Rise of the Gryphon (Belador #4)(111)

“Evalle said he was tryin’ to reach our river of immortality.”

Lanna felt the blood leave her face. “That means he has died three times. Evalle cannot stop him.”

“She just died a second time. I killed her.”

Yanking away, Lanna shouted, “You killed her. Do you not know what she has gone through for her Beladors?”

Brina scowled at her. “Do not push me right now. Evalle wanted me to do it so she would be stronger.”

Horace had been watching their backs with his sword raised, though Lanna thought the old man would fall over in a strong breeze. He swung around, ordering, “Get moving if you don’t want Evalle’s effort to be wasted.”

Outnumbered, Lanna continued toward a room that reminded her of an old-fashioned solar, with unusual plants in handcrafted pots and unique furniture carved of strange wood and covered in plush cushions.

A solar except that the room was entirely stone with no windows. A safe room.

Lanna plopped down on a sofa, squeezing the cushion on each side of her legs as stress relief until she heard Brina making strangling noises. Jerking her head up, Lanna saw the old guy standing behind Brina, tossing sparkling dust on Brina.

Rotten lime smell stung Lanna’s nose.

Noirre majik. She knew it.

Thin green and purple threads began to wind around Brina. She struggled and tried to shout, but the threads wrapped her mouth. Why did she not call guards telepathically?

Lanna leaped up.

He paused in chanting and said, “You knew a troll killed my wife and child while I fought with the Beladors. Macha knew, too. But she wouldn’t bring them back. Now she’ll know what it is to lose what she can’t replace.”

Lanna raced over and threw all her weight at Horace.

He shoved up a hand.

A pair of double X scars marked his forearm.

The traitor.

Lanna hit an invisible wall. Kinetics. A force tossed her against Brina. Dust hit Lanna in the face. Threads started wrapping her up against Brina’s body. Lanna fought against the binding, reaching a hand until she found Brina’s and gripped it.

She told Brina, “Stay calm. I will teleport.”

Brina whispered, “No. I will . . . hologram.”

Whatever Brina meant was not working.

Lanna’s air squeezed from her chest. They would both die. She held her breath, hoping she didn’t send them into a wall.

Could she even do this with Horace placing a Noirre spell on them? She closed her eyes, whispered a few words and teleported.





FORTY-SEVEN





Fangs chewed on her shoulder. Evalle slashed her claws at Boomer, who showed no sign of weakening.

Unlike her.

But she couldn’t split her focus from fighting Boomer to call on her beast form to heal her wounds, or he’d have the opening he needed to rip her head off.

Drawing her energy into her wings, she flapped, lifting them off the floor with Boomer clutched to her chest and ripping chunks out of her shoulder.

She flew toward a wall, slamming his head. His gold head bounced and shoved his jaws deeper into her shoulder.

She winced.

Wings still flapping, she swung around and flew at another wall, ramming his head again. Stone broke and chunks fell to the floor. Her shoulder was taking just as much of a beating.

Then his jaws released her shoulder and his head wobbled.

This was her only chance to get him in a vulnerable position. Get him outside where she could fly to Beladors who would finish him off.

She flapped around, wobbling as she lost energy.

Her wings couldn’t hold both of them any longer.

They hit the castle floor with a loud bang, but at least Boomer was beneath her.

She struggled to lift her head and chest. The space where the castle doors had stood was only a few feet away, but she’d have to heal first, and Boomer was rousing.

Someone raced toward them from outside, yelling, “Brinnnaaaa!???”

Evalle shouted telepathically, I’m Evalle. Cut off the head on the floor.

Lightning exploded around the entrance when the warrior broke the threshold. The warrior screamed in agony.

Boomer’s eyes glowed with power.

A sword blade slashed down across Boomer’s neck, killing the power in his eyes.

Evalle shuddered with relief and took a breath, ready to heal when her vision cleared.

Tzader collapsed on the ground next to Boomer, gasping. Dying. Tzader was immortal, and the ward on this castle killed any immortals who were not Brina or Macha.

Evalle cried into his mind, Tzader, nooo!

He said, Protect . . . Brina.

That’s your job. Evalle opened the link between them, but Tzader was too weak to connect. Or refused to open his link. Gryphons were more powerful. She just kept telling herself that and drove harder to open the link between them.

Tzader’s thin voice said, Don’t. You’ll die with me. Brina. Tell her . . . I love her.

Refusing to quit, Evalle pushed more power into the link and the connection formed.

She could immediately feel her life essence flooding out, fast and hard. Not like the other two times. Maybe she was too damaged to regenerate, especially connected to another dying body.

She called on her beast and felt nothing, not even the link to Tzader that had gone cold and quiet. No! Don’t die, Z!