Rise of the Gryphon (Belador #4)(84)

Please tell me Storm got away without harm.

But if VIPER waited outside the event, what had happened then?

Evalle didn’t know. She could only hope that maybe Storm used the potion, even though she doubted he would, then shifted into his jaguar form so he could disappear into the night.

Cumberland had miles and miles of undisturbed forest.

And Storm had resources. He had the invisibility potion and would have had a plan in place to get her off the island. But now she had Lanna to contend with and keep safe. “You can’t leave this room, Lanna.”

“Ever?”

“I have a good and bad feeling that this is a short visit based on what Kizira said, but she knows you’re with me and I don’t have any idea what the Medb have planned.”

“I heard what she said. Why does she let me stay?”

Evalle debated on how much to tell Lanna, but the truth might be her best choice considering where they were and what Lanna could hear before leaving. “Quinn has known Kizira a long time. I don’t think Kizira wants to harm anyone related to Quinn.”

Lanna frowned, thinking hard, then glared at Evalle. “You would accuse my cousin of befriending the enemy?”

“I’m not accusing Quinn of anything, but he does know her. You can ask him about it when you see him again, but please don’t repeat that to anyone here or back home.” Evalle hoped that she and Lanna would see Quinn sooner rather than later. “In the meantime, don’t make this any more difficult than it already is. If they come for me, cloak yourself until I’m gone and do not leave this room, no matter what.”

“I understand.”

“Yeah, well, that whole ‘I understand’ won’t work. Quinn believes you’re good for your word, so I want you to say you will not leave this room unless I tell you.”

Some teens might pout, but not Lanna. Her jaw was rigid with annoyance. She didn’t like being outmaneuvered. “I give my word. I will not leave this room unless you tell me.”

“Thank you.”

“But you will lose our best chance for information if you do not use me. I can stay cloaked for half hour now and I am working on other abilities.”

For a fleeting moment, Evalle considered allowing Lanna to move around invisible for intel, but she just as quickly dismissed the idea as stupid. “Do your practicing in here and keep it quiet when you do.”

“You should help me.”

Do I look like a majik trainer? “I doubt any of your tricks can help us here. We’re in Medb central, the hub of dark majik like nothing you’ve ever seen. Even Grendal couldn’t get us out of here.”

“That is because Grendal cannot do something that I can.”

Evalle walked over and dropped to the sofa, sinking deep in the soft cushions. Her body had healed, but she was beat. On a drawn-out sigh, she asked, “What are you practicing that a powerful wizard can’t do?”

“Teleporting.”





THIRTY





Lanna’s claim of teleporting had sounded much more promising last night.

When Evalle heard a thunk, then “Ouch” for the fiftieth time, she rolled over on her back on the king-size bed and pushed up on her elbows.

Lanna stood next to the door to a bathroom just as large as this bedroom suite. She rubbed her shoulder.

Evalle admired Lanna’s determination, but she doubted the girl’s body would survive this training. “You’re going to be black-and-blue when Quinn sees you again. He doesn’t need another reason to kill me besides letting you end up in T?μr Medb.”

“I am not thinking something right, but this would be easier outside in open area.”

“I don’t think they have an outside like at home. This is another realm. I heard that Queen Flaevynn can’t leave the tower because of some curse. If the T?μr Medb realm included land like Treoir does, we’d probably be able to see it through the windows. We’d have windows.”

Lanna got that not-ready-to-quit look on her face and vanished, reappearing in the middle of the room.

Evalle clapped. “There you go.”

“That is simple,” the girl muttered. “We need to travel much farther to escape. I must go from one room to another before I can go distances.” She walked to the corner farthest from the bathroom and vanished again.

Then thunked the same door.

Evalle winced when Lanna appeared, rubbing her head this time. “Take a break, okay. And don’t try to go anywhere outside these two rooms.”

“I gave my word.”

“Didn’t mean to insult you. Just don’t want you teleporting into Flaevynn.”

“Evalle?” a brusque male voice called from outside the room.

Lanna dove into the bathroom, pulling the door almost closed and flipping off the lights.

Surprised to get any notice before someone popped into her new holding cell, Evalle answered in her surly I-haven’t-had-coffee-yet voice, “What?”

“The queen wants to see you. Get dressed.”

“Why? Nudity bother her?” Not that Evalle was leaving here without clothes on.

“No, because I’m opening this door in sixty seconds.”

The chuckle at the end of that belonged to Tristan, who would call her bluff.