Page 23 of Griffin Undone
“You’re in my lair,” the beautiful one said.
“And you are…?”
“Arik.”
I drank him in like I did the water, unaware of my distraction until Grim cleared his throat. “The one with the swollen jaw is Sun, our prince, and I am the Aomai. Your healer,” he said as I wrinkled my brow at the unfamiliar word.
“I thought you were Grim.”
Arik laughed. The sound caressed my skin, raising goose bumps I hid under the cover, allowing only my hand and the glass to surface.
“That’s my name, not my occupation,” he said with a resigned glance at Arik that I didn’t understand.
“So what’s with the robe?” Seriously, the dark, rumbly voice coming from behind a hood was starting to creep me out, even if he had pretty lips.
I swore a grin tilted his mouth at my thought. Right, mind reader. At least he didn’t mention it in front of the others.
“I’m sorry, little one. The robe is part of the rules for helping you.”
What was he talking about, rules? When would I finally understand what the heck was going on here?
“Yes, I did read your thoughts.” I caught another quick impression of a smile. “And what is going on is that you, Kat, have been through a rough time. What’s the last thing you remember?”
Hands. Hurt. Teeth. Nothing before, nothing after, just the pain. I closed my eyes tight against the memory and raised a hand to my neck, finding a bandage.He bit me.
“Yes, he did. It’s called triggering. Of course, the Archai don’t usually do it that way, but the result is the same, to an extent.”
“Stop doing that! Stop—” God, surely this was some kind of hallucination or something. I swallowed hard. “Who…who hurt me? You tell me the truth, Grim. Right now! Where am I—and explain it so I can understand it—and what do you want? I mean it. Spill!”
“All right, Kat, no more telepathy,” he said. “I’m sorry. It’s a natural form of communication for us.”
“Telepathy is a myth.”
“Of course it is,” Sun said from his position holding up the wall. “And human teeth can tear a hole in your throat.”
The retort on my tongue stalled when Grim shook his hooded head. “You’ll accept it with time, but for now let me give you the basics.” He rubbed a hand along his jaw as if trying to decide where to start. “Alongside humans exists a species called the Archai. They look like you, but they aren’t—they aren’t human. They are a species of what you would call shape-shifters.”
“And one of these Arks bit me?”
“Archai,” Sun said. “And no, we didn’t hurt you. That was the enemy.”
I eyed Grim, my confusion jangling every nerve.
He shot Sun a look, and I didn’t need telepathy to know he was telling Sun to leave the explaining to him. “We’ll get to them in a minute.” He paused as if trying to regain his train of thought. “You are not fully human either. You carry the Archai gene, and when one of our males bites you, your psych—psychic, to you—gifts are triggered and you become fully an Archai female. Right now you need healing because of the way you were triggered, but with time you will be able to exercise your gifts, including telepathy, at will.”
Okaaay.Obviously I’d finally arrived in the loony bin, complete with Halloween costumes if Grim’s getup was any indication.
“So you’re saying I can become a…what? Werewolf? Bat? Don’t say bat, please.” A shudder rocked me. “I don’t like bats.”
It was Arik who answered me this time. “Not bats. Females don’t shift forms; they have mental gifts. The males have physical gifts.”
“Traits, if you will,” Grim explained.
I shook my head. Surely I’d wake up from this nightmare any moment. “I don’t believe you.”
“Of course,” Grim said. Then, over his shoulder, “Show her, Arik.”
Arik stepped closer. His focused gaze was difficult to meet, but I refused to look away. Whatever he was going to show me, I needed to see.
