So he could understand me. That was the important thing.
“Too late!” I hefted the egg. “I’ve already got this! What else am I going to do with it? A lifetime supply of omelets?”
The griffin took advantage of Fieran’s moment of distraction and slammed into him. Their wings beat frantically, and it managed to get on top of Fieran, driving him down to the ground. The earth shook beneath my feet. Fieran strained up, his snapping jaws seeking purchase.
I had to get the griffin’s attention. I stooped and picked up a rock, threw it at them.
It hit Fieran. One of his eyes swiveled to look at me in a distinctly judgmental fashion.
“Fieran, get ready!” I shouted.
The Dragon’s roar this time sounded distinctly like the words “go away.”
I picked up another rock, and this one hit the griffin just as it was rearing back to strike. Its head swiveled toward me, and fear jolted through me as its eyes locked on mine.
I hefted the egg. “You wouldn’t want anything to happen to this, would you?”
The griffin let out a blood-curdling shriek and tried to throw itself away from Fieran. But Fieran jumped on top of it, bearing it down to the ground. Now the two of them were fighting, the griffin trying to move toward me, Fieran trying to hold it back.
All in all, the two of them were rolling back and forth, flattening trees, causing destruction, all of it headed slowly toward me.
I took off running desperately toward the nest.
The egg was hot and cracking in my hands. It took me a second to realize what was happening, until I felt a sharp beak against my palm, breaking through the egg shell.
“Sorry,” I told the egg, just as part of it cracked open, and a pair of eyes met mine.
But I was almost by the nest. I heaved the egg, throwing it into thenest as gently as possible. I could feel the griffin right at my back. Hopefully, with the egg back in the nest, it would stop chasing me and stay in the nest.
I ran desperately. I just had to get to the other side of the stones so Fieran could activate the trap. Then I could throw myself down, covered by the cloak, and disappear.
Behind me was the wild beating of wings and another quieter gliding sound—Fieran in pursuit.
The wardstones glowed just ahead.
Claws raked through the fabric of my cloak and straight into my shoulder. Pain flared white-hot—sharp and electric—tearing a cry from my throat. I stumbled forward, vision blurring, the world dissolving into flashes of moonlight and shadow.
The griffin screamed, and I looked back over my shoulder. Fieran had caught it by the throat, but he didn’t waste time—he flung the griffin back, buying us both time.
I leapt forward, passing the wardstones.
Only to realize that ahead of me, beyond the wardstones, was only darkness. I was already falling, trying to grab a handful of earth to stop myself as my feet slid away beyond me, sliding toward the cliff.
I screamed for Fieran.
Behind me, I heard the griffin scream as the wards activated. Golden light shimmered between all the stones, creating a wall.
But I had too much momentum. I couldn’t stop myself from sliding, careening toward the edge.
Then my fingertips found a spot on the ground and held. My arms jerked painfully. My lower body kicked out over a vast expanse, my stomach bottoming out as I realized how close I was to tumbling to my death.
Then the vine I’d grabbed gave way, and I was falling.
Ten
Iwas falling. Scrabbling. Finding nothing.
The ground rushed toward me in the darkness. I closed my eyes, bracing for impact. Bracing for pain, bracing for death.
