Niko stiffened beside him but didn’t answer.
“Yes, I understand, I think it is time for us to part. But you will have my support if you ever need it,” Griffin huffed.
Niko got to his feet, looking out onto the sea. “Do you ever miss Grypheem?”
Griffin mulled the question over, it was easier to answer than he expected. “No.”
He missed his father.
He missed his brother.
He missed the idea of his mother.
But Grypheem itself? The laws that governed their land? The High Priestess’s influence?
He’d never go back if he could help it.
“Neither do I, and I know Viktor doesn’t either. It’s better here. And it will continue to be the more we weed out ourown people. Even those from Grypheem have fallen to the corruption.”
“Here”—Griffin offered the figurine—“take this. I know it’s ridiculous, but I promise if you ever run into trouble, it might just get you out of it.”
“The tattoos weren’t enough?” Even still, Niko pocketed it without hesitation. “Are you going to be okay? I don’t want to leave you alone here.”
Griffin’s heart beat rapidly as what he was waiting for came into view. A familiar ship illuminated in the moonlight. “We already are gaining numbers. I have people I can trust.”
“But none of them know the truth.” Niko appraised the ship, an eyebrow raising. “No one knows who you really are. And if they did—”
“They would kill me.” Griffin understood. He got to his feet, he knew there was a ladder about five hundred feet along the wall. Because he had put it there.
This wasn’t his first time here.
And it wouldn’t be his last.
“Maybe, or they would turn on you,” Niko amended. “Do you really think sending women and children to pirates is a better option?”
Griffin turned back to Niko. “Yes. There will be a war here and it is always the innocents who are the first to be hurt. I will protect as many as I can. And I promise you…the pirates are a better option than anywhere else.”
“I will put my trust in you.” Niko sighed, inclining his head. “Good-bye…for now.”
The wind picked up, Griffin’s coat whipping out around him, his hair covering his eyes. By the time he brushed it back, Niko was gone.
A stale emptiness settled in his gut. His last connection to Grypheem severing in a single instance. He knew when he wenthome, both of the men would be gone. No trace of them ever having lived with him.
Griffin didn’t hesitate further, scaling down the ladder and heading towards the ship. But as he did so, his mind whipped through the same question over and over again.
Do you ever miss Grypheem?
The answer was no, but he hoped one day that could change.
But first there was more work to do.
Present Day – Grypheem
The carriage jerked to a stop, bringing Griffin into the present. He was back in Grypheem now, and he had never made it to the point of missing it. In fact, he despised being here. “We’re at the apron wall, which means we’ll be at the castle soon. We need to remain a unified front. Tomorrow night, there will be a…party.”
“A party,” Julian scoffed.
“Yes. I returned to Grypheem about four years back but not in any official capacity. This will be to announce my permanent fixture as prince.” Griffin didn’t like it. He had no interest in staying in this country. If it were up to him, he would take Raven and go to a new one entirely. He had one specifically in mind.
