Page 36 of A Kingdom of Fire and Fury (House of Embers #1)

My breath hitched. All the security I wanted for my sister and myself, I had it if I stayed.

And if Kieran will handle the darkness… It wasn’t truly a choice.

Not really, but maybe, maybe I could live with it.

“After the mission, you’ll take me to see my sister.

” I pulled my hand away. “And if I’m not allowed to see her regularly by the end of the year, you’ll arrange for monthly visits.

In return, I’ll stay in the dragonsguard. ” I held out my hand and offered it.

Kieran grinned. “You drive a hard bargain, little thief, but I’m down.” He clasped my hand and shook it. But he didn’t pull away. With our hands still locked, he leaned forward and whispered in the shell of my ear, “I look forward to our partnership.”

For a while, the flight could have been considered almost peaceful.

I still didn’t trust Kieran, but he didn’t seem the type to go back on his word, and this was better than Luther’s flimsy promise of ‘eventually’ letting me see my sister.

At least with Kieran I had a deadline. Something to look forward to.

And if he backed out, well, by the end of the year I’d have a good amount of training under my belt and hopefully have my Gift. Then I’d give him hell.

Umara purred, warmth flooding the bond. I smiled and patted her scales. ‘We’re totally going to fuck shit up,’ I thought down the bond. Her purr got even louder. I exhaled and looked up at the starry sky. I’d never tire of this view.

To think, we have access to something this beautiful. I stretched my hand toward the sky. Wouldn’t it be nice if I could grab a star and give it to Clara?

The thought was utterly ridiculous, and I was reminded of a story my mom loved to tell me, about the Child who asked for something pretty, something whimsical, so the Mother created the stars.

And when the Child wished to touch them, the Mother created the Afterworld for him, where he could be with the stars.

Something slammed into Umara. I screamed and my body lurched to the side, but the saddle kept me in place.

My blood froze when I looked over. A gryphon.

It had to be. The creature was twice the size of a lion.

It had a bird’s head, impossibly sharp talons, huge wings, and the lower half of its body was more like a lion, with a long tail. Its eyes were blood red.

Gods, they’re real. I knew they were, and yet… yet I always assumed the stories were exaggerated. Those re d eyes looked at me with so much hate, it sent a shiver down my spine.

There was no time to react. Another gryphon swooped in from behind. I didn’t realize what it was doing, what it had planned, until the first gryphon lunged again at Umara. Umara screeched, lunging forward in a dizzying dive. She grabbed the gryphon and bit it in half.

That’s when I realized what the two gryphons had done. Why they attacked Umara.

My saddle. The straps were gone. I’d been gripping Umara, but not tight enough. When she dipped down, I went flying. My body smacked against her scales. Pain had my body in a chokehold, but none of that mattered when I tumbled off her back and went flying, hurtling toward the ground.

Oh fuck. Oh fuck. Oh fuck. I couldn’t see a thing. The wind whipped me around like a ragdoll. Sky. Ground. Gold. That’s all my vision held. Fuck. Clara would be left all alone. Would Luther kill her? Would she still be treated like a dragonsguard’s family?

Umara screeched, and my ears rang.

I’m sorry, Clara.

Something cool wrapped around me and stopped my terrifying fall.

Darkness wrapped me up tight in a ball, and I floated in its caress until I pressed against something hard.

The darkness slipped away from my face but still kept me pushed against that solid weight.

Kieran. He must’ve used his shadows to grab me and keep me pressed against him .

He threw his hand forward, and I followed his gaze. Shadows wrapped around the remaining gryphon and easily snapped its neck. Umara roared and bit into it, even though it had already died from Kieran’s attack. The two halves plummeted to the ground.

A third gryphon came out from the trees, but this time, Umara killed it easily.

She kept the screeching gryphon in her teeth and shook her head, making the gryphon shake wildly in her grasp.

I winced when she bit down, and the crunch echoed across the sky.

We looked around, but no other gryphons came.

I couldn’t stop shaking, and I didn’t give a damn that I clutched Kieran like a child. Gryphons had just attacked me. I almost died. Why the hell did they attack me? They never did that and were only known to strike back if a rider attacked first.

“There were three gryphons.” Kieran’s tight voice cut through the silence.

“Kieran?”

His expression darkened. “Not only that but they attacked you. Unprovoked.”

My gut curdled. “Kieran?”

“The only way we’re able to fight them is because they’re predictable. And for there to be three gryphons… a nest is nearby.”

“But there were only three of them.”

His look could freeze the world. “Exactly how much it takes to destroy a village.” He looked down. “There’s a village close by. We need to make sure they’re not under attack. Then, we’ll tell Luther and organize an attack to take out the rest of the nest.”

Shadows whipped around me and then I was on Umara’s back. I wished I could strap myself in. Instead, I settled for gripping her tightly. Her magic kept me contained in the saddle—this time so thick, it made my thighs ache.

We flew the remaining minutes in silence. I wanted to say something, but a lump formed in the back of my throat and left me mute. This is what they’ve been warning me about. This was what awaited me if I took Clara and ran.

“You stay up above.” Kieran looked at Umara. “Leave me behind if you must. Hesperos and I can handle this. Worst case, I’ll use my shadows to retreat.”

“But Kieran—”

“Just observe. Keep your blade in your hand. I won’t allow you to die.”

We approached the village in silence. Just as Kieran said, there were more gryphons.

Three of them, to be exact. The sight made my stomach roll.

We heard the screams before we saw the destruction.

My heart dropped as Umara flew past the trees concealing the village.

It was in shambles and looked like ruins instead.

Dust lingered in the air so high it was hard to see, but I spotted another gryphon flying in the smoke. Blood coated its body. Human blood.

My stomach rolled. One of them was on the ground hunched over an elderly woman. She’d long since passed away and the gryphon’s beak nibbled at her side, eating her flesh. Oh gods .

It looked up, and its red eyes narrowed at me. Ice shot down my spine. That look—it wasn’t just death it promised but a hungry sort of hatred. The gryphon shrieked and launched itself up at me. With a flick of his wrist, Kieran snapped its neck.

Umara torched three gryphons that flew straight at me. Her roar made my ears ache, and my chest tighten. I looked at the village, at the destruction left in its wake. Only three gryphons were here, but they completely slaughtered the village. “Kieran…”

His hands stayed clenched at his sides. “The nest must be close. We need to let Luther know before they ravage the rest of Caddel Province. Or worse, the continent.”