Nameless (Nameless #1)(69)
“Now go back to where you came from. You don’t want to be involved with my lot tonight.” He ran off in the direction of Eva’s family home without a backward glance. Zo didn’t have a chance to mention the Raven before he disappeared into the darkness. It was no wonder he’d been so successful with leading the Nameless. He never gave anyone a chance to speak against him.
What did he mean “whichever Nameless leave with you?” Were there more people planning to leave the Gate in the morning? When had she agreed to take responsibility for the fate of the Nameless’ rebellion?
It took most of the walk back to Gryphon’s home to regain her breath. She couldn’t stop thinking about Stone and the ferocity of his love for Eva. Love that the Ram girl reciprocated without question. She found herself desperate to help them even though Stone hadn’t given her the option. The desire was irrational. As if by preserving their love she was preserving any hope of goodness still left in this wretched region. Preserving the hope that two people, so obviously different, could look beyond their differences and find happiness.
If only there was some way to convince Ajax to let Sara and the baby leave as well.
Zo took her time walking back to Gryphon’s family home, knowing she wouldn’t be able to sleep when she got there. The barn door whined as she pulled it open. She sank into the hay and stared up at the black rafters trying not to think of Tess and Joshua. Of the danger Gryphon and Gabe had entered to save them. It was strange to think that she could be outside the wall in only a few hours.
The barn door whined again, and Zo sat up.
“Gryphon?” she called into the darkness.
Four black figures entered the room. A man she didn’t know grabbed her wrist and cupped her mouth before she could scream. Something struck the back of her head. As her vision faded, the familiar voice of the Seer carried over the haze. “That was easier than we could have hoped.”
Chapter 36
Gryphon and Gabe sat hunched in the cover of the brush alongside the trail that led up to the Gate Master’s house. Their whispers seemed like shouts in the too-quiet night.
“How many entrances?” said the Wolf. His chest rose and fell with anger.
“Not sure. I see one door and two front windows. There are likely more in the back.”
Gryphon had heard rumors about the Gate Master and his unusual household. After his wife passed, he’d never remarried. The men from Gryphon’s mess used to joke around that no respectable Ram woman would share her husband with that many Nameless.
The thought made him ill.
“You go right. I’ll go left,” Gryphon ordered.
As he approached the house, Gryphon couldn’t stop thinking about Tess. Her wild blond hair and eyes that doubled in size whenever she was the least bit nervous. She was a bold little thing, but always looked to Zo with unwavering confidence.
He shuddered.
Gryphon saw nothing through the first window except the vague outline of a hearth and a few chairs. He crept along the side of the house, grateful for the rain that made the ground damp and quiet. He paused at the muffled sound of heavy snoring. Gryphon peeked through the window but a thick covering blocked his view.
He hurried around the back of the house where Gabe waited by a window on his side.
“I count five cots. One is empty,” said Gabe.
A giant wave of adrenaline pumped through Gryphon’s veins. He wanted to tear apart the log house with his bare hands. “Tess?”
The Wolf shook his head. “Too dark to tell.”
“Give me a leg up,” said Gryphon.
“No. I should go. If they see you—”
“Fine,” Gryphon snarled. He hoisted the Wolf up through the window then circled back to the side of the house where the Gate Master slept. To Gryphon’s relief, the Gate Master’s snoring continued. Gryphon matched his breathing to the awful sound. As long as he heard it, they were safe.
A shrill scream came from the other room followed by a great commotion. The Gate Master snorted awake. Gryphon ran around the other side of the house just as Tess’ head popped out of the window. When she saw Gryphon she reached for him but was pulled back in at the last second.
Gryphon didn’t hesitate. He jumped in after with sword in hand. Chaos reigned inside the house. Women screamed, pressing themselves to the outer walls, while Gabe and the Gate Master moved through a series of attacks. Tess cried, her big eyes wide with fear as the Gate Master clung to a section of her shirt to keep her from running.
“Release her!” ordered Gryphon. The room fell silent as Gryphon held the point of his sword an arm’s length from the Gate Master. Even the Wolf stopped fighting.
“Fool!” The Gate Master seethed. “Traitor!” His whole body shook with rage. He yanked Tess in front of him as a shield. “You’re no better than your pathetic father.”
“Drop your sword and step away. You can’t defeat us both,” said Gryphon.
The Gate Master curled his lips into a smile. “You’ve lost, boy.” He looked outside and laughed. There was maybe an hour until dawn. “The Seer loved my idea. The healer gets her justice and you learn your lesson. Everybody wins.”
Master Leon wasn’t making sense. “The girl!” Gryphon demanded. “Hand her over!”
The Gate Master held Tess by the neck. His eyes shifted back and forth between Gryphon and Gabe. It would only take one swift movement to snap her neck.