Keeper of the Flame (18 page)

“Yes.”

“And you suspect no treachery in their ranks?”

“It would be impossible for several reasons but mostly because they are tested by the flame. No one of evil intent can withstand it.”

Hugh would have to take that on faith for now, but if things went sour again he could at least fly her out—dodging gryphons all the way—but he had fire in his belly that singed them badly. He had confidence in his ability to fight his way free with her on his back.

It was dark enough now. They could fly at any time, his dark dragon hide would conceal them against the inky black sky.

“All right. We’ll make for the temple. Hyadror, can you run interference for us?”

“My wing will come at my call. We will ssurround you in flight. Do not be alarmed when you ssee them closse in.”

“Hyadror is one of the four senior wing leaders,” she explained. “Actually, he’s the eldest and most skilled. All the other gryphons will follow his orders.”

“They sshould, milady,” Hyadror added. “Of late, though, thingss have not been asss they sshould have been. Now I undersstand ssome of it.”

“And we’ll learn the rest when we get to the temple,” she agreed.

Hugh liked the conviction in her tone. She was fearless, this woman fate had chosen for him.

Hyadror stood watching while Hugh shifted shape. Those keen eagle eyes missed nothing as Lera and the gryphlet mounted. By unspoken agreement, they launched into the air at the same time.

In only a few wing beats they were over the hill and Hugh puffed smoke when he saw the hoard of gryphons turn almost as one and head toward them. Hyadror went ahead to meet them, calling out to his brethren.

All slowed to listen except one group led by a large, dark gray gryphon. They came far too close for Hugh’s comfort, angling in from a side vector, going around Hyadror and the others.

“Hang on, Lera. I’m going to climb higher,”
he warned, putting on some speed as he propelled them into the clouds.

As he went, Hugh released a shot of flame across the pursuing gryphons’ flight path, close enough to let them know that Hugh would not be taken down easily.

Hyadror seemed to notice the flame and winged back to intercept the gray gryphon. Hugh was done messing around. He stayed in the clouds as much as possible, noting the rest of the gryphons were not pursuing, merely guarding. They’d followed Hyadror’s instructions. Belatedly, so had the wing of gryphons led by the gray one.

Hyadror led the way, flying just below Hugh and his precious burden, all the way to the temple. It was a harrowing ride over the city, but Hugh saw the temple, built close to the palace, but without the wide battlements. There was a small flat roof near the central dome. Hugh would land there. It was the only place that made any sense. All the other roofs in the complex were too steeply pitched or domed in a way that made landing on them much too slippery a prospect. From a tactical point of view, Hugh found that interesting.

Could it be that the Order of Light didn’t welcome the gryphons of this land within their walls? It sure looked like they’d built their complex to defend against them. Except for that one small landing area. If gryphons intended to visit the temple complex, they’d have only one real choice for landing, and the priests controlled it.

Hugh could easily see a group of humans keeping watch up there, but no gryphons. In fact, there wouldn’t be much room for more than a few winged creatures to land there at once, which suited him just fine. He would accept Hyadror’s presence, but few others. Particularly not that dark gray beast who kept giving Hugh the evil eye.

Hyadror landed first to warn the humans guarding the temple roof, Hugh following close behind. Swords were brandished and the moment was tense until the guards got a look at Lera, hopping down off Hugh’s back.

Miss bounded off and ran to hide under an awning that had been set up on one side of the flat roof. It looked like a windbreak where guards could rest away from the rains that had hit the city in the past week. Miss was shaking in what looked to Hugh like sheer terror.

“Go after her. Something’s very wrong,” Lera said as the warrior priests formed a protective circle around them at Hyadror’s direction.

“Are you sure it’s safe?”

“Hyadror is here and you will only be a few steps away. I need to talk to them anyway. To prepare the way. Take care of Miss. Please. She’s terrified.”

Hugh didn’t like splitting his attention between the two females, but he had no choice. He could see Lera was right. He took quick stock of the warrior priests and all looked ready to defend Lera with their lives. Hyadror was also staying near to her and Hugh doubted the old bird would let anyone through who meant her harm. Quickly, Hugh followed Miss, moving into the shadows of the awning. He had to shift shape to fit down under the tables where she’d hidden.

A few of the warrior monks might possibly have seen him shift, but he couldn’t be too choosy about it at the moment. There might be no way to hide his dual nature in this land after such a grand entrance. He hoped his brothers wouldn’t be too upset with him for betraying the family secret to such a large number of beings—gryphon and human alike.

But Miss’s behavior had him worried. She refused to come out and was shaking so hard, the table she hid under vibrated. A quick look outside told him Lera was still surrounded by warrior priests and well guarded by Hyadror. They were asking questions and listening to her explanations and orders.

He’d heard her order the priests to give Hugh a wide berth and they followed her instructions, leaving him and the baby gryphon alone inside the tent-like structure.

“Sweetheart, what’s wrong?” he crooned to the baby, holding out his hand to her, hoping to coax her toward him. She was huddled as far back into a corner under a wooden table as she could squeeze her little body.

Miss refused to answer, shaking like a leaf and cowering in a way Hugh had never seen. She’d been frightened before, but this was much more alarming. She wouldn’t even talk to him. It was like she’d withdrawn to the smallest corner she could find and was trying to hide from everything, Hugh included.

“Dear little Miss, did the big gryphons scare you? You have to know I would never let anyone hurt you. I’d flame anyone who even thought about laying a finger on you. You know I can. You saw it,” he coaxed, glad to see her little head lift slightly and her slitted eyes open to gaze at him. “I would burn any creature that tried to hurt you. You’re under my protection now. Do you understand what that means?” Her little head jerked to the side and she was still shivering, but at least she was listening to him. “It means I will keep you safe. Always. I put your life and safety before my own.”

Her eyes widened. “Really?” she whispered.

“Truly. It’s a matter of honor. You are very important to me, sweetheart.” He held out his arms to her. “Won’t you come over here? I will keep you safe, as I have before.”

“Don’t want to be sseen,” she whispered, still shivering.

“By the men?”

She shook her head. “From above.” Her voice pitched even lower as she crouched under the table.

“You don’t want the big gryphons to see you?” Hugh thought that was significant, but he wouldn’t push her any further at the moment. It was important to get his females together in the same place so he could keep an eye on both of them.

She nodded shyly but said nothing.

“I will keep you under cover. I’ll shift back to dragon form and you can stay under my wing. Nothing will see you from above. Is that all right?”

“You hide me?”

“Yes, sweetheart. I’ll hide you. None of those big gryphons will see you. Only Hyadror, and he already knows about you. I’ll tell him not to mention you to anyone else, all right? You can stay hidden as long as you like.”

“Nobody ssee me? Promisse?” She edged one paw out from under her, toward him.

“I promise. Nobody will see you from above. All they will see is me and none of them can hurt my scaled hide. If they come too near, I’ll toast their feathers.”

She crept out, moving a bit closer to him. He wanted to reach out and hug her, but she had to come to him. He would not use his strength and size against her. He had to build and keep her trust.

“Iss it really ssafe?” She looked hesitant, but hopeful.

“I will make it so, sweetheart. I will keep my wings slightly unfurled at my sides. All you have to do is stay underneath until we get inside. Lera is talking to them now and she will get us inside quickly. All you have to do is stay under my wing until we get there. I will shield you. I promise.”

She crept a bit closer. She was still trembling, but less so. Hugh was glad. He really wanted to get back to Lera. She trusted these priests, but he hadn’t had much chance to take their measure for himself. He had sworn to protect both females. The easiest way to do that would be to keep them together. If only Miss could be convinced.

“I go wif you, if you’re ssure.”

“I’m sure. Do you trust me, sweetheart?”

She thought about it for a moment, her furry head tilting to one side.

“Trusst Hoo,” she answered finally, stepping closer to him, placing her head under his outstretched hand. He stroked her fondly, glad when her shivering dissipated under his touch as he fed a little tendril of magical energy and reassurance to her.

He turned around so he could see Lera and formulated a plan.

“I’m going to the edge of the awning where I will shift shape. I’ll extend my wing and I want you to walk under it. We’ll walk out from under the awning together, understand sweetheart?”

“Yess, Hoo.” She trotted behind him, using his legs as a shield as he neared the edge of the awning.

As soon as he had enough room to shift, he did so, not allowing the gryphons above to see it. Only a few of the priests were paying attention to the shadows under the awning. Mostly because it looked like they were guarding Lera
from
him.

Good for them. They couldn’t know what sort of threat a dragon in their midst might represent. It boded well that they had surrounded Lera and looked to be protecting her from all comers.

“We’re coming out, Lera,”
he sent to her privately.
“Miss is scared of being seen by the gryphons above. She will be hiding under my wing. Can you get us inside, away from the circling hoard above? Warn the priests to make way. I’m coming through.”

He shifted shape under cover of the awning, making sure Miss was securely under his left wing as he moved back into view from above. The gryphons were still circling. A few had landed on nearby roofs, but Hugh knew their vantage point was poor. They would not be able to see Miss, even with those sharp eagle and hawk eyes. The secret of her presence was safe for now.

“Hoo?” He could just hear her uncertain mewl beneath his wing.

“It’s all right. I’m here. Nobody can see you. Just stay with me and it will be all right. I promise. We’re almost to Lera’s side. She will make them take us inside where you cannot be seen from above. Trust me, sweetheart. You’re doing fine.”

The warrior priests made room for him to pass between their ranks with the gryphlet hidden beneath his wing. He arrived at Lera’s side in time to hear her request entrance into the temple for herself and her party, which consisted of Hyadror, Hugh and the baby gryphon nobody could see from above.

There was a doorway large enough for Hugh to pass through in dragon form. Hyadror went first, followed by Lera and then Hugh, shielding Miss as she scampered through. He watched the youngster cling to Lera’s side, glad his two female charges were together. They could help each other should they run into trouble inside the warrior priests’ temple.

Hugh looked around as the door shut behind him. Most of the priests had stayed behind on the roof and the door had been shut at Lera’s order. There was an honor guard of priests flanking them on a wide stone ramp that spiraled downward. It was made of pure white marble and was ornamented in gold here and there, with lamps lit along the walls at intervals.

At the very bottom, down the center of the spiraling ramp, Hugh saw a bright point. A fire burned at the base of the tower, but oddly, no smoke or soot soiled the pure white walls. And the place reeked of magic. Its flavor was at once familiar and foreign, but it didn’t feel threatening, so Hugh let it go for the moment. Still, something was definitely odd about that fire down at the center of the tower.

“Thiss iss the gryphonss entrance to the temple,” Hyadror told him, noting the direction of his gaze. “It iss big enough for you, Ssir Hugh.”

“The ramp leads down into the courtyard. It’s the only way a gryphon can enter the temple grounds by air. There’s also the main gate,” Lera added. “That’s big enough for a gryphon to walk through, but most prefer to fly, if and when they have business with the temple.”

“Few of my kind come here,” Hyadror said as he began the walk downward on the spiraling ramp. “Mosst fear the flame.”

Hugh followed, keeping to his dragon form for now. He could shift in an instant should it become necessary. Lera and the child would come to no harm while he was around.

Lera was glad to be inside the temple grounds. Nothing could hurt her here. It was her place of power, even more than the palace. The loyalty of the priests could not be questioned. Each had been tested by the flame and found to be pure of heart. Only if the flame had forsaken her would they ever turn against her.