Page 21 of Ties of Death

“I’ve come to say goodbye.”

Her head jerks back up.

“I’m coming back,” I hasten to add. “I did something with my magic the other day.” I hesitate on how much to explain to her. She’s intelligent enough to understand, but it’s convoluted and I only have a moment before Daenn might come find me.

“I’m coming back,” I repeat. I wonder if it’s true. If I survive the journey to the outskirts of the jungle and we take care of the magic, I will come back, probably, but not for long. There’s no reason for me to stay once we’ve untangled ourselves from each other, sorted Daenn’s magic out, and helped Eskil and the others.

Zephyr gently butts her head against my chest, and I wish she could fly, could be the one they chose for me to ride. I kiss the top of her beak and then shift as if to leave, but I can’t make my feet go. So we stay like that, her leaning against my torso, my fingers buried in her feathers, until I hear someone approaching. It’s enough to break the trance.

I kiss Zephyr one more time, give her a little scratch, and step away.

It’s Sigrid who’s come looking for me. She hovers near the entrance to the nest as if worried I won’t be able to make it out.

I do have to steady myself with a hand to the wall; Sigrid frowns at the offending action. “You don’t have to do this, Emana. The jungle is no place for you. The risk involved… That Daenn would even dare put you in such a position—”

“Daenn isn’t putting me anywhere,” I say grimly. I don’t like how it suggests he controls my fate. “I am choosing to go. It’s the only way to stop the magic, Sigrid, and I must. I can’t bear to hurt anyone else.”

“I agree that searching out the bracers is a good idea, but let Daenn go. You stay here, where it’s safe.”

I’m shaking my head before she’s even finished speaking. “No. What if it doesn’t work because I’m too far away? What if—” I cut myself off, not wanting even Sigrid to be privy to some of my worries. What if it kills Daenn because I’m too far away? What if my staying is still putting the clan—her—in danger? These are risks I’m unwilling to take.

“I’m going,” I say firmly, lifting my chin.

The lines around her mouth tighten, but she nods in acceptance. “The gryphons are ready, and the king is waiting for you.”

There’s a crowd gathered in the main section of the eyries when we reach there. Wind whistles around us from the cave’s opening. Beyond the drop-off, the sky is blue and clear, good flying conditions.

Sigrid and I join the crowd. It’s made up of Daenn’s warriors—and Viggo of all people. There are a few onlookers around the edges, people here solely for the spectacle.

My gaze skips over the faces, searching. I’m not even sure who I’m searching for, but when I reach Daenn, his gaze locks onto mine, halting me. Relief spreads through me.

I shake off the strange feeling and thread my way through the crowd until I stop near Daenn and the two gryphons we’ll be using for the journey. I recognize the larger one, Storm—Daenn’s gryphon and Zephyr’s mate. He’s shades of silver and grey, a perfect reflection of the clouds he’s named after, and his feathers and fur gleam in the light. He’s big, bigger than Zephyr—probably bigger than most of the gryphons in our clan’s eyries.

He tilts his head toward me, the only break in his regal manner, but I recognize the tell. He’s happy to see me.

I give him a little wave, but I wouldn’t dream of ruining his regal facade by daring to pet him in front of all these people. He would ignore me for the entire trip if I did, just out of spite.

The other, smaller gryphon I don’t recognize. But she—I think it’s a she—is sleek and beautiful with dark blue-grey feathers.

I stop near her head, putting up my hand so she can smell me, and I wait. It’s always better to wait for the gryphon to come to you. It’s the first thing every clansfolk learns in riding lessons as a child.

Daenn closes the distance between us. He speaks low so that only I will hear him. “Are you ready to leave?”

I nod, not wanting to startle the gryphon.

“Her name is Raindrop.”

He turns away, letting me introduce myself to Raindrop in peace, and addresses the crowd. I tune him out as Raindrop presses her beak into my hand.

“Hello, there,” I murmur, slowly moving to scratch her behind her beak. “Be patient with me; it’s been a while since I’ve flown alone.”

She huffs at that, but she hasn’t shown any signs of aggression, so I take it as a good sign that at least so far, she likes me.

“It’s time,” Daenn says, hand hovering near my elbow but not quite touching me. “Do you need help mounting?”

I want to tell him no, but even for a smaller gryphon, Raindrop is huge, and I don’t really fancy falling on my rear in front of the crowd of onlookers.

“Please,” I say instead. We move to Raindrop’s side, and his large hands wrap around my waist, warm even through the layers of my clothes and his gloves.

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