Clanless (Nameless #2)(8)
It took most of the night grappling with herself until she secured the vault of her heart and all thoughts of Gryphon were thoroughly laid to rest in the back of her mind for a time when she had the luxury to grieve.
The task before her was different from her mission inside Ram’s Gate. No one—not even she—had expected her to survive her time working as a spy for the Allies. The consequences of her failure then would have ultimately only affected herself. If she didn’t find a way to control her grief and kick this sickness soon, hundreds of innocent people, including her own sister, would pay the price.
She massaged her fingers into the muscles at the base of her skull with all her force, pushing Gryphon and the truth of his fate away.
Chapter 4
Staring down an entire flock of Raven scared Gryphon less than learning what had become of Zo and the others. He was fairly certain that Ajax spared Zo’s life, but what if Zander sent someone to verify he’d done the job? What if she was really gone? He kept looking over to Gabe, waiting for the right opportunity to ask, terrified by what his new friend might tell him.
They kept a fast pace, trotting with the Raven surrounding them on all sides. It turned out that Gabe and several of the feathered warriors were old friends. Gabe asked after their families and exchanged light banter, although the tension on the faces of the men was thick as clay.
The Raven avoided Gryphon, almost pretending he wasn’t there. He couldn’t blame them. The Ram had targeted their people ever since the Kodiak clan had been raided. For years his people sent mess units, his included, on excursions to discover Raven food stores. Raven warriors were cunning and deadly. They swooped in like a birds of prey and attacked from the trees with their arrows only to disappear again. Despite their agility, many “birds” had fallen to Ram spears over the years, and men don’t easily forget a lost brother.
Gryphon, Gabe, and their Raven escort jogged up a steep climb along the edge of the cliffs that dropped into the frothy ocean below. Pine trees and rocks bore a carpet of lichen and the brine of the sea burned the inside of Gryphon’s nose as he pulled air into his lungs.
The trail narrowed, forcing him and Gabe to walk side by side. If he didn’t take this opportunity to ask Gabe about Zo and the others, he was a coward.
“Tell me.”
Gabe would know what he wanted. The two had come a long way from being enemies to find friendship. Their connection through it all had been their common interest—they both cared for Zo and would do anything to keep her safe.
Gabe frowned and met Gryphon’s gaze for a brief moment before looking ahead at the rocky trail. “Are you asking about Joshua, or about her?”
“Is there a difference?” snorted Gryphon, ready to punch Gabe in the face.
Gabe scowled. “Just because you went against your nature and spared her doesn’t mean she was ever yours to protect. She was my responsibility. Mine.”
Was?
His throat tightened into knots. No no no no no …
“Joshua was still asleep when I left them, but Tess said his heart sounded fine and his breathing was normal. I set them up with plenty of provisions. With Eva’s help, they’ll have an easy time tracking the Nameless once the boy is awake.”
Yes, if they survive the wilderness and the wild men that inhabit the mountain.
The trail ended at the foot of a rock wall that soared at least thirty feet above the ground. Gryphon wasn’t surprised when the Raven began to scale the rock. They reached for hand and footholds with the ease of a child climbing a generous tree.
“What about … ” Gryphon couldn’t even utter her name. He clamped his mouth shut and fought the paralyzing tightness in his throat. He and Gabe were the last to start the climb. Gryphon felt his body go through the motions of gripping the rock with hands and feet as he pushed with his legs and pulled with his arms to scale the rock. Gabe kept pace next to him.
Clinging to the wall, fifteen feet in the air, Gabe stopped climbing. The corners of his mouth drooped. He stared straight ahead at the rock, as if ashamed. “I’m sorry.” A pause. “It never would have worked between you and Zo. You would have always reminded her of the soldiers who raided her home and killed her parents.” The muscles in Gabe’s neck flexed.
Gryphon’s arms shook from supporting his weight.
The thin hope that Zo was still alive snapped. Reality hit Gryphon like a blow to the stomach. Ajax had actually followed orders and killed her. He likely hadn’t had a choice. Gryphon tried to swallow, but he couldn’t force down the lump in his throat. His eyes clouded, distorting his vision as he reached for the next handhold. He blinked away a tear that leaked down the corner of his face, and searched blindly for a grip. His fingers slipped and he fell.
His body relaxed in the air, accepting the impact of the ground against his back like a gift. His head smacked against the rock with a hard thump. He gasped and sputtered, blind and foolish, like an infant learning how to draw breath in the wind.
Gone. How could she be gone? The cold fact didn’t fit within the structure of his reasoning. It cut a fissure into the crust of his consciousness. Gryphon buried his fists into his eyes and yelled at nothing and everything. He rolled onto his side, pushing away an offered hand and ran at the trunk of the nearest tree. His chest and shoulder connected with the tree first. His arms wrapped around the trunk, his feet dug trenches into the ground as he pushed and pushed against the thick wood. Rough bark bit into his skin. No matter how hard he pumped his legs, no matter how hard he tried to rid himself of the truth, the tree wouldn’t budge. Not even an inch.