of the continent. I do not see this happening anytime soon.” Humans were terribly inefficient when it came to such things.

Keir sighed heavily. “Is it crazy for me to say that I already miss Vi and Blu?”

“If so, then I am guilty of the same malady.” I had grown terribly fond of my nieces. So much so that I’d considered bringing them with us. Thalia would love to meet the girls. But the trip was too dangerous, and I wouldn’t risk them. Their lives were far too precious and had already been compromised enough. Vi and Blu were safe within the Magical Usage Compound. Not only would the barrier keep them safe, but I trusted Keir’s family to care for them. Most likely the girls would be terribly spoiled by the time we returned.

The plane engines warmed, revving and shaking the cabin. Duncan’s voice came over the intercom. “Please fasten your seat belts. We’re going to start taxiing to the runway. We should be in the air within the next fifteen minutes. Hopefully less.”

Considering Duncan was ensconced within the cockpit, I didn’t bother offering any verbal gratitude. The sound of twin seatbelts snapping into place filled the cabin. When I glanced at Keir, he appeared a little green around the proverbial gills. “Are you afraid of airplanes?” I asked. It would be silly to ask Keir if he was afraid of “flying” considering he was a gryphon and we’d just flown over an hour in our natural states to get here.

Keir shook his head. “Not really. Just…just wishing we were on a flight back, not heading out. I just want to get this over with.” Keir grimaced and his knuckles whitened with his grip on the arm rests.

“It will be over soon,” I promised. I wasn’t certain what gave me so much confidence. Perhaps it was simply the knowledge that we could not fail.

“Not soon enough,” Keir answered on a sigh, his head tilted back and eyes slipping closed. “Just so you know, I doubt I’ll be able to keep up the pretense for long. Giving into Jaakobah’s demands is just too nausea-inducing.”

A low, rumbling chuckle escaped my chest. “Perfectly understandable and noted as well.”

“Good,” Keir answered on a yawn.