A Promise of Fire (Kingmaker Chronicles, #1)(93)

Griffin drops a lingering kiss on my bare shoulder before tugging a clean, white tunic over my head. He drags another one over his own head before throwing open the door and bellowing for the others.

Kato and Flynn rush out of the room next door. They see me, and their faces split into wide grins. We almost hug but hold back because Griffin is hovering like an overprotective Centaur. That, and I’m not wearing any pants.

Griffin hands Kato the basin of bloody water. “Dilute this.” To Flynn he says, “Burn the tunic and the bedding. Make sure there isn’t a drop of blood anywhere.”

I turn to him, wide-eyed, and Griffin spreads his hands. “You think I’m not learning?”

I smile. No comment.

Egeria arrives next. She gets teary and launches herself at me, nearly bowling me over and squeezing me so hard I start to reevaluate her buttercup status. She’s strong. Or maybe I’m just really weak. I awkwardly pat her back until she lets go.

“We need food for the road,” Griffin tells her. “Fruit. Bread. And cheese.”

I open my mouth, but he beats me to it. “Not goat cheese.”

I grin. How did I ever not like him?

Carver pounds up the stairs, breathing hard. “Cat!” He picks me up and twirls me around. When he sets me down, I lose my balance, and Griffin has to catch me before I fall. He circles an arm around my waist and hauls me against his side, planting a kiss on the top of my head. His possessive display of affection has me blushing kalaberry red.

“Help Flynn with the bedding,” he grumbles. “Get the horses ready, and tell Piers we’re moving out.”

Carver glances at me with concern, ignoring his brother’s surly tone. “The sun’s still high.”

Griffin looks out the window, frowning. “We can’t wait.”

I clear my throat. “Can I please have some pants?”

Everyone’s eyes drop to my legs, and Griffin pushes me behind him as if no one’s seen knees before. Egeria hurries from the room, returning with a pale-yellow tunic and a pair of dark-brown pants.

“What happened to my clothes?” I see only my boots, tucked neatly under the bed.

“Ruined,” she answers. “We burned them along with Griffin’s.”

That means I’m down to one tunic and my leather pants, and they’re not even here. At least they’ll fit. Actually, they’ll probably fall off.

“I need to go to the agora when we get back. Not that I have any money.” I scowl at Griffin. “When is payday, anyway?”

He laughs and kisses me in front of everyone. I’m too weak to shove him away, and the second his lips touch mine, I forget to protest anyway.

“You deserve a raise. You all do. Now move!”





CHAPTER 27


Everyone flies into action. Griffin stays with me, coaxing me to drink water while I get dressed. Egeria’s clothes are too big for me and much softer than what I’m used to. Wearing them is like walking through a cloud.

Just when I’m starting to think it would be great to sit down again, Carver opens the door and pokes his head into the room. “Everything’s ready.”

Griffin watches me take two steps and then swings me into his arms.

“That’s not necessary,” I protest, ignoring the white spots streaking across my vision.

“I’m Beta Sinta,” he replies gruffly. “I’ll decide what’s necessary.”

I have an excellent comeback to that. I just don’t use it. Instead, I say, “Just wait until I have the strength to fight you again, Your High-Handedness.”

Griffin grins like he can’t wait. He juggles me in his arms to fit us through the narrow doorway and then carries me downstairs and across a shady courtyard, the floor entirely covered in colorful mosaics portraying the Olympians conquering the Titans in the War of Gods.

“Did you get Panotii for me?” I ask Carver.

He nods. “That horse is a legend. No one can understand how he got here over an hour before the army did. They were out of the castle five minutes after you.”

I blink at him in surprise. I was pouring the healer’s magic and then my own life force into Griffin for that long? No wonder I almost killed myself.

We cross under a domed archway and into a second courtyard that’s too big to be shaded. The sun hurts my eyes, and I turn into the shadow of Griffin’s neck, the heat hitting me like a wall.

Beta Team and Egeria are waiting by the horses. “Where’s Piers?” I ask, yawning.

“Heading the army,” Griffin says. “They’ll meet us at the west gate.”

Panotii sees me and nickers. I slip out of Griffin’s arms and go to my horse, stroking his neck. He nudges my chest with his velvety nose, nearly knocking me over.

“You’re a hero, you know.”

His enormous ears twitch. Of course he knows.

I try unsuccessfully to get my foot in the stirrup. Flynn offers me a leg up, but Griffin muscles him out of the way and lifts me up himself. Flynn grins in a way I don’t like at all, and he and Kato keep poking each other in the ribs, looking back and forth between Griffin and me.

I make a face. “How old are you? Five?”

Flynn pats my thigh, giving it a hearty squeeze despite Griffin’s dark look. “That’s the Cat we missed.”