Nameless (Nameless #1)(58)

Zo bit her bottom lip and gave a quick nod.

The fabric to cover her silk hair, the oversized clothing that made a mystery of her pleasant figure. It all made sense to Gryphon now. He was blind not to see it sooner. She wouldn’t have lasted long without those simple defenses.

“He can’t touch you now, Zo. I won’t let him.”

Zo stopped walking. She peered at him from the corner of her eyes. Untrusting. “Why, because I belong to you?”

Gryphon winced. The suggestion made his cheeks warm. He looked away, grateful for the cover of night. “Despite what you think, I am not a monster.”

“No.” She picked up her kit from the ground and wiped blood from the corner of her mouth. “You are a Ram.”





Chapter 30





Zo had said the hateful words aloud because in her heart she couldn’t quite form them. Gryphon was an unfathomable being. A creature of his own mold. The Ram uniform didn’t fit a man who preferred using his blade to whittle designs into pieces of wood. He’d done so much for her and Tess. His mere presence tonight meant that he had been on his way to check on her.

Zo shook the fog from her thoughts. A wolf dressed in sheep’s clothing was still a wolf.

The irony of the comparison just angered her further. Wasn’t she the Wolf wearing the wool of the Ram? The world didn’t make sense.

“When do you leave again?” she asked, partly because she could pass along that information to Commander Laden, partly because she didn’t want him to go.

Gryphon scowled. “Why do you want to know?”

“Just thinking about Tess. When you leave, what will keep the Gate Master from finding her?”

Gryphon kicked a rock off the dark road. “I have a plan.”

They turned off the road and up a dirt trail. Zo’s head throbbed as she shivered from the night chill. They reached the Nameless’ quarters on Gryphon’s property. The crooked door did little to block the sounds of whispering coming from inside.

Someone’s in the room with Tess! She tugged on Gryphon’s arm. Both of her hands could hardly fit around the circumference of his bicep.

Gryphon pushed Zo behind him and opened the door.

The floorboards that covered Tess’ underground hiding place sat in a disorderly pile. Joshua and Tess were hunched over an oil lamp while the rest of the room slept. They seemed to be in the middle of a great, whispered debate because Tess had on her “argument” face.

“What’s going on here?” Gryphon and Zo spoke at the exact same time. Zo almost laughed. Almost.

“I came to tell Tess not to wait up for Zo,” Joshua said, looking mostly at Gryphon.

“You left me hours ago,” said Zo.

Joshua shrugged his shoulders.

“It wasn’t his fault! I had questions,” said Tess.

“Lots of questions.” Joshua rubbed his eyes.

Tess smacked his arm with the back of her hand. “I wasn’t the only one.”

“Enough.” Gryphon pinched the bridge of his nose. “I have to get you two out of here. The Seer is coming in the morning. She knows when people lie.”

Joshua jumped to his feet. “The Seer? Coming here? Gryph, what about the other W—”

“I know.” Gryphon spoke over him. “Trust me. I know.” Gryphon turned away, as if it were easier to think without them in his line of vision. Something about his posture changed. Perhaps the set of his shoulders or the stiffness in his stance. Zo couldn’t decide. When he turned to face them again he was no longer Gryphon, he was a leader of men. Someone to follow.

“Here’s the plan.” He looked directly at Zo as he spoke. “Joshua will take Tess into the woods for the night. They can hide there until I come looking for them. You need to leave as well, Zo.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re too easy to read. It’s your eyes.” Gryphon swallowed in chagrin. Joshua wore a curious smile.

Zo took Gryphon by the sleeve and led him a few feet away from Tess and Joshua. “I don’t think it’s a good idea to leave them alone in the woods.” She whispered so only he could hear. She looked back to see Joshua wearing the same foolish grin. “Why can’t they leave at first light?”

“That’s no good. They could be seen without the cover of night. Besides, we don’t know when the Seer’s coming.” Gryphon rested his heavy hand on the side of her arm and gently squeezed. “Joshua will take care of your sister. Trust me. This is our only option.”

Zo couldn’t remember the key points to her argument. She watched Gryphon’s hand fall away from her arm then looked up into the warmth of his earthy eyes. “I … I trust you.” Suddenly she felt like she’d fallen off a cliff. There was nothing to hold on to. Nothing to break her fall. Just wind and a rapidly approaching bed of rocks below. She couldn’t seem to catch her breath.

The corner of Gryphon’s lip raised in a subtle smile. “I’ll tell my mother you went to check on the family you helped last night. It shouldn’t raise suspicion. Thankfully, she knows nothing of Tess.”

Zo barely heard him, but nodded anyway.

“Joshua, two bedrolls, rations, water, knife, bow. Take her to my spot. Not too fast, she’s young. If I haven’t come for you by sundown, find Ajax. Tell him I’ll explain later.”