Rise of the Gryphon (Belador #4)(57)



Not much wiggle room in that order. Kizira said, “I will.”

Flaevynn continued, “Once you return from the beast championship, you will link mentally with all the Alterants so that you have sole control over them, including Tristan and any others in my possession . . . even after they evolve.”

“Evolve? What do you mean?”

“Cathbad didn’t tell you?”

“No.”

Genuine happiness rushed across Flaevynn’s face as she whispered, but loud enough for Kizira to hear, “I wasn’t sure he could be compelled, not at this point in his life, but we now know who is the more powerful between us.” Returning her attention to her spell, Flaevynn swirled her pointed finger.

Dark purple energy suffocated Kizira until she had to squeeze out each breath. Get on with it, bitch.

“You will ensure that the Alterants follow your every order, just as you are to follow mine, Kizira. You will be bound to my life for the next three days and will die immediately if I do. However, I will not be bound to you if you should die. Once you return from the beast battle with the Alterants, you will be in charge of their evolution and compel them to execute my orders. If any one of them fails to do what I require, you will pay the penalty.”

And Cathbad thinks I can outmaneuver this spell?

Kizira held still, begging silently for this to end. Her knees were almost to the point that she could stand without crying out.

“The minute the Alterants invade Treoir and kill Brina, you will bring me water from the river beneath Treoir without touching or drinking that water. Once I gain immortality, I will unleash my Alterant army on the mortal world, along with my entire coven of Medb witches and warlocks. Macha will no longer have her powerful Belador warriors once I control Treoir, because the surviving Beladors will answer to me.”

Kizira’s blood turned to ice.

Had she and Cathbad underestimated Flaevynn? But the queen had overlooked something. “Macha will not just stand by while Treoir is attacked.”

“You think I’ve underestimated her? Think again. I’ve been prepared to deal with her all along.”

What could Flaevynn possibly have in mind to prevent Macha from interfering? Or was Flaevynn so insane she actually believed she would win no matter what?

Kizira had a sick feeling that Flaevynn had one trick up her sleeve that even Cathbad knew nothing about.





NINETEEN





Evalle parked in the underground level of Nicole’s apartment building in Avondale Estates on the east side of Atlanta. Nicole had been her only girlfriend since Evalle first came to Atlanta. She trusted Nicole as much as she trusted Tzader and Quinn.

And Storm.

Lanna climbed out of the passenger side. She’d been happy with the late dinner and chatty at the apartment, playing with Feenix for hours. But she wasn’t chatty or happy now.

She wouldn’t look at Evalle either.

Evalle opened the rear passenger door with her kinetics and Feenix leaped out, floating to the ground. Seeing a couple walking over to the access elevator, she cut her eyes back and forth. Keeping her voice down, she warned Feenix, “No flying until we get inside, okay?”

He sighed and turned big orange eyes on her. “Thorry.”

She smiled. “It’s okay, baby.”

His gap-toothed grin with a two-fang overbite tickled her heart. She loved her sweet gargoyle. He stood two feet tall and wore his favorite T-shirt that read EVL TOO right above his potbelly. Thankfully, with people either sleeping in or already gone to early morning activities like church, there was little traffic in the private parking space beneath Nicole’s building, a remodeled warehouse.

Lanna retrieved her suitcase from the rear of the SUV, and Evalle snagged a tote bag loaded with lug nuts. She grabbed Feenix’s pudgy three-fingered hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Don’t forget to play robot if anyone sees you.”

“I know.” Feenix sounded exasperated over being reminded, but he did tend to have a short memory on some things.

One look at Lanna, and Evalle suffered a new wave of guilt. “You’re going to love Nicole, and it won’t be for more than a couple of days tops.”

Lanna gave her a weak smile. “I understand.”

No, she didn’t, but Evalle couldn’t tell anyone what she was going to do when she left. No one at VIPER could know, and Lanna talked too much, plus she had a bad habit of sticking her nose where it didn’t belong.

Better to keep her out of the loop on this one.

“Leth go.” Feenix tugged Evalle’s hand, then turned his smile on Lanna. “Like Nicole.”

No one could resist Feenix, not even Lanna, who finally gave up and grinned at him. “I am sure I will.”

Evalle managed to hustle her group into the elevator and up to Nicole’s floor without incident.

Sometimes the world turned in her favor.

When Nicole’s door opened, she rolled her wheelchair back out of the way to allow everyone to enter. With exotic brown eyes, slender nose, sculpted cheeks and smooth mocha skin, she could smoke most models with her beauty, and she didn’t have a vain bone in her body. Whoever she got those eyes from probably also gave her the straight, light brown hair that normally fell to her shoulders, but she’d twisted the locks up on her head today.

Evalle introduced Lanna, who stepped aside shyly, which seemed so unlike the outgoing girl. Lanna was going to kill Evalle with guilt.

Sherrilyn Kenyon & D's Books