Page 102 of The Kingdom's Crown

The rest of the trip through the city was fairly peaceful, there were even a few scenes of the two-natured interacting with their human neighbors, much to the delight of any nearby children. But I noticed there seemed to be fewer animals out than we'd seen at first, and it wasn't until we neared the barracks—halfway between the castle and the thieves' court we'd visited—that I realized why.

There was a standoff between the army and the two-natured. I was tempted to rise up to my human form again to involve myself until I noticed that the army seemed to be facing off itself at first, at least half of the suited soldiers standing in a line protecting the two-natured.

"Your orders are to stand down!" one general bellowed.

Howls and roars and yips answered back.

Would it come to fighting? I knew the two-natured wanted the day to be peaceful, and the men still guarding them were silent, calm guards. I was still debating how I might be most helpful in the situation when a bright familiar cry tore through the air. From a barracks rooftop, a flash of rust zipped down toward the crowd of two-natured, Griffin spying us in the mass and heading in our direction.

Aric raised his arm for her to land on, but before she'd passed overhead the line of army-aligned soldiers, a net was tossed into the air. I roared as it tangled around the hawk's form, bundling and flattening her wings, weights dragging her down to the ground.

"Shit, she's on their side. I'll—Bryony!"

I was leaping away from my Chosen, around the smaller animals at the back of the crowd, past an odd assortment of deer mingling with bobcats and other predators.

Cresswell roared his frustration, but I ignored him, weaving and slinking and pushing my way through to the front of the crowd. Through the legs of soldiers, I could see flashes of the heap on the ground, no longer small, and with a shade of crimson deeper than Griffin's feathers. She'd transformed back into the woman, still tangled in the net.

One of the soldiers bravely spun to face me, eyes wide but arms outstretched. "No! We promised peace."

I flashed back into my human form, perversely pleased when he looked more terrified by my feminine form than my feline one. "Let me through immediately!" I snapped.

But it was too late, Griffin was surrounded on the ground, one soldier holding a spear over her. She was trying to stand as the men bellowed for her to flatten herself on the ground. I wasn't sure if it was an accident, or intentional, but the spear came down at Griffin's face at the same moment she tried to rise.

"Griffin!" I screamed.

I didn't notice the hands on my waist, pushing me through the line of soldiers to reach my friend.

"Release her at once," I cried.

"Step back from the woman, by order of Her Royal Highness, Princess Bryony," Cresswell echoed.

"Magic," Aric hissed in my ear, jumping forward and tugging two of the soldiers roughly back from Griffin as I marched forward. There was another scream from the air, Sam's white owl landing heavily on the ground next to Griffin before quickly becoming the man.

"Transform," Sam breathed to Griffin, clutching her shoulders.

"No, wait!" I cried, falling to my knees next to them. "Get her out of the net, I can help."

"It's a fuckin' scratch," Griffin said, but her voice was as tight as a pulled string, and there was blood seeping quickly out from between the fingers that cupped her eye.

"Then it's a scratch I can heal," I snapped back.

"Was flying too low," Griffin breathed as Sam and Aric hurried to untangle her. Cresswell barked orders back to the general to take his men into the barracks. I thought I heard him use my mother's title too, but I didn't care.

"You weren't too low. They shouldn't have been trying tocaptureany of you," I said, gathering magic into my palms.

"Just glad it was me," Griffin said, but she whimpered as Aric accidentally nudged her arm.

"Move your arm," I said, reaching out to her face.

"What if my eye falls out?"

I blinked at her. Griffin was exceptionally pale and starting to tremble, and she let out a strange giggle.

"I'll—I'll put it back in," I said, trying not to grimace, sincerely hoping I didn't have to keep that promise.

Griffin bellowed as Aric tore her hand away from her face, and I quickly slapped my own over the brilliantly red and bleeding wound running down the right side of her face.

"Hold her still," I said to Aric.

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