Keeper of the Flame: Dragon Knights, Book 7 Read online

  The form took shape quickly, the wingtips flaring with licks of flame toward the roof as the body moved forward out of the cauldron. Paws touched the golden rim, followed by a furry face bathed in glistening flame that did not burn. The front paws moved out of the fire pit and were followed by a cat’s face, then body. The wings emerged from the flame after that, followed by the hindquarters and two more cat-shaped paws.

  It was a gryphon, but not a normal one.

  “Sshe’ss like me,” Miss whispered, more successfully than Hyadr Kly follor.

  The cat-faced gryphon looked at the child and a purr erupted from its chest that sounded like the roar of a conflagration. Her fur was white, bathed in orange, pink and golden flame at the moment. The feathers of her wings might be white as well, though they shone more orange than her body. Perhaps they would prove more colorful when they were free of the flame’s influence. Lera was eager to know more about the goddess’s servant.

  For there was no doubt in her mind that this strange gryphon had been sent by the goddess Herself. Why the Lady had chosen to act in this way at this time, Lera didn’t know, but she assumed she was about to find out.

  “Welcome, Lady.” Lera spoke to the gryphon and the spirit that shone in her eyes.

  “Valeria.” The white gryphon spoke Lera’s full name as her sparkling gaze settled on her. “We are glad you have not perished.”

  Lera knew then that the gryphon was inhabited—at least for the moment—by the spirit of the Lady she served. Whether it would continue to be so had yet to be learned. For the time being, Lera and all in the chamber were being granted an audience with the goddess Herself. A rare and momentous event.

  “Dearest Lady, ask what You will of us. We are Yours to command.” Gregor, it seemed, could see the Lady’s presence in the cat’s eyes as well.

  “Gregor of Helios, you have been a good and faithful servant. You have done well in aiding Valeria and her mate.” Unlike the gryphons and even Miss, this winged cat had no problem speaking clearly. Everything about her was different than Lera had grown to expect.

  One thing she was coming to understand more fully. It looked like she was destined to rule over interesting times for her land, upheavals for her many subjects and seemingly, all kinds of unexpected goings on in the land of Helios.

  Chapter Nine

  Hugh felt many eyes in the room shift to focus on him. Both the priests and the goddess-possessed feline turned their attention to him. Hugh fought the urge to shift form to meet the creature at a more comparable size, but he couldn’t leave Lera or the child unprotected, even for a moment. He needed to stay close to them, to protect them with the last breath in his body if necessary.

  He didn’t have a lot of experience with deities in physical form. This was a once in a lifetime sort of event and he wasn’t sure how it would work out.

  That She’d called him Lera’s mate was a step in the right direction. They hadn’t talked about their union much, but Hugh was there to stay. There would be no return to Draconia for him. Not without Lera. And he already knew she was as dedicated to her land as Roland was to Draconia. In order to be with Lera, Hugh would have to give up his homeland and stay in Helios. If they’d let him. He wouldn’t give Lera up without a fight.

  “Hugh of Draconia.” The white gryphon addressed him directly, which he wasn’t expecting. “Be welcome in Helios. Your family has served Me for many generations. I come to make it known in no uncertain terms that this land should remain allied in unity with yours. Evil has long been working against My desires. Draconia, Helios, and others must continue to oppose it. I will give you tools, but you must act and exercise your free will. For it is My desire that all beings be given choice. The evil you must oppose would take all choice from you.”

  “We will continue to fight against such evil, Dearest Lady,” Hugh v Nly fl cowed. “My brothers and I are united in service to You, as we have been since Draneth the Wise.”

  “Draneth was one of the few wizards to gain My favor,” the Lady replied. “Gryffid was another. You must send word to him. He may not like the alterations to his creations, but I will not interfere with evolution. I have given life to this one to help those who are evolving.” The white gryphon seemed to indicate its own body, though the words undoubtedly came from the goddess temporarily inhabiting it. She turned her fiery gaze away from Hugh to look at the assembly, addressing them all. “She will protect and serve, as you all do. She will also aid with the gryphons. At least one among them, as you have already surmised, is a traitor.”

  Edon stepped forward. “Blessed Lady, we have kept faith with you as best we were able. No gryphon lives within these temple grounds, but we would be honored to have this one stay.”

  “Stay she shall,” the goddess affirmed. “And she will bring others. Not all, but a few chosen others who will train with your brethren to fight the way the dragons in Hugh’s land partner with knights. He will show you the way of it. The white gryphon will choose those of her kind worthy of such an honor. Hugh will choose the priests who have the right temperament for aerial battle. This task I give directly to you, Hugh of Draconia, mate to Valeria. Your brothers will see to Draconia. You are for Helios now. But I think you already knew that.”

  “It is my honor to serve You, Dearest Lady.” Hugh bowed his head but did not lower his eyes. It was the proper way to show respect to this aspect of the goddess, come to Visit them in a warrior’s body. “And yes, nothing will part me from Lera now. I will stay with her in Helios, if she will have me.”

  Lera gasped and turned to look at him. His heart leapt at the joy in her eyes.

  “Of course I will. I love you, Hugh.”

  “As I love you.” He declared his love boldly, not caring who heard him. They’d have to get used to the idea of Lera and him as a couple because he wasn’t going away. Not ever.

  “You have My blessing,” the Lady said, through her surrogate. “You may wonder why I have taken such extraordinary measures.” She addressed the group at large again. “The answer is simple. These are extraordinary times. Your world is at a crossroads. I have an interest in seeing things turn in the direction I wish. Yet I do not choose for you. As is My way.”

  “You are wise and just, Dearest Lady,” Gregor intoned.

  “And now I will leave you. I will not return in this form again, but I will leave this creature of My creation that you will have a reminder of Me.”

  “Thank you, Lady. We love and serve You, all the days of our lives.” Hugh was impressed by Gregor’s reverent tone. It almost looked as if the old man had the sparkle of tears in his eyes. And he wasn’t the only one. Several of the elders were weeping openly at this unprecedented visitation.

  The cat’s face seemed to smile, turning her glowing eyes on each person in the room in turn.

  “Your love and service are well appreciated. You are loved in return and your service is never taken for granted. Blessed be you all your days and be welcome in my hall when you move on to the next realm.”

  Everyone dropped to their knees to receive the Lady’s blessing. The two gryphons bowed before Her and the fire increased, whirling around the circular chamber in a glistening gol Slispan>

  The light grew so bright everyone had to close their eyes against it until in a flash, it was gone. The Lady had left and only the white gryphon remained. She blinked her glistening purple eyes and dropped to her haunches, sitting in front of the cauldron and the fire that had returned to its usual size and intensity.

  “I am the emissary.” The cat spoke without the Lady’s influence for the first time. Her voice was different—less robust, but still just as articulate. “Like you, I am simply another child of the goddess we all serve.”

  “Be welcome, emissary.” Gregor spoke. He, of all the priests, looked the most recovered after their divine visit.

  “Thank you. My name is Jalinar. The Lady gave me knowledge of your names and positions. Greetings, Father Gregor, Doge Valeria, Prince Hugh.” She nod
ded to each person as she named them, then went on to name each of the elders and priests in the room. The list was long but she didn’t hesitate. It was clear to Hugh that the goddess had given her creation a vast store of knowledge along with life.

  The white gryphon turned last to the others of her kind. She addressed Hyadror as an equal, giving him the respect due his age and station and having it returned in kind. When it came time to greet Miss, the larger cat bent down to meet the little one’s eyes.

  “Hello, Miss.” Her tone was non-threatening and almost…motherly, Hugh thought.

  “Hi,” Miss replied shyly. “You’re pretty. Missborn, like me.”

  “You are not misborn, little one. The goddess does not make mistakes and She made me like this. Exactly how She wanted me to look. As you are exactly how you should look. Do not let anyone ever tell you there is something wrong with your appearance. You are a creature of the Lady and She loves you well. Or do you forget so soon Her words and blessings?”

  “I don’t forget,” Miss said, ducking her head a bit, almost looking embarrassed.

  “Fear not, little one. I am here now and no one will question the new breed of gryphon that has a mouth instead of a beak. No disrespect to you, Hyadror. There is room in the heavens for both kinds of gryphon and I have no doubt those with beaks will continue to be the majority of gryphon-kind. But there must be acceptance of those with differences. I am here to demonstrate the Lady’s will in this matter.”

  “And a better repressentative I cannot imagine,” Hyadror acknowledged formally.

  “Thank you.” The white gryphon preened. “Now, I must converse with the elders for a short while.” Jalinar prowled forward on silent paws toward Gregor. “Father, if you would send word for all your order to convene in the great hall, it would make it easier to explain my presence once and let them get their gawking over with. There is much work to do.”

  Gregor laughed at her words and tone. “It shall be as you wish, milady.” He motioned to a few of the younger priests and sent them to gather the others. The elders filed out of the chamber to oversee the gathering and bring order to the ranks.

  “I will be with your shortly, Father.” Jalinar’s words were a clear dismissal, but Gregor took it well, leaving the chamber with only the gryphons, Hugh and Lera inside. Jalinar turned to address them once more. “Milady, I would like to meet with the others of my kind as s S myphons, Hugoon as possible. For now, I would like your permission to take this little one under my wing. I know she is your charge, milady, and you, milord, have become her guardian. I would like to be a mentor of sorts until she finds her way.”

  “I have no objection,” Lera said softly. “I imagine she could learn a great deal from you.” Lera turned to Hugh and he valued the fact that she didn’t try to speak for both of them. She was a woman used to being in charge. Hugh was a prince used to having his own say in all matters. It boded well for their future that she asked his opinion, as he valued hers.

  “I have no objection, as long as it is what Miss wants.” Hugh turned to the child, reaching out to scratch behind her ears affectionately. “Do you want to learn from Lady Jalinar, sweetheart? Since she is blessed of the goddess, there is no doubt she can be trusted.”

  Miss looked from the cat-faced gryphon to Hugh and Lera and back again. “I’d like to.” She spoke in a timid voice. “But want be wif you too, Hoo.”

  He had to chuckle at the unintended rhyme. Miss was just so incredibly adorable sometimes. He bent his head to hers, going forehead to forehead, nose to nose with her.

  “I want you to be with me too, little Miss. Did I ever tell you that in my land, in dragon families, all the adults parent all the children? That means the human knights and their ladies act as fathers and mothers to their dragon partner’s offspring and vice versa. It is no stretch to my imagination to consider you my daughter, sweetheart. You are the daughter of my heart and nothing will ever change that. You are part of my family now. If you want to be, that is.”

  “I do! I do, Hoo!” Little paws walked up his chest until they rested on his shoulders. He embraced her furry little body as she hugged him, cementing the deal.

  “Then I will formally adopt you according to the laws of this land, if such a thing is possible. If not, we’ll do it under Draconian law, since I am still—and always will be—a prince of Draconia, no matter that I make my home in Helios now.” He looked up at Lera, gratified to see her indulgent smile and the joy in her eyes. “We’ll figure this all out later, when there’s time. For now, know that you are loved and wanted, Miss. If you go with Lady Jalinar, that will not change. Lera and I will be here for you no matter what.”

  He hugged her for a moment more before letting her go.

  “Well spoken, my prince,” Jalinar complimented him. Hugh thought it interesting that she used his Draconian title. “The child must gain her rightful place in the world. The Lady has made this my task, but I would have taken it on regardless.” Jalinar turned her attention to Miss, who had turned to face her. “You are well loved, little one. The Lady Herself saw you and decided on my form because of you. That is a high honor, one you will grow to be worthy of in time. Already, you have proven to have the heart of a lion and the courage of an eagle. An admirable combination. I will teach you how to best utilize your talents. It will be my honor.”

  The white gryphon stretched out her paw to the youngster, touching her small head gently and stroking downward over the striped fur. Miss not only allowed it, but moved into the almost human gesture of affection. Hugh knew how starved the child was for loving attention of any kind. It was good to see her bask in the approval of a gryphon. Especially one as special as the emissary.

  “I must attend to the priesthood now,” Jalinar said. “I fear this will take a while. I would lik S. Iu ae for Hyadror and Miss to be part of this presentation, since the priests are not accustomed to having our kind in their midst. Best get them used to it.”

  “The honor iss mine, milady,” Hyadror intoned. He seemed to be a bit in awe of the newly made, magical gryphon.

  Hugh got the idea that he and Lera weren’t necessarily wanted at this gathering and they’d already had a long, eventful day. For the moment, Lera was safe within the walls of the temple.

  “We will find a place to rest,” Hugh decided.

  “There’s a small, private room just down the hall, where I usually prepare before ceremonies and rest afterwards,” Lera put in. “We can go there. It’s reserved for the Keeper’s use and no one will disturb us.” She took Hugh’s hand and he marveled again at the warmth of her touch.

  “Good.” Jalinar’s voice held the hint of a purr. “We will be busy for a few hours at least. I will watch over the little one for the night so you can rest easy. We will not leave the temple and I promise to keep her safe.”

  What better guardian could the child have than a creature created by the Lady Herself, Hugh thought. He need not worry about Miss tonight. She would be safe and well cared for.

  “Thank you,” Hugh said simply, meaning so much more than he could express. The creature seemed to understand.

  They had left their hiding place on the sand flats just after dark. With all that had happened, it was well after dinnertime. Lera put her arm through Hugh’s and accompanied him out into the hallway. The gryphons preceded them and kept walking down the longer hall toward where the priests were gathering.

  The door Lera was aiming for was nearby. The Keeper’s Quarters was a ceremonial place now, though when a Keeper not of the ruling house had occupied the position, they had actually lived in the temple. She only used the quarters on ceremonial days. It was actually a suite of rooms that had a bedchamber, private bathroom and sitting area. It also had a walk-in closet that held almost all of her ritual robes. She had another like it back in the palace that held her robes of state.

  Luckily, she also kept some regular clothes—plain dresses and lounge wear—in the Keeper’s Quarters for when she was too tired to go back
to the palace after particularly long or strenuous events.

  If they had to, she could stay here in these quarters, safe in the temple, until it was clear to go back to the palace. In a way, she liked the idea of staying here, in this sanctuary with Hugh for a while. When they got back to the palace, real life would start up again, meaning court functions, council meetings, petitions and a million other things she had to deal with as head of state.

  She’d enjoyed the time away from those duties with Hugh—even with Eyes on her trail. She knew he would keep her safe, and being with him made her want to chuck all her responsibilities and just be a woman in love for a little while. Was that too much to ask?

  “What makes you frown so?” Hugh whispered in her ear.

  “I wish we didn’t have to go back to the palace,” she admitted in a small voice.

  “We don’t. Not yet at least. There’s still the matter of the assassins to deal with. For now, you’re safer here.”

  “I know,” she admitted as they walked. “Is it wicked of me to be glad to be away from my responsibilities for a while?”

  “No, my love.” Hugh patted her hand. “Remember, I am a prince. I have never envied the burden that lies so heavily on my eldest brother’s shoulders, but I do understand it. You don’t have to bear it alone anymore. I’m here to lean on when you need to.”

  The thought made her pause in her steps. She turned toward him, realizing just how well he did understand what she faced for the first time. So much had been happening, it hadn’t really registered fully before.

  “Oh, Hugh. The Lady certainly knew what She was doing when She brought us together.”

  He dipped his head to kiss her. It was a tender salute of his lips that could have turned into something much hotter in an instant, but a throat cleared down the echoing hall and she remembered they were in a public thoroughfare—in the temple, no less. She had to at least try to be a little more circumspect.