'Oh, they are sooo gorgeous,' I cooed softly to the one in Loi’s arms, stroking its fur. Such soft fur, nothing like Loushka’s dense fur. It reminded me of when Audi had been a pup. She'd had fur as soft as this.
The pup made the noise I’d heard before and Loi giggled. 'Doesn’t the purr sound funny?'
'Like a soft lawnmower.' I reached out to touch the pup’s wings. So tiny and neat, folded at its sides, its baby feathers soft and downy. I can’t believe how little they are, to think that Loushka was once this small. I smiled at the image that sprung to mind of Loushka as a pup.
ALEK SLIPPED PAST the women, leaning over the pup pen and gave a low whistle. There was a frantic scrabbling and then an excited noise that sounded like a cross between a chirp and a yelp. Cat, Sian and Laura all turned in time to see a larger griffon pup hurtle into the pen from the other room. Ageip reared and flapped his wings hard, startling the younger pups in the women's arms.
Loushka poked her head through from the other room. ‘He wants to show you how well he can fly now, why don’t you come out and see?’
THE PLAYFUL PUP enchanted me; he spun and reared at Alek, showing off his lovely wings. Much darker than those of the older griffons we’d met, the pup’s feathers glinted violet in the glimpses of light from the other room.
‘Who is he?’ I thought to Loushka.
‘His name is Ageip,’ she replied and I could hear her affection for him. ‘He is Phroma’s son.’
Aha, of course he was, Phroma’s feathers had violet in them too.
'Would you all come outside for a moment?' Alek turned from giving Ageip’s stubby mane a good scratch. 'Ageip wants to show off his flying skills.'
Loi and Sian put the pups they’d been cuddling back in the pen and we followed him out. The other griffons, gathered by Ageip, stood with Phroma who watched her son fondly. She gave him a playful nudge when he came close and he chirpbed back at her. Loushka turned her massive head my way, mane glinting red in the sun.
‘Were you angry at Alek for not mentioning his lineage?’
I laughed, it sounded so odd put that way. ‘No just annoyed he didn’t tell me himself.’
‘How are you finding castle life so far? And being linked to its Crown Prince?’
‘I can’t believe how big it is, Elena gave the men two days to "show us" the castle and it just seems impossible.’
Loushka did her version of a chuckle, a deep rumble. ‘Not to worry, you’ll get a feel for it.’
We waited in the courtyard while Ageip rounded up everyone he wanted to show off to, even Nnelg blinked in, Audi turning up a few minutes later. The poor girl had run herself ragged to keep up with Nnelg and she lay by my feet panting. I spotted Gredel and his wife Citaan standing with Phroma and Nesha, near to where Ageip patiently waited. Phroma let out a roar and everyone fell silent. I watched as Ageip lined himself up to a spot he’d chosen and then paused to study us for a moment, making sure we watched. I heard Alek smother a chuckle and looked up to see he had his serious face on. I had to resist a giggle. Ageip let out a determined cry, crouched and launched himself into the air. With a frantic flapping and enthusiastic squeaking he managed to keep himself up. Everyone began to holler and cheer for him. The adult griffons did victory roars, while the pups that’d snuck out behind us squeaked in excitement and jumped up and down, flapping their tiny wings too. Ageip landed neatly and everyone rushed to congratulate him.
After the crowd dispersed, the men all gathered together and finally, we were introduced to Citaan. She had a lovely melodic voice and seemed genuinely pleased to meet us. The five of us chatted away about the trip to the castle, which Gredel had filled her in on. She is stunning, I thought, even without her ceylon blue hair and light gold eyes she’d be a beauty. I’d love to have hair that color. I sighed and glanced at Sian. She studied Citaan’s hair with an expression of envy. Realizing I watched her, she met my eyes with a rueful smile.
'Did the men explain about dinner?' Citaan looked concerned.
We exchanged a confused glance.
'Err, no?'
'Dinner is formal so you will want to change into something dressier.'
Alek overheard the comments and jumped into the conversation. 'I meant to mention that, you four may want to head off now.'
He looked at Nnelg, sunning himself in the courtyard. 'Nnelg, can you lead the women back to their room?'
'What?' The dragon looked up, 'Oh I suppose so, but this isn’t in my job description.'
Alek gave him a narrow look and Nnelg shrugged, trotting over to us.
'C’mon then, we don’t want to be late.'
Audrey shot up from my feet when he moved away and stuck to his side like glue for the walk back to our room.
'What’s wrong with your dog creature?' Nnelg asked me.
'What do you mean?'
'She doesn’t respond normally when I speak to her. I’m not sure if she can hear me.' Nnelg seemed rather baffled and I couldn’t help but laugh.
'We come from a different world, Nnelg. We don’t communicate with telepathy there.'
'Then how do you communicate? Or how does the dog communicate?'
I thought for a moment. 'Audrey has excellent hearing and will listen to any verbal noises. She’s very quick to pick up on body language.'
Nnelg fell quiet as we walked along. When we reached our room he sat up and looked at Audi. Audi sat too. Nnelg cocked his head at her and she froze for a moment, unsure, then whined, swatting at him with a forepaw, making the dragon jump. We smothered our laughter and watched, curious to see what would happen next. Nnelg leaned forward to sniff her then rubbed his head against hers. Audi appeared delighted and covered him in enthusiastic kisses.
'NNELG SEEMS TO be getting along well with Audi,' Alek commented when we relaxed in the library after dinner. I chuckled and told him about Audi’s sloppy kiss which made him laugh. We’d all ducked off after dinner to have some quiet time, and Alek and I had snagged the library. But I still hadn’t had a chance to have a look at the books. Instead, Alek had headed straight for a bookcase on the far side of that impressive window and after shifting a couple of books, released a latch that opened the door to his late father’s study. I had spent a good fifteen minutes or so slowly looking at all the trinkets and gadgets scattered over the desk and shelves. King Nikias had had a fascinating collection.
'Did your father spend a lot of time here?' I leaned back against Alek, the two of us stretched out on a chaise. His long legs reached the end. I looked down at my legs between his. His made mine look tiny. It was funny to feel so dainty in comparison.
'HE TRIED TO relax here in the evenings. I remember him saying it was a good way to wind down the day.' Alek spoke while playing with one of Cat’s hands. She’s so tiny, he thought; how do Daron and Rumal manage with Kassie and Sian? He felt like a giant in comparison to her.
'What did Elena want to speak to you four about?' Elena had taken the women aside straight after dinner.
'THE TRAINING WE’LL start the day after tomorrow,' I frowned. 'It sounds like a boot camp.'
Alek laughed. 'Boot camp?'
I leaned back, smiling at him and he ducked his head to press a kiss to my lips. Mmmm.
Nicely distracted, it took me a moment to remember what we were talking about. 'Boot camp!' I exclaimed making Alek chuckle. 'It’s, it’s a full-on training camp, with essentially no free time that will completely tire you out.'
'Sounds like fun,' he suggested in a teasing tone.
'Oh yes,' I remarked dryly. 'Can’t wait.'
I explained the general idea of the training. We would train with Elena until lunch. She would teach us to raise our energy and use it, if we were gifted as she hoped. She’d also asked if we would train the General Guard, teaching them our fighting method. So that would be it, practically every day for a month. Fun. But, as I kept reminding myself, it’d take my mind off certain depressing thoughts.
'WHAT’S SO SPECIAL about your fightin
g method?' Alek shifted Cat so she lay on her side against him, her head tucked under his chin.
'We use our opponent’s weight and strength against them. It means someone as little as Sian can take on someone your size.'
Alek looked down at her in surprise. 'Really? Wow, that’d be something to see. I think I’ll come to watch.' After he saw Cat to her room, Alek headed to Elena’s chamber on the third floor. The Sorceress sat at a table, deep in a conversation with Yakov when he arrived, so he waited in the doorway. Noticing him, she smiled.
'Alek. Come on in.'
When he sat opposite her, he asked, 'Ellie, why can’t the girls go home?'
Yakov looked surprised and Elena arched an eyebrow at him. 'Cat told you?'
'I noticed she’d been crying and asked her why. Surely if they got here by their own devices they’d be able to get home again?'
He forced away the feeling of loss that swelled at the thought of Cat leaving.
Yakov gave him a penetrating look. 'I wouldn’t think you’d want her to leave.'
Alek looked at his hands, avoiding the older man’s gaze. 'I want her to be happy.'
Elena frowned and pressed her lips flat while regarding Alek. In an apologetic tone she said, 'Alek, I'm sorry. I can’t send them home and the girls cannot reverse the spell. It’s not possible.'
'Spell?' Yakov and Alek looked at her in surprise.
'Yes. They’re here because of a spell they cast. It can’t be reversed because they essentially asked for this,' Elena said sternly. 'I understand it’s distressing to watch them mourn their old life, but they will get used to this one. They are meant to be here.'
He didn’t know what to think now. It almost made him feel foolish for coming. Thanking Elena he went to leave but stopped at the door when a thought occurred to him. 'Ellie. What was the spell for?'
She gave him an indecipherable look. 'To locate their soul mates.'
Chapter Twenty Two
LOI WOKE BEFORE the others the next morning and rolled onto her back. Rain buffeted the windows. That sounds really heavy, she thought, and rolled onto her side to peek out of the window. Sure enough, rain hit the courtyard and the clouds gathered thickly overhead. Might as well get up and have a shower, at least I don’t have to wait for anyone else, she thought and hunted for her slippers. Tiptoeing through the room, she was astonished to see they had an over-stayer. Audrey and Nnelg lay curled up together on the dog’s generous bed. So cute. Wish I had a camera to capture it. She smothered a giggle as she slipped into the bathroom.
Awhile later she sprawled across her bed fussing over Lucky while the others sorted themselves out. Nnelg and Audrey had played up as soon as everyone woke so had been banished from the room, which left little Lucky all by herself, not that she seemed to mind. Loi gently rubbed the cat’s tummy while Lucky, in the throes of pleasure, alternated between curling one forepaw in and then the next; so very cute.
'Aw.' Kassie’s voice came from behind her and Loi turned to find her gazing down at Lucky.
'I’m so glad she seems to have settled in well, especially with the lack of time I’ve had for her.' Kassie said it guiltily and Loi reached out to give her a one armed hug.
A whining at the door let everyone know Audrey waited for them and they hurried after the dog to the Great Hall for breakfast. Afterward, Elena summoned them to the library for a quick reminder of the plan. 'Today will be your final free day for some time, so do enjoy it,' she urged them all at the end of her speech.
They headed for the solar, following Audrey who seemed to know where they were going. Either that or we’ll end up in the kitchen, Loi thought in amusement. While they walked she realized Cat wore a dark blue dress. How unusual, Cat hardly ever wears dresses. Then she spied Cat’s high boots underneath and smirked; I’ll bet she has her pants on too, Cat didn’t like the exposed factor of dresses. 'Aww, Kitty Cat, don’t you look pretty,' she teased.
Cat flushed red and gave a defensive shrug. 'I like it. And anyway, I have my pants and boots on underneath.'
When they reached the solar, Sabyn and Rumal lounged on chairs and the others looked over a map. They glanced up at the girls’ footsteps.
'We’re off to visit the town are we?'
Loi started. She hadn’t noticed Citaan in the corner of the room. The gold eyed woman smiled at them and indicated the window highlighting the heavy rain.
'It’ll stop within the hour, why don’t we take horses?' Citaan addressed Gredel who nodded. The men led the way to the stables.
ALEK HAD GIVEN me an oddly cool greeting when we arrived and now he marched ahead of us all. Sian bumped into my arm and I turned to look at her.
'S’up?' she arched an eyebrow.
Feeling anxiety twist my stomach I shrugged. 'Dunno.'
When we reached the stables the grooms helped set us up with a horse each, and the whole time we were there, which must have been close to an hour, Alek avoided me. What the hell? Had I said something? I racked my brains for any possible faux pas I might have made as we rode the horses out toward the inner gate. He rode out in front talking to Gredel, Citaan hung back, riding beside me. I answered her questions as well as I could, but this had really thrown me. He was so affectionate yesterday. What's going on?
SIAN WATCHED AS Cat distractedly replied to Citaan, her eyes fixed on Alek’s back. So weird, out of the four of them Cat seemed to have the tightest friendship so far. Maybe Elena or Yakov thought it inappropriate? That must be it. She felt a sense of relief, of course it is, he is the Crown Prince after all.
KASSIE KEPT SHIFTING in her saddle, the trot felt so uncomfortable. Her horse was h-u-g-e in comparison to her but with such pretty markings, almost like Lucky. She reached forward, trying to stroke his neck. Ugh! Darn this bouncing, she thought, scowling.
RUMAL, RIDING ALONGSIDE Kassie, could see she looked uncomfortable. 'Are you okay?' She jolted away with the trot instead of rising, it surprised him; the other girls rode fine. 'Have you ridden before?'
'A a a a little,' Kassie managed to squeeze out through the bouncing.
Rumal let out a sharp whistle and the others halted, pulling their horses around. 'I’m taking Kassie back for a pillion saddle. Ride on ahead, we’ll catch you up.'
The girls looked concerned but Kassie nodded to them and they turned their horses, following Gredel and Alek out.
CITAAN IS A good horsewoman, Sian thought, watching the blue haired woman beside them. She looks like she’s part of the horse. Another twinge of envy ran through her. The men also rode with a nonchalant air of expertise. 'Do you ride often?' Sian turned to Daron who smiled at her.
'Yes. We don’t bother the griffons for short trips and I enjoy riding. It makes a change to being in the air.'
WE REACHED THE outer gate and waited while guards opened it. A clattering of hooves behind us announced Rumal and Kassie’s arrival. Kass looked much happier seated behind Rumal, her arms around his waist. Audrey stood beside my horse sniffing its legs curiously. While I’d had plenty of horse riding experience on Earth I'd never taken her with me before, so the horses were a novelty. At least she wasn’t barking at them. I kept a firm eye on her. Audi, as a farm dog breed, wasn’t inclined to hunt animals, but she did like to herd them which could make for interesting results in a situation like this; though the horses hadn’t even blinked at her or Nnelg’s presence.
I’d decided to ignore Alek’s weird attitude for the moment. I wasn't going to let it ruin my day there would be time after dinner to have a chat.
LOI LOVED THE pleasant ride into town. She hadn’t been horse riding in years, not since she moved to New Zealand. In Scotland her family had owned horses and she’d learned to ride at four years old. Out of the four of them, Loi rode the best, though Cat was close on her heels. Getting away from the castle and all those people felt fantastic. Sabyn rode beside her, appearing lost in his thoughts. Loi took the opportunity to study him, yet again, without seeming rude; a striking man with his glacial blue eyes and
dark blond hair pulled into its customary plait. She watched in amusement when his lips moved, eyes vague.
SABYN RAN THROUGH the names of the townspeople they needed to speak to. This trip to show the girls the town provided an opportunity to catch up on necessary royal business. While they mightn’t look the part in their relatively casual clothing and manner he, Daron, Gredel and Rumal acted as Alek’s advisers and bodyguards when the occasion called for it. Not that Alek would ever stand back in a fight, but they were required by Elena to stop him from getting killed.
NNELG SWOOPED DOWN out of the sky and darted over the top of Audrey, teasing her. The dog’s ears and tail stood high while she raced after him, yelping. 'Audi’s really fast,' Daron commented, impressed.
Sian laughed at the comical sight of the dragon and dog playing tag. 'She is quick,' she agreed. 'It’s always amazed me how speedily she’ll appear when she’s vanished somewhere. Cat’s parents have a little dog that used to be run ragged by Audi. Which surprised us, ‘cause Jack is such a speedy little thing. He’s the only dog I know who can climb trees.'
Daron looked skeptical. 'Climb trees?'
'Yes. Jack gave more than one person a surprise with that trick.'
'You’ll have to show Nesha once you can talk to him, otherwise I’ll never believe you,' Daron said with a cheeky grin.
KASSIE ENJOYED THE ride now, her arms around Rumal’s waist. The pangs of nerves she usually got when the horse galloped didn’t happen this time and she laughed, feeling a thrill of excitement at the pace. Rumal laughed with her, urging the horse to run faster before allowing it to drop to an easy walk. The utter ease and confidence with how he rode felt intoxicating. While the horse recovered from the run, Rumal told her about his home life on Delanta. His family raised horses, which explained his obvious skill and until he’d linked with Ofelaan he had trained with his father and Uncle, learning how to break horses.
The Arrival Page 23