Rise of the Gryphon (Belador #4)(86)

Titanium bars covered the only exit for walking out.

Evalle stood in the middle of the room, looking up, down and around. “Helloooo. Thought queenie was looking for me.”

Flaevynn’s waist-length black hair separated into a pile of thick tendrils that raised and twisted, hissing.

“Calm down, Flaevynn. Evalle wants ta get a rise from ya so you’ll come face her.”

“You’re sure we need her?”

He smiled at the edge in her voice. Flaevynn would not get her way with this. “If ya kill her ya might as well start celebratin’ your last birthday now.”

“Yo, mama,” Evalle yelled. “Listen up. I’m no one’s bitch and I don’t give a rat’s ass about your test. You screw with me, you’ll bleed.”

Flaevynn’s hair twisted into a knot of squirming locks. Cathbad groaned under his breath. Flaevynn was reaching the limit of what little patience she possessed.

He’d best be keeping her busy. Cathbad told Flaevynn, “Conjure the image of Tristan’s sister the way I told ya so that Evalle can no see her, but anyone else can.”

A battered image of Petrina appeared on the floor not a foot from Evalle. Blood pooled around the body from multiple stabs.

He asked, “Does Tristan know about his sister yet?”

“He’s being told as we speak. You’re sure Evalle can’t communicate telepathically with Tristan?”

“No until she’s linked ta Kizira. ’Tis why I said to wait until all the Alterants become gryphons for Kizira ta bond with the new ones.”

“Are you sure Evalle will evolve into a gryphon if she kills another gryphon?”

“Yesss, Flaevynn.”

“If she’s so important, maybe we should have her kill a wyvern like Tristan did.”

“No. I have no told ya wrong yet. I had Tristan kill a wyvern just ta show you how this works, but Evalle is far more powerful. We can no make a mistake now. Give Evalle the sword, bloody the end of the blade and open the gate. ’Tis time she embraces her destiny.”

In the next moment, Evalle held a beautiful Medb sword that dripped fresh blood. She lifted the sword, studying it.

As the bars vanished, a roar echoed, gaining strength as it neared. Heavy feet pounded toward the arena, then Evalle’s opponent rushed into the room. Now in gryphon form, Tristan took one look at his sister’s body that Evalle couldn’t see and howled in pain, wings stretching wide.

Green eyes glowed with wrath from his eagle-shaped head.

Translucent scales covered skin the color of a thundercloud. Wings stretched away from his lion-shaped body when he reared up.

Evalle backed away a step, lifting the four-foot-long sword with surprising ease in her human form. She called out, “You get your kicks watching people die, Flaevynn? Because that’s what’s going to happen to your pretty pet.”

Tristan opened his jaws and released a cry of agony, then shot a stream of fire at Evalle.

She jumped backward, kinetic power allowing her to flip in the air before she landed on her feet. Her face and the front of her arms had been singed red from the blast.

She freed a hand from the sword and swung a hit of kinetic power at the gryphon, which only rocked the two-ton creature back a step.

He lunged at her.

She jumped high in the air.

Swinging her sword as she twisted, she sliced into a wing.

That sent the gryphon off balance. He hit as hard as a duck with bad landing gear.

Cathbad could see why Evalle was touted as not being one to squander an opening in a fight. She spun and leaped on the gryphon’s back, then shoved her sword down between his shoulder blades, straight to his heart.

He arched up and bucked her once, but finally flopped on the floor.

She pulled out the blade and stepped off the dead beast. Turning in a circle, she yelled, “Get your rocks off watching some poor thing get killed for no reason? You disgust me.”

Flaevynn snarled at Cathbad, “She didn’t evolve!”

“Wait a moment. Would be easier for her if she had already shifted into her Alterant beast form, but she will evolve.”

Evalle’s arms shook so hard that she dropped the sword. Her back hunched and she started growing. She screamed as if ripped in half. Her clothes shredded as the aqua-blue body of a lion took shape with a golden eagle’s head. Black outlined the predator green eyes and a blend of blue and green feathers covered wings that grew and extended from her back.

She stretched her neck, looking at her body and pulling a wing into view.

“She’s perfect,” Cathbad purred. “And that, Flaevynn, is the golden head each of the five chosen gryphons will have.”

A snarl vibrated through the arena.

Moving her gryphon form around awkwardly, Evalle froze when Tristan shook his head and wobbled to his feet.

Flaevynn murmured, “He isn’t dead.”

Realization climbed into Tristan’s gaze once he took in the Petrina vision and the Evalle gryphon. Wings back, claws extended on his paws, he was ready to kill.

Leaning forward, Flaevynn warned Cathbad, “Evalle’s not ready to fight. We can’t let them—”

Tristan opened his vicious beak wide and lunged at Evalle.

She raised a lion’s paw in defense.

Tristan hit an invisible wall and bounced backward.