Feel the Burn (15 page)

‘Breathe, Princess. We’re going to do this. Think of Alek.’

In an unexpected move he pressed his lips to my knuckles and the gesture, just like Al used to do, calmed me. One step at a time, I reminded myself. Just one step at a time.

The tense line of her shoulders relaxed, her eyes soft and vulnerable for an instant offering a glimpse of the woman he loved by night. While it stung to remind her of Alek, he knew it helped her. The jealousy shifted to envy while he smiled at her, wishing and hoping that one day she’d look like that when thinking of him.

‘Ready?’ he asked quietly and she nodded. Keeping a firm hold of her hand he stepped up to face the waiting soldiers and allies, joining Rashid and Belsesus.

Rashid addressed the crowd.

‘We march to the Ardari Caverns and should reach them by nightfall. There have been rockvorhn sightings so keep alert. Remember, if you survive the fight, the ships are instructed to leave after a month so don’t waste time getting back.’

The soldiers nodded and started moving to the long boats.

‘Cat!’

Ignatius turned too. Kassandra and Rumal stood with the two griffons, fully clad in armor.

Rumal smiled at Cat and beckoned her over.

‘Come on, we need you to lift Loushka off.’

He kept a straight face at the flint eyed glare from Ignatius when Cat shook off his hand and trotted over. Kassie stepped forward and embraced her and when they separated Rumal caught Cat in a hug. The mail suits with the rapthna plating made it a stiff embrace; he glanced down at the redhead.

‘Hey. How are you?’

She pulled back and gave a sharp nod, her expression fierce.

‘I want to be there already. I want her dead!’

Kassie laughed humorlessly.

‘We all do, Cat.’

‘Shall I toss you up?’ Rumal offered and at her nod, bent. Cat stepped into his hands, her hands on his shoulders and with an easy heave he threw her up into the saddle.

‘Don’t bother with the straps,’ Ignatius called. ‘You’ll be on Belsesus.’

The proprietary tone annoyed Rumal.

‘Don’t want her too far out of your sight now,’ he snapped.

Ignatius glared. ‘The girls ride the centaurs as agreed. That’s why they were assigned Aswaran bodyguards.’

Rumal gave the Lieutenant a long look and Iggy’s jaw twitched before he turned and marched off. A light touch on the arm made Rumal glance down. Kassie stood next to him staring after Ignatius.

‘I don’t think I’ll ever really like that man,’ she muttered, glancing sideways to Rumal.

‘I have yet to warm to him. Ready?’

‘Kiss me first,’ she demanded, her eyes twinkling.

‘Ready?’

‘Go for it.’

Closing my eyes and ignoring the noise and anxious energy from those still onboard I drew a bubble of energy around Loushka, then opened them, smiling in pleasure at the ease of it. The bubble, hair thin and sheer, flickered with flames that smoothed over the sphere’s surface, just visible to the naked eye. I looked at the shore and saw several long boats landed and a couple more moving back to the ship for their next loads. Watching them I absently lifted the bubble, floating us higher and higher until we cleared the masts.

‘About to release.’

‘Excellent!’
Loushka sounded thrilled.

The instant the bubble vanished she flicked her wings open, the fan shaped metal greaves sounding like blades unsheathing. I sensed Kassie and Kerak coming up beneath us.

‘We better move.’

‘Hold on!’

Wrapping the saddle straps around either arm I flattened myself to the leather when Loushka rocketed into the sky. We burst through clouds and she climbed higher then in a slow, indolent arc, turned.

‘Dive time!’

The ability to shriek vanished when my stomach dropped with the heart stopping midair turn and the air whooshed from my lungs at the plummet. Loushka tucked her wings in tight while we hurtled toward the water. The griffon screamed, a high penetrating note that dropped into a resonant, bellowing roar. The grief and sorrow in her cry pushed past the fear I felt at falling and I sucked a deep breath before joining her, utilizing my long unused soprano voice for the highest note I could manage. It tore at my throat and I knew I’d feel it later but for the immediate I felt a sense of relief. The ground rushed toward us and the faces of those waiting flashed past when Loushka abruptly pulled up. We shot over their heads and around the ships. I saw flashes of dark and light feathers mixed with the glint of armor when Phroma, Nesha, Kerak, and Tomiar, joined us, then the glitter of scales when Sito caught our trail. Too soon we dropped back to the shore, landing beside the waiting Lieutenants.

The show the griffons and dragon put on while they swooped around the ships and each other impressed Loi. She hadn’t seen Tomiar fly so recklessly before. Loushka landed first, right beside Rashid and Ignatius. Sabyn grabbed Loi’s hand.

‘Come on.’

Gredel, Daron, and Rumal joined them and they walked over to the griffon whose armor gleamed in the sunlight.

‘Cat,’ Sabyn called up, offering to catch her. Loi watched when her friend swung a leg over and slid down to him. No jealousy caught her this time while Loi watched Sabyn hug his cousin tight, just sorrow and when he released Cat, Gredel stepped up to embrace her and then Daron.

Hey, kitty cat,
Loi thought.
I want to hug you but the guys are in the way.

Cat’s eyes met hers and once Daron finished his hug Cat made her way over, the other griffons and Sito landing behind her.

‘Hey, you,’ Cat said as Loi reached for her.

‘I’m so sorry, sweetie.’

‘Not your fault,’ came the gruff reply, and then Cat pulled back and made an effort to smile. ‘Not too much at the moment, I’m not meant to cry.’

Loi rolled her eyes and yanked Cat back in for another tight hug.

I completely understood my friend’s demonstrations of support and love but it was the last thing I wanted before I had to hop on a centaur and look stern. My throat thickened when Loi hugged me tight and I blinked rapidly, just holding the tears back. When she let go I gave her arm a squeeze.

‘We’ll catch up proper tonight.’

‘We better.’

Nodding, I turned and walked to Belsesus who waited outside the group. He offered an arm and seizing it I swung up onto his back.

‘Hey!’

The centaur twisted to look at me, that deceptively simple motion reminding me again that centaurs were a species of their own. He turned his upper body—the ‘human’ looking portion—ninety degrees so to glance sideways at me.

‘What?’

‘What’s with the saddle shape in your armor?’

The molded shape meant my legs and backside slotted in easily with little fear of falling.

‘Why didn’t you tell me your armor had this?’

He laughed.

‘And miss watching the newest Princess of the Blood face planting? Now where would be the fun in that!’

I swatted the back of his head when he turned back, making him laugh more.

‘You suck!’

Around us everyone moved into formations, the griffons and Sito flanking the sides and the back of the line. Some goblins rode centaurs but not all would fit. They didn’t need to ride but I threw a thought to Loushka anyway.

‘Loushka, would you and the others mind divvying up the rest of the goblins?’

‘What, to snack on?’

I snorted in laughter and Belsesus’ ears flicked back to me.

‘Just chatting to Loushka,’ I explained, then tuned back into the griffon.

‘Feeling good today?’
I teased.

‘Finally stretching my wings felt fantastic. I’m not looking forward to the caverns.’

‘I hope we fit. Now, the goblins?’

‘Sure, Cat, no problem. Tell that leech Ignatius to send them over and if the guys moan at sharing I’m blaming you.’

‘Wow, you are feeling good.’

She barked in laughter and I called out to Ignatius; he in turn let the goblins know. Sito lay down so a number of them could climb on his back too, then we set off. With the girls on their backs, Oomoth, Larvaste, and Chaieth joined Belsesus and I at the head of the line with Leseach, Ignatius, and Rashid walking alongside us. One of the Medanga centaurs blew on a huge curved tusk of a horn and at the loud, low note everyone started to march.

Again the exhilaration of being part of a convoy hit and Sian bounced in the saddle.

‘You right back there?’ Chaieth asked.

‘Super! Just playing off-roading.’

‘…okay.’

Sian chuckled and twisted in the saddle, looking for her guys and a flush of pride ran through her when she spotted Daron. The man sat at the front of the saddle on Nesha’s back, a hand on either thigh while he moved with the griffon’s rocking gait. His handsome face looked calm but Sian saw the signs of tension, the alert readiness if he sighted anything. The goblins behind him all clung to the saddle and armor with excited expressions vastly different to Daron and Sian grinned. Bet it’s their first time on a griffon, she thought. Those on Sito looked excited too and one, having scrambled up the dragon’s layered neck armor, sat perched on his head. The pointed helmet offered a good hand hold by the look of it.

‘Sito, he’s not bothering you is he?’

‘Nope,’
responded the dragon.
‘New friends are fun!’

With a smile she turned back to the front and studied the landscape. Chaieth started up a gravelly rise and Sian leaned with him. There was no deliberate path but enough of a rough track to follow. The terrain only appeared to get steeper and one side of the track dropped away while they kept climbing. Ragged sparse trees lined the track they followed and the air smelled crisp.

‘Does it snow as low as this?’ she asked Chaieth, leaning further forward when the centaur climbed a natural step in the track.

‘No. But it might be snowing at the castle.’

He didn’t sound out of breath at all and the track grew narrower, continuing its steep climb. Concerned, Sian twisted back looking for the griffons and Sito.

‘You guys okay?’
she thought to Nesha and Sito.

‘I’m grateful for the armor,’
Nesha thought sourly.
‘I hate bush-bashing. Griffons are made to fly.’

‘Sito?’
Sian thought.

‘Hi friend,’
came the happy reply.

‘What are you so chipper about,’
Nesha grumbled.

‘New friends! Off the ship! Get to go caving!’