Page 84 of Gryphon’s Fire

Wispy blue entered my vision. Grayson had joined the fray. Unfortunately, it didn’t look like Axios was falling for his will-o’-the-wisp tricks this time.

Elvira wouldn’t be far behind, and Martin would surely come as well. All of them would leave the barrier in an effort to save us. Fools, all of them. The thought was both fond and filled with dread.

My chest flared with pain, my scales sizzling as Verona took advantage of my distraction and spewed acid on me. Falling back, I scuttled away. I was desperate to help my nieces, and yet Verona had me pinned down. If I left, she’d either follow or go after Keir. Neither option was acceptable.

I needed to take Verona out first.

Twisting, I used the damage Keir had done to my advantage and attacked Verona on her blind side. Pain ripped through me as she flung more acid my way, but my wail wasn’t alone. I’d managed to take a chunk of Verona’s scales and flesh.

We went back and forth, attack for attack. Keir recovered enough to use his skills to distract Verona, giving me more openings than I would have had. Each time he neared her, my heart pounded with fear. So far, Keir had been quick enough to dodge Verona’s acid, but there would come a point when his luck ran out.

I swear, Verona was fueled by some type of devil. My strength was waning, my movements increasingly sluggish. Those precious seconds cost me. The near-miss Keir had nearly suffered was evidence he was feeling the strain as well. And yet Verona kept going.

The scream that tore through the air wasn’t wyvern or gryphon; it was Jima. Keir heard it too, his attention naturally pulled toward the anguished cry giving Verona the opening she needed. Soon, Keir’s wail mixed with Jima’s as Verona’s acid hit his wing. Smoke and the scent of burnt feathers filled the air.

Planting myself over Keir, I roared, throwing fire Verona’s way. Keir was down and I was afraid to contemplate what might have become of Jima.

Hunched, I pushed all my remaining energy into my legs. There was nothing left but a dangerous, forward attack. I would try and aim low, going for Verona’s throat. If I was lucky, I might latch on before she had a chance to… My thoughts hit a wall of disbelief.

Head thrown back, Verona stretched her neck and let loose a cry that shook the very earth. And then it wasn’t her voice shaking the earth, but her body. Verona’s remaining eye rolled back in her head before she fell. Body completely still, not even a twitching muscle remained active.

A second thump joined the first and when I dared look Axios’s direction, he too was on the ground, body still and silent.

“Wh-what happened?” Keir asked, back in his humanoid form. The skin on his back was burnt and twisted, and Keir’s eyes were scrunched with pain.

Following Keir’s lead, I transformed also. I’d earned more scars today. Several patches of skin were still smoking as I stared across the field. Vi and Blu circled Axios’s fallen body before landing on Grayson’s outstretched hands. Martin stood behind him, his oaken branches surrounding Grayson, Vi, and Blu. Their eyes weren’t trained on me. They weren’t even focused on Axios or Verona. Instead, they warily looked to the side. Axios’s body kept whatever they were staring at hidden from view.

Keir must have had the same difficulty. Changing position, Keir walked a few steps further out before coming to a complete stop. Eyes wide and lips parted, the color drained from Keir’s face.

I still had no idea what he saw, but to take out two acid-wielding wyvern—whatever was there must be powerful.

Three long strides took me to Keir’s side and just like my mate, my body stilled. Ice filled my veins and my heart took up a rhythm that might well end my life.

“Goddess help us,” Keir whispered.

I could only helplessly agree.

Thirty

Keir

Djinn.

How had Helios known? And what had he done? The djinn stood there, numerous tattoos flared to life that glowed like a beacon. And in his arms lay Jima. No longer in his ferret form, Jima’s body lay draped within Helios’s grasp. From this angle, I couldn’t tell if Jima was still… No, I couldn’t contemplate it. Jima had to be alive. He had to—Jima’s chest rose. It was the tiniest amount, and yet it was everything and more.

Jima was alive.

One of Jima’s arms slipped free and something small dropped from his hand, falling to the earth. It looked like a charm. A memory stirred. Helios had given Jima a charm—something to contact him if he was in danger. My eyes slipped closed. Had Jima activated it? Was that why Helios was standing there looking like a murderous specter?

Helios’s deep blue eyes scanned the field and with a blink, Axios and Verona’s bodies crumbled to little more than ash. Only gray dust remained before an unexpected gust of wind blew their remnants away.

Those cold blue eyes settled on me, the look far from friendly. “You were told to keep him safe.” Helios’s tone was as icy as his eyes. “You failed.” There was no emotion, no anger, and no sorrow. Emptiness filled those two words. I’d never known a lack of inflection could feel so painful.

Lazarus moved, his body slightly shielding mine. “Keir did not fail. He brought Jima to safety. It was Jima’s choice to place himself in danger.”

Helios’s eyes narrowed. Their glow returned. “A poor excuse.”

“The truth,” Lazarus argued back.