Page 46 of Crown of Mist and Heat

"A griffin?" Ryze asked.

"That was what it looks like, but only saw a flash." His eyes glazed over as he thought back. "When Harel was talking about dragons, it came back to me. I realised something. Griffins can fly."

"That's not exactly news," Ryze said dryly.

"I know, but that light was in the sky. What if it wasn't a light? What if it was a portal? Opened by someone on the back of a griffin for just long enough to throw heat through before they closed it again?"

Ryze sat back. He pressed two fingers to his upper lip, and his thumb to his chin.

"Fuck. It may not have been aimed at me. It might have been an example of what they can do." He stood. "We need to get a look at that map."

"Yes we do," Cavan arrived back in time to see Ryze stand. Had he heard anything else? His expression gave away nothing.

"Perfect timing," Ryze said smoothly. "We were about to leave without you."

"I'm sure you were," Cavan told him, clearly not believing that for a moment.

Tavian pulled me to my feet and nudged me with his elbow. When I turned to him, he was grinning.

"What?" I asked.

"This is the bit where we get to watch two alphas argue over who's making the portal. It always gets interesting."

"I'm sure it does," I said. A smile tugged on the side of my lips. "Your portal or mine?"

He laughed. "That sounds perfectly inappropriate. Who wouldn't want watch them fuck each other?"

Before I could answer, I caught Ryze and Cavan staring at us both.

Tavian grinned broader. "It's an omega thing."

"If you keep saying that, I'm going to open a portal to that swamp we talked about," Ryze started. "Push you through it. And close it behind you."

"He wouldn't really do that," Tavian told me.

"I've heard he's done it before," Cavan said. He arched an eyebrow at Ryze. "Who was it? Someone spilled a drop of milk on your shoe?"

"If anyone spilled milk on my shoe, they'd deserve to end up in the swamp," Ryze said. "If you must know, they tried to kill me. Did you send them?"

"Not on that occasion, no," Cavan said.

"So you don't deny sending people to kill me?" Ryze pretended to be offended, but the humour in his eyes said he wasn't really.

"I'm sure you deserved it," was all Cavan said. "You can make the portal. You know where we're going better than I do."

Ryze looked surprised but nodded. "Khala, are your friends coming?"

"They're already waiting outside," Cavan said. "Hycanthe, Jezalyn and a couple of others who are scared to stay in Garial after what happened yesterday. As soon as I stepped out of the room, I sent word to the atrium."

"How magnanimous and efficient of you," Ryze told him. "I'm almost impressed."

"I almost give a shit," Cavan said in return. "Actually, no, I don't. Not even a small one."

"Liar." Ryze nodded his thanks to Vayne, who stepped into the room carrying all of their packs. "You care about my opinion much more than you'll admit."

"Keep telling yourself that," Cavan said dryly. "That will never make it true."

Ryze smirked and slipped his pack onto his back before taking my hand. "Ready to go home?"

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