Page 111 of Crown of the Fae King

He stopped at the benches, listening.

“Can I talk to you a minute?”

Again, he ignored me and headed for the door. I jumped up and chased after. When I got to the sidewalk, he was almost to the corner, still carrying his coat. I ran to catch up and reached for him just as he spun back.

“What do you want?”

“Griff—” I gasped at the sight of his eyes. Bright rust, black, and golden brown glass folded in on themselves, over and over, like a kaleidoscope. “I’m sorry. I didn’t believe it. From the beginning, I thought Wickham was wrong. It was shock. I didn’t know what it would mean for us.”

“Clearly, you want no part of me.”

“That’s not true. It’s you…you who won’t want any part of me.”

He softened then. It was brief, but I saw it. That little half-step he took toward me. But Wickham came toward us and he recoiled again. That hard heart of mine fell a little lower in my chest.

“Mr. Carew,” Wickham said, coming close. I had a feeling he was more worried that I might confess everything more than he wanted to pester the man. “If you are not on Orion’s side, if you want us to succeed in stopping him, we need to know how to find the king. Can you help us? At least point us in the right direction?”

Griffon smirked. “Oh, yes. Of course. It’s the reason you came to Oxford in the first place. No sacrifice too great.”

Wickham’s gaze cut to mine. He knew exactly why the man was so bitter. But we had secrets to keep. Breaking Griffon Carew’s heart was necessary for our own survival. If he knew what we’d done, he might destroy us all.

And if we were all taken off the board, there would be no one to stand in Orion’s way.

Orion, the Hunter.

I looked into Griffon’s eyes, begged him to know my feelings for him had been real. Then I begged him aloud. “Please, Griffon. Help us. You probably know better that we do what’s waiting down the line if we fail. Don’t turn your back on the rest of the world just because…because you can’t love me anymore.”

He roared and turned his back, cursed in a language I couldn’t understand. But he stayed.

Wickham backed away, moved back up the sidewalk and out of earshot. But he was there if…anyone…tried to hurt me.

“Griffon?”

He roared again as he turned to face me and closed the distance between us with one lunge. He wrapped his arms around my middle and lifted me off the ground. Then we shot into the sky like a rocket, tilted to the side, and…flew.

I remembered the lift and fall of massive wings.

Wickham didn’t fly, but Griffon could. Wickham couldn’t pop into the sky and take me away from him. Those arms were wrapped tight, but if he dropped me…

We lunged through the wind, dipping a little after every downstroke. I didn’t want to puke but…

I lost consciousness instead.

45

This Is Where I Die

Iwoke under a bulky blanket breathing icy air. I remembered I was in Ireland and at first, I wondered if we were back at Brian and Flann’s house. But when I turned toward the crackling fire, nothing was familiar. Griffon stood to one side, in jeans and no shirt, staring into the flames. My leather jacket hung over the back of a chair. I’d been wearing boots…

It all came back to me, and I sat up fast. Thanks to those hours at the park, my body complained, and I groaned. Griffon turned at the sound but didn’t come any closer.

“High altitude,” he said. His deep, resounding voice vibrated through my bones. “It will take your body a while to adjust to the thin air.”

Thin air?I needed deep breaths.There was nothing I could do about my racing heart.

The room became clearer. The curved walls and ceiling were stone that radiated cold that pulsated against my face. I pulled the blanket back to my shoulders and realized it was fur. Thick black fur that did a fine job keeping my legs warm.

I was still dressed. He hadn’t found Hank. Beneath the covering, I put a hand on my waist but there was nothing there! Then I remembered I’d handed him off to Persi in the bathroom at the bar, not wanting to look fat to a man who now hated me.

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