by E. G. Foley
The sarcastic flying baby was eyeing Derek and Helena with one of his arrows, but seemed to conclude the match was already made. Red greeted Jake with a low purr, pushing his feathered head against him, but for his part, Jake could not tear his eyes off the magical scene before him.
Tiny, winged musicians were playing Celtic-sounding music as loud as they could from a hollow high up on the tree-trunk: piccolos, pipes, and drums made of acorns. Some beat on tiny bodhrans, keeping the rhythm. Others played miniature harps and fiddles, while a trio of Highland fairies in tartan kilts blew on tiny bagpipes.
Four fairies flew down over the refreshment table, unfurling a sign that had “Welcome back, Gladwin” written in glowworms. The insects were doing their best to hold still until everyone had arrived.
But fairies were an impatient folk and had already begun the dancing.
Jake watched in amazement as the next reel began; he saw Gladwin right in the center. The guest of honor, she was wearing a golden gown that matched her new, gold-speckled wings, courtesy of the Gryphon.
The drums beat louder, and Jake and all his friends stared in wonder at the fairies dancing in rings, leaving their colorful trails of sparkling dust behind them like a brilliant fireworks show against the forest shadows.
They zoomed and twirled this way and that; some soared up while others plunged down; some went right, while others went left in swirls and figure eights, showing off and enjoying themselves to the full, as was their way.
Dani came running over to him, her green eyes shining. “Do you believe it, Jake? The royal fairies!”
He shook his head; he couldn’t even speak. Everyone he cared about was there, and in this moment, everything was perfect.
Then Gladwin saw him, and when she came zooming over to him, the whole troupe of glistening, winged dancers followed her in formation.
“None of this would’ve been possible without you, Lord Griffon!” she cried, and she landed on his head, where she proceeded to dance a jig.
Archie and Dani laughed, watching while Jake was surrounded by fairies. Their light shone on him, and when they flew off to go dance on someone else, they left him laughing, silly from their dust and striped in several glimmering colors of it.
It was in his hair, on his face, on his fine formal jacket like powdered confetti. And perhaps this was not a very dignified start for any earl.
But Jake could not have been happier.
Reach. Reeeeach!
Meanwhile, far away, Waldrick Everton stretched his arm through the bars of his cell, sweat beading on his brow. His shoulder strained as he went on trying to grasp the keys that hung on a peg on the opposite wall.
But it was no use. He leaned his head against a cold, rusty bar in despair.
He had no magical powers to assist him and no hope of rescue, sentenced to life in this lonely tower atop a Romanian mountaintop, deep in dragon country.
Indeed, when one of the winged beasts’ piercing cries echoed in the distance, he cowered, but there was safety in this cage. He could not get out, but at least the dragons could not get in and eat him.
Still, he could not believe that after having had the world in the palm of his hand, he was reduced to this.
Instead of famous poets, politicians, and stars of the London stage calling on him, he was pitifully glad of the brief visits from the brutish warden who came once a week to replenish his supply of disgusting gruel and water.
Waldrick let out a sigh of bitter self-pity. Even Fionnula’s moody company would have been welcome at a time like this, but he heard his co-conspirator had been locked up in a similar cell, only hers was at the bottom of the sea. That dreaded boy had ruined both their lives.
Cursing Jake for the umpteenth time, Waldrick dragged himself up to a standing position and started to turn around to shuffle back to his stone cot—when suddenly, a flicker of motion in the doorway caught his eye.
He whirled around and gasped at what he saw.
“Malwort!” He rushed to the bars of his cell, grasping them until his knuckles turned white.
Tears of joy pricked his eyes. He had never seen any more welcome sight than that of the large, disheveled, windblown spider standing in the open stone doorway.
“Bless you, dearest Malwort! Come in, quickly! How ever did you find me?”
Malwort was still shaking from the endless journey he had undertaken to find Master. Crossing dragon country was not a task to be undertaken lightly, even for an especially hardy spider. Climbing that mountain had just about worn out all eight of his legs.
As soon as he had scuttled into the shelter of the tower room, he collapsed onto his belly to rest. “Ugh,” he said.
Waldrick stared at him in wonder, still barely able to believe his faithful little friend had come all this way to rescue him. “Malwort,” he rasped, reaching through the bars once more. “Those keys, hanging on the wall there. You see them? There’s a handsome, clever, marvelous spider. The bravest, cleverest spider in all the world! Oh, dear Malwort! Princely Malwort! Fetch those shiny keys for Master. You can do this for me, yes? Bring them to me, Malwort dear!”
Malwort looked up wearily at him with all ten of his eyes. Can’t I at least have a break? In truth, Malwort was rather peeved that this was his greeting.
He’d come all this way to find him, riding on the bottoms of carriages and the tops of trains and even in the cargo hold of a ship across the Channel; he’d almost gotten squashed by the Dreaded Broom when he had taken shelter from the rain at a hotel in France, and had just now finished climbing a mountain guarded by dragons. All that, and Master could not even manage a simple thank you!
All he ever wanted was more, more, more.
Of course Malwort could easily do what he asked, get those keys—just like he had gotten the hair of the Jake for him that one time. But he was so indignant at Master’s lack of gratitude he had half a mind to turn around and march right back down the mountain.
“Come, Malwort, I know you must be altogether exhausted after your journey, but just bring me those keys, my noble little friend, and we’ll be on our way.”
Malwort frowned.
When you had ten eyes, you saw a lot that others missed. He’d always had a clearer view of Master than others did, the good and the bad in him. If he freed him, he surely would go right back to his old ways, hurting other creatures. And Malwort was a spider with a conscience, after all.
Meanwhile, the former earl went on wheedling him. “Dear, precious Malwort, do please drag those keys here to me. I will give you horseflies dipped in honey every day for the rest of your life if you get me out of here, cleverest of spiders…”
His words were as charming as a new-made web on a dewy morning, but still, Malwort wasn’t sure. After all, if he set Master free, then he’d have to share his attention with others again. Here he could have Master all to himself.
“Hurry, Malwort! Why are you just standing there?”
In the distance, another dragon roared.
Malwort’s ten eyes blinked as he lingered in the doorway, undecided…
The End
Want more GRYPHON CHRONICLES? Check out Book 2, available now!
The Gryphon Chronicles, Book 2:
JAKE & THE GIANT
Big Trouble!
Reunited with his aristocratic magical relatives, and finally getting used to his own supernatural powers, orphaned ex-pickpocket Jake Everton, the young Lord Griffon, travels on his first-ever holiday to beautiful Norway. There, at an amazing (steampunk!) Invention Convention, his cousin Archie, the boy genius, plans to unveil his marvelous new flying machine to the scientific world.
But legends of the Viking Age die hard in Scandinavia. Danger strikes as famous Victorian scientists start mysteriously disappearing. When Archie vanishes, too, Jake races to the rescue. With the help of his trusty pet Gryphon, he tracks the kidnapper to his lair—only to come face-to-face with an angry Norse giant!
From the whimsical steampunk oddities
of the Invention Convention to wondrous worlds of Norse mythology, join Jake and his friends on a giant-sized adventure full of hair-raising dangers and big laughs!
Click here to visit the Kindle Page for JAKE & THE GIANT now.
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About the Authors
E.G. Foley is the pen name for a husband-and-wife writing team who live in Pennsylvania. They have been finishing each other’s sentences since they were teens, so it was only a matter of time until they were writing together, too.
“E” is the 7-8th grade teacher of students who regularly use more than 10% of their brains, world traveler, ice cream connoisseur, and martial arts enthusiast.
“G” loves big books and small fluffy creatures, and if she hadn’t become a writer, would have pursued a career as either a princess or a spy—or possibly both. With millions of copies of her eighteen adult novels from Random House and HarperCollins sold in many languages worldwide, she has been hitting bestseller lists regularly for over a decade. Visit them on the web at EGFoley.com
Thanks for reading!
Table of Contents
Copyright
Dedication
PART I
Prologue: An Urgent Message
Chapter 1. The Pickpocket
Chapter 2. A Family Resemblance
Chapter 3. A Knight of the Order
Chapter 4. Dani O’Dell
Chapter 5. Witness for the Defense
PART II
Chapter 6. The Fairy Prisoner
Chapter 7. The Ghosts of Newgate
Chapter 8. Haunted
Chapter 9. A Treacherous Lullaby
Chapter 10. (Bad) Luck of the Irish
Chapter 11. Beacon House
Chapter 12. The Enchanted Library
Chapter 13. Secrets of the Past
Chapter 14. The Seashell Summons
Chapter 15. Below the Surface
PART III
Chapter 16. Grounded
Chapter 17. Of Parting Ways & Flying Machines
Chapter 18. Bradford Park
Chapter 19. Gentleman and Lady
Chapter 20. The Mission of Malwort
Chapter 21. How To Be An Ear
Chapter 22. The Frog Problem
Chapter 23. A Visit to Gryphondale
Chapter 24. Sweet Goes Sour
Chapter 25. Jake Gets Consequences
Chapter 26. The Oboedire Spell
Chapter 27. A Secret in the Forest
Chapter 28. Where’s Jake?
PART IV
Chapter 29. The Talk of the Town
Chapter 30. Say Uncle
Chapter 31. A Familiar Apparition
Chapter 32. Hidden Memories
Chapter 33. Lost Fairy Found
Chapter 34. Jake Goes To the Ball
Chapter 35. Family Secrets
PART V
Chapter 36. The Fairy Courier
Chapter 37. Big Red
Chapter 38. Revenge of the Gryphon
Chapter 39. A Shocking Claim
Chapter 40. Born To Fly
Chapter 41. Her Majesty, the Queen
Chapter 42. Home Again
Epilogue: Fairy Dust
What’s Next?
About the Authors