SkyFall (Taken on the Wing Book 2) (25 page)

Shit.
Keep your cool, Soar.

“
You
’
ve told me nothing we don
’
t already know. Cloud, adopted
grand-daughter of Sire Lev was expelled from Sky
’
s program for theft and sought refuge in Calgary, apparently too ashamed to return home. The morning after the tornado the local
media lit up with a report of Cherry Cooper who was pulled from a six story
balcony and survived. Her companion, George Noble, my gryphon friend, assisted
two Calgary Police Officers by getting them clear of the falling glass.

“
Then Cherry and George disappeared and
the Police Chief would very much like to thank them.
”

This time Soar keeps his mouth shut. The
red armoured gryphon or dragonkin or whatever accompanied Con remains absent.

“
Cloud was reared in Jasper as an orphan
and is the only known survivor of the atrocity at Welch Peak, yes?
”

What is Con doing? Soar feels pressure in
his throat and knows it
’
s Con
’
s influence as the dragonkin tries to
make Soar talk.

“
Yes,
”
Soar agrees but only because there is no
point in lying. The realization he could have said no suggests Con might not be
trying very hard. Perhaps courtesy to his friend?

“
When she didn
’
t arrive on Vancouver Island we checked
in Memphis. We ran in to Dame Shadow and had a brief chat.
”

Bastards, Soar decides. Interrogating a
pregnant female.

“
She is very concerned for Cloud and
volunteered all she knew in the hopes it would help us find her.

“
Shadow spoke with several gryphons in Memphis including your youngest sibling, Hunter. He told her he knew nothing of the
expulsion but when she said he was lying he admitted to stealing the knife and
hiding it in her den. He claimed your female had spurned him one too many times
and he wanted revenge.

“
He said he acted alone, also a lie, and
refused to speak further. Your youngest sibling spends his days apologizing in
the sparring chamber.
”

Damn, brave gryphon. Soar never promised
his brother he wouldn
’
t get in trouble for helping
with his plan and knows the kid will do whatever he has to in loyalty to Soar.
Hunter could be on his hands and knees suffering under the weight of his wings
for weeks and that
’
s mild considering some of the
things Sky has done. She
’
s taken a gryphon
’
s flight feathers for less, grounding the
criminal for a year or more until they grew back.

“
The Will spoke privately with Hunter,
”
Con says and Soar goes cold. It
’
s only a matter of time before Cloud
finds out what he
’
s done and that time is very
short if Con keeps talking.
“
He admitted he framed Cloud on
your order, Master Soar.
”

Then it happens. The bottom falls out of
Soar
’
s heart ripping Cloud
’
s trust out with it. She listens and he
’
s brought to the ground. Soar clutches at
his chest part in relief the moment has finally come and part in pain not for
himself, but for her.

“
What is your involvement with Daniel
Cooper?
”
Con asks and the scratching of
tiny invisible claws to his throat returns.

“
None,
”
Soar says. He can
’
t allow himself to whisper no matter how
weak his voice is. He explains to both Con and Cloud.
“
Lev believes Cooper is responsible for
the atrocities. I wasn
’
t so sure and had to know. My
eyrie is at stake, Con. I sent Cloud there to give me ears on the inside. If
she didn
’
t have a cover story she
believed she
’
d be dead.
”

He struggles to his feet, somehow heavier
since the absence of her trust weighs more than its beautiful presence.

“
And besides you and Hunter, who else was
aware of this?
”
Con continues to push his
influence.

“
Nobody,
”
Soar lies, soaked in too much guilt to be
surprised he
’
s defied Con. Nobody will go
after Sky for her part. The shame of Soar
’
s
plan is his to bear alone.

“
Alright,
”
Con
nods.
“
Cloud will go before the
council and I suspect they will need nothing more than for her to verify your
story.
”

Con runs toward the dirt road and
launches himself skyward. The beat of his wings fades as Soar returns to his
mate.

“
Soar?
”

Cloud doesn
’
t have to ask who landed behind her but
if she doesn
’
t speak then he
’
ll just put her breakfast down and leave
again for the sky above. He hasn
’
t complained about the silent
hours she spends by the fire watching the flames and the glowing coals. Three
days alone with him so achingly near has been as hard on her as she imagines it
’
s been on him.

Soar
’
s betrayal was the last thing she
remembered before waking in the camper. He washed the honey from her skin
before leaving to guard from outside. Only once did he try and talk to her and
she wandered into the trees to pee rather than listen. She forgave him and was
ready to listen but something in the way he couldn
’
t yet meet her eyes told her he still
needed to punish himself. Otherwise, Cloud has stayed put to give him no cause
to worry for her.

The scents of rabbit blood and raw trout
turn her stomach with more power than the day before and she shivers, a deep
full body tremble that hit late last night and worsened since she heard him get
up to hunt. She made it into the trees to throw up then to the fire to try and
warm.

“
Cloud,
”
he sounds humbled but he comes.

Her vision ripples and she clamps her
eyes shut before trying again. Soar settles his weight on the ground and lays
the food out before her. And he
’
s out of arms reach. What the
heck does he think she
’
s going to do? Strangle him
with one hand? Cloud no longer hurts over what happened in Sky
’
s mountain. She had to believe she
’
d been expelled or Cooper would have seen
right through her.

“
You look rough,
”
Soar says, his eyes tighten in concern.
Yesterday she had no trouble hiding the headache and iffy stomach especially
since he avoided her but today it
’
s much, much worse. Not to
mention she thinks he gave her bad bees or something. She can
’
t see where he stung her but the itch
makes her crazy. At least the pain in her shoulder remains illusive.

“
Stomach
bad,
”
she mutters as her hand covers
it.

“
Yeah?
”
For a moment the playful gryphon with
whom she mated returns. Soar looks at her stomach then his face falls.

“
I
’
m injured, Soar. Sick,
”
Cloud mutters. She drops
her eyes to the rabbit then when her stomach fails she turns to the van to
throw up. He exhausted himself caring for her but even that isn
’
t enough. She
’
s not healthy dame material and hasn
’
t been since the day she got hurt. She
tries a smile but her teeth chatter. The fire fails to ease her fever.

“
Yeah,
”
he moves the meat aside and shuffles
closer. Then he tips her chin up and kisses her forehead.
“
Damn, your warm.
”

“
Must have caught something at Cooper
’
s.
”

Soar feels her cheeks then her throat.
She shivers when he lifts her good arm to feel under her adornment.

“
How long have you kept quiet about this?
”
He accuses but before she can answer he
runs to the van, returning with a small towel. After soaking it in water from
one of the bottles he filled while hunting he wipes down every bit of skin he
can. The coolness fades and she imagines steam rising around them.

“
Soar,
I
’
m not angry.
”

“
No?
”

“
Look, there
’
s something I should have told you before
we mated and I would have, I swear, if I knew things would get this serious. It
all happened so fast.
”

“
You
’
re royal,
”
Soar
says as he lifts her chin again.

Cloud looks at her mark, high on his neck
as he dabs around the one on hers with the cold cloth.

“
How did you know?
”

“
Talon told me,
”
he admits.
“
The
first time you came to my den... after, you know. I confessed to him. He
’
s your sire and it
’
s my duty to be respectful and have a
conversation about you.
”

Males
, she sighs.
Can
’
t use a chamber pot without having a
conversation about it. And then they call it
‘
you know
’
with the female in question
even though
‘
you know
’
hurt like hell at first and
wasn
’
t over until he took them both
to heaven.

It also explains Soar
’
s black eye the following day. At the
time Cloud figured somebody got lucky sparring with him. She
’
d been pretty naive about males when she
was twenty. Maybe she still is.

“
What did he tell you?
”
If Talon told Soar everything it will
make this so much easier. Maybe.

“
He hit me for not speaking with him
first, for starters,
”
Soar says.
“
He said you know when you
’
re trusted and you wouldn
’
t have gone near me if I didn
’
t trust you. Or if you didn
’
t trust me. He said to keep it quiet. If
word got out we had an unmated royal in the eyrie you
’
d have unwanted visitors. He said you
wanted your training taken seriously because you want to be a ranger, not a
Dame.
”

“
All true,
”
Cloud
shivers. She drips water and sweat and the cool breeze through the trees goes
right through her.