Fearless (Nameless #3)(29)

Very True, Gryphon mentally agreed.

Laden walked over to Gryphon and leaned back on his table, crossing his arms in front of his barrel chest as he examined his prisoner. “Strange.” Laden frowned at Zo. “Did you, in your private time with this Ram, happen to punch him in the face?”

Were it not for Gryphon’s interrogation training, he might have flinched at the Commander’s observation. Instead, Gryphon spoke in a level tone. “This is nothing, sir.” He thought to blame his swollen jaw on the rough handling of the Wolves when they’d dragged him out of the tent at Laden’s summons, but he didn’t dare. Laden was smart, and Gryphon had no doubt that he would question his men to corroborate Gryphon’s claim. “Ikatou and I had a little chat about Zo’s blood oath earlier.” Keep it vague. Hide the lie with truths.

Zo blinked down at him. Her uncertain gaze made the hair on Gryphon’s arms and legs stand on end. She would easily remember his jaw wasn’t swollen when they were together earlier.

Please trust me, Zo.

Thankfully the Commander missed Zo’s reaction. His attention was drawn by a tall soldier with a blond goatee and weathered lines pulling down the corners of his mouth. The soldier bowed.

“Report,” said Laden.

“We can’t find them, sir.”

Laden watched him with arms folded across his broad chest. The harsh light and shadow of the torch distorted his usually handsome face, turning it gruesome and gaunt. “Explain yourself, Captain. This isn’t a large valley.”

“Our men have checked every tent, sir.”

“And the guards at the northern pass?”

“Have nothing to report either, sir.”

Laden’s fist pounded against the table. “Not good enough!” He kneaded his fingers into his brow, as though taking a moment to collect his temper. “Send a Raven flock to the southern entrance. See if they find tracks.”

The soldier bowed again. “Yes, sir.” He turned to fulfill his order then paused before exiting the tent.

“What is it, Captain?”

The tired captain glanced over his shoulder, meeting Gryphon’s eye with an unbridled scowl. “We think the Ram did something to them, sir.”

Anger boiled inside Gryphon. But he didn’t even have a chance to defend himself before Laden shouted, “If a lone, unarmed Ram took down four of my best guards in the middle of the night in the heart of my own camp without any witnesses, then … ” He took a breath and, pinching the bridge of his noise, said, “Send the flock. I want a report by noon tomorrow.”

The captain bowed one final time and left the tent.

“I told them to wait for me at the tent,” said Gryphon when they were alone again. He didn’t want this to be considered Zo’s fault. If these men had shirked their duty inside Ram’s Gate they would have already been strung up and whipped for insubordination and leaving their post. “When we returned, they weren’t there.” Gryphon glanced at Zo, hoping she’d continue to go along with her original lie that they’d been together when they reached his tent.

She didn’t appear pleased, and he hoped she’d listen to the full explanation of what had happened from the time he’d left her at her tent.

“If they weren’t waiting like cowards at the tent,” asked Laden, “then where are they?” Laden melted into his chair at the head of his large pine desk. “Unless we can find evidence to support you, I’ll have no choice but to take action. I want to trust you, but as our enemy, no one will believe you without a witness. The Allies will demand blood.”

“What kind of action?” asked Zo.

“A hand, at least.”

Gryphon set his jaw, too dazed to process Zo’s outraged protests. He had no desire to spend the last days of his life in horrible pain. But then Gryphon remembered that they were alone. No guards surrounding him. No bindings.

“You’re bluffing,” Gryphon blurted. “You want to scare me, but you don’t really believe that I caused that fire.” He paused. “You don’t know what to do with me, do you?” A grin broke past the barrier of Gryphon’s careful control. He knew it was reckless to goad the Commander, but couldn’t help himself.

This man, so exact in his punishment of his own men when they defied his orders, paused in the face of justice. Even for a Ram. Gryphon respected him for it, in spite of himself.

A guard peeked his head through the flaps of the tent and said, “Chief Naat’s son requests permission to speak to you.” The guard glanced at Gryphon. His blond hair was pulled back into a tight knot on the top of his head, accentuating his forehead as his brows narrowed into an accusing V. “He says he has information about the Ram.”

Zo reached out and placed a hand on Gryphon’s shoulder. Her eyes closed. Her breath turned ragged.

Does she think I did this?

It shouldn’t have felt like a betrayal, but it did.

Sani entered the tent with head held high, his posture strong despite his small frame.

Laden offered the Raven Prince a tight bow, but before he could do more, Sani spoke.

“I assumed you believe Gryphon to be the cause of this fire. I understand the victims were the same who attacked Gryphon the day after he arrived.”

Laden only nodded. Perhaps he hadn’t had the opportunity to converse with the intelligent kid yet. Sani always spoke with wisdom beyond his years.