'Your gifts are better used offensively.' Elena explained reassuringly.
'You will be able to do it with practice, but Kassie, and Loi, will likely always be better at it. That’s why it is imperative that you stick together in a fight.'
We nodded. She’d been repeating that since the incident.
The evening before the rest day should have seen us all feeling euphoric, instead we lay sprawled on our beds in our Quarters. It was strange to walk up the turrets to the third floor. Everyone looked at you differently. The third floor was solely reserved for those of the Thalian line, Elena and her family, the Griffon Guard and us.
The Elementals.
Now it felt real. I wasn’t sure if it was the change of rooms, or that thing trying to kill us, but now it all seemed very real.
'Maybe that’s why Iggy hates us.'
'What?' Loi tried to sound interested.
'Because we’re the Elementals, and according to everyone, we’re at the top of the food chain. So maybe that’s why he hates us.'
'Top of the food chain?' Kassie snorted. 'Tell that to that thing that tried to eat Loi.'
'It was trying to kill me, not eat me.'
'The end result is pretty similar.'
Sian got up and stood in the middle of the room, where we could all see her.
'It feels weird doesn’t it? Being told and then beginning to realize you have an immense gift. It’s very strange.' She stroked our emblem, embedded in the table in Kassie’s corner.
It was embedded in every wall and door in our Quarters, and most furniture. Elena had explained about it, the second evening we spent in here. The emblem was a large circle of gold split into quarters by two narrow strips of gold. Each quarter contained a polished cabochon stone that represented an element. It started at the top right with a deep green tourmaline for Earth, then went clockwise to Air, a golden citrine, then Fire, a deep ruby, and Water, a bright blue sapphire.
Elena had also commissioned a piece of jewelry for us each, with a stone showing our Element. I’d chosen an amber ring. The ring was silver and very simple. I lifted it to the light and stared through it again. Pieces of leaf appeared to sparkle like gold within the amber.
'Meh. Enough.' I hopped up.
'Where you going, Cat? Kassie called out.
'To find Alek.'
'What, are we not good enough for you?' Loi teased.
'Yeah sorry, Loi, you just don’t kiss as well as he does.'
They laughed as I stepped into the corridor and closed the door behind me. I knocked at the guys Quarters down the corridor. That makes the rooms sound close, but in reality the corridor was l-o-n-g. If you did laps of the floor, you’d get fit very quickly, or die trying.
The door opened and Alek looked at me in surprise.
'Cat! I thought you were going to sleep?'
'Can’t, I’m too bored to sleep.'
'That doesn’t make sense,' he laughed and ushered me in.
I looked around with interest. It was a very similar style to our Quarters, but they each appeared to have separate rooms.
'Where are the others?'
'Rumal and Daron are downstairs at the Great Hall, and Sabyn went for a night flight with Tomiar. We thought you’d all gone to bed.'
'The other girls might have by now, but I’m bored.'
Alek was a little perplexed by that and led Cat to his room. Settling on to the couch together he pulled her back into his arms.
'What do you mean by bored? Wasn’t this week hair-raising enough for you, literally?' The results of Kassie’s thunderstorm had been impressive. He felt her sigh.
'That’s not what I meant. I mean I’m bored of training. And fighting. It’s all we do.'
Well that was true. And they hadn’t really seen much of Elion, or anywhere else, for that matter. He kept forgetting they were new to this world.
'What if I promise you something completely different on your day off this week?'
Cat twisted to look at him.
'How different?'
'We’d have to get the griffons to leap, to get there and back.'
'Really? It wouldn’t tire them out too much?' She looked excited now.
'It’s one of the places we first began practicing leaping to, they’ll be fine.'
When I woke in the morning I raced around getting ready leaving the others staggering about in my wake.
'Slow bloody down, Cat,' Kassie growled and I stuck my tongue out at her.
'Not my fault you’re tired. Blame that on Rumal.'
She laughed, and swatted at me when I zoomed past to borrow a comb from her dressing table. I dressed carefully this morning, selecting pieces I tended not to wear. While I might want to take it slow with Alek, for the moment, that didn’t mean I couldn’t tease him. And I was still considering my ‘take it slow’ notion anyway.
Loi hurried along after the other three as they raced to the Griffons Quarters. She still felt a bit raw from the attack the other night. Her dreams were full of that nasty creature, and in the background of every dream, a woman laughed. She couldn’t seem to get that laugh, cruel and callous, out of her head. Sabyn waited for her when they arrived, and while everyone else fussed around getting ready, he took her aside into the stable-hands room.
'Hey,' He had a hand to her cheek as he stared with concern into her eyes. 'How are you?'
Tears tumbled out when she tried to respond and he sat and pulled her onto his lap.
Sabyn knew she hadn’t gotten over the shock yet and felt a moment of anger at Elena. Sure, she might be able to patch them up after a fight, but that didn’t change the fact that it had happened. Loi had looked like she walked on eggshells since the attack, but she hadn’t spoken about it at all. Perhaps his timing was off, approaching it now, but he wanted her to genuinely enjoy today. As he rocked her, smoothing her hair, she began to speak.
'Can’t get it out of my head.'
'I know.'
She was quiet again and he hugged her tighter.
'It’s normal, Loi, honest.'
She nodded against his chest.
'Silly isn’t it? But I just feel so, so, vulnerable and,' she gulped, hesitating, before continuing. 'Weak.'
He knew what she meant. Loi had trained for years to learn to defend herself and with it came a confidence in her abilities. To be caught out like she had, made it feel as though none of it mattered.
'It’s not silly Loi.'
He told her about the time he’d been caught out.
Loi listened in astonishment as he described all the feelings he’d gone through when it happened. Fear, revulsion, shame. Just the same as she was feeling. The anxious flutters in her stomach dissipated a little and she managed to stop crying. He gave her a loving smile then kissed her deeply.
When he pulled away, leaving her heart pounding, he pressed his forehead to hers.
'I promise, Loi, I will do everything I can to see you safe. And believe it or not, you’re going to be more than capable of wiping out dozens of nasty creatures with a thought very soon. That’s the reason Elena’s pushing you so hard. The four of you are going to be extremely formidable.'
His words echoed in her mind. She’d doubted her abilities since the attack, but he said it with such reverence.
'Really?'
Sabyn chuckled, 'Out of this world.'
Then pulled her in for another kiss.
Alek helped me into a heavy overcoat as Sabyn and Loi came out of the back room. We could see she’d been crying, but the smile she gave us seemed brighter. I caught Sabyn’s eye, mouthing "thanks" once Loi had walked past.
'Hurry up people.'
We turned and laughed at Citaan, all ready and waiting on Phroma’s back, bouncing with excitement. The heavy overcoat she wore concealed her baby bump, and at the moment she looked like an over-tall, impatient child. Alek still hadn’t told me where we were going, but if I went by Citaan’s reaction, it was good.
Alek snapped the last clasp on
Cat’s overcoat and tossed her up on to Loushka’s back.
'Hey. Manners much.' Cat poked her tongue out at him.
He glowered at her.
You can’t actually die from sexual frustration, the annoying voice in his mind pointed out. A certain part of his anatomy disagreed. It didn’t seem fair that she could strut around in that and still have the, go slow, rule in place. And really, those thigh high boots ought to be worn over pants. Not under a skirt with splits on either side, several inches higher than them. Maybe he should make her wear the coat while they were there.
‘Good luck with that.’ Loushka smirked at him.
‘Stay out of my head,’ he growled.
‘What’s the problem with her skirt? At least she can move easily, and I recall Rayna wearing less.’
Alek froze.
‘Crap.’
Loushka laughed which caused everyone to turn and stare, as he flushed at the thought of having to explain that to Cat.
I wriggled inside my coat, trying to get comfortable. We all had to wear the coats, as when the griffons leapt it apparently got very cold.
I hope we leave soon; I’m melting under all this fabric. The men were lucky; they just had to wear their armor.
I wonder what Alek said to Loushka that was so funny? He doesn’t look amused. He had been scowling at me since I strutted in this morning but now appeared distracted.
‘What was that exchange about?’ I thought to Loushka
‘Alek will have to explain. Nice outfit by the way—why has it got him mumbling about going slow?’
I chuckled.
‘That’d be my payback for that awful week he put me through. I might consider reneging, but I’m not telling him that.’
‘Nice one.’
‘Thanks.’
Alek scowled at the two of us as we communicated, and I couldn’t help giving him a naughty smile and wink. He hopped up into the front seat without a word so I took great pleasure in scooting forward and wrapping my arms tight around his waist.
‘Come on Loushka, let's go.’
‘You know I think Cat wants your attention.’
He gritted his teeth at the mocking tone.
'Alek, Alek, Alek,' Cat chanted his name in an annoyingly "cute" voice.
‘Fine. Block your mind, Loushka, if you don’t want to be scarred.’
The griffon chuckled as she walked out to the courtyard.
‘Thanks for the warning.’
He took a firm grip of Cat’s thigh and with a swift move, jerked her around, so she straddled his lap. Those emerald eyes stared up at him in pretend innocence, while the twist of her lips gave away the mischievous intent.
'Catherine.'
Hee. Now this was fun. I couldn’t help but smirk when he said my name like that. Exasperation and frustration all rolled into one. Just the way I liked it. Opening my eyes even wider I pouted.
'You haven’t commented on my outfit. I picked it out 'specially for you.'
The affected childish tone irritated him to no end. He yanked her closer so she was hard up against his chest plate. Straight away her energy flared out and her expression changed from innocence to challenging. His body knew that look and responded. He bit off a curse.
Getting a hard-on while wearing armor is NOT comfortable. The chuckle Cat gave, suggested she knew all too well what’d just happened.
'Oi,' Rumal yelled from Kerak’s back.
'Cut that out you two, there’s a time and a place and it ain’t now.'
Like you can bloody speak, he thought, how many nights have you been absent from the Quarters. Everyone else in the group hooted and hollered at the couple.
Might as well give them something to yell about. He cupped a hand behind her head and kissed her, bruisingly hard, venting a little of his frustration.
'We’ll discuss your outfit later.'
'Geez if they don’t watch out they’ll be expecting soon,' Gredel muttered to his wife.
Citaan laughed, murmuring in his ear, 'You know, I’m pretty sure it requires more than kissing.'
He chuckled and gave her a careful hug. She was only just showing, and even though he loved having her company, he had pleaded with her to stay home today. She’d refused of course. There was no way she was going to miss out on the markets and enjoying the girls company. The five of them got along well, but due to the training schedule, the girls rarely got to spend much time with her. Still, he worried about the baby and his lovely wife exhausting herself with excitement.
'Are you sure you won’t stay back? It’s not that long to wait.'
She gave him an annoyed look.
He sighed.
Elena said it would be fine, and Phroma promised to take it slow.
The five griffons pushed off, then gathered in a circle high above the courtyard and began to hum. A low, rumbling sound. Kassie watched in breathless anticipation, as she felt the griffons energy rise. A shimmering in the middle of the circle caught her eye, and she went to lean forward. Rumal’s arms locked tight around her.
'Hush,' he breathed. 'Don’t move.'
She complied and watched as the shimmering grew more pronounced. It developed a spherical shape and grew until it was an obvious ball of swirling silver and blue energy. The intensity of the hum increased, and she could feel the energy crackle and twist around them.
'Hold your breath,' Rumal snapped.
Kerak gave a strong flap of his wings and dived into the swirling mass. Darkness surrounded them. She lost any sense of up and down, and couldn’t even feel Rumal or Kerak. She felt a sense of panic begin to well in her chest as she continued to hold her breath. Suddenly it was light again and she could breath. She blinked rapidly, looking around.
'Welcome to Rhdanon, Kass,' Rumal smiled.
Kerak moved so they could watch the others come through. It was a strange sight. There was no visible orb on this side, but just before a griffon came through the sound of their energy was suddenly audible. Then the griffon and riders appeared, like stepping through a doorway. It went silent again until the next came through.
Loi watched the process, fascinated, and turned to smile at Kassie. Loushka came through and Cat was wide-eyed as they came around to wait with the others. Just Phroma was left. The dark griffon came through smoothly and the gateway closed with a loud chime.
Citaan beamed at the girls and practically hopped in the saddle.
'C’mon. It’ll be getting busy. Let’s go!'
Everyone laughed, and the girls exchanged questioning looks. They’d soon see what all the fuss was about.
The forest was much sparser here, and the smell of salt in the air was strong. I squirmed in the saddle, trying to see more, and Alek laughed at me.
‘Pull Cat up to standing,’ Loushka thought to us both. ‘It’s a good view.’
Helping me out of the stiff overcoat, Alek pulled me to my feet, and I leaned back against him, looking out. It was a spectacular sight. We came up to what must be a city. It was miles bigger than Gartoll, and I could just make out a harbor littered with boats. I felt a surge of excitement and twisted to look up at Alek.
'Are we going to the city?'
'No, we’re going to somewhere even better.'
We settled back into the saddle, and I stretched my arms out, relieved to be rid of that coat.
'Would you stop that?'
'What?'
I looked up in surprise as he stared down with a bemused smile.
'I said we’d discuss your outfit later, and arching your back like that isn’t helpful.'
Whoops. I’d actually forgotten how low the v-neck on my sweater was.
I laughed at him.
'No ones making you look.'
The griffons flew lower, and we could make out houses and people now. All of them looked up to see us. Some waved and shouted, while others just gaped. The attention was funny. I frequently forgot the status of the Griffon Guard and Alek. I could see a large, make that huge, clearing coming up. It wa
s teeming with people. My jaw dropped, it had to be the largest crowd we’d seen yet. The griffons knew the place well, and I got a shock when Loushka dived low over the crowd and let out a screeching roar. The others followed suit, and the crowd screamed back in excitement.
The griffons wheeled around and landed in a smaller, empty clearing, just beyond.
'What is that place?' demanded Sian.
Daron grinned and motioned for her to slide down from Nesha.
‘That’s the Rhdanon Markets,’ Nesha informed her. ‘A favorite place of ours. You'll love it.’
They waited until everyone was down, then set off with the griffons padding along behind. The trees were slender and about half the height of the ones in the forest by the castle. There was a definite seaside feel to the place. Sand was visible underfoot, blown in with the wind. The sound of the crowd grew louder and Sian glanced at Daron, a little nervous. Picking up on it, he reached out to draw her in so they walked side by side with his arm around her.
The track we followed widened out and Citaan, who was in front with Gredel, gave a little skip and squeal of excitement. Everyone began to laugh and Alek gave my hand a squeeze.
'If you hadn’t yet noticed, the markets are a favorite of Citaan’s.'
She spun back to poke her tongue out at him, then winked at me.
'You wait, Alek. Cat and the girls will love it just as much.'
As she spoke, we walked into the market clearing.
It was loud with voices, vocal and telepathic, with a mass of creatures before us. A total shock to the senses. The griffons were vocal and greeted everyone. It seemed strange to hear them out loud.
Cat and the other girls stared about in amazement and it made the men smile. Rhdanon was the cosmopolitan city in Elion, and the market was packed. Alek caught sight of a water sprite couple and glanced down to see if Cat had noticed. She had, and she wore an intent expression while studying them, with alternative glances at Citaan, comparing the differences. Someone caught his eye and he realized it was his friend Ieran.
The Arrival (Birthright Trilogy #1) Page 30