Aemon had said he’d always known who he was, and had always been aware of his link to Moriel. It made me ill to think of what else he knew, what secrets he’d uncovered, and hoarded. I wish I had an idea of where we stood in his games, or just how far behind we were in learning what we needed to fight back.
I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. But I couldn’t relax. The dwelling began to feel eerily quiet, and I realized it was the first time I’d been truly alone in this country, alone in its wilderness. I rubbed my hands up and down my arms.
The gryphon whined, pulling my attention back to him. He shifted his weight and pushed his head against my hand, jerking it to the side. I reached for his chin, but he pushed my hand away again, stepping closer and presenting his forehead.
“This is what you want?” I stroked the top of his head. He made a happy growling sound that vibrated through his body. Seemingly satisfied, he stood up, and shook out his feathers, blowing gusts of snow that had accumulated on his fur onto me.
“Really? I give into your demands for head rubs and this is how you repay me?”
But then a strange feeling crawled up my spine.
The gryphon stilled, his wings pulled back to his body, his posture defensive again. He snapped his head back and forth, observing as I silently slid my hand to my hip, and wrapped my fingers around my sword hilt. I held my breath, my ears straining.
A branch snapped.
The gryphon snarled.
A moment passed, and then another.
I felt it before I heard it. A faint rumbling against the ground. The dry, crunchy snow was covered in a thin layer of ice that began to crackle as something slithered across it with a hiss.
Nahashim.
The same one I’d heard the other night. If I ran inside the cave, it would follow, and I’d be trapped. It was the reason Rhyan wanted me to wait outside—to ensure I had a way to escape, to avoid being cornered.
I withdrew my sword. The snake was growing louder, getting closer. I unsheathed my dagger with my left hand, widening my feet, my knees bent. And with weapons in both hands, I waited.
A small shadow danced behind a tree, before the nahashim slithered forward, its black scales shining in the remaining light. The snake stretched, revealing its full height, its head just reaching my waist.
I lunged, my dagger poised to strike.
But I missed the snake as it dodged.
Advancing again, I tried to lure it into a false sense of security by lowering my blades. Its black eyes watched curiously as its body undulated. I took another step forward, and again I struck. My blade hit the tree, snapping a piece of bark.
I stepped around the tree’s trunk, away from the cave. The snake stilled. I lunged. And missed.
Again, the snake slithered back, taunting me.
With a roar, the gryphon rose up on its hind legs. Its front legs kicked in annoyance, its sharpened talons slicing through the air.
“Shhh,” I said, my heart pounding. “It’s okay.Tovayah.Just one small nahashim.” But the gryphon wouldn’t settle. “Shhh,” I tried again. Fuck. All I needed now was for the gryphon to make enough noise to alert Imperator Hart’s soturi that I was here. “Tovayah,” I said, my voice low, attempting to mimic Rhyan’s. The gryphon’s talons hit the ground and I turned back to the snake.
Its mouth snapped, revealing fangs dripping with venom. My arm tingled, remembering the feeling of being stabbed by its fang the last time, as well as the coming paralysis. But with a deep breath, I charged forward, dagger lifted. At once, the nahashim retreated, its shining scales gliding back across the snow.
Another branch broke. And then another.
I stilled.
Tiny vibrations shook the loosened patches of ice on the ground, and without warning, the nahashim spun on its coiled tail, advancing. I thrust my sword, the point aimed at its throat. But it rolled just out of reach. Hisses hummed against the ground, the sound now coming from every direction.
A second nahashim slithered forward, and then a third, and a fourth. Within a few seconds there were dozens aroundme, all small, but still venomous and just as dangerous. Especially in these numbers.
Carefully, I stepped back, my heart pounding. Their scaly bodies undulated as they continued to advance, their hisses growing louder and louder until they became low, feral growls. I tightened my grip on my weapon as the snakes bared their fangs. I was trapped.
Frantically I tried to decide my next move. But a violent roar erupted and I ducked just as the gryphon leapt over my head. Snow and ice exploded as its paws slammed before me. With a screeching roar, it attacked the nahashim, the powerful muscles in its legs rippling. His talons sliced easily through the bodies of those nearest, tossing them aside.
Some snakes started to retreat, but most were gliding purposefully toward the gryphon, venom dripping from their open mouths.
