“Thank you for your help,” I tell her. “And I’m truly sorry for taking the egg. It was an act of panic.”
She watches me in silence. That’s kind of her. She has no reason to believe me, forgive me or like me. I only hope she won’t kill us, now that she has her baby back.
“Simu!” Roane calls out hoarsely and I wrap an arm around his lean hips, steadying him. It’s like trying to steady a sapling in the wind. “Come!”
A hiss like water hitting a hot pan and a flash of flickering light announce Simu’s arrival. His wings blaze outside, a glimpse of flames and smoke.
As we wait for the firebird to find purchase on the rock, the griffin turns inside the nest, almost knocking us out with her wings.
“Human,” she says and I cast her a look over my shoulder. “Names have power in this world.”
“Names have power in every world,” I reply.
“Here more so than anywhere else. Names and stories. You need to find his book to know him.” She lowers her head over her nest. “Find his name to save him.”
Frowning, I keep my gaze on the griffin, but she’s done talking.
What she obviously meant is that I should find out more about Roane’s past. His story. Or maybe she meant his journal. It makes sense. But his name? I know it. I know his family name, his genealogical tree, even. I know where his family has lands and properties. It was all in his journal. Ersil talked about his past, although he left other parts, like the Merhill incident, a mystery.
The phoenix flies by once more, his passage scorching, then turns and grips the ledge with his talons, patiently waiting until I shove Roane up the feathered foreleg and shoulder, following after him.
I’m burning my hands and face, scorching my leathers, and I barely notice. The need to act is eating away at my thoughts.
A plan. I need a plan. The moment Simu flies off with us clinging to his back, I make a decision.
“Simu,” I call out, “take us home!”
“What are you doing?” Roane mutters. He’s seated in front of me this time and I’m holding onto his back. His stomach is like steel under my hands. “You should have asked the griffin how to leave this world. How to escape,Ellin.”
“I’m not going anywhere until you’re okay. Down, Simu!”
At first, I think the phoenix will ignore my order, but then he dives and flies downward in a spiral. My chest is so tight I can barely breathe, and not from a fear of heights or the encounter with the griffin, or even from this ride on the phoenix’s back.
I’m worried about Roane.
Will Simu carry me to find Stymphalians? And if he does, will I be able to locate those egrets and turn them back into metal birds? Or find others? How will I get them to shed tears, collect them and carry them back to the temple?
In fact, how is this plan not doomed to failure?
Egret tears…
If only I could use my own tears. They are easy to come by these days.
The phoenix flies us straight to the entrance of the library, landing lightly for such a huge bird, beating his wings. The ground shakes as I slide down Simu’s flank, sending me to my knees. Roane follows me down, his face white. I don’t know why his condition worsened so suddenly. He obviously didn’t expect it to happen in the griffin’s nest.
“Ardruna!” I shout, getting back on my feet. “Talton! Come here.” When nothing happens, I stride over to the library doors and open them the way Ardruna showed me. I step inside and yell, “Ardruna! Talton! We need help!”
They come up the stairs at once, yipping and whistling, and I step back out. Roane has his hand on the phoenix’s neck, his head bowed.
“What’s the matter?” Ardruna growls, coming out. “I thought you were in danger, dammit.”
“You need to help Roane inside.”
“Help him? But?—”
Roane’s knees buckle and he goes down. Cursing, I rush over to him. “Help him. The hydra poisoned him. I’ll go look for the antidote.”
Talton flies over us, croaking in distress. “Will he be all right?”
