Rise of the Gryphon

by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Evalle didn't want to believe it of Quinn, but someone had freed Conlan from VIPER lockdown, and Quinn had refused to accept that Conlan was a traitor. But Kizira didn't believe Quinn had committed that crime.

  Evalle didn't either. "Who helped you escape?"

  Conlan said nothing for several seconds. He finally drew a long breath and, on the exhale, said, "Guess it won't matter if we don't save Treoir. Tzader got me out."

  Tzader? Stunned didn't quite cover what she was feeling. Try nauseous, disappointed and hurt. But should she believe this about Tzader any more than about Quinn? "Why?"

  "He knew I'd never get out until someone delivered the traitor to Macha, but we'd had no breaks on finding the traitor for several years. He told me he'd free me if I was willing to take on a secret duty, because if I didn't he thought I'd be safer staying in VIPER lockdown. He wanted me to use what we learned from my vision to infiltrate the Medb."

  Why hadn't Tzader told her? "Did Quinn know?"

  "No one knew but the two of us. Tzader wouldn't put anyone else at risk, especially you or Quinn."

  Poor Tzader had shouldered this on his own with no support from her and Quinn. "Have you found out who the traitor is?"

  "No, but I do know he has a scar of two Xs entwined with a snake. It's high on his right forearm. I heard Flaevynn marked him so there would be no doubt who her people should trust." Conlan scratched his short hair. "Speaking of trust, why should I trust you and Kizira?"

  "Because we have a plan to save Treoir, and if it doesn't happen, the Medb will hold the power to turn the world into their playground. Are you in or not?"

  FORTY-TWO

  Not looking forward to what he had to tell Quinn, Tzader waited as Quinn separated from the last division of warriors heading out to fill in spots along the coast of Treoir.

  "Any word on Evalle or Lanna?" Quinn's shoulders dipped with the weight of worry.

  "Sort of." Tzader explained about finding the notes in Storm's house, then showed Evalle's to Quinn. "Evalle must have gotten a chance to return to Atlanta for some reason and used that to get a message to us. I have no idea what Storm meant about a witch doctor, but I think Evalle is telling us a bunch of Alterants are coming here, but they've changed--or something is different--"

  "Like they can't die," Quinn finished on a grim note.

  "Yep. Sounds like they did become immortal as the Medb promised." Another strike against Evalle. Tzader pushed his emotions aside and focused on defenses. "Macha will turn all her power toward maintaining the ten-mile-wide ward around the castle to stop the Alterants, but if enough of them attack it with immortal power, she might not be able to hold them."

  "What's our plan?"

  "Who do you think will be controlling the Alterants?"

  Quinn didn't hesitate. "Kizira."

  "Can you mind lock and interfere with her control?"

  Quinn rubbed his forehead. "If all of them are tied to her, it might be like trying to break through one Belador mind when a group is linked. That's damn hard to interrupt, but I'll try."

  If anyone could do that, Quinn could. Tzader hadn't shared his secret weapon yet. The Belador healers wanted twenty more hours without a reported infection before clearing anyone to use telepathy, and Macha had agreed. Tzader could use telepathy with only one person who believed himself immune to the infection. Quinn. "The note indicates this group will have telepathic communication. I'm guessing that's their Belador blood allowing that, which means we should be able to contact the Alterants."

  "You think to intercept their thoughts?"

  "No, I plan to cause major interference in their entire internal systems, from thought to navigation to coordination. Are you sure you're immune to the infection?"

  "Ah, I see. Yes, I'm immune. How are we going to infect them?"

  This was the part that turned Tzader's stomach. "We brought a healer and one of our warriors from quarantine who is still infected."

  "Might not work unless he's a powerful telepath."

  "That's why we have Trey McCree here. The healers say the stronger the telepath, the faster the infection has traveled. Trey's willing to be infected, then to reach out . . . to Evalle."

  Quinn's face sagged with disappointment.

  Tzader swallowed past the knot in his throat. "Read the last line she wrote for us. Evalle was telling us not to allow her to reach Brina. But this is my decision. If we can take her alive, that's my goal. If not, I'll make that call. I just need you to deal with Kizira."

  FORTY-THREE

  Gryphons in all shades of green, blue, black, red and purple gathered in a hall two hundred feet in diameter inside TAmr Medb.

  Evalle and four other gryphons had golden heads.

  Bernie was one of them.

  Evalle smiled over that irony, then lost her amusement as she paid attention. She had to keep Conlan hidden inside her wings until it was time to call Lanna over. Kizira had shielded the girl from view nearby, but Lanna would have to cloak herself to leave that shield. Evalle was holding off as long as she could so Lanna would have maximum time to stay in Kizira's shield.

  Two thousand warlocks and witches stood on the marble floor of the hall. Flaevynn and Cathbad would teleport their bloodthirsty Medb army only ten minutes after gryphon departure.

  Flaevynn and Cathbad stood high above them on a dais. Flaevynn raised her hand, and rumbling murmurs quieted. "This is the day we take back the island that has been in the hands of the enemy for too long. After today, the Medb will rule Treoir and the mortal world. Every one of you who returns from this victory will be given a section of the world to call your own."

  Deafening cheers roared.

  "Make me proud."

  Floating ten feet above the marble, Kizira approached the gryphons at eye level and well below the queen of TAmr Medb. Kizira spoke to them as a unit. "You all know your roles. I will be in telepathic communication once we are airborne and the entire time we're in Treoir. You are compelled to follow my every command."

  Boomer and two other golden heads snarled, ready to go.

  Evalle thought about rolling her eyes. She spoke to Conlan telepathically. I'm lifting the tip of my wing at Lanna, then she'll come over to cloak you so you can both get on my back.

  A minute later, she felt the weight of Lanna and Conlan. Lanna tugged on Evalle's feathers. Make her stop that, Conlan.

  I've got her.

  Evalle stretched her neck to see if everyone was in place.

  As agreed, Kizira stepped onto Tristan's back, placing her feet between his two Rias friends who sat there in human form, shivering. Tristan said he'd told them to appear afraid, but that looked like real terror on their faces. Tristan had been outfitted with a gold-and-red harness with a leash that Kizira lifted as she stood on his back. She could teleport the entire group, but the gryphons needed a chance to fly as a unit before entering enemy airspace.

  Kizira gave the signal to go airborne.

  A wall vanished on one side of TAmr Medb, revealing an empty black sky.

  Evalle flapped her wings and pushed off, sailing through the opening behind Tristan and Kizira. She'd never even been in an airplane and couldn't believe the exhilaration of flying on her own. She wanted to share this with Storm.

  Once the gryphons were all airborne, Kizira's voice came into Evalle's mind just as it would in the minds of the other nine. Be ready to teleport. The minute we come out, you'll be flying low over the Irish Sea. We'll enter an opening between two mountains. Once there, you know what to do.

  Accustomed now to the swirling shift, Evalle relaxed as soon as the teleporting took over. She glided during the change. It lasted longer than usual, which might be due to Kizira having to teleport so many at one time.

  Evalle knew the minute she entered the airspace above the Irish Sea.

  Winds buffeted her sideways. She yelled at Conlan to hold on and felt someone grip her neck. Flapping hard, she fought to right herself. Boomer cartwheeled past her, and she was glad to see she wasn't the
only one struggling.

  Maybe Flaevynn should have built in more flight training than the short time they had on the way here.

  Bucking waves pounded twenty feet below her.

  Salt air stung her eyes, but . . . she was flying in daylight without sunglasses. She'd never seen the world during the day. Her heart leaped at the joy.

  Why couldn't she share this moment with Storm?

  No, she was glad he was safe in Atlanta. Tzader would never bring an outsider to Treoir purposely, especially now.

  A mountain range with an obvious break between two of the peaks came into view.

  Kizira stood with her soft-booted feet slightly apart, holding the leash in one hand and directing with the other. She called to the gryphons, Enter through there, then divide up and start the attack.

  As soon as Evalle sailed through the dip in the mountains, the air calmed to Treoir's normally peaceful state. She looked around, hoping to see the traitor, but with this spot in the security breached he was probably heading to the castle to be there when Kizira arrived.

  Boomer led a group of gryphons to start burning a band of ground between the sea and the castle, separating the defenses. Another bunch broke off, heading toward strategic points where warlocks and witches would be teleported in.

  Evalle warned Conlan, Get ready to bank left.

  The hold on her neck tightened just before she leaned left and soared over mountains, then valleys, wondering if a jet fighter pilot felt this way. As soon as she located a spot inside the area that had been designated as the burn perimeter, Evalle landed a mile from the castle in the only opening she could find amid the trees.

  Conlan and Lanna jumped off. He yelled, "I'll get Lanna to the castle and keep her safe."

  Lanna added, "And I will sneak him inside."

  Evalle answered Conlan silently. Thank you. Tell Lanna I'm really proud of her and to please be careful. And tell Quinn I'm sorry she ended up at TAmr Medb.

  Will do.

  With a quick couple of flaps, Evalle lifted off. She hadn't gone far when she heard Trey come into her mind. Evalle, where are you?

  He sounded tired. Could she tell him, or would the compulsion spell kick in? I don't think I can tell you, but if you look up, you'll see me. I'm aqua with a golden head.

  What . . . are you a dragon . . .

  A gryphon.

  She laughed, then her eyes blurred and vertigo sent her spinning. Her stomach turned into a washing machine with rusted gears. She lost altitude, waffling as she headed straight down.

  Her wings moved but not in unison. She started flipping over and over. Trees. Sky. Mountains. Sky. A blur of green and brown. She curled into herself and prepared to crash.

  Kizira yelled, Boomer needs help. He's on the ground and they're killing him.

  FORTY-FOUR

  Quinn listened to the radio reports coming through to the mic in his ear. He couldn't believe what he was hearing about dragons, then Trey's voice came into Quinn's mind, overriding everything. I reached Evalle and . . . passed on the infection. I powered up the telepathy. She's a . . . gryphon. Golden head. Flying overhead, but sick now. Falling.

  I'll pass that on. Go to the healer before you lose consciousness.

  When Trey withdrew, Quinn picked up a radio call that a female witch was riding a gryphon. Kizira?

  He put the radio away and closed his mind to everything except calling out, Kizira, where are you?

  Quinn? You shouldn't be here. Evalle was supposed to warn you. Where are you?

  Evalle hadn't warned him away, but then Evalle would know that Quinn and Tzader would never avoid a battle necessary to protect their warrior queen and Treoir.

  He mustered a weak voice and replied, I need you.

  Sad to use that ploy to call her to him, he waited as she followed the connection to where he sat on a log in a highly visible spot.

  In the next moment, a giant gray-blue creature landed and Kizira jumped off its back. Now that he could see it better, Quinn recognized the lionesque body and eagle-shaped head.

  A gryphon.

  But not a golden head like the one Trey had mentioned.

  Kizira said something to the gryphon, then the creature dipped its head and took to the air again. She hurried over, but stopped fifteen feet from Quinn, suspicion in her frown. "You don't look hurt. What's wrong?"

  "I'm sorry." He pushed to enter her mind and got shoved back.

  "What . . . what are you doing?"

  Powering up, he surged again, blasting his way past her defenses.

  She grabbed her head. "Stop it, Quinn. I'm not here to hurt you."

  He was relentless, reaching deeper, banging into the other voices booming in her mind, probably the gryphons'. She started screaming in her head.

  At that moment a massive golden-headed gryphon barreled down at him from the sky.

  Quinn twisted around and threw his hands up, forcing a kinetic blast at the gryphon.

  The beast stuttered in flight as if buffeted by the wind, then rolled away and kept coming. Quinn watched in shock as the gryphon landed in a skid, jaws open, roaring.

  Using his kinetics had weakened Quinn's hold on Kizira.

  The gryphon's forward momentum threw the beast at Quinn, who couldn't release Kizira in order to use his mind lock on the gryphon.

  She vanished and reappeared in front of Quinn as a massive claw swiped at him.

  It ripped her middle open.

  Quinn released her mind, shouting as he dove into the gryphon's mind, then funneled his kinetics inside to explode the beast's head.

  The headless beast flopped backward, its wings quivering.

  A whimpering sounded wrenched Quinn's eyes to Kizira. "No, no!" He dropped and lifted her into his arms. The claw had gouged a wide canal from beneath her breasts to above her hips. He begged, "Heal yourself, Kizira."

  Blood ran from her lips. "I . . . can't. Flaevynn took that . . . away right before she sent me here. I need . . . to tell you . . ."

  Quinn cried, tears streaming down his face. "Please don't die." He'd never said the words that fisted his heart, but they poured out now with panic that he was losing her. "I love you."

  "I love you, too, Quinn. I tried . . . for peace."

  He bawled, pleading with every god in the universe to save her.

  She moved her hand to his wrist. "The bracelet I made of your hair . . . don't lose it."

  "I want you, not a bloody bracelet. I'm so sorry. I should have believed . . ."

  "Quinn, please listen." She jerked and coughed.

  "Anything, my love." He covered the gaping hole, trying to hold on to her life force.

  When her lips moved again, he leaned his ear to her face. "Don't let . . . the Medb get her."

  "What do you mean?" Evalle?

  Her eyes started to roll back.

  He clutched her to his chest, pleading, "Please don't leave me."

  She clenched with pain and said, "Promise me . . ."

  "Anything." He brushed his lips over hers, savoring the feel.

  "Find Phoedra. Keep her safe."

  "Who's Phoedra?"

  "Our daughter." She gasped and the light went out of her.

  Quinn's howl of pain shook the trees and ground.

  FORTY-FIVE

  Still tucked into a falling ball, Evalle hit trees. Limbs snapped. Sharp edges stabbed and scraped her body. She bounced down a hillside, finally landing at the bottom, where she sprawled her wings open.

  Every bone felt broken or cracked.

  Vertigo still swamped her. Bile raced up her throat. This had to be the infection.

  Trey had intentionally infected her.

  Didn't Tzader understand her message? Evalle had really thought that between Tzader and Quinn, they'd realize all they had to do was have Quinn take control of Kizira's mind.

  Pain throbbed, cutting off everything but her desire to stop the hurt. She reached inside herself and drew upon her beast. Healing energy flooded through her. Bon
es shifted, mending. Nerves around raw places and deep wounds stopped screaming. Her vision cleared.

  She sucked in one deep breath after another, feeling amazingly better in just seconds.

  With no infection.

  With a grunt, she folded her wings and rolled over, pushing to rise on her hind legs. Stretching, she tested her wings. Wow, that was fast.

  But where was the buzz of energy? That connection to Kizira? Evalle called to her. Kizira? Are you okay?

  No answer.

  She didn't want to risk calling any other gryphon in case they'd been infected. Trey was so powerful that he could push into any mind receptive to telepathy.

  Evalle stopped, hit by a bad feeling. What if something had happened to Kizira? She didn't want to consider that, but if Kizira wasn't answering, she was no longer in control of the gryphons.

  Leading the group would fall to the next most powerful gryphon.

  Boomer had died twice, the second time only moments ago when Kizira had called out that he was down and being attacked.

  A niggle of suspicion climbed Evalle's neck. Would Boomer intentionally go through his third death to reach his highest level of power?

  Of course he would.

  Where was he?

  With a push, Evalle took to the air, flying high enough that she couldn't be attacked from the ground. Below her, a string of Gryphons spaced out like quarter marks on a clock were burning the outer circle as instructed. There had to be five thousand Beladors defending the island, but with the other nine gryphons backed up by two thousand warlocks and witches, the Medb would gain the upper hand.

  Flying faster, Evalle searched closer to the castle.

  She found the gryphon she searched for. Hard to miss Boomer's size. He fought off Beladors attacking him, but he was staggering. She watched as he fell.

  While facing an enemy that would certainly kill at least one warrior, Beladors wouldn't link and risk ending all lives bound together by that link. Even if Boomer was infected, he should be able to fight off that small group . . .

  Unless he was trying to die a third time on purpose. But Kizira wouldn't allow that if he was still under her control.

  He knew the Medb goal was to bring Flaevynn to the river. With Boomer no longer under anyone's control, he'd go for that river himself.

  That's why he was willing to use up his third death and revival.