SkyFall (Taken on the Wing Book 2) (43 page)

No wonder Lawrence is cautious but even
that isn
’
t enough to explain the
flatness of his voice nor the tremble in his hands. Although she doesn
’
t speak, Tempest tests his will by
pushing hers into him. The force of it slamming back into her takes the light
from the room and all sensation from under foot.

“
Wake
up, Cherry,
”
Lawrence
whispers. She must have passed out
because the view has changed although his hold on her hasn
’
t. With the wall at his back, she has no
leverage and cannot push away or turn to attack. He
’
s also not acting of his own accord. Flay
never discussed what it meant when another
’
s will was so effectively closed but
Tempest can guess.

Lawrence
has been influenced by a dragonkin but
she doesn
’
t know to what end.

It could be as simple as allowing access
to the suite to whomever gave him the order or he may have been told to defend
the place with his life.

“
Don
’
t make me wait.
”

“
I am Lady Tempest, daughter of Lord Fury,
Master of the Council
’
s Will.
”

“
And?
”
Lawrence
snaps.

“
I
’
m here for the box.
”

“
Nobody can get the box,
”
Lawrence
argues and the knife presses harder
against Tempest
’
s skin.
“
The
Will, they tore the walls apart, nothing but stone underneath. Not even light
getting in there.
”

“
I am free, Lawrence,
”
Tempest hurries. Sweat beads on Lawrence
’
s skin and he allows her to
grasp the arm holding the knife. He paces and her legs dangle and bash his
shins.
“
Before he was taken, Cooper
gave me access to the door on the fourth full moon. In three days.
”

The simple plan surprises her but it
could work. Tempest will get the rest she needs to portal out and if Lawrence buys it he won
’
t force her to open the door
now.

“
Lies,
”
he growls.

“
Master Soar and I,
”
her voice squeaks. Speaking presses her
voice box against the blade.
“
I
’
m
pregnant. Aledaar does not control me and he never will.
”

Tempest stumbles as Lawrence drops her.
She takes a defensive position once out of his reach and draws her dagger.

“
I do not wish to fight,
”
she says, holding to the rule to only
talk about herself. She
’
s too weary to take Lawrence on by force.

“
Lady
Tempest,
”
Lawrence
nods. He blinks, several times,
processing her story. Tempest is now certain. He
’
s been programmed and she
’
ll have to be very, very careful.
“
Three days?
”

“
I
’
m to deliver the box,
”
she improvises.
“
There are six places I can leave it
depending on the time. I don
’
t know any more than that.
”

Better not dig myself in with details.

“
Three days,
”
he
swallows as he puts his knife away.

“
Yes,
”
she sheaths her blade and turns for
Cooper
’
s room.

Lawrence
didn
’
t exaggerate when he said it had been
torn apart. Drywall covers the floor and the backs of the chamber
’
s wall stones are visible. Even the metal
studs have been torn away in places.

“
I cannot sleep in this dust,
”
Tempest
says.

“
I
’
ll clean,
”
Lawrence
seems to have composed
himself or at least integrated Tempest
’
s
plan into his orders. He won
’
t interfere, for now.

“
Gryphon.
”

Too loud.

Soar lost count of the portals at four.
Each successive concussion battered him further until he fell unconscious and
it took less than a minute from when the first one popped open until the
blessed black silence. Now his head splits and some asshole keeps shouting. It
’
s one hell of a hangover and the room is
damn hot. The heat comes up through the stone beneath him so he is far
underground.

“
Uh,
”
Soar retches and clamps his mouth shut
before he can shame himself by throwing up. The only feathers he hears moving
are his own and their rustling is drowned out by the shifting of many pairs of
leather wings. Either he
’
s in the hands of the council
or they made it to the green dragonkin stronghold.

“
It still smells like a gold,
”
a female speaks.
“
We should kill it. We should have done it
three days ago.
”

Voices around mutter their agreement.
Soar feels fear and anger in this group of dragonkin. Although the Will might
not like him much they certainly wouldn
’
t
be afraid of a lone gryphon.

“
It
is
a he,
”
the first voice again followed
by more shaking.
“
Gryphon.
”

“
I am Master Soar of the Vancouver Island
Eyrie,
”
Soar opens his eyes. He
’
s surrounded by green dragonkin, all
young and clustered together in three distinct knots around the room. The one
squatting before him has Flay
’
s long blonde hair and looks a
lot like Daniel Cooper. He wears brown armour, as do the others, and two
oversized brass handled daggers are strapped to his thighs. In spite of the
surrounding mob, Soar likes this dragonkin if only for his choice in weapons.

“
I am Fire,
”
the green announces.
“
What is your business with my sibling?
”

“
Daniel Cooper sent us,
”
Soar says. Everything around him doubles
as he sits and it takes every effort to kneel and offer his wrists to Fire.
“
Lady Flay has his letter.
”

“
I have read it,
”
Fire
stands.
“
However she is only just
waking. The passage was very hard on her and considering she hauled you all the
way here it
’
s a miracle you made it to the
ledge before she collapsed. Tell me why you smell of gold dragonkin.
”

Soar falls back on his ass as Fire
’
s will infiltrates his senses. Now isn
’
t a good time to learn he
’
s only resistant when weakened, not
immune. It
’
s easier to repeat the words
Cooper gave him than to completely fight Fire
’
s will and make some shit up.

“
My female, Lady Tempest, is a free gold
dragonkin. She is the keeper of the key to the green dragonkin relic and Daniel
Cooper has sent her to retrieve it. We gather forces to move against Aledaar
and ask the green dragonkin to assist. Aledaar still seeks the green relic for
himself.
”

“
The very words in my sire
’
s letter.
”

“
He resists,
”
the
female behind Soar argues.
“
Mated to a gold! We cannot
trust him.
”

“
We will not kill him,
”
Fire orders.
“
At least not until I am able to speak
with Lady Flay.
”

Shit.

“
Should your story bear up, Master Soar,
you may live. Bring him.
”

Fire strides from the chamber and several
green dragonkin
haul
Soar to his feet.

They disappear one at a time through a
crack in the wall. Soar has to turn sideways to get through and even then it
’
s a snug fit. It seems the dragonkin are
more flexible where their large bones connect and even with a firm shove from
the mouthy female, Soar
’
s passage lacks their silent
grace.

“
Stick to the left,
”
she says. The annoying, flat tapping of
her nails on a drawn blade echoes to him from stone walls.

The chamber itself feels as spacious as
Skyfall but his sharpened gryphon sight can make out the other wall only twenty
feet to his right. All sound is swallowed above and below in the immense
crevasse.

“
The ledge is very narrow,
”
she croons then Soar stumbles as she
boots him in the butt. Soar turns and finds nothing under his left foot and her
hand on his shoulder to steady his balance. She
’
s striking, now that he gets a good look
at her, though the short black hair appears to have been chopped with a knife
it lays in elegant curves at her cheek bones.
“
Should
you fall, there is no room to fly. Your only chance is to portal before you die
at the bottom.
”

Soar growls and doesn
’
t bother pointing out he
’
s a gryphon and can
’
t portal. The female
’
s satisfied laughter adds the emphasis.

“
Female,
”
Fire calls from up ahead.
“
Do you wish to demonstrate?
”

She grunts and puts her knife away before
turning Soar around and pushing him ahead. The shelf becomes even slimmer and
he
’
s forced to turn sideways
since his wings won
’
t fold in as close as
dragonkin wings do. There is no way to walk forward and stay upright.

“
I wanted to push you off the ledge but
no
,
”
she mutters, dragging
the word no into a masterful three syllable sentiment. Is every green dragonkin
female going to dislike him on sight? Not that he cares, except when one wants
to shove him into a bottomless pit.

Soar turns his attention to the ledge
only a few inches from his toes as he shuffles sideways. Nobody volunteers to
go after him and portal him to safety if he falls.

A gryphon is never afraid of heights but
at seventy-six years old Soar sure as hell knows when to be cautious.

It
’
s common sense,
he decides.
Not fear.