Of Gryphons and Other Monsters (Taryn's Journey Book 1)

by Shannon McGee

  I smiled.

  Slowly, I became aware that my eyes were shut. My right arm felt too heavy and strangely stiff. With a strangled gasp, I came fully awake. Attempting to push myself up with limbs that were alarmingly weak, I grasped for my spear, panic making my heart race.

  “Easy! Easy girl!” The speaker took me firmly by the shoulder, pushing me back against a soft pillow.

  I was on a bed, I realized then. My right arm was bound thickly in bandages, which accounted for its stiffness. The brightly lit room was the one that Aella and I shared at the inn. The person who had told me to be easy was Belinda.

  “What happened?” I asked breathlessly. “We were in the sewers. There were drakes…”

  “Two days ago.”

  “Two days?”

  Belinda nodded. She grabbed a mug off the small table that was set up beside her. She passed a hand over the top of it, and steam began to curl from whatever was inside. She pressed the mug into my left hand. “Drink this.”

  I let the heat seep into my fingers, too stunned to do as I was told. “Aella … And Victor and Lawrence?”

  “They’re all fine. Drink what I’ve given you.”

  I did as I was bidden, only to blanch in disgust. “That’s awful!” Now that I was paying attention to it, I realized the mug was emitting a pungent smell that matched the taste now coating my mouth.

  Belinda smiled dryly. “It’s my own draft. Made to build your strength up.” With a groan, she pushed to her feet. “You stay here and finish that. You’ll be hungry, once it kicks in, and I know a few people who will be glad to know that you’re awake.”

  About the Author

  I’m Shannon McGee, avid gardener, dog and cat mom of four, amateur artist, and most importantly I’m a writer of fantasy YA.

  Since I was young I’ve been a reader. Mostly I have been a lover of fantasy, since that is where my obsession with books began. Still, there were some stories I wanted to read that I just couldn’t find in my preferred genre, and you know what they say—if the story you love hasn’t been written you must write it. I turned to making my own maps and filling those maps with people and then giving those people histories and stories to tell.

  Of Gryphons and Other Monsters is my debut novel, but it’s not going to sit by itself for long. Taryn’s Journey is a quartet, and the world in which she lives has another series waiting in the wings.

  You can find more information at:

  www.shannontmcgee.com