WingSpan (Taken on the Wing Book 1) (27 page)

“Wait,” Talon says.

She feels his hand in hers and stops even though she’s charged with enough energy to sprint all the way to the top of the mountain. She fidgets, rolling from heels to toes until Talon gets his hands on her shoulders.

“Anything,” Shadow says. They’re only a few minutes up a long tunnel leading from the chamber where the trial had been held. Today it’s empty and even in the weak light she could make out the clean spot her body made on the floor.

He holds a gold chain. Even though it lacks the sparkle of the silver lights, it’s as intricately woven as a satin ribbon and not really a chain at all. And judging by the way his fingers curl he’s hesitant to part with it.

“I left her five years ago,” Talon’s hand closes and the necklace disappears in his pocket. “We’d been together nearly two decades; not a long time for gryphons. She wanted to bond with me, made it clear from the start and I wanted to be needed. After years learning to be a ranger with Soar he was recruited by your sire and I’d been passed over one too many times.

“I can’t believe I’m telling anyone this,” he looks away and allows Shadow to get close, her head tucked under his chin; near yet giving him privacy.

“She wanted to do it right, she said, bonding when she was in season. I’d gone to give her this as a promise next time we would but we fought. She wanted to move to an eyrie in the city. There are some led by a human style democracy and they are close to being recognized in the grand council.

“It pissed me off. Unimaginable. If you asked her we were headed in two different directions; she to commitment and me to disappointment but she was too willing to shed what it meant to be a gryphon and I preferred the old rhetoric and the past. She wanted something I didn’t have the courage to give. She was right. I was selfish accepting her attention, settling for being wanted for what she saw in me and not for what I valued in myself. Then I was cruel when I punished myself and walked out. I told her good luck and never gave it to her.

“Until I lost her I didn’t know how close I’d come to having the life she wanted. I loved her, Shadow, and leaving broke my heart as much as hers.”

“Do you regret taking me?” Shadow asks, scared Swift’s death has given him second thoughts.

“Oh God, no,” Talon grabs her head in his hands and fisting his fingers through her hair, he brushes her lips with his. “Don’t ever worry about that. She was right. I got involved with her for the wrong reasons and staying with her was driving me straight to disappointment.”

“This,” his lips seal over hers. The taste of venison joins his male scent and she pulls both in through her partly open mouth. She growls as she’s overcome by the unbelievably primal scent. “Is what I wanted for so long.”

As they resume their walk up the steepening tunnel, Shadow’s tail wraps loosely around his. It seems to have a mind of its own, or at least be more in touch with her feelings than she is. Unless she consciously wills it to keep still it wanders all over him. The climb goes on for another ten minutes before she pauses, reaching out with her hearing. Echoes of something female come but no matter how hard she tries the sounds are unclear.

“There is a barrier and I can’t go any further,” Talon says as he squeezes her hand. “I can never know what you learn today just like you can never know where my hoard is.”

“Okay.”

“Here,” Talon holds the necklace out and Shadow takes it, cradling the long heavy ribbon in her palm. “It’s my hope she can wear it because I treated her like our decades never happened and I hurt her. I was a shit and too big a shit to admit it. If she can’t wear it, leave it behind and let me believe she took it with her.

“A few minutes ahead you’ll find a narrow gap in the side of the tunnel, follow it. I’ll be in the main chamber below when you return.”

“Talon,” she calls. He’s quick and has nearly disappeared around a bend in the tunnel. Hurrying to catch up she has to call him again before he stops. Shadow holds her hands at her chest, fingertips together like she’s made a delicate box, then opens her palms offering the invisible contents.

“Talon, this is my heart,” her lips press together as he glances at the imaginary treasure. “It’s been damaged and broken. It’s known unbelievable loneliness, emptiness. It’s fallen for yours, Talon, son of Stalker.”

He laughs, just a soft purr of air from his nose as he presses it to her palms and kisses.

“Has its owner fallen for me too?”

“Undeniably, Talon,” Shadow whispers. “I’ve fallen in love with you.”

“
Arlette
,” he answers, crushing her in his arms and forcing her hands and her heart back into her own chest. “I love you.”

Chapter Twenty-Two

Shadow climbs for another ten minutes before finding the side passage. She doubles back down the steep, slippery path to where Talon’s scent is strong before she finds the jagged hole in the wall.

The passage isn’t as tight a fit as it looks and most of the way two winged gryphons could walk abreast over the floor that’s been worn smooth by countless female feet. The weight of the necklace is heavy on her heart. If she’s too late to put it on Swift then she’ll have to bear her failure all on her own. Talon has done his best to resolve the mess he left behind and the rest is up to her.

The clear sounds of laughter reach her interspersed with conversation and outbursts of tears; sounds typical of a wake. The air cools significantly as the soft glow of real flames outlines the end of the tunnel and carries with it the scent of wood smoke. Shadow adjusts her eyes and steps into a small room. Nearly thirty women fill it and even in the close quarters they are clearly grouped in twos and threes. A single fire in the corner provides light and their shadows dance, infinitely tall, following their voices into the limitless space above.

“Shadow?” Dame Arden asks and Shadow bows. Arden’s son and only heir is gone and accused of murder and she can’t help but think it’s due entirely to the trouble she started at Talon’s Saskatoon home. “Welcome.”

“Thank you, Dame Arden,” Shadow bows again. The women around her appear strange and she realizes they aren’t winged. Many gawk at her white feathers. “I came to… um. I mean the Vancouver Island Eyrie wants to…

“I want to honour Swift, Dame Arden,” she tries. Screw protocol; she doesn’t know it anyway. “As a gryphon and a friend in whatever way I can serve.”

“A kind sentiment,” Tawny speaks up. Behind her Shadow sees Cloud: alone, overwhelmed and lost. “Here we are simply sisters, none of this Dame business, eh?”

“My sisters,” Arden announces. “Swift’s spirit will be blessed with three wishes.”

“Thank you, Shadow,” comes from a couple of them and another pair embrace, overcome by the news.

“Cloud,” Tawny says. “Please fetch Shadow a tunic.”

“I met your dame many years ago,” Tawny says as she leads Shadow to the fire. Near it is a large bowl full of very clear water. At the bottom is a ring of bright stones which appear to be huge gems. “She was fourth in line for her dame’s seat and just an infant. She was absolutely tiny and it was rumoured she took after her dame’s dame, a white winged gryphon who claimed to be the daughter of the first royal. Though in truth the family feared your dame was sickly. She was deeply loved and they treasured each day they had with her. She flourished however, eventually claiming the heart of Sire Lev.”

“Oh?” Shadow answers but Tawny doesn’t say any more. Cloud approaches and kneels near the bowl with Shadow.

“First your wings, child,” Tawny instructs. “This is a place for emotion and sharing, not stuffy gryphon pride. Our sister Swift, her spirit is with us to celebrate. We honour her as Earth dwellers since that is where her body returns.”

“How?”

“Like when you took wing,” Cloud whispers. “And they won’t call us ‘child’ anymore after this.” 

Shadow concentrates and within seconds the lightness of her back becomes pounding in her head. Clutching her temples, she squeezes her ribs in place with her elbows and for several agonizing heartbeats the pain batters her insides. As her inner pressure subsides, she shivers as the room becomes uncomfortably chilled.

“Over it goes,” Tawny declares and stuffs the tunic over Shadow’s head.

“I have this,” Shadow says. With one hand she pulls out Talon’s necklace while feeling her adornment with the other. It’s long and as Talon said, nothing more than a plain necklace of the same white platinum.

“Talon?” Tawny holds her hand over Swift’s necklace.

“He said he would like her to wear it but he doesn’t know if it’s allowed.”

“Of course it’s allowed, child,” Arden says. “Put it in the bowl. I’m pleased he chose to acknowledge her. The rejection her spirit carries is the largest stain we have to heal.”

Shadow drops it in the water and is startled by the brilliant flash accompanying the searing sound it makes breaking the surface.

“He’s been holding on to it for quite some time for it to be that dirty,” Arden comments. “The males ask us for moonwater from time to time although I can’t imagine they grasp its significance. It purifies without causing damage. It will amplify magic, for instance if Tawny heals a gryphon while her hands are wet with it she can do more than without.”

“And I will in a moment!” the old gryphon announces from the other side of the room.

“Roll up your sleeves,” Arden instructs. “And wash your hands until the water is quiet.”

Blue light still snaps around the chain as Shadow does what she’s told. The moonwater is cold and goose-bumps spring from her skin and rasp against her sleeves. When the flashing stops she takes the chain and waits, careful not to touch anything for if she gets dirty she’ll likely need another electric cleaning.

“Come, Shadow,” Cloud takes her elbow and helps her up.

As the women part, Shadow can see Swift on a narrow waist high altar. A simple drape covers her body and the warm fire light can’t hide the unnatural whiteness of her skin or the rows of neat stitches closing the devastating wound to her throat. The pounds of gold once around her neck are gone. Four claw marks are visible on one side and as Shadow gets closer the fifth from Torrent’s thumb comes into view. She can only imagine Cloud’s terror witnessing the attack.

“Put it on her,” Tawny says softly. “Her sprit is with us and will bond with anyone who shares a trauma she cannot take to the afterlife. The gryphon blessed with the connection will seek others in the room and through conversation or even simple contact we help heal Swift’s spirit.”

“That’s beautiful,” Shadow says, deeply touched by the intimacy of the ceremony. She closes the clasp under Swift’s neck and turns the chain until it’s behind her out of sight. Only then does she smooth it out, drawing the long loop down and flattening it between her breasts.

“Ah,” Arden sighs as Cloud takes Shadow’s hand. “The room feels lighter already.”

“Now, trousers down,” Tawny announces. Cloud laughs at the look on Shadow’s face as the cold air hits her bare thighs and bottom. Then Shadow yelps as Tawny’s wet hands grab her scarred leg. “Hold still.”

“Um,” Shadow breathes as Tawny moves her hands again and again.

“You should have been brought to me immediately when this happened,” Tawny mutters. “Or I to you. Barbaric. When the human doctors remove the metal come see me and I will repair the holes. You should have no more trouble.”

Tawny stands. Beads of sweat stand out on her wrinkled forehead.

“Thank you.”

“There is food; eat, talk. There is peace in the room and it shouldn’t be long until Swift leaves us.”

Shadow helps herself to a couple of the hard crackers Talon had with his breakfast and Cloud joins her, crouching in a niche along the wall by Swift’s feet. Shadow’s desire for meat disappeared with her wings.

“Thank you for breakfast.”

Cloud grins around a mouthful of red meat and sighs. Her eyes sag from lack of sleep.

“Swift was upset I saw her die,” Cloud admits. “She loved her time with the children and the young and it bothered her to see one of us so frightened.

“I told her how brave she was. How proud I am. Even though she had a terrible disadvantage in the narrow tunnel she fought with all her heart.

“One of the dames here broke her ankle in front of her daughter a few years ago and carried a terrible guilt ever since. It upset her child so much. Swift felt the same way as the dame, I think, about being killed in front of me so they made a connection.