Page 103 of The Kingdom's Crown

"Why—" Griffin's question broke off with a scream as the magic struck.

"Griffin!" Sam reached for me, about to tear me away, but Aric wrestled him back.

"Leave it! Bryony saved your wings, didn't she?" Aric snapped.

Sam groaned, but together the men held Griffin still, her face thrashing slightly underneath my grip, magic pouring out of me as Griffin's blood also wet my palm.

"Oh stars, enough!" Griffin grit out.

I ignored her for a beat, and then finally lifted my fingers up, just a fraction. Her face was smeared with red, bloody tears running out of her injured eye, but it looked as though…

"You're frowning," Griffin whispered up at me.

I tried to smooth my face, smearing away some of Griffin's blood gently to reveal a shiny scar. She blinked, and Aric, Sam, and I all sank back at once with a unified whoosh of relieved breath.

"Eye still attached," I said weakly. "Can you see all right?"

Griffin kept blinking, forehead wincing, but each blink seemed to wash some of the red out of her vision. Her eye was pale now, almost white, but the pupil was still intact, if drooping down a little. Oh stars, had I left her blind?

"What did you do?" Griffin whispered, eyes widening, looking between each of us. She closed her eyes tightly, and Aric handed Sam a white handkerchief, the other man quick to wipe the blood away from Griffin's face.

"I…healed you? Shit, Griffin, did I—?"

Her eyes opened again, head shaking, taking the cloth from Sam's hand and rubbing her face more roughly. "I can see," she said, but there was still something wary in her gaze as she looked between us, and she winced as she glanced at me. "I can see, it's just…still healing probably. I can see."

"Your hawk will be fine," Sam reassured her, and Griffin nodded jerkily.

I glanced behind us. The crowd of two-natured was growing agitated, and Cresswell was still arguing with the general. Another man pushed through the line of soldiers, and in the wildness of his appearance, it took me a moment to realize I recognized him.

"Griff?" Jack McCallum was undone, out of the usual formal dress I saw him in, hair tangled and collar open. He hurried to us in open panic, and I slid out of his way, watching with nervous interest as he took Griffin's face in his hands.

She didn't flinch, but her eyes widened in that startled look she couldn't seem to shake since I'd healed her.

"I'm fine," she said, some of her calm, dry nature returning, although she was gentle with Jack and her bloodied fingers left a brief stain on his wrist.

His lips pressed flat, but he nodded and released her, moving to join Cresswell.

"By order of Her Majesty the queen, and the Southern Council, we order the army tostand down," Jack bit out. Jack turned toward the vast crowd, voice raising. "The army's official duty is to protect the peace, including the safety of the two-natured. Her Majesty is making an official announcement at the palace. The gates will be opened."

I landed roughly on my bottom, my gaze drifting to Aric in surprise, his own face reflecting my shock.

"We have to get Darby out of the capital," he said, voice almost too low to hear.

"I'll keep my end of the bargain," Griffin said. "We'll leave with him now."

"You're sure you're all right?" I asked.

Griffin didn't look back at me, her gaze lowered firmly to the ground, even as Sam helped her up off her feet. Jack returned to us, and my Chosen slipped through the crowd, back in their human forms, Wendell's hands holding Darby's reins. The army was finally falling out of their lines, and the two-natured were turning in the direction of the castle, some of them also taking on their human forms.

"The announcement?" Griffin asked Jack.

"Good news, you should come."

Griffin shook her head. "Errand to run. Need to sneak this fellow out of the capital," she said, nodding to the horse standing amongst us.

Jack's eyes widened, glancing at me. "It was my request," I said.

"Well in that case, take my carriage. Stay at Cambell Manor, Griff. Don't be a pest and argue," he said, arching an eyebrow at her as her mouth opened to refuse. "We'll have business to discuss."

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