Realm of Scamall
Storm flew through a strange realm on the back of Ixxter, one of the gryphons who’d volunteered to join the team. Miles and miles of sand. Who would want to live in a place surrounded by only aqua, orange, mint green, pink, yellow, red and silver sand for terrain?
How did Abandinu keep any creature alive here?
Daegan had said he would try to envision the winged beasts and Germanus at a distance in hopes of landing the attack team in a safe place. That had worked. Now for the next step.
Adrianna rode on Daegan’s back, and they flew in the center of the pack. Tristan had suggested they hide the dragon until the last minute as a surprise weapon. Also, keeping Daegan and Storm out of view would prevent Evalle giving away their presence. Daegan agreed and told Tristan to initiate telepathic contact if Evalle came to them first.
Quinn rode on the back of Tristan’s gryphon.
Initially, Adrianna had cloaked all of them, but the moment they took off for the castle in the distance, Daegan had shouted that their cloaking had not held.
One weapon down plus the loss of a surprise attack.
The sight of seven gryphons flying in tight formation with a dragon tucked in the middle was one Storm would never forget, but he wished it could be eight gryphons with Evalle in the lead and they were all far away from here.
Daegan called out, “They’re coming out to meet us.”
Storm straightened to see wings flapping toward them. It appeared those creatures were flying from the castle that spread across half the horizon, but that flying division had no sense of formation. Just lots of huge wings whipping up and down.
Silky energy slid over Storm’s body. This was some creepy realm.
When Storm looked again, his heart lurched.
Leading that flock of mismatched flying beasts was a golden-headed gryphon with aqua-blue wings.
His throat tightened.
Evalle’s gryphon was coming in hot. Did she even recognize her pack flying toward her?
All at once, Ixxter set his wings to land.
Storm looked around at the rest of them and Daegan’s dragon. They were all landing. Must have been a telepathic order.
As soon as Ixxter stopped moving, Storm was off his back and heading for Evalle.
Adrianna slid down next to him and grabbed his arm. “Wait.”
He jerked around. “Let go, Adrianna. The last thing I want to do is harm you, but I have waited and waited on everything and everyone. I’m going to Evalle.”
The witch removed her hand, but said, “What if she’s been compelled to kill everyone? Even you.”
Power flushed around them, drawing Storm’s attention to Daegan, who had quietly shifted to his human form. The dragon king walked over and whispered, “Give Tristan a chance to reach Evalle using our telepathy.”
Dressed in his medieval attire, Daegan pulled his sword over his shoulder and turned, preparing to battle.
When Storm stepped up beside him, Daegan asked, “Do you want a sword?”
“No. It would only get in my jaguar’s way.”
Adrianna was right. Storm had learned patience in gaining Evalle as his mate, a prize worthy of giving up everything he owned. He would show that same patience to prevent putting her in a position to fight him.
She’d win.
He’d never lift a claw against her.