Keeper of the Flame (17 page)

Hugh liked the tone of her voice when she said that. It felt like she was staking a claim and for the first time in his life, he didn’t mind. He wanted her claiming him. Just as he wanted to claim her for all to hear.

Hugh felt the unexpected tickle of feathers against his wing as Miss slid out from under his protection to look at the adult gryphon. Hugh knew the exact moment that eagle-eyed gaze noticed the misborn baby.

“And who iss thiss?” Hyadror asked and Hugh was relieved to note the mild tone of his voice when he saw the child.

“Miss,” she answered as if the adult gryphon had asked her directly. “Sseen you before,” she went on. “Nicer than papa.”

Hugh was stunned. In the days they’d been together Miss had never volunteered any information about her origins. She’d refused to answer when gently questioned about her parents and Hugh thought it wiser to leave the subject alone rather than upset her while she was recovering from being on the streets by herself.

“Who iss your papa, little one?” Hyadror asked gently.

“Mean,” was all she said in reply to that very pointed question. Miss backed up, huddling under Hugh’s wing, only her small head peeping out from under. “Want Hoo.”

“Who?” Hyadror looked around, clearly puzzled, and Hugh let out a smoky chuckle.

He couldn’t help it. His name and the gryphlet’s pronunciation issues with it had become something of a comedy over the past few days.

“Hugh,” Lera clarified, smiling too. “My dragon’s name is Hugh.”

Oh, he liked that. He was
her
dragon. He could live with that. Easily. For the rest of his life.

“Hugh?” The gryphon’s gaze returned to him. “Can your kind not speak?”

“We can speak.”
Hugh sent the thought toward the gryphon experimentally.
“But not with our snouts.”

Hyadror’s beak clicked shut, then open again. “I can hear you, dragon Hugh.”

“Forgive my overabundance of caution, but my lady is in danger. She trusts you. I am more wary, but I trust her judgment—to a point.”

“I have sserved Valeria and her family for three generationss. I would not ssully my honor now.” Hyadror seemed both insulted and proud of his service.

Hugh noted the fading color in the dark gryphon’s feathers and the streaks of white in his fur. He was definitely an older soul, and judging by his scars, a battle-tested one. They could do much worse than to have a creature such as him on their side in this mess.

Making his decision, Hugh shifted shape in the blink of an eye, standing before the gryphon in his human form.

To his credit, the gryphon didn’t jump, though his eyes widened, giving away his surprise.

“You are a sshapsshifter?” he asked, unable to hide at least that much of his shock. His tone held a hint of alarm, if Hugh judged correctly.

Hugh bowed his head, but didn’t break eye contact. “I am half human, half dragon.”

“Wizard kisssed, no doubt,” Hyadror concluded with a clack of his beak. He seemed to be taking the revelation well.

“My kind is descended from Draneth the Wise,” Hugh agreed.

“He who made the dragonss.” Hyadror obviously knew his history.

“As the wizard Gryffid made your kind.”

“Praisse the maker’ss name.”

Hugh wondered what this old, battle-scarred gryphon would make of the news that Gryffid was still alive. Now wasn’t the time, though. The most important things right now were Lera and the child.

“You sseem to know gryphonss,” Hyadror continued, nodding toward Miss, who cuddled against Hugh’s leg.

“There are a few nesting above Castleton. I’ve flown with them a few times.”

“Sstrange gryphonss. Iss it true they are from a new flock? One we have not heard from before?”

“I believe so,” Hugh answered cautiously. It was up to his brother Roland whether or not to allow more gryphons into Draconian skies. Hugh had to tread carefully. “There is a young pair who have been granted leave to immigrate to Draconia. They mated before their parents were ready to let them go. Hard feelings caused them to seek a new land in which to nest.” All three were listening intently, so he decided it was worth telling them more. “They arrived with both sets of parents and sought the permission of our king to make their nest above the capitol city.”

“Your king agreed, I sssuppossse.”

“He did. The parents were glad to see their youngsters forging new bonds in a new land. And it’s been interesting flying with them. Feathers catch wind differently than scales.”

“Fassscinating. I would like to hear more of these sstrange gryphonss ssometime.” The older gryphon paused for a moment, then turned his attention back to Lera. “Milady, you sshould return to the city.”

“We’d already decided to do so,” Lera answered him. “Only we hadn’t decided exactly how. I thought Sendra’s home was safe until we met the Eyes waiting there for me.”

“Sshe iss no friend to you, milady. I have told you thiss before.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t believe you. I feel like such a fool.” Lera’s voice cracked, and Hugh put one arm around her shoulders, offering comfort. The gryphon stared markedly, but did not comment.

“We can easily fly back to the city tonight. I was waiting for full dark to fall.” Hugh gestured toward the darkening sky. It was sunset and the sky was a glorious golden orange.

“I am happy to give you a ride, milady,” Hyadror offered.

“Thanks, but…”

Hugh cut in before Lera could answer. “She rides with me. That’s the only way I can be certain she’s safe.”

Hyadror looked suspiciously from Lera to him and back again. “What iss going on here?”

“We are bonded,” Hugh said simply, hoping Lera would not deny what he knew to be true.

“Iss thiss true?” Hyadror demanded of Lera.

“It is. Hugh of Draconia is my mate.”

Damn. Hugh was proud of the fact that there was no hesitation in her voice. He let out a breath, unaware until that moment that he’d been holding it, anticipating her reply.

“A dragon?” Hyadror backed up a pace as if in denial. This news, finally, had pierced his steely demeanor.

The gryphon and all his feathery friends were going to have a lot to get used to now that Hugh had finally found his mate. He would not leave her and he knew in his heart, though they’d yet to discuss details, that Lera would not leave her people for any length of time. He was merely third in line for a throne he was happy enough to let his brother keep. Lera was the Doge. She held power and needed—for the sake of her land and people—to hold on to it.

It would be Hugh’s duty, honor and privilege to help her do just that. First on his agenda was getting rid of the Eyes who were most likely still hunting her. After that, he’d see what needed doing and get to it. On that list somewhere was getting the gryphons of Helios used to seeing a black dragon in their sky.

He might also be the conduit through which they reconnected with their maker, Gryffid. Hugh had a feeling the renewed contact with the last of the wizards and his creatures was one of the reasons Roland had sent him here in the first place. Sooner or later, the gryphons of Helios would find out that Gryffid was still alive and they’d have to fly over Draconia to get to his secluded, magical Isle. Better they do it as friends than as potential enemies.

Hence Roland’s interest in renewing ties with this distant land. And it was probably also why he’d agreed to Shanya’s belief that it had to be Hugh that was sent here, not one of the other dragon princes or even one of Nico’s many spies.

Then there was the whole House of Alagar issue. The last surviving member of the hereditary rulers of the city was a woman named Lucia who had recently married two dragon knights. From what Lera had said, it was believed the House of Alagar was extinct. Hugh didn’t know Lucy all that well, but she did have a legitimate claim to leadership of this city if she wanted to return to the land of her birth someday.

The ties between Draconia and Helios were becoming more and more complex. One thing was certain—Hugh would be in the thick of it now that he had found his perfect mate in the Doge of Helios.

“You’d better get used to me, Hyadror. I’m not leaving.” Hugh spoke no more than the simple truth.

Hyadror’s ruffled feathers started to relax as he stood there, watching them, his beak agape. Miss picked that moment to flap her little wings, catching a tiny bit of air. The whooshing sound seemed to break the spell and Hyadror walked slowly forward, pausing about three yards in front of Hugh and Lera.

The gryphon bowed on one foreleg, showing his acceptance. Miss, oddly enough, mirrored the elder gryphon’s gesture gracefully.

Lera stepped forward and Hugh let her go, despite his desire to keep her close, within his hold. He knew there would be times when she would have to act as Doge. This felt like one of them.

Lera touched Hyadror’s bowed head as if in benediction and spoke softly, though Hugh easily heard what she said.

“Hugh can withstand my flame, my friend. I have never met any man who could do that before. It’s not just because he’s half dragon. He is the mate to my soul. His fire twines with my own…as one.”

Hugh felt a little arrow of joy pierce his heart at her words. He could not have put it better himself. He had felt the same thing when they joined, but he hadn’t known how to describe it. Not in words. No wonder she was the statesman of their pairing. She could be very eloquent when she wished to be.

He was the warrior in their bond. He would protect her with his life, if necessary. They were a perfect match of skills and abilities that would deepen and grow with time. He just had to make sure they had the lifetime together that fate tempted them with. If they could just get through this crisis and nullify the threat of the Eyes, Hugh knew they could make this work despite his being a dragon in a land chock full of gryphons.

Starting with this one. He had to win Hyadror over. He’d be the first of many. Hugh thought he had a good chance of impressing the aged warrior. Hugh had dealt with old dragons and old soldiers before. He thought he knew how to approach the gryphon. Proving his worth by deed and not word was most likely the way to go.

“I accept your wissdom.” Hugh thought he heard an unspoken
for now
on the end of that statement, but he wasn’t worried. Hyadror was giving him a chance to prove himself. That’s all he needed.

Lera stepped back and the older gryphon rose from his bow. As did Miss.

“I don’t ssupposse you fly yet, little one,” Hyadror addressed Miss with a kindly tone.

“I fly,” she said proudly, then withdrew her bravado. “A little,” she admitted, shyly ducking her head.

“I can carry her,” Hugh said gently. “Miss will be a natural flyer when she’s grown,” Hugh added, hoping to build up the child’s self-esteem. He’d have to work on that with her. She’d been so ill-treated until he’d found her.

“There will be an uproar when the otherss ssee milady with you,” Hyadror warned Hugh.

“I figured as much. But if you fly with us, hopefully they’ll question first before trying to shoot me down.”

Hyadror nodded once. “I will do my besst. It will be eassier, I think, if we make a ssteep approach, but I do not want to rissk your passsengerss.”

“I know what I can handle—and what they can. Will you follow my lead in the dive?”

“I sshall. I take it we aim for the palace?”

“Is it safe? We tried to go there yesterday and even I could tell there was something wrong.” Lera spoke the question for both of them.

Hyadror’s eyelids dropped lower and his feathers ruffled, very easily conveying his annoyance. Hugh was learning how to read feathered faces the more he was around gryphons.

“I have taken thosse ressponssible to tassk. Ssomeone lured the duty gryphonss away from their posstss and Eyess murdered the guardss. North Wing disscovered thiss and killed the Eyess. My wing took over all duty at the palace and the guilty gryphonss are being held pending your return.”

That sounded promising. If it was true. Lera trusted this gryphon and Hugh was willing to give him a chance. They were taking a chance going back to the palace, but it was good that Hyadror admitted to a problem yesterday. If he’d denied it all, Hugh would have been much more concerned. As it was, Hyadror was still being given the benefit of the doubt.

It was getting dark, night creeping in like an ink stain on the sky.

“It is almost time to fly,” Hugh observed. “We’ll try for the palace, but if anything looks wrong, we’ll divert to the roof of the large temple I noticed while flying over the first time. It looked like a defensible position and I assume Lera could find help there.” He’d given some thought to this but hadn’t gotten a chance to discuss it with Lera before now.

“The temple is actually a much better choice,” she confirmed. “I doubt anyone there would be in league with Sendra. As Keeper, I hold rank among the priests who live there.”

“Only priests? No women?” Hugh asked.

“Warrior priesstss,” Hyadror added.

“The high temple is the training center for the Order of Light. They protect and serve the eternal flame.”

“And you are the Keeper of the eternal flame,” Hugh observed. This was sounding better and better. “Are they bound to protect you as well?”