Rise of the Gryphon (Belador #4)(110)

I can’t!

You must. We have no time! Do it. Trust me.

Tears streaming, Brina gripped the sword and drove it into Evalle’s chest.

Evalle gritted her teeth against the pain and leaned down as Brina drove the sword into her heart once, twice, three times. Okay, enough. That should do it. Evalle folded a wing so that she’d keel over to the side and not crush Brina.

Brina stumbled back, a tear streaming down her cheek, and stared at the blood-drenched sword she held. “Evalle?”

Evalle hissed at the pain, breathing hard. She had to ease Brina’s horror. I’ll live. Give me a minute. The world receded as Evalle’s life bled out until her thoughts shrank into a black void with only a pinpoint of light pulsing.

What if she didn’t regenerate?

Then the light brightened, and with it came the incredible pain of regenerating. In her mind, Evalle cried out, but in the T?μr Medb battles she’d heard the other gryphons’ high-pitched wailing, so she knew she was making an ungodly sound about now.

Bolts of energy streaked through her chest, shocking her heart back to pumping and healing the damaged tissue.

Rolling to her side once more, she leveraged herself up and shook her head, drunk from healing again in so short a time.

An earth-shaking roar approached from a distance.

Boomer.

Evalle called upon her beast powers to flood her body, and the explosion of energy lifted her off the ground. She settled on her hindquarters. If she felt this good after a second death, what would Boomer be experiencing after three?

Brina stood shell-shocked as Evalle rose to her full height.

Conlan’s voice entered Evalle’s mind. We’re inside and Lanna has us cloaked, or Brina will probably kill me.

Evalle took a look over her shoulder to check on Boomer, who was not in view yet, then turned back to Brina. Evalle had to give her yet another shock. Lanna and Conlan are inside the castle, too.

When Brina raised her sword out of instinct, Evalle quickly added, Conlan is not the traitor. Tzader will tell you this when he talks to you, so don’t hurt Conlan. He’s with Lanna. Tell them to show themselves, then please get out of here so I can fight without worrying about you. That incoming gryphon is heading for the immortality river beneath the castle.

Brina lifted her voice. “Conlan O’Meary, show yourself.”

A Belador could not refuse that order. Lanna and Conlan came into view, with Conlan standing in front of Lanna, shielding her.

Conlan said to Brina, “Give me a sword, tell the others not to kill me, and I’ll join the battle!”

With one look at Evalle then back at Conlan, Brina nodded, and a Belador sword appeared in front of Conlan.

Evalle told Conlan and Brina, Move these knocked-out warriors out of here or they might burn to death with two gryphons battling.

Brina and Conlan used their kinetics, stacking the ten warriors and moving them up the stairs, where Horace Keefer came hurrying down with a sword in hand.

Evalle lost all patience and yelled telepathically, Get everyone out of here now! Conlan, you go out and protect the warriors I had to knock out. Do not engage any gryphon. Brina, will you please do something with Lanna and Horace?

Conlan grabbed the sword and dashed out the door.

Brina shot her a glare, but the Belador warrior queen understood that staying would jeopardize Evalle’s chance to survive, as well as her own. And Brina was the sole living Treoir descendant. She had to remain alive to protect the Belador power base.

The sound of flapping wings approached as Brina herded Horace and Lanna out of the room.

Evalle stepped around to face Boomer.

He slid into the room, his green eyes as bright as two electric balls. His jaws opened and he spewed a torrent of fire at Evalle, who blocked with a kinetic blast that sent flames licking the walls. She pushed forward on her hind legs, forcing the surge of fire back at Boomer, who realized he’d torch himself if he didn’t close his mouth.

When his jaws snapped shut, Evalle dropped her protective shield and lunged at Boomer.

Her jaws opened wide to clamp his throat.

He swung a paw at her before she reached him, sinking his claws into her throat.

They went down in a snarling twist of gouging beaks, wings beating and claws ripping open bloody gashes.





FORTY-SIX





Lanna would not leave Evalle. She turned to go back and help.

Someone grabbed her shirt, yanking back. “No, you don’t.”

She twisted to face Brina. “You do not understand.”

For a pretty woman, Brina could make a fierce face. “You’re not understandin’. Much as I’m wantin’ to fight beside Evalle, we all have duties. Mine is to protect the Belador power. Yours is to do as I say, and Horace’s is to protect our backs.”

Digging in her heels when Brina started pulling on her again, Lanna said, “Boomer is more powerful than Evalle. He will kill her.”

“Take it from me. She’ll come back.”

“No. Only three times.”

Brina paused from dragging Lanna. “Three times? Explain yourself.”

Since Lanna had not been compelled, she spilled everything about the gryphons.

Brina whispered, “That’s why they’re not really immortal?”

“Yes.” Lanna nodded, in a hurry to get Brina to understand. “Boomer has died twice. He gets stronger each time.”