A Pride of Gryphons
Page 35
Duke Kleon told her that she was foolish and all of the priests were probably killed or fled at their defeat, but he let her stay in the palace and take up her vigil on the walls. He knew he was safe from reprisal, since he’d had no direct involvement with the attack, and he could afford to wait for another opportunity in the future. He was still youngish man, after all, and he had much more time to strike back at his enemies.
But Pelagia didn’t have time. She felt the days slipping away from her as she waited. She needed news and she needed it now.
Then at last, Duke Kleon summoned her to a private audience in his gardens. When she arrived, she saw only a few of the priests were there, now disguised as fishermen. She almost laughed at the coincidence—she’d been watching the roads, and then they’d sailed in on a boat, almost right under her nose.
She looked around quickly, identifying each face and then realizing which ones were missing: the senior priests and a priestess, the ones who had been chosen to enter Kyratia City for the final attack. “Where are the others?” she asked.
The other priests glanced at each other, and then one of them held out a scrap of paper.
She squinted at the scribblings. Even after she’d deciphered what the actual words were, the meaning of the note eluded her. “He’s in Kyratia City?” she asked at last. “But why does he say to send mercenaries?”
Duke Kleon coughed loudly and reached for the note. “Not with my money. I’m not funding another campaign on some priest’s frantic request.”
The priests produced another note, this one covering both sides of a single sheet of paper that was creased with many folds. “He sent this a day later, just before we set sail on the fishing boat. After that, we were out of range of his… messenger.”
Kleon snatched the letter up before Pelagia could read it. “What messenger? I thought the city was on lockdown and no one could get in or out.” He skimmed the letter and then stopped in surprise. “But this is it. The perfect excuse to attack.” He cackled and passed it on.
Pelagia read over the contents quickly. Xeros summarized events in the briefest terms: the gryphons had taken the city by surprise, but they were held off by a few marewing riders until suddenly the whole company arrived as if by sheer luck. The priests then caused the marewings to attack, but they were driven away as well. The city had suffered minor damage and civilian losses, and banned marewings from entering their walls. The other priests had been arrested, some of them driven mad by the magic they wielded, and a lockdown prevented anyone from leaving but Xeros was disguised as a member of the city guard. And that was it: no other explanation.
She held up the letter. “This is all the information he sent you?”
A young priest bobbed his head. “Yes, m’lady. The dragonling was too small to carry anything else.”
Pelagia frowned. “A dragonling?”
“Yes, he used his magic to control a dragonling. That’s the messenger who was able to bring us notes over the city walls, despite the lockdown.” The priest beamed proudly.
She turned to the duke. “But I don’t see why you will attack now, when you were so afraid to cause an international incident. It seems like they’re already recovering from the gryphon attacks.”
Kleon grinned and rubbed his hands together. “Ah, but you didn’t notice the legal precedent I have now?” He pointed to the note. “It says plainly that one of the riders who fought to protect the city was the so-called Duke Galenos himself. He swore that he was retired, that he would never take up arms again, but now he’s broken his promise—and the law—by fighting these monsters.”
Pelagia’s eyes widened. She glanced at the letter again, and there it was: Galenos acted as a soldier, fighting alongside his former mercenary company. She could still remember his words at her trial, swearing that he wanted only peace, and the Deyonist priest blessing him to cleanse him of his prior sins. It was indeed the perfect excuse.
She looked up again with a faint smile. “Well, we shall defer to your judgment, Your Grace. Which mercenary company will you hire to arrest Galenos for violating sacred law? I don’t recommend the Mauve Dragons.”
Kleon’s grin widened. “Why should I pick only one?”
THANK YOU & READ MORE
THANK YOU
Thank you for reading A Pride of Gryphons! I’d appreciate it if you took a few minutes of your time to write a review online. Your feedback can help other readers decide whether or not they might want to try the book out for themselves. Word-of-mouth is the most important way for new books, especially ones by indie authors, to get discovered by readers.
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Are you ready for more adventures? Stay tuned for The Reign of Dragons, coming 2017.
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The Duke’s Daughter Korinna is the daughter of the duke’s mistress. She and her mother were sent to a farming estate in the country to avoid political complications for her father. Her mother hopes that someday, the duke will bring them to the capital and marry her at last, but he keeps putting them off with excuses. But he has his own plans to arrange a marriage for Korinna when she comes of age.
When a magical plague threatens the countryside and her mother’s life, Korinna takes up the responsibilities of leading the estate. She begs the duke for help, but none comes, leaving her with difficult choices to save her mother and her people.
She must sacrifice many things to survive: the safety of her childhood friend who is now a handsome squire in her guard, her mother’s most cherished possessions, maybe even her own life. Being the duke’s daughter won’t be enough to save her now. Can she find the strength to be something more?
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kristen S. Walker wishes she was a pirate mermaid who could speak with sharks, but she settles for being an author, blogger and nerd. She currently resides in San Jose with her family and rescue cats, but she grew up in the mountains of Northern California, running barefoot through the woods and chasing imaginary dragons. Her fantasy novels for teens and adults explore diverse characters, detailed worlds, high-stakes adventures and emotional journeys in what some have called “chick-lit with magic sprinkled in.” When she's not writing, Kristen teaches preschool and occasionally dresses up in cosplay.
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