“I thought they were a myth.”
She merely glanced pointedly behind me at the griffin. I followed her gaze. The mythical being was lying in the sun, his eyes heavy-lidded as he watched us.
“Okay. How sure are you that she has the sword?”
“I gave it to her. She will have kept it safe all these years.”
“Fine.” I was too pissed about the magical roofie to say anything else.
I turned without another word, and Kyla fell into step as we walked back toward the portal. Ilis better have kept her word and stacked them for me.
The griffin watched us out of huge, adoring eyes as we approached. Despite myself, I slowly held out one hand, stroking his ears. Now that I wasn’t in danger, I could appreciate just how rare this experience was. I’d hung out with an honest-to-God griffin.
Vas would lose his mind when I told him.
“Thank you for your help,” I said. “You need to go now.”
The griffin lay down, as immovable as a mountain. If he wanted to stay here, who was I to argue? Maybe Ilis would find it in her heart to help him get back to the rest of the griffins.
We turned to walk away, and Kyla let out a choked laugh. The griffin was following us. I whirled around and he lay back down.
“Your life is a circus,” Kyla said.
I shook my head and stalked away. If he wanted to escort us to the portal, that was his business.
“I’m looking forward to getting out of this place,” Kyla muttered as we approached the swirling colors.
I gave her a sour look. Her clothes were still pristine, and she looked fresh enough that she might’ve taken a nap.
“Difficult day eating Ilis out of house and home?”
She merely grinned at me. “Jealousy is the ugliest emotion.”
“Blah blah.”
“Real mature.”
“My maturity disappeared when I was wandering drugged through the forest.”
Kyla went still. Her head angled, eyes narrowed in a way that told me she was on the hunt.
“Excuse me?”
Whoops. “Hey look,” I started, pointing toward the griffin.
She turned her head, and I shoved her through the portal. I gave the griffin one last pat and then stepped through myself.
Kyla gave me a dark look from where she was sitting on the ground. “Unnecessary.”
“We don’t have time for you to rip Ilis’s throat out, and Finvarra already hates you.”
“Not as much as I hate him,” she muttered darkly. Then her mouth dropped open.
Soft fur brushed my hand, and I slammed my eyes shut.
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
The griffin had followed us home like a stray dog.
