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  Raneth turned to face Aldora. She looks good. He attempted a smile for her, but her frown warned he’d failed. “Why are you here?” he asked.

  “I want to help you rescue Cray.”

  His stomach churned for a whole new reason as he spotted the blood at her side. He pointed at it questioningly.

  Aldora looked at it. “Jules Rivermud stabbed me with the Dagger.”

  “I’m sorry, Aldora.”

  Aldora shook her head. “Not your fault. Any idea where Cray is?”

  Raneth wished they had time to catch up properly, even if just to give her a hug, but with the way he likely smelled thanks to the amount of vomiting he’d done, not to mention the heat of the day’s sun and feeling gross in general, she’d probably want a bath afterwards. He wiped his clammy hands down his thighs as he nodded. “This way.”

  Aldora’s soft hands grasped his and he noticed she barely had any callouses still. “Wait,” she said, “can’t you just tell me?”

  “Cray can cure me, and we have to use me like a Bayre talisman or a messenger relay bracelet.” He led her towards the bridge but paused at the corner of the last building they could use as cover. He closed his eyes and rested the back of his head against the cool wall, grateful it was shaded as his head pounded and the metallic taste returned to his mouth. “He’s on the bridge.”

  Aldora stood at his side, the horse’s reins in one of her hands, and she peeked out. “I don’t see Cray but I see that woman.” She looked Raneth over. “Can you use your Common Gift of Ice feeling like you do?”

  “Probably. Yes.” He looked out at the bridge, watching Reinette arguing with the man on the driver’s bench of her carriage. “The Dagger?”

  “I’m ready,” promised Aldora. “And when Cray’s safe and you’re better, you’re taking me on a date.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Aldora

  He looked worse than she had expected, as if somebody had dragged him through the coldest river they could find. His olive skin looked pale enough to make strangers think both his parents were Giften, and sweat had soaked through where his breastbone touched his blue top, under his arms and around his neck. Letting go of her borrowed horse’s reins, Aldora grasped Raneth’s hands. They were wet, so clammy it felt as if he’d dunked them in a puddle. “Are you sure you can do this?”

  He swallowed before he nodded, his handsome blue eyes glassy and bloodshot. “If I start fitting though,” he uttered, “You should probably drag me away from the sorceress.”

  And Cray. Aldora shook her head as she narrowed her eyes, her hands gripping his hard. “Why are you doing this? When it can get you killed?”

  “Cray would do it for me.”

  “Cray doesn’t have MIR.”

  Raneth shrugged. “Can we go now? They won’t stay on that bridge for long. And we can’t kill the sorceress. We need Reinette alive.”

  Aldora nodded. That she could get behind. She let go of Raneth’s hands. “I’m going first,” she said, before striding free from their cover. She glanced over her shoulder, checking on Raneth and the horse. The horse watched her go. I hope she follows us, otherwise I’ll get in trouble when she’s lost. Turning her attention onto the bridge, she watched as Reinette stepped into the carriage and the driver urged the horses forwards with harsh words and the crack of a whip. Aldora’s eyes narrowed. Whips weren’t supposed to be used in Giften anymore. She sprinted, dodging a second carriage rumbling towards the bridge and paused, checking for Raneth. He was following, he just wasn’t running. That’s OK. He doesn’t need to. He’s mastered his Common gift. He can do it from anywhere, as long as he can see where he’s trying to use it, he’ll be fine. She ploughed on, narrowly missing treading on a black cat as it leapt out of the way. “Sorry!”

  The horses pulling the carriage were running now, but it was right in front of her and almost within arm’s reach. No, no, no! This has to end now, for Raneth’s sake! She yanked the Dagger of Protection from its sheath and pointed it at the back right wheel of the carriage. A warmth spread across Aldora’s hand, as if her hand was being cupped by another’s, and a fork of lightning rushed out of the yellow gem in the guard and crashed into the wheel. The wheel blackened as a piece shot off, clattering to the road below. The horses bellowed as the carriage tilted to the right and the remains of the wheel dug into the bridge. The driver stopped whipping them to stand up and leaned to the side of the carriage to inspect the wheel. The door slammed open at the side of the carriage and Reinette’s head popped out. I remember you. Aldora narrowed her eyes and pointed the Dagger at the sorceress. A second burst of lightning shot off the gold blade, slicing towards Reinette.

  “Watch out!” yelled the driver, jumping clear of the carriage. He tripped over the edge of the bridge as he landed, and tumbled over the side. Reinette jumped clear of the carriage, with her eyes on Aldora. She raised her hands and the lightning transformed into grass strands and fell to the ground.

  “Come to avenge your boyfriend, have you?” she asked, smirking at Aldora. She stepped clear of the carriage and Aldora stopped running, keeping what she hoped was a safe distance between them — almost the entire short bridge.

  Maybe I should be further back. “He’s not my boyfriend.” Aldora opened her mouth and screamed. The roar of a lion burst from her lips, the air between her and Reinette rippling. Reinette flung herself to the ground and the back of the carriage crumbled as the airwave struck it. Oh no. Cray! Aldora looked over her shoulder, looking for Raneth.

  He was on his knees further back, his body tense, but white mist was seeping free from under his clenched hands, creeping slowly towards her.

  Something hot struck Aldora. She flew backwards, the sky and ground tumbling in her view. She could barely snatch in a breath before she landed, crashing on top of Raneth. His white mist pressed against her, pushing her back onto her feet as it cupped her body. It then sped ahead of her, rearing up as it neared the sorceress. She waved a hand and the white mist clattered to the ground as ice. Raneth dry-retched behind Aldora. She knelt down at his side and as Aldora rested a hand against his back, she felt the muscles twitching. It didn’t feel right. Not for puking. She glared towards Reinette and spotted as the door to the carriage opened. King Cray crept out, his hands in front of him but trapped within an odd metal sphere. What the heck is that? She spun her focus back to the sorceress. Reinette was striding forwards, drawing closer, too confident. Aldora steadied her breath. Maybe if I hit her with more than one attack, maybe then I can get past her dispelling magic.

  The Dagger Bearer stood up, picking up the Dagger of Protection as she did, and prowled towards Reinette. She purposefully didn’t look at Cray as he crept behind Reinette, his trapped hands raised to strike the sorceress. At least I didn’t kill him. Raising the Dagger’s blade, Aldora thought of two attacks she’d seen it use before. Lightning burst from the blade, twin forks rushing at Reinette as the snake heads on the guard belched fireballs, which spun up into the sky and crashed towards Reinette. The sorcerer spun, outstretching her hands. Cray smashed her face with the metal sphere. She stumbled to the side but caught her weight with a hand against the carriage. Reinette punched the air between her and Cray. He yelled as he flew backwards, vanishing somewhere over the other side of the bridge. Aldora swore.

  Another burst of Raneth’s white mist was curling towards the sorceress, sticking close to the ground and creeping towards her. I’ve got to help. Aldora looked at the Dagger. Again, Dagger. She jabbed the Dagger forwards but the sorceress dodged each of the attacks. “What’s the matter, dagger girl?” teased the sorceress as she straightened. “Too fast for you?”

  At her side, Raneth grunted. Aldora checked on him. Feathers were flicking out from his sweat-soaked back, his clothes shrinking to be skintight. He’s forming to help. I can’t let him get close. I can’t let him get himself killed. She charged towards the sorceress. If I can’t get magic and gifts close, maybe a blade will. She ducked as a fireball raced at her.
It crackled over her as she stumbled in her duck, but she straightened. She jumped to the side as a second fireball nearly scorched her, its heat warming her as it rushed past.

  The high-pitched shriek of a griffin split the air, hurting Aldora’s ears. Raneth. Turning her gaze to him, she spotted the red and white speckled chest blackened but the griffin lowered its front half, its hips raised in the air, wings outstretched. He knows what he’s doing. Hoping he wasn’t seriously hurt, Aldora turned her attention back to Reinette, grunting as a fist smashed into her face. She flung her hands out in front of her, batting at the air between her and Reinette, trying to fend off the sorceress as another blow landed.

  The brush of feathers against her hands and the cry of Reinette made the Dagger Bearer open her eyes. In his red and white griffin-self, Raneth stood at her side, a large lion paw in the air, his cat-ears flattened against his skull, his wicked-tipped beak parted. His cheeks fluffed up as he snarled.

  “Griffin-self helps you with your MIR, does it?” asked the sorceress as she slowly climbed to her feet. Blood trickled from a wound somewhere in her hair. She rested against the wall of the bridge. “Then deal with this, birdie-boy.” She flung her hands at Raneth.

  Aldora winced as a wyvern of fire materialised right in front of her and Raneth, heating her face as it crashed into Raneth. The griffin shrieked and tumbled backwards before collapsing, panting. The wyvern squirmed free and stood at the griffin’s side, watching Raneth closely. By the sky’s light. Aldora glared at Reinette. “Why did you attack my village!” She leapt at Reinette, knocking the sorceress to the ground and somehow dodging a fist to her face. Aldora dropped the Dagger, reached for the sorceress’ neck and squeezed.

  Reinette grabbed her wrists, coughing. “Do you want to know or do you want to kill me?” she asked, barely getting her words out.

  “Get rid of that fire thing!” She smashed Reinette’s head into the ground, then again. She heard something clunk twice against the bridge from below. The third time the clunk sounded, Aldora poked Reinette in the eye with a finger and stepped back. “Get rid of it. Now!”

  The sorceress coughed, sucking in raspy breaths as she propped her weight up on an elbow. She looked towards Raneth and the wyvern of fire and clenched a hand. The wyvern turned to ash. “Now what? I answer your dumb question?”

  Aldora narrowed her eyes at the sorceress again, before she briefly looked at Raneth. His griffin-eyes were shut and he wasn’t panting anymore. Before she could watch his back to see if it was rising and falling with his breaths, Reinette’s hand smashed into Aldora’s wound.

  The Dagger Bearer screamed and stumbled to her knees, tears welling in her eyes. At her side, the Dagger of Protection bled a single tear of dark blue. A pop sounded and Aldora flinched as a white burst of light struck her eyes. Forcing her eyes open, she looked at Reinette through a blue film. Reinette was flaring her nostrils, hands splayed towards Aldora. Looking around her, the Dagger Bearer noticed that the blue film was an orb that had surrounded her. She flinched as white light burst in front of her and she spun her attention back to Reinette. The sorceress was trying to attack her with fireballs through the blue orb around Aldora, but the attacks were failing; each fireball struck the blue orb and vanished under a blink of bright light. Aldora squinted as another fireball struck the orb before Reinette accepted it was ineffective. She looked towards Raneth’s griffin-self.

  Her heart skipping a beat, Aldora did too. She watched as the sorceress started to walk towards Raneth. Don’t you dare. His gorgeous gold griffin-eyes were still hidden behind the white feathers of his eyelids, the bottom of his beak pressing against the ground. Aldora grabbed the Dagger of Protection and pressed a hand to the blue orb around her. It dissipated at her touch, dissolving as if someone had thrown acid against it. She stepped clear. “Leave him alone, you cow!” She threw the Dagger of Protection at the sorceress’ head as she screamed, thinking once more of the lion’s roar. Her shriek snatched into a roar, flinging Reinette to the ground. Aldora ran closer, watching as the Dagger of Protection floated above Reinette, spinning, its split blade pointed at her before it plunged down, striking the sorceress in the chest. It flew back to Aldora, clattering to the ground by her feet. She picked it up. With her throat sore from her gift-screams, Aldora jogged towards the sorceress but slowed before she got within arm’s reach. Please no more magic. She resisted the urge to look towards Raneth’s griffin-self and kept her focus on the sorceress. Reinette was bleeding from the stab wound, incurable by the sorceress’ own magic. Aldora knelt down by the sorceress and took her hand. “Why did you attack my village last year? Why steal the Dagger? Why take Cray?”

  Snatching her hand back, the sorceress coughed blood at Aldora. The Dagger Bearer flinched as the blood struck her chest and leg. “The kingdom’s decaying.” Reinette coughed, bloody bubbles at the corners of her mouth. “But he’ll save us.”

  Aldora frowned, flinching again as a calloused hand settled on her shoulder. She looked up to see Cray, his hands free. “Go tend to Raneth. He isn’t breathing. Try and roll him onto his right side and help him — his heart’s on the left, right behind his armpit.” Cray gently eased the Dagger from Aldora’s hand and sliced the tip of the blade across his palm. He cupped Aldora’s hand and squeezed his bleeding hand over it, letting his blood drip into her palm. “Get that in Raneth’s mouth. It’ll stop the bloodhex.” He knelt down next to the sorceress. “You stupid woman, Reinette.”

  Whatever else he said, Aldora didn’t hear as she looked at Raneth’s griffin-self. Please don’t be dead. She bolted to her friend, leaving the Dagger of Protection with Cray. She skidded the last step on her knees as she slumped next to him. She yanked open his beak and wiped Cray’s blood onto the prickly tongue. She then rested the upperside of her hand just above the nostrils on his beak. Aldora felt no warm air tickling so she pressed a hand to his unmoving left side, tears warming her eyes, uncaring that a small group of people were starting to gather just shy of her and Raneth, watching and murmuring. “Come on, Raneth.” She blew a large breath into the nostrils on his beak. She lifted her head, looking at his side. Nothing. She shoved against his side with both hands, trying to roll the griffin onto his side so she could pound her fists against his heart the way Master Redler had taught her in her last training session. He must have known something like this could happen. Aldora shoved her shoulder against Raneth. His griffin body rocked but she couldn’t get him on his side. Giften’s sodding soil! Her heart knocked against her chest like a hummingbird, her hands and body shaking, barely able to suck in a trembling breath. She looked at the men and women watching. “Help me roll him!” she snapped.

  The Giftens surged forwards and joined Aldora. Together, they shoved the singed feathers, ignoring as some cracked and broke under their hands. As his side rested against the bridge, Aldora clasped her hands together and rose them over her head. “Come back to us, Raneth.” She slammed her fists down, smacking him just behind his left armpit. She paused, watching him closely before she rested a hand against his heart, feeling for a beat, but it didn’t knock at her touch. She shuffled to his beak and breathed into his nostrils, a hand holding the beak closed. She returned to his side and lifted her hands again, thrusting them together as she slammed them down once more. She counted to three and repeated the thud. “You shouldn’t have come here.” She smashed her joined hands against Raneth’s heart again.

  “Wait!” yelped one of the women by Aldora, grabbing Aldora’s hand before she could punch the griffin again. “He’s breathing. Look.”

  Aldora slowly lowered her hands and looked at the griffin’s torso, resting her hands against the charred feathers. “Raneth?”

  A sluggish gold eye opened and looked at her, before the wing nearest her folded twice and tucked in close to her hands. Aldora smiled, her body still trembling, but this time because Raneth was breathing. She looked at the small group of men and women at her side. “Thank you.” She burst into tears as she bo
lted to Raneth’s neck and threw her arms around his warm body, pressing her cheek to the top of his head. His body rumbled as he started to purr. “The bloodhex is gone now, Raneth. You’re safe.” She squeezed his throat tighter but he coughed, shifting his head slightly. Aldora let go. “Sorry.” She looked towards Cray and the sorceress; Cray was walking towards them with the bloodied Dagger in his hand.

  He knelt next to Aldora and rested a hand between Raneth’s ears. “You’re a mess.” The white feathers on the griffin’s cheeks sprung outwards, fluffing up his cheeks. Cray smiled and Aldora joined in. “Let’s see how bad this burn is, shall we?” asked the king. He inspected the griffin as it slowly climbed to all four lion paws and sat on its haunches, waiting. Aldora watched as Cray slipped a hand to the charred feathers and lifted them up, peering under them at the thin layer of white fur and the pink skin just visible under it. He continued to different patches where the wyvern and fireball had touched the griffin. “Looks like the feathers took it all.”

  “How is that possible?” asked Aldora as she stood up.

  “Griffin feathers are a little fire resistant, mostly due to the layers as well as the composition of the feathers. The touch of the fire in each spot must have been brief enough to stop it burning past them.” Cray stroked the brow above Raneth’s left griffin eye, causing the griffin to push into Cray’s hand and gave a rumbling purr.

  “Are you alright? Did the sorceress tell you anything?” asked Aldora.

  “No. Just smiled at me before she died.” Cray gently coaxed Raneth to extend his wings and Aldora watched as King Cray inspected them, before he smiled slightly, nodding his head. “I made sure she was beyond saving. Sorcerers rising from the dead have had their day... Aldora, what did Reinette say to you just before I joined you?”

  Aldora shrugged. “The kingdom’s decaying and some guy will save us.”